While New York Yankees fans may be questioning why the team has lost its appeal to top free agents after missing out on international pitching prospect Roki Sasaki, the front office doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on the setback. Sasaki’s decision to eliminate the Yankees—along with the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers—from contention opens up new opportunities.
With Sasaki’s remaining suitors holding onto their International Signing Bonus Pool funds, other teams now have the chance to sign some top young talent.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, for example, have already lost 16-year-old shortstop prospect Darell Morel, who is reportedly set to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers are holding onto their entire bonus pool, hoping to use it on Sasaki, but have informed players with pre-existing “handshake deals” that they can either wait until 2026 or sign elsewhere.
While Sasaki is the most coveted prospect, several other talented young players are available to help the Yankees rebuild their farm system. Some of the top names expected to sign on the first day of the signing period include shortstop Josauar De Jesus Gonzalez, right-handed pitcher Kelvin De Frank, shortstop Elian Pena, outfielder Cris Rodriguez, and shortstop/outfielder Andrew Salas.
Just a day after the Mets learned they were out of the running for Sasaki, they were already reportedly connected to Pena. Meanwhile, the Yankees are linked to 16-year-old shortstop Manny Cedeno from the Dominican Republic.
The Yankees have $6,261,600 available in their International Signing Bonus Pool for 2025, the same amount that helped them land top prospect Jasson Dominguez in 2019 with a record $5.1 million bonus for the 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic.
