Breaking: Yankees Agree Millions’ Deal To Sign Outfielder
The New York Yankees have agreed to terms with a future outfielder as they build their international signing class for the 2024 calendar year.
The Yankees have a deal with Francisco Vilorio, who is MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 overall prospect in the 2024 class. The deal of the deal have not been reported nor has the deal been officially announced.
The Yankees have $4.265 million to work with in international signing bonus money, but they lost $1 million due to signing pitcher Carlos Rodon last offseason. That’s because Rodon rejected a qualifying offer from the San Francisco Giants before signing with the Yankees, requiring the Yankees to surrender $1 million.
One Yankees international signee made it to the Majors and played some outfield last season. Jasson Domínguez signed the largest bonus in Yankees history — $5.1 million in 2019 — and made his MLB debut last September. He is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.
But that is emblematic of how long it takes some international prospects to reach the Majors. Domínguez was a highly-touted prospect and still required four years of preparation in the minors to be ready to reach the Majors.
Last January the Yankees spent a reported $4.35 million to sign another outfielder, Brando Mayea, who at the time was the No. 9 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s top 50 list. Mayea spent all of 2023 in the Dominican Summer League and batted .276 with three home runs and 18 RBI. Mayea is the Yankees’ No. 9 prospect in its system and is projected to be ready for the Majors in 2028.
Per MLB Pipeline Vilorio is “a tall, projectable outfielder with power potential and the ability to impact the game in various ways.” He also projects as a middle-of-the-order bat.
Yankees Still Seen As ‘Best Fit’ For Superstar Despite Speculation
The New York Yankees already have improved the club this offseason but are one frontline starter from being true World Series contenders.
New York already likely is among the top teams in the American League, but if the club could land another starter, they would be right at the top. The Yankees recently brought in two-time All-Star Marcus Stroman but there still are some other intriguing players out there.
One player who has been mentioned as a fit for the Yankees on a handful of occasions is former San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell. The lefty is one of the top pitchers in baseball and is a free agent.
New York reportedly offered Snell a contract recently but the two sides were apart on the terms. The Yankees then turned to Stroman. There have been rumblings that the Yankees could still bring in Snell and the club is viewed as one of the “best fits” for him, according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton and Aaron Gleeman.
“Best fits: (Boston Red Sox), (Chicago Cubs), (New York Yankees), (San Francisco Giants),” Britton and Gleeman said. “Few pitchers have hits free agency coming off as dominant a stretch as Snell put together in his walk year: From the end of May on, he compiled a 1.20 ERA over 23 starts, blanking the opposition in 11 of those outings (and only twice allowing more than two runs).”
Snell took home his second Cy Young Award in 2023 and immediately would give the Yankees one of the best rotations in baseball if they could bring him in. New York is going all in on the 2024 season, so why not make another big move?
