Yanks Will Sign Dominican Catcher, More To Follow

The international signing period begins on July 2nd, and according to George A. King III the Yankees will be signing Dominican catching prospect Gary Sanchez to a $2.5 million deal. Here's more from King:

Sanchez, 16, isn't eligible to sign until July 2, but the Yankees' dogged pursuit of the right-handed hitter has resulted in him wanting to sign with the club.

According to a Yankees source, who didn't confirm or deny the agreement or money, nothing is guaranteed until a contract is signed.

"He is a big kid with a big arm," a Latin American talent evaluator for an NL team said of the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Sanchez. "I would like to have him, but $2.5 million is a lot of money. He has a thick body. He is a real good hitter, but he doesn't hit like Jesus Montero."

A week ago I posted that the Yanks were interested in Sanchez as well as 16-year-old (we think) Miguel Angel Sano. King also mentioned that the Yankees are interested in Sano and two Cuban defectors, lefty Noel Arguelles and shortstop Jose Iglesias. Here's a quote from the scout on Sano:

"If he is 16, I have never seen a 16-year-old with that type of body," the scout said of the 6-foot-3 Sano.

Here are Baseball Prospectus' pros and cons on Sano:

Pros: Sano has been described as "special" by multiple international scouting directors, and it all starts with the bat. He has a short, direct stroke that consistently shows up in games along with his present average-grade raw power to all fields, which will grow as his projectable frame fills out. Sano is athletic, with the hands and the arm to play shortstop for now. All reports on his makeup are excellent.
Cons: Sano's speed is average, and as he fills out he'll lose some of it, moving to third base or even right field. Some will nitpick and say that Sano is stiff, but even his detractors agree he's easily a seven-figure talent. As with many high-profile Dominicans, there are incessant whispers about his age.

And Sanchez:

Pros: Sanchez has some very take-notice attributes: a projectable pro's body, a plus arm, plus-plus power, and the ability to put on one of the most impressive batting-practice displays in Latin America. He has solid agility and adequate receiving skills, and many think he'll stick as a catcher longer than most Dominican catching prospects. The believers in his talent write him up with four plus to plus-plus tools (and below-average speed).
Cons: His representation has been very aggressive, making him available to a number of teams multiple times over the last few months, but many have said that he looks tired and overworked as of late. Nearly every team I talked to has seriously questioned his ability to hit in games and/or have not seen him take more than a handful of swings against live pitching. This understandably turns many teams off, having no idea how a potential seven-figure investment will perform in a game situation.

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Here's a quote from King's article about the two Cuban prospects:

"He's 19 with a fastball between 89 and 93 mph," a scout said of Arguelles. "I would say he is two to three years away from the big leagues. The shortstop can pick it and is a plus runner but the bat is just OK. I would say he is a No. 7 or 8 hitter."

Good to see the Yanks are jumping on all these international free agents. Because of the draft they can't use their financial might to sign all the top amateurs in the States so they might as well use it to sign up all the top international talent.