The New York Yankees have exceeded their spending pools for the 2014-2015 international signing period, but that won't stop them in their pursuit of a Cuban prospect. Infielder Yoan Moncada is garnering interest from a number of teams throughout the league.
New York took one step further in their quest for Moncada and recently held a private workout for the 19-year-old, according to Baseball America's Ben Badler. It was reported earlier this month that the Yankees and Red Sox were the "heavy favorites" to sign the Cuban prospect, who is expected to land a $30 million to $40 million deal once he's cleared by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Yankees are already over the international spending limit for this current signing period, which means they are subject penalties and can't spend more than $300,000 on any player in the next signing period. With that being said, they don't have much to lose by purchasing more players before the April 2 deadline. Moncada seems to be their top target, but they'll have some competition with the Red Sox, Dodgers and Giants also interested.
Last February, Andrew Marchand and Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com wrote "the Yankees are expected to open their formidable wallet to the international market in a big way this summer in an attempt to reload their farm system and cash in on what many believe is a particularly strong crop of foreign-born talent."
They were right, as the team snagged five of the top 10 international prospects and spent over $14 million on the first day of this year's signing period.
Moncada could be their last major target until the 2016-2017 international window opens.
Speaking of free agents, the market is thin in the U.S., but there are some notable names still available. Here they are:
Starting Pitchers
James Shields (33); Brandon Beachy (28); Kyle Kendrick (30); Chad Billingsley (30); Ryan Vogelsong (37); Alexi Ogando (31); Chris Young (36); Scott Baker (33)
Relief Pitchers
Francisco Rodriguez (33); Casey Janssen (33); Brian Wilson (33); Rafael Soriano (35); Joba Chamberlain (29); Jesse Crain (34); John Axford (32); Phil Coke (32); Neal Cotts (35); Chris Perez (29); David Huff (30)
Position Players
C John Buck (34); C Geovany Soto (32); 2B Gordon Beckham (28); 2B Kelly Johnson (33); 2B Rickie Weeks (32); SS Everth Cabrera (28); OF Reed Johnson (38); OF Jason Kubel (33); OF Ryan Ludwick (36); OF Colby Rasmus (28); OF Ichiro Suzuki (41)