Over the years, the Yankees have spent more on 16-year-olds than Jeffrey Epstein.
And yesterday - Epstein Redaction Day in America - this story wriggled up out of the Yankee infundibulum:
A 16-year-old Dominican SS drink-of-water named Wandy Asigen ditched an apparent deal with the Yankees, jumping to the Mets for a $3.8 million signing bonus. Supposedly, the Death Barge had this kid on ice, with a $4.3 million deal that somehow went poof. Complicating matters, the Yankees recently fired their longtime chief of international scouting, a guy named Donny Rowland. Food Stamps Hal seems to be questioning the strategy of bestowing massive checks upon 16-year-old Latinos, (and their handlers), a policy that has shaped the Yankee farm system in this millennium.
A lot to chew on here.
Depending on your view of Gary Sanchez - who was once the world's wealthiest, self-made Latino teenybopper - the Yankees' huge international bonus signings have either been a boom or bust.
Believe it or not, Sanchez - now 33 - is still going. Last year, in 29 games for the O's, he hit 5 HRs and batted .231. He's now a free agent, scraping for that final contract. But remember 2016? The Kraken! The Sanchize! Gary! Guy hit 20 HRs in a half-season, batted .299. He was 23, the future of the Yankees - (Aaron Judge hadn't yet stuck the landing) - and the argument for - as Trump once said of Epstein "liking them young." (At 16, Sanchez had received the then-highest signing bonus in history.)
Then, unfortunately, Sanchez devolved into a strikeout machine, a big-swinging disappointment who didn't sprint to first or learn to block pitches. Manager Joe Girardi winced, and the Yankee front office claimed he was hurt. It's called enabling.
Sanchez became one of those situations today's Yankees see too often: A guy with great potential who cannot unlock it with the Yankees. Mr. Volpe comes to mind.
Remember the infamous international signing class of 2014? The Yankees grabbed 10 of the top 30 "ranked" prospects in the world - Demis Garcia, Nelson Gomez, et al - all of whom sank without a bubble.
Then there is Roderick Arias, who signed in 2022 for $4 million, and who has yet to hit a nickel. Last year, 20, he batted .208 at low A Tampa. It's too soon to give up on the guy, but I suspect the Yankees would happily deal him if somebody, anybody, viewed him as a hot commonly.
Of course, the final judgement is The Martian, who signed in 2019 for $5.1 million, the highest bonus in Yankee history. Depending on what happens with Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez will either be a critical cog in the 2026 Yankee outfield or be traded by January 15. He's 22. If he blossoms with another team, well, the fireworks over Tampa will be something to see.
So, Wandy Asigen? WTF? Let's cross fingers and wish him luck. We won't know for at least five years. That said, we will be watching.
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7 comments:
I think the Yankees should just give up trying to develop players. I mean, fuck it. When some guy shows real promise in the minors, trade the fucker. Get someone who is middle-aged in baseball terms, but still damned good. Fill the whole goddamn team with guys like that. Go all in on what we've been crying about for years--make it real, trash the minors, get rid of guys who look like future stars in order to get guys who are stars, and if they're youngish, so much the better.
Remember how in Citizen Kane, Orson Wells hired the whole staff of the largest-circulation newspaper in town? He bought 'em all, and his paper became the largest-circulation newspaper in town. Now, Hal might not want to spend money as lavishly as that. But systematically trading away "the future" (a future that's usually nothing but a bust or mediocre) for the present might get around that.
The problem we have now is that we protect and coddle and try to develop youngsters on one hand, and still trade guys away for questionable acquisitions on the other. We suck at development. So stop with this stupid hybrid approach and just go for it already.
Oh, and in recognition of the genius of our Fearless Leader:
"Over the years, the Yankees have spent more on 16-year-olds than Jeffrey Epstein."
I bow in your general direction, sir.
“ Over the years, the Yankees have spent more on 16-year-olds than Jeffrey Epstein. ”
😆😆😆😆😆
That was pretty damned funny, Duque.
Did this guy have a different kind of improper liking of underage kids?
"the Yankees recently fired their longtime chief of international scouting, a guy named Donny Rowland."
True Story:
Back in the summer of 1998 when the earth (and the NY Yankees) were younger and much more fun to be around, I had just moved up from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area. My apartment was in Oakland, overlooking Lake Merritt. Very nice place.
A good friend of mine who I hadn't seen for a long time got a hold of a couple of great tickets to see the Yankees play against the (fka) Oakland A's as a gift to welcome me to the Bay Area.
It was Monday, August 3rd, late in the afternoon. He showed up to see my new digs and handed me an expensive bottle of Lagavulin single malt as a house warming gift. Super nice of him.
We hopped into his car and zipped over to the ballpark. Grabbed some food, a couple of beers and settled into our seats which were a few rows back from the field, right behind the Yankees dugout.
Thanking him for generosity, I said "This is all really unbelievable. And I'll tell you something. Even though we're here about to watch this game, I can't wait to get back home and get my hands on that 16 year old you brought me . . ."
In the row directly in front of me this balding, middle-aged guy in Athletics gear turns around and angrily stares at me. Sitting to his left and his right are two teenaged girls. Clearly his daughters. They only partially turn around, looking somewhat uneasy and disgusted.
I looked into the guys eyes and said, "16 YEAR OLD SCOTCH. LAGAVULIN. HOUSE WARMING GIFT. JUST MOVED HERE AND I LIKE SCOTCH."
The girls turn back around and the guy registers what I just told him, laughed, winked and gave me a big thumbs up saying, "Welcome to Oakland!"
I exhaled, shared a bulging eye roll with my friend and then got to enjoy the Yankees destroy the A's 14-1 behind an incredible complete game performance by . . . you guessed it - El Duque !
Great story!
That game was a blast.
That was one of the three best games I experienced in Oakland.
That 14-1 victory - the "Flip Play" Game and of course closer to present day, the Domingo Germán UNWAVERING perfect game.
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