BRONX, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 21: Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner speaks during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
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The New York Yankees’ offseason has been relatively quiet, just one year after the team engaged in a flurry of moves to overhaul the roster and replace superstar Juan Soto.
But there has been one notable source of internal turmoil for the team, as it has sought to overhaul its international scouting operation following years of disappointing returns.
“The Yankees fired longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland, whose contract expired Oct. 31, after multiple failed big-bonus prospects over the years,” according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “They also fired Rowland’s assistant, Edgar Mateo, who had been in the organization a while.”
The New York Yankees Suffer Player Losses After Firing Key Director
Even as the international signing period opened earlier this month, the Yankees had not filled those key positions and it seems to have resulted in some high-profile losses for the organization.
“Dominican shortstop Wandy Asigen, ranked the No. 4 international prospect by Baseball America, had an agreement to sign with the Yankees before he broke it to agree on a $3.9 million bonus with the New York Mets in December,” Kuty reported. “Another Dominican shortstop ranked in BA’s Top 100, Yeison Horton, was reportedly expected to sign with the Yankees, but instead reached a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.”
And now the Yankees have reportedly lost yet another top-ranked international youngster as the key positions in their department remain unfilled.
“The New York Yankees and SS Mairon De La Rosa have parted ways: the $4.3M agreement between the Yankees and the top prospect in the 2027 international class has fallen through,” Dominican Sports Ministry communications director Hector Gomez reported on X, formerly Twitter. “De La Rosa is expected to hold private workouts with multiple teams in the coming days and is projected to sign for an even higher bonus.”
Gomez subsequently reported that De La Rosa agreed to a $3.8 million deal with the American League West Division’s Seattle Mariners. The Mariners reached the AL Championship Series last year.
New York Yankees Lose Another Top Shortstop Amid Turmoil
It’s unclear if the Yankees would have retained De La Rosa if they had been able to staff their international scouting department earlier this year. But after the losses of Asigen and Horton, it seems like top players are looking elsewhere as the team addresses its internal structure.
And this latest loss could one day prove to be a significant one. Though he’s young, De La Rosa is a switch hitter who promises plus speed and power.
As Anthony Volpe struggles to retain his everyday shortstop role for the big-league club, the Yankees have promising infield prospect George Lombard Jr. working his way up. But beyond that, perhaps the Yankees could have used one of the other young shortstop options they have now lost.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2026/01/26/yankees-lose-top-young-shortstop-after-high-profile-firing/
