MLB Draft Signings 2012: How Ty Hensley Will Help New York Yankees Down the Road

Ty Hensley is the New York Yankees' newest first-round pick, and after signing the No. 30 overall pick, the Bronx Bombers will look to groom him for the long term as a pitcher, hopefully in the starting rotation.

Let's take a look at the deal Hensley and the Yankees inked, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter):

"

Confirmed: #Yankees ink first-round pick, RHP Ty Hensley, for $1.2 million. Full pick value for Hensley was $1.6M. #OleMiss #NYY #mlbdraft

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogersPG) July 13, 2012"

With New York's looking to cut payroll to $189 million in order to avoid paying a stiff luxury tax for 2014 and beyond, it will be vital that the team develop young starting pitching in order to stop forcing itself to overpay for starters on the free-agent market.

However, as the Yankees and their fans know, that isn't easy by any stretch. As is the case with most young talent—namely pitchers—success is never guaranteed.

But putting that aside, Hensley could be a huge part of what the Yanks are trying to do.

Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com believes that, while Hensley could become a reliever in the majors, the Yanks' first-round pick has the potential to be a starting pitcher for a long time to come.

That belief comes from the fact that Hensley has starter's stuff with a power arm and a solid breaking ball to go along with it. If he truly has what it takes, Hensley should be able to expand his repertoire by learning how to throw more pitches.

That would go a long way in making Hensley a viable starter for years to come.

Let's just say for a second that Hensley doesn't work out in the starting rotation. His stuff could easily allow him to translate into a solid reliever.

Under team control for several years, Hensley could give the Bombers a solid arm in their rotation or at the back-end of their bullpen for cheap. Both of those roles have become increasingly expensive over the years.

Clearly, the potential for Hensley to help this team in the future is great, and he can do it in a few ways.

However, no matter how he helps the Yanks down the road, Hensley's talent will go a long way toward New York's goal of avoiding the expensive luxury tax.