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Yankees Rumors: No. 1 International Prospect Roderick Arias Agrees to $4M Contract
January 15, 2022
The New York Yankees have reportedly come to terms on a contract with the No. 1 international prospect in baseball.
According to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, the Yankees and shortstop Roderick Arias have agreed to a deal that will pay him $4 million.
Once the pact becomes official, it will account for most of the $5,179,700 that the Yanks have available to them in their base signing pool.
Arias is a 17-year-old native of the Dominican Republic who will stand as the Yankees' biggest international prospect signing since now-18-year-old outfielder Jasson Dominguez in 2019.
Dominguez, who is also from the Dominican Republic, signed for over $5 million and is considered one of the most promising prospects in baseball.
Per Sanchez, scouts believe Arias is an above-average fielder with a plus arm, as well as a player who possesses quality discipline at the plate and power from both sides as a switch-hitter.
Arias also has above-average skills as a baserunner with a 60-yard dash time of 6.5 seconds.
In August, MLB Pipeline ranked the Yankees in the middle of the pack in terms of farm system strength at No. 19 overall.
Arias is set to join an organization that already has some quality shortstops rising through the ranks, as MLB.com has Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza as the first and third overall players in New York's prospect rankings.
The Yankees have a long history of success at shortstop, with Derek Jeter, Phil Rizzuto and Joe Sewell being among those who reside in the Baseball Hall of Fame.