In a turn of events that will baffle long-time Yankees fans, the Bronx Bombers' pursuit of Cuban teenage prospect Yoan Moncada may be slowing down because of his price tag. According to reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers have replaced the Yanks as frontrunners.
"The Red Sox, Dodgers, Yankees and Padres are the names we are hearing,'' one talent evaluator told The New York Post, while another said the Dodgers are considered the favorites. The five-tool shortstop is eager to sign, and may be with a club by the end of this week, according to his agent David Hastings.
"I have let people know we would like to get him signed before spring training,'' Hastings said. "He wants to play and wants to be an All-Star. You look at him and it's hard to put it in perspective the talent and the body and his age. I am not a scout, but every scout I talk to says he can be a franchise player.''
The problem for even the big-spending teams is the 100 percent tax on every dollar over the international spending limit. Moncada is expected to require a $30 million signing bonus, which will turn into about $60 million for the Yankees and Dodgers for a teen who has zero MLB or even minor league experience.
While the newly cost-conscious Yankees have paused to think, it's not expected the free-wheeling Dodgers will blink. One National League official told The Post that the Dodgers "are going to go crazy" in an effort to sign him.
Of the teams in the hunt, only the Red Sox don't appear to have a clear fit. They have second-year man Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, already one of the league's top prospects and someone thought highly enough to displace free agent acquisition Hanley Ramirez into the outfield.
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