Yanks Planning To Go H.A.M. On The International Market

The original story is from earlier in the week but if you missed it, Kiley McDaniel of Scouts.com had a very detailed post on the Yankees' plans to spend like crazy on the international free agent market this summer and go way over the new international spending pool limits set by MLB.  The actual player spending figures are expected to be between $12-15 million, with another value close to that coming in the tax that the Yankees will have to pay for so grossly exceeding the limit.

As has been the case with some of the other new financial restrictions set by MLB, this is another example of the Yankees using their financial strength to their advantage while they still have the chance.  The international draft is coming soon, at which point they'll be on a level playing field with the rest of baseball when it comes to trying to bring in the top international talent.  They have the most money to spend on international free agents, the same as they do on the MLB market and in the now drastically altered Japanese posting system. If they're going to have that competitive advantage taken away as well it behooves them to take the small tax hit now and add the best international talent they can get.

The Yankees probably wouldn't be making this move if they weren't so unhappy with the quality of their farm system, and it's worth keeping in mind that most of the players they'll spend heavy on will be in the mid-to-late teens.  Still, talent is talent and you can never have too much of it.  If the Yanks follow through on this plan and throw more money at improving their farm system, they're bound to strike gold on a player or 2 and that's better than not spending and not getting those players.