The Yankees have signed Nicaraguan left-handers Corby McCoy and Luis Garcia, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America.
The 16-year-old McCoy is one of the top talents out of Nicaragua in this year's July 2 free agent class, according to Badler. McCoy, who received a $150K bonus, has an athletic and projectable 6'3", 170-pound frame according to Badler. His velocity has touched 91 mph, but he's inconsistent in that regard and often sits in the 85-88 mph range.
Garcia's bonus figures to be one of the Yankees' six sub-$50K exemptions. As per Major League Baseball's new CBA, the six highest bonuses under $50K won't count toward a team's $2.9MM international spending cap. Badler describes Garcia as raw, but projectable. The 6'4", 185-pound lefty's fastball sits in the 85-88 mph range as well.
Badler points out that McCoy's signing puts the Yankees at exactly $2.9MM in terms of non-exempt bonuses. They signed Luis Torrens for $1.3MM, Alexander Palma for $800K, and Yancarlos Baez for $650K. Any further signings in excess of $50K will result in at least a 75 percent luxury tax on the overage. As Badler outlined in this piece back in May, exceeding the signing cap by more than 15 percent will result in a 100 percent luxury tax and will also limit a team's 2013-14 spending pool to $250K on just one player.
Corby McCoy is from Nicaragua?
“Corby McCoy”… from Nicaragua?!
Interesting that they rushed to spend here in the IFA field so quickly, Then they only spent 40m between 2007-12 on the rule 4 draft and 2007-11 they were free and clear to go above slot without penalty in lower rounds.
Head scratcher. Fairly known talent taken in lower rounds and given high bonuses to sign, vs wild card people and extremely high bonuses.
My argument with going the IFA route to some locales period and always has been. no track record, no paper trail, no nothing.
I’m too lazy to look it up, but I’m guessing a number of those years the Yankees forfeited top draft picks to sign free agents.
The rush with IFA is that if you don’t sign them soon, someone else will.
EDIT: In 2008, they failed to sign Gerrit Cole and in 2011 didn’t have a first rounder. So not having a first rounder in 2/5 of those drafts plus typically drafting at the end of each round likely explains their light spending. All that said, they were 11th in baseball in bonus spending during that time period. (07-11)
Prior to 2012, having a 1st round pick didn’t matter if a team wanted to go out and get someone who was putting out vibes of asking for 3-5m signing bonus, as several big namers used to, thereby letting them drop. Pittsburgh the last few years was one of the teams who made great use of that tactic.
Josh Bell went in round 2 of 2011 for 5m, signability.. More teams than the Pirates did that and the 5m on Bell was more than the NYY spent in total for 2011.
Edit:
I realize the NYY were in the middle of the pack on Rule 4 spending, but surprising a team that HAS the money like them would ignore that route nonetheless when there was no penalty.
They still went over slot over the years –Just not Josh Bell over slot. They were 11th in spending despite likely holding the lowest average draft slot of any team in baseball
Not to nit pick, but the Yankees spent over 6 million in 2011 — not less than the non-first-round-record 5 MM Bell received.
Wait, you’ve got me defending the Yankees. This must stop.
LOL. Oh I was not attacking them. Have said was astonished the last several years that they were not going out and spending, cause we all figured the cap of some kind was going to come about and even a team with the financial might of NY could/would always use a few more home grown players.
The core that they have/had, many came about when they had some lean years in the early 90’s and spent huge.
Maybe some of it was George not being as active in his latter years, as he was brilliant and didn’t miss much. Same with Stick Michael when he ran the team.
Edit :
easier than new post: I thought NY 2011 spending was like 4.9m and change.That one I didn’t just look up.. Guess should have huh 🙁
@johnsilver
My condolences to you and RS Nation on the passing of
Johnny Pesky, may he rest in peace
Thank You Slope and appreciate it from every member of Red Sox Nation’s hearts. A long time coach who i remember used to show u at ST back in Winter Haven every season, alongside of Bobby Doerr, Dom Dimaggio and Joe Dobson every ST as coaches for the spring.
Read on espn, Boston the Pesky was hitting IF grounders into his 80’s.I remember Pesky hitting Fungos in the late 70’s even. The “gang” of ’46 WS team mates gathered and teaching the group of youngsters what they had learned years before and now? Only Bobby Doerr is amongst us.
A cold reminder we are only here for a brief moment in the light of time.
Cheers Slope.
The Yankees buying championships AGAIN!
Surely, you meant to put this comment on an article about their 200MM payroll and not on the 250K they spent on amateurs that anyone could have signed within their budget.
Or you’re being sarcastic and I’m slow today.
He’s being sarcastic and you’re slow today.
He appears to be a Padres fan and the Yankees spent the 2.9 MM cap, so I wasn’t sure.
No it’s not
They aren’t even trying to fake names anymore, at least Leo Nunez and Fausto Carmona sounded real… Corby McCoy?