The Yankees signed 16-year-old shortstop Ronny Rojas to a $1 million contract on Saturday, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. They were considered favorites to sign the infield prospect back in July, but were forced to wait until Rojas’ eligibility kicked in after his 16th birthday on August 23.
According to MLB.com, Rojas ranked 11th-best among international prospects in 2017. His switch-hitting capability, ability to hit for average and solid defensive profile distinguished him early on, and while his power production seems lacking, he’s said to possess “gap-to-gap power” that could foretell some success at the major league level.
The 16-year-old infielder is the fourth international prospect to join the Yankees during the current 2017-2018 signing period. The club also signed shortstop Roberto Chirinos and outfielders Everson Pereira and Anthony Garcia earlier this season, and are expected to remain in the mix for Japanese pitcher/slugger Shohei Otani as well.
