Yankees wouldn't pay top dollar for Yoan Moncada and fans aren't happy
Make no mistake, there was an abundance of risk in signing Yoan Moncada, the 19-year-old Cuban phenom who reportedly agreed Monday to the join the Boston Red Sox.
He's not major-league ready, he comes with a huge tax bill and, like any 19-year-old prospect, there's no guarantee he'll turn into a star.
Still, when you're the New York Yankees, you don't have a legacy built on prudence and being risk-averse. When you're the Yankees, history dictates that you spend big, get the best players and win the World Series. But that's not what happened with Moncada, a five-tool switch-hitting infielder.
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The Yankees, viewed as the favorites in the race for Yoan were outbid by their biggest rivals, as Boston reportedly is giving Moncada $31.5 million and paying a dollar-for-dollar tax because it has overspent its international amateur bonus pool. The Yankees would have been charged the same tax.
Boston didn't have a problem essentially tossing another $31.5 million into the air and letting it burn to get Moncada, but the Yankees did. The free-spending Yanks we've grown accustomed to over the past two decades had a ceiling with Moncada and wouldn't go past it.
Some insight on the Yankees' thought process from Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York:
#Yankees offered $25M with willingness to go to $27M which is same offered Jorge Soler who went to #Cubs for $30M
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 23, 2015
Yanks offered $25M, which is $50M with tax, probably would've gone a bit higher, but Sox valued Moncada more
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) February 23, 2015
Yanks feeling was they can buy a proven MLBer for $60M or $70M
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) February 23, 2015
As our Jeff Passan notes, the Yankees bowed out because of $13 million, which is a lot to you and me, but isn't much in baseball currency. Remember that they paid a $20 million posting fee last year to sign Masahiro Tanaka, which is in addition to his contract.
Yankees' final offer was $25M, per @Joelsherman1, meaning they lost Moncada for $13M. A lot of time put in for a trivial amount to them.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 23, 2015
When you're the Yankees, being cost-conscious often doesn't compute, especially with the fans, who care more about counting World Series rings than counting how many millions are on the payroll. The Red Sox getting Moncada stung too — much more than if the Bombers had been outbid by, say, the San Diego Padres.
There was plenty of outrage to be found on Yankees Twitter after the news hit, some people using it to impugn the current leadership or play the "This would never happen under George Steinbrenner" card — since word trickled out that it was ownership not GM Brian Cashman who pumped the brakes on the Yankees' pursuit of Moncada.
I want to walk up to Hal Steinbrenner & Cashman & punch them in the face..why the hell didn't the Yankees sign Moncada for that money?
— Kevin Barden (@K_Bardz) February 23, 2015
George Steinbrenner probably just rolled over in his grave, thanks to the Yankees losing out on Moncada to the Red Sox.
— Jared Moore (@MrJaredMoore) February 23, 2015
Dear @Yankees OG Steinbrenner would've never let this happen. His sons' and Cashman are soft for not getting Moncada.
— Coeur De Lion (@RichyProfit401) February 23, 2015
Hal Steinbrenner is the worst thing to happen to the Yankees in a long, long time. How do you not sign Moncada for that money?
— Sean Patrick O'Leary (@SPoRealy606) February 23, 2015
Yankees blog Pinstripe Alley even drew up a list of other things the Yankees can spend $30 million on since they're not getting Moncada, such as: "Food for CC Sabathia, so he can maintain his new hefty figure." Yep, it's that kind of day in Yankeeland.
If Moncada turns into the star that many scouts and pundits are expecting, Yankees fans will be feeling the sting for years to come, because they'll be seeing him quite often in a Red Sox uniform.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz