The Yankees are adding to their depth of high-end shortstop prospects.
They agreed to a $4 million deal with 17-year-old Dominican Republic native Roderick Arias, MLB.com’s top-ranked prospect on the international market, Saturday, according to the The Post’s Dan Martin.
The Yankees did not address their need at shortstop before the MLB lockout began on Dec. 2. Potential candidates Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez signed lucrative deals elsewhere in free agency, although Trevor Story and Carlos Correa remain available once the labor strife is resolved.
The Bombers are high on minor-league shortstop prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, and they could sign a stopgap player such as four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons to man the position until one of them is ready to take over.
Arias is a 6-foot-1 switch-hitter with “no weaknesses,” former Yankees VP of baseball operations Gordon Blakeley told PostSports+ on Jan. 7.
“I saw him over a year ago and he looked like a college player. He has a chance to be a real good one,” said Blakeley, who now works for the international scouting service New Balance Program 15.
