Yankees sign Colombian right-hander Juan Escorcia

February 25, 2014 by Mike Axisa 27 Comments

Via El Heraldo (translated article): The Yankees have signed 17-year-old Colombian right-hander Juan Escorcia. He was one of 60 players they scouted at a recent workout. No word on the bonus but chances are it’s relatively small. The news would be everywhere if it was substantial.

“Escorcia is a right-hander who was highlighted in the evaluation process for the ease of his arm strength and pitching consistency,” said Luis Sierra Llamas, one of the team’s scouts in Colombia. Escorcia is said to stand 5-foot-11 with a fastball that sits around 90 mph, so yeah, he’s got quite a bit of development ahead of him before becoming a serious prospect.

Raza

Obviously, I don’t anything about him but glad to have him in the system. Yankees have done a decent enough job finding low-bonus guys recently.
- Raza
  
  I don’t *know*… Sorry, made a typo.
I’m One

Love those translations.

Hope the kid works out and makes it to The Show in some capacity one day. It’ll give my wife someone to follow (she’s from Colombia). Baseball is popular in the Cartagena & Barranquia areas. Not so much in Bogota, Cali and the larger cities inland.
- leftylarry
  
  Let’s just keep signing 5’11 pitchers and wonder why we can’t develop any horses on the mound.
  - lightSABR
    
    You know, I think I’m going to start giving out an unintentional parody award more regularly. Congrats! You won it today!
    
    I mean, really – if this guy pitches a single big-league inning for the Yankees someday, he’ll have justified every penny of his signing bonus and then some.
  - BFDeal
    
    Yeah, because there’s never been a successful pitcher under 6′.
  - Frank
    
    They’ve developed one front line starter (Pettite) over the last 35 years. He could be 8′ tall and it wouldn’t matter. They just don’t know what they’re doing in that department.
    - Chris Z.
      
      Wang was the no 1 here before his trip to Houstin.
      
      So 2, 2 front line starters ah, ha, ha. (The count…anyone?)
      - Jorge Steinbrenner
        
        My son enjoyed this comment.
      - Frank
        
        Good point. Two front line starters in 35 years. I find it so hard to get excited about this years team given that the entire team, save DJ, BG, and some bullpen guys came to the team via free agency.
        
        I never want people to lose their job, but the entire strategy needs to change and it hasn’t…and it won’t unless new voices enter the equation. That means newman, opp, etc. all need to go. I’m not sure how that can be argued based on the results. Since Gene Michael was overseeing this stuff we’ve seen little to nothing come from the system despite spending reasonable big bucks.
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    Swing and a miss. Strike 356.
  - Maris61
    
    He’s 17. Do you think he’s finished growing?
  - Crono
    
    Chill dude he’s 17…it’s not like you’re done growing at that age…
Jarak

A few years back There was this skinny pipsqueak former shortstop the Yanks signed for $3000 from Panama – yeah he never amounted to anything either. :-)
- RetroRob
  
  The scout who saw him as a shortstop asked to see him as a pitcher, which he did his next trip through. His fastball was only about 90 then, but the scout liked enough to offer him that extensive signing bonus.
  
  Sometimes you never know in baseball.
BigLoving

5 years from now he could be relevant. I’ll be 33 by then….man I’m getting old .
- Jorge Steinbrenner
  
  Oh shush.
  - I’m One
    
    You too! And get off of my lawn!
LarryM Fl

Mo signed for $2500 dollars. The kid is 17,throwing at 90mph. He is worth the shot with training maybe a find.
Jorge Steinbrenner

Best of luck. Hope to read his name again.
Eselquetodolosabe

Good genes. Has an older brother (lefty) in The White Sox system, pitching very well.
Yankeefan91

This Happened In December :o
- Jorge Steinbrenner
  
  ….aaaaaand I’m not surprised. :)
  - Yankeefan91
    
    wonder why it took em so long to announced the signing.
    - Jorge Steinbrenner
      
      Just not a high profile enough thing, like Mike said.
Derek Jeter

Just another guy we will never hear from again…
Dropped Third

17 years old throws 90+. Can’t hurt to see what the kid can do with a little coaching and training.