Via Ben Badler (subs. req’d): The Yankees have interest in 15-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Antonio Arias. He is one of the youngest players in this summer’s crop of international amateur free agents, though he will turn 16 on June 12th and is eligible for the 2014-15 international signing period that opens on July 2nd.
Arias is listed at 6-foot-2 and 170 lbs. Badler says he is “a good athlete who projects as a center fielder” while adding he “is a righthanded hitter with good bat speed and some scouts see feel for the barrel, and while he does have some lift in his swing, he lacks present strength to hit for power right now.” The Yankees are reportedly planning to spend upwards of $30M on international players this summer (bonuses plus penalties), though there is no word on what kind of bonus Arias will command. The team has already been connected to eight players likely to get more than $1M.
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