The Yankees, ever active in the international free agent market, made another move during the latest signing period.
Per MLB.com, New York has added Dominican outfielder Francisco Vilorio. He was ranked the 15th overall international prospect and is still just 17 years old.
Vilorio already has some size at 6-foot-2, 160 pounds, and may grow more. He’ll also bulk up his slim frame and only enhance who scouts already call “a tall, projectable outfielder.”
Vilorio currently plays center field and has speed, but a strong arm could move him to the corners.
So where does Francisco Vilorio fit into the Yankees’ future plans? It’s too early to tell, given his age, but he seems like an outfield depth piece at this point of the offseason. He’s a literal teenager with lots of growing to do on and off the field.
All this to say that when it comes to Francisco Vilorio, trust the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman. He knows the international market almost as well as he knows how to build bullpens from scratch. Remember, he made headlines there when he inked a then-16-year-old Dominguez for over $5 million in 2019.
Don’t let his losing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Dodgers fool you either. Cashman was at the helm when the Yankees signed fan favorites Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka.
It’s way too early to know what Francisco Vilorio will be as a player. Odds are he spends the upcoming season down in Rookie ball so the Yankees can assess him properly. He has a lot of growing to do both on and off the field.
But knowing Cashman’s track record, this is looking like another key addition to the Yankees’ farm system. New York will make a valuable prospect out of Francisco Vilorio and, hopefully, a future star.
