NEW YORK — The Yankees had their guy. Wandy Asigen was spotted at the team’s facility. He took batting practice in pinstripes. Everything pointed to the Dominican shortstop signing with the Bronx Bombers when the international period opened next month.
Then he walked away. Asigen backed out of his agreement with the Yankees and chose the Mets instead.
The 16-year-old prospect ranks as the No. 2 international talent in the 2026 class according to MLB Pipeline. His expected $3.8 million bonus will become official when the signing period opens Jan. 15. The Mets just stole another prized asset from their crosstown rivals.
Asigen chose Mets after showcases around the league
The switch happened fast. Asigen worked out for several teams over the past week after backing out of his Yankees commitment. The Mets won the sweepstakes.
Independent journalist Francys Romero first reported the agreement Thursday night. Multiple sources confirmed the deal to ESPN and Baseball America within hours.
The timing proved fortunate for the Mets. A previous agreement with a Venezuelan teenager worth $2.7 million fell through. Those funds became available for Asigen’s signing bonus.
Players typically commit to teams years before they become eligible to sign. A prospect of Asigen’s caliber switching organizations this late in the process is highly unusual.
Why evaluators love Asigen’s offensive profile
The excitement around Asigen starts with his bat. The left-handed hitter has recorded exit velocities exceeding 110 mph at just 16 years old. His quick hands generate impressive power from a frame that should fill out considerably.
MLB Pipeline gave Asigen a 65-grade hit tool and 60-grade power. Both ratings rank among the best in his international class. The scouting report describes him as holding “arguably the most advanced offensive profile among his class.”
One evaluator told ESPN that Asigen projects as a possible five-tool shortstop. His bat speed drew particular praise. Scouts believe he can find the barrel consistently during game action.
Asigen represented the Dominican Republic at the U-15 World Cup in 2024. He ranked second in the tournament in walks. The plate discipline matches the power potential.
Yankees scouting department faces major transition
The Yankees fired international scouting director Donny Rowland in November. His contract expired after 15 years leading the department. General manager Brian Cashman confirmed the move at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas.
“His contract had expired,” Cashman said. “Just like everything else, you’ve got to make some very difficult decisions. I made the difficult decision to look for a different lead voice in that chair.”
Rowland spent 23 years with the Yankees organization. He oversaw the signings of Jasson Dominguez, Luis Severino, and Miguel Andujar. But several high-priced international prospects failed to reach their potential. The track record included expensive misses that never developed into starting big leaguers.
The timing of Asigen’s defection raises questions about organizational stability. Prospects and their families often build relationships with specific scouts. When those scouts leave, the connections sometimes follow.
Mets continue raiding Yankees roster and prospects
Asigen becomes the latest talent to travel from the Bronx to Queens. The pipeline has accelerated under Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Juan Soto signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets last December. Former Yankees closer Clay Holmes landed a three-year, $39 million deal and converted to starting pitcher. Devin Williams agreed to three years and $51 million this month. Luke Weaver just signed for two years and $22 million.
Manager Carlos Mendoza spent 15 years in the Yankees organization before joining the Mets. Luis Torrens, Luis Severino, and Harrison Bader all made the crosstown jump in recent years.
Now the pattern extends to teenage prospects. The Yankees had Asigen committed. The Mets took him anyway.
Mets build consecutive international classes around Dominican shortstops
The Mets signed shortstop Elian Pena for a franchise-record $5 million bonus last January. Pena ranked as the No. 3 international prospect in the 2025 class. He struggled early but finished the year strong in the Dominican Summer League.
Asigen gives the Mets back-to-back years landing one of the premier Dominican talents available. Kris Gross, the team’s Vice President of Amateur Scouting who now oversees international operations, helped close the deal.
Asigen turned 16 in August. He will play the entire 2026 Dominican Summer League season at that age. The development clock starts immediately once he signs.
What Asigen brings defensively
The offensive tools draw the headlines. But Asigen has the athletic profile to stick at shortstop.
He runs a 6.5-second 60-yard dash. The plus speed allows him to cover ground laterally across the dirt. His above-average arm strength projects to play anywhere on the infield.
Baseball America’s Ben Badler noted that Asigen still needs to improve consistency on routine plays. That critique applies to nearly every 16-year-old shortstop. The quick-twitch athleticism suggests the defensive refinement will come.
Yankees now must pivot internationally
The loss stings beyond the prospect rankings. Asigen represented the centerpiece of the Yankees’ upcoming international class. The organization spent years cultivating the relationship.
MLB also cost the Yankees their agreement with No. 9 prospect Jeyson Horton. The league docked $1 million from the team’s international budget as a penalty for signing Max Fried. That money had been allocated for Horton’s bonus. He signed with the Angels instead.
The Mets keep taking. The Yankees keep losing. Asigen’s defection could reverberate through both organizations for the next decade.
The international signing period opens Jan. 15. Nothing becomes official until then. But the Yankees already know their top target chose the other side of town.
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