At a time when their pipeline of international talent has run mostly dry, the Yankees have let go of the man in charge of it.
The club did not renew the contract of longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland, The Post confirmed, after 15 years in the job and his 23rd season overall with the organization.
The dismissal of Rowland, 62, was first reported by baseball writer Francys Romero.
The Yankees made a number of high-profile and expensive signings in the international market in recent years, led by Jasson Domínguez’s record $5.1 million signing bonus in 2019. And while the jury is still out on how much of an impact the 22-year-old outfielder will ultimately make in the big leagues, many of the Yankees’ other top signings have not lived up to their price tag — though they have had some better success with lower-level signings, highlighted by Luis Severino ($225,000 in 2011).
Alexander Vargas, whom the Yankees signed for $2.5 million, was released from the organization this year.
Aside from Domínguez, the only other member of the Yankees’ 40-man roster that they signed internationally is Oswaldo Cabrera ($100,000 in 2015). They have used other notable pieces in trades, including Kevin Alcantara to nab Anthony Rizzo and Everson Pereira to land Jose Caballero.
But the Yankees’ top signing in 2018, Cuban shortstop Alexander Vargas ($2.5 million), was released from the organization in August after topping out at Double-A. Their highest-priced signing in 2017 was Venezuelan outfielder Raimfer Salinas, who played 163 games at Low-A and below before being released in 2023 shortly before he was suspended for testing positive for PEDs.
Following Domínguez’s splash in 2019, the Yankees inked Dominican shortstop Hans Montero to a $1.6 million deal in 2021. The 21-year-old spent this season repeating Low-A, batting .269 with a .788 OPS.
The Yankees signed Roderick Arias for $4 million in 2022.
Their top signings in 2022 and 2023, shortstop Roderick Arias ($4 million) and outfielder Brando Mayea ($4.35 million), have yet to take off in the system. Arias, 21, spent a second season this year at Low-A, batting .208 with a .640 OPS while Mayea, 20, repeated the year in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, batting .297 with a .873 OPS.
There have been more promising finds at lower costs in recent years, most notably right-hander Carlos Lagrange ($10,000 in 2022), who is now one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects.
Doesn’t take a guru of professional football to diagnose what’s most wrong with the Cincinnati Bengals, but head coach Zac Taylor is either oblivious or defiant to what plagues his team the most.
Taylor is doing a fine job in his own right calling the plays on offense, keeping the team afloat while stud quarterback Joe Burrow recovers from injury. However, the defense continues to be a thorn in the side of a team that’s skidded to 3-6 after a 2-0 start.
One beat reporter rolled up his sleeves and got dirty in the trenches to underscore just how bad the defense is. Turns out there’s an easy-button way to improve the unit. Will Taylor do it? Maybe!
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic took a deep dive into how the Bengals’ rookie class has negatively impacted the team in 2025. One of the most notable bits from it was how bad Shemar Stewart, Demetrius Knight Jr., and Barrett Carter have been while sharing the field:
Maybe the most startling thing about the #Bengals three rookie starters is how the run defense has grown exponentially worse when all three are on the field together.
Documenting that and more in the rookie report.
Not sure if Cincinnati’s brass is just straight-up delusional about how good its first-year draftees are, or if they knew their NFL learning curves would be this steep. Regardless, it’s just dumb strategy to keep trotting them out there.
Stewart was injured in Week 2 and is doubtful again this week, so that’s one thing. But to trade first-time captain Logan Wilson for a mere seventh-round pick and keep Oren Burks on the bench when Knight and Carter are playing so poorly makes no sense whatsoever.
Seems like the easiest fix in the world. Bench Knight and Carter. Start Burks and Joe Giles-Harris. Not that the latter is some great player, yet he can’t possibly be worse than the overwhelmed froshies.
Another noteworthy number from Dehner’s piece: Bengals rookies are on pace for a combined 1,913 snaps on defense. When Cincinnati ran to the Super Bowl, that figure was just 379.
Only further drives home my point about overpaying for proven players in both draft capital and money.
How many hideous-looking statistics will it take for the Bengals to make any meaningful personnel changes on defense? You can only ride with the current crew for so long until you start getting into “definition of insanity” cliché territory.
By any measure, Knight and Carter are two of the very worst linebackers in the entire NFL. Say they improve a moderate amount. Will they be anywhere near good enough to be starters? Doesn’t seem like it!
So why not roll some other guys out there — at all levels of the defense, frankly — and at least see if that provides a spark?
I wish I could get inside Taylor’s head and try to understand what the heck is going on.