NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 09, 2024: A closeup view of the New York Yankees logo on the jersey worn by Aaron Judge #99 prior to a game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on May 09, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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The New York Yankees won’t be shy about addressing the roster this winter after following up their trip all the way to the World Series in 2024 with a disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays.
It seems the bullpen could use some reinforcement and the team will be without several key starters to begin the season, so it could bring in a new face. And the outfield might be due for some significant changes as well.
The team has already welcomed back free agent center fielder Trent Grisham, who accepted a $22 million qualifying offer to return for at least one year. And Aaron Judge will return to right field after recovering from an elbow injury suffered this past season. But then left field seems to be more open, with rising youngster Jasson Dominguez, prospect Spencer Jones or perhaps Cody Bellinger slotting in if he returns with a new contract.
“The Yankees came up short against the Blue Jays in the ALDS, but the front office has already gotten to work retooling the team, specifically in the outfield,” Charlie Wright wrote for MLB Trade Rumors.
While the Yankees still face some open questions about their big-league alignment, they brought in a teenaged international prospect who could become an option in the majors at some point down the line.
The team signed free agent outfielder Yostin Pena to a minor league contract on Monday, according to the Minor League Baseball transactions log. And while the team hasn’t detailed the move in an official announcement as of this writing, the decision to acquire Pena comes with some question marks.
“18-year-old Dominican OF Yostin Pena signed a minor league contract,” Yankees Prospect Watch wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Interesting. His page says he was signed on International Signing Day in January with the (St. Louis) Cardinals, but did not play in 2025 and doesn’t say he got released. Wonder how that happened.”
Pena’s contract with the Cardinals was reportedly worth $300,000, indicating that he was valued relatively highly. However, without any publicly available statistics, it’s hard to say just how quickly the teenager might rise through the Yankees system or when he might become a viable option for the farm system.
Including Jones, the Yankees have seven outfielders among their top-30 ranked prospects and it’s unlikely that Pena will displace any of those players this season. But as mysterious as the teenaged prospect might be at this point, he could be a name that more Yankees fans become familiar with in a few years.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/12/02/yankees-sign-mysterious-18-year-old-outfielder/
