The New York Yankees have reportedly made a splash with Albert Mejias.
It’s been a slow winter for the Yankees following their disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite this, they have secured important position players with the return of Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger. The latter was rumored to be a player of interest to both the Blue Jays and the New York Mets.
On the pitching side, they have made one significant signing and one trade. They signed Ryan Yarbrough in addition to trading for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers. However, they have also made one sneaky signing for an arm that can throw 102 MPH.
If everything goes right, the addition of Mejias could be more significant than all of these other moves combined, especially considering the recent spurning of a few other top prospects to the team.
New York Yankees Have Committed to 13-Year-Old Phenom, Albert Majias
A new report reveals that the Yankees are ready to make a never-before-seen commitment to Majias.
According to Wilbur Sanchez, an MLB analyst who focuses on prospects from the Dominican Republic, was the first to report news of this record-setting agreement.
“Albert Mejías, the Venezuelan prospect from the 2030 class who is set to make history on the international market,” Sanchez wrote on January 23, 2026. “At just 13 years old, he already has a pre-agreement with the Yankees for a record-setting $7.0 million bonus ($6.4M + $600K in educational scholarship).”
For a 13-year-old to receive that large a financial commitment from the most decorated MLB franchise in history is quite the vote of confidence in the youngster. Sanchez shares more about the young Mejias.
“He is the best player in the history of the international market,” Sanchez writes. “He could play in a professional league right now. At his age, no one was doing the things he does.”
Other High-Priced International Free Agents
MLB organizations do not hand out $7 million agreements to international free agents every day. The reality is that not every one of these players will pan out. Sometimes, it’s the players signed for a couple of hundred thousand dollars who end up making a big impact.
The previous record holder for the largest international signing bonus is a prime example.
In 2015, the San Francisco Giants signed shortstop Lucius Fox to a $6 million minor league contract. Unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries and only played 10 MLB games.
Fox became a minor league veteran, playing in 581 games over seven seasons. The last organization he was a member of was the Chicago White Sox. He was released in March of 2024 and hasn’t joined another MLB organization since then.
Fox recorded 23 home runs, 190 RBIs, and 520 hits while batting .243 over his entire minor league career.
An International Free Agent Success Story
While Fox’s story is a somewhat cautionary tale, Vladimir Guerrero Jr is one of the greatest success stories to come out of the international market.
Guerrero Jr. was signed during the 2015 free agent period, the same as Fox. However, his career has turned out significantly different.
At the time, Guerrero Jr. was signed to a $3.9 million contract. That was the seventh-highest signing bonus earned on the international market before the Mejias news.
He is coming off a year in which he hit 23 home runs and 84 RBIs, leading his team offensively to a World Series appearance. Guerrero Jr. has recorded 183 home runs, 591 RBIs, and 1077 hits over his seven-year career.
Yankees’ fans are hopeful that Mejias will be more like Guerrero Jr. and less like Fox. At this point, only time will tell.
Yankees to Sign Exciting 13-Year-Old to Massive Record-Setting Deal