The Yankees are making moves in their scouting operation before the season is even over, and the latest round of changes has hit the international department hard.
According to industry sources, the club has dismissed five people as part of a planned overhaul: José Sabino; Arturo Peña Jr., the team’s Cibao-area scout in the Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo-area scout Moises Brito; video assistant Miguel Mojica; and Venezuela supervisor José Gavidia.
Those firings came only days after the Yankees parted ways with longtime international scout Victor Mata, who had spent more than 30 years in the organization. Mata reportedly helped evaluate and sign Robinson Canó, Alfonso Soriano and Gary Sánchez.
The timing stands out. The regular season still isn’t over, October is ahead, and the team has not publicly explained why these changes are happening now. Whatever is going on, it is clear someone in the Yankees’ hierarchy believes the scouting setup needs a serious reset.
That also raises a bigger question about who has been spared. Matt Hyde and Jim Hendry are still on the payroll, even as the organization cleans house elsewhere.
Hyde has long been tied to Anthony Volpe, and the source material says he pushed hard internally to get Volpe promoted. Hendry, meanwhile, developed a close relationship with the Volpe family before the draft and was reportedly there years later when Volpe found out he had made the Major League roster.
The concern here is simple: if the Yankees are willing to cut loose longtime scouts, why have Hyde and Hendry avoided the same scrutiny after becoming so personally connected to a player whose performance has not lived up to the massive organizational hype?
Maybe the Yankees believe Volpe will still become the star they expected. If that happens, they can say the process worked.
For now, though, the questions keep piling up. Why were five scouts let go while Hyde and Hendry remain in place?
My opinion? I find it weird.
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