The Yankees have announced who will be reporting to instructional league in the offseason. Recent international free agent signee Leonardo Molina, Tyler Austin, Eric Jagielo, and Ian Clarkin will all be reporting to the instructional league.
The 16-year-old Molina signed out of the Dominican Republic for a $1.4 million signing bonus. He has yet to make his professional debut, so this will be his first time playing with America baseball players.
Curiously, Austin will be reporting as a first baseman. He's spent time at third base, so they could be trying to move him to a new position, or first base could be just a way to rest him for 2014 or the coming Arizona Fall League season. Austin had a disappointing 2013 when he hit .257/.344/.373 for the season at Double-A. He ended up missing most of the last two months of the season to a wrist injury, but his prospect status has taken a very big hit after exploding onto the season in 2012.
Recent first round draft picks Jagielo and Clarkin will also be included. Jagielo got off to a slow start after rehabbing from a hamstring injury, but he hit .266/.376/.451 in 218 plate appearances across 51 games with a decent walk rate of 11.9%. Clarkin got even less playing time after having to rehab from a sprained ankle. He pitched only five innings, giving up five hits, four walks, and six runs in three games. With so little playing time in 2013, both could use some extra playing time before the 2014 season.