MLB.com:
Wednesday got off to a busy start for the Yankees, with the international signing period only a few hours old.
According to industry sources, the club signed Dominican third baseman Nelson Gomez for $2.25 million, along with Venezuelan shortstops Wilkerman Garcia for $1.35 million and Diego Castillo for $750,000. The Yankees also remain the favorite to sign several more highly regarded international prospects.
The Yankees have not confirmed the signings.
Gomez is ranked No. 2 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list, while Garcia and Castillo rank 14th and 16th, respectively. Gomez has gained a reputation as a pure hitter and is considered the best offensive player in this year's international signing class. He's been praised for his plate discipline and has a knack for squaring up the ball. He has shown the ability to hit for power to all fields.
Garcia could be better suited for second base or even third base because of his versatility and arm strength. He's known for his strong footwork, good hands and fluid movement on defense. Offensively, he should be able to hit for average due to his natural feel for hitting.
Castillo grew up admiring Derek Jeter and has one of the strongest arms in the class. He's known for his good footwork and soft hands on defense and a line-drive swing at the plate.
The Yankees are also the favorites to sign shortstop Dermis Garcia, the No. 1 player on MLB.com's rankings, along with outfielder Juan DeLeon (No. 5), shortstop Jonathan Amundaray (No. 7), outfielder Antonio Arias (No. 9), Korean shortstop Hyo-Jun Park (No. 13), catcher Miguel Flames (No. 25) and outfielder Bryan Emery (No. 29).
The Yankees have were also linked to shortstop Christopher Torres (No. 18), but that deal fell through, according to Torres' trainer, Orlando Mazara.
In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool based on the team's record in 2013 for the international signing period. New York's bonus pool total for this year's signing period is $2,193,100.
There are penalties in place for teams that exceed their spending limits.
Teams that exceed the pools by up to 5 percent have to pay a 100 percent tax, and teams that exceed the pools by 5 to 10 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $500,000 during the next signing period, and they must pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Teams that exceed the pools by 10 to 15 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next signing period and have to pay a 100 percent tax on the pool overage.
In the most severe penalty, teams that exceed the pool by more than 15 percent are not allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods in addition to paying a 100 percent tax on the pool overage.