Access the Yankees beat like never before

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

LAS VEGAS — At a time when their pipeline of international talent has mostly run dry, the Yankees have let go of the man in charge of it.

The club did not renew the contract of longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland, general manager Brian Cashman confirmed Wednesday, after 15 years in the job and his 23rd season with the organization.

The Yankees made a number of high-profile and expensive signings in the international market in recent years, led by Jasson Domínguez’s record $5.1 million signing bonus in 2019. And while the jury is still out on how much of an impact the 22-year-old outfielder will ultimately make in the big leagues, many of the Yankees’ other top signings have not lived up to their price tag — though they have had some better success along the way with lower-level signings, highlighted by Luis Severino ($225,000 in 2011).

“Fork in the road, contract had expired, so I made the difficult decision to look for a different lead voice in that chair, so that’s what we’re doing,” Cashman said on a Zoom call during the GM meetings. “At this stage, we’ve started to gather some names and will eventually get to an interview process and land on someone new to lead that department.”

Rowland, 62, joined the Yankees in 1995 as a national scout and pro cross-checker. He left in 1999 but returned in 2007 and was elevated to leading the international department in 2010.

Aside from Domínguez, the only other member of the Yankees’ current 40-man roster that they signed internationally is Oswaldo Cabrera ($100,000 in 2015). They have used other notable pieces in trades, including Kevin Alcantara to nab Anthony Rizzo and Everson Pereira to land José Caballero.

But the Yankees’ top signing in 2018, Cuban shortstop Alexander Vargas ($2.5 million), was released from the organization in August after topping out at Double-A. Their highest-priced signing in 2017 was Venezuelan outfielder Raimfer Salinas, who played 163 games at Low-A and below before being released in 2023 shortly before he was suspended for testing positive for PEDs.

Following Domínguez’s splash in 2019, the Yankees inked Dominican shortstop Hans Montero to a $1.6 million deal in 2021. The 21-year-old spent this season repeating Low-A, batting .269 with a .788 OPS.

Their top signings in 2022 and 2023, shortstop Roderick Arias ($4 million) and outfielder Brando Mayea ($4.35 million), have yet to take off in the system. Arias, 21, spent a second season this year at Low-A, batting .208 with a .640 OPS while Mayea, 20, repeated the year in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, batting .297 with an .873 OPS.

There have been more promising finds at lower costs in recent years, most notably right-hander Carlos Lagrange ($10,000 in 2022), who is one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects.