The New York Yankees recently admitted something in the most Yankees way possible — quietly, bureaucratically, and without ever saying the words out loud. Letting Donny Rowland walk in November after 15 years as director of international scouting wasn’t a routine front office shuffle. It was an acknowledgment that a foundational pillar of their player acquisition strategy had crumbled, and that they needed to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch.
The man they’re betting on to do that? Mario Garza. And the weapon he’s bringing with him? Matt Slater — a hire that tells you everything about where the Yankees believe their next championship core is going to come from.
The Rowland Era Is Over — And That’s the Right Call
Fifteen years is a long run for any scouting director. Rowland had his successes. But the last few years made one thing undeniable: the Yankees were losing the Latin American market, whiffing on key signings, and becoming an afterthought in a space where their spending power should have made them a perennial destination for elite international talent.
I’m not here to bury Rowland. But the data doesn’t lie. When a franchise with the Yankees’ resources consistently fails to attract top-tier international prospects, the problem isn’t bad luck. It’s infrastructure, relationships, and trust. Those things erode slowly — and then all at once.
The Yankees saw it happening. They just took too long to act.
Garza Isn’t a Scout — That’s the Point
Here’s where the Yankees actually surprised me. They didn’t promote from within the traditional scouting tree. Mario Garza’s background — player, manager, translator, relationship builder — is exactly the profile you hire when you realize that international recruiting isn’t primarily about identifying talent. It’s about winning trust.
In Latin America especially, a prospect’s family isn’t choosing between scouting reports. They’re choosing between people. They’re asking: Who do I believe? Who has shown up? Who understands where I come from? Garza’s entire career has been built on being that person. That’s not something you manufacture with a spreadsheet.
The Yankees have watched organizations like the Dodgers, Padres, and Cardinals build international pipelines on the back of genuine cultural credibility. Now they’re finally trying to match that investment — not just financially, but relationally.
Matt Slater Changes the Asian Market Calculus Entirely
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, the Yankees believe that not only will Garza help them get back on track in the Latin American market, but he is also willing to put his trust in people with many connections in Asia.
That’s right, the Yankees, with a long tradition of signing Asian players such as Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka, want to get back into the conversation after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tatsuya Imai, Roki Sasaki, Kodai Senga, and many recent Asian signees.
To do that, Garza is going to lean on a strategic addition to the international scouting team: Slater.
“Garza said he will also lean “big time” on new hire Matt Slater, who will fill the newly created role of global player acquisitions supervisor and will work closely with Garza on signings. Slater spent the previous 18 years handling similar duties with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he’s also served as an advisor to the Orix Buffaloes, a Nippon Professional Baseball team in Japan,” Kuty wrote.
“He’s very connected in Asia,” Garza said. “That’s something that I think will be on the horizon. We’re going to try to make more trips to Asia. We’re going to try to be involved in markets that we maybe haven’t been as involved in previously. … Matt Slater’s a big part of that. He’s going to be involved in the big decisions. He’s going to be involved in our processes, building them out,” Garza said about his new working partner.
What the Next 3-5 Years Could Look Like
The international signing period isn’t a light switch. You don’t rebuild relationships in one offseason. Garza and Slater’s work this year and next will be about planting seeds — establishing presence in Japan, South Korea, and Latin American markets, rebuilding trust with agents and families, and positioning the Yankees as a legitimate destination again.
The payoff cycle on international scouting is long. A 16-year-old signed today won’t impact a major league roster until at least 2028, and realistically 2029 or 2030. This move isn’t about fixing the 2025 Yankees. It’s about ensuring that there’s a wave of international talent ready to come through the pipeline.
That’s the long game. And right now, it’s the only game worth playing.
More about:New York Yankees
