The New York Yankees acquired second baseman and outfielder Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, the teams announced. Jack Curry of the YES Network first reported the deal.

In return for Ackley, the Mariners received outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez.

Ackley, once a top prospect after being drafted second overall by Seattle in 2009, has failed to live up to hefty expectations since being brought up to the Major Leagues, being a slightly above league-average player prior to this season. 

The Yankees have had awful performances from their second basemen and hope that with a change of scenery Ackley can be their man. Yankees' second basemen have produced the fewest fWAR in the entire Major Leagues, being well below average both offensively and defensively. 

Ackley, 27, is far from a guarantee production-wise, posting a career-worst .215/.270/.366/.635 line this season with six homers and 19 RBIs over 207 plate appearances. 

Perhaps a silver lining in the Ackley acquisition is that he has a career .296/.397/.481 line with two homers and nine RBIs in 17 career games at Yankee Stadium. 

The University of North Carolina alumni is signed through the 2017 season.

--Devan Fink

The New York Yankees have signed 11th round pick left-hander Josh Rogers for a well above slot value bonus of $485,000, a source close to the situation told Cover Those Bases. 

Jim Callis of MLB.com first reported Rogers' agreement with the team, citing that his bonus would be in the range of "early 4th round money." 

For the Yankees, $385,000 of Rogers' bonus will count against their overall spending pool. For picks in the 10th round and beyond, teams can spend up to $100,000 without counting against their spending limits. Every dollar spent over $100,000 does count. 

Because he is 21-years-old, Rogers is a draft eligible sophomore, which gave him more signing leverage than the average college player. He will pass up two years of college eligibility to sign.

He was rated as the No. 2 left-handed pitcher in the Midwest prior to having the surgery 2013 (while he was in high school). He came back to pitch for Louisville as a freshman last year. This season, he went 8-1 with a 3.36 ERA and a 82 to 25 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 93 2/3 innings pitched for the team. 

Baseball America projects him to be a potential back-end starter.

--Devan Fink

The New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Dodgers have all called on Cincinnati Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto, reports Jim Bowden of ESPN on MLB Network Radio.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, and Yankees all had scouts to watch Cueto's start yesterday in Washington. 

"The price will be high" for Cueto, according to Bowden. Cueto is likely the best or second-best pitcher on the trade market, as he has been absolutely brilliant this season. However, with the Reds not contending and Cueto being a free agent at the end of the year, a move seems inevitable. 

However, a move for Cueto probably will not happen until after the Reds host the All-Star Game. The team reportedly does not want to move any of their trade chips until after the break has passed, meaning Cueto's suitors will have to wait. 

The 29-year-old Cueto is in the last season of a five-year, $36.2 million extension and will hit the open market at the end of the year, making him a three-month rental to any team that acquires him. He has gone 6-5 with a 2.61 ERA (3.07 FIP) and a 111 to 21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 113 2/3 innings this year (16 starts).

--Devan Fink

Right-handed relief pitcher Rafael Soriano is still a free agent. Just recently, Soriano fired his agent Scott Boras and hired Octagon to represent him to try to get him a contract for the rest of the season, with Boras never really stimulating a market for him. 

Octagon announced on Twitter that Soriano would be holding a throwing session for teams on June 11 in the Dominican Republic. 

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Cubs are three teams that are interesting in Soriano, calling the Cardinals a "surprise entry" into the mix. The Blue Jays have had previous reported interest in Soriano and want to see what his price tag is now that he's changed agents. 

Out of pure speculation, Heyman also mentions the Dodgers and Mariners as two teams that could be fits for Soriano, as he notes that it's unknown if either team has truly looked into him as an option for their respective bullpens. 

The Yankees are another team that has been connected to Soriano, considering they have needed a right-handed reliever. New York has five lefties out of the bullpen. 

Soriano, 35, has had a successful career as a closer over the past five seasons, and served in that role with the Nationals over the last two. He pitched well last year, going 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA and 32 saves, but in the second half of the season Soriano imploded, pitching to a 6.48 ERA en route to the loss of the closer's job. 

--Devan Fink

When teams are given the opportunity to sign a 19-year-old impact player, many jump for the opportunity and will not back down from paying whatever it takes to get him. 

That's what happened with Yoan Moncada. 

The Boston Red Sox agreed to sign the Cuban infielder Monday, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Moncada's signing bonus was for $31.5 million. The Red Sox will have to pay a 100 percent tax on that money, as it exceeded their allotted international signing bonuses from this signing period.

Moncada may just be worth the money. 

Regarded as a five-tool talent, the Cuban import has already received comparisons to Robinson Cano and Chase Utley in his prime. Many prospect writers and specialists would have expected Moncada to have gone first or second overall in the MLB Draft had he been eligible. According to Baseball America's Ben Badler, Moncada's signing, when official, will make him the Red Sox' top prospect and the 10th prospect in the sport. His arrival in Fenway is already highly awaited. 

Big market teams like Boston, along with the Yankees and Dodgers, had the inside edge on signing Moncada, mostly his high cost with the 100 percent penalty for signing him. New York was considered a finalist. However, smaller market teams like the Brewers and Padres were also considered finalists, but they were likely unable to afford the $63 million the Red Sox will be paying to Moncada and Major League Baseball in both the contracts and penalty. 

Unlike a normal contract, Moncada's contract does not include a number of years he will be with the club. The Red Sox signed him to a minor league deal, with the $31.5 million figure just serving as a bonus. Moncada will work his way through the minors and earn either the big league minimum or just above the big league minimum during his first three seasons. Then, based on his performance, his salary will jump in arbitration, like a regular minor leaguer. 

Moncada is a true second baseman, but with Dustin Pedroia at second for the foreseeable future in Boston, he will likely change positions to third base, shortstop, or possibly in the outfield, if he outgrows the infield positions. With Xander Bogaerts currently slotted at short, the most likely answer for Moncada is to move to third base, with Pablo Sandoval shifting to first. 

The $31.5 million bonus absolutely demolishes the old record for an international signee. That record was held twice before during this offseason, first with an $8 million mark for now-Angel Roberto Baldoquin, then by Yoan Lopez with an $8.27 million bonus with the Diamondbacks. Moncada's signing may be the beginning of talks for an international draft, thus allowing more teams to be involved in acquiring him, besides just the big market teams.

A 19-year-old impact player will make a lot of noise. Teams will not back down. The Red Sox certainly didn't with their record-breaking signing of Yoan Moncada.  

--Devan Fink