The A's may not be splashing money on their 2022 major-league payroll, but they may soon pay up a significant sum to bolster their future team.
Luis Morales, a right-handed pitcher who defected from Cuba, has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, according to two reports that cited the A's as major favorites to sign the 19-year-old.
Morales has held two open showcases in front of 20-plus MLB clubs this year in Mexico City, where he defected from the Cuban U-23 team last September, Beisbolfr.com's Francys Romero reported. He has flashed a high-90s fastball in workouts and his breaking ball projects to be above-average, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
The Cuban teen will reportedly be eligible to sign beginning Sept. 7, but is expected to go unsigned until Jan. 15, when the next international signing period opens and the pool money refreshes for MLB clubs.
Romero cited a ballpark figure of $3 million for Morales' expected signing, which would be a record-setting deal for a pitcher in the capped-pool era — more than Shohei Ohtani received, and more than the $2.61 million the Rays paid Cuban pitcher Sandy Gaston in 2018. Teams are allotted at least $4.75 million in international pool money each year, and smaller market clubs that qualify for competitive balance picks are allowed a greater sum.
MLB rules of engagement for international signings have changed over the years but the A's have a long history of being aggressive in using that avenue as an alternative to traditional draft picks
They have signed big-name infielder Robert Puason in 2019 and pitcher Norge Ruiz before him. Ruiz made his debut with the MLB club this week after six years in the farm system. Going all the way back to 1993, the A's signed Miguel Tejada as an international free agent with a bonus of just $2,000, and before him, they added an 18-year-old Bert "Campy" Campaneris out of Cuba with a $1,000 bonus in 1961.
In 2012, the A's stunned baseball by winning a bidding war for Yoenis Céspedes, signing him to a four-year, $36 million deal. They also went big ($4.25 million bonus) for Dominican pitcher Michael Ynoa, who had a short MLB stint with the White Sox in 2016-2017. They were also reportedly in on Aroldis Chapman and Luis Robert in recent years.
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