A mandate has been set in the Oakland A's front office: WE NEED TO JUMP BACK INTO THE LATIN AMERICAN FA MARKET! The A's once found the Latin American FA market as a nice place to scoop up quality raw talent for cheap and develop then into major league ballplayers. However, over the past decade the landscape has changed the barriers of entry have become significantly greater. With Clubs such as the Yankees and Red Sox now willing to dish out million dollar signing bonuses to raw 16 yr old prospects, the A's decided they could no longer gain a competitive advantage and subsequently shifted their focus elsewhere. Now, the A's are ready to jump head first back in to the Latin American market and, unlike last time, they are bringing boatloads of cash. The first order of business for the A's in the Latin Market: SIGN MICHAEL INOA AT WHATEVER COST! Just who is Michael Inoa? well let's find out....
MICHAEL INOA:
SIZE: 6'7 210
AGE: 16
DESCRIPTION:
He offers a fastball that sits at 93 mph along with a curveball and a changeup. From what scout say- what sets him apart from other prospects his age is his ability to control his fastball so well considering his 6'7 frame. I am sure that given his size- most scout project him to add a few mph's to his fastball by the time he reaches the pros. The fact that he is only 16 makes it a risky proposition to pick him up becuase he is so many years away from the major leagues and could get injured or might develop in the way that scouts project him too. However, by all accounts, there is no denying that this kid is special and could very well be the type of pitching talent that only comes along once a decade.
SOUNDS GREAT- WHATS THE PRICE?:
How bout a record 4 million dollar signing bonus.... The reports are that at least 7 teams are willing to dish out a 3 million signing bonus for Inoa. However, at the moment the A's seem to be the suprising frontrunners with reports that they are willing to give Inoa a 4 million dollar signing bonus to get the future ace. For reference the previous record for a signing bonus given to a Latin American FA was 2.5 million to Willy Mo Pena.
WHAT DOES THIS INDICATE ABOUT THE A'S:
Well maybe Billy Beane finally has some money to toss around and the Okay from Ownership to be a little bit more of a free spender. However, what isn't gonna change is where he allocates that money. He still wants to build his team from the ground up (through the farm system), and more money just means he can go get those prospects that were previously priced out of the A's budget range.
The pursuit of Inoa also helps to make more sense of the A's draft. Some fans were initially upset by the first round selection of Jemile Weeks. The hope was that the whispers about the A's possibly going over slot and picking a player that might be a tough sign were true. However, the selection of Weeks, to the fans, represented instead the typical selection of a college player who will be easier to sign but wasn't worthy of the slot they were selected at. That perception may or may not be true. However, it is becoming clear that the A's probably didn't want to take a player that would want top 5 money- well unless Justin Smoak had fallen- so they would have the financial flexibility to go after Inoa full force.
The fact of the matter is- whether or not they sign Inoa- this is a very positive sign for the A's organization. The Latin American market is becoming increasingly essential for getting top quality talent and the A's recognize that and now seem to have the financial flexibility to take advantage.
Here's an ESPN Link to an Article on Michael Inoa:
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