The A’s kicked off the 2023 MLB international signing period with a bang, bringing aboard a class of 17 new minor leaguers headlined by hard-throwing right-hander Luis Morales and outfielder Darling Fernandez. The class, which is expected to include at least one additional signing from the Asia market in the coming weeks, is “one of the most robust and deep classes we’ve done in the last several years,” said A’s international scouting director Steve Sharpe over the phone on Monday.
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The current group of 17 includes nine pitchers, three outfielders, three infielders and two catchers, all from either Cuba, the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. Sharpe says the group is “really talented from top to bottom.”
“We have some kids in here who are on the lower end of the bonus scale, but we still see a lot of ceiling in,” he said. “You hope to have that every year, but this one’s a little exceptional.”
On the high end of the bonus scale is Morales. The 20-year-old defected from Cuba in 2021 and has been living and training in Mexico ever since. He held several showcases in front of pro scouts over the past year, where his fastball was clocked as high as 99 mph. In addition to the fastball, Sharpe says Morales has a power breaking ball that is hard and big, and a third pitch that has the potential to be a big-league offering.
“He’s loose and electric,” Sharpe said.
Luis Morales (left) and A’s assistant general manager Dan Feinstein at the official announcement of Morales’ signing. (Courtesy of the Oakland A’s)Morales is currently listed at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, and he’s added strength during his time training in Mexico. He comes to professional baseball with more experience than most international signees, having competed in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2020-21 and for their national U23 team. Morales will need to obtain a work visa in the Dominican Republic before applying for a U.S. work visa, so he is likely to start his professional career in the Dominican Summer League later this year but could come stateside before the season is over.
At his ceiling, Sharpe says Morales could be a top of the rotation arm.
“If he can handle the workload of the American game, going every five days, he could be a really high-end starter,” Sharpe said. “And even if he doesn’t do that, if the workload is too much, he could be a high-end reliever.”
The A’s saw him throw multiple times and sent several members of the organization to meet him.
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“He’s pretty mild-mannered and easygoing,” Sharpe said. “He’s been really responsive with a lot of the personnel that we sent down there.”
The A’s haven’t released any bonus amounts for their international signings, but Morales was expected to receive a record-high bonus for Cuban pitchers in the international amateur market. The A’s have $6,366,900 in their bonus pool.
Fernandez, a 17-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, reportedly received a seven-figure signing bonus as well, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. The 6-2, 190-pound right-handed hitter drew a Curtis Granderson comp from Sharpe for his tightly muscled frame and hit ability.
“He’s just a very difficult at-bat and he’s also dangerous enough to do some damage with extra-base hits,” Sharpe said. “We’ve been in love with the way he swings and the takes. He just seems to have an innate ability to hit.”
Venezuelan catcher Ramón Landaeta may be the best pure hitter in the group, according to Sharpe. The 16-year-old is listed at 6-2, 180 pounds. He impressed A’s scouts last fall when he attended the team’s Dominican instructional league as a tryout player and stepped into a leadership role despite not yet being signed.
“He’s really good with the pitchers, controls the game, and takes a very professional at-bat,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe also noted that outfielder Reynaldo De La Paz impressed the scouting department with his ability to make adjustments and his attitude. The 6-3 De La Paz has a chance to develop into a power hitter over time, according to Sharpe.
The A’s signed three shortstops — Reinaldo De La Cruz, Jesus Fernandez and Jesus Superlano. Sharpe says all three were players that area scouts got to know really well and made strong cases for signing.
On the pitching side, in addition to Morales, the A’s are excited about right-handers Alvin Veras and Freilyn Guzman from the Dominican Republic and Paul Chacon from Venezuela. Veras has already gotten his fastball up to 93-94 mph and has a potential plus breaking ball, according to Sharpe, while Guzman has an advanced changeup with a smooth delivery and a good feel for pitching. The A’s really like Chacon’s ability to compete — Sharpe called him a bulldog, saying that Chacon has been pitching against older competition in Venezuela for several years.
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“He’s got a power two-pitch package, as well,” Sharpe said.
This is Sharpe’s first class as the team’s international scouting director, though he has been a key part of the leadership of that department for the past several years. A former pitcher in the A’s farm system who has been part of the team’s scouting department since 2011, Sharpe was named the A’s international scouting director in November. That is one of several changes the A’s have made to their international scouting department recently, under the leadership of assistant general manager Dan Feinstein. The team also hired Fernando Encarnacion in November as the supervisor for Dominican scouting. Encarnacion came to the A’s from the Nationals but cut his teeth in the scouting world with the Mets. Sharpe says he’s had a big impact on the team’s scouting efforts already.
The A’s have also increased their scouting efforts in Asia under scouting coordinator Adam Hislop, who is based in Taiwan. He’s worked closely with A’s Japan area scout Toshiyuki Tomizuka to identify professional and amateur talent in Japan. Both were instrumental in the A’s pursuit of free-agent signing Shintaro Fujinami, who is expected to be a big part of the A’s pitching staff this season. The A’s have also expanded their efforts in South Korea and Australia. Dan Betreen, the A’s area scout in Australia, helped the team find left-hander Jared Koenig and prospect Bjay Cooke, a two-way player who impressed in a stint in Arizona this past summer and has followed that up with a strong winter league season in Australia.
“We’re excited about Taiwan, Australia and glad to have Fujinami on the professional side, as well,” Sharpe said.
Below is the entire A’s international class to date:
(Top photo courtesy of the Oakland A’s)
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