Peter Gammons mentioned earlier that signing 16 year-old righty Michel Inoa "would be the equivalent of signing a top 10 draft pick." A’s GM Billy Beane is back in the Dominican Republic as he continues his pursuit. It’s been suggested that the A’s might offer a $4MM bonus. Baseball America’s Ben Badler recently noted that the record for an international amateur signing was Wily Mo Pena’s $2.44MM in ’99, excluding Cuban defectors.
According to ESPN’s Enrique Rojas on June 12th, all 30 teams have evaluated Inoa. Aside from Beane, Brian Cashman and Kevin Towers have come to the D.R. to see the crown jewel in person. Signings can begin on July 2nd.
