The A's signed 17-year-old outfield prospect Pedro Pineda on Friday. He is the No. 13 ranked prospect on MLB.com's international prospect list.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported Friday that the deal is expected to be for something less than $4 million
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Pineda, a native of the Dominican Republic, is a raw prospect described as having some outstanding tools, and is graded by MLB.com as a 55 in arm talent, running, power and fielding, while his hitting checks in at 50 on the 20-80 scale.
Baseball America's Ben Badler wrote back in April about Pineda being a favorite to sign with the A's, and described him as "a strong, athletic, physical center fielder with a loud tool set and a power/speed threat. He's a center fielder with excellent speed, a fast bat and the power potential to hit 25-plus home runs."
The international signing period typically commences in the summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused the league to push the start to Jan. 15, 2021.
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Oakland Athletics
You can see the teenager taking some cuts in A's gear in the video below from late March 2020.
MLB.com describes him as a defensive fit for the corner outfield at this stage, but that he has potential to be in center.
The A's likely will be eager to get him into the team's training academy as soon as possible to continue expediting his development.