Athletics signed RHP/SS Shotaro Morii to a minor league contract that includes a signing bonus of $1.5 million.
Morii was one of dozens of players who signed professional contracts on Wednesday when the international signing period opened. Yet, his contract is significant because he’s the first high-profile Japanese prospect to skip Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan entirely and come to the United States as a professional. The 18-year-old will begin his professional baseball career as a two-way player, splitting time between shortstop and pitching. Morii is up to 95 mph with his fastball and also throws a slider and a splitter, so his ceiling as a prospect might be higher on the mound, but he has the athleticism and frame to play short as well, so it will be interesting to see how his development plays out.
