Athletics agree to terms with Dominican pitcher Michael Inoa | OaklandAthletics.com: Official Info
ESPN - Inoa agrees to $4.25M signing bonus, minor league deal with A's - MLB"Michael has a chance to be a very special pitcher in the Major Leagues," said Athletics' Vice President and General Manager Billy Beane. "Even at this early age, he is a very polished pitcher with three above-average pitches and a fluid delivery. We are very excited about this young man's potential and look forward to watching his growth, both personally and professionally, in the years to come."
I'm very excited and it seems like he made the best decision for himself. Everything I read said he didn't want a major league deal so I'm not sure why the Reds would offer that when he said he didn't want that. And I'm sure the kid didn't want to melt in the Texas summer heat.Inoa and his parents turned down more lucrative offers from the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers due to Oakland's positive results developing young pitchers. The Reds offered a $5 million signing bonus and a major league contract, while the Rangers offered $5.2 million, according to Inoa.
"After careful thought, my parents and I decided that Oakland has a better pitcher development program, and that will be more important for my career in the long haul," said Inoa, who became eligible to sign with any major league ball club on Tuesday at the strike of midnight.