A's ink pair of international prospects

OAKLAND -- The A's snagged two international prospects on the same day they were officially allowed to submit contracts for this year's class.

In the fold are a pair of shortstops: Nicaraguan Jesus Lopez, signed to a $950,000 bonus, and Dominican Carlos Hiciano, awarded $750,000. That leaves the A's with just under $300,000 worth of international pool money, as they started with an allotted figure of $1,926,100.

Teams can trade pool money and continue to pluck from the international class through July 15.

Lopez, 16, is considered "one of the best hitters in Latin America," according to Baseball America, who ranked him No. 14 on their international prospect list.

The 6-foot-2 Hiciano, ranked No. 26 on MLB.com's international prospect list, is "a high-energy infielder with good feet and a good throwing action on defense," according to MLB.com's scouting report, which also includes this information:

"Scouts like his strength potential and believe he has the speed to be an above-average baserunner in the future. They also love his athleticism, along with the idea of moving him to third base or the outfield in the future if necessary."