A's to add pair of international prospects

A's to add pair of international prospects

January 15th, 2024

The A’s agreed to terms with a couple of free-agent international prospects -- shortstop Edgar Montero (No. 43) and outfielder Jose Ramos (No. 47) -- as the 2024 international signing period opened on Monday. The club has not yet confirmed the agreements.

The A's received $6,520,000 in pool money.

Montero is a strong switch-hitting infielder with one of the smoothest swings in the class. He has plus bat speed from each side of the plate and sprays the ball all over the field.

Using a fluid, compact swing, Montero routinely barrels pitches up, hitting the ball with authority to all fields. On the other side of the diamond, he is a solid defensive shortstop and scouts have lauded his awareness in the field, as well as his technically sound defensive actions. Montero’s arm strength is above-average, and the Dominican infielder projects to stick at shortstop.

Ramos has the potential to have five above-average tools and is a prospect to watch because of his speed and power combination.

The Venezuelan outfielder sports one of the smoothest left-handed swings in this class. Ramos uses his mechanically sound swing to drive balls into the gap in batting practice and games. He consistently makes hard contact and has shown flashes of home run power, all while having a good feel for the strike zone.

Defensively, Ramos projects as a center fielder and has shown the potential to stay there. Scouts have noted that his instincts, athleticism, range and arm strength are all on the rise, and he is just scratching the surface of his ability.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2006, and Aug. 31, 2007, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.