Oakland A’s continue adding to international prospect stockpile

The Oakland A’s have continued to add to their already impressive list of international prospects as they signed Pedro Pineda.

While the Oakland A’s have not been amongst the biggest spenders in free agency, the same cannot be said when it comes to the international prospect market. Oakland has made a specific effort to establish themselves as a presence in the international community. That has been obvious based on the prospects they have landed over the past few years.

That commitment continued on Friday. The A’s made a splash when the international signing period opened, as they signed outfielder Pedro Pineda.

The A’s have been linked to Pineda for quite some time, as they were considered to be the favorites to land the Dominican outfielder. However, as the signing period was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic, ultimately being pushed back to January 15, that signing was unable to become official until Friday.

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Ranked as the 13th overall international prospect by MLB.com, Pineda is the type of prospect that scouts love to bank on. He is considered to have some of the best tools of any of this year’s signing class, described as an explosive player who has the potential to be above average in every facet of the game.

While his swing is still a work in progress, Pineda has already impressed with his bat speed and quick wrists. He hits the ball hard to all fields, with natural loft in his swing. Those swing and miss issues should improve as he receives more consistent coaching in the A’s academy. His solid speed gives hope that he will be a threat on the basepaths and an above average baserunner.

Defensively, Pineda can play all three outfield positions, but may be best suited for one of the corner spots. He has a strong arm which suggests he may be a fit in right, but needs to work on his accuracy instead of airing out the ball every time. As he is considered to be extremely coachable and willing to learn, Pineda should be able to work on these issues without much difficulty.

The Oakland A’s are continuing to invest in international free agency. Pedro Pineda could be their next star.