Cuban teen Luis Morales declared free agent by MLB, expected to get record bonus for a pitcher, source confirms

Cuban right-hander Luis Morales, a coveted 19-year-old prospect who is expected to demand a record-breaking sum for a pitcher from the international bonus pool, will be eligible to sign with an MLB team on Sept. 7 after being declared a free agent on Thursday, a source confirmed to ESPN.

The Oakland Athletics are considered heavy favorites to sign Morales, who peaked at 97 or 99 mph in various workouts for MLB teams. He defected from the Cuban U-23 team in Mexico City in September 2021.

Morales, who held open showcases for teams in January and April in Mexico City, has a breaking ball that projects to be above average, but his changeup is a clear third pitch and his command still comes and goes, as is common for pitchers with that kind of velocity as a teenager.

Since most of the pool money in this current international signing period has been spent, Morales is expected to sign when the next period begins on Jan. 15.

The biggest bonus given to a pitcher since the international bonus pool was capped was to Cuban right-hander Sandy Gaston, who was given $2.61 million by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Shohei Ohtani received $2.315 million from the Los Angeles Angels in Dec. 2017.

Oakland has had a strategy of spending at the top of the international market of late. If the Athletics can land Morales as expected, it would have echoes of a bold move from the team's past. Prior to the salary cap, the A's set an international bonus record in 2008 by signing Dominican right-hander Michael Ynoa to a $4.25 million bonus.

Overall international pool amounts for each MLB team range from approximately $4.5 million to just over $6 million each year. The highest bonus for a pitcher in this current period was $1.7 million to Jarlin Susana,