http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=10960
Oakland's growing international presence is stretching to the Pacific Rim, as
the Athletics have agreed to terms for $510,000 with Seong-Min Kim out of
Yatap High in Seoul, South Korea.
Kim, 17, is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound catcher who, according to one scout, stands
out for his plus raw power from the right side. Baseball America will have
additional scouting information on Kim as it becomes available.
The A's were among the top five spenders for international amateur players
last year with a budget of nearly $5 million. The A's did sign one Pacific
Rim player last year, adding Taiwanese shortstop Chih-Fing Pan for $150,000
in April. Pan, 20, hit .331/.386/.439 in 43 Rookie-level Arizona League games
last summer.
In 2010, Cubs righthander Jin-Young Kim ($850,000) was the only player from
South Korea who signed a contract with a Major League Baseball team.