In the days, and hours, leading up to the draft, Scott Squier got more of a workout on his cell phone than on a mound.
After interacting with countless teams, Squier was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 16th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft that ended Saturday.
The University of Hawaii left-hander has a year of eligibility remaining, but likely will sign with the Marlins, who took him No. 467 overall, in the next two weeks.
The Chicago White Sox followed by taking recent UH graduate Matt Cooper with the very next pick as the two pitchers went back-to-back in a draft that featured more than 1,200 selections in 40 rounds.
"That’s crazy if you really think about it," Cooper said in a phone interview from his home in Marysville, Wash. "I had no idea. I hadn’t even talked to the White Sox at all. I just filled out their stuff and talked to a scout at Santa Barbara for a minute but that was it."
Squier said he had been in contact with most teams and got repeated phone calls on Friday to see whether he’d sign for less than slot value in the first 10 rounds.
He said he had just reached an agreement via text with the New York Mets on a signing bonus near $200,000 when he suddenly heard his name read online.
"Right after I sent a text message to the Mets guy working out a deal with them my name popped up with the Marlins," Squier said. "(Miami) wasn’t one of the teams I was talking to every other day, but I had talked to them a few times briefly."
Squier was also selected in the 2011 draft as a high school senior. He started 35 games for UH and pitched more than 200 innings in three seasons.
He went 5-5 with a 3.48 ERA as a junior and boasts a 3.47 career ERA with 182 strikeouts in 207 1/3 innings.
Hawaii had three players chosen. The White Sox selected first baseman Marc Flores in the 30th round (No. 888 overall).
Flores led the Rainbow Warriors with five home runs and hit .305 with 12 doubles and 44 RBIs.
The day began with the Milwaukee Brewers, who selected Hilo’s Kodi Medeiros 12th overall in the first round on Thursday, drafting Saint Louis alumnus Jordan Yamamoto in the 12th round.
Yamamoto, who shares the same advisor as Medeiros, said the Brewers were the team most interested throughout the draft process.
"They called me in the fifth round and said they were going to draft me but they never gave me what I wanted from them money-wise so I turned that down and they called again in the 12th," said Yamamoto, who has signed with Arizona. "It’s something I’ve always wanted since I was a little kid growing up. I always wanted to be drafted and play as a professional."
Yamamoto said the Brewers had three scouts on hand to watch him pitch against Medeiros in the state tournament, when he threw a two-hit shutout and struck out nine.
"Yeah, I think it (helped) because the Brewers called me and said they liked watching me in my state tournament game," Yamamoto said.
Punahou’s K.J. Harrison is likely headed to Oregon State after falling to the 25th round, where he was selected by the Cleveland Indians.
Harrison was ranked as the 172nd overall prospect by mlb.com.
Kansas teammates Michael Suiter and Robert Kahana were both drafted for the second time in three years.
Suiter, a Punahou alumnus, was taken in the 24th round by the White Sox after hitting .322 with 11 doubles, three homers and 42 RBIs for the Jayhawks, who made a regional appearance for the first time since 2009.
Kahana, who graduated from Campbell, was selected by the Houston Astros with the first pick in the 32nd round after going 4-6 with a 3.36 ERA as a junior with two complete games.
UH had four commitments for next season drafted. The Indians took pitcher Luke Eubank, who went 12-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings at Oxnard (Calif.) J.C., in the 15th round.
Rio Mesa (Calif.) first baseman Eric Ramirez was drafted in the 37th round by the Brewers while catcher David Noworyta of Holy Cross (N.J.) High was chosen seven picks later by the Kansas City Royals.
Hilo’s Jodd Carter, who signed with UH but will likely sign or go to junior college, was taken in the 24th round by the Indians. Joey Aquino, a 2009 Mililani alumnus, was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 35th round.
Aquino went 6-3 with a 2.45 ERA and four saves at San Diego Christian College last season.
MLB DRAFTEES
Name |
Position |
School |
Round |
Overall |
Team |
Kodi Medeiros |
LHP |
Waiakea High |
1 |
12 |
Brewers |
Jordan Yamamoto |
RHP |
Saint Louis |
12 |
356 |
Brewers |
*Luke Eubank |
RHP |
Oxnard (Calif.) J.C. |
15 |
458 |
Indians |
Scott Squier |
LHP |
Hawaii |
16 |
467 |
Marlins |
Matt Cooper |
RHP |
Hawaii |
16 |
468 |
White Sox |
Michael Suiter |
OF |
Kansas (Punahou) |
24 |
708 |
White Sox |
*Jodd Carter |
OF |
Hilo |
24 |
728 |
Indians |
K.J. Harrison |
C |
Punahou |
25 |
758 |
Indians |
Marc Flores |
1B |
Hawaii |
30 |
888 |
White Sox |
Robert Kahana |
RHP |
Kansas (Campbell) |
32 |
946 |
Astros |
Joey Aquino |
RHP |
San Diego Christian (Mililani) |
35 |
1,044 |
Blue Jays |
*Eric Ramirez |
1B |
Rio Mesa (Calif.) High |
37 |
1,106 |
Brewers |
**David Noworyta |
C |
Holy Cross (N.J.) High |
37 |
1,113 |
Royals |
*UH signee **UH commit |