Some high school players taken in the top rounds of the annual baseball draft like to play it coy. They mention the college commitment they have and the possibility that they might delay the start of pro ball and enjoy the college experience, thereby providing themselves with some negotiating leverage with the team that just drafted them.
Marcelo Mayer, drafted with the fourth overall pick Sunday night by the Red Sox, is evidently not one of those players. In a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday morning, Mayer wasn't interested in dabbling in negotiating tactics. Asked how quickly he would like to sign, Mayer didn't hesitate.
"As soon as possible,'' said Mayer. "I'm super excited to become a Boston Red Sox.''
Mayer said he was surprised to find himself being taken by the Red Sox, since countless mock drafts and industry speculation had him coming off the board either first or second.
"I had no clue what was going on,'' he said. "I was talking to my agent and I could have gone from one to six. But I'm glad where the pieces fell...I wasn't totally settled until I got the call.''
Since Sunday, it's been a whirlwind period for Mayer, who flew Monday to Denver, the site of the All-Star Game, and interacted with a number of Red Sox All-Stars, including Xander Bogaerts, the team's current shortstop.
Mayer has cited Fernando Tatis Jr., from his hometown San Diego Padres, as a player after whom he would like to model himself. Mayer noted that Tatis plays with a smile and energy "and he's a player who sells tickets. I think he's really good for the game.''
Mayer was asked if he had a goal of one day becoming the face of his own franchise and a star in the game.
"That's something that I want to do,'' he confirmed. "But my main goal is to win a World Series with the Red Sox.''
Red Sox scouting director Paul Toboni noted that Mayer's physique has been achieved without any weightlifting and the infielder said that was done for a reason.
"Me and my dad wanted me to stay super loose and not get stiff,'' said Mayer. "We saw a lot of kids who were really good at a young age and they started hitting the weight room really hard and got stiff and lost all their mobility, so I wanted to stay away from that.''
He also noted that he was grateful to be joining a team that has a recent winning tradition. That's rare among high picks, who is usually chosen by organizations that have repeatedly struggled.
"It's amazing. This never happens when a team gets to have a good season and a top pick in the same year,'' he said. "It's truly special and for it to be the Red Sox, who usually don't get to have a high pick -- which says something -- is amazing''
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While Mayer was the biggest piece of the three-day draft which concluded Tuesday afternoon, Toboni expressed enthusiasm for the remainder of the selections.
"I think we accomplished our goals,'' said Toboni, "to bring in (to the organization) as much value as we could, given the circumstances that we faced. I think we did that and we got a bunch of high character kids who I think are going to mesh very well with the rest of our players in our minor league system.''
The Sox leaned heavily on college players from big programs on Day 2, and Toboni admitted "there's a certain sense of security that comes with those players. The floor is probably higher on those types. But really what drives this is what future value we think is expected down the line. That can come in different shapes and sizes and different demographics. We try and figure out where the most value is at each given point in time and then act accordingly.''
Toboni on some Day 2 and Day 3 picks;
Jud Fabian, OF, Florida, second round: "We had experience scouting Jud dating back to early in high school. He's been such a unique talent for so long now and just having the opportunity to select him, I think, was a great thing for us. The more we got around him, we think there are some things we can help him (cut down on his strikeouts). I don't think he's ever going to be a bat-to-ball guy. But I also think that he's got a really good shot to get to a good amount of power and play a really impactful center field and get on base at a high clip.''
Tyler McDonough, INF-OF, North Carolina, third round: "I think we're going to try to expose him to a number of positions early. I think his main positions will be second base and center field. I don't think he'll play center field every day, but I think we want to keep that option open. I think he can hop over to third base pretty comfortably and he can play shortstop. What (his versatility) does is allows his bat to be in the lineup every day.''
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP, Puerto Rico, fourth round: "He's really skinny but he has a frame where you think he's going to be able to put on a decent amount of strength in the coming years. And that, coupled with his athleticism and his body control and his feel to throw strikes, checks many of the boxes we look for in some of these longer-projection types. He has a natural feel to command the ball.''
Niko Kavadas, 1B, Notre Dame, 11th round: "(His power is) top of the scale. I guess that's how we'd phrase it. If he was in the major leagues right now, my guess is that his power would line up with the best of him. He's an interesting player and a great kid.''