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Red Sox sign First-Round pick Deven Marrero

The Boston Red Sox today announced that they have signed shortstop Deven Marrero, the club’s first selection in the first round (24th overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.  He will be assigned to Short-A Lowell.

Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Amiel Sawdaye made the announcement.

The 21-year-old Marrero was the No. 1 draft eligible college shortstop according to Baseball America.  He hit .325 (193-for-593) with 37 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 95 RBI, 102 runs, 45 walks and 32 stolen bases in 150 career games over three seasons with Arizona State, earning all-conference honors in all three campaigns. 

The 6-1, 194-pound right-handed hitter was a First-Team Pac-12 All-Conference selection in 2012 after posting a .284 average (62-for-218) with 11 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 33 RBI, 38 runs, 18 walks and 11 stolen bases as a junior, starting 54 of the Sun Devils 56 games at shortstop.  He was also a 2012 First-Team Academic All-District VIII selection and named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team. 

As a sophomore in 2011, Marrero was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-Pac-10 honors.  He set a Sun Devils freshman record with a team-leading .397 clip (62-for-156) in 2010 and was named a Collegiate Baseball First-Team Freshman All-American. 

Last summer, Marrero was a Cape Cod League All-Star, hitting .326 (15-for-46) in his second season with the Cotuit club, and also led the Team USA National Collegiate Team with 19 hits and 14 RBI in 14 games.  A native of Davie, FL, he earned All-State and All-County honors with American Heritage (FL) High School in Plantation, FL as a junior during the school’s state and national title-winning 2008 season, a team that included current Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer.  He was selected by Cincinnati in the 17th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft but did not sign.  Deven is the cousin of Chris Marrero, a first baseman in the Nationals organization, and Christian Marrero, an outfielder in the Braves system.

The Red Sox also announced today that they have signed right-hander Justin Haley, the club’s sixth-round selection, and center fielder Iseha Conklin, taken in the 19th round.  Haley earned second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a junior at Fresno State in 2012 and was 8-4 with a 3.08 ERA (43 ER/125.2 IP) and 122 strikeouts in 31 appearances (17 starts) over two years with the Bulldogs.  Conklin hit .393 (42-for-107) with 14 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 28 RBI and 27 runs in 37 games as a freshman at Iowa Western Community College in 2012.

Boston has now signed 14 players selected in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, including nine of their first 11 picks over rounds one through nine.  Please see attached release for a complete look at the Red Sox 2012 draft selections.    

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