NewsMarlins sign eight of first 10 Draft picks
Cooper draws praise; James, Berglund remain unsigned
By David Villavicencio / MLB.com
07/16/09 6:24 PM ET
MIAMI -- An organization full of young talent has brought in its next crop of potential future big leaguers.
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1 WAS: S. Strasburg
2 SEA: D. Ackley
3 SD: D. Tate
4 PIT: J. Sanchez
5 BAL: M. Hobgood
6 SF: Z. Wheeler
7 ATL: M. Minor
8 CIN: M. Leake
9 DET: J. Turner
10 WAS: D. Storen
11 COL: T. Matzek
12 KC: A. Crow
13 OAK: G. Green
14 TEX: M. Purke
15 CLE: A. White
16 ARI: R. Borchering
17 ARI: A. Pollock
18 FLA: C. James
19 STL: S. Miller
20 TOR: S. Jenkins
21 HOU: J. Mier
22 MIN: K. Gibson
23 CWS: J. Mitchell
24 LAA: R. Grichuk
25 LAA: M Trout
26 MIL: E. Arnett
27 SEA: N. Franklin
28 BOS: R. Fuentes
29 NYY: S. Heathcott
30 TB: L. Washington
31 CHC: B. Jackson
32 COL: T. Wheeler
36 LAD: A. Miller
72 NYM: S. Matz
75 PHI: K. Dugan
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On Thursday, Marlins assistant general manager and vice president of player development and scouting Jim Fleming announced the signing of 30 picks from Florida's 2009 Draft class, including eight of their first 10 selections.
The Marlins have yet to sign their top two picks, left-hander Chad James and right-hander Bryan Berglund, but did agree to terms with their third-round selection, Marquis Cooper.
The 5-foot-9 Cooper is an athletic outfielder that brings a tool to the organization that the scouting department was seeking. After drafting the Fresno, Calif. native, director of scouting Stan Meek spoke highly of the talented 17-year-old.
"Cooper is a speed player," Meek said. "He's a center fielder that is an 80 runner, a top of the scale runner. He's a great athlete at a premium position for us so we felt he was a good fit."
The 97th overall selection in the Draft did not just catch the eyes of baseball scouts. Cooper also excelled on the gridiron for Edison High School as a running back and linebacker and was recruited by several Pac-10 schools including Fresno State, Washington and California.
Florida also agreed to terms with other talented prospects, including fourth-round pick Daniel Mahoney and fifth-rounder Chase Austin. Meek raved about the two talented college players shortly after the organization selected them.
"Mahoney is a right-hander that worked out of the bullpen at the University of Connecticut," Meek said. "We think he might be able to start. He's a big power guy that can throw three pitches. He did not throw a ton of innings for them. We like everything about his upside and we like his makeup."
"Austin's an athlete from Elon that played all three spots, second, short and third," Meek said. "He hit 23 home runs for them and is a solid athletic player that can fit in the middle of your field."
Along with the 30 Draft picks signed, the Marlins also signed four undrafted free agents: two pitchers, an infielder and an outfielder.
Jordan Conley joins the organization after pitching for Xavier University. The right-hander had a 2.20 ERA and 13 saves as the closer for the Musketeers in 2009.
Andrew Kainer comes from the University of Texas-Arlington, where he was a utility player who broke the Southland Conference's hitting streak record as a senior. However, the left-hander will enter professional baseball as a pitcher after impressing the Marlins with fastballs that were consistently clocked in the 90-92 mph range.
Infielder Taylor Krick played at Cal State Long Beach, where he was third on the team with a .310 average. The 6-foot-1 third baseman is joining the Marlins after playing three years.
Austin Markel was a top hitter for West Virginia University. The center fielder hit .326 with 28 home runs over his four years as a Mountaineer. Markel enjoyed his best season as a senior in 2009, hitting .357 with 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, 11 doubles and seven triples.
David Villavicencio is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
