Full Press Conference: Miami Marlins Introduce 2025 Top Draft Pick Aiva Arquette
Thank you all for being here. Uh wanted to start by thanking Larry, thanking Scott Fairbanks, thanking our entire uh am scouting crew for all of the work that went into this moment. All of the uh day after Christmas workouts that led to this particular moment. Uh want to thank the Boris Corporation, Scott Boris, Scott Champino. Uh always a pleasure to work with and really appreciate that they’re here. And of course, Iva, thank you. Glad that you’re here. Glad that your family could join us. Um, it’s a big day for the Marlins. This is, uh, a huge thing every year, the draft, and we were able to get the best college position player in the draft. That is not something we overlook. That is something that we’re incredibly excited about. Um, and think just everything about IVA, who he is as a player, who he is as a person. It’s what we stand for as Marlins. And I’m incredibly excited to uh, watch you play, watch it grow, um, and win together. Now we turn over to Frankie Pilaryi. Marlin start their amateur scout. So, I get to do the fun part. I get to get up here and talk and gush about this guy right here, Ivarette. Uh, so excited for our group. So excited for our organization. Really proud of our amateur scouting staff. Peter Peter said it really well, the work that went into this. Scott Fairbanks did an amazing job getting to know this person, getting to know what we were bringing into this organization. And really a hat tip to our entire staff. Awesome job. Now for the really fun part. I’m excited for the player we’re getting today. I’m going to gush over that. The athlete, the shorts stop. We think this guy’s a shorts stop and a really good one. The hitter. Another really good thing about Ivar Arette. Impact. We think he’s going to continue to grow with his overall hit tool. We think he can run. There’s not many things we think he can’t do. It’s going to be really exciting to watch him develop in our system and just be a huge part of what we do. I’m just I couldn’t be more excited and more proud of the person that we’re getting and the player that we’re getting. And now before we turn it over to Ivar’s opening comments, we need to introduce him to the Mon organization. To do so, we welcome him with a Marlins jersey, his very first hat. I just want to start by saying, you know, just extremely grateful, you know, and just pumped to be a be a Marlin and um just thank you to Frankie and Peter and Scott. Um just, you know, just believe me in my talent and my work ethic. So, just thank you. Um thank you to Scott Boris, um Stilly, um Champ just for this process. So, um yeah, I’m I’m pumped. So, thank you. And before we turn over to media questions, we have the president of Forest Corporation, Scott Boris, here. When you do this, uh, you you make note of things that from draft to draft about, um, who who’s most important and why. You can meet parents and certainly the Arat family and who they’re involved with through their selections of their life formality and great soccer play. But the idea of it is is that you kind of tell a lot about who people are and how they grow and what they do. And uh I’m glad that New Orleans took note of this. U actually we’ve found out from MLB that he is the most scouted player in history. It might be because of the 26 trips that the Marlins took to visit Hawaii. I don’t know why, but I’m sure there’s a a logical reason to to go there. In my book, uh, AA is going to be somebody that is going to be the top of any players alphabet and he’s a remarkable talent. And what better organization to to Marlin is just probably one of the greatest catches. So, good for him. How important was it to get this done as quickly as possible? How soon will he start and where? We were exceptionally excited to get him into the organization as quickly as possible. Uh we have a a draft camp coming up that um I think I was going to really enjoy. Um and I’m personally just exceptionally excited to go watch him. But where he plays, all of that, we’re going to figure that out soon. Like I know wherever he plays, he’s going to he’s going to succeed. Isaac with fish on first. Um, I have you actually have a former teammate of yours that is in the Mars organization, Cam Clayton. Curious, what conversations have been have you had with each other and what has he told you about your new organization? Oh, yeah. He he called me up and congratulated me and he just he told me this is, you know, a grind, but this is a lot of fun. So, he told me to enjoy enjoy today, enjoy last week Sunday and um yeah, we’re excited to see each other. So, yeah. Also, if you can um just the first thing you’re going to purchase with your new signing bonus. Haven’t really thought about it yet. You know, I’m gonna save I’m gonna save that. So, save the money. But, yeah. Kevin, bro, fish on first, I guess, for for Peter and and Frankie just what was the moment you guys knew Iva was your guy and what’s the biggest tool that really stands out? Second one’s hard cuz he has a lot of tools that really stand out. Um, honestly, we didn’t know until late. We we we were hopeful. We were hopeful that we would have the chance to draft it. But, uh, the way the draft was so unpredictable this year, I don’t think we knew until till very close. But, we were hopeful as things started to unfold. I think we had going back. I mean, I remember talking to Scott Fairbanks sometime last year hoping that a player like this would be available. But, yeah, really not until uh until later on. But I honestly I think if I had to pick a tool I think thing we know how this guy can hit. We know a lot of things he can do but I’ll keep talking about the shortstop play. I think the ability to play shorts stop with his physical size with all the other things that come with it. That’s what kind of makes him so rare in my opinion. That ability and I think people are going to be I don’t think they’re going to be surprised because they know he’s very good out there but I think he’s probably going to be even better than people think. Jeremy Tache FanDuel Sports Network. Iva, um, let’s put your self- scouting cap on for a second. What What type of player are we going to see when you’re out there playing for whichever minor league organization it is within the system? And what do you view as your greatest strength? You know, I think, you know, my greatest strength is being competitor. I mean, I think that’s all I want to do is compete and try to win. So, um, I mean, whatever the team needs to win, I’m I’m there. So, that’s I think that’s the biggest thing for me. front left. Hey, uh, Caitlin Foley with the Miami Herald. IA, how important is it to you to play shortstop? Have you played other places in field? And like where where your where’s your head at now with that decision, you know? Um, yeah. I mean, just growing up being a shortstop and, um, you know, this past year being being a short stop and I believe I can play that position at a high level. So, um, I’m I’m going to keep grinding up grinding away and keep getting better at it. So, we’ll see where it takes us. We’ll do a few more questions. back right. Uh Cameron Pster from the Suns Sentinel. This question for Peter and Frankie. You guys have long made clear your MO when it comes to the draft. Draft the best player available. So when with that mindset and I was still available, did that kind of simplify your decision a little bit? Yes. No. In all seriousness, we we truly believe he’s the best college position player in the draft. And I think at pick number seven, we didn’t really expect that that player would be available. And when he was, it made it a very easy decision for us. We’ll do two more questions. Thank you, John. Uh, I welcome and congratulations, Danny Alstro, Alex. What in your opinion, what what do you think it makes you so good at short stuff that you can stick at that position in a professional level for so many years? I think, you know, playing three sports in high school helped me with that, you know. Um, basketball and football really, you know, kept me active and, you know, with with my footwork and, um, just, yeah, I mean, I think that’s a secret right there. So, for me, All right, last question for Christina. Hi, just wearing the jersey for the first time, being on the field, probably talking with the guys or family being here. What’s this whole experience feel like? Hal, you know, um, this is a goal of mine from when I was a little kid. So, I’m just enjoying the moment here with my family, my closest people. Um, and just gosh, what a what an unreal moment for us, you know, what we’ve been through. So yeah, it’s it’s crazy.
Marlins first-round draft pick Aiva Arquette, agent Scott Boras, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere speak with the media at loanDepot park prior to Saturday’s game. Selected seventh overall, Arquette signed for full slot value ($7,149,900).
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1 comment
Confidence is high.