The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

In January, when Trent Deveaux mulled his decision on which MLB club he would eventually sign to, he said one determining factor would be: “Any place with good weather.”

It’s safe to say Deveaux held true to those words when he officially signed a $1.2 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim yesterday.

The 17-year-old outfielder made it official as Major League Baseball’s international signing period began yesterday after he originally agreed to a deal with the franchise in February.

With hundreds of eager fans, family and well-wishers on hand at the Baha Mar Convention Centre, Deveaux said he was thankful for the opportunity and discussed his motivation to pursue the sport at the highest level.

“I’d like to thank God for waking me up every day and giving me the drive so I would be able to represent my country on an international platform. I want to give a huge thank you to Carlos and the Los Angeles Angels for blessing me with this opportunity to further my career and fulfil my dreams and that is playing in the major leagues.

“The Angels have an amazing staff, it feels like the second Bahamas whenever I’m there and they treat my very well. I want to give a special thank you to the entire Freedom Farm and JBLN families, to coach Geron Sands and Greg Burrows, to coach Dom for taking his time out to train with me just about every day. I’d like to thank Nogae Sports Nation and Nolan Pena. It has truly been a blessing to have everyone that is a part of my life for making this possible.”

He highlighted the support of his family, particularly his father Louis Deveaux and his mother Terryanne Deveaux, who passed away when Trent was just 10 years of age.

“My dad has always stuck with me with every tough decision, and he charted the path for me to get where I am today,” he said. “I know my mom is here in spirit. She’s the motivation behind so much of what I do. It never gets easier, but she continues to be my inspiration.”

Growing up playing in the Freedom Farm Baseball League, Deveaux said he first had dreams of professional baseball following his performance at the Bahamas Baseball Federation’s Nationals in 2011. He also played at the Junior Baseball League of Nassau before stops at Maximum Development Academy, Elev 8 Academy in Delray Beach, Florida and Nogae Academy in the Dominican Republic.

Carlos Gomez, the Angels’ director of international scouting, said Deveaux’s will to succeed and his charisma on and off the field are some of the factors that will be keys to his success in the future.

“This is an extraordinary occasion because I feel like I am a small part of this. This is about Trent his family and all the people that care about him,” he said. “One of the things I wanted to mention about Trent was getting to know him personally was that his devotion, energy and drive match his skills on the field. He’s hilarious, he brightens my day and just being around him brightens my day. I believe baseball needs someone with his charisma. Baseball is a tough sport, I see thousands of players every year, sign very few of them, but it’s rare to see a talent such as Trent’s.”

Deveaux,was ranked at No.19 by Baseball America heading into the International Signing Period.

In a showcase, Deveaux ran a pair of 60-yard dash, with his times ranging from 6.3 to 6.4 seconds, but has been tracked as fast as 6.2 seconds. Some scouts have graded his speed at 70-or-better, on a 20-80 scouting scale.

Ben Badler of Baseball America offered this analysis on Deveaux:

“Deveaux is an outstanding athlete with a strong but lean, projectable build. There’s quick burst in everything he does. He’s an 80 runner who has been clocked as fast as 6.2 seconds in the 60-yard dash. When Deveaux went to the Dominican Republic, he began training full-time in center field, which has been a better fit for his skill set. He glides to balls and covers a lot of ground quickly. With an average arm and an easy throwing stroke that could allow his arm strength to improve, Deveaux has the attributes to develop into an above-average defender at a premium position. Scouts highest on Deveaux said his hitting ability has taken a huge leap forward. Last year, Deveaux had an upright, open stance and a tendency to either slice or roll over too many balls. He closed off his stance, improved his balance and did a better job of staying through the ball and using the middle of the field. He also shows a solid understanding of the strike zone. Deveaux has the frame to add more power later on, though right now he’s mostly a line-drive hitter who can occasionally hit a ball out. A fluent English speaker, Deveaux picked up Spanish during his time in the Dominican Republic, and his aptitude and athleticism have likely contributed already to his ability to make adjustments.”