Deveaux Agrees To Deal With The Angels

by RENALDO

Another young Bahamian baseball player received the opportunity to take his career to the professional level.

 

Trent Deveaux agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that will reportedly pay the 16-year-old outfielder a $1.2 million bonus.

 

Currently training in the Dominican Republic with Nogae Sports Nation Academy, Deveaux recently completed his physicals and preliminary tests with the Angels when he made the announcement.

“I didn’t have a preferred team to go to but my meeting with the Angels won me over and they made the best offer,” Deveaux said.

 

He said the team has already set lofty goals for his progression through the minor league system.

 

“The General Manager [Billy Eppler] told me in three years they expect me in the major leagues and expect me to compete for that spot in centerfield with Mike Trout eventually making the move to right field,” he said, “They didn’t really tell me where I was going to start out but I’m expecting that to be in the Arizona Rookie League. Some guys are traditionally sent to the Dominican Republic but I expect to start out in Arizona for the Rookie League when the time comes.

 

After spending the past six months in the de facto mecca of baseball in the Caribbean, he said the rigorous training schedule has prompted a development in his game as he prepares for the minor leagues.

 

“I’ve started to become a complete hitter, I’ve been working a lot on my bunting so hopefully I can perfect that before I have to report to camp. That’s an extra tool where I can surprise them and make myself an even better asset to the staff,” he said, “The Angels requested me into camp to do my tests this week, but I know they expect their top prospects to report to LA and train a few times with the team ahead of time. It’s exciting and I’m not sure when that will be but I’ll be ready whenever that time comes.”

 

 

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.

 

“The Reds organisation knew me since I was 12 years old when I went to Freeport for the Nationals. There was a guy named Jim Stoeckel, a Reds scout and he was watching the 13-15 game, at the time I was playing 11-12. He said he heard a big crack of a bat so he turned around and saw a tall kid jogging the bases and it caught his attention. He started watching me and watching our game and afterward he took me and dad aside and he was showed me the positives of where my career can go,” he said.

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