Kelly may be choice pick
Prospect can play shortstop, pitch
Red Sox first-round pick Casey Kelly has a nice repertoire of pitches and was called "advanced" for a high school pitcher by Boston's director of amateur scouting Jason McLeod.
Kelly, whom Boston took yesterday with the 30th overall pick, features a two-seam fastball in the low 90s, a curveball, and a changeup.
But Kelly throws another ball so well that his future might be in another sport.
Kelly is one of the highest-ranked quarterback prospects in the nation and committed to Southeastern Conference powerhouse Tennessee out of Sarasota (Fla.) High School. Kelly is ranked as the No. 20 quarterback prospect by Scout.com.
In a conference call late last night, Kelly said he wasn't sure whether his future would be on the gridiron or the diamond.
"It's kind of up for grabs. I don't really know the answer to that yet," Kelly said. "We'll have to see how it plays out."
Sox general manager Theo Epstein believes Kelly will choose baseball.
"You can hear the passion in his voice when he talks about baseball," Epstein said. "We wouldn't have taken him if we didn't feel in our hearts like he wanted to go out and play professional ball."
Kelly pitched and played shortstop for Sarasota and said he was told he was drafted to be a shortstop, but Epstein said they like Kelly as a pitcher, as well.
"Our player development plan for him would be to have him on the mound by Instructional League and see what that looks like," Epstein said.
At 6 feet 3 inches, 195 pounds, Kelly was 19-1 the last two years with a 1.16 ERA in 2008 and a 0.24 ERA in 2007.
Kelly boasts strong baseball bloodlines. His father, Pat, was an infielder for the Blue Jays from 1991-99.
The Sox used their No. 45 overall pick - a compensatory pick for former closer Eric Gagné leaving for Milwaukee - on Bryan Price, a junior righthander from Rice.
A relief pitcher at Rice, Price threw 17 combined innings his freshman and sophomore years but threw 44 this past year and his pitching, or lack thereof, excited the Sox, McLeod said.
"You can look at it two ways," he said. "For us, we kind of see that as meaning he wasn't abused. He has a fresh arm."
"I prefer starting over relieving," Price said. "I feel like I'm much more polished due to the fact that I'm not throwing day after day."
McLeod saw Price's only start this year at Rice and said the 6-4, 210-pounder has a "fastball up to 95 with good life down in the zone," and a hard slider.
Epstein said there is a possibility to turn Price into a starter, an experiment the Sox briefly tried with current closer Jonathan Papelbon.
"Once we get him in our player-development system, we'll make that call, but I imagine at least letting him start where he can get some innings and at least develop more fully initially, is probably the way to go," Epstein said.
With the No. 77 pick, the Sox drafted shortstop Derrik Gibson out of Seaford High in Delaware. Utah righthander Stephen Fife was taken at No. 85, and Notre Dame righthander Kyle Weiland at No. 108. The Sox took high school center fielders with the 142d and 172d picks, Peter Hissey and Ryan Westmoreland.
