MIAMI – Agent Scott Boras can be prone to hyperbole, so when he remarked that Marlins first-round Draft pick Aiva Arquette might’ve been the most scouted player in history -- joking that the organization made 26 trips to Hawaii -- his exaggeration did shed light on the Marlins' pursuit.
As fate would have it, Marlins area scout Scott Fairbanks and his family vacation there every year around the holidays. This past December, one of Fairbanks’ friends who works out with Arquette told him to stop by the day after Christmas to watch Oregon State’s shortstop hit and take ground balls.
It was a no-doubt decision for Fairbanks, who had Arquette on his radar as a Honolulu prep star and West Coast League competitor. So Fairbanks brought along his son and recorded video of the consensus top collegiate position player Draft prospect.
Around that time, Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere and Fairbanks spoke of their hope that a player like Arquette would be available with the seventh overall selection. Seven months later in an unpredictable Draft, Arquette was still on the board.
Arquette’s professional baseball journey officially began on Saturday afternoon, when the Marlins introduced him at loanDepot park. He signed for $7,149,900 (full slot value), according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis.
“We were exceptionally excited to get him into the organization as quickly as possible,” president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. “We have a Draft camp coming up that I think Aiva's going to really enjoy, and I'm personally just exceptionally excited to go watch him play. Where he plays, all of that, we're going to figure that out soon, but I know wherever he plays, he's going to succeed.”
The 21-year-old Arquette, who was previously chosen by the D-backs in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of St. Louis High School, spent his first two years at the University of Washington before transferring to Oregon State.
In his lone season with the Beavers, Arquette hit .354/.461/.654 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs -- both second most for an Oregon State club that reached the College World Series. He made the Perfect Game All-America Second Team and Baseball America All-America Second Team and was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (player who best exhibits exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship), the Dick Howser Trophy (national college baseball player of the year) and the Brooks Wallace Award (best shortstop).
“An incredible amount of growth,” Fairbanks said. “He was a raw, athletic high school player, and really, this year, he really came into his own playing everyday shortstop and on a really good team. So this year, I'd say, was his biggest growth over the last three years.
“I would say defensively this year is where he really knocked the door down. This dude could really play shortstop. There were some questions about it, and he emphatically answered it this year. I'd say that was his biggest growth.”
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Arquette’s defensive performance at shortstop reassured Miami most -- and proved any doubters wrong. Arquette credited the movement and footwork needed to be a three-sport athlete (baseball, football and basketball) as a prep star.
“I'm excited for the player we're getting today,” Piliere said. “I'm going to gush over that: the athlete, the shortstop. We think this guy's a shortstop, and a really good one. The hitter. Another really good thing about Aiva Arquette: 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 that we think he can't do. It's going to be really exciting to watch him develop in our system, just be a huge part of what we do. I couldn't be more excited and more proud of the person that we're getting, the player that we're getting.”
Shortly after chatting with the coaching staff and second baseman Xavier Edwards during Saturday’s batting practice, Arquette put on a white No. 1 Marlins jersey and cap flanked by Piliere, Bendix and Boras and in front his parents and girlfriend.
It was an actualized dream Arquette had since he started playing baseball as a 3-year-old. He acknowledged the sacrifices -- both by time and money -- his parents made so he could travel to the mainland and get to this point.
“Surreal,” Arquette said. “This has been a goal of mine from when I was a little kid. So just enjoying the moment here with my family, my closest people. What an unreal moment for us, what we've been through. So, yeah, this is crazy.”