Jul. 12—When the phone call came Tuesday afternoon, it ended one chapter of Trey Paige’s baseball career and began another.
Following a whirlwind that included trips to Phoenix and Seattle — and the wait once the three-day draft began — Paige, a 2019 Exeter grad and infielder for Delaware State, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft Tuesday.
“Very relieved,” Paige said Wednesday. “Very grateful. It took a lot longer than I would have liked it to, but I was very happy that I got the phone call that I did.”
Paige, who was taken with the 515th overall pick, said he will head to the Cardinals’ facility in Jupiter, Fla., where he will go through a physical and orientation and finalize his contract before his first day in uniform Monday.
“Quick turnaround,” he said.
That’s been the norm for Paige since June 1.
He participated in the Minority Baseball Prospects HBCU Weekend from June 1-4 in Gwinnett, Ga., made his debut with the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League on June 9, went to the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix from June 19 -24, played in MLB Draft League’s Prospect Game in Trenton, NJ, on July 5, then flew west again for last Friday’s HBCU Swingman Classic at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
That’s a lot of baseball — and air miles.
The highlight was the Swingman Classic. The event, in its inaugural year and held in conjunction with the All-Star Game, was the brainchild of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. The game featured top players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“It was actually the best baseball experience I’ve ever had,” Paige said. “It was just cool being on the field, being with the top 50 Division I HBCU players. It was just a lot of fun and the environment was great and the atmosphere was awesome.”
Paige said he had the chance to be “around a bunch of legends.” In addition to Griffey, Paige got to take pictures with Jimmy Rollins, CC Sabathia and Adrian Beltre.
“I got to talk to (Hall of Famer) Andre Dawson about hitting,” Paige said. “Just being around guys like that was super cool and getting to hear their perspective, I can’t even imagine. I would’ve never imagined getting that opportunity before.”
On top of all that, the lefty-swinging Paige went 1-for-2, with his first-inning single being the first in the game’s history.
“That will be something that I can have forever,” the 22-year-old said.
While the experience in Seattle — which included attending Saturday’s All-Star Futures Game — was unmatched, Paige said he thinks his draft stock benefited the most from the combine. The event, in its third year, brought together 274 draft prospects (143 college players, 131 high schoolers) to show their skills in front of scouts and other baseball personnel.
“I think I performed well,” said Paige, listed at 6-0, 215. “I put up some good batting numbers, exit velo, things like that, and then I ran faster than I thought I would, so I think the combine definitely helped me.”
Paige finished his career at Delaware State with a .372 average, 32 homers, 46 doubles, seven triples, 136 RBIs and a 1.139 OPS in 153 games. He hit .372 with 14 homers, 15 doubles, 53 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a 1.159 OPS in 48 games and was named second-team All-NEC this spring.
He had committed to play baseball at Kentucky next season — taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility given by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic — if he wasn’t drafted, but will forget those plans.
Paige said he was never given a clear indication in which round he could be selected. He said some teams called his advisor on Monday, the draft’s second day, when rounds 3-10 were completed, providing some hope he was about to be chosen. But he had to wait another day.
“It was a very big cat-and-mouse game,” he said. “A lot of question marks.”
Paige said he hasn’t talked to the Cardinals about what position he’ll play, but assumes it will be third base since that’s where they listed him.
“I can play anywhere,” said Paige, who played second base for the Thunder. “I’ve played anywhere throughout college. The only position I haven’t played in college is catcher, so wherever they need me to play, as long as I can hit in the lineup, that’s all I care about.”
Paige also reflected a bit on the chapter that ended with that much-awaited phone call. He said he was the first player from Delaware State to get the opportunities to go to events such as the draft combine and Swingman Classic, and feels that can inspire his teammates and show that players from smaller schools can be drafted.
“The whole summer has been a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I’ve had a lot of good experiences this summer and I think they all prepared me for what’s next.
“I’m just excited to get going.”