Kelly was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He was drafted as a pitcher, though he wanted to play shortstop. Kelly was also offered a scholarship to play football for the University of Tennessee, as he was a two-time regional player of the year as a quarterback at Sarasota High School. Kelly chose baseball over football and signed with the Red Sox for a $3 million signing bonus, $700,000 more than the sixth player in the draft received.\n', '

Kelly played the first half of the 2009 season with the Greenville Drive and Salem Red Sox as a pitcher. He was elected to the All-Star Futures Game. He finished the second half of season as a shortstop. On December 8, 2009, Kelly announced his decision to continue his career as a full-time pitcher. He had hit .222 while striking out 27 percent of the time, while he had a 6–1 record with a 1.12 ERA pitching with Class A Greenville.\n', '

Kelly played for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs in 2010, posting a 5.31 ERA in 21 starts. In 2010 mid-season minor league prospect rankings, Kelly was ranked #10 by ESPN and #24 by Baseball America.\n', '

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