[ad_1]
The Detroit Tigers have officially gained a significant share of their rebuilding process.
On Monday, the Tigers announced that they signed right-hander Auburn Casey Mize, the overall # 1 choice in the 2018 amateur project earlier this month. Jim Callis of MLB.com says Mize has received a $ 7.5 million bonus. The signature was announced at a press conference at Comerica Park.
"It's such an honor to be the first choice and join a big organization like the Tigers," said Mize at the press conference. "I really appreciate them by considering (me) the best player in the repechage and by bringing with the first selection, so that it is official, it's really good."
The $ 7.5 million signing bonus is the second highest in the history of the repechage and the record for the current bonus pooling system, which was put in place in 2012. Teams could spend freely on draft picks. Now they are required to a bonus pool with penalties for excessive expenses so severe that they effectively act as a salary cap.
Choice # 1 came with a slot value of $ 8,096,300, so the Tigers saved $ 596,300 in bonus pool space that they now use on other players. No choice # 1 has received full time slot value since bonus pools were put in place in 2012. Here are the biggest signing bonuses in draft history:
- Gerrit Cole, Pirates: $ 8 million (1st place in 2011)
- Stephen Strasburg, National Championships: $ 7.5 million (1st place in 2009)
- Bubba Starling, Royals: $ 7.5 million (5th in 2011)
- Casey Mize, Tigers: $ 7.5 million (1st place in 2018)
- Hunter Greene, Reds: $ 7.23 million (2nd total in 2017)
The Strasburg premium was part of a four-year major league contract worth $ 15.1 million guaranteed. Teams are no longer allowed to sign contracts with major league players. The Strasbourg agreement will therefore remain the most important ever granted to a draft player, unless the expenditure rules are revised at a given moment.
Mize, 21, had a 3.30 ERA with 156 strikeouts and only 16 goals in 114 innings and two-thirds this spring. He leaves Auburn with a 2.96 ERA and 324 strikeouts in 266 strikeouts despite the fact that he was not drafted in high school. Mize was the prospect of consensus number 1 in the 2018 project. Here is an excerpt from MLB.com's screening report:
Mize can get jumps and failures with three different courses, the best of which is a mid-80 divider that dives into the plate. He installs it with a 92-97 mph fastball that he commands exceptionally well despite its lifespan. His mid-1980's slider took a step forward this spring, consistently ranking as a plus bid, and he also developed the ability to turn it into a harder cutter when he wants it.
During Monday's press conference, Tigers recruiting director Scott Pleis said Mize will present a message this year: It's not uncommon for teams to take (very) good time on launchers after the repechage. Although the real release party is scheduled for 2019. Mize is talented enough and polite to start the next season in Double-A and potentially make her debut in the big leagues before the end of the season.
[ad_2]
Source link
