Tigers sign top draft pick Mize to $7.5 million bonus
No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize agreed Monday to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers that includes a $7.5 million signing bonus, the highest for any drafted player since 2011.
Detroit didn’t go into much detail about its 2018 plan for Mize, but it certainly sounds as if he’ll pitch in the organization at some point soon.
“We pretty much know what we’re going to do,” said Scott Pleis, the team’s director of amateur scouting. “We’re going to figure that out — how many innings, how that’s going to work out, when he’s going to do it. So all the stuff will be mapped out.”
Alex Faedo, a right-hander drafted by the Tigers in the first round last year, did not start his minor league career until this season. He’s at Double-A Erie now.
In 17 starts at Auburn this year, Mize went 10-6 with a 3.30 ERA. The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 12.24 strikeouts per nine innings. The Tigers took him with the No. 1 draft pick earlier this month. His bonus is the highest for a player since Aug. 15, 2011, when pitcher Gerrit Cole (UCLA) agreed to an $8 million bonus with Pittsburgh and outfielder Bubba Starling struck a $7.5 million deal with Kansas City.
Mize’s bonus is below his $8,096,300 slot value. In three seasons at Auburn, Mize went 2013 with a 2.96 ERA, 324 strikeouts and 43 walks.
The Tigers also agreed with Texas second baseman Kody Clemens, the youngest son of seventime Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, on a deal with a $600,000 signing bonus. Detroit took him in the third round.
SPENDING ON INTERNATIONAL AMATEURS DROPS >> Spending on signing bonuses for international amateur free agents dropped 25 percent to $153 million from $203 million in the first year of restraints, which cost Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani more than $100 million.
Spending was capped by baseball’s collective bargaining agreement beginning with the signing period from last July 2 through June 15.
Dominican shortstop Wander Franco received the largest bonus, $3,825,000 from Tampa Bay. Venezuelan catcher Daniel Flores was second at $3.3 million from Boston.
Just five other players received bonuses of more than $2 million, including Ohtani ($2,315,000 from the Angels).
SANCHEZ GOES ON DL >> The Yankees won’t have All-Star catcher Gary Sanchez for at least a few weeks. Sanchez was put on the 10-day DL because of a strained right groin. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sanchez is expected to miss up to four weeks with a Grade 1 strain. Austin Romine replaced Sanchez in the starting lineup.