Tigers sign No. 3 overall Draft pick Jobe

DETROIT -- Jackson Jobe and Izaac Pacheco have played against each other since they were 14, and became friends at the All-American game at Wrigley Field last fall. They talked on the phone repeatedly about their experiences going through the Draft process, and they ended up selecting the same agent to advise them.

They’re now officially teammates in the Tigers’ organization.

“It was honestly like a dream that both of us would get drafted by the same team,” Jobe said on Friday during a video conference with reporters.

Both Jobe, the Tigers’ top pick (No. 3 overall) from this month’s MLB Draft, and Pacheco, a second-round selection, officially signed at the TigerTown complex in Lakeland, Fla.

Jobe, a high school pitching phenom from Oklahoma City, Okla., agreed to a $6.9 million bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. It’s slightly below the $7,221,200 slot value of the third overall pick. He’ll forgo his college commitment to Mississippi.

Pacheco, a Texas high school shortstop, will bypass his Texas A&M college commitment and receive a $2,750,000 bonus, according to Callis, well above the $1,906,800 slot value for the 39th overall pick.

The Tigers also signed their 10th-round pick, University of Kentucky outfielder Austin Schultz, for full slot value of $148,900, Callis reported.

They’re not only teammates now, they’re officially part of a Tigers system that has stockpiled young players the last several years. Jobe already heard from All-Star Futures participants, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, ranked as Detroit’s 1 and 2 prospects by MLB Pipeline.

“They’re great at developing young pitchers,” Jobe said of the Tigers, “but I think also great at developing young players in general. The first day I came in, the first few guys I met, I just felt comfortable and felt at home. It felt like this place was the right place for me, and the place that I was meant to be.”

All of the deals were expected. Jobe, a Scott Boras client, and his family have been in Lakeland since Monday working out the final details while he underwent his physical. Jobe has met with player development officials and pitching instructors to start working out a plan for the rest of the summer.

Whether that plan includes Minor League games remains to be seen.

First-round comp pick Ty Madden, who signed earlier this week in Detroit, will not pitch this summer after an extended season for the University of Texas that ended in the College World Series. Jobe had a shorter season in high school, where his wipeout slider and mid-90s fastball sent him skyrocketing up Draft boards. He last pitched in a game on May 14, the final game of his high school career.

“If my arm is ready to go and everything works out, I’d love to [pitch this summer],” Jobe said. “But obviously, I’m not going to push myself too far this early in my career. We’ll see, but I’d love to be able to go out there and face some guys.”

The slider, with spin rates that were incredible for a high schooler, will create plenty of intrigue whenever Jobe does take the mound. He went 9-0 with a 0.13 ERA over 51 2/3 innings at Heritage Hall High School, racking up 122 strikeouts against just five walks. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in his state.

The Tigers have sounded open to letting the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Pacheco try playing shortstop to begin his career, though many have projected him to eventually shift over to third base. His power potential makes him a premium prospect at either spot.

Pacheco batted .543 this spring at Friendswood High School in Texas, where he slugged six home runs, four triples and 12 doubles to go with 41 runs scored and 45 RBIs.

The deals fit into the framework of a flurry of signings by the Tigers since completing the Draft just over a week ago. Detroit has agreed to terms with 15 of its 21 picks, including 10 of its top 11 selections. The only pick yet to agree within the top 10 rounds is third-rounder Dylan Smith, a right-hander who pitched at the University of Alabama.

The Tigers have $403,100 left in their Draft pool; the slot value for their third-round pick is $844,200. Teams that exceed their Draft allotment by 5 percent or less pay a 75 percent penalty on the overage, but don’t forfeit future picks. Teams that go 5 percent or more over their allotment forfeit future picks as well as pay penalties.

By that math, the Tigers have $1,115,790 left to sign Smith without giving up future picks.

Jobe is already well-aware of the concept of budgeting. Though he’s now a millionaire just weeks after graduating high school, the son of pro golfer Brandt Jobe has no plans to go on a spending spree anytime soon.

“My dad’s taught me to save all that for now,” Jackson said, “so there won’t be any big purchases at the moment.”