Tigers sign No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson

DETROIT -- Spencer Torkelson is officially a Tiger. The team announced it has reached an agreement with the top overall pick from this month’s MLB Draft.

Torkelson was also added to the Tigers’ 60-man player pool for Summer Camp and will join them when full-squad workouts begin next Monday at Comerica Park.

Torkelson’s deal includes a record $8,416,300 signing bonus, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, $1,000 over the slot value for the pick. He becomes the first No. 1 overall pick in the bonus-pool era (since 2012) to sign for more than slot value.

All six Tigers picks from the 2020 Draft signed at or above slot value. Detroit will pay a 75-percent tax on the total overage, but by staying within five percent of its total bonus money, the club will avoid losing future Draft picks.

While Torkelson won’t be in the mix for the Major League roster barring something stunning, having him in the player pool will allow him to spend the season working out with other inactive players at the Tigers’ alternate training site at Toledo’s Fifth Third Field. That’s crucial time as Detroit works on getting him acclimated to third base following three seasons as Arizona State’s first baseman.

Torkelson becomes the second player from this year’s Draft group to join the Tigers' player pool. Catcher Dillon Dingler, whom Detroit drafted with the first pick of the second round, is one of six catchers who will be part of Summer Camp.