4th-round pick Workman, Tigers agree to deal
DETROIT -- The Tigers have agreed to terms with one third baseman they drafted from Arizona State, reaching a deal with fourth-round pick Gage Workman on Friday.
Workman’s slot value was $571,400.
The deal leaves two Tigers picks from last week’s MLB Draft left to negotiate. Top overall pick Spencer Torkelson, Workman’s Arizona State teammate, remains unsigned, as does Competitive Balance Round B Daniel Cabrera from LSU. Both are expected to reach deals.
Likewise, Workman’s signing was not a surprise. Though the 20-year-old is slightly younger than many college juniors, having graduated high school a year early, he said on his video conference with reporters last week that he was signing “for sure,” a strong indication that he and the Tigers had agreed on a bonus before the pick.
“I’ll be a Tiger,” he said at the time. “I’m excited to sign.”
Likewise, the Tigers were excited to snag Workman’s power bat in the fourth round. Though Workman got off to a slow start this spring at Arizona State, batting .250 (17-for-68) with three homers, 14 RBIs and 21 strikeouts, he emerged as a breakout candidate last season by batting .330 with eight homers, 42 RBIs and a .941 OPS.
“He's a young guy first,” scouting director Scott Pleis said, “and he's got a huge upside, huge power, switch-hitter, a good athlete, can run, can throw, really does a really good job at third base. And I think he's growing into being a good hitter. He does strike out a little bit too much at times, but I think there's a huge upside with him, and the power potential is tremendous.”
All Tigers picks who have agreed to terms so far have received bonuses at or above slot value. Second-round pick Dillon Dingler agreed to terms at full slot value of $1,952,300. Third-round pick Trei Cruz received a $900,000 bonus, slightly above his $857,400 slot. Fifth-round pick Colt Keith, Detroit’s lone high-school selection, agreed to terms on a $500,000 bonus, above the $426,600 slot.