Tigers buck system again, sign stud draftees
By The Heckler
Baseball Big Mouth
baseball news
Funny how the word collusion never comes up in respect to the amateur draft, eh? Yet, there again, following this year’s draft, word had it the Detroit Tigers were going to be under pressure from MLB offices to keep their offers for top prospects righty Rick Porcello and lefty Casey Crosby down — way down. Seems both players demands prior to the draft scared many teams away, so much so, that the Tigers managed to snag Porcello (regarded as the best arm in the draft) at #27, and Crosby fell all the way to the fifth round.
Thankfully, the Tigers once again marched to the beat of their own drummer on both these players, and word has it both have agreed to deals with the club, MLB offices be damned. Tiger fans have to be excited (once again) to be adding an arm like Porcello, 6-foot-5, 188-pound from Seton Hall Prep. Listen to what some people are saying about this man:
- Keith Law, ESPN.com: Draft day is turning into Christmas for the Tigers. … The best value selection was easily Rick Porcello, taken at No. 27.
- Steve Phillips, ESPN: A lot of people say he’s the best high school pitcher since Josh Beckett came out . . . A franchise arm.”
- John Manuel, Baseball America: That’s the first pick in a while that made everyone in the (Baseball America) office go, “Ooooooh.”
- Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune: For the third year in a row, they defied commissioner Bud Selig’s spending police to land a stud who should have gone to a team that really needed him. No, these aren’t the Tigers of the 1990s and early 2000s. Where have you gone, Seth Greisinger?
- Scout David Rawnsley, a scout, to the Tribune: Porcello is Justin Verlander at the same age.
- Dayn Perry, Fox Sports: Is this the best organization in baseball? You can make a compelling case that it is.
In other news, the team is also reportedly close to signing another draft pick, shortstop Cale Iorg (son of former big-leager Garth Iorg). The highly-rated Iorg has spent the last two years out of baseball performing missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
- The Heckler
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