Tigers sign first round draft pick, Ryan Perry

Tigers sign first round draft pick,
who may be in majors by September

By JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • July 9, 2008

Right-hander Ryan Perry, the Tigers’ first-round draft pick last month, has agreed to a $1.48-million signing bonus with the club, according to a report on the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen web site.

Perry told the newspaper that the Tigers would like him “to be in the big leagues … once the rosters are expanded” on Sept. 1, and that he will begin his pro career by reporting to Class A Lakeland this week.

Because of Major League Baseball’s slotting system, an agreement with Perry seemed likely once the Chicago Cubs signed their first-round pick, Andrew Cashner, for $1.54 million on Tuesday.

Cashner, at No. 19, was the first college reliever selected in the draft. Perry, a reliever at the University of Arizona, went to Detroit with the 21st overall pick.

Perry’s reported bonus would fit in between Cashner’s and that of shortstop Reese Havens, the 22nd overall pick who signed with the New York Mets for $1.419 million.

Ex-Cat Perry could get call to majors in September
First-round pitching pick heading to Single-A Lakeland
JOHN MOREDICH
Tucson Citizen

The Detroit Tigers have told former University of Arizona pitcher Ryan Perry not to get too comfortable in the minors.

The first-round pick in the June draft is heading to Single-A Lakeland (Fla.) on Wednesday after signing a $1.48 million bonus Tuesday as the 21st overall pick.

"They basically have said they would like me to be in the big leagues by the end of the summer once the rosters are expanded (Sept. 1)," Perry said in a phone interview. "I hope to get that nice little phone call."

The right-hander could be going from throwing against Pac-10 hitters to pitching to Alex Rodriguez within a few months of each other.

"That is their legitimate hope," UA baseball coach Andy Lopez said. "I have heard they have a big plan to get him into the big leagues as quickly as they can as long as he can mow them down in Lakeland.

"The Tigers have had some issues with middle relief. They would like to get him in there and see what he can do. They hope he can be pitching-ready once he gets down there."

The ex-Marana High School standout, a shortstop until three years ago when he joined the Wildcats, is set to have a physical Thursday and then will be put into the mix immediately.

Perry has spent the last 24 hours packing up and getting ready to go. Believing he has become a millionaire may take a lot longer.

"Never. Never did I think so," Perry said about the prospects of ever signing for so much when he was younger.

The first thing he wants to buy is a car, but that will depend on how long he's at Single A.

Perry may move up so quickly he may have to wait to trade in his Ford Explorer for what he hopes is an Escalade.

"I don't know if I will buy it there or wait because I don't know if I will be shipped around," Perry said "I will buy a car sometime, though."

The Tigers organization is likely to use him as a reliever to begin his professional career. He excelled in the position while leading the Wildcats to the super regional this year.

Perry finished his junior season with a 6-3 record and a 2.89 ERA. He was 5-1 with an ERA of about 1.50 as a reliever.

"I've seen him do things as his pitching coach, as well as his coach, that says he has the stuff to make a quick move up," Lopez said.

"He is a young guy with a young arm. He is getting better every time he steps on the mound, every time he goes into the bullpen. He was as good as anybody in the country at the end of the year."

The Tigers saw plenty of Perry during the season, watching as he retired 16 straight batters at one point during the season, and watching as he made the transformation between a struggling starter to a lights-out reliever.

"I think I saw Ryan Perry this spring more than I saw my wife," Detroit's scouting director David Chadd told the Tigers' MLB.com site.

The 6-foot-4 Perry takes with him to his first step to the big leagues a fastball that clocked regularly between 95-98 and hit 100 a few times, plus a deceptive change-up.

"I am not nervous," Perry said. "I am excited to get going and to get back on the mound again and prove myself. I put high expectations on myself all the time anyway."

07/11/2008 1:00 PM ET
Tigers taking cautious route with Perry
Right-hander to join Gulf Coast League later this month
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Ryan Perry could've taken his negotiation a little longer, could've let it draw closer to the Aug. 15 deadline for First-Year Player Draft selections to sign contracts or go back to school.

He could've done that, but there was no reason. He wasn't going to get much out of it, and he sounded like he was getting a little bored.

"I was just sitting at home," the Tigers' first-round selection said on Friday on a conference call with reporters.

He doesn't have to worry about that anymore. With a newly signed contract that includes a $1.48 million bonus, he's now a member of the Tigers system. That does not, however, mean that he's going to be a Tiger anytime soon.

The Tigers formally announced the contract on Friday, once Perry had passed his physical and the team put some cold water on speculation that he could be pitching in the Majors as a September callup.

Scouting director David Chadd reiterated what he said when the team drafted Perry, that his pitching would determine how he progresses. Asked if he could end up in the Majors this season, Chadd all but ruled that out.

"I would say no," Chadd said.

Organizational pitching instructor Jon Matlack will play a major role in determining Perry's course, Chadd said, but he added that Perry would likely start out in rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League later this month. His role will probably be middle relief to setup work, the role in which he thrived at the University of Arizona.

The Tigers have shown similar patience with their other high-round college pitchers. Second-round pick Cody Satterwhite, a right-hander out of the University of Mississippi, made his game debut on Wednesday in the Gulf Coast League with an inning of relief after signing late last month. Third-rounder Scott Green and fourth-rounder Brett Jacobson, who signed in mid-June, are pitching in relief for low Class A West Michigan.

Perry probably won't need long before being ready for games. For Perry's talk about sitting around, he wasn't exactly being a couch potato. He had a workout regimen he was doing, and he even got in some side sessions after taking a couple of weeks off following the University of Arizona's exit from the NCAA Super Regionals.

What he seemed to be missing was game adrenaline, a mentality that fits his relief role in college and could fit his role as a pro.

One factor that would suggest the Tigers be patient with Perry, Chadd has pointed out, is that he's still relatively new as a pitcher. He was a shortstop in high school who didn't pitch until he got to college, and the Tigers see potential for him to progress and polish his game.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.