2011 DRAFT NEWS

No first-round pick, but Tigers will be attentive
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 06/02/11 5:00 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers will be spectators on the first day of the First-Year Player Draft, watching the first round and supplemental picks fly by. But just because Detroit doesn't pick until the 73th selection, midway through the second round, doesn't mean this year's Draft isn't a priority.

It's a deep Draft, with the potential for players to fall. It's the Tigers' job to be ready for whomever does.

"You still have to scout the top guys," said Tigers vice president/assistant general manager Al Avila, who also works on the Draft side. "It really doesn't change anything. What you don't do is follow the top guys around as if you have a first-round pick. But you never ignore guys. You make sure your area scouts know the makeup of the guys."

When team officials and scouts gathered this weekend in Lakeland, Fla., to go over reports and make their rankings, they didn't treat it any different than in past years when they've had a top selection. They've scouted just as many players as usual. They might not put the same focus on guys whom they know will go before they pick, but they have to know them, even if just for future reference in potential trade talks.



David Chadd, the club's former scouting director who will still oversee Detroit's Draft efforts as vice president and special assistant, will be a man with some free time when the Draft begins Monday. To him, it's all worth it.

It's the other part of the price tag the Tigers paid to sign free agent Victor Martinez last fall to a four-year contract. Because Detroit finished at .500 and lost a tiebreaker with Oakland, it fell into the lower half of clubs with first-round picks. Thus, the club had to give up its first-round pick, the 19th overall selection, to the Red Sox, who will make three picks by the time Detroit drafts.

The Tigers also didn't offer arbitration to their own free agents, fearing that they might be caught on the hook for a player they didn't want if the player accepted the offer. They avoided the risk, but they also lost any claim to compensation selections after the first round, the kind of picks they turned into Nick Castellanos and Chance Ruffin last year.

It's the price of doing business as a win-now team. But that doesn't mean the Draft is no longer big business for them. If anything, it makes their scouting efforts more important.

"You never want to draft by need," Chadd said. "You always want to draft by best player available."

More than expected, the Tigers have a recent track record of getting guys they select to the Majors. In six Drafts under Chadd's directions, 22 selections have made it to the Majors, more than any other organization. Eighteen were selected in the second round or later.


Tigers' recent top picks

Year___ Player ______Pos__ Current team

2010....	Nick Castellanos..	3B.....	Class A West Michigan
2009	Jacob Turner	RHP	Double-A Erie
2008	Ryan Perry	RHP	Triple-A Toledo
2007	Rick Porcello	RHP	Tigers
2006	Andrew Miller	LHP	Triple-A Pawtucket (Red Sox)

Catching standout and All-Star candidate Alex Avila was a fifth-round pick in 2008, three rounds before outfielder Andy Dirks. Brennan Boesch lasted until the third round in '06. Andy Oliver fell to the second round in '09. Major League batting leader Matt Joyce, traded by Detroit to Tampa Bay for Edwin Jackson, was the Tigers' 12th-round choice in '05.

Twelve position players Detroit has drafted since '05 have gone to the big leagues, tying the club for the lead. Ten pitchers have done the same, second only to Arizona.

Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft begins with a one-hour preview show on Monday at 6 p.m. ET on MLB.com and MLB Network, followed by the first round and supplemental compensation round. MLB.com will provide exclusive coverage of Day 2 and 3, featuring a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every Draft-eligible player. You can also keep up to date at Draft Central and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.

Here's a glance at what the Tigers have in store as the Draft approaches:

In about 50 words
If the Tigers have to wait deep into a Draft to make their first pick, this is the year to do it. They won't have a selection until the 73rd pick, midway through the second round, but their willingness to do what it takes to grab the best player available allows them to take chances.

The scoop
"There's depth to this Draft. Obviously, we don't have a first-round pick. That's going to change things for us. But the only thing you can do is prepare yourself to take the best available player, which we've always done." -- Tigers vice president/assistant general manager Al Avila

Second-round buzz
Though the Tigers have been rumored to be closely tracking certain players, such as Texas prep star Josh Bell before he reaffirmed his commitment to college, who they pick depends mainly on how the first-round and sandwich picks go. If a top talent slides due to bonus concerns, Detroit won't be afraid to grab him, as history has shown. "I think we've pretty much gone against the flow," Chadd said. "We're going to go with pretty much the best player on our board."

Shopping list
When Avila, team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski and other club officials talk about taking the best player available on their board each round, they mean it -- not just regardless of potential cost, but also often position. They could replenish their pitching ranks after injuries depleted them in the middle and upper levels. They could also go for power prospects positionally.

Trend watch
The Tigers are never shy about drafting pitchers, including a recent inclination to snag college relievers with early picks. While Castellanos last year was the club's first position player as top pick since 2005, Detroit followed that with Ruffin three picks later. The Tigers have also taken chances on high schoolers seemingly ticketed for college, and used bonuses to entice them to turn pro.

Recent Draft History
Rising fast
Jacob Turner had only one win in his first nine starts at Double-A Erie, but the record doesn't reflect the quality of his outings. With a .217 average allowed and a high strikeout rate, the 20-year-old is on the cusp of a chance in the Tigers' rotation no later than next season, and possibly this summer if they have a need.

Cinderella story
The Tigers drafted Duane Below in the 19th round in 2006, and saw him lose most of '09 to Tommy John surgery. But the left-hander seems to have found his old form in his second season back to health. He held his own alongside Oliver and Charlie Furbush for the first month and a half before Oliver and Furbush were promoted.

In The Show
The Tigers took a shot on Furbush in the fourth round in 2007 despite a forgettable season at LSU. After Tommy John surgery three years ago, he rocketed through the farm system to earn a spot in Detroit's bullpen after Brad Thomas' injury. As a big lefty with a deceptive delivery, he has a chance to eventually stick.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Sans first-round pick, Tigers have no regrets
Detroit happy with acquisition of V-Mart despite losing selection
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 06/06/11 9:30 PM ET

DETROIT -- Six months have passed since the Tigers outbid teams to sign Victor Martinez. On Monday night, as scouting director Scott Pleis, vice president David Chadd and others crossed names off their Draft board, the Tigers paid the second part of the deal.

They knew when they went after Martinez that they would be giving up their first-round pick in one of the more talented First-Year Player Drafts in years. Six months later, they have no regrets.

If watching one top name after another fall off the board Monday night while the Tigers wait for their second-round pick, the 76th overall, to come up Tuesday afternoon grows boring for them, they can look up Martinez's .300 average and 29 RBIs and wonder what their offense would be like without it.

"V-Mart is an All-Star," Chadd wrote in a text message Monday afternoon, as he and other top Tigers officials prepared for their waiting game. "We're looking at prospects at 76. It doesn't bother me one bit not having the pick."

Chadd rose to his position through his Draft success. Detroit's drafts have produced 22 players in the Major Leagues since he joined the organization in 2005. The Tigers, for all their aggressiveness on the trade and free-agent markets, have built part of their core through the Draft, including former top picks Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello as part of a gifted young rotation.

They've been aggressive in taking the best player available regardless of what it takes to sign him, because team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski and others believe it's the one way to add players where they can compete on equal footing with the Yankees, Red Sox and other big-market teams.

But as everyone in the organization knows, the bottom line is that the Tigers win, whether it's with players they draft or players they acquire.

When the Tigers gave up former first-round picks Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin, both top 100 prospects at the time, in the Miguel Cabrera trade four years ago, Chadd was among the happiest guys in the Tigers' hotel suite. He was glad they could produce enough prospects, six players in all, to snag one of the game's great hitters.

When the Tigers lost their first-round pick last year upon signing Jose Valverde, Chadd was happy they added one of the game's established closers. His outlook on Martinez was the same, and it hasn't wavered.

The draft-pick losses are part of Major League rules to compensate teams that lose free agents. At season's end, the Elias Sports Bureau ranks every Major League player at each position based on stats they've posted over the past two years. After separating the players by positions -- first basemen with outfielders and designated hitters, middle infielders with third basemen, and catchers separately -- the top 20 percent earn Type A status, the next 20 percent Type B.

Teams have the chance to offer their own free agents arbitration, which gives the player the option of sticking with their old team and having an arbitrator determine their salary on a one-year contract if the two sides can't settle. It's a riskier move for teams now, since a free agent can accept the offer and sometimes get a more favorable salary for a year before hitting the market the next winter.

In Martinez's case, it was a no-brainer for the Red Sox, who wanted him back. Besides, they knew he would get a better deal on the market than he'd ever get in arbitration. When the Tigers beat out Boston with a better four-year contract offer, Martinez made far more.

By offering Martinez arbitration and losing him, the Red Sox earned a Draft pick at the back end of the first round. But thanks to another part of that rule, and an ill-fated tiebreaker for the Tigers, Boston also ended up with the Tigers' first-round selection.

If a team finishes among the bottom half of Major League clubs, thus earning a pick in the top half of the first round, that pick is protected. The Tigers, by beating the Orioles on the last day of the season, finished on that borderline with an 81-81 record, the same as the A's.

Because the A's finished with a worse record than the Tigers the previous season, they won the tiebreaker and earned the better pick. The Tigers' pick then fell on the wrong side of the cutoff. Otherwise, they would've lost their second-round pick for signing Martinez.

The Tigers knew going into the offseason that Martinez was a guy they'd love to sign. The draft status didn't change that. They wouldn't necessarily give it up for just any free agent, but the right free agent.

"I would never want to give up a No. 1 draft pick, but I think you sit back and you analyze," Dombrowski said when they announced the signing. "In Victor's case, we feel he's worth it."

When the Tigers lost their first-round pick last year for signing Valverde, they could count on compensation picks to help lessen the blow. They had offered arbitration to Type B free agents Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney before they signed elsewhere, so they still had two top-50 picks.

Last offseason, they didn't offer arbitration to any free agents, though Magglio Ordonez was a Type A free agent and Johnny Damon was Type B. They were still interested in bringing back Ordonez, but not at the salary he'd earn in arbitration.

Thus, they'll play the waiting game until their second-round pick comes up Tuesday, and hope a first-round talent falls.

"We will all be here," Chadd said.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers take catcher McCann with their first pick
By Chris Vannini / MLB.com | 06/07/11 8:06 PM ET

After spending the first day watching other teams make picks, the Tigers finally were able to make a selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. In the second round on Tuesday, the Tigers drafted University of Arkansas catcher James McCann with the 76th overall pick.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound McCann hit .306 with six home runs this past season -- his third with the Razorbacks -- and also stole 11 bases in 17 attempts. On the defensive side, McCann had a .992 fielding percentage and threw out 20 of 38 runners trying to steal against him.

McCann previously was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2008 after being a three-time, first-team, all-league player at Dos Pueblos High School in California. In his first season as a starter with the Razorbacks, McCann hit .286 with nine home runs and a .994 fielding percentage.

Last summer, McCann played for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League and helped the team to the league championship.

In the third round, the Tigers drafted Vanderbilt third baseman Aaron Westlake.

Westlake has hit .349 with 14 home runs this season for the Commodores, who recently advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Westlake hits left-handed and does a good job of hitting the ball the other way.

The Tigers drafted Kansas State third baseman Jason King in the fourth round. King hit .326 with 10 home runs in his junior season for the Wildcats. Listed at 6-foot, 216 pounds, King missed last season after undergoing elbow ligament surgery, but he came back strong, showing the power he was known for.

In the fifth round, the Tigers drafted University of Texas shortstop Brandon Loy.

Loy has hit .344 as a junior for the Longhorns this season and also will continue playing in the NCAA Super Regionals. The 6-foot, 190-pounder also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts this past season. Loy is best known for his slick fielding.

Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft resumes at noon ET Wednesday on MLB.com, where fans will receive exclusive coverage of Day 3, featuring a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of every Draft-eligible player. You can also keep up to date at Draft Central and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.

Chris Vannini is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

TIGERS Draft Tracker
8/16/2011
NAMES IN BOLD HAVE SIGNED WITH THE TIGERS.


Pick_Team_______Player_________School_____Pos__B/T____Ht____Wt_____DOB___Class

76		McCann, James	Arkansas	C......	R/R......	6'02"......	210....	1990-06-13....	JR
106		Westlake, Aaron	Vanderbilt	1B	L/R	6'04"	235	1988-12-27	SR
137		King, Jason	Kansas State	3B	S/R	6'00"	216	1989-06-14	SR
167		Loy, Brandon	Texas	SS	R/R	6'00"	190	1990-05-03	JR
197		Collins, Tyler	Howard Col	OF	R/R	5'11"	200	1990-06-06	J2
227		Flynn, Brian	Wichita State	LHP	L/L	6'08"	239	1990-04-19	JR
257		Krizan, Jason	Dallas Baptist U	RF	L/R	6'00"	185	1989-06-28	SR
287		Wright, Chad	Kentucky	CF	L/R	5'10"		1989-07-27	JR
317		Casali, Curtis	Vanderbilt	C	R/R	6'02"	230	1988-11-09	SR
347		Green, Rodger	Barry University	1B	L/R	6'04"	255	1989-06-30	SR
377		Holm, Jeff	Michigan St U	OF	L/L	6'03"	220	1988-10-17	SR
407		Woolley, Ryan	Alabama - Birmingham	RHP	R/R	6'01"	190	1988-02-11	5S
437		Smith, Patrick	Middle Georgia College	CF	L/L	6'00"	170	1991-10-11	J1
467		Gibson, Tyler	Stratford Academy (GA)	OF	L/R	6'02"	190	1993-06-17	HS
497		Salgado, Ismael	Colegio Laico de Levittown	CF	R/R	6'01"	165	1993-01-11	HS
527		Smith, Chad	USC	RHP	R/R	6'03"	215	1989-10-02	JR
557		Harrison, Brett	Green Valley HS (NV)	3B	R/R	6'00"		1992-06-09	HS
587		Bennett, Dan	Florida St U	RHP	S/R	6'04"	220	1988-12-28	SR
617		Barrett, Tyler	Lewis-Clark State	LHP	R/L	6'02"	205	1989-06-23	SR
647		Squier, Scott	Greenway HS (AZ)	LHP	R/L	6'05"	185	1992-09-17	HS
677		Collier, Tommy	San Jacinto Col North	RHP	R/R	6'03"	205	1989-12-03	J2
707		Daniel, Trenton	U Arkansas Fayetteville	LHP	L/L	6'01"	190	1990-07-01	JR
737		Crouse, Matt	U Mississippi	LHP	L/L	6'04"	190	1990-07-01	JR
767		Mormann, Mitchell	Wichita St U	RHP	R/R	6'05"	230	1989-03-17	SR
797		Kaline, Colin	Florida Southern Col	2B	S/R	5'10"	180	1989-04-26	SR
827		Matyas, Scott	Minnesota	RHP	R/R	6'04"	220	1988-01-18	5S
857		Knudson, Guido	UC San Diego	RHP	R/R	6'01"	185	1989-08-05	SR
887		Robertson, Montreal	Coahoma CC	RHP	R/R	6'04"	220	1990-06-19	J3
917		Milhorn, Gregory	Arkansas HS (AR)	RHP	R/R	6'02"	165	1992-10-04	HS

Tigers take Kaline's grandson in 26th round
By Dan Cichalski / MLB.com | 06/08/11 1:59 AM ET

Hall of Famer Al Kaline spent his entire 22-year career as a Detroit Tiger, and it appears the club wasn't about to let that famous surname appear on the back of another franchise's uniform.

The Tigers selected Colin Kaline, the slugger's grandson, in the 26th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. It's the second time Detroit has chosen the younger Kaline, having taken him in the 25th round in 2007 out of Birmingham Groves H.S. in the Detroit suburb of Franklin, Mich. But he chose to attend Florida Southern College, where he just finished his senior season.

A switch-hitting second baseman for the Moccasins, Kaline batted .287 this spring. He's led the team in walks each of the past three years, posting on-base percentages of .429, .430 and .437.

Al Kaline broke in with the Tigers in 1953, at the age of 18, having never played in the Minor Leagues, and is now in his 59th year with the club. After his playing career ended in 1974, he spent 26 seasons providing color commentary on Tigers TV broadcasts. In 2001, he moved into the front office and has served as a special assistant to Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski since 2002.

Dan Cichalski is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers announce signing of Draft picks
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 06/16/11 3:30 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers announced Thursday that they've signed 20 of their picks so far from last week's First-Year Player Draft.

The highest of the picks to sign was fourth-round selection Jason King, a third baseman from Kansas State University. In fact, 19 of the 20 signees were college products.

Colin Kaline, grandson of Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline, was among the signees, as was Nick Avila, nephew of Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila. Avila, a former Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) infielder, is expected to begin his pro career at short-season Class A Connecticut. Michigan State outfielders Jeff Holm (12th round) and Brandon Eckerle (32nd round) also signed, as did Western Michigan right-handers Brian Stroud (31st round) and Eric Heckaman (35th round) and Central Michigan right-hander Jake Sabol (36th round)

Other signees include Wichita State left-hander Brian Flynn (seventh round), Kentucky outfielder Chad Wright (ninth round), Alabama-Birmingham right-hander Ryan Woolley (13th), Puerto Rico International Baseball Academy outfielder Ismael Salgado (16th), Lewis-Clark State lefty Tyler Barrett (20th), Mississippi left-hander Matt Crouse (24th), Minnesota right-hander Scott Matyas (27th), Cal-San Diego righty Guido Knudson (28th), Coahoma Community College righty Montreal Robertson (29th), Missouri State righty Daniel Kickham (33rd) and Florida Southern catcher Zachary Maggard (34th).

06/21/2011 3:43 PM ET
Tigers announce signing of four draft selections

DETROIT --- The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has agreed to terms with four players selected during the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Additionally, the Tigers have agreed to terms with the following three non-drafted free agents:
catcher Wes Thigpen from Mississippi State University,
shortstop Jonathan Ogden from Mississippi State University and
infielder/outfielder Zach Maxfield from Florida Gulf Coast University.

The Tigers have now agreed to terms with 24 players from the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The list of drafted players signed follows:

Rd	Player	Position	Ht.	Wt.	B/T	Age	School
8	Jason Krizan	OF	6-0	185	L/R	21	Dallas Baptist University
11	Dean Green	1B	6-4	255	L/R	21	Barry University
14	Patrick Smith	OF	6-0	170	L/L	19	Middle Georgia College
19	Dan Bennett	RHP	6-4	220	S/R	22	Florida State University

Detroit Tigers 2011 Draft Selections
through 8/16/2011

_____Name___	Pos	_B/T_	_Ht__	_Wt_	___DOB___	Round	Pick #	Signed
James McCann	C	R / R	6' 2"	210	06/13/1990	2	76	08/09/2011
Aaron Westlake	OF	L / R	6' 4"	235	12/27/1988	3	106	07/19/2011
Jason King	OF	S / R	6' 0"	216	06/14/1989	4	137	06/13/2011
Brandon Loy	SS	R / R	6' 0"	190	05/03/1990	5	167	08/05/2011
Tyler Collins	OF	L / L	5' 11"	205	06/06/1990	6	197	07/19/2011
Brian Flynn	LHP	L / L	6' 8"	239	04/19/1990	7	227	06/16/2011
Jason Krizan	OF	L / R	6' 0"	180	06/28/1989	8	257	06/18/2011
Chad Wright	OF	L / R	5' 10"	190	07/27/1989	9	287	06/11/2011
Curtis Casali	C	R / R	6' 2"	230	11/09/1988	10	317	07/01/2011
Dean Green	1B	L / R	6' 4"	255	06/30/1989	11	347	06/13/2011
Jeff Holm	OF	L / L	6' 2"	210	10/17/1988	12	377	06/11/2011
Ryan Woolley	RHP	R / R	6' 1"	190	02/11/1988	13	407	06/11/2011
Patrick Smith	OF	L / L	6' 0"	170	10/11/1991	14	437	06/16/2011
Tyler Gibson	SS	L / R	6' 2"	190	06/17/1993	15	467	08/15/2011
Ismael Salgado	OF	R / R	6' 1"	165	01/11/1993	16	497	06/16/2011
Chad Smith	RHP	R / R	6' 3"	215	10/02/1989	17	527	Unsigned
Brett Harrison	3B	R / R	6' 0"	185	06/09/1992	18	557	08/15/2011
Daniel Bennett	RHP	S / R	6' 4"	220	12/28/1988	19	587	06/20/2011
Tyler Barrett	LHP	R / L	6' 2"	210	06/23/1989	20	617	06/13/2011
Scott Squier	LHP	R / L	6' 5"	185	09/17/1992	21	647	Unsigned
Thomas Collier	RHP	R / R	6' 2"	205	12/03/1989	22	677	07/23/2011
Trenton Daniel	LHP	L / L	6' 1"	190	07/01/1990	23	707	Unsigned
Matt Crouse	LHP	L / L	6' 4"	185	07/01/1990	24	737	06/13/2011
Mitchell Mormann	RHP	R / R	6' 6"	220	03/17/1989	25	767	Unsigned
Colin Kaline	2B	S / R	5' 10"	150	04/26/1989	26	797	06/10/2011
Scott Matyas	RHP	R / R	6' 4"	220	01/18/1988	27	827	06/16/2011 Voluntarily Retired List
Guido Knudson	RHP	R / R	6' 1"	185	08/05/1989	28	857	06/16/2011
Montreal Robertson	RHP	R / R	6' 4"	220	06/19/1990	29	887	06/16/2011
Greg Milhorn	RHP	R / R	6' 2"	175	10/04/1992	30	917	Unsigned
Brian Stroud	LHP	R / R	6' 4"	215	10/18/1988	31	947	06/16/2011
Brandon Eckerle	OF	R / R	5' 10"	175	11/02/1988	32	977	06/16/2011
Daniel Kickham	LHP	R / R	6' 4"	205	12/12/1988	33	1007	06/16/2011
Zachary Maggard	C	R / R	5' 11"	181	08/02/1988	34	1037	06/10/2011
Eric Heckaman	LHP	R / R	6' 2"	215	05/14/1988	35	1067	06/16/2011
Jake Sabol	LHP	R / R	6' 5"	220	08/11/1988	36	1097	06/16/2011
Nicholas Avila	LHP	R / R	6' 2"	220	08/29/1988	37	1127	06/11/2011
Blaise Salter	C	R / R	6' 5"	220	06/25/1993	38	1157	Unsigned
Cole Brocker	LHP	R / R	6' 3"	205	04/17/1990	39	1187	Unsigned
Ryan Krill	1B	L / R	6' 4"	205	03/17/1993	40	1217	Unsigned
James Pickens	OF	L / R	6' 0"	201	03/18/1992	41	1247	Unsigned
Tucker Chadd	C	R / R	6' 1"	205	01/09/1993	42	1277	Unsigned
Gregory Fettes	C	R / R	6' 3"	205	01/15/1993	43	1307	Unsigned
Chretien Matz	OF	R / R	6' 0"	195	09/18/1989	44	1337	06/16/2011
Andrew Allen	1B	R / R	6' 1"	225	07/10/1989	45	1367	Unsigned
Alex Fernandez	2B	R / R	5' 10"	179	03/30/1993	46	1397	Unsigned
Ryan McPhail	C	S / R	6' 1"	190	09/23/1992	47	1427	Unsigned
Lavaris McCullough	OF	L / L	6' 1"	180	11/20/1991	48	1457	Unsigned
Brett Impemba	OF	L / R	6' 0"	165	06/24/1993	49	1487	Unsigned
Brandon Weber	OF	R / R	6' 0"	180	08/06/1992	50	1517	Unsigned

Detroit signs draft picks Westlake, Collins
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 07/19/11 9:35 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers agreed to terms Tuesday with two of their top 10 picks from last month's First-Year Player Draft.

Detroit announced their deal with sixth-round selection Tyler Collins, the National Junior College Athletic Asssociation Player of the Year from Howard College in Texas. He batted .488 (105-for-215) this spring with 34 doubles, 19 homers and 82 RBIs.

Later Tuesday, the Tigers completed an agreement on a contract with Aaron Westlake, the slugging first baseman from Vanderbilt who put on a three-homer show at the College World Series. He was Detroit's third-round pick, which would make him the highest selection to sign to date. Baseball America reported that the two sides have agreed to a $310,000 bonus.

Teams have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 15 to sign their draft picks. The Tigers have signed 27 of their 50 selections so far, including Westlake.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers agree with top Draft pick McCann
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 08/09/11 9:10 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- For the first time in a while, the Tigers won't go to the Draft Signing Deadline with their top pick yet to sign. This was the rare year when the Tigers didn't have a first-round pick. Still, Detroit's deal with second-rounder James McCann takes away some last-minute work.

The Tigers announced Tuesday that they've agreed to terms with McCann, a catcher out of the University of Arkansas who went with the 76th overall selection in the First-Year Player Draft. Terms weren't disclosed, but Baseball America reported the deal included a signing bonus of just under $578,000.

The deal means the Tigers have agreed to terms with 31 of their 50 draft picks, including their top 13 selections. Their highest pick yet to sign is 15th-rounder Tyler Gibson, a Georgia high school outfielder who is weighing a chance to play college ball at Georgia Tech.

Teams have until 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 16, to come to terms with their draftees, meaning official notification has to be in the Commissioner's Office when the clock strikes midnight. A team that does not sign its first- or second-round pick will receive a compensatory pick in the 2012 Draft. That selection will come at the same slot, plus one. In other words, if a team doesn't sign the No. 9 overall pick, it would receive the No. 10 pick -- technically 9A -- the following year. A team does not receive a 2012 pick if it does not come to terms with a selection made with a compensation pick this year.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Longhorns shortstop Brandon Loy set to sign with Detroit Tigers



By Trey Scott / Texas Special Contributor

tsco1035@yahoo.com

12:49 PM on Thu., Aug. 4, 2011

Dustin McComas of Orangebloods.com, Texas' Rivals.com affiliate website, is reporting that Brandon Loy has reached an agreement with the Detroit Tigers for a bonus of around $215,000, pending a physical.

As a junior last season, Loy started all 68 games at shortstop for Texas and hit for a .342 average on his way to being named to the All-Big 12 First-Team. The Tigers drafted him in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

--------------------------------------------------

Date_______Transaction

08/05/11	Detroit Tigers signed SS Brandon Loy.

Gibson agrees to terms on pro contract
By Chris Vannini / MLB.com | 08/15/11 8:17 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers' early draft signings left them little to do ahead of Monday night's deadline for reaching deals with picks, but they got a big bonus signing Monday afternoon. Tyler Gibson, a 15th-rounder who was expected to play college ball at Georgia Tech, decided to turn pro and agreed to terms on a contract, according to a source with knowledge of the talks.

The Tigers have not officially announced the deal.

The deal was pending a physical Monday afternoon. Baseball America and TigsTown.com first reported the agreement, including a $525,000 bonus that ranks well above slot recommendations for that round.

With regard to his talent, Gibson was projected well above that spot, but the expectations that he would go to college barring a favorable contract caused him to drop through the early rounds coming out of Stratford Academy in Georgia. Many teams projected him as a third- or fourth-round talent, if not for signability.

He's a left-handed hitter with projectable power, according to scouting reports, and a chance to make the big leagues as a corner outfielder.

The deal means the Tigers have deals with each of their top 15 selections, a haul that helps makes up for the lack of a first-round selection.

Chris Vannini is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.