Tigers To Sign Second-Rounder Spencer Turnbull

The Tigers are in agreement with second-round draft pick Spencer Turnbull, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis. Turnbull, a Crimson Tide right-hander, has agreed to the full slot value of $900,600. Callis writes that Turnbull’s fastball sits 92 to 94 mph and touches 98, and he has a good slider that is continually improving. With Turnbull, first-rounder Derek Hill and third-rounder Grayson Greiner all coming to terms, Detroit has locked up its top three picks.

Callis and his colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Turnbull 71st in their pre-draft Top 200 list, but ESPN’s Keith Law was even more impressed by Turnbull, ranking him 53rd on his Top 100 list. Baseball America had the 6’3″, 230-pounder ranked 83rd on their Top 500 list.

In his scouting report, Law notes that Turnbull already has a pair of above-average pitches in his heater and 12-to-6 curve, suggesting that he can be at least a reliever in the Majors. Should his changeup develop further, the potential for starting is there, he adds. BA and MLB.com both praise Turnbull’s slider, though BA notes that he’s had some command issues in the past. All three scouting reports note the possibility that he’s a reliever, with BA saying that “most scouts” project him in the bullpen, however they all leave open the possibility that the development of a third pitch could lead to success as a starter.

The Tigers have $4.89MM to spend on this year’s draft, according to BA’s J.J. Cooper, and they’ve spent a combined $3.43MM to bring Hill, Turnbull and Greiner into the fold.