11:34am: Dingler signed for the full slot value of $1,925,300, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.
11:24am: The Tigers announced Thursday that they’ve agreed to terms with second-round pick Dillon Dingler. As one would expect, bonus terms weren’t formally disclosed by the team, but Dingler’s slot value checks in at $1.95MM.
A catcher out of Ohio State, Dingler was regarded as a top 30 draft talent by each of ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (No. 17), The Athletic’s Keith Law (No. 20), FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen (No. 29) and the teams over at Baseball America (No. 27) and MLB.com (No. 24). The 21-year-old, however, was still on the board for the Tigers with the top pick in the second round (No. 38 overall), and the Detroit org was surely thrilled to add another highly touted college position player to its already impressive stable of pitching prospects.
Dingler hit .340/.404/.760 with five homers, four doubles and a triple in just 13 games with the Buckeyes in 2020 before the season ground to a halt. After a pedestrian freshman season, he put himself on the map with a .291/.392/.424 slash in 2019 — a sign that he was perhaps tapping into the above-average raw power for which scouting reports credit him. Law calls Dingler the best defender among this year’s crop of catchers, and he even draws roughly average marks for his speed (45 at FanGraphs, 55 at MLB.com); Dingler swiped nine bags in a dozen tries in 62 games between 2019-20.
With Dingler on board, the Tigers have agreed to terms with three of their six picks. Third-rounder Trei Cruz and fifth-rounder Colt Keith agreed to deals that were a combined $116K over slot. Detroit still has to work out deals with No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson, Competitive Balance (Round B) pick Daniel Cabrera and fourth-round pick Gage Workman. Of that bunch, Workman has already acknowledged that he intends to sign, although there’s no deal in place just yet (at least not one that has been announced or reported).
Good sign
cool name
He changed it from Dirk Diggler!
Dirk couldn’t play catcher with a bat between his legs.
Kinda strange…I was diagnosed with a Dillon Dingler just a few days ago.
I hear a round of antibiotics will clear that up. Just watch where you put your Dingler in the future; they say it gets worse the second time.
…antibiotics, a few ounces of bleach, some ultra violet light….I got it covered…..
I was up to 15 confirmed Dingler’s but was told it be to zero in a couple of weeks.
Dillon Dingers
I am a Dodgers fan, but Tigers had an outstanding draft!
Majority of these comments just making fun of this guys name
A worse name is Ken Singleton. Makes you think of a weak hitter
Who wants a pitcher named Homer Bailey?!?
apparently not the Dodgers, lol
Lions had a defensive back named Harry Colon.
Or Grant Balfour
Even further back, there was pitcher Bob Walk.
This outfit is hard up for news. Thought this was supposed to be about trade rumors.
80 grade name
Dingler-berg!