The Detroit Tigers have signed infielder Spencer Torkelson, the top overall pick of the 2020 draft, the team announced Tuesday.
Torkelson received a record signing bonus worth roughly $8.42 million, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports. That reported figure eclipses the $8.1-million bonus the Baltimore Orioles gave Adley Rutschman last year.
| PLAYER | TEAM | BONUS |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer Torkelson | Tigers | $8416300 |
| Adley Rutschman | Orioles | $8100000 |
| Gerrit Cole | Pirates | $8000000 |
| Bobby Witt | Royals | $7787400 |
| Stephen Strasburg | Nationals | $7500000 |
With a signing bonus reportedly worth $8,416,300, Torkelson is the first No. 1 pick to receive more than his slot value ($8,415,300) in the bonus-pool era, notes Callis.
Torkelson will be added to the Tigers' player pool, making the 20-year-old eligible to play in the upcoming MLB season. The Arizona State product hit .340/.598/.780 with six home runs and 11 RBIs in 17 games in 2020.
Detroit has now spent roughly $13.97 million on six draft picks this year, exceeding its allotted bonus pool of $13.32 million, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery.
The Tigers will have to pay a 75% overage tax of about $482,000 but won't incur any future draft penalties because they did not exceed their pool total by more than 5%, Woodbery adds.
