Detroit Tigers Add Two in Day One of MLB Draft

The Detroit Tigers surrendered their first round pick of the MLB draft to the Houston Astros when they signed closer Jose Valverde. They did, however, pick up two compensatory picks at the end of round one as a result of losing Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodney in free agency.

The 44th overall selection netted the Tigers Andrew Castellanos, a sweet swinging high school shortstop that many project as a third baseman at the next level. Some considered Castellanos a top-15 talent but questions about his signability put him in play for the Tigers. The organization will once again have to step up and commit some cash to keep this kid from going to the University of Miami. The mlb.com scouting report has this to say:

"With an athletic frame that looks like it has room for some added strength, Castellanos has become one of the more talked about high school bats in the class. Whether he’s worthy of that kind of high consideration remains to be seen, but he does swing a pretty good bat and shows decent raw power. The question is if he’ll be able to translate that to in-game pop down the line. That becomes more important considering that most feel he’ll move to third base at the next level, where run production is often a requirement. The team that feels he will indeed reach that potential is likely to take him off the board early on."

The Tigers were back on the clock just four picks later and selected Texas Longhorns pitcher Chance Ruffin 48th overall. Ruffin has drawn comparisons to another former Longhorn, Huston Street, because of physical similarities and the fact that Ruffin could find himself on the fast track to the Majors. Here is more from the mlb.com scouting report:

"He’s started and he’s relieved for Texas and it seems like the latter is the better role for Ruffin. His stuff won’t blow you away outside of a pretty live fastball, but he has the right mentality and makeup to make his stuff play up. He’s also got Major League bloodlines as the son of former big leaguer Bruce Ruffin, and that invariably helps, as does pitching in big spots over the course of his college career. He may not close at the next level, but he could be a setup type who moves quickly through a system."

The MLB draft resumes Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET and will continue until the completion of round 30. Round 2 begins with the 51st selection going to the Washington Nationals, the Tigers will make their first selection of day 2 at number 68 overall. Rounds 31 through 50 will take place on Wednesday. For an overview of the first round, check out Call to the Pen’s draft chat transcript.