Detroit Tigers: First round pick Riley Greene signs with team

On Monday, the Detroit Tigers drafted OF Riley Greene, a high school prospect from Florida, with the fifth overall pick.

The Detroit Tigers wasted little time in locking down their first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft. Just two days after being drafted fifth overall, Riley Greene agreed to terms with the Tigers on Wednesday, signing his first big league contract.

MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports that Greene signed with the Detroit Tigers early on Wednesday afternoon. Greene’s deal includes a $6,180,700 signing bonus, which is the full slot value for the fifth overall pick.

By officially signing with the Tigers, Greene is choosing to forego his commitment to play baseball at the University of Florida. Instead, the 18-year-old will begin working toward his dream of playing in the major leagues right away.

Beck also reports that Greene is expected to be officially introduced to Detroit Tigers fans at Comerica Park during an event on Friday. Then, it is likely that the prospect will be taken down to the Tigers’ training facility in Lakeland, FL and soon beginning playing with the rookie Gulf Coast League.

Greene ended his senior season playing at Hagerty HS in Oviedo, FL with a .422 BA, 27 RBI, and eight home runs. Coming into the draft, scouts praised Greene as the best non-NCAA hitter in the entire draft class and it seemed a no-brainer that the Tigers decided on him at number five overall.

Signing Greene right away will allow the Tigers to start developing a prospect whom they hope can be an everyday lineup hitter in the big leagues someday soon. Building offense was clearly the top priority for GM Al Avila in the early rounds of this draft, and now the player which they hope will be a future superstar is officially a member of the Detroit Tigers organization.