3 reasons to be happy the Detroit Tigers extended Colt Keith before MLB debut

Detroit Tigers fans should be thrilled about the Colt Keith deal.

The Detroit Tigers went against the grain with one of their recent moves, and fans should be absolutely thrilled. The Tigers went out and extended Colt Keith to a six-year deal worth $28.6425 million. It's a deal that makes some history, not just for Detroit.

Teams seldom shell out cash on multi-year deals like this to lock up their youngsters. However, in today's game, it's happening a bit more. The Detroit Tigers signed Keith, making him the seventh player to get a deal like this, which we'll hit on later.

But Keith's the second prospect to sign before spring training this year, forgoing their arbitration years in lieu of these deals. The Milwaukee Brewers did this with Jackson Chourio, locking him up on an eight-year, $82 million contract as they contend in the National League Central.

But, for the Tigers, there's much to be said about this deal. The reaction should be positive, and the Tigers' faithful should look forward to what Keith can do in the next six years. There's more than meets the eye, even if it already looks good for the Tigers.

Detroit needs to be ecstatic that Keith will get a chance to carve out his career and likely make his big-league debut in 2024, joining the team's core. This deal keeps him in Detroit until he is 30 years old, and while they are forgoing six years of team control, it could be worth it in the long run.

Let's talk through a couple of reasons why the signing of Colt Keith is absolutely huge for the Detroit Tigers.