Tigers Draft Report

Tigers Land Tar Heels Lefty

By Danny Knobler
June 6, 2006

DETROIT--If Andrew Miller turns out like Justin Verlander and Cameron Maybin, the Tigers won't care how long it takes to get him signed.

It could take a while. The whole reason the Tigers were able to take Miller with the sixth pick in the first round is that the North Carolina lefthander made it known that he won't be an easy sign. Reports before the draft suggested Miller would want a big league contract worth as much as $8 million.

The Royals, who had been expected to make Miller the first-overall pick, turned away from him. So did Colorado, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Seattle. That left him for the Tigers, who never believed until two hours before the draft that Miller could be theirs.

"I was stunned," scouting director David Chadd said.

Stunned, but pleased. The Tigers grabbed Miller, and prepared for whatever lies ahead.

"I don't want to have a long, ugly negotiation," Miller said. "I'll just hope for the best."

So will the Tigers, who are used to this kind of thing by now.

Two years ago, they publicly pulled their offer to Verlander, before signing him (to a big league contract for a guaranteed $4.5 million) in late October. Last year, they publicly cut off negotiations with Maybin, before signing him in late September for $2.65 million.

Maybin got off to a good start this year at low Class A West Michigan, before he was sidelined by a contusion on his knuckle. Verlander is in the Tigers rotation, and he's a leading contender for American League Rookie of the Year.

"I just look at it as getting the best player with the pick," Chadd said. "I'll take on challenges. The bottom line is Andrew Miller wants to play, and wants to play for the Tigers."

Chadd didn't talk to Miller or his representatives before the draft, but he called Miller soon after the Tigers picked him.

"I'm happy to be a Detroit Tiger," Miller said. "It certainly sounded like they were excited. I hope they're happy."

TIGER TALES

• Chadd said the Tigers didn't set out to draft a ton of college players, but as it turned out they didn't take a high schooler until the 11th round. "We don't set up the board one way or the other," Chadd said. "It just worked out that way." Among the college players the Tigers took were the players of the year in both the Southeastern Conference (Ryan Strieby of Kentucky in the fourth round) and the Big 10 (Ronnie Bourquin of Ohio State in the second round).

• Similarly, the Tigers didn't particularly focus on position players, but after Miller they didn't choose another pitcher until the seventh round.

• With few top catchers in their system and few top catchers available in the draft, the Tigers were happy to get Western Kentucky's Jordan Newton in the sixth round. "We like his athleticism and his catch-and-throw qualities," Chadd said.

• A year after drafting Sacramento City (Calif.) CC catcher Ben Petralli in the 15th round and not signing him, the Tigers drafted Petralli in the 17th round this year. Petralli is the son of former major league catcher Geno Petralli.