The Tigers have been busy this winter, as Detroit added Mark Canha, Jack Flaherty, and Kenta Maeda to a group that’ll look to make waves in 2024. Tigers fans can also expect prospect Colt Keith on Opening Day after Detroit locked him up to a six-year deal.

Related: Adam Ottavino to Re-Sign with Mets: What to Make of Move

A Look at Keith

The 2020 MLB Draft looks good for the Tigers at this moment in time. Not only did Detroit draft a potential cornerstone slugger in Spencer Torkelson but also infielder Colt Keith in the fifth round.

Keith was stymied by injuries in his first two pro seasons but hit well when on the field. 2023, though, was a year where Keith emerged as one of the best offensive prospects in baseball.

Between Double-A and Triple-A, Keith hit .306/.380/.552 with 27 home runs and 68 extra-base hits. The 22-year-old crushed Double-A pitching, as he posted a .976 OPS across 59 games with Erie and didn’t slow down when he was promoted to Toledo (.890 OPS over 67 games).

Keith has the potential to be a special player for the Tigers. Part of that is thanks to his ability to pounce on mistakes in the zone and utilize a short swing. That should allow him to handle both breaking balls and fastballs well, especially since he did so at the highest levels of the Minors.

Aside from his bat, Keith’s discipline at the plate helped him turn in a BB% north of 10% last season.

Defensively, Keith played both second and third in his Minor League career. But as MLB.com noted, Keith hasn’t received strong grades for his strong reactions and the Tigers had him play almost exclusively at second from mid-August onward.

Now, he’ll join a young Tigers lineup that includes Torkelson, Riley Greene, 2023 breakout star Kerry Carpenter, and newcomer Mark Canha.

After a dominant 2023 campaign, Keith is now set to start 2024 with the Tigers. The Tigers signed Colt Keith to a six-year deal worth $28,642,500 that will buy out all his pre-arbitration and arbitration years. Additionally, three team options could keep Keith in Detroit for the next nine years.

Analysis

It’s not the first we’ve seen an MLB team over the past calendar year give a rookie with little to no experience a long-term extension. Brewers prospect Jackson Chourio signed a deal that will keep him in Milwaukee for at least the next eight years in December, just nine months after Corbin Carroll got his massive extension.

If Keith can produce at levels seen in the Minors, the 22-year-old has a good chance to be a #2 hitter at the MLB level. Keith’s shown the power and on-base ability teams covet down in the Minors, as the Tigers prospect hit at every level.

But, now he’ll have to do it at the MLB level. And if he can put up numbers somewhat comparable to what he did in the Minors, the AAV of just above $4MM will be worth it in the long haul.

The Tigers have a nice cache of elite prospects in their farm, from Keith to fellow infielder Jace Jung, as well as high-end pitching prospect Jackson Jobe. With Keith in tow for the long haul, Detroit fans can dream about an infield with Keith, Jung, and Torkelson for years to come.