Sunday, July 19

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DETROIT -- Scott Harris laid out a clear set of goals when he joined the Tigers as president of baseball operations four years ago. 

“One, to acquire, develop and retain young talent,” Harris recalled Wednesday. “Two, we wanted to create a culture of development throughout the organization. Three, we wanted to dominate the strike zone on both sides of the ball."

Arguably no player better fit those goals than Kevin McGonigle, who rose from the 37th overall pick in the 2022 Draft to baseball’s No. 2 prospect while racking up more walks (123) than strikeouts (84) over his Minor League tenure. So, it made sense to put that commitment in writing.

“He’s already an incredible player,” Harris said, “but what we have seen since he has been a Tiger is that his work ethic, his grit, his determination, his competitiveness is how he is wired. He is hardwired to be great.”

With that in mind, Harris approached McGonigle in Spring Training to explore the potential of a long-term contract.

“Before we ever talked about numbers or anything like that, I thought it was really important to lay down a few guidelines,” Harris said. “One, we wanted to reach a fair deal that he felt really good about, and the organization felt good about. The market was changing at the moment, but we both committed to adapt to the market. … 

“The second thing, which was probably more important at the time, I committed to Kevin to separate the contract from the decision to get him on the Opening Day roster. I felt like it wasn’t right to hang that over his head.”

A few weeks later, after intermittent talks between Harris, McGonigle and his agents, Eric Izen and Greg Genske, they had a deal on an eight-year, $150 million extension that changes the long-term look of the franchise. It’s the largest contract for a player with less than 100 days of MLB service time, surpassing the Pirates’ deal with Konor Griffin from earlier this month.

The final deal came together so quickly that McGonigle’s parents scrambled to fly in from Philadelphia, McGonigle needed a suit for the press conference and the Tigers used their regular interview room rather than the Tiger Club. It was a big day for the organization and McGonigle alike.

Here are four things that stand out:

In-season talks

Not many players like to do contract discussions during the season, wary of a potential distraction. That a 21-year-old McGonigle could do such an undertaking while trying to make an Opening Day roster, and then trying to compete in the big leagues, says a lot about his ability to multitask and focus.

“We didn’t want to disrupt this team in any way, so we tried to be very intentional about when we reached out about contract negotiations,” Harris said. “We tried to limit it to off-days [or] to days when he wasn’t in the lineup to try to give him every opportunity to separate baseball and business. I will say, I was very impressed with his ability to do that, especially for how young he is.” 

Since McGonigle debuted in the big leagues before signing the extension, the Tigers can still get a Draft pick under MLB’s Prospect Promotion Incentive if he wins Rookie of the Year or finishes in the top three in AL MVP voting sometime in his first three seasons.

Development without dollar worries

How does the security of a long-term contract affect a player’s development? Colt Keith, who signed a six-year contract before his MLB debut two years ago, has some experience with that.

“Knowing they have a financial tie to you and you’re going to be on the roster and you’re going to be able to struggle and go through things and not have to panic or worry about job security,” Keith said. “He’s already got that money. He’s already got a guarantee, and he’s going to get a longer leash. It’s such a good feeling as a player that a team commits that money to you, because you can go out and just play free.”

Start of a trend?

The most effective way to avoid contract years like what the Tigers have looming with Tarik Skubal, set to become a free agent at season’s end, is to identify franchise players and extend them well before free agency. Some teams, such as the Braves, were ahead of the curve on it and laid the foundation for a perennial contender by doing so. Other teams are getting into it.

Not every player fits the scenario, and not every player might even want to do it, but the only way to find out is to explore it. Getting a player of McGonigle’s talent level to commit long term is a massive foundational step for what the Tigers are trying to do -- building around young talent.

Assignment clause

One of the most interesting parts of the contract is an assignment clause: If McGonigle’s contract is assigned to another Major League organization, he will get a $5 million assignment bonus. It’s not a no-trade clause -- the Tigers haven’t done those under the current administration -- but in terms of reinforcing the long-term commitment, it’s the next-best thing, essentially compensating him if he has to uproot and change clubs. For both sides, it’s a bonus they hope he will never see, and that he’ll remain a Tiger for the full contract.

On Wednesday, the Tigers celebrated the 79th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier by hosting a Breaking Barriers roundtable discussion at Comerica Park, providing young athletes from the Nike RBI program an opportunity to hear from sports professionals about career pathways into the sports and entertainment business. The roundtable highlighted Robinson’s nine core values: courage, determination, commitment, persistence, integrity, justice, teamwork, citizenship and excellence.

After a four-game wraparound series in Boston against the Red Sox this weekend, the Tigers return home for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday against the three-time defending National League Central champion Brewers.

Thursday’s series finale is Gibby’s Day, with fans and friends coming together to support the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness. A special ticket package includes a portion of the proceeds going to the Kirk Gibson Center, which provides exercise and education classes free of charge to help redefine what it means to live with Parkinson’s Disease for hundreds of members throughout Metro Detroit. You can also donate directly to the center. Members will be available on the concourse near sections 101 and 102 to discuss the center and its mission.

First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. ET. For more information, visit gibbysday.org.

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