DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has agreed to terms on a four-year contract (with club options for 2014 and 2015) with righthanded pitcher Jacob Turner, the team’s first-round selection (ninth overall pick) in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft from Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, MO. Additionally, the club has agreed to terms with lefthanded pitcher Andy Oliver, the team’s second-round selection from Oklahoma State University and shortstop Daniel Fields, the team’s sixth-round selection from University of Detroit Jesuit High School.
Turner compiled a 7-2 record and 0.60 ERA as a senior at Westminster Christian Academy in 2009. He fanned 113 batters in 58.1 innings pitched, while issuing only 13 walks. Turner was selected as a High School All-American by Baseball America following the season. The 6-5, 210-pound righthander was rated by Baseball America as the fifth-best prospect in the draft, while he was rated as possessing the second-best fastball among all draft-eligible high school prospects this year. Turner was selected the Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri in 2009, while he pitched for Team USA during the summer of 2008.
Oliver compiled an 18-9 record, 4.02 ERA (230.2IP/103ER) and 235 strikeouts in 45 appearances (41 games started) over his three-year career at Oklahoma State University. He earned All-Big-12 Conference honors as a sophomore in 2008 after posting a 7-2 record, 2.20 ERA (98.1IP/24ER) and 96 strikeouts in 15 games (14 games started). Oliver was rated as the 21st-best prospect in this year’s draft by Baseball America. A 6-3, 210-pound lefthanded pitcher, Oliver saw action with Team USA during the summer of 2008. He finished 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA, as he fanned 24 batters in 19.1 innings pitched. Oliver was tabbed the 10th-best prospect in the Cape Cod League by Baseball America in the summer of 2007 after compiling a 1-1 record, 1.41 ERA and 54 strikeouts for Wareham.
Fields was tabbed a Second-Team High School All-American by Baseball America after hitting .596 (34x57) with 50 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 43 RBI and 30 stolen bases for the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He was selected the 2009 MHSAA Mr. Baseball for the state of Michigan. Fields is the son of former Tigers outfielder and coach Bruce Fields.
Additionally, the Tigers agreed to terms with first baseman/lefthanded pitcher James Robbins. Robbins was the club’s 30th-round selection from Shorecrest High School in Washington.
After agreeing to terms with these four players, the Tigers signed 25 players from this year’s draft.
In a related move, the Tigers today designated the contract of righthanded pitcher Chris Lambert for assignment to create a spot on the club’s 40-man roster for Turner.
In Play! Magazine
