The Tigers made an announcement this evening regarding their acquisition of left-handed pitcher Blake Dickerson from the Padres. In return, the Tigers are sending $500K in international bonus pool money to the Padres.
Dickerson, who is 19 years old, was selected by the Padres in the 12th round of the 2023 draft from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia. He received a bonus of $500K, which is equivalent to that of a fourth-round pick. Despite not appearing in any games for the Padres last year, Dickerson will make his debut with the Tigers, marking his first professional appearance. According to Baseball America, Dickerson is ranked as the #22 prospect in the San Diego farm system for the 2024 season. They note that he has the potential to become a #4 starter or a future bullpen arm, depending on the development of his changeup. His high-velocity fastball and above-average curveball are seen as strengths, and his 6-foot-6 frame is expected to fill out further.
The addition of Dickerson to the Tigers’ roster adds another young pitcher to their system, which already includes top prospect Jackson Jobe, as well as Ty Madden and Troy Melton at lower levels. At the major league level, the Tigers have a group of young pitchers contributing, led by Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Alex Faedo. Baseball America suggests that Dickerson may have the opportunity to bypass rookie ball and make his debut at the Low-A level this year.
In return for trading Dickerson, the Padres will receive $500K in international bonus pool money. This amount matches the bonus that the Padres gave to Dickerson when they signed him last summer. The Tigers began the 2024 international signing period with a bonus pool of $6,520,000, while the Padres had a pool of only $4,652,000, which was the same as the Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees. This trade allows the Padres to recover the $500K in bonus pool space that they lost when they signed Xander Bogaerts as a shortstop last winter. The majority of the Padres’ bonus pool for the 2024 signing period was used to sign shortstop Leodalis De Vries for a $4.2MM bonus last month.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com