Detroit Tigers acquire Colt Keith from Toledo Mud Hens, sign him to a six-year, $28+ million deal

Keith played in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A and had a .306/.380/.552 line with 27 homers. He was ranked third for the most extra-base hits and fifth for the most total bases among Minor Leaguers. (MLB Photo)

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	Detroit Tigers acquire Colt Keith from Toledo Mud Hens, sign him to a six-year, $28+ million deal By HB Meeks-Sports Editor tellususa.com DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers have signed Colt Keith from the Toledo Mud Hens to a six-year, $28,642,500 contract extension with club options through 2032. Keith was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft, and the Tigers convinced him to sign with an above-slot $500,000 signing bonus, which saw him leave an Arizona State commitment. Injuries, including one to his right shoulder in 2022, have limited his appearances over the past two seasons. However, he had a successful run in the Arizona Fall League in 2022. In 2023, Keith played in 126 games between Double-A and Triple-A and had a .306/.380/.552 line with 27 homers. He was ranked third for the most extra-base hits and fifth for the most total bases among Minor Leaguers. Keith has a quick and short left-handed swing and does an excellent job of making contact with the ball while hitting it hard. He elevates well and rarely swings at balls outside the zone, leading to high slugging percentages and extra-base-hit rates. During his time with Triple-A Toledo, he had an exit velocity of 110.1 mph and hit a 473-foot homer, which was the fifth-longest in the International League last season. He is expected to produce even higher exit velocities and hit more tape-measure shots as he gets more comfortable with extended seasons. Keith is not a fast runner and has a stocky frame. Therefore, the Tigers moved him from third base to second on a near-full-time basis by mid-August last season because his reaction times and throwing motion work better at the keystone. Keith is a bat-first player who has the potential to become a homegrown premier talent in Detroit, along with Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene.