Colt Keith, Tigers Agree to New Contract Worth Up to $82M in MLB Free Agency 2024

The Detroit Tigers are investing early on the potential returns of prospect infielder Colt Keith.

The team announced that it had signed Keith to a six-year contract extension through the 2029 MLB season with club options for the 2030, 2031 and 2032 seasons.

The 22-year-old Keith has yet to appear in the Majors but has risen as high as Triple-A. He is set to make $2.5 million and the extension likely signals a spot on the opening day roster for the infielder.

He is set to make $3.5 million in 2025, $4 million in 2026 and 2027 and $5 million in 2028 and 2029, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.

Keith was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and is listed as the Tigers No. 2 prospect. He expressed his appreciation for the Tigers organization and his desire to help the team reach new heights.

"I couldn't be more excited to reach this agreement, securing my place in this organization for years to come," Keith said, per MLB.com. "Since being drafted in 2020, all the coaches and staff have been invaluable in helping me and my teammates grow on and off the field. There's a reason I felt strongly about making a long-term commitment to be here, and being surrounded by incredibly talented teammates and coaches is a big part of that. I'd also like to thank my family, fiancé, agent, and friends for their tireless support throughout my life and career. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. I know this is a big accomplishment, but ultimately my mission is to be the best player possible and help win a World Series Championship for Tigers fans everywhere."

He is rated as the No. 25 overall prospect in MLB and could slot in as the Tigers second baseman in 2024. He hit .306 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs across the AA and AAA levels in 2023.

He is set to be among the next wave of talent that reaches the Major League level for the Tigers and can help the franchise emerge from the bottom American League. He will join former No. 1 picks Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson on the roster and will likely be followed in the near future by star prospects Max Clark, Jackson Jobe and Jace Jung.

The Tigers went 78-84 and finished in second place in the AL Central in 2023. It was the second season with more than 75 wins in the last three years for Detroit, but still fell well short of the playoffs. The Tigers have not reached the postseason since 2014 and have not had a record above .500 since 2016.