DETROIT -- Tigers top Draft pick Matt Manning will not be following his father's footsteps into basketball, instead pursuing his baseball career. The big right-hander, the ninth overall pick earlier this month, has agreed to terms to sign with the Tigers and forgo a two-sport career at Loyola Marymount, the team announced after its 5-4, 10-inning win over Seattle on Thursday.
Manning will sign for the slot value of his selection, a $3,505,800 bonus, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. The club did not confirm the amount.
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The Tigers used their highest pick since 2009 on Manning, a 6-foot-6 right-hander with a mid-to-upper 90s fastball and a power curve. The son of former NBA forward Rich Manning entered the Draft ranked as its 11th-best prospect by MLBPipeline.
Though reports going into the Draft suggested Manning was looking for as much as a $5 million bonus, the family downplayed the speculation. Though Manning was a late bloomer in baseball, pitching only for a few years, he indicated to MLB Network Radio on Draft night that baseball was his first sport.
"It's gonna be a family decision, but I know in my heart that I'm a baseball player," he said at the time. "I've been attracted to baseball since I was young. It's going to be a decision that my family is going to make, but I'm ready to make it."
A deal with Manning will leave the vast majority of the Tigers' Draft work complete, leaving only sixth-rounder Bryan Garcia unsigned out of the top 10 rounds. Garcia just finished his junior season as the closer at the University of Miami, which went to the College World Series before being eliminated after losing its first two games earlier this week.
Another key Draft pick, fourth-rounder Kyle Funkhouser, agreed to terms earlier this week. The former University of Louisville right-hander, who just completed his senior season a week and a half ago, is expected to begin his pro career soon, possibly as high as Class A West Michigan.