Verlander's brother announces deal with club

KANSAS CITY -- The first of the Tigers' Draft deals is a familiar name. Old Dominion outfielder Ben Verlander, Detroit's 14th-round selection, has agreed to terms with the club.

The younger brother of Justin Verlander made the announcement via Twitter on Wednesday, tweeting a photo of him signing the contract with a Tigers T-shirt in the background while wearing an ODU baseball T-shirt.

It's official! Just signed my contract with the Detroit Tigers! twitter.com/Verly32/status…

- Ben Verlander (@Verly32) June 12, 2013

The Tigers have not officially announced the deal. The club usually waits until a player has completed his physical.

The younger Verlander gained national attention this spring with a three-homer game for Old Dominion, prompting Justin Verlander to rave about him in Spring Training. Ben Verlander built off that momentum and turned in a stellar junior season, his first as a full-time position player.

At ODU, Verlander hit .367 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs.