While most people were consumed by BBQ and fireworks during the weekend’s festivities, the Tigers went to work on finalizing contract details for first-round draft pick Alex Faedo, who signed with the club while visiting Detroit over the Fourth of July holiday.

The 21-year-old pitcher signed Tuesday, and though the club would not divulge the financials of the deal, a source confirmed to The Athletic that Faedo signed north of his slot value, which came in at roughly $3.2 million.

Faedo’s signing capped an eventful week for the young prospect. Just last Tuesday, Faedo was named the College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player after his Florida Gators swept Louisiana State University in a best-of-three series to secure the school’s first national baseball championship.

It was a heartening affirmation for the Tigers that the talented right-hander thrives in big-stage situations, something the club hopes translates on the major-league level.

After originally drafting him in Round 40 three years ago, the Tigers were thrilled when he was still available at No. 18 at this year’s draft.

“He’s got a starter’s delivery, [his] mechanics and arm action are clean, his fastball is anywhere between 92-97, he pitches about 93-95. He’s got a major-league ready slider now that he throws for strikes at 83-85 [mph] and he also throws a changeup,” Tigers assistant general manager David Chadd told The Athletic last week. “He’s an advanced college pitcher that’s performed all year, performed in the summers and performed against international competition.”

Curious to hear more?

Here’s what you need to know about the 21-year-old power pitcher.

The vitals:

Height: 6-5

Weight: 225 lbs.

Hometown: Tampa, FL.

High School: Alonso (where he was teammates with the late Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez)

Draft History: 2017, Round 1, 18th overall; 2014, Round 40

His not-so-secret weapon:

Faedo’s most potent pitch is undoubtedly his slider, which Jim Callis, a draft and prospect expert who is a senior writer for both MLB.com and MLBpipeline.com, said is “on the short list of best sliders in this draft.”

What makes this such an effective pitch for Faedo is both his command and consistency, according to Tigers East Coast Crosschecker James Orr.

“He always has it, good days or bad,” Orr said. “It’s a bat-misser, with velocity and late action at the plate.”

Here’s Baseball America’s post-draft analysis of the pitch:

“At its best, Faedo’s slider rivals that of North Carolina’s J.B. Bukauskas, though it has a bit less power in the 83-84 mph range. He manipulates the pitch’s shape well and can locate it for strikes or as a chase pitch, though at times he gets too cute and throws too many sliders.”

And while Faedo, who posted a 2.26 ERA in 123 2/3 innings pitched this past season, primarily used both his fastball and slider in college, Orr feels he has an above-average changeup that will only improve as he learns to use it more.

The concerns:

Faedo, who will forego his senior season, was projected higher in most draft rankings, significantly higher in those projections entering the spring, so why was he still available at pick No. 18?

“The question about Alex this year was that his velocity was down, which made people skittish about him,” Callis said.

However, the severity of that dip, and how long it lasted before recovering, is an issue of dispute. Some say it lasted just a few weeks, some insist it lasted longer.

Faedo also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in the fall on both knees, which might also explain his underwhelming start to the season, but he got stronger as the season progressed, culminating in a a monster performance on the biggest collegiate stage.

The Tigers were encouraged to see him shine from that spot, which they took to be a positive indication about both his mental makeup and his stamina down the stretch.

A few other things to keep in mind, however:

Though Chadd referenced his clean arm action and mechanics, there are some who feel his unorthodox delivery — which some scouts have described as “jerky” — could be a cause for concern.

And though his slider has garnered rave reviews, Faedo may incur scrutiny for using the pitch too much. If the changeup develops as the team hopes, however, he should have a solid three-pitch mix.

Down the road:

The Tigers are wary of making any immediate comparisons — they don’t want to heap added pressure onto Faedo — but they feel confident he can be a starter.

“He’s definitely a starter, there’s not doubt about that,” said Scott Pleis, the Tigers’ Director of Amateur scouting.

Pleis also predicts he will be a fast-mover in the organization, which touts a few other bright pitching prospects in the mix such as Matt Manning, Beau Burrows, Sandy Baez and Kyle Funkhouser.

ESPN’s Keith Law, in his draft-day analysis, said he felt that Faedo could develop into a frontline starter if his velocity returns.

From Baseball America:

“Faedo’s fastball velocity has tended to be average at 88-92 mph this spring, but he’s pitched in the 92-94 register in the past, and he fills up the strike zone with his heater despite it having plus life. He can sink it and cut it, and at times his changeup has similar sinking life and run. Faedo’s longer arm action gives scouts some pause but hasn’t impeded his feel for the strike zone, and he has plenty of track record for clubs picking high to rely on.”

There are also those that feel that his slider could make him a prime candidate for a reliever’s role down the line.

“If he does send up being a reliever, with his slider, he could definitely end up as an 8th or 9th inning guy,” Callis said.

What’s Next:

Now that the Tigers have him under contract, they must consider the best step forward for his development.

The club is already wary of rushing the young prospect and as such, will shut him down for the immediate future. Faedo will report to the team’s training facility in Lakeland, Fla. at some point over the next week to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.

The Tigers are still weighing whether Faedo will pick back up for instructional league, though the club is taking into account the heavy workload he shouldered this season.