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Liam Doyle may have just set a Tennessee Vols baseball record after signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, but it's complicated

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 2:57 PM ET

Tennessee Vols LHP Liam Doyle officially signed with the St. Louis Cardinals this week.

Doyle, who spent the 2025 season at Tennessee after transferring from Ole Miss, was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The New Hampshire native's signing bonus with the Cardinals is reportedly for $7.25 million.

According to Baseball Reference, that's the highest signing bonus ever for a former Tennessee baseball player (H/T @ProBaseVols).

$7.25 million is the largest signing bonus ever for a Tennessee player, according to Baseball Reference https://t.co/3okwQvLz8q
— Vols in Pro Baseball (@ProBaseVols) July 17, 2025

There's just one problem....maybe.

Last year, RHP Chase Burns' signing bonus with the Cincinnati Reds was for $9.25 million.

Burns was drafted out of Wake Forest, but he spent the first two seasons of his college career at Tennessee. Technically, Burns is a former Vol (he even played in more games at Tennessee than he did at Wake Forest).

So does Burns have the highest signing bonus ever for a former Vol, or is it Doyle?

I guess it depends on your perspective. I think the honor has to go to Burns because he's technically a former Vol (he spent more time at Tennessee than Doyle). But I'm truly not sure how this situation is viewed. What I do know, though, is that it's something that's going to come up a lot now that transferring every year is en vogue.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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