Random Question

[oxfordrebel22]

There was a thread a couple of days ago where we talked about how crazy it was that Ginn and Hoglund wound up where they are after being 1st round picks. That prompted me to go look up and see if any high draft picks came to college this year, which lead me down a rabbit hole, which lead me to this question - what happened with Carter Stewart? I'd forgotten that two of the four 1st round picks that didn’t sign that year were committed to State. Stewart was the highest of them all at #8 overall. I kind of think I remember discussion that he was gonna go JUCO, but I just wasn’t sure. Thank God y’all didn’t get both of them on campus, State’s a sack of hell already, I’d hate to see them with the #8 and #30 picks pitching back to back days.

 

[rynodawg]

Last I saw, Carter Stewart chose to play in Japan instead of junior college. Have no idea if he played any games yet over there.

 

[KentuckyDawg13]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/sto...lazer-carter-stewart-adapts-to-life-in-japan/

 

[Seinfeld]

Still trying to wrap my head around the decision to play a year of JUCO ball and at least one in Japan rather than coming to State for a couple years.

 

[Hump4Hoops]

Yeah, the big WTF is why commit to State at all?

It's obvious that, worst case scenario (not getting the big contract he wanted) that his second and third options were not a 4 year college.

 

[maroonmania]

Playing a year of JUCO kept him eligible to go right back into the draft again. I guess he thought he could go there and get picked again in the first round without being lowballed (which I believe is what the Braves did). Guess that didn't work out which is why he is in Japan. I don't where he was picked in last year's draft if at all.

 

[trob115]

Went to Japan to make more money and earn free agency in MLB sooner. It's a gamble, but he's betting on himself.

 

[Dawgg]

Playing a year of JUCO kept him eligible to go right back into the draft again. I guess he thought he could go there and get picked again in the first round without being lowballed (which I believe is what the Braves did). Guess that didn't work out which is why he is in Japan. I don't where he was picked in last year's draft if at all.

Correct. Atlanta lowballed him (~$2 million instead of ~$5 million) because of a concern with a wrist injury from when he was 9 and I think to offer Zack Hess more money. The MLBPA filed a grievance to try to force early free agency, but I don't know how that panned out.

Basically, I think the plan was to take a year of JUCO and re-enter the draft the following year if the grievance didn't pan out, but he lost a few starts in JUCO and was looking at second round and maybe even less money than the $2 million he was offered initially.
Signing with Japan, he'll actually make money ($7 million over 6 years), prove himself, then he can come into the MLB and be a free agent.

 

[maroonmania]

I don't know unless our coaches thought it was worth signing him just in case he had a change of heart. But you are correct, a 4 year college was not even a fall back to a fall back plan for him.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

Correct. Atlanta lowballed him (~$2 million instead of ~$5 million) because of a concern with a wrist injury from when he was 9 and I think to offer Zack Hess more money. The MLBPA filed a grievance to try to force early free agency, but I don't know how that panned out.

Basically, I think the plan was to take a year of JUCO and re-enter the draft the following year if the grievance didn't pan out, but he lost a few starts in JUCO and was looking at second round and maybe even less money than the $2 million he was offered initially.
Signing with Japan, he'll actually make money ($7 million over 6 years), prove himself, then he can come into the MLB and be a free agent.

Yeah I did see where Atlanta offered him exactly 40% of his slot money, because that's the minimum a team can offer and still get the draft pick compensation in the next year's draft if they don't sign (it's always exactly one pick lower) so they received the #9 pick in this year's draft as compensation for Stewart not signing. Just a strange deal all the way around.. I don't see why you'd waste such big time draft capital on someone just to turn around lowball them. They either found something really concerning in his physical, or just got a bad feeling about the kid or something. I can't believe he didn't wind up State.

 

[Seinfeld]

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. If I'm understanding MLB rookie deals for 1st rounders correctly, they're 2 years guaranteed + another 2 years of team options. So if the Braves' deal was essentially $2M over 4 years, it won't take long for him to come out way ahead on the Japan deal. To each his own, but the kid and his family's #1, #2, and #3 priorities are clearly $$$.

On a related note, I saw where the Braves get a compensatory #9 pick this year since he Stewart didn't sign. I know there are a lot of Braves fans on here, but how in the world does a club get a free draft pick for failure to sign when they completely low balled their initial draft pick by more than 50% of slot value? Just seems weird to reward a team that was responsible for the whole issue in the first place