Carter Stewart: A man ahead of his time
By David Hill
After failing to come to an agreement with the Atlanta Braves following the 2018 MLB Draft, Carter Stewart eventually signed a contract in Japan. Others may follow in those footsteps.
Prior to the 2018 MLB Draft, Carter Stewart was considered to be one of the top pitching prospects available. He was rated as the top high school pitcher, a 6’6″ righty with a curveball that had already been considered elite. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the eighth overall selection, adding another top pitching prospect to an already impressive system.
However, Stewart and the Braves were unable to come to an agreement. He had been hoping for a signing bonus of approximately $4.5 million, but Atlanta had concerns about a wrist injury that Stewart had suffered. They countered with a bonus of $2 million, which was not nearly enough to land their pick. Stewart became the highest player drafted to remain unsigned, and headed to a junior college with the idea of re-entering the draft.
When Stewart was expected to be taken sometime in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, he took an unprecedented step. Instead of heading back to college, he signed a six year contract to pitch in Japan, joining the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He received a $7 million signing bonus, and the right to be a free agent at the end of his contract.
It turns out that Stewart may have been ahead of his time by heading overseas, at least as it comes to this year’s MLB Draft. With just five rounds, and a maximum signing bonus of a mere $20,000 for undrafted players, there are not many options for players looking to turn professional.
But Stewart found another avenue. Instead of dealing with long bus rides and a slow progression through the minors, he maximized his earning potential by heading overseas. This could be an option taken by those players who are considered borderline fifth round selections, or those players that had been projected to be drafted in the sixth round or later.
There are possible pitfalls. Leagues in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have limits as to how many American players can be on the roster. Those teams can take their time to make certain that they are landing not just the best talent possible, but on the best terms they can. Yet, those contracts are likely to be much better than the $20,000 those players would have otherwise received.
Carter Stewart was seen as an anomaly when he signed in Japan instead of re-entering the MLB Draft. It turns out that he may have been a trendsetter, especially this year.