Atlanta Braves’ handling of Carter Stewart might open new draft leverage for others

Leverage?

But now the question is whether Scott Boras has now awakened a slumbering dragon here that could challenge the MLB’s self-built monopoly that snags the world’s best amateur players on terms favorable to … MLB.

Frankly, we know Boras hasn’t exactly been a fan of the Qualifying Offer system that has created some difficulties for free agents, so it wouldn’t surprise me a bit it he takes this idea and runs with it as one means of sticking it to MLB.

The idea that some draft-eligible players might entertain external/international offers is one that could provide some significant leverage among a few players who didn’t expect to have a lot of options otherwise.

In this category, I’d count the following as potential candidates to be liberated by inquiries to Nippon Professional Baseball:

• Those injured at the end of their college careers who have big upside.
• Those falling victim to a plan that involves them having to accept a lower-than-slot draft bonus (so that the team might be able to sign another name a bit further down the board.
• Top picks in general (more on that in a second)
• College Seniors in general, who often get a token $10,000 offer in Round 6 and are told ‘take it or leave it.

To be sure, the market for this scheme will be limited. We have to be looking at players with a willingness to step out and try something a little scary: jumping into an unfamiliar country while not knowing how to read, speak the language, or even order from a restaurant menu.

These will also have to be players with enough talent to entice those across the Pacific that they are worth the investment to teams interested.

That probably doesn’t describe the average 6th Round pick, but the thought that trans-Pacific bidding wars could erupt for top picks is definitely a possibility.

For example, what if Adley Rutschman were to decide that he really doesn’t want to be an Oriole (which honestly doesn’t sound all that preposterous)?

Baltimore is essentially obligated to offer him a robust figure of roughly $8.5 million, but what if the Nippon Ham Fighters try to snap him up for $10 or $12 million… a price that Baltimore would be unable to match because of the draft rules?

Such a thing would cause a huge backlash and likely require big changes to a draft system that’s been in place for the last several years.

So there’s some potential here, and I could certainly see Carter Stewart and his progress being closely monitored to see how this experiment works out for him and for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

In the meantime… well done for your client, Scott Boras.  Brilliantly executed backup plan.