# 19 year old Florida pitcher headed to Japan , not MLB **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 22, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367 "2019-05-22T18:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/1 "2019-05-22T18:52:27Z")
He will make more money playing in Japan . He could return to the US as a free agent in 7 years. > **[Passan: How a 19-year-old prospect is turning the MLB draft upside down](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26797572/passan-how-19-year-old-prospect-turning-mlb-draft-upside-down)** > > By agreeing to a deal to play in Japan and shunning the draft, Carter Stewart will make himself millions of dollars and might be changing the way baseball does business. ( sorry the thread title is wrong but I cannot fix it. old should be before Florida) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/2 "2019-05-22T19:07:18Z")
Free agent at 25 versus 28 is huge. 28 would be the best case, according to the Passan article. An MLB team is much more likely to open up the checkbook on a long-term deal for a 25 year old pitcher, than a 28 year old. Though MLB is long overdue for having yet another wide reaching collusion suit against the owners. I love what he’s doing. I hope he makes it. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/3 "2019-05-22T19:16:50Z")
This is definitely a smarter route to go and just as good as going to the minors. HS basketball players should play overseas instead of going to college too. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/4 "2019-05-22T20:12:41Z")
we had a local kid who was in HS and passed the GED so he put his name in the MLB draft. Nobody knew he was eligible so he went undrafted and was a free agent. Nobody signed him so he went to college and then was drafted 3 years later. MLB closed that loophole. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/5 "2019-05-22T21:55:15Z")
[Moderating] I had to re-read the thread title three times before I saw the typo, but I fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/6 "2019-05-23T11:54:01Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > we had a local kid who was in HS and passed the GED so he put his name in the MLB draft. Nobody knew he was eligible so he went undrafted and was a free agent. Nobody signed him so he went to college and then was drafted 3 years later. MLB closed that loophole. What loophole? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/7 "2019-05-23T13:12:16Z")
This kid is in a kind of unique situation in that his potential is good enough to command such a contract from Japan, but he wasn’t going to get the best signing bonus based on possible injury. If the Braves would have offered him the “normal” signing bonus for the #8 overall pick last year, he would have signed. So, this is the right move for him. But it’s not the right move for most 19 year old baseball phenoms. As for high school basketball phenoms, I 100% agree they should play overseas or in some kind of pro league so we can get rid of this one and done college basketball nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/8 "2019-05-23T13:29:43Z")
One thing that would help ameliorate the negative effects of one and done is simply to recognize college athletes’ full economic liberties. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/9 "2019-05-23T15:24:55Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > One thing that would help ameliorate the negative effects of one and done is simply to recognize college athletes’ full economic liberties. I’m not that smart…is what you said basically a fancy version of “pay the players”? Because paying the players is not the answer to college athletics at all and wouldn’t work the way most advocates of paying the players think it will. I gave my suggestion because I really hate the one and done rule. If you’re good enough to play right out of high school, why not just play? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/10 "2019-05-23T15:55:28Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I’m not that smart…is what you said basically a fancy version of “pay the players”? Because paying the players is not the answer to college athletics at all and wouldn’t work the way most advocates of paying the players think it will. > > I gave my suggestion because I really hate the one and done rule. If you’re good enough to play right out of high school, why not just play? If players could make money during their college careers, – NOTE: this is not the same thing as “paying the players”-- then more of them might play longer for their schools. But, yes, “paying the players” might not be the “answer” to college athletics if we don’t even know what the question is. What is it? The one problem that is easy to identify, however, is that college athletes are denied the rights that everyone else in the country have concerning their incomes and this can be solved without damaging the schools and/or their sports programs. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/11 "2019-05-23T16:19:15Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > What loophole? the loophole was you could get a GED and apply for the MLB draft and not tell anyone you are in the draft. then you become a free agent when nobody drafts you. Scott Boras the agent in this article is the same guy who found the now closed loophole ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/12 "2019-05-23T17:05:18Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > the loophole was you could get a GED and apply for the MLB draft and not tell anyone you are in the draft. then you become a free agent when nobody drafts you. Scott Boras the agent in this article is the same guy who found the now closed loophole I don’t think it’s the responsibility of the player to tell anyone he’s in the draft. MLB had other reasons, to be honest, to get rid of the GED allowance. Bryce Harper famously used a GED specifically to get into the draft a year earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/13 "2019-05-23T17:55:27Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > If players could make money during their college careers, – NOTE: this is not the same thing as “paying the players”-- then more of them might play longer for their schools. > > But, yes, “paying the players” might not be the “answer” to college athletics if we don’t even know what the question is. What is it? The one problem that is easy to identify, however, is that college athletes are denied the rights that everyone else in the country have concerning their incomes and this can be solved without damaging the schools and/or their sports programs. I hate to hijack, because this is probably another thread topic, but the NCAA is so badly broken I think it should just be completely abolished. And I love college sports, but the level of “cheating” and plain unethical behavior that has gone on since the very formation of the NCAA puts organized crime to shame. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/14 "2019-05-23T18:36:49Z")
NCAA is corrupt just like the IOC and FIFA and probably a lot of other sports groups . This is the guy who used the GED loophole which was 10 years before Harper was was drafted: [Landon Powell - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landon_Powell) His only claim to fame is he was a catcher for a perfect game . Was a backup catcher for just 3 seasons in Oakland. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/15 "2019-05-23T19:00:13Z")
If all the schools cheat it might just be because the rules suck. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/16 "2019-05-24T17:15:55Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > If players could make money during their college careers, – NOTE: this is not the same thing as “paying the players”-- then more of them might play longer for their schools. > > But, yes, “paying the players” might not be the “answer” to college athletics if we don’t even know what the question is. What is it? The one problem that is easy to identify, however, is that college athletes are denied the rights that everyone else in the country have concerning their incomes and this can be solved without damaging the schools and/or their sports programs. Ah ok…thank you for clarifying. I quite agree I think it’s a slippery slope between “pay the players” and “let the players get paid”, but I do like the latter of the two choices better…if it could work. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/17 "2019-05-24T17:36:32Z")
college FB and BB are the only billion dollar businesses where the key employees don’t get paid. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/18 "2019-05-28T17:25:24Z")
a top ranked BB player is skipping college hoops to play in New Zealand > **[Hampton skips college for New Zealand pro team](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26836790/hampton-skips-college-new-zealand-pro-team)** > > Top prospect RJ Hampton is forgoing playing college basketball for a year of pro ball in New Zealand and then -- he hopes -- a career in the NBA. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2019, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/19 "2019-05-28T19:18:35Z")
How are the Ball brothers doing in Lithuania? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367/20 "2019-05-29T19:49:40Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > How are the Ball brothers doing in Lithuania? they left there over a year ago. That was a short term deal. they are all back in the US now . Oldest plays for the Lakers. the other 2 play for the team their father started in LA area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19-year-old-florida-pitcher-headed-to-japan-not-mlb/834367.md?page=2)