For only the second time in franchise history and the first time since 1995, the Atlanta Braves have failed to come to terms with a first round draft pick.
Carter Stewart, the Eau Gallie High School (FL) star who has a commitment to Mississippi State, turned down the Braves offer rumored to be anywhere from $1.992 million to $4 million. The $1.992 million figure would be the minimum the Braves would have to have offered in order to secure a compensation pick in the 2019 draft in case Stewart elected not to sign.
While there’s likely not to be an official reason given as to what made the Braves not pursue Stewart with the same verve as other recent high-round picks, such as 2017’s Kyle Wright and 2016’s Ian Anderson and Joey Wentz, the most likely speculation is that the Braves discovered something in Stewart’s post-draft physical that made the team wary of committing a substantial signing bonus to Stewart.
With Stewart turning down the Braves offer, whatever that offer was, the Braves also lost access to the right to spend the dollar amount that their 1st-round pick was assigned, $4,980,700. That left $3,286,600 in the Braves draft pool. The Braves have reportedly spent that pool as follows (all amounts are unofficial and come from MLB.com):
- Grayson Jenista, OF: $1,200,000
- Tristan Beck, RHP: $900,000
- Trey Riley, RHP: $450,000
- Andrew Moritz, OF: $240,000
- Brooks Wilson, RHP: $80,000
- AJ Graffanino, SS: $300,000
- Ryan Shetter, RHP: $135,000
- Brett Langhorne, IF: $10,000
- Nolan Kingham, RHP: $25,000 (overage from $125,000 automatic allotment)
- Victor Vodnik, RHP: $75,000 (overage from $125,000 automatic allotment)
Total: $3,415,000
If these totals are correct, the Braves spent $128,400 over allotment. The Braves will have to pay a 75% penalty on that overage, but there will be no further penalty in the form of losing draft picks.
Instead, the Braves will be awarded a compensation pick for not signing Stewart, which will be the #9 pick overall in 2019, one slot under the pick used to select Stewart. If the Braves continue to play well, they will get a regular first round pick somewhere in the mid-20s as well.
While not signing Stewart is a blow (I was un-apologetically enthused by the pick on draft night), the Braves adding a second 1st-round pick in 2019 affords the team some flexibility. A larger draft pool means being able to take more upside talent with later picks, as the Braves were able to leverage in 2015 and 2016. Alternatively, if the Braves elect to sign a free agent this offseason that has been given a qualifying offer by his former team, losing a draft pick won’t sting quite so much.
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