Braves' Former Top Draft Pick Spurned Team to Sign Cheap Deal in Japan Like a Total Dope

The top picks from the 2018 MLB draft certainly haven't done their teams any favors. First, Kyler Murray made the choice to play football instead of sticking with the Oakland Athletics, who drafted him ninth overall.

Now, former Atlanta Braves eighth overall pick Carter Stewart has rather foolishly spurned his team and signed a cheap deal in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

Stewart, a right-hander out of Eastern Florida State Junior College, signed a deal worth a tad more than $4 million with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

This all started because he and the Braves couldn't reach a deal on the terms of his rookie contract. Stewart initially wanted upwards of $7 million, whereas the Braves had there mind set closer to $2 million. The eighth overall pick in the draft that year carried a slot value just shy of $5 million. While it's clear that Stewart wasn't going to get the money he desired from Atlanta, it's puzzling that he ended up accepting a deal well below his slot value from a foreign team.

It's reasonable to assume that he'll get plenty of playing time, but it's possible that his time in Japan could stunt his development as a player, ultimately robbing him of potential future earnings stateside.

Stewart's choice to play overseas could mark a paradigm shift in how draftees negotiate with their teams following the draft-- or it could blow up in his face. All told, a truly bold decision from the young hurler.