Kohl Stewart - posturing or going to school?

[3rd Inning Stretch]

 

Kohl Stewart today said he is going to A&M and playing both football and baseball, went on to say "Doesn't even feel like this is real life #dreams"

 

Frazier or bust at #4 if first three go as expected..

[gunnarthor]

Posturing. No way he turns down 4m or so.

[cmb0252]

Yeah, Josh Bell did this 2 years ago until the pirates backed up the money truck. While, I personally can't talk for Stewart most of the experts have noted that they doubt he goes to school if he goes in the top 5-10.

[Seth Stohs]

That is the question that the Twins scouts need to be able to answer. Can they get him to give up a pretty great offer to play two sports at his college of choice?

[Mike Sixel]

I have no idea what he is thinking, but if I was advising him, I'd tell him to look at guys that went back to school in the college world, instead of taking the money from the NFL....and then ask him if he wants to be certain of being a millionaire, or have fun in college and maybe never be a millionaire if he gets hurt.....and leave it up to him.

[cmb0252]

I have no idea what he is thinking, but if I was advising him, I'd tell him to look at guys that went back to school in the college world, instead of taking the money from the NFL....and then ask him if he wants to be certain of being a millionaire, or have fun in college and maybe never be a millionaire if he gets hurt.....and leave it up to him.

 

That's a pretty harsh way to look at it.

 

All I can say is it is his choice and his choice alone. I was never talented enough so I have never had to make a choice like this. Where is it my place to judge? It is easy now to say what you would do in your late 20s, early 30s, or later but not when you are 18. Especially if you have multiple options.

 

People only look at the money and forget about everything else that goes into this choice.

[kab21]

All you need to do is ask where he fits on the QB depth chart. He's going to be carrying a clipboard for a year or two from what I understand. 4+M is a lot of money also. If he was talking about 1M then possibly but 4+M is a big pile of money.

[Mike Sixel]

I said leave it up to him, if he goes to college, good for him. But I'd want him to know what he's giving up in return. What is the fun of college worth? How much are you willing to risk? Ask Matt Barkely about that....he didn't even get hurt. but, it is up to him as I said. For some people, it is about money and certainty. For some people, it is about experience.

 

for me and my fanily, it has been about experience, we've passed on money.....but we've never passed on millions (and millions to do one of the things he loves to do, not to sit at a desk all day, every day).

[ThePuck]

I said leave it up to him, if he goes to college, good for him. But I'd want him to know what he's giving up in return. What is the fun of college worth? How much are you willing to risk? Ask Matt Barkely about that....he didn't even get hurt. but, it is up to him as I said. For some people, it is about money and certainty. For some people, it is about experience.

 

for me and my fanily, it has been about experience, we've passed on money.....but we've never passed on millions (and millions to do one of the things he loves to do, not to sit at a desk all day, every day).

 

Well, he's got a lot of family that are alumni...

 

Then there's hottie Texas coeds swooning over a stud QB prospect at a school that has a starting QB who will likely go pro after next season, so a decent chance he'll play in 2014...getting an education...still being able to play college baseball if he wanted to...

[Mike Sixel]

Right, there are both sides to the choice, I agree. College would be waaaaaaaaaaay more fun than minor league baseball. No disagreement there at all. But you have to rationally think about what you are giving up if you go to school. And then decide. A million? I'd seriously consider college, but it would be a tough choice. $4MM? I think I'd play baseball. That enough to last a lifetime if you use it wisely.

[drjim]

I'm shocked an elite high school athlete would try to increase their leverage to make more money.

[cmb0252]

Well, he's got a lot of family that are alumni...

 

Then there's hottie Texas coeds swooning over a stud QB prospect at a school that has a starting QB who will likely go pro after next season, so a decent chance he'll play in 2014...getting an education...still being able to play college baseball if he wanted to...

 

This is a pretty good break down. The other question I would want to know, doubt he 100% knows yet, but does he really want to play baseball? I know when I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do. He clearly has several options at this point.

 

The other thing I wanted to mention was let's not forget the pressure that is put on these high draft picks. I always look back at the story of Ken Griffey Jr as a precautionary tale of how much pressure these kids are under. If you don't know about what I'm talking about John Sickels did a great job talking about it in his prospect retrospect.

 

From Near-Suicide to Superstar: Ken Griffey, Jr - Minor League Ball

[cmb0252]

I'm shocked an elite high school athlete would try to increase their leverage to make more money.

 

Haha, not just HS kids. Gausman did this at 4 last year and ended up getting over slot. Threatening to go to college works for more than HS guys!

[jaspatrick]

I'm shocked an elite high school athlete would try to increase their leverage to make more money.

 

This. What did you expect him to say? He's going to try to increase his negotiating leverage as much as possible. I know athletes in general don't care about competition, but A&M currently has the Heisman winner at QB and have recruited higher rated QBs than Stewart in each of their last two recruiting classes who are also waiting for Johnny Football to go pro. I can't see him turning down top five money to "probably" hold a clipboard.

[Mike Sixel]

jaspatrick.....nice third post, I agree with everything you said. I posted my other stuff because we just don't know for sure what he wants.....but I suspect you are correct.

[gunnarthor]

 

Then there's hottie Texas coeds swooning over a stud QB prospect at a school that has a starting QB who will likely go pro after next season, so a decent chance he'll play in 2014...getting an education...still being able to play college baseball if he wanted to...

 

There are some really hot women in Florida who are more than willing to say hi and other things (especially other things) to young, athletic millionaires.

[nicksaviking]

He won't go to college if he gets' #4 money. Even if he did, I've started to sour on so many other options that getting the #5 pick next year doesn't sound like the worst think in the world right now.

[jay]

There are some really hot women in Florida who are more than willing to say hi and other things (especially other things) to young, athletic millionaires.

 

Right. I wouldn't call Texas co-eds an advantage. I watched a low-A ballplayer, who certainly didn't get anywhere near $4M to sign, propose before a game last year to his girlfriend that was a solidly out of his league.

[Vervehound]

I'm shocked an elite high school athlete would try to increase their leverage to make more money.

 

at worst, the twins would get the number five in next year's draft if he didn't sign.

 

my question is, if he doesn't sign, do the twins still get their full bonus pool this year? if so, lawd knows we better be drafting for upside in the later rounds. not sure what happened with the pirates/appel sitch last year.

[cmb0252]

at worst, the twins would get the number five in next year's draft if he didn't sign.

 

my question is, if he doesn't sign, do the twins still get their full bonus pool this year? if so, lawd knows we better be drafting for upside in the later rounds. not sure what happened with the pirates/appel sitch last year.

 

They lose the bonus pool from that pick.

[Dance with Disco Dan]

That tweet smells like pure negotiating tactics not a sincere commitment to riding A&M football's bench and throwing free pitches for three years. The one unknown variable that might convince me otherwise is what his family's financial situation is like. Many kids of surgeons, traders, and top execs have a very different view of/relationship with money than kids that grow up in work-a-day families. If the bonus money is not only life changing for the player but also his family I can't see him passing it up. But it's fair play to insist he will to squeeze that last dollar.

[jay]

They lose the bonus pool from that pick.

 

Yes, and get it back the next year with the compensation pick.

[nicksaviking]

They lose the bonus pool from that pick.

 

True, but if Stewart was going to cost the full slot or over slot anyway, the bonus pool wouldn't have done any good to help throw around to HS kids drafted in later rounds.

[B Richard]

There are some really hot women in Florida who are more than willing to say hi and other things (especially other things) to young, athletic millionaires.

 

Just ask Johan Santana...

[InfraRen]

What's the talent-difference between this guy and Braden Shipley?

[cmb0252]

Christopher Crawford heard the Twins higher ups are "infatuated" with Stewart.

[InfraRen]

Christopher Crawford heard the Twins higher ups are "infatuated" with Stewart.

 

He's my choice if the Big 3 go 1-2-3. The more I've asked around, I'm fully convinced there's no worry that this guy will sign if we take him.

[Einstein]

Christopher Crawford heard the Twins higher ups are "infatuated" with Stewart.

It does seem that the tea leaves are pointing in his direction at number 4. I'm wondering if they would take him over Bryant if they had the choice.

[2wins87]

It does seem that the tea leaves are pointing in his direction at number 4. I'm wondering if they would take him over Bryant if they had the choice.

 

I wouldn't, but I can't speak for the Twins obviously.

 

There are a lot of factors that can go into the decision to go to college. Signing in the top 10 would give him financial security for many years to come, so it's definitely the right decision financially.

 

I feel part of Appel's decision to basically demand to be paid first slot money last year had to do with the fact that he liked Stanford and wanted to go back there if he didn't get drafted really high (this is specualtion, but I think there is more to the story than Appel is a spoiled rich kid with an agent whispering in his ear about how much money he's worth). It worked out for him, but it was a risk.

 

It's possible Stewart is doing something similar, maybe he'd really like to go to college, so he'll make it clear that he's going to need to be drafted high to sign, and if that makes him fall he'll be ok with it, and if it makes a team offer him a very lucrative signing bonus, he'll be happy with that too. The comment definitely makes it seem likely that one of the two will happen.

 

But who knows really.