Comments on: Why did No. 9 pick Karsten Whitson turn down $2.1 million from the Padres?

By: Potential first-round pick Karsten Whitson out for season following shoulder procedure | HardballTalk

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:04:28 +0000

[...] remember right-hander Karsten Whitson, who was drafted ninth overall by the Padres in 2010 before turning down $2.1 million to attend the University of Florida. It turns out that his gamble might not pay [...]

By: schlom

schlom — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:48:45 +0000

Well, I think the simplest explanation is that the Padres offer of $2.1m was a significant lowball offer (compared to what other high school pitchers of similar perceived value and draft position were getting) so he turned it down to attempt to get more money. When that wasn’t forthcoming he went to college instead. This seems like spinning more than anything else.

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:23:54 +0000

Because you kill the romance factor by stating these obvious facts Richard.

By: Richard In Big D

Richard In Big D — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:47:40 +0000

An important factor in the decision making process, and the financial threshold for going pro vs. going to school is the player’s family’s financial situation. If the family has substantial money, going to college might be the smarter thing to do. If the family is a bunch of working stiffs just getting by, how do you turn down that kind of cash? If a kid gets a new $40,ooo car for his 16th birthday, gets a $100 a week allowance, and daddy’s Visa card to keep his wardrobe current and his dates happy, money is probably not going to be a motivating factor. If, on the other hand, his $20 allowance doesn’t even keep gas in his Pinto, and his wardrobe is limited to when the Goodwill Store has a clearance sale, $100,000 can be a life changing amount of cash. Didn’t see that issue addressed in the article, and it’s something to consider…