Irv Carter, Caleb Roberts sign professional contracts
Two more local players picked in the MLB draft have signed contracts to turn professional.
St. Thomas Aquinas alumnus Caleb Roberts signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, and Calvary Christian pitcher Irv Carter signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
Carter, who the Blue Jays selected with the 152nd pick, signed a contract worth $850,000, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. That is about $500,000 above the slot value of the 152nd pick.
“I’m excited to get over there soon and get to work,” Carter said after being drafted on July 12.
The Diamondbacks selected Roberts with the 138th pick. He signed a contract worth $402,000, according to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo. That is the slot value for the 138th pick.
By signing with the Blue Jays, Carter opted to forego playing college baseball. He was previously signed with the Miami Hurricanes.
Carter shared Broward County Class 5A-1A player of the year honors with teammate and fellow draftee Andrew Painter. Painter, who the Philadelphia Phillies selected with the 13th pick, signed a professional contract, as well.
Carter finished his senior year with a 5-2 record and a 1.87 ERA. He had 81 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings.
Roberts was a star for St. Thomas Aquinas in high school. He was the Sun Sentinel’s Broward County large schools player of the year in 2018 after leading St. Thomas to a state championship.
Roberts was undrafted out of high school and signed with North Carolina. He struggled as a freshman and missed most of his second season with the Tar Heels due to injuries. In 2021, he hit .270 with 10 home runs and a .918 OPS.
