A few minutes after 7 p.m. Thursday, the Phillies will make their most important decision of the season, a decision they hope will justify the ubiquitous nights of Sean O'Sullivan and Jerome Williams and the pain of 99 losses that led to the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball's draft.
But, for now, they are engaged in a game of chicken.
The franchise's entire braintrust has spent more than a week prioritizing players to build a draft board. The Phillies know who they would pick if money was not part of the equation, but money is a part of every equation in baseball.