Olney: My new MLB rule -- four pitchers per nine innings. Max.

Over the past 18 months, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has been all but begging major league players for ideas and input on ways to make the league’s product better. He seems ready to discuss even radical ideas, whether it’s some restrictions on defensive shifts, a pitch clock and maybe -- eventually -- an electronic strike zone.

Here’s a fundamental change that would improve the game on many levels: Limit managers to the use of four pitchers per nine innings, with exceptions built in for injuries and blowouts.

Major League Baseball desperately needs to get off the growing front-office addiction to relief pitchers, which is helping to destroy important components of the game.

Among those:…