The Mariners hold the #6 pick in this year’s draft and it was supposed to be a great opportunity for them to close the gap between themselves and the upper-tier of the AL. The draft is the best and cheapest way to add young talent to your organization and to begin the professional careers of thousands of 17-23-year-old talents.
While the draft has never been a major draw for the sport and most writers would like to pretend it doesn’t exist, it is a crucial part of the game of baseball. But after the MLBPA and owners came to their agreement today, it’s value was just nerfed to near irrelevance.