Rule 5 Draft could be the Mariners' ticket to Cal Raleigh's catching partner

American League Championship Series - Toronto Blue Jay v Seattle Mariners - Game Three | Steph Chambers/GettyImagesBacking up Cal Raleigh is not the most glamorous job in Major League Baseball. And yet, the Seattle Mariners need someone to do it, and it obviously won't be Harry Ford in 2026.

Ford is gone by way of an out-of-nowhere trade for Jose A. Ferrer over the weekend, leaving the Mariners with a better bullpen but no catching partner for Raleigh. What's more, the trade didn't create more room in the budget to go sign a catcher off the free-agent market.

You have to wonder, then, if the Rule 5 Draft will prove to be the Mariners' salvation. It's set to take place on the third day of the…