Braves Nearly Snagged Raleigh in 2018 Draft

0:00It's March 24th, you're listening to Seattle Mariners News today, AI-powered coverage of your team. I'm Cory with the story. A new report reveals the Atlanta Braves, nearly landed catcher, Kyle Raleigh, back in the 2018 MLB draft. His agent had lined up an informal agreement for the Braves to pick him in the fourth round with a $1 million signing bonus. But the Seattle Mariners jumped in early, selecting him in the third round instead. The Mariners signed Raleigh for $864,000, just shy of that bigger offer. They took a chance on him, despite warnings from his agent to other teams, knowing he could have returned to Florida State for another college season. Raleigh has since turned into one of baseball's top catchers, excelling on defense and smashing 60 home runs in a breakout power season. Fans and analysts see this as a classic What If Story that highlights how draft gambles can pay off huge. This twist adds entry to the Braves' farm system history. They might have skipped or repositioned their current catcher, Drake Baldwin, and star

1:01Sean Murphy could have landed elsewhere entirely. Such close calls show how one pick reshapes entire franchises, leaving us to wonder about the paths not taken in baseball's endless draft drama.