Mariners' superstar Cal Raleigh was supposed to play for Atlanta Braves
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Mariners' superstar Cal Raleigh was supposed to play for Atlanta Braves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves wanted Cal Raleigh.
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That was made clear by a new story in the Seattle Times this week, and it's maybe the first time such information has been so publicly known.
When the 2018 MLB Draft rolled around, Raleigh's agent Scott Boras "had negotiates a handshake deal for the Braves to select Raleigh in the fourth round and give him a $1 million signing bonus," writes the Seattle Times.
The report even indicates that Boras told other teams not to pick Raleigh, who could still return for his senior season at Florida State.
The Mariners "decided to gamble and select Raleigh," the story adds.
They ended up signing him for $864,000, close to but not equal the bonus Raleigh would've gotten with the Braves. They chose him in the third round, not letting him get to the Braves in the fourth.
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Their instincts proved correct. Raleigh has developed into a superstar.
He's one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, and he just went from solid power to a season in which he slugged 60 home runs.
Many players in baseball were thought highly of by multiple teams, so this isn't a unique story. But to put a specific name to it, the Braves, adds a fascinating layer.
Potentially, it would mean Atlanta considered someone other than Drake Baldwin when they drafted him, or moved him out from behind the plate entirely.
It likely means Sean Murphy ends up with a totally different team.
And moves like that would have domino effects beyond, as well. Raleigh is a Mariner, not a Brave. But apparently it was close.
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