To fans and the media, what a team does in the MLB Draft pales next to a big free-agent signing or blockbuster trade.
Part of that is the gaudy figures thrown around during the hot stove season. The Red Sox, this year's top spender in the draft, couldn't even buy one year of Gil Meche if they shifted their draft outlay to the open market. Most of it stems from immediacy, though. A big winter signing answers the question who will help me today? A big haul in the draft answers who will help me tomorrow, but in most cases tomorrow is years away, if it ever comes at all.
Still, as the cost of free agents escalates, the draft continues to become the most important way to ensure long-term success. With that in mind, and with the deadline to sign picks in the books, here's a look at three teams who won and three teams who lost in the 2008 draft
The August 15th deadline for signing draft picks has created some interesting drama in mid-August that didn't previously exist. With most high draft picks waiting until the 15th to sign, there was a ton of tension as midnight approached last night. One of the most interesting subplots, however, has been how Scott Boras has handled negotiations for his top prospects. 
With the Kansas City Royals spending most of their recent years at the bottom of their division, attendance at Royals games over the years hasn't been that great. It's not bad by any means, but there is seldom a home game where plenty of empty seats can't be seen around Kaufmann Stadium. 
Even when 
Well, this is hardly surprising: something 
Sunday was a pretty frustrating day for the Chicago White Sox. Not only were they getting their butts kicked by the Kansas City Royals, and saying goodbye to their position atop the AL Central in the process, but there was also a bench-clearing incident in the fifth inning of the game.
The sport of baseball can be a very frustrating one for those who play it. If you hit .300 on a season, you would consider it a pretty good year, yet you still "failed" 70% of the time you stepped to the plate. It doesn't just affect hitters, either, as teams can struggle through a season. Just think if you play for the Seattle Mariners.
Today: the debut of a new Dugout feature which may or may not end up visiting every clubhouse in baseball. I would wager that I read about a half hour's worth of 
With the trade deadline right around the corner, our MLB editor brings you the top five rumors every day until July 31.
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