Players unanimously approved the new CBA while the owners ratified, 29-1.

The one nay vote came from Tampa Bay owner Stuart Sternberg, who texted me: “Basically nothing was done to close the huge gap in access to talent. A new approach in the Rule 4 (June) draft would have proved helpful.”

The Rays believe the draft order should be determined by more than just a team’s record. Six times in past eight drafts, AL East powerhouse Boston drafted before its divisional stepchild Tampa Bay.

The Rays believe the discrepancy between big and small markets is widening, and a way to address the talent disparity is to help the smaller markets gain greater access to talent at the entry point to pro ball.