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The return of the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings for the first time since 2019 brought a packed house and plenty of activity in the Major League phase.

A total of 15 players were taken in that portion of the Rule 5, starting with the Nationals selecting right-hander Thad Ward from the Red Sox and finishing with the Mets taking right-hander Zach Greene from the Yankees. It’s shy of the 18 players that were taken the last time the Major League phase took place, remotely in 2020 (It didn’t happen at all in 2021 because of the lockout.). That had been the most since 2010, when 19 players were taken.

There was also a flurry of activity in the Minor League phase, with 67 selections, bringing the total number of players taken to 82, topping the 74 taken in 2020 and tied for the most of any Rule 5 Draft since 1983 (82 players were also taken in 2002).

Let’s study baseball’s rich history for clues as to what Aaron Judge’s future might hold over the life of a contract that runs through his age-39 season.

Hall of Famers, club legends and postseason greats have sported both Cubbie blue and the birds on the bat at different points in their career. Catcher Willson Contreras is set to become the latest to make the jump from one side to another in this rivalry.

We’ve seen some massive free-agent deals signed in recent offseasons, but Aaron Judge will set a new standard when he finalizes a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees struck at the 2022 Winter Meetings.

If Aaron Judge plays out the full length of his nine-year deal, he’ll have played with the Bronx Bombers for 16 seasons, putting him into the top 10 all-time.

The White Sox were recognized for their Amateur City Elite (ACE) program that provides a path to baseball for African American youth in Chicago and has seen nearly 30 alumni from the program be drafted by Major League clubs.

Join Kevin Millar and Matt Yallof for their unique blend of humor, entertaining interviews and analysis of the offseason, weekdays at 3:30 p.m. ET.

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