As far as drafts go, the Rule 5 draft is among the most subdued. It involves minor league prospects — and typically not the best ones — and marks the end of the winter meetings. Executives will bring their luggage to the Nashville event then race out of the building (generally trying to avoid reporters) once the last pick is made. Other drafts come with excitement; executives are most excited when this draft ends and they can leave.

But if you need to be reminded about the occasional importance of the Rule 5 draft, just ask the Yankees, whose system has taken several hits over the past 10 years.

Go back to 2013, when the Yankees lost Tommy Kahnle. The then-minor league righty had a strong season at Double-A with the Yankees before he went unprotected, which allowed the Rockies to grab him. Kahnle’s first three-and-a-half major league seasons were spent elsewhere before the Yankees could reacquire him.

In 2020, it was prospect Garrett Whitlock whom the Yankees did not add to the 40-man roster, allowing the Red Sox to swoop in and draft him. Whitlock has been mostly strong for three seasons in Boston and recorded the final out in the 2021 wild-card game that knocked the Yankees from the playoffs.