Talking Chop · Dec 5, 2023
Names to watch for the Rule 5 draft: 2023 edition
Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty ImagesEvery year, I do this little, pointless tradition — I go through the list of unprotected players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and try to figure out which get picked. In many years, I think I did okay. Last year, for whatever reason, I did terribly. I highlighted 27 players, and there were only 15 picks... but 14 of those 15 weren’t the ones I highlighted, and the only “match” was a guy, Thad Ward, who was probably one of the slam dunk-iest Rule 5 picks ever. (Ward was awful at the major league level for the Nationals in 2023.)