In the annual Rule 5 draft, the Padres end up with the top three picks. Picking third, they make pre-arranged deals with the Twins and Reds, who hold the first two draft slots and select P Miguel Diaz and C Luis Torrens, respectively. Both teams send their selections San Diego’s way and with their own pick, the Pads then select IF Allen Cordoba, completing the unprecedented trifecta.

The news out of the winter meetings in National Harbor, MD is that the Yankees have brought back closer Aroldis Chapman on a five-year, $86 million contract. The Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs at last year’s trading deadline in return for a boatload of prospects; the fireballer then helped the Cubs clinch their first World Series title in over a century before returning to the Bronx Bombers as a free agent.

Bill King, former broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics, is honored posthumously as the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for meritorious service in baseball broadcasting. The award will be bestowed as part of the 2017 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

There is a lot of action at the Winter Meetings in National Harbor, MD. The Nationals acquire OF Adam Eaton from the White Sox for three young pitchers: Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning. The Royals trade closer Wade Davis to the Cubs in return for OF Jorge Soler and the Giants send P Chris Heston to the Mariners for a player to be named. Finally, the Rockies sign SS-turned-OF Ian Desmond for five years and $70 million.

Claire Smith, one of the first women to be a beat writer covering major league baseball, is the first female winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, honoring meritorious contributions to baseball writing. Smith first covered the New York Yankees for the Hartford Courant in 1983 and later was the main baseball reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1998 to 2007.

The Red Sox acquire RP Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers for 1B/3B Travis Shaw and two prospects – Mauricio Dubon and Josh Pennington. Later in the day, the Red Sox pull off an even bigger trade, sending top prospect Yoan Moncada and three others – Luis Alexander Basabe, Victor Diaz and Michael Kopech – to the White Sox for ace starter Chris Sale. Finally, Boston completes a busy day by signing free agent 1B Mitch Moreland.

2016 – A couple of important free agent signings are announced at the winter meetings taking place in National Harbor, MD. The Giants sign closer Mark Melancon for four years and and $62 million, after the lack of a reliable closer cost them dearly in the second half of the previous season and in the postseason. For their part, the Dodgers re-sign P Rich Hill for three years and $48 million, two years after the 36-year-old one-time reliever re-launched his career by going to the independent leagues and tried his luck as a starting pitcher.

2016 – The Veterans Committee elects two executives, former Commissioner Bud Selig and GM John Schuerholz from the “Today’s Game” ballot featuring players and executives active after 1988. Schuerholz is a unanimous choice, while Selig receives 15 of 16 votes. Both will be formally inducted in July, 2017.

2016 – For the sixth time in seven years, Reds 1B Joey Votto is named the recipient of the Tip O’Neill Award given out by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to honor the best baseball player in Canada. Votto hit .326 with a National League-leading .434 OBP, 29 homers and 97 RBIs in an outstanding all-around season for the last-place club.