NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Rule 5 draft concludes the Winter Meetings and attracts pretty much every scout, executive and media member on assignment to a large ballroom for one final flurry of hellos, goodbyes, business and gossip.

In the bottleneck on the way into the room Thursday morning, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spotted Yankees counterpart Brian Cashman. It had been less than 12 hours since word circulated the Yankees had agreed with Aroldis Chapman on a five-year, $86 million deal — a record for a reliever — and two days since Cashman had referred to the Red Sox as baseball’s Golden State Warriors with Chris Sale joining an already starry roster.

Dombrowski wrapped an arm around his longtime friend and rival and pronounced, “The monster is back.”

While a terrific line, it was not exactly true. After being the only team not to sign a major league free agent last offseason and being a seller at this past season’s trade deadline, the Yankees returned to more familiar territory to win the bidding. The Yankees figured the surprise pursuit of the Marlins, who offered $1 million more but in a different structure, forced them to pay perhaps $10 million to $15 million more on Chapman.

Nevertheless, it hardly relaunched The Rivalry. On paper, at least, the Red Sox remain better. All the Yankees did was exactly what they told us they would: Add players to the two areas they believed could help the 2017 club — closer and DH (Matt Holliday) — without blocking a ready prospect. They would like to add a starting pitcher and more relievers, especially a lefty, but Cashman said the starter market is so thin and/or expensive, it is unlikely.

Mostly, the Yankees continue to try to get to the point where the Red Sox are with both a core of talented youngsters thriving in the majors and enough minor league depth that acquiring a piece or two would shift their perception from good to upper-end contenders. They want to believe that begins in earnest next offseason. Thus, the only Monster in the AL East remains the Green one at Fenway Park — and perhaps the team that plays there.

The Yankees, in fact, are not even among the most intriguing clubs exiting the Winter Meetings. These are:

1. Nationals

They tried for Mark Melancon and Sale and were runners-up. They were on the verge Tuesday night of trading Lucas Giolito, Dane Dunning and another minor leaguer for Andrew McCutchen — the Pirates believed the deal was getting done. Instead, the Nats pivoted, added Reynaldo Lopez to the other two prospects and took Adam Eaton from the White Sox instead, in part because he had team-friendly contract terms for five more years rather than the two years of McCutchen.

The trade was widely panned at the Meetings because of the feeling that Washington surrendered too much for a good-not-great player. That may be true, but two factors: 1) Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has a great history as a trader. 2) We have become so much more complimentary of teams doing total rebuilds and trying to win in the future — and the White Sox did a great job in the Sale and Eaton deals — than of teams giving up prospects to go for it.

Still, in a lot of ways, everything is riding on the next two years for the Nats. That is how much longer Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy are signed for, a period in which Washington comfortably can believe Max Scherzer will hold his ace-hood. If the Nationals do not win the franchise’s first playoff round — or more — then Rizzo might be looking for work.

So the Nats can’t really stop now, which is why they joined the Marlins and Dodgers in the fray for Kenley Jansen. They have a huge ninth-inning hole at the moment.

2. Dodgers

Yep, they are in on retaining Jansen because they also need a closer. And an eighth-inning man. And a third baseman. And a second baseman. Perhaps an outfielder. For a team that will have the majors’ largest payroll again, that is quite a bit. But, like the Yankees, the Dodgers are walking the tightrope of trying to win now while cleaning up their salary structure and protecting their best young players to attempt to contend in the long term.

Internally, they believe going to the top of the market for a 70-inning pitcher is wrong. But they also know how much more difficult it will be to try to win a title with another closer — perhaps trading for David Robertson — than the elite Jansen. They also know their reputation with their fan base is to be overly logical, and losing out on Jansen to either a fellow title contender in Washington or a small-market club such as Miami will be received as warmly as removing Dodger Dogs from the ballpark menu.

The Dodgers also are trying to retain Justin Turner.

Look, the Dodgers have lots of money, prospects, smart people and time to address all their needs. But they also have tons of pressure to do it well.

3. Indians

You remember the World Series runners-up, right? They nearly pulled an upset without Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar in their rotation or Michael Brantley in their lineup. The trio should return, and Cleveland will have Andrew Miller for a full season. Also, the run to World Series Game 7 put some extra dough in the Indians’ coffers at a time when the prices in a saturated slugger market are dropping.

The aligning of those moons puts the Indians in line to at least consider the best hitter available: Edwin Encarnacion. As one AL rival executive said, “Put Encarnacion into the lineup with their rotation and Miller and I wouldn’t just give away the AL title to the Red Sox.”

The offseason began with the Twins rebuilding; they have been joined by the White Sox. The Royals want to try to keep winning even after trading elite closer Wade Davis with the possibility of more selling to come. The Tigers would like to trade some of their veterans, but are finding they are too expensive, old or declining to elicit much interest. The Indians won the AL Central last season with all of these teams trying. It is just December, but does any team project to an easier 2017 division title than the Indians?