Smirk Not, Smug Major League Reporters - Rule 5 Shows Subtle Signs

MAJOR BLOGS - www.majorblogs.net - A tea leaf reading for the minor-league-myopics amongst our major league media comrades.

For those of you reporters who think the Rule 5 is a joke because you don't immediately get column inches out it on the major league side, and I heard several of you orating your opinions rather loudly in the Winter Meetings' media room, consider this: This Rule 5 Draft is really one of the best bellwethers of the performance of a farm system.

Notice who got tagged yesterday for the majority of the players. Twins, Dodgers, Tigers and Red Sox. Their cups are full of prospects of interest.

Who largely stood pat? Angels, Yankees, Mets, Angels, Giants either went to the well infrequently or not at all. It says that they're happy with what they've got. The Halos have a power system not in need of much augmentation. The Yankees appear  to be turning away from development and back to Merc Ball, and the Mets and Giants have rosters that don't, for this reason or that, have much that the Rule 5 gamble brings to the table.

So, while you're busily out there looking for individual trees to chop down, you are missing the forest.  

Go ahead and sip on the tea and try to be one with the baseball universe. I'll have the MAJOR ATTITUDE kimonos sent over to your cubicles.