Nobody was subtracted from, or added to, the Indians organization in the major league portion of this morning's Rule 5 draft. So we can all breathe a big sigh of relief that a bunch of our lesser prospects who aren't going to make it to the majors until 2008, if ever, remain in our system to torture us with their flaws and slightly too-low ceilings. Only 12 players were selected overall.
The White Sox lost lefty reliever Fabio Castro, a soft-tosser last seen striking out a bunch of guys in the high-A Carolina League. Apparently a lot of teams wanted him, and the Royals drafted him with he first pick with the intention of trading him. The Royals also lost a player, and Detroit and Minnesota each snagged a player. I'd name them, but what would be the point? The consensus around baseball was that Castro was a significantly better catch than anyone else available, and most teams went into the event with little or no room on their rosters in which to draft someone.
UPDATE: Hey, we kind of have a serious 40-man roster crunch on our hands here! While it's true that we could start the season tomorrow with no more moves, we've heard a lot of brave talk about getting a bat, starter or a setup man. Where exactly would they go? Looks like the Indians have their work cut out for them, because they're going to have to find a way to unload some of their extras (Bard, Riske) and disappointments (Phillips, Davis, Broussard, Blake) if they intend to add anyone, unless it's through a swap of 40-man players.
UPDATE to the UPDATE: Rick reminded me, Stanford and Tallet are also extras and disappointments, though I'm not sure which, and I'm not sure what Jose Diaz is supposed to be. We're now carrying 23 pitchers for 12 active roster spots, compared with 17 position players for 13 active roster spots.
UPDATE to the original post: Another 53 faceless players were selected in the minor league phase -- and remarkably, not one of them was selected by or from the Indians. The Royals as expected traded their number-one pick, Fabio Castro, formerly of the White Sox system; the Rangers won the bidding for him. The Tigers also were shopping for a buddy and traded their pick to the Phillies. Still don't know his name, still don't care.
Sure, I could provide a link to even more analysis of this, but your time is probably better spent learning to floss.