Getting away from Boston in mid-December sounds like a great idea, and past winter meetings have taken me to Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Anaheim, all of which were at least comfortable at this time of year. So this year's site isn't exactly getting rave reviews from MLB front office types, like the one who asked me, "Who the heck wants to go to Indianapolis in December? Or ever?"

The answer: The minor leagues.

MLB's winter meetings are actually not MLB's affair, at least not in name. Minor League Baseball sets them up and uses them to hold meetings but also to attract vendors and hold a large job fair. The major leagues have just piggybacked on the minors' meetings for most of the last few decades, and since MLB still lets the minors take the lead, they get a few decidedly minor-league destinations mixed in with the good ones.