Fryman To Manage Mahoning Valley

Former Indians third-baseman Travis Fryman has been hired to manage short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley starting next season. This will mark the first managerial or coaching assignment of Fryman’s post-playing career. During the 2007 spring, Travis served as a special guest instructor with the Indians, working with the Indians Major and Minor League infielders. Former Mahoning Valley manager Tim Laker will now serve as a roving catching instructor.

Also, Gary Varsho has been signed by Pittsburgh General Manager Neil Huntington to be the Pirate's bench coach. With the Indians, Varsho was an outfield coorindinator.

Read More

Indians Invite Three Minor League Players To Spring Training

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2007

INDIANS INVITE THREE (3) TO MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING CAMP

CLEVELAND, OH --- The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed RHP RICK BAUER, RHP JEFF HARRIS & CA YAMID HAAD to free agent minor league contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League spring training camp.

Bauer, 30, split the 2007 season between AAA Ottawa (2-4, 7.36ERA, 16 games) and AAA Las Vegas (0-2-2, 3.60ERA, 25 games), beginning the season in the Phillies organization prior to signing in the Dodgers system. He owns a career Major League record of 11-14 w/3 saves and a 4.34 ERA in 183 appearances (10GS, 311.0IP, 312H, 150ER, 118BB, 181K) with the Orioles and Rangers. The 6’6” right-hander was a 5th round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 1997. He spent the entire 2006 season in the Texas Rangers bullpen where he went 3-1 w/a 3.55 ERA in 58 games (71.0IP, 73H, 31R/28ER, 25BB, 35K). He is currently pitching for Azucareros del Este in the Dominican Winter League.

Harris, 33, spent the entire season with the AAA Buffalo Bisons after signing a minor league/non-roster deal with Cleveland prior to last season. He went 6-9 w/a 4.68 ERA in 27 games/22 starts for the Bisons (138.1IP, 145H, 72ER, 24HR, 36BB, 83K). In June he went 2-2 w/a 1.97 ERA in 5 outings (4GS, 32.0IP, 21H, 7ER). He owns a career minor league record of 81-48 with a 3.51ERA in 411 appearances/106 starts (1139.0IP, 1080H, 444ER) and appeared in 14 Major League games with the Seattle Mariners in 2005-06.

Haad, 30, also spent last season with the Buffalo Bisons after signing a minor league contract on May 20. With Buffalo he hit .301 (34-113) with 4 2B, 2HR & 14 RBI in 35 games. Haad, a native to Cartagena, Colombia, hit .312 (24-77) off RHP, .327 (16-49) with runners on and .353 (12-34) with RISP. He has appeared in 18 Major League games with the Pirates (1999) and Giants (2005) over a 13-year professional career and owns a career minor league batting average of .252 (723-2867) in 856 games.

Read More

Brad Grant Promoted, Mirabelli Gets Extended Role

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2007

INDIANS PROMOTE BRAD GRANT TO DIRECTOR OF AMATEUR SCOUTING

Assistant GM John Mirabelli to Assume Expanded Role in Player Procurement

CLEVELAND, OH --- The Cleveland Indians & Executive Vice President and General Manager MARK SHAPIRO today announced the promotion of BRAD GRANT to Director of Amateur Scouting.

Grant, who spent the last eight (8) seasons as the club’s Assistant Director of Scouting, will direct all elements of the First-Year Player Draft – providing evaluations and overseeing the club’s seventeen (17) Area Scouts and four (4) Regional Supervisors around the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada in advance of the June draft. Brad joined the Indians organization in 1994 and was hired full-time into the Scouting Department in 1996. He graduated from Miami (OH) University in 1994. He will continue to report to Assistant General Manager, Scouting Operations JOHN MIRABELLI.

Mirabelli will take on an expanded role in the procurement of amateur and professional talent, both in the United States and abroad, as the club continues to operate heavily in Latin America and has recently dipped into the global player pool in the acquisition of Japan’s Masa Kobayashi after signing Sung-Wei Tseng (Taiwan) and Jason Smit (Australia) in 2006. John will directly oversee and manage the scouting and acquisition efforts in the domestic and international markets for the club.

“Brad Grant has been an integral member of our Amateur Scouting Department over a long period of time and is both extremely capable and very deserving of this new opportunity,” said Cleveland Indians Executive Vice President and General Manager MARK SHAPIRO. “In addition, this shift in alignment will allow John Mirabelli to expand his focus and influence in the acquisition of amateur talent in both the domestic and international markets.”

Read More

Indians Lose Mariano Gomez

Per a report by Yahoo, the Minnesota Twins signed former Indians farmhand Mariano Gomez (LHP) to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Gomez was a once promising left-handed pitcher in the system who had trouble overcoming a partially torn tendon on the middle finger of his pitching hand in 2003 which sidetracked him and he was never the same after that. At 6'6" and 190 pounds, he was an intriguing prospect as a left-handed pitcher because of his size, quick arm action, and the way he whipped the ball to the plate. He finishes his eight year minor league career (he signed at 16-years old) with the Indians at 28-30 with a 4.15 ERA in 195 games (74 starts).

Also, not mentioned previously, the Indians re-signed right-handed pitcher Jeff Harris to a minor league deal two weeks ago.

Read More

Indians Lose Three Free Agents

On Wednesday, the Indians lost three minor league free agents that were signed by the Washington Nationals:

Jason Stanford (LHP)
Bobby Brownlie (RHP)
Jim Ed Warden (RHP)

Stanford could use a change of scenery, and really had no spot for him in Buffalo with the likes of Chuck Lofgren and Scott Lewis moving up to Buffalo this year into the starting staff and joining holdovers like Brian Slocum, Adam Miller, Sean Smith, and the loser of the Aaron Laffey/Jeremy Sowers spring training battle.

Stanford leaves the Indians organization as the all-time leader in strikeouts for the Buffalo franchise. In 72 games over seven seasons with Buffalo, Stanford was 25-12 with a 3.54 ERA. He pitched 381.0 innings, which is third most in the Buffalo Modern Era, and his 25 wins rank fifth all time. He made his first appearance with Buffalo in a spot start on September 1, 2001, throwing a complete game shutout with ten strikeouts. After going 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA in six games in 2002, he was the Bisons Pitcher of the Year in 2003 going 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 20 starts. Stanford was injured for most of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, but did make brief appearances in Buffalo. In 2006, Stanford was 6-6 with a 4.01 ERA in 22 starts, and this past season he finished 5-1 with a 4.11ERA in 18 games.

Warden pitched seven years in the Indians organization, going 28-31 with 34 saves and a 4.12 ERA. He struggled with walks for most of his career, but still projects as a middle reliever at the major league level. The Indians just ran out of time with Warden, and also having so much bullpen depth in the upper levels probably made it easy for them to let him go and for him to say good-bye. Warden was selected in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft by Philadelphia, but was returned to the Indians this past spring when he did not make the Phillies opening day roster.

Brownlie was a mid-season pickup last year, and picked up mostly to fill a spot in the Akron rotation because various injuries had decimated the pitching staff. With no options to turn to at Akron because of injuries to several starters, and other starters piling up innings, they had to go outside the organization for a player to eat some starts for the last two months of the season.

Read More

Indians Minor League Awards Announced

INDIANS ANNOUNCE 2007 MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER & PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

ASDRUBAL CABRERA combined to hit .303 in 2007
AARON LAFFEY was 17-6 w/a 3.34 ERA

CLEVELAND, OH—The Cleveland Indians today announced the recipients of the organization’s 2007 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year awards.

INF ASDRUBAL CABRERA has been named the 2007 winner of the Lou Boudreau Award as the top minor league position player in the Indians player development system. Additionally, LHP AARON LAFFEY has been selected as the Bob Feller Award winner for 2007 as the organization’s top minor league pitcher.

Cabrera, 22, combined to hit .303 (171-585) with 114 runs scored, 35 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs and 79 RBI in 150 games between AA Akron, AAA Buffalo and Cleveland. Following the season, he was named the USA Today Indians Minor League Player of the Year.

He began his season at AA Akron where he hit .310 (114-368) with 78 runs scored, 23 doubles, 3 triples, 8 HR and 54 RBI in 96 games before being promoted to AAA Buffalo on July 30th. While with the Aeros, Cabrera was selected to both the Eastern League Midseason and Postseason All-Star Teams. He finished 5th in the Eastern League in batting and prior to his promotion to Buffalo he was leading the Eastern League in runs scored. Cabrera appeared in just 9 games at Buffalo batting .316 (12-38) with 6 runs scored, 3 doubles and 3 RBI before his contract was purchased by Cleveland on August 7th.

Cabrera made his Major League debut on August 8th at Chicago and made 40 starts at second base and 6 starts at shortstop as he hit .283 (45-159) with 30 runs scored, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 22 RBI in 45 games for the Central Division Champion Indians. Cleveland was 28-12 (.700) when he started at second base and Cabrera made just 1 error in 220 chances in the field.

Laffey, 22, combined to go 17-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 31 games/30 starts (180.2IP, 172H, 75R/67ER, 42BB, 124K) between AA Akron, AAA Buffalo and Cleveland. He started the season at AA Akron going 4-1 w/a 2.31 ERA (35.0IP, 29H, 13R/9ER, 7BB, 24K) in 6 starts before earning a promotion to Buffalo on May 17th.

At Buffalo, Laffey was 9-3 with a 3.08 ERA (96.1IP, 89H, 36R/33ER, 23BB, 75K) in 16 games/15 starts with the Herd. He was unbeaten (9-0) over his last 12 starts/13 games with the Bisons and led the Herd in ERA (3.08) while being tied for the team lead in wins (9). Overall at the Minor League level he was 13-4 with a 2.88 ERA (131.1IP, 118H, 42ER, 30BB, 99K) in 22 games/22 starts. He led all Indians minor leaguers in wins (13), while finishing 2nd in ERA (2.88).

Laffey was promoted to Cleveland on August 4th where he made his Major League debut against the Twins, becoming the youngest Indians starter (22y, 111d) to debut since C.C. Sabathia (20y, 261d) in April of 2001. He ended the year as the Indians 5th starter, going 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA (49.1IP, 54H, 26R/25ER, 12BB, 25K) in 9 starts as he tossed at least 5.0 innings in 8 of the 9 starts.

BOB FELLER WINNERS LOU BOUDREAU WINNERS
1990- Charles Nagy 1990- Jim Thome
1991- Mike Soper 1991- Manny Ramirez
1992- Chad Ogea 1992- Ken Ramos
1993- John Carter 1993- Jim Thome
1994- Steve Kline 1994- David Bell
1995- Danny Graves 1995- Richie Sexson
1996- Danny Graves 1996- Russell Branyan
1997- Marc Deschenes 1997- Sean Casey
1998- David Riske 1998- Alex Ramirez
1999- Robert Pugmire 1999- Scott Morgan
2000- Jason Stanford 2000- Billy Munoz
2001- Mike Bacsik 2001- Victor Martinez
2002- Billy Traber 2002- Victor Martinez
2003- Fasuto Carmona 2003- Grady Sizemore
2004- Adam Miller 2004- Ryan Garko
2005- Jeremy Sowers 2005- Ryan Mulhern
2006- Adam Miller 2006- Kevin Kouzmanoff
2007- Aaron Laffey 2007- Asdrubal Cabrera

Read More

Winter League Update

Here is an update how various prospects in the system are doing in the winter leagues:

Dominican Winter League:

Argenis Tavarez (C, Gigantes del Cibao): .000 AVG (0-1), .000 OPS
Chris De La Cruz (IF, Aguilas Cibaenas): .259 AVG (7-27), 2 2B , 2 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, .609 OPS
Andy Marte (IF, Azucareros del Este): .262 AVG (17-65), 6 2B, 11 RBI, 10 BB, 17 K, .722 OPS
Jose Constanza (OF, Azucareros del Este): .333 AVG (17-51), 3 RBI, 5 BB, 6 K, 3 SB, .726 OPS
Jason Cooper (OF, Azucareros del Este): .203 AVG (14-69), 5 2B, 8 RBI, 11 BB, 25 K, 3 SB, .596 OPS
Juan Lara (LHP, Estrellas Orientales): 0-0, 5.68 ERA, 6 games, 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 BB, 7 K, .348 BAA
Joanniel Montero (RHP, Leones del Escogido): Has not played
Argenis Reyes (IF, Leones del Escogido): .303 AVG (30-99), 2 2B, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 12 K, 1 SB, .657 OPS

Venezuelan Winter League:

Armando Camacaro (C, Caribes): .111 AVG (1-9), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, .495 OPS
Asdrubal Carbrera (SS, Cardinales): .254 AVG (29-114), 7 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 13 BB, 22 K, 4 SB
Mariano Gomez (LHP, Augilas): 1-3, 4.32 ERA, 10 game, 33.1 IP, 38 H, 10 BB, 11 K, .284 BAA

Mexican Winter League:

Roman Pena (OF, Aguilas): .234 AVG (22-94), 4 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 9 BB, 27 K, 1 SB, .705 OPS

Nicaraguan Winter League:

Luis Perdomo (RHP, Leon): 1-1, 1.42 ERA, 2 saves, 10 games, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 10 K
Jerad Head (C, Leon): .136 (6-44), 2 2B, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 13 K, 2 SB, .300 OBP
JD Martin (RHP, Leon): 1-1, 2.31 ERA, 4 games, 20.1 IP, 14 H, 2 BB, 12 K

Also, I just want to give my thoughts and prayers out to pitcher Juan Lara and his family and hope for a full and speedy recovery.

For those that missed it, Lara was involved in a tragic car accident on Saturday night after a winter league game in the Dominican Republic. He was stopped at a stop sign when a motorcycle slammed into the driver side of the utility vehicle he was driving. The two people on the motorcycle died instantly, and Lara is in critical condition. He reportedly may have to be transported to the U.S. for surgery, and according to ESPN the injuries are life-threatening as he is breathing with the help from a ventilator, has two fractured ribs, has a perforated lung, and has a blood clot from a head injury.

Read More

Roster & Rule 5 Draft Thoughts

Now that the Indians have decided on who they would add to the 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 Draft, I just wanted to break down quickly why they added who they did and what players they left unprotected who are now in danger of being selected.

The fact they protected Adam Miller, Reid Santos, Scott Lewis, Tony Sipp and Wyatt Toregas is not much of a surprise to me. I even nailed it with a prediction last week on our site message boards (my post is near the bottom dated Nov 15th at 1:05pm). Miller is a no brained, and while Sipp is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery they could not leave him unprotected because the acquiring team could essentially put him on the disabled list at will the next year or two while he recovers. Santos and Lewis are good left-handed pitching prospects with Lewis still considered a starter and Santos destined for a swing role or as a lefty in the bullpen. Some may say Toregas is a surprise, but not to me. He is an excellent defensive catcher with promise still as a hitter. The Indians need catching depth, as remember, when Victor got hurt in the “Snow Opener” last year, Mike Rose (??) was about to be summoned from Buffalo while Victor was heading to the disabled list.

The Rule 5 Draft is always tough to predict. Typically, versatile infielders that can play multiple positions, 4th outfielders, defensive catchers, lefty bullpen specialists, power arms, or guys with speed tend to get taken in the Rule 5 Draft. With that in mind, I posted the Indians Rule 5 eligibles awhile back, and here are the players I think could be selected:

Barton, Brian (OF): The Indians are very top heavy in the system in the outfield with the likes of Trevor Crowe, Brad Snyder, Ryan Goleski, Ben Francisco, and possibly even Jordan Brown battling Barton for time in the Buffalo outfield in 2008. Barton can run and play all three outfield positions, although his defense and plate discipline are still a work in progress. He looks like he could be selected, but the strikeouts to me may be a turnoff to teams. I think it is 50/50 he is not selected.

Constanza, Jose (OF): Constanza has yet to play a game at Double-A, but his speed and versatility could be attractive to a team looking for a Dave Roberts-like player off the bench. While he is not as far along in the system as Barton, his better bat control and plate discipline to go with plus speed may make him a more likely pick in the draft than Barton.

Gimenez, Chris (UT): This is the one player that I think we have the most chance of losing that will be a real loss. Gimenez can play any corner position in the infield and outfield, and can even play catcher. He has a potent bat with a lot of pop to go along with that versatility. Down the road, he could make an excellent super utility player, and he could get that shot next spring if he is selected.

Goleski, Ryan (OF): Goleski was the big loss last year after his outstanding 2006 campaign, but he struggled in spring with Oakland and ended up being returned. Goleski was never the same after that, and seemed to be ruined somewhat by being taken in the draft. He is eligible again, and while it does not look like he will be picked, if he is selected it may be best to part ways with the Indians.

Mulhern, Ryan (1B): It seems like Mulhern is a slam dunk to be selected. Some small market team with a void at first base likely will select Mulhern and make him their everyday first baseman in 2008 and live and die with him. Non-contending teams can do that. Mulhern is ready for a big league job, but with Ryan Garko, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez manning first base in Cleveland, and Michael Aubrey and Jordan Brown crowding him out in Buffalo, Mulhern’s days in the Indians organization are all but numbered.

Newsom, Randy (RHP): Newsom is a great young man, and it would please me very much to see him get selected and fulfill his dream of making it to the majors. Newsom is a gimmick pitcher as he is a submarine pitcher, which is the type of pitcher you often see taken in the Rule 5 Draft. The Indians could use him down the road, but like Mulhern, Newsom may be the second most likely to be selected.

Perdomo, Luis (RHP): Perdomo has yet to pitch above Single-A, but his mid to upper 90s power fastball could entice someone to take him. Still, he is very green, so it would be a big surprise to see someone take him.

Smith, Sean (RHP): Smith is another likely draft selection, and would fill in adequately as a fifth starter for a non-contending team. Smith is probably at best a fifth starter or swing-4A guy, so even if the Indians lose him there should be no worries, especially considering the pitching depth in the organization.

Whitney, Matthew (1B): Whit had an unbelievable season last year, but he still has not played a single game t Double-A, still has plate discipline issues, is not a versatile player, and still needs to prove last year was not a fluke and that he can stay healthy. With all this said, Whitney should go undrafted. It would come as a complete surprise to me if he were selected.

Read More

Five Players Added to 40-man Roster

The Indians added the following players to their 40-man roster today:

Adam Miller (RHP)
Scott Lewis (LHP)
Reid Santos (LHP)
Tony Sipp (LHP)
Wyatt Toregas (C)

The 40-man roster is now at 39 players.

Read More

Winter League Update

Right-handed relief prospect Jeff Stevens continues to make his name noticed, and is primed for a potential bullpen role in Cleveland sometime in 2008 if he continues to pitch as well as he has in 2007 and this offseason. Team USA just won the World Cup, and Stevens was a big contributor in the bullpen throwing six shutout innings and only giving up three hits while striking out five.

Stevens pitched briefly in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) and also pitched for Team USA against teams in the AFL in a tune up for the World Cup. Combined with his World Cup performance, this offseason Stevens has thrown: 12 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K. He also chipped in with three saves, and his fastball continues to gain life as it is not sitting around 95 MPH. Keep an eye on this guy, as he could move fast in 2008. I will also have a full, detailed scouting report on him when my Top 50 list is released in January.

In addition to Stevens, here is a quick listing of how Indians players from all levels of the organization are doing in winter ball. This list is unofficial as I am trying to verify if I have accounted for all the Indians players, but here is who I have so far:

Dominican Winter League:

Argenis Tavarez (C, Gigantes del Cibao): .000 AVG (0-1), .000 OBP
Chris De La Cruz (IF, Aguilas Cibaenas): .375 AVG (3-8), 1 2B , 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, .375 OBP
Andy Marte (IF, Azucareros del Este): .289 AVG (13-45), 3 2B, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 12 K, .373 OBP
Jose Constanza (OF, Azucareros del Este): .321 AVG (9-28), 3 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, .406 OBP
Jason Cooper (OF, Azucareros del Este): .221 AVG (15-68), 5 2B, 9 RBI, 11 BB, 24 K, 3 SB, .333 OBP
Juan Lara (LHP, Estrellas Orientales): 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 games, 5 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K, .235 BAA
Joanniel Montero (RHP, Leones del Escogido): Has not played
Argenis Reyes (IF, Leones del Escogido): .343 AVG (24-70), 1 2B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 SB, .365 OBP

Venezuelan Winter League:

Armando Camacaro (C, Caribes): .111 AVG (1-9), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, .273 OBP
Asdrubal Carbrera (SS, Cardinales): .254 AVG (29-114), 7 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 13 BB, 22 K, 4 SB
Mariano Gomez (LHP, Augilas): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 game, 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K, 0.00 BAA

Mexican Winter League:

Roman Pena (OF, Aguilas): .210 AVG (13-62), 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 19 K, 1 SB, .306 OBP

Nicaraguan Winter League:

Luis Perdomo (RHP, Leon): 1-1, 1.86 ERA, 1 save, 8 games, 9.2 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Jerad Head (C, Leon): .136 (6-44), 2 2B, 5 RBI, 9 BB, 13 K, 2 SB, .300 OBP
JD Marton (RHP, Leon): 1-1, 2.31 ERA, 4 games, 20.1 IP, 14 H, 2 BB, 12 K

It should be noted that there are other payers peppered around in all of these leagues, but they have not played yet (i.e. Joanniel Montero, Lucas Montero, Eddie Mujica, etc).

Read More

Arizona Fall League Wrapup

Baseball America just released their Arizona Fall League Top 20 Prospect ranking for the recently concluded Arizona Fall League (AFL) season in 2007. The Indians had two players make the list: right-hander Adam Miller (#5) and left-hander David Huff (#20). Here is what Baseball America had to say about the two pitchers in the rankings piece:

5. Adam Miller, rhp, Surprise (Indians): After battling finger and elbow woes over the course of the regular season at Triple-A Buffalo, Miller went to instructional league to face more live hitters before reporting to the AFL in mid-October. Though his velocity hadn't returned to the 93-95 mph Miller showed when he's fully healthy, his secondary pitches showed exceptional life. His 84-87 mph slider has devastating late movement and he added a two-seamer last year to combat against lefthanded hitters. His two-seam fastball has splitter-like action, diving down in the zone, producing weak contact. Miller also made strides with his changeup, which at least an average pitch right now.

20. David Huff, lhp, Surprise (Indians): A supplemental first-rounder in 2006, Huff was impressive early during the regular season at high Class A Kinston before being shut down at the end of May with elbow soreness. The Tribe sent him to Arizona to get more work in against more advanced hitters and the 23-year-old didn't disappoint. Though he endured two bad outings which helped balloon his ERA over 6.00, scouts were impressed with his ability to command the zone with four pitches and he struck out 15 in 16 innings of work. Huff's fastball sits anywhere from 87-91 mph, but creates good deception. His changeup is arguably his best pitch and showed the ability to locate to both sides of the plate. Huff's slider is just average, and his curveball needs more work. He'll get under it at times as he rushes through his delivery with his lower half. He'll likely begin the 2008 season in the Double-A Akron rotation.

The rest of the Top 20 can be viewed by going to the pay article on Baseball America’s site.

Also, in a chat about the AFL Top 20, Baseball America national writer Chris Kline offered some insight on some of the Indians prospects. Here are the relevant Indians excerpts from the chat:

Q: Gregg from Willow Spring, NC asks:
How close was Aubrey to making the list, based on his late season production? Do you think he is still a viable prospect if he can stay healthy, and what kind of numbers could you project for him if he does make it to the majors?

A: Chris Kline: Willow Spring Represent! He was in the mix, as a lot of guys were in this prospect-laden league, but there are still too many questions about his long term health. During instructional league this year, Aubrey couldn't play every day, which was the same story during the tail end of the regular season at Double-A Akron. There is no question the tools are there. That's never been the issue. I think it's still too premature to predict numbers in the big leagues based on the recent track record. But he's got all kinds of power and can shorten his stroke to use the whole field. Very smart player who knows his limitations in terms of his injury history. If Aubrey doesn't wind up making it, it has nothing to do with the size of his heart.

Q: Mark from Massachusetts asks:
Will we see Adam Miller stretched out during the fall league, or is he likely to stay in the bullpen, where he finished this past season? Will that have any bearing on what the Indians plan to do in '08?

A: Chris Kline: I think Miller comes into 2008 working out of the Tribe's pen in the big leagues. From there, they can move him to the rotation, but right now his velocity's better in short spurts and he has the ability to attack with all his pitches to either side of the plate.

Q: Robert Goldberg from Lyndhurst, NJ asks:
I noticed that there's no mention of 2 outfielders, both of whom were well thought of in the 2005 Draft - Trevor Crowe & Nolan Reimold. Did either of them get any consideration for the top 20?

A: Chris Kline: Guys were considerably down on Crowe this year, and it's tough to see what he'll be in the big leagues. He's not going to play center field, at least in Cleveland, he doesn't hit for power and he had an inconsistent 2007 season. As far as Reimold, I'm still a believer. He's still got some holes and his swing can get long, but the power is real. Both got consideration based on the body of work, but missed out in the end.

Here are the final stats for the Indians prospects who played in the AFL this year:

Michael Finocchi (RHP): 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 games, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.06 WHIP
David Huff (LHP): 1-1, 6.06 ERA, 7 games, 16.1 IP, 16 H, 3 BB, 15 K, 1.16 WHIP
Adam Miller (RHP): 0-2, 9.00 ERA, 5 games, 13.0 IP, 18 H, 3 BB, 11 K, 1.62 WHIP
Randy Newsom (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 games, 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.29 WHIP
Rich Rundles (LHP): 0-0, 1.04 ERA, 8 games, 8.2 IP, 2 H, 6 BB, 5 K, 0.92 WHIP
T.J. Burton (RHP): 0-1, 14.73 ERA, 4 games, 3.2 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 3.00 WHIP
Jeff Stevens (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 games, 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.67 WHIP
Chris Gimenez (C): .239 AVG (11-46), 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 11 K, .762 OPS
Michael Aubrey (1B): .275 AVG (25-91), 6 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 10 BB, 10 K, .858 OPS
Brad Snyder (OF): .250 AVG (7-28), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K, .657 OPS
Trevor Crowe (OF): .289 AVG (11-38), 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 3 SB, .864 OPS

Read More

Minor League FAQ

This is the beginning of an Indians minor league FAQ I am putting together. This FAQ will be updated a lot this offseason as I add more things like team records as well as many other things I come across that will be added. This will also be linked in the Minor League Reference section.

1. Player salaries

Major League Baseball handles all Minor League Baseball player contracts. In addition to the bonus they receive when they sign, here is the monthly pay they get at each level:

First contract season: $850/month maximum. After that, open to negotiation
Alien Salary Rates: Different for aliens on visas--mandated by INS (Immigration).
Class AAA (First year): $2,150/month, after first year no less than $2,150/month
Class AA (First year): $1,500/month, after first year no less than $1,500/month
Class A full-season (First year): $1,050/month, after first year no less than $1,050/month
Class A short-season (First year): $850/month, after first year no less than $850/month
Dominican & Venezuelan Summer Leagues: No lower than $300/month

After this, all contracts are open to negotiation. On the road all players at all levels get $20 a day for meal money and coaches get $30. When they are home, the club provides food for them at the stadium before and after games.

2. Columbus Clippers Info and Records

League: International League
Class: AAA
Location: Columbus, OH
Stadium: Huntington Park
Roster Limit: 24
Website: www.clippersbaseball.com

Retired numbers:
Team Records: Coming Soon

3. Akron Aeros Info and Records

League: Eastern League
Class: AA
Location: Akron, OH
Stadium: Canal Park
Roster Limit: 24
Website: www.akronaeros.com

Team Records: Coming Soon

4. Kinston Indians Info and Stats

League: Carolina League
Class: A (Advanced)
Location: Kinston, NC
Stadium: Grainger Stadium
Roster Limit: 25
Website: www.kinstonindians.com

Team Records: Coming Soon

5. Lake County Captains Info and Records

League: South Atlantic League
Class: A (Intermediate)
Location: Eastlake, OH
Stadium: Classic Park
Roster Limit: 25
Website: www.captainsbaseball.com

Team Records: Coming Soon

6. Mahoning Valley Scrappers Info and Records

League: NY-Penn League
Class: A (Short Season)
Location: Niles, OH
Stadium: Eastwood Field
Roster Limit: 30
Website: www.mvscrappers.com

Team Records: Coming Soon

7. GCL Indians Info

League: Gulf Coast League
Class: Rookie
Location: Winter Haven, FL
Roster Limit: 35
Website: www.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t1231

8. DSL Indians Info

League: Dominican Summer League
Class: Rookie (International)
Location: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic (Las Americas Baseball Academy)
Roster Limit: 35
Website: www.dominicansummerleague.com

Read More

Adam Miller injury not serious

There was some cause for serious concern this afternoon in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) when Indians top prospect Adam Miller had to leave his start in the first inning due to an undisclosed injury. Early reports mentioned he had left the game with an apparent hand injury, and many fans feared the worst.

The Indians organization and fans can catch their breath as it turns out he had to leave the game because of a blister on his throwing hand. Miller only logged a third of an inning and had given up three runs on three hits and a walk before having to leave the game in the first innings because of the blister issue.

The game today was the regular season finale in the AFL, but the Indians prospects have one game left as Suprise will play Phoenix in the championship game on Saturday at 12:35 p.m.

Read More

Nick Weglarz and some site updates

I am in the process of completely a detailed FAQ for the site. Included in this FAQ will be items like what minor league players make, roster limits, team and league websites, stadium info, team records for each affiliate and more. This should be completed soon, and will be linked under the Minor League Reference section.

Today I added the player development staff as well as the coaching staff for each affiliate. These are located under the Minor League Reference section, but here are the direct links:

Player Development Staff
Coaching Staffs

I’ll also be adding a scouting department listing soon as well.

Also, real quick, Indians outfield prospect Nick Weglarz is playing for Team Canada in the World Cup which is currently underway in Tawain. Weglarz is the youngest player (19) on the Canadian roster and one of the youngest in the World Cup tournament. Yesterday, he went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and triple, RBI, and two runs scored. The other night he had a pinch hit RBI single in the 8th inning, and then again today he had a pinch hit single for an RBI in the 9th inning. Canada is now out of the tourney, but Weglarz hit well over .400 in limited playing time.

It has been a fantastic year for Weglarz. A year ago at this time he was coming off a hand injury which cost him basically all of his 2006 season, and therefore he was somewhat forgotten about by the fans going into the 2007 season. He had a great year at Lake County last year, raced up the rankings, and caught the attention of baseball executives and scouts in Cleveland and everywhere else because of his power and approach at the plate.

Read More

Fall Leagues Stats Update and More

Here is another update on how some of the Indians minor leaguers are doing in fall/winter leagues. Play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) wraps up this week on November 15th, and play in the Hawaii Winter League (HWL) wraps up on November 18th. Both leagues have a short playoff, so play will extend a little after that for the teams that make the playoffs.

All stats through 11/12/2007

Arizona Fall League (AFL)

Michael Finocchi (RHP): 3-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 games, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.06 WHIP
David Huff (LHP): 1-1, 7.07 ERA, 6 games, 14 IP, 15 H, 3 BB, 13 K, 1.29 WHIP
Adam Miller (RHP): 0-1, 7.11 ERA, 4 games, 12.2 IP, 15 H, 2 BB, 10 K, 1.34 WHIP
Randy Newsom (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 games, 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.29 WHIP
Rich Rundles (LHP): 0-0, 1.17 ERA, 7 games, 7.2 IP, 1 H, 6 BB, 5 K, 0.91 WHIP
T.J. Burton (RHP): 0-1, 14.73 ERA, 4 games, 3.2 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 3.00 WHIP
Jeff Stevens (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 games, 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.67 WHIP
Chris Gimenez (C): .244 AVG (10-41), 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 10 K, .765 OPS
Michael Aubrey (1B): .275 AVG (22-80), 5 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 10 BB, 9 K, .850 OPS
Brad Snyder (OF): .263 AVG (5-19), 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .754 OPS
Trevor Crowe (OF): .289 AVG (11-38), 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 3 SB, .864 OPS

Note: Burton, Stevens, and Crowe are no longer playing in the AFL.

Hawaii Winter League (HWL)

Todd Martin (1B/OF): .217 AVG (10-46), 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K, .642 OPS
Reid Santos (LHP): 0-0, 2 saves, 3.32 ERA, 11 games, 19 IP, 13 H, 11 BB, 24 K, .194 BAA
Erik Stiller (RHP): 1-3, 5.46 ERA, 7 games, 28 IP, 34 H, 7 BB, 30 K, .306 BAA
Neil Wagner (RHP): 0-1, 8.40 ERA, 10 games, 15 IP, 22 H, 11 BB, 13 K, .328 BAA

I was able to get in touch with Erik Stiller yesterday, and while he had a very rough outing over the weekend, a lot of this is a learning experience for the players and they are in the AFL and HWL to work on specific things so some of the stats sometimes suffer. Farm Director Ross Atkins and Minor League Pitching Coordinator Dave Miller have told the players that they are not very concerned with the statistics, and instead are more interested in seeing how the players respond to the development goals they have set for the players.

Stiller was sent to Hawaii to work primarily on his changeup and also work on consistently driving his fastball down to the bottom of the zone. Since Stiller throws four pitches, but his changeup did not get a lot of work this past season in Kinston since he was coming out of the bullpen for most of the season. So, the focus in Hawaii is to throw the changeup a lot and see if he can get the feel of it back.

Wagner has also had a rough go of it so far in Hawaii, but he is another example of how stats do not tell the whole story. He was sent to Hawaii to primarily work on his two offspeed pitches, which he is throwing much more often in Hawaii than he would under normal circumstances during the regular season. Wagner features a mid to upper 90s fastball, but to make that pitch more effective it is imperative he develop a good secondary pitch.

Martin hurt his right wrist and had to go home a week or so back.

As for the HWL itself, all games are played on one field, so each day it hosts two games. Just about every player on all the teams live in downtown Waikiki and are bussed to the field (about 30 minutes away) each day. Since there are only four teams, the players get to know the other players from other teams well. The quality of play in the league has certainly improved since last year.

Thanks to Erik Stiller for the 411 on what is going on over in Hawaii.

Also, one more quick note:

Check out this story in Baseball America on Kyle Stark. New Pittsburgh General Manager Neil Huntington signed Stark away over the weekend as his new Director of Player Development. In Stark’s new role, he will oversee the Pirates farm system. Stark was with the Indians for nine years, and most recently gained a lot of experience in both scouting and player development the past four years with the Indians as an assistant farm director. He also helped oversee and coordinate the Indians’ scouting in the Pacific Rim, although it should be noted that Director of Scouting John Mirabelli was the driving force behind this operation.

Read More

Minor Happenings: Notes 11/12

Baseball Prospectus just released their Indians Top 11 Prospect list over the weekend. For more detail on these rankings, you will need to have a subscription to Baseball Prospectus. However, here is the listing (which is free):

Five-Star Prospects
None
Four-Star Prospects
1. Adam Miller, RHP
2. Wes Hodges, 3B
3. Beau Mills, 1B
Three-Star Prospects
4. Chuck Lofgren, LHP
5. Nick Weglarz, LF
6. Aaron Laffey, LHP
7. Jensen Lewis, RHP
8. Josh Rodriguez, SS
Two-Star Prospects
9. Jordan Brown, 1B
10. Trevor Crowe, OF
11. David Huff, LHP

Just Missing: Brian Barton, OF; Jared Goedert, 3B; Scott Lewis, LHP; Matt Whitney, 1B

Just looking over that list, the only real surprise is Beau Mills being ranked so high and Jordan Brown somewhat low. Also, Huff may be a little high as well. But, overall, expect this list to be commonly duplicated among other Top 10 lists which will issue over the course of the next three to four months.

Also, of note, Baseball America just started releasing their Top 10 lists on-line. They started with the NL East and the Indians Top 10 list is scheduled to be unveiled on January 16th. Their full Top 30 prospects list for the Indians as well as for every other team will be available in the 2008 Prospect Handbook which should issue sometime in February. You can pre-order the book here.

Tomorrow, I will give an update on how some of the players in the Arizona Fall League and Hawaii Winter League are doing, and also provide some info on an Indians minor league FAQ I am working on.

Read More

Minor Happenings: Notes 11/9

Some updates:

J.D. Martin reportedly is healthy and maybe on the verge of a bounce back season next year. According to minor league coordinator Dave Hudgens, in the recently completed Fall Instructional League, “Martin looked really good. He especially looked good in his last outing and was throwing all his pitches well.”

Martin is currently playing in the Nicaraguan Winter League to make up for lost innings this year since he missed two-thirds of the season. He is only expected to play there another two weeks before shutting him down, and to date he is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings.

Also, the roster deadline for the Rule5 Draft is coming up on November. The Indians have a lot of Rule 5 eligibles (check the reference section on this site for the complete list), and it likely will come down to deciding between two guys for several of the spots.

Last year, Indians Scouting Director John Mirabelli commented about how they go about making their roster decisions and how they tend to slot players. For example, the last two roster spots on the 40-man roster he said came down to Ben Francisco or Ryan Goleski for one spot (outfield) and J.D. Martin and Jim Ed Warden for the other (pitcher). In the case of Francisco/Goleski, they chose Francisco because they believed he could help the club sooner and because he is more versatile (they were right).

The fact that Mirabelli commented about the roster spot coming down to Francisco and Goleski speaks volumes to how the Indians slot positions on the 40-man roster. At the Indians already had eight outfielders listed on the 40-man roster, and adding a ninth outfielder (Goleski) would have left very little wiggle-room to fill out other positions. While people at the time were correct in that Goleski had more worth than infielder Mike Rouse and reliever Brian Sikorski, those players were slotted for those spots on the 40-man roster so when/if the Indians would drop either one of Rouse or Sikorski, they would replace them with a like player (infielder or reliever). When looking at who the Indians kept on the 40-man, you have to look at the other eight outfielders, and there was no one that Goleski could have trumped other than the aforementioned Francisco or possibly Top 10 rated prospect Brad Snyder.

Just something to chew on as you maybe try to figure out and rationalize who the Indians may protect.

In other news, here is the press release from yesterday’s Buffalo announcement on a new radio deal:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2007

Bisons Games Return to WWKB Radio
Bisons Sign Three-Year Agreement with Entercom Broadcasting

The Buffalo Bisons are pleased to announce that they have reached a three-year agreement with Entercom Broadcasting of Buffalo to broadcast all Bisons’ home and road games on WWKB “A New Voice” 1520 AM. The agreement will begin next season and run through the 2010 season.

“We are extremely happy to renew a great partnership with Entercom Broadcasting,” said Mike Buczkowski, Vice President/General Manager of the Bisons. “The strength of WWKB’s signal will allow us to bring the excitement of Bisons Baseball to our great fans in the south towns and Southern Ontario.”

“We are excited about once again partnering with the Buffalo Bisons. It is an honor to be associated with their commitment to excellence and winning tradition,” said Greg Ried, Vice President/General Manager of Entercom Buffalo LLC.

The partnership will include all 144 regular season Bisons’ games, the broadcast of the annual Triple-A All Star Game (this year’s game is on July 16 in Louisville, KY), all Bisons’ post season games and the Triple-A Championship Game known as the “Bricktown Showdown.” After the 2008 season, WWKB will also host a monthly one-hour “Baseball Hot Stove Show” in the off-season.

Bisons’ games were broadcasted on WWKB for seven seasons, 1998-2004. The Bisons broadcasting team of play-by-play announcer Ben Wagner and color analyst Duke McGuire will remain intact for the 2008 season.

Read More

Francisco Named Topps' All-Star

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2007

Bisons’ Ben Francisco Named to Topps’ Triple-A All-Star Team
Outfielder Hit .318 for the Bisons in 2007

Minor League Baseball announced that Buffalo Bisons’ outfielder Ben Francisco has been named to the Topps’ Triple-A All-Star Team. After each season, the best performances in each Minor League Baseball classification are honored by the Topps Company of New York, NY, in conjunction with Minor League Baseball.

Francisco, 26, played 95 games with the Bisons in 2007 and led the International League with a .318 (120-377) batting average. He was the Bisons’ first batting champion since Mark Ryal hit .334 in 1990 in the American Association. It was Buffalo’s first batting title in the International League since 1961 when Ted Savage hit .325 on his way to being named the IL’s Most Valuable Player.

Francisco was also named an International League post season All-Star in 2007. The outfielder hit .319 in 19 games in April, earning his first ever Major League promotion. He returned to Buffalo on May 4 and put together a 19-game hit streak from May 9-June 7 where he hit .423 (33-78). He spent a month with the Cleveland Indians, June 22-July 28, before being optioned down to the Bisons for August. In his third stint with the Herd, he had a 15-game hit streak from August 2-16 (.381, 24-63) to take command of the IL batting charts.

Francisco’s 120 hits with the Bisons were second on the team only to Ryan Mulhern (138). His 40 multi-hit games were T1st (Mulhern) while 41 of his hits went for extra bases (27 doubles, 2 triples, 12 home runs). Francisco hit .343 (60-175) in front of Buffalo fans at Dunn Tire Park.

Read More

Minor Happenings: Notes 11/7

Just a couple random notes this morning:

First, the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster and make reserve lists at Buffalo, Akron, etc for protection from the Rule 5 Draft is November 20th. If you are not familiar with the Rule 5 Draft and what it is, a good, brief description can be found here. The Rule 5 Draft will take place at the end of the Winter Meetings on December 6th.

Right-handed reliever Randy Newsom is in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) getting some additional work in. He is Rule 5 eligible, so the Indians are probably getting an additional look at him before they have to make a roster decision on him on whether to put him on the 40-man roster. He has been writing a diary for Baseball America on life in the AFL, and the submissions have been outstanding. His latest piece posted yesterday.

Team USA gets ready to play in the World Cup in Taiwan today, and one Indians prospect was selected to the team: right-handed reliever Jeff Stevens. Here is Baseball America’s short writeup on him in their preview:

Stevens is a quality reliever who posted a 2.81 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 25 walks in 83 1/3 innings between high Class A and Double-A in 2007. He mixes his fastball and changeup well, although his breaking ball is fringy. He profiles as a middle reliever in the majors, and Johnson should be able to call on Stevens in key situations in the tournament.

Stevens is someone the Indians are very high on, and is a pitcher they feel could make the leap to the majors at some point in 2008. He is being fasttracked, and if he performs well early in 2008 could move as quickly as Jensen Lewis did last year. I’ll have a full detailed scouting report of him when the Top 50 list posts in January.

Speaking of the Top 50 list, here is the tentative schedule for its release:

Thurs 1/3: 2008 Top 50 Prospect Intro and focus on guys who just missed
Mon 1/7: Top 50 Prospects 41-50
Tues 1/8: Top 50 Prospects 31-40
Wed 1/9: Top 50 Prospects 21-30
Thurs 1/10: Top 50 Prospects 11-20
Fri 1/11: Top 50 Prospects 6-10
Sat 1/12: Top 50 Prospects 1-5

So be on the lookout for that. There will be detailed scouting reports for all 50 players, as well as brief ones for another 10-30 players who just missed the list. All will be stored on this site in the Scouting Reports section, and will be stored on TheClevelandFan.com as well. Also, I am printing 300-500 copies of the 2008 Top 50 list after it posts on-line, and the copies should be available in February-March. So, if anyone is interested let me know in advance. At most, it will be $5 as I am selling these at cost.

Read More

Fall/Winter League Stats

Just an update on how some of the Indians minor leaguers are doing in fall/winter leagues so far:

All stats through 11/05/2007

Arizona Fall League (AFL)

Michael Finocchi (RHP): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 games, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.95 ERA
David Huff (LHP): 1-1, 7.50 ERA, 5 games, 12 IP, 14 H, 3 BB, 10 K, 1.42 WHIP
Adam Miller (RHP): 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 3 games, 10 IP, 10 H, 0 BB, 8 K, 1.00 WHIP
Randy Newsom (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 games, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.64 WHIP
Rich Rundles (LHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 games, 5.2 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 0.53 WHIP
T.J. Burton (RHP): 0-1, 14.73 ERA, 4 games, 3.2 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 3.00 WHIP
Jeff Stevens (RHP): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 games, 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.67 WHIP
Chris Gimenez (C): .241 AVG (7-29), 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, .801 OPS
Michael Aubrey (1B): .234 AVG (15-64), 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 6 K, .713 OPS
Brad Snyder (OF): .154 AVG (2-13), 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K, .308 OPS
Trevor Crowe (OF): .289 AVG (11-38), 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 3 SB, .864 OPS

Note: Burton, Stevens, and Crowe are no longer playing in the AFL.

Hawaii Winter League (HWL)

Todd Martin (1B/OF): .217 AVG (10-46), 3 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K, .642 OPS
Reid Santos (LHP): 0-0, 1 save, 3.60 ERA, 9 games, 15 IP, 11 H, 9 BB, 20 K, .204 BAA
Erik Stiller (RHP): 1-2, 3.75 ERA, 6 games, 24 IP, 26 H, 6 BB, 26 K, .286 BAA
Neil Wagner (RHP): 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 9 games, 14 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 12 K, .333 BAA

Read More

Minor Happenings: Notes 11/5

A couple quick notes:

First, some may have been wondering why Trevor Crowe is no longer playing in the Arizona Fall League and why Brad Snyder replaced him on the roster. Well, per an e-mail I got over the weekend from the Indians, it looks like Crowe was sent home in Tucson with a non-baseball medical condition. He may or may not return to fall ball.

Also, the roster deadline is November 20th. This is the date the Indians must finalize their 40-man roster selections and who to add from the eligible list from the minors to protect in the Rule 5 Draft.

Last, looking at the depth chart for next year, the Indians are bursting at the seams in the outfield and at first base with players who should be in Buffalo next year. You have Shin-Soo Choo who is out of options and Ben Francisco who is ready for a major league role, but there appears to be no room for him at this moment. Then, you have Ryan Goleski, Brian Barton, Trevor Crowe, and Brad Snyder all vying for time in Buffalo, and that doesn't include minor league free agents Jason Cooper and John Van Every who may be brought back. On top of that, you have three first baseman slotted for time in Buffalo in Jordan Brown, Michael Aubrey and Ryan Mulhern.

A few of these outfielders are all but certain to be traded, waived, or picked up in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason or by the end of spring training. With Choo, Francisco, Snyder, Goleski, Barton, Crowe fighting for potentially one spot in Cleveland and three spots in Buffalo, it sure looks like one or two of them are gone by the start of next season.

And, at first base, with Brown, Aubrey and Mulhern there, one surely could be gone. Mulhern and Brown can play the outfield, but for now they are still staying at first base. Brown is going nowhere, and is arguably the top hitting prospect in the system, and will be the regular first baseman in Buffalo. The question remains who between Mulhern and Aubrey is the DH and plays some time at 1B to give Brown a day off?

If Mulhern is not protected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft (Dec 6th), he surely will be taken by another team. If Mulhern is added to the 40-man roster, it would seem that would mean Aubrey would be taken off and have to clear waivers (which he might).

It is going to be interesting to see how they handle the log jam in the outfield and first base in the upper levels of the system these next few weeks.

Read More

2007 Indians Minor League Free Agents

Here is a listing of players in the Indians farm system who are minor league free agents:

Pitchers (11): Bobby Brownlie (RHP), Jake Dittler (RHP), Mike Koplove (RHP), Cliff Politte (RHP), Jeff Harris (RHP), Jim Ed Warden (RHP), Scott Elarton (RHP), Eric Dubose (LHP), Mariano Gomez (LHP), Rich Rundles (LHP), Jason Stanford (LHP)

Catchers (3): Mike Rose, Armando Camacaro, Yamid Haad

Second Basemen (3): Trent Durrington, Argenis Reyes, Luis Rivas

Shortstops (4): Rodney Choy Foo, Anthony Medrano, Mike Rouse, Christopher De La Cruz

Third Basemen (1): Keith Ginter

Outfielders (1): Jonathan Van Every

Read More

2007 Rule 5 Draft: Indians Eligibles

Here is the official info from the Indians on who is Rule 5 eligible for the December 6, 2007 Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings:

Barton, Brian D
Bunkelman, Cody R
Burton, TJ J
Butia, Mike W
Buzachero, Bubbie D
Camacaro, Armando J
Cevette, Dan E
Constanza, Jose G
Cooper, Jason M
Cumberbatch, Cirilo E
De La Cruz, Christopher A
Finegan, Brian J
Gimenez, Chris P
Goleski, Ryan S
Haad, Yamid
Harris, Jeffrey A
Hoyman, Justin K
Larkin, Shaun M
Mulhern, Ryan T
Newsom, Randy
Niesel, Christopher W
Nottingham, Shawn M
Panther, Nathan E
Perdomo, Luis M
Pesco, Nick J
Pinckney, Brandon M
Riera, Jorge
Roehl, Scott D
Romero, Niuman J
Rundles, Richard L
Smith, Sean H
Southerland, Chip F
Tavarez, Argenis F
Valdes, Juan M
Valdez, Luis C
Wallace, David H
Whitney, Matthew J

Read More