IPI Roundtable: Minor League Opening Day Thoughts ~ Indians Prospect Insider

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

The 2011 minor league season starts tonight.

At 7:00 PM EST tonight three of the Indians' minor league affiliates get things going as Triple-A Columbus, Double-A Akron, and Low-A Lake County are all in action. High-A Kinston gets things started up tomorrow night.

Now that the 2011 season is officially here, I'd like to take the time to mention all of the coverage that will be coming your way via the Indians Prospect Insider (IPI) this year. There is nowhere else you need to go for your Indians minor league information.

As always I will continue to post daily updates with any breaking news up and down the system, provide player feature articles, and my weekly "Minor Happenings" rundown. Game recaps will be provided daily, and last year's "Around the Farm" feature which was added midseason will also now post every day. Also a new feature coming tomorrow called "Highs and Lows" will be featured on my STOHD.com blog. Don't forget the transactions and depth chart which will be updated daily at the top of the page below the site heading!

In addition to that several writers will assist in writing weekly reports specific to the Indians' six minor league affiliates, and other writers will be providing other content with respects to the MLB Draft, stats, etc. Returnig this year to cover the Indians affiliates are Charlie Adams (Columbus), Nino Colla (Akron), Jim Pete (Kinston), and Andrew Zajac (Mahoning Valley). Site photographer Lianna Holub will now be handling Lake County and depth chart mastermind Jason Eddy will now be covering the rookie level teams in Arizona and the Dominican Republic. Also, Jeff Ellis will continue to provide regular columns all year as will new columnists Alex Painter and Greg Dew.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with all of the writers who will be assisting me with the day to day tasks of covering the Indians minor league affiliates and players this season, and we discussed some of the key topics going into the 2011 season. With me serving as moderator, here are their thoughts:

Q: What affiliate are you most excited to follow at least in the early going?

Charlie Adams: 100% biased here: Columbus Clippers. Looking to defend the title, have the two best position prospects in the system and Huntington Park is the best field in the minors to watch a game.

Nino Colla: Lake County looks like a fun team to watch early on. Maybe it has something to do with the all the fresh faces like Alex Lavisky, Nick Bartolone, Anthony Gallas, and the entire pitching staff, but it will definitely give us a strong look at the 2010 draft class. Double the excitement if LeVon Washington and perhaps Tony Wolters join the fray.

Greg Dew: The affiliate I’m most excited to watch to start the year is Columbus. The big league club is improved, but the pieces needed to go from better to best will be found starting in Columbus. The Clippers have the organization’s number one prospect, Lonnie Chisenhall, set to man the hot corner. Just a notch below him in the minds of many scouts is Jason Kipnis at second base. Both players will have the opportunity to stake their claims to big league jobs this season should they perform as expected for Columbus. So too should right-hander Alex White, the team’s 2009 first.

Jason Eddy: Every full season team has at least of couple of prospects that will be fun to watch, but I'll go with Columbus in the early part of the season. If the Indians stay in the hunt into June, a hot start by Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis may get them some early at bats at the major league level. It will also be interesting to hopefully watch the final touches of development for Alex White and Josh Judy.

Jeff Ellis: My affiliate to watch this year in Columbus. I know this might be dull, but all the top talent is near ready and half of the top ten will play in AA this year. It is a deep and talented squad that is going to be showcasing future major leaguers all year. Go see Stowell hit 100. Wonder if Weglarz can stay healthy? See the best swing in the minors in Chisenhall. Watch Kipnis try and become the best second baseman in the minors. It should be a lot of fun in Columbus.

Lianna Holub: I am excited to follow all of the Indians minor league affiliates this season, especially the Akron Aeros. The Aeros are going to have a plethora of prospects on their opening day roster, as well as throughout the season. It appears that they will have a very talented starting rotation, consisting of Kelvin de la Cruz, Scott Barnes, Joe Gardner, Matt Packer, Austin Adams and maybe Nick Hagadone (pro tempore). Also, catcher Chun Chen will be handling the pitching staff. From an offensive standpoint, I am curious to see how he responds to Eastern League pitching. Reports have said he has made progress in his catching, but his forte will always be hitting. He needs to have another good year to prove that he is in the future plans for the Indians.

Alex Painter: As far as MLB-ready prospects, I would naturally have to say the Columbus Clippers. While Orlando Cabrera is keeping the second base seat warm with the big league club, Cord Phelps and Jason Kipnis will continue to mature at the AAA level. Not to mention guys like 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, who tore it up in Spring Training (.500/2/5 in only 26 at-bats), OFs Chad Huffman and Nick Weglarz, and pitchers Josh Judy, Jeanmar Gomez (still high on the guy), and Alex White.

Jim Pete: This is easily the most difficult season in recent memory to pick a certain affiliate as being the most loaded or exciting team. Kinston has Drew Pomeranz, T.J. McFarland, T.J. House, Mary Popham, Bo Greenwell and a now hidden Abner Abreu. Akron has Chun Chen, Jordan Henry, Donnie Webb, Austin Adams, Joe Gardner, Nick Hagadone, Eric Berger and Cory Burns. While both are loaded with prospects, the spotlight will squarely be on Columbus this year. The Clippers will be the staging ground for several players who could make an impact in Cleveland this year. Jason Kipnis, Alex White and Lonnie Chisenhall may force their way to Cleveland mid-year - as Carlos Santana did last year - and while Columbus may not be as strong top-to-bottom as some other affiliates, several other top prospects should find their way to Triple A. I can't tell a lie...Adam Miller has my interest as well.

Andrew Zajac: In the early going, it's a tough call, but in the end, my choice is Columbus. Chisenhall, Kipnis, and Phelps are all vying to make it to Cleveland at some point this year and by making an early impression it could press the Tribe brass to promote them sooner rather than later. Mid-season I'm more excited to follow Lake County to see many of our younger upcoming prospects in the likes of Tony Wolters, Alex Lavisky, and LeVon Washington.

Q: Is there any sort of debut at an affiliate you are very excited about and looking forward to, and why? This could be a pro debut or someone moving up to a new level for the first time, etc.

Charlie Adams: Looking forward to Joe Gardner at AA (and AAA later in the year), his ‘bowling balls’ will still generate groundballs at a high rate, but that’s not enough as he faces tougher hitters night in and out. He needs to work on secondary pitches to become a bona fide rising star in the system.

Nino Colla: Looking forward to seeing Joe Gardner make his Double-A debut. They always say that the competition at the Double-A level is the big separation test for a lot of minor league prospects and Gardner put on a show in Kinston last season. If that success carries over to Akron, the Indians have yet another interesting starting pitching prospect in their upper levels to feel good about.

Greg Dew: Left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, the Tribe’s 1st round pick in the 2010 draft, is going to be the debut to watch this season with the single A Kinston Indians. While White projects as a middle of the rotation starter, Pomeranz has the ability to be a front-line ace. The Indians chances of contending in the coming years become a lot greater if this southpaw develops quickly, starting this season.

Jason Eddy: I know Chun Chen had a great season last year, but he only spent half a season at Kinston. Even with just that short time there, I'm excited to see how he'll do being the man expected to catch every day and drive in runs for the AA Akron lineup. Other than Matt McBride and maybe Beau Mills (who is currently injured), Chen is going to be counted on heavily in the middle of that lineup.

Jeff Ellis: I am excited to see Joe Gardner's AA debut. Last year he was my sleeper selection for the year and he did not disappoint. People are already trying to down play how well he pitched last year because he beat up on younger players in A ball. If Gardner can step it up and pitch anywhere near as well as he pitched last year, he will be a top 100 prospect in all of baseball and top three in the Indians system after the season.

Lianna Holub: I cannot wait until Drew Pomeranz makes his professional debut. He had a good spring and opened some eyes at big league camp. I expect him to be on the same path that Alex White traveled last year. Like White, I think he will spend a good portion of the season with the Aeros.

Alex Painter: I am very excited to see how Alex White does in Columbus this season. In Akron and Kinston last season the 2009 first round draft pick sported a 10-10 record, but had a 2.45 ERA and opponents only hit .220 against him between time in Kinston and Akron. He also averaged around six innings of work over the course of 26 minor league appearances last season. With the uncertainty of the Indians’ starting rotation, the workhorse White could be a huge lift, and it will be exciting to see how he does out of the gate.

Jim Pete: I could sit here and wax poetic about several Indians prospects, but I absolutely can't wait to see Drew Pomeranz pitch for Kinston this season. I've seen a lot this offseason with regards to the Tribe staff saying that Pomeranz is better than Alex White at this stage, and after watching White pitch last season, that's saying something. I suspect Pomeranz will be out of Kinston by the beginning of May, and he may be a staff-mate of White by July. At 6'5" and 230 pounds, he can easily touch 95 MPH with his fastball, but I can't wait to watch that curveball make hitters look foolish. Watch the tape on this kid...that thing drops off a table. If he stays healthy, he should be wearing a Tribe jersey in 2012.

Andrew Zajac: Jason Knapp and Drew Pomeranz starting in Kinston, who are easily our two most high ceiling pitching prospects. Pomeranz should very well follow Alex White's path, while Knapp will be held out for a while in an attempt to control his innings. Knapp is still a very young, raw kid and Pomeranz is just starting his pro ball career. What can be more exciting than seeing these two kids?

Q: Are there any specific roster issues you are looking forward to see work their way out over the course of the season?

Charlie Adams: Cord Phelps, Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Donald, Orlando Cabrera, Luis Valbuena, Jack Hannahan, and Jared Goedert to fill exactly two starting positions in Cleveland.

Nino Colla: The entire outfield is a bit of a mess isn't it? Nick Weglarz's injury is convenient for Columbus, but has still pushed Matt McBride out to first base in Akron. When Weglarz comes back, and even Grady Sizemore for that matter, it will be interesting to see how everything works out. You could even argue that John Drennen deserves a shot in Columbus. And what if someone like Bo Greenwell starts pressing for a shot in Akron at some point? These are all good problems to have, but an interesting situation brewing in the outfield.

Greg Dew: 2011 is going to need to be the year the Indians make a final decision on Nick Hagadone’s role as a pitcher. While most signs point to the left-hander being best suited to coming out of the bullpen, the Indians continue to entertain the idea of having him start. Hagadone is going to be the back-end of a piggyback situation with the AA Akron Aeros to start the year. Watch how his season progresses, if he sticks in the pen, he could make it to Cleveland rather quickly. If it is decided he should start, he might be down in the minors for a while longer.

Jason Eddy: There is a large logjam of pitchers at the AAA level. Once Bryce Stowell and Adam Miller are ready to go, some movement will have to happen. That's also not counting C.C. Lee who should probably be in Columbus already or hopefully Nick Hagadone by June. I just don't see why we'd hang on to Yohan Pino or Joe Martinez too long. It could be the end of some long time prospects like Carlton Smith, Steven Wright, and maybe Jensen Lewis.

Jeff Ellis: The biggest roster issue for the Tribe this year is the glut of relievers who are ready or near ready to make this team. If the Tribe get any good offers on a pen arm, they have to consider moving some of those established arms. The waves of arms are unbelievable with Todd, Putnam, Judy, Stowell, Bryson, and Hagadone who could all debut in the next year or so. After them is another wave of talent. The point is there is no place the Indians are more loaded than relief arms, so I expect we will see the Indians at the deadline trading arms to make room for these kids.

Lianna Holub: The whole Cord Phelps situation intrigues me. Lonnie Chisenhall is stationed at third, Jason Kipnis will be at second, and Asdrubal Cabrera is at short for the big league team leaving Phelps without an infield position. It looks like the Indians will experiment with him at several positions and even in the outfield this season. If Phelps continues his progression, the Indians are going to have to create a spot for him. In the end, everything will work itself out in regards to Phelps if he continues to hit.

Jim Pete: The Indians middle-infield situation hopefully will become clearer as the year progresses. The Indians currently have one slot filled with a long-term prospect at the big league level with Asdrubal Cabrera. With Chisenhall, Kipnis and Cord Phelps priming the wheel at Columbus, it will be interesting to see where all the cards are finally played. If Chiz and Kipnis bookend Cabrera, where does that leave Phelps? Does he become a super-utility guy, or will the Indians find a slot for him somewhere else? And what about first base? With Matt LaPorta looking lost in space, and Nick Weglarz often injured, is there an answer for first base? This Indians infield should be stacked...I'm just not sure where all the cards will be played just yet.

Andrew Zajac: Thinking a little outside the box, I'm interested to see what the Tribe brass does with Nick Hagadone this season, whether they keep him as a starter or say you're going to be a reliever. Hagadone has all the talent in the world. The other roster issue I'm interested in is Adam Miller and how he progresses throughout the system and the timetable he is on.

Q: Is there a player who maybe had a down year last year due to injury or performance issues that you think could be primed for a comeback season?

Charlie Adams: I’m skeptical, but I’m holding out hope that Kelvin De La Cruz is healthy and ready to dominate this season. He has significant upside, and the Indians need as many upside guys as they can get so that at least a couple of them pan out. Prospects are too finicky to count on a ‘can’t miss’ guy.

Nino Colla: I think the guy that immediately comes to mind is Kelvin De La Cruz. He was good in Kinston but he didn't spend a whole lot of time there before going to Akron. A reason for that was the fact he basically missed all of 2009 and he is on the 40-man roster. However I think that was a reason for his struggles with the Aeros. I think now that he has gotten his feet wet with Double-A and is fully healthy, he could be ready to finally take a big step.

Greg Dew: Keeping Hagadone in the pen will look a whole lot better if Jason Knapp is able to make it through the season healthy. The right-hander was a 2008 2nd round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies and a key piece of the Cliff Lee deal. Knapp has had injury issues ever since that trade went down, but if he can put all that behind him, the Indians may have a second future ace on their hands. Knapp will begin the season in extended spring training and progress to single A ball provided all goes well with his arm.

Jason Eddy: I believe that T.J. House is going to dominate at A+ Kinston this season. This is the year he needs to take a large step forward and I think that he'll do well enough the first half of the season to force the Indians hand on who they really want in that AA Akron rotation. He and Pomeranz together should be exciting.

Jeff Ellis: Last year no player had more people running to jump off his band wagon then Abner Abreu. He went from many top tens to falling out of some peoples top 30's. He was ranked in the top ten last year based on two months, and for a majority of the time he was terrible. He started to rebound before he got hurt and people based it on that. Abreu had a bad year last year, but he is now fully recovered from his shoulder injury. He will no longer be much younger than his competition, and should be ready for a major rebound. I would not be shocked to see him lead the Indians minors in home runs.

Lianna Holub: I think right-handed pitcher Trey Haley is due for a breakout season. He made his professional debut with Lake County in 2009 as a 19-year old. He did not do very well, but he was playing ball with players two or three years older than him. Last year, he did well out of the gate, but fizzled out midway through the season. A lot of that was due to a lack of command with his fastball as well as his maturity. In 2011 he needs to show that he has grown up and has harnessed his fastball if he wants to make it.

Alex Painter: Nick Hagadone was one of the pieces of the Victor Martinez trade received from Boston (along with Justin Masterson). I think he can be a really good pitcher in the future. While he did not have a terrible year by any stretch, he did have some control issues. Between high A and AA last season, he gathered a 3-5 record over 17 starts and averaged over a strikeout per inning. However, he also had 63 walks and nine wild pitches over 85.2 innings, for an average of 6.6 walks per nine innings. For Hagadone to continue to advance, the free bases have to be cut down to a minimum.

Jim Pete: I'm not ready to give up on Abner Abreu just yet. Here's a kid who's a breath over 20, who many are writing off after being out for most of 2009 with an injury, and struggling with the bat for most of 2010. With that said, I firmly believe that Abreu is going to explode in 2011. He's had another year of rehab on his injured shoulder, and he should finally be at 100%. I don't think this kid is ever going to be selective at the plate, but as he continues to mature and get healthy the sky is the limit. He had a sizzling spring, and let's not forget that he's one of the best defensive outfielders in the Tribe's system. This kid has a gun. Look for Abreu to "re-break" out in 2011.

Andrew Zajac: I look for Kelvin de la Cruz to have a bounce back year. For much of last season he struggled with his command and mechanics, and quite frankly, just didn't look like the prospect he once did. Truth be told, though, his ability and potential is still there. It's my hope now that he is a year removed from injury that he had a full off-season to refine his mechanics and come back and prove he's still very much a prospect.

Q: What do you think is the strength of the Indians' farm system and why?

Charlie Adams: Positionality. Gaps/short-term solutions on the Major League roster at second base and third base and the two best prospects are there. Pitching is all about having lots of arms that could turn out well: Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, Jeanmar Gomez, Kelvin De La Cruz, Hector Rondon, Joe Gardner, Matt Packer, Scott Barnes and many more give the Indians a solid shot at being an above-average run-prevention team in the near future and beyond.

Nino Colla: No doubt their back-end bullpen arms, especially with Nick Hagadone making a transition to reliever. Columbus is loaded in my opinion with Josh Judy, Bryce Stowell, and Zach Putnam. Throw in Bryan Price, Cory Burns, CC Lee, Hagadone and do not forget about Rob Bryson. I would have no worries about them if a few arms in their major league pen went south and they had to start a train of movement from Lake County up to Columbus at some point. They look solid all around.

Greg Dew: Pitching is the key to winning in the major leagues. Fortunately for the Indians, pitching is also the strength of the organization. In addition to those listed above, Corey Kluber and Jeanmar Gomez in Columbus, the entire Akron starting staff, and Kyle Blair and Cole Cook in Lake County all bear watching. While none of these pitchers may have the ceiling of White, Pomeranz, and Knapp, they’ve got the ability to be quality major league starters down the road.

Jason Eddy: Pitching. Though it may be a weakness at the major league level, the Indians just have so many options at multiple levels of the system that some of them just have to work out. I know that they do not have many outstanding prospects, but they have enough solid ones that there will be some tough choices to make going forward.

Jeff Ellis: The Indians strength is of course pitching. They are loaded; every starting pitching spot seems to be held by a legit prospect. They have pen arms, and starters. They have lefties and righties. They have everything but a blue chip front of the rotation starter. They have players who could make that jump, but no one has that label yet. Some people might also mention second base, which is also true. It is kind of funny as the last time we tried to contend we had a weakness at second base and with relievers. It seems the reactionary policy has worked well.

Lianna Holub: I believe the strength of the Indians farm system would be its pitching. There are some pitchers that should/could be at a higher level but have talent blocking them (i.e. Bryan Price, C.C. Lee, etc…). There are also many promising Latin pitchers who will get their first taste of baseball stateside this year. With the trades of the last few seasons, the Indians have really picked up some high class arms and they look to be in the future plans for them.

Alex Painter: I think the strength of the system is definitely the plethora of solid relievers in the ranks. I am a big Josh Judy fan, but aside from him, the Indians also have Bryce Stowell, Zach Putnam, Rob Bryson, Chen Lee, and Bryan Price among many others. This is undoubtedly a strong suit for the Tribe down the road.

Jim Pete: Pitching...pitching...pitching. The arms that they have been stockpiling are everywhere, and if you look up and down the roster, it's as deep as it's ever been. The starting rotations at all levels are loaded with potential from Columbus through Lake County. White, De La Cruz, Packer, Rondon, Barnes, McAllister, Soto, Dischler, Perez, Gardner, Adams, Pomeranz, McFarland, House, Soto, Hagadone, Price, Blair and Sterling...to name a few starters. The bullpen can throw names out like Stowell, Todd, Judy, Burns, Langwell, Chris Jones, Rob Bryson and Preston Guilmet. While the recent fire sale still has me ready to start a revolution, I can give credit where credit is due. It does appear that the Indians may have solid pitching for years to come.

Andrew Zajac: Left handed hitters; five out of the six top hitting prospects in the Indians system are left handed. Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis are clearly our best hitting prospects, without a doubt, and are both left handed. Then you look at the power bat of Nick Weglarz, also left handed, and our two "young" guys in the system who we drafted last year, LeVon Washington and Tony Wolters.

Q: Is there a player maybe not highly rated and overlooked who you think may be in line for a breakout season, and why?

Charlie Adams: Scott Barnes. He is young (23), he has a better track record than his recent performance after the trade with San Francisco, and he is a lefty with a career K/9 north of 9.0. Why not?

Nino Colla: I don't think anyone would be able to pick the next Matt Packer, but last year I picked Jordan Henry and he turned out to have a fine season, so I may have set a standard for myself here. I really love shortstop Nick Bartolone and not just because his teammates have given him the extraordinary nickname of "Rango." He's not very big, in fact really scrawny and he really does look like a lizard, but players with a lack of size typically make up for that with an abundance of effort and drive. Go Bartolone!

Greg Dew: Of course even a team with the best pitching is not going to win without some hitting. Fortunately in the lower levels of the Indians system are some hitters with a lot of potential or pedigree. Alex Lavisky, LeVon Washington, Abner Abreau, and Bo Greenwell have already received a significant amount of press. But keep an eye on Tyler Holt. The outfielder was a 10th round draft choice last year out of Florida State and was given a record contract for his draft slot. He may not have a lot of raw power, but his will to succeed and all around talents make him a good bet to force his way quickly through the organization on his way to the big leagues. He’ll start the year in A ball with the Kinston Indians.

Jason Eddy: Jesus Aguilar would be my choice. With Chase Burnette in Kinston, Aguilar will be at 1st base or in the DH spot to get over 450+ plate appearances this season. From his time in the DSL he has always had a great K/BB rate and he has driven in runs without superior power. With his development and growth on his large frame, I see him putting up 15-20 home runs and 80 RBI this season.

Jeff Ellis: I think the most over looked player in the Indians farm system is one we won't see all this year. Everyone is forgetting about Hector Rondon. He struggled last year, and was hurt, but it still boggles my mind how an injury can take you from a top 100 prospect in all of baseball, to an afterthought. He was at worst thought to be a sure fire back end reliever. He had such excellent command, some of the best in all the minors. Rondon probably won't pitch this year, but he will play with the Indians for years. Don't forget about him, and don't downgrade his talent.

Lianna Holub: Austin Adams is my choice for a breakout year. Even though Tony has Austin ranked in his Top 50, I think he flies under the radar a little bit because of some of the higher end pitching talent that the Indians possess. The Indians are going to stick with him as a starter, and that is going to increase his value. I expect him to progress even more this season with Akron.

Alex Painter: While this player may not be unheralded or overlooked, as far as breakout seasons are concerned, I am going to peg LeVon Washington. In only nine at-bats last season in the Rookie League, Washington notched four hits, had three RBI, stole a bag, and walked three times en route to a .444 average. While he is still a little raw, he could be a star for the Tribe down the road.

Jim Pete: Keep an eye out on those two kids the Indians got from Seattle in that Branyan deal. I like Carrera a lot, but I think that Juan Diaz is a guy that could really take off. He's a big shortstop at 6'3", but he's not developed his power as of yet, mainly because of his singles-type swing. At 21, I think he still could develop some pop at the plate as he continues to learn a more consistent swing. He's an above average defender with soft hands and a gun for an arm. If that offense comes around, and he did have a nice spring, he could really become valuable to the Tribe down the road. He's in Akron this year after a brief stop in Kinston after the trade.

Andrew Zajac: Kyle Bellows. He's an elite defender who shows he can hit for some power. Overall, he's a guy who is still developing as a player and needs to hit for a higher average. He may not be a regular major league player, but certainly can be a serviceable guy who can come off the bench when you need him and be successful in that role. He reminds me a lot of Casey Blake and Mark DeRosa, who can move across the diamond when necessary. I look for him to have a much better year.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).