Thoughts on the Ubaldo Jimenez trade

Ubaldo Jimenez (Photo: AP)

Here are some quick thoughts on the Indians trade last night getting right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies for prospects left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, right-handed pitcher Alex White, right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner, and first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride.

What the Indians got

- There are a lot of people either all for the deal or completely against it, and it is usually because those for or against the trade are non-prospect fans or prospect fans. On one side you have those people who are not into prospects saying that such a high percentage of prospects flame out, so this is a deal well worth taking a gamble on for a sure thing. On the other side you have the prospect fans worried that the Indians gave up two potential front-of-the-rotation pitchers in a deal for one pitcher.

- I’m a prospect guy, but I have to say that in this case, as long as Jimenez is healthy and checks out, I am with the non-prospect fans on this one. Anytime you have a chance to pickup not only a proven front of the rotation pitcher but one who is under control for another few seasons and cost effective, you have to make the move. Sure, Pomeranz and White *could* end up as good as Jimenez down the road, but the big thing is Jimenez is doing it now, has proven it over time, and is still young, cheap, and controlled.

- You also have to consider what mode the Indians are in. Are they rebuilding, building, or contending? If they were rebuilding, then this deal would make no sense at all, but they are not rebuilding. The question is what mode are they currently in? Building or contending? They are actually doing a little bit of both right now, so a deal like this makes sense as Jimenez gives them a chance to contend and win now and he is another building block for a potential run at a World Series the next few years.

- One thing to consider is the Indians window for contention is now with the current set of players like Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rafael Perez, and Joe Smith who are all free agents after 2012 (Sizemore) or 2013 (the rest). Also Justin Masterson and Chris Perez are free agents after the 2014 season. Jimenez will also coincidentally be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, so the Indians are taking a shot to now and the next two years to make the playoffs and do something during this current window of contention from 2011-2013 with the older group of core players on hand.

- Their postseason chances may appear slim this year, but they just set themselves up as strong contenders the rest of this season in the AL Central and in 2012 and 2013 with this deal. Yes, they need bats, something which could be addressed this offseason, but in the end the main goal is to win, and that was the focus with this trade. That makes this Jimenez deal worth it if you ask me for two “potential” big league pitchers.

- That’s the key word: “potential”. The Indians are acquiring a piece in Jimenez not just for this year but for at least the next two years to help the big league team win now. Pomeranz and White could potentially help now an beyond, but they were still unknowns. With the significant middle finger injury White suffered it is a huge red flag for him going forward. Who knows how effective he will ever be after he returns from the injury or if other injuries result from him compensating for the finger. Injuries quite often ruin the careers of “can’t miss” prospects, and there is never a guarantee a top rated pitcher will fare well when and if he gets to the big leagues. Pomeranz has made just three appearances at the Double-A level, so there is no guarantee that he will not get injured or hit a wall as he pitches more in Double-A, gets to Triple-A, and ultimately the big leagues. There are still several levels to achieve success at before he even reaches the level Jimenez already has. That’s why getting the sure thing trumps potential.

- Aside from dealing for Jimenez, I would not have been happy with a trade for any other player said to be available where we included Pomeranz and White. This includes bats such as Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence. This was a two pitchers for one sale, and one I can live with. Two potentials for one sure thing. Now, had the Indians substituted Jason Kipnis or Lonnie Chisenhall for one of White or Pomeranz, I would have been much less excited about the deal because we would be dealing from a position of weakness (position players) than strength (pitching).

- That’s another key. The Indians are loaded with pitching in the minors. This is why making a play for Jimenez is not such a bad thing as they have the arms to adequately replace the departed Pomeranz, White, and Gardner. Now, yes, there are no other arms currently in the system like Pomeranz and White, but there are lots of guys now on the immediate horizon who can help cover up their loss. Pitchers like lefty Scott Barnes for one, a guy some scouts have said could be a “Pomeranz-lite”.

- With Jimenez, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, Fausto Carmona, Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff, and Zach McAlliser all under control for several seasons past this one, the Indians have a very strong, deep core of starters to go with the next several years. This is why the loss of White and Pomeranz does not hurt as much. With the starting rotation seemingly strong for the next few years, it gives the organization time to develop or draft the next Pomeranz and White so they are ready in 2013 or 2014.

- Speaking of drafting and developing, two of those future stud arms could be right-handed pitcher Dillon Howard (2nd round) and left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters (20th round) from the this year’s draft. Both are unsigned, and while Howard was expected to sign, Peters was not a sure thing. After this trade it would surprise me to see the Indians do what it takes to ensure they get both of them into the system to replenish some of the top level pitching talent they lost.

What the Indians gave up

- The big loss in the deal is Pomeranz, a pitcher who has come on like gangbusters this year and been everything the Indians hoped he would be when they took him #5 overall in last year’s draft. He was the unquestioned #1 prospect in the Indians system at the time of the trade, and for many evaluators is a Top 20 prospect in all of baseball. Losing a prospect of that caliber is something that is hard to sit with, especially being that he comes from the left side with power stuff with the potential to be a dominating front of the rotation pitcher. He looked to be on the path to being a big league option at some point next year, and a very successful pitcher for the Indians for a long time. I believe he will have a very good, long Major League career.

- Alex White is no doubt a very talented pitcher who has unbelievable makeup and is tough. Indians fans saw all of that firsthand when he was called up in May and made a few appearances before being sidelined with the finger injury. There is no doubt in my mind that prior to the finger injury he would have been a good number two or three starter for years to come for the Indians. With his fastball, splitter and slider combination he has the goods.

- That all said about White, I would be very nervous if I were the Rockies. The finger injury he suffered is an uncommon one in baseball, and is the same one which ruined former Indians top prospect Adam Miller’s career. Several surgeries and three years later Miller is making a miraculous comeback this season. Time will tell on White if the finger injury was serious or just a minor blip, but anytime a pitcher gets a significant injury to their hand, arm or shoulder I am concerned.

- It should be noted that when Miller initially was hurt he went through almost exactly the same rehab program where he was back pitching in a few months. But then he developed an elbow issue, something that may have come about because of concerns pitching with the finger. This is what could happen with White, and why the Indians are smart to maybe trade a potentially damaged goods pitcher now at peak value before anything else happens.

- I know there was legitimate concern about White’s finger, and knowing that scouts and other teams read the papers and such the Indians have been openly putting out his rehab progress a lot the last month. It is no coincidence that he went to Akron on Saturday for a rehab outing the day before the trade deadline. If teams balked about a deal not knowing he was healthy, by sending him on a rehab outing it was a way to “show” he was healthy and making great progress. So even though White was in fact on a rehab assignment and on his way back to the Indians at some point, it definitely looks like the Indians played some poker there with his true health status.

- Joe Gardner is a solid pitching prospect that the Rockies are getting in the deal, but he is not the higher level prospect he was claimed to be at the start of the season when he was included in several Top 10 lists. He has dropped significantly (I’d put him #25-30 now), but he is still a workhorse with a very good sinker he consistently runs in the low 90s and has touched 95 MPH and throws a high percentage of the time. His problem has been that both secondary offerings his slider and changeup are below average pitches, which is what has hurt him some this year when facing more talented hitters at the Double-A level.

- Gardner was a hot prospect at this time last year because of his high groundball and strikeout rates, but he has struggled this year in his first taste of Double-A. He sported a very good 3.8 BB/9 and 8.7 K/9 rate last season in Single-A, but that has changed significantly this season where he has a 4.3 BB/9 and 5.5 K/9 this year. On top of that he also held batters to a .197 BAA and had a 3.29 groundball rate (GO/AO), which is what made him very exciting with his ability to miss bats and get players to pound the ball on the ground. But this season hitters are batting .287 off of him and he has dipped to a 1.91 GO/AO. While the Rockies will surely continue to develop him as a starter, all of this points to his struggles with being a once pitch pitcher as a hard sinker can only take you so far, which is why he will likely end up in the bullpen if he makes the big leagues.

- Matt McBride was just inventory to the organization, something that was clearly on display this year when they assigned him to Double-A Akron to start the season and after a midseason promotion to Triple-A Columbus he was recently sent back to Akron. That kind of movement for a 26-year old prospect was a clear sign that he was not a priority prospect for the organization and was viewed more as organizational depth. He has good power and some versatility to play left field, first base and catcher, but he is considered a below average defender in the outfield.

- The Rockies may explore playing McBride at catcher again, a position he played prior to shoulder surgery at the end of 2007, but everything I have heard say his catching days are behind him. He may get a cup of coffee in the big leagues, especially now considering he was included in a major deal, but is not expected to stick around long. He is a guy who could have a nice career and play a long time bouncing back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues.

Final thoughts

- As they often say though, to get something you have to give up something. Initially I will admit, I was upset about losing Pomeranz for any player. But if you look at the deal objectively, if Pomeranz ends up being anything close to what Jimenez has been as a Major League pitcher we would all have been elated. The Indians are trading the potential of Pomeranz in the future for a guy doing it now. That’s a tradeoff that helps the Indians now. A team looking to win right now.

- I know that some of us hate to deal prospects because we often get attached to them since we follow them and grow fond of what they could be. This is the tough part for me as I get to know a lot of these guys not just by looking at box scores and from conversations with organizational personnel and scouts, but also personally as well. I’ve gotten to know all of these players over the years, especially McBride who is a class guy. All are great young mean on and off the field, and I wish them nothing but the best.

- Overall, the only two pieces to be concerned about losing in this deal are Pomeranz and White. Gardner and McBride are more filler in the trade with limited Major League futures. So the question you have to ask is this: are Pomeranz and White worth Jimenez? For me, the chance to shore up the rotation with a front of the rotation pitcher is a no-brainer to win now and for the next few years. With Pomeranz and White not being guarantees going forward, I think a two-for-one sale to acquire a sure thing makes perfect sense. But that’s just me, as I am sure others value all four players the Indians gave up in this deal differently.

- Whether you like the trade or not, I think one thing all Indians fans will agree on is it is nice to see the Indians be a buyer for once at the trade deadline, or in any trade for that matter. Quite often they are the one trading the Ubaldo Jimenez’s of the world for prospects, but this time they are the ones making a move to win now rather than for the future. This is the biggest trade deadline deal in their history as far as them getting a Major League player in return. Kudos to Antonetti and company for having the guts to risk some of their future for a chance to win now.

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).

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2011 Scouting reports for Pomeranz and others

Going into the season I had Alex White as my #3 Indians prospect, Drew Pomeranz my #4 prospect, Joe Gardner as my #10 prospect, and Matt McBride as my #56 prospect. At the midpoint of the season Pomeranz was the unquestioned #1 prospect, White still #3 or #4, Gardner more #25-30 and McBride lower than his #56 coming into the season. All of these scouting reports and 170+ more on Indians prospects are in my book this year.

I posted the 2011 Top 50 Indians prospects earlier this year, so the 2011 scouting reports for Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, and Joe Gardner are available by clicking on their hyperlinks. The 2011 Matt McBride report was not on-line....until now.  I have provided it below (remember, this was written before the season):

56. Matt McBride – First Baseman/Outfielder
Born: 05/23/1985 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Matt McBride

History: McBride was selected by the Indians in the 2nd round of the 2006 Draft out of Lehigh University. He had surgery on his shoulder (right labrum) after the 2007 season to correct a lingering shoulder issue that had plagued him since he was drafted, and the recovery forced him to miss most of the 2008 season. He played in the Arizona Fall League in 2009 and in 22 games hit .378 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and a 1.159 OPS. Last year he finished the season 2nd in the organization in home runs (21) and 4th in RBI (75). He went out to winter ball in the offseason and put on an impressive showing in the Dominican Winter League hitting .282 with 8 HR, 26 RBI and a .899 OPS in 28 games. He only played winter ball for about five weeks, but at the time he left he was in the top two in the league in home runs and RBI.

Strengths: McBride is a big, strong hitter with good power and solid bat-to-ball skills. His strength is to his pull side as he can drive the ball into left field and the left center gap as well as anybody. Even though he is a power hitter he does a good job limiting the strikeouts and consistently puts the ball in play. During his rehab from shoulder surgery he added a lot of strength and improved his physical makeup, and it has shown the past two years with the amount of doubles and home runs he has piled up. As the health of his shoulder has improved it has also allowed him to gain more confidence and be more consistent at the plate, and he showed an improved ability to cover the outer half of the plate last season. He has also adopted a more simple approach where he just tries to be productive every at bat and stick to his plan. He is athletic and runs well for his size. He is a warrior who has excellent work ethic, and is sort of a throwback that hustles on every play and does not showboat.

Last year McBride was only hitting .255 with 4 HR, 32 RBI and a .686 OPS in 68 games at Double-A Akron through June 27th; however, from that point he finished the season hitting .308 with 17 HR, 43 RBI and a .964 OPS in 59 combined games at Akron and Triple-A Columbus. His midseason spike in performance can be attributed to a small change in his swing where he started using his hands much better and was not using so much of his body when he swung which allowed him to see the ball better. In addition to that he was just trusting his abilities, putting up better quality at bats, and was more confident.

Before McBride's shoulder surgery three years ago he was always viewed as one of the top catching prospects in the game because of his good catch-and-throw skills, above average arm, and leadership qualities behind the plate. In his return from surgery he attempted to catch in 2008 and 2009, but the carry on his throws was no longer there and his shoulder was not strong enough to handle the everyday rigors of catching, so to keep him healthy the Indians moved him to first base and left field full time in 2010. His shoulder is fine but just not strong enough to catch. At this point, his future is as a versatile player who can play first base, left field, right field and designated hitter. His days as an everyday catching option are gone as he is now viewed as nothing more than an emergency option there. His conversion to first base and left field started in winter ball in Hawaii in 2008, and in the last two seasons he has shown improvement and has started to settle in at both positions. He continued his development at first base and the outfield in the offseason out in the Dominican Winter League as he split time between first base, left field and right field. He has worked hard on his footwork both at first base and the outfield, and has become a slightly below average defender at both positions. His arm is solid average in the outfield, and by playing a lot of first base it saves some wear and tear on his shoulder.

Opportunities: McBride is about as streaky as a player can get as he follows up long cold spells with extreme hot streaks and vice versa, so he needs to be a more consistent performer where his performance is not so slanted to one extreme or the other. He is also very much a dead-pull hitter as he has a tendency to want to pull everything and has trouble lying off inside pitches. He did a better job last year of handling the outer half of the plate and working up the middle, but he still needs more work there as he still slides back to his tendency of trying to pull everything. While he does a solid job of limiting strikeouts, he could show a little more patience at the plate to help improve his walk rate. Defensively, he still needs to work on becoming more acquainted with first base and the outfield. There is still a lot to learn with getting better reads and jumps in the outfield and with his footwork around the bag at first base, so experience and playing time should help.

Outlook: McBride has now had two very productive seasons in a row, and while the Indians have always known he can hit his power spike is encouraging. The big problem for him is he no longer fits at any one position, which hurts his value as an everyday player. Right now there is a large bottleneck of like players in the outfield and first base between Cleveland, Columbus and Akron, so it appears a long shot for him to get that coveted big league opportunity with the Indians. But, if he continues to produce like he has the last two years and continues to improve defensively and stay healthy, at some point someone is going to give him a shot. He should open the 2011 season at Columbus.



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).

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Newest Indian: Thomas Neal

The big news of the trade deadline for the Tribe of course is the Ubaldo Jimenez deal, where the Indians traded three of their top ten prospects for the next 2.5 years of Jimenez. I am not here to debate this deal, many will I am sure. In the explosion of this deal the Indians made a lesser deal, that should include little debate. They traded Orlando Cabrera to the Giants for Thomas Neal. 

Indians fans had talked about OCAB to the Giants back when we played them, but the Giants reportedly had no interest. The lackluster play of Brandon Crawford and Miguel Tejada changed their minds rather quickly. The Indians received a bit of a fallen prospect in this deal in Thomas Neal.

Thomas Neal is a 23-year old, right-handed (that's correct--right-handed) outfielder. He has been well thought of in many circles, and was ranked the 96th best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America in 2010. He was ranked the 6th best minor league player for the Giants by Keith Law and Fangraphs and 7th by both BA and MLB.

He had one big year where he showed off some power and hit 22 bombs, but has mostly just been a consistent hitter. He might not have big power, but has a good doubles stroke, twice hitting 40 or more, and plays a solid outfield with an above-average arm. Even in a down year he is still posting a 761 OPS in AAA (only 4 Indians regulars have OPS over 700). He only has two home runs this year, and his doubles are down a bit, and that's why he was attainable. Still he has produced at every level, and you have to wonder if this could be little like McAllister, where the Indians are buying low and betting on a rebound.

He seems to be improving in terms of pitch recognition, as his strike out totals have dropped as he has risen up the ranks, which is not often seen. Neal strikes me as kind of a good-at-everything, master-of-nothing type. He could be a player who surprises everyone, and I would not be shocked. After all of our trades and promotions, I believe he would be one of our top ten prospects right now. I tweeted Keith Law for a quick review on Neal:

"I think he's a really good 4th OF. Great return for Cabrera"

On a team that has played Austin Kearns and Travis Buck all season, doesn't a right-handed, really-good 4th outfielder sound like a great addition? Plus' we have had a lot of luck trading washed up vets to San Francisco over the years and getting players. I am excited for Neal. The Indians traded OCAB and got a guy who is a potential legit major league option. Plus, for twitter fans, rumor has it that he is a highly entertaining edition to the Tribe's ranks in the social circles.

Welcome Thomas Neal, another potential steal for a half-season of a bench-worthy veteran.

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).

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Game Recaps 7/30: Head leads Columbus to Victory

Clippers homer past Tides 5-4

With the offense struggling, the Clippers jumped up early en route to a 5-4 victory over the Norfolk Tides.

A two-run home run by Jerad Head in the first put the Clippers up 2-0. Trailing 3-2 heading into the sixth, Jared Goedert contributed a two-run blast of his own.

One inning later, Head came through again with an RBI double to put the Clippers up 5-3. On the game, Head went 2-4 with three RBIs and one run scored.

Josh Judy came on in the ninth and allowed one run but still hung on for the save - his 15th of the season.

Corey Kluber (5-7) started the game for Columbus and allowed two earned runs in six innings and struck out eight. Mitch Talbot pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Kluber.

Aeros Shutout by Seawolves, 5-0

Right-handed pitcher Adam Miller allowed two runs in the top of the fifth inning that broke a scoreless tie as the Akron Aeros were shutout by the Erie SeaWolves 5-0 in game three of a four-game series Saturday at Canal Park.

Miller suffered the loss for the Aeros pitching two innings of relief, allowing five earned runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out one.

Left-handed pitcher Drew Smyly recorded the win for Erie tossing seven scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out eight while walking two.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. Deik Scram and Bryan Holaday opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Jamie Johnson followed with an RBI single scoring Scram and giving the SeaWolves a 1-0 lead. Following a double play, Ben Guez singled home Holaday to make it 2-0.

Erie (50-57) grabbed three more runs in the top of the fifth inning and went on to the win.

The Aeros (55-53) will look to split this four-game series with the SeaWolves on Sunday. Akron will give the ball to left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland, who is 7-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 2011. The SeaWolves have yet to name a starter for tomorrow's contest. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. The game can be heard on Fox Sports 1350 AM or online at sportsradio1350.com. Coverage begins at 12:50 p.m.

Sunday is Family FUNday featuring fun for the entire family throughout the game. The first 2,000 youngsters 12 and under will receive an Orbit Bobblehead, courtesy of FirstMerit.

The Clippers continue their four game set with Norfolk Sunday at 5:05. Justin Germano (1-2, 3.65) - in his first start since his perfect game Tuesday - will go for the Clippers and will be opposed by Brian Matusz (0-3, 4.83).

Blue Rocks Get The Better of Kinston 4-1

The K-Tribe again fell victim to great starting pitching in a 4-1 Saturday night loss in Wilmington. The loss sent Kinston's current skid to six games.

The Indians appeared to have put recent offensive woes in the rearview mirror with a first inning run. Jordan Casas managed a one out triple for his first Carolina League hit and came home one batter later thanks to a throwing error on Wilmington's starting pitcher Michael Mariot.

The Blue Rocks were held off the scoreboard until the sixth inning. Leadoff man Whit Merrifield drew a one out walk, was pushed to second on a sacrifice bunt and took advantage of a fielding miscue to score. A third strike pitch got away from catcher Adam Abraham, who threw to first to complete the strikeout. First baseman Jesus Aguilar threw wild across the diamond, trying to double off Merrifield advancing from second base. The throwing error, charged to Aguilar, allowed Merrifield to score the tying run.

Back-to-Back leadoff singles bolstered the Blue Rocks in the seventh as both base runners scored to put Wilmington on top for good. Wilmington did the damage in the eighth with two outs to space its lead. Reliever Kyle Landis allowed a two out single to John Whittleman. Whittleman moved to second when batter Ryan Stovall was hit with a pitch and scored on a bloop single off the bat of Tim Ferguson.

Clayton Cook received the tough luck loss after departing with the score tied in the seventh. Cook threw 6 1/3 innings, yielding only three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. The first run given up was not earned. Cook departed with the bases loaded in the seventh. Gerard Hall singled in both runs as the first batter Kyle Landis faced. Landis worked 1 2/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits.

The K-Tribe faces Wilmington for the final time in the regular season Sunday afternoon at 1:35 pm. Brett Brach will look to salvage one game out of the current road trip for Kinston. The Indians return home to Historic Grainger Stadium Tuesday, August 2nd.

Late Rally Lifts Scrappers Over IronBirds

The Scrappers scored four runs off the IronBirds bullpen and came from behind to defeat Aberdeen, 4-1, in the series opener at Ripken Stadium.

Mahoning Valley trailed 1-0 heading into the eighth inning after Aberdeen starter Jake Cowan and one reliever pitched seven innings of shutout ball. Cowan allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out eight batters over six innings.

Will Roberts started for the Scrappers and matched Cowan through five innings, striking out five and allowing three hits and one walk.

In the eighth, the Scrappers scored four times. The first run came home on a throwing error by IronBirds reliever Devin Jones, who attempted to throw out the lead runner at third on a bunt by Tony Wolters but threw the ball away down the left field line. Jake Lowery, Jerrud Sabourin and John Barr had run-scoring singles.

Drew Rucinski picked up the win with three innings of one-run ball. He improved to 1-0. Jones picked up the loss to fall to 0-1. Enosil Tejeda pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save of the season.

The Scrappers and IronBirds will continue their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2:35 pm.

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).

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Orlando Cabrera traded to Giants

The Cleveland Indians continued their wheeling and dealing on Saturday night when the sent infielder Orlando Cabrera to the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants for Triple A prospect Thomas Neal.

Neal, predominantly a left-fielder, is currently hitting .295 at Triple A Fresno, with two homers and 25 RBI. He had a break-out season for the Giants in 2009, hitting .337, with 22 homers and 90 RBI at High A San Jose. He followed that up with another solid season at Double A Richmond in 2010, hitting .291, with 12 homers and 69 RBI. He was struggling at the plate with regards to his power production this season, but perhaps some of that can be attributed to his three stints on the DL this season. Neal is currently on the DL.

Baseball America has him ranked 7th for the San Francisco Giants top prospects, and other services have him ranked as high as #2. This is a legitimate haul for the aging OCab.

Cabrera became expendable when the Indians called up top prospects Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall. He was regulated to the utility role, and had been rumored to have caused some commotion with regards to his displeasure at the lack of playing time. With injuries to the Giants Mark DeRosa, Miguel Tehada and Freddy Sanchez, Cabrera will be in the starting line-up, and for a World Series contender. Not a bad shake for OCab...

...and definitely not a bad shake for the Indians. Look for Jason Donald to make his long overdue appearance with the Indians, taking over the utility role from the departing Cabrera.

Look for Neal to head to the DL in Columbus, and become a regular starter once healthy. Nice job by Antonetti in getting a quality player for a bench guy.

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).

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Tribe acquires Ubaldo Jimenez from Rockies

The Cleveland Indians have acquired right-handed starter Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies, pending a physical. To get Jimenez, the Indians will be sending prized prospects Alex White, Drew Pomeranz and Joe Gardner, as well as Double A first baseman/catcher, Matt McBride.

White and Pomeranz were scratched from their Saturday Night appearances. While it was reported that Jimenez was also scratched, he did ultimately pitche the first inning in Colorado, striking out two batters, while giving up four runs and four walks. As he walked into the dugout, Rockies manager Jim Tracy was seen talking to the 6'4" pitcher, and it was immediately followed by a hug-fest in the Rockies dugout. He didn't return to the mound in the second.

Jimenez, 27, is 55-44 in his career, with a lifetime 3.60 ERA, all for the Rockies. He became a household name on April 17, 2010, when he pitched the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies history, against the Atlanta Braves. He won 11 of his first 12 games last season, and was the third pitcher in history to do it with an ERA below 1.00. He was selected to start the 2010 All-Star game with a 15-1 record and a 2.20 ERA. Jimenez would finish the season 19-8, with a 2.88 ERA, finishing third in the Cy Young voting.

Jimenez is currently in the third year of a four-year contract that he signed prior to the 2009 season.  He's set to make $4.2 million in 2012, and has two club options in 2013 for $5.75 million and 2014 for $8 million. Both option years have $500,000 bonuses should he finish 2nd or 3rd in the Cy Young voting, and a $1,000,000 bonus should he win it. He can also receive $50,000 dollar bumps for pitching 200, 210, 220, 230 and 240 innings. Since he was traded, Jimenez can void the 2014 option.

Pomeranz was the Tribe's 2011 first round pick, and has been absolutely electric in his first season with the club.  In 15 starts with Kinston, Pomeranz was 3-2 with a league leading 1.87 ERA. In 77 innings, he gave up only 56 hits, 16 earned runs and 32 walks, while striking out 95. He was recently promoted to Kinston, and in three starts, was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA. In 14 innings, he gave up ten hits, four runs and six walks, while striking out 17.

White was the Indians' 2010 first rounder, and dominated from the start. He started in Kinston last season, and in eight starts, was 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA. He pitched 44 innings, giving up 32 hits and 14 earned runs, while walking 19, and striking out 41. He improved on those numbers after getting called up to Kinston in late may. He went 8-7, with a 2.28 ERA in 106 2/3 innings. He gave up 91 hits, 27 earned runs and 27 walks, while striking out 76 batters.

In 2011, he was promoted to Columbus. He would only make four starts, but was even more impressive than he was in 2010. In 23 2/3 innings, he gave up 19 hits, five earned runs and five walks, while striking out 28 batters.

White was then called up to bigs on April 30th to take Carlos Carrasco's spot in the rotation after he was placed on the DL. White would go on to make three starts, going 1-0 in the process. He gave up 14 hits, six earned runs and nine walks in 15 innings, while striking out 13. White was pulled after three innings during his last start with a finger ligament strain, and ultimately placed on the 60-day DL. The plan was to bring the big righty back in August in a relief role.

Joe Gardner was this site's pitcher of the year in 2010, and was the third round selection for the Indians in 2009. Overall, Gardner went 13-6 with a 2.75 ERA in 28 starts. He pitched 147 1/3 innings, giving up 102 hits and 62 walks, while striking out an impressive 142 batters. His win total and strikeouts were the best in the organization. His 2011 season hasn't been impressive at all, going 7-8 with a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts. He pitched in 97 1/3 inning, giving up 108 hits and 47 walks, while striking out 60. He was shut down for a bit earlier in the year with dead arm, and you have to wonder if the near150 innings pitched burned this season out.

Matt McBride was the Tribes 2nd rounder in 2006. He wasn't projecting as anything more than a fringe player in the organization, but was having a tremendous season in Akron this year, hitting .297, with 14 homers and 53 RBI. Overall, McBride has hit .282 in his career, with 69 homers and 349 RBI.

In all, the Rockies get the 3rd, 4th and 10th rated prospects in the system, which come in the form of two former first rounders, a former second rounder, and a former third rounder. The Indians bring in the Rockies current Ace to anchor their staff.

While I'm dying to throw out my opinion, I'll save it for another piece tomorrow, after I digest all of this in and perhaps gain some new perspective. Tony will also be adding his news and notes as they become available, so keep tuning in to IPI for all the latest...

More on this deal as it comes together.

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).

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Trade Targets Part 2: The Quest for Help

Aaron Harang (Photo: AP)

Ok it is almost 24 hours until the deadline. The Indians have struck their first deal, and appear to be in on everyone. I missed a few targets and some players have been traded already, so might as well do a quick update and talk about who is still out there.

One other note, as seen by the Indians interest in Beltran and acquiring Fukudome, the front office is showing a big time interest in on-base percentage (OBP). Of all the bats available they had the highest OBP of anyone on the trade block this year. The front office is very stat oriented, and I think this should be taken into account as we look at targets.

Let's start out big and then go down:

Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies

Pros: First half of last year he was the best pitcher in baseball, he is signed for 4 more years all at an extremely favorable amount, has pitched well in Colorado.
Cons: High cost to acquire, has been hurt, velocity is down.
Percent chance: 30%

Commentary: If you look at his numbers, they are what you would be happy to see White or Pomeranz produce so why not get a guy who is ready now? The issue is I can see him costing two of the big four. I for one don't have a problem as his contract is exactly what the Indians need in terms of how cheap it is. He would slot into the top of the rotation and not only stabilize the whole rotation but would allow Cleveland to shop Carmona now or in the offseason or consider trading someone like a Carrasco for a bat. I was listening to Keith Law who talked about how Jimenez is the anti-AJ Burnett because he has such a good head on his shoulders. He did not get messed up pitching in Colorado, so he will be fine anywhere and is not a pitcher you would have to worry about come the playoffs. So why is Colorado moving him?  They have a weak farm system and a lot of holes. They need to help fill those holes on a team that has some age spots and Jimenez is a guy who will net them three to four pieces. One side note, if Jimenez is traded he can void the fourth year of his deal so the Indians would have him for 2.5 years at an amazing rate. In all honestly if I were to pay for anyone it would be Jimenez.

BJ Upton, OF, Rays

Pros: He is locked up though next year, is young, a right-handed bat, and is an athlete.
Cons: He strikes out a lot, has a low and declining batting average, and not much pop.
Percent chance: 5%

Commentary: Tampa is a team that we have traded with in the past and are very familiar with. Upton has the advantage that he would not be a rental and would be back for 2012 as well. He had one great year, one good year and has been okay since then. He can steal some bases but is not the most efficient base stealer, has 12-16 HR pop, will take some walks but it is not enough to make up for his low average. In the last three years he has hit .241 or worse with an OBP of about .315. For a comparison, this year Austin Kearns' OBP is .313, so this year he gets on base just a little less than Upton does for his career. He will be good for 30 doubles, but all in all is a guy who has never quite lived up to his tools. In spite of feeling like he has been around forever he is only 26 years old so should just be hitting his prime now, and he has hit better on the road so getting him out of Tampa Bay might do wonders for him. He is an interesting player just in terms of youth, pedigree, and ability. For a player like Upton it comes down to price, and Tampa Bay needs to make room for former Indians draftee Desmond Jennings. I don't think the cost to acquire him would be super high. The Indians seem to have cooled on Upton, and with the addition of Fukudome I am pretty sure Upton is nearly out of the picture.

Hiroki Kuroda, SP, Dodgers

Pros: Top starting pitcher available, consistent player, if lost to free agency would get compensation picks.
Cons: Has a no trade clause and unlikely to approve a trade to Cleveland.
Percent chance: 0%

Commentary: Kuroda has been linked to the Tribe, and has been a very steady pitcher in the NL. The Indians are one of five teams linked to him. For a smart team that does not have to give up too much you would also end up with draft picks back. If the Indians could trade from depth to get Kuroda they would then be able to turn around and be assured two picks if he left in the offseason. For a team like the Dodgers they need to trade him to get prospects because they won't offer him arbitration and they would save some money, which is pretty huge for them right now. The issue is a full no trade clause, and little desire to come to Cleveland. Besides, if he does just stay with the Dodgers then he could avoid arbitration which is always a bonus for a player when it comes to free agency. In terms of his own pocket book, I am willing to bet Kuroda does not waive his no trade because he won't have to worry about arbitration which would mean more money for him long run.

Josh Willingham, OF, Athletics

Pros: He is a right-handed bat, been on a tear recently, and has a good history.
Cons: He is coming off injury.
Percent chance: 40%

Commentary: Willingham has been a consistent bat in baseball for the last six years. If you look at his numbers he has been a bit underrated as he might only hit .260 but he can take a walk and has a career OBP of .362. He has average power as a 18-22 HR guy. He plays power positions as a corner outfielder and first baseman, so this is why he has bounced around a bit. The thing is in three stops he has hit and played well. By by this point he has really deserved to nail down an everyday gig and might get that in free agency next year. He is considered one the Indians main targets and for good reason as he is a solid right handed bat. He is something this organization lacks and he should not cost a king's ransom to acquire. I would not be shocked to see a deal that could be headlined by a young reliever as Oakland is trading most of theirs. The only roadblock I see is with Beltran and Pence out of the way all the teams chasing outfielders such as the Tigers, Braves, Pirates, Red Sox and Rangers are more interested. The other road block is Oakland is shopping everyone including fellow outfielders David Dejesus and Coco Crisp, which means a lot of deals are being worked on at once.

CoCo Crisp, OF, Athletics

Pros: He is a switch hitter, hits righties well, and should not cost any major prospect to acquire.
Cons: He has had defensive problems since he left Cleveland, has had a significant drop in power and average once he left Cleveland, and he doesn't walk much.
Percent chance: 5%

Commentary: The Indians are highly familiar with Crisp and it turns out they traded him when his value was highest. In a deal full of disappointment on all sides Crisp never seemed to be the same player he was in Cleveland, maybe a return would help him bounce back to more solid numbers. Crisp does not hit lefties at all as his career OPS is over a hundred points lower vs. lefties than righties. Once we added Fukudome he became completely redundant. Unless he was just about free, and the Indians wanted an upgrade for a 4th outfielder, I just don't see a fit.

Jeff Francouer, OF, Royals

Pros: He has good power, a great arm/defender, hits lefties well, and is not a rental.
Cons: KC is inclined to keep him, and he has no clue what a walk is.
Percent chance: 10%

Commentary: I like Francouer, I really do, and he brings a lot to the table in terms of defense and pop. Yet he seems like the antithesis of what the front office looks for. This is a guy who in 630 plate appearances manages 20 walks. I mean Santana does that in a what about 2 weeks. I'm not sure I have ever seen a player less prone to walks, and this means by nature he posts a very low OBP. He is a productive player and has helped KC which is why I doubt he goes anywhere. Unlike Betemit who they gave away, Francouer is signed for another year so they can get another year of production out of him. Why trade him for peanuts and is he worth giving up anything solid for? It's a real catch 22 scenario which leads to Frenchy staying in KC, unless someone over pays. I would take him over Ludwick, but it just seems like a hard deal to make happen.

Aaron Harang, SP, Padres

Pros: He has had a bounce back year and is a solid, cheaper pitcher to acquire.
Cons: He has significant home and away splits, and seemed washed up until he came to the friendly confines of Petco.
Percent chance: 25%

Commentary: I am not sure what Harang really brings to the table even though his numbers are much improved. The question is why is he improved? His WHIP is nearly 0.3 lower than last year. He is walking guys at roughly the same rate yet has give up about 30 less hits this year. The advanced stats don't show him being overly lucky either. Could his rebound just be a matter of going from a great hitters park in Cincinnati to a bad hitters park in San Diego? This seems possible, so I am not sure what value there is in Harang. The combo of leaving Petco and coming to the AL should frighten off most AL teams. He looks like a back of the rotation guy to me. If I were GM, I would be passing for sure on Harang.

Ryan Ludwick, OF, Padres

Pros: He is a right handed bat and is familiar with the city, stadium.
Cons: He had one really good year, is in the midst of a horrible year, and he hits righties better than lefties.
Percent chance: 70%

Commentary: The Indians know Ludwick and have a long trade history with San Diego as the front offices do about a trade every other year. He will not cost a lot to acquire in a deal, but I have to be honest I would much rather than Willingham or Fukudome. Ludwick had one fantastic year where his OPS was 150 points higher than any other year, and his HR total that year was only two worse than his next two best years combined. He has posted two good years and one great year. He doesn't walk, he strikes out a lot, and for his career hits righties better than lefties. Even if you think it's an issue of ballpark his road OPS is still .700. A .725 OPS is considered average, but his .700 OPS would still be an improvement for the Indians so there is logic in adding him. He has been in decline stat wise over the last three years, so I am not sure if he would get the Indians compensation picks or not. At the end of the day Ludwick will be the cheapest bat to acquire in terms of prospects and cash. Add in the history between the Indians and Padres and a deal seems very likely. I would expect the price to be along the lines of what the Indians got last year in trades for Kearns and Westbrook.

Here are a few others who are on the Indians radar:

Jamey Carroll, IF, LA: His acquisition could mean the end for Jack Hannahan or Orlando Cabrera, he always has hit lefties well, and LA seems to want some value for him so I am not sure what you can flip for him.

Wandy Rodriquez, SP, HOU: I see that American League teams aren't interest, though I am not sure why. He has had good numbers in a hitters park, has an excellent WHIP every year, and does not beat himself. The issue is the team who gets him is on the hook for over $25 million over the next two years plus a buy out, so the Astros would surely have to throw in money in a deal.

Any Reliever, any team: Let's put it this way: Zach Putnam would be in the bullpen for two-thirds of the teams in this league and if there was an injury he would probably not even be the first arm up for the Tribe.

I also want to keep my two diamonds in the rough guys out there that I have been tracking that no one else has mentioned. I like to think a bit of outside the box, so I looked for guys who are young, right handed and blocked.

The first guy is Chris Heisey of the Reds. The past two years he has put up solid numbers in a limited role, but the Reds are also looking into outfielders so are not sold on him. In spite of his youth he could be acquired. The Reds biggest need matches up with the Indians biggest strength which is pitching, so I am sure a deal could work. He is playing more since they traded Gomes, so this might not be as plausible.

The player I really like though is Allen Craig of St. Louis. He is coming off a knee injury, but has hit with power on every level. The issue for him is that he is blocked in St. Louis, plus La Russa does not like to play young players. Craig would be the 5th or 6th best prospect in a system which is incredibly deep if he still qualified. The depth on the major league roster is also high, so Craig should be a tradeable asset. The Cardinals need relievers in the worst way as they have managed to contend in spite of leading the majors in blown saves at 17. They cut their closer this year, and their best young arm just got hurt. St. Louis would be a natural match for the Indians to turn some of their many arms into a bat, and in this case one that is right handed with good power. I know one poster talked about him playing second base in AAA to take over for STL, but he has been a butcher there and I still can't see it with La Russa and his dislike of youth. The Rasmus deal showed us they are all in for this year, and word is they do not want to trade their big four. So Craig becomes a real option because the bullpen arms they added in the Rasmus deal were not very good.  The best arm the pen got was pushing McClellan back into the pen.

So there is your updated list of options on the trade front for the Indians. After last night's game it is obvious this team has a lot of holes, so the real question is this year worth saving or should we hang onto the prospects and build for the future? By Sunday evening we will know what the Indians answer to this question is.

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The Scrapperbook: Week Six

Where We Stand in Week Six:

Overall Record: 23-18 (3-3 this week) Tied for first place.

Week Six Games:

23 @ Hudson Valley, W 7-4 (WP: J. Colon; LP: A. Bellatti; SV: E. Tejeda)
24 @ Hudson Valley, L 0-6 (WP: P. Markel; LP: W. Roberts)
25 @ Hudson Valley, L 0-2 (WP: J. Floethe; LP: D. Jimenez; SV: R. Dickmann)
27 vs. Lowell, W 5-3 (WP: R. Nixon; LP: R. Velette; SV: E. Tejeda)
28 vs. Lowell, L 7-10 (WP: L. Bastardo; LP: T. Dischler)
29 vs. Lowell, W 8-4 (WP: J. Colon; LP: L. Diaz)

The Transactions:

No transactions.

Week 6 Offense:

After an offensive explosion last week, the offense struggled mightily this week, managing just 27 runs (24 earned), racking up only 41 hits. They also were shut out twice this week. With the anemic offense this week, it certainly sunk their stats a bit, now ranking sixth in the league batting average (.254), previously ranked fifth last week with a .261 batting average, fifth in runs (204), sixth in hits (358), third in doubles (76), second in triples (14), tied for tenth in home runs (15), sixth in RBI (177), sixth in total bases (507), second in walks (154), fewest in strike outs (250), and tied for second in stolen bases (63). They also rank fourth in OBP (.343), eighth in SLG (.359), and sixth in OPS (.703).

Week 6 Offensive Player of the Week: Tony Wolters

A quick rising prospect in the Tribe organization is this guy right here who is swinging one of the hottest bats in minor league baseball. This week, he hit .400 (8-20) with 3 runs, a double, and 2 runs driven in. He also struck out twice and walked twice, while also stealing 2 bases. And in his past ten games, he's hitting .415 (17-41) with 7 runs, 3 doubles, and 6 runs driven in. He has also walked four times and struck out 4 times, while also swiping 4 bags. Also in his past ten games, he has a .478 OBP/.488 SLG/.966 OPS. Wolters is a young prospect facing pitchers who are on average 2 or 3 years older than him. On the season, he's hitting .311 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, a home run, and 13 runs driven in. He also has a good strike out to walk ratio of 22 K/18 BB. A little surprisingly, he has also stolen 13 bags and being caught only 3 times. For the season, he has a .403 OBP/.424 SLG/.827 OPS.

Week 6 Pitching:

Aside from one bad game, the pitching staff held its own this week, allowing 26 ER/29 R and surrendering 48 H. The one thing that's evident is that this team lacks some serious talent in the bullpen who can be relied on night in and night out. For the most part, the starters have kept the team in ball games all season long, but once the game is turned over to the 'pen, things suddenly go wrong. They now rank eighth in the league in ERA (3.84), sixth in hits allowed (341), seventh in runs (185), fifth in earned runs (157), tied for fifth most in home runs allowed (22), sixth in walks allowed (139), and second in strike outs (333).

Week 6 Pitcher of the Week: Joseph Colon

Colon has quietly put together a solid season for the Scrappers. On the season, he has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.48 ERA. In 9 appearances (8 starts), he's pitched a combined 44 innings, allowing 36 hit, 17 ER/20 R, and 1 home run. He has also walked 13 and struck out 33. Opposing hitters have an average of .220 against him. This week, however, he picked up two wins, pitching six innings in both outings, allowing a combined 6 hits and allowing 2 ER/R in both outings. He also walked a combined 2 batters and struck out 14.

Injury Note: I talked with Bryson Myles earlier this week and he stated that the hamstring that has sidelined him from action is doing well and he will return to action on August 1 against Aberdeen.

Looking Ahead to Week 7:

30 @ Aberdeen, 7:05 PM
31 @ Aberdeen, 2:35 PM
1 @ Aberdeen, 7:05 PM
2 vs. Staten Island, 7:05 PM
3 vs. Staten Island, 7:05 PM
4 vs. Staten Island, 7:05 PM
5 vs. Auburn, 7:05 PM

Week 7 Promotions:
Tue, Aug 2: Glee Night, $2 Tuesday, McDonald's McFamily Pack Night, KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets, Austintown Community Day
Wed, Aug 3: DARE Day, Salute to the Great Outdoors, Ohio Lottery Winners Are Everywhere, Military Nights
Thu, Aug 4: Betty White Night, Buck Night
Fri, Aug 5: Friday Night Fireworks, Faith Night, FRITOS Family Friday

You can follow Andrew on Twitter @Andrew_IPI

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).

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On-Deck with the Captains: Week 16

Record:

14-18 (Overall Record: 42-59)

Game Results:

July 22nd - Quad Cities @ Lake County (Loss: Rayl)
July 23rd - Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (Loss: Goodnight)
July 24th - Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (Win: Sterling)
July 25th - Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (Win: Cook, Save: Ehlert)
July 26th - Off
July 27th - Bowling Green @ Lake County (Win: Wetmore)
July 28th - Bowling Green @ Lake County (Win: Sarianides, Save: Ehlert)

Transactions:

July 22nd - Henry Dunn promoted to Lake County from Mahoning Valley
July 22nd - Kevin Fontanez promoted from Lake County to Akron
July 22nd - Felix Sterling promoted from Extended Spring Training to Lake County
July 27th - Kevin Fontanez reassigned from Akron to Lake County
July 27th - LeVon Washington placed on the Disabled List
July 28th - Jesus Aguilar promoted to Kinston
July 28th - Mike Rayl promoted to Kinston

The Line-up:

Jesus Aguilar- 3/12 (.250), 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
Nick Bartolone- 4/18 (.222), 3 R, 4 K, R, SB
Jordan Casas- 5/21 (.238), R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K
Aaron Fields- 1/9 (.111), R, BB, 3 K
Kevin Fontanez- 2/3 (.667), RBI, R, BB
Brian Heere- 5/16 (.313), 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Carlos Moncrief- 6/22 (.273), 5 R, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 9 K
Alex Monsalve- 3/21 (.143), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 4 K, SB
Moises Montero- 1/7 (.143), RBI, 2 K
Ronny Rodriguez- 4/20 (.200), 3 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 K
Giovanny Urshela- 6/20 (.300), 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K

Notes on Offense:

The Captains were almost no-hit again this month. This time, the Captains managed to get one hit versus Quad Cities Friday evening. They lost the game 3-1. Nick Bartolone scored the only run (which was unearned) versus River Bandits starter Trevor Rosenthal.

Lake County was also one-hit in a rain-shortend, six inning game on Saturday night. Jordan Casas tallied the lone hit for the Captains.

Brian Heere's 18 game on-base streak was snapped on Friday night versus Quad Cities.

The Captains lost one of their best hitters in Jesus Aguilar. Aguilar was promoted after Wednesday's game to Kinston. His promotion was well deserved after hitting .292 with 19 homeruns and 69 RBI. The question is... who (or whom) is going to step up and be the Captains power hitter for the remainder of the season?

Hitter of the Week:

Giovanny Urshela

On the Mound:

Cole Cook- 1 start, W, 6 IP, 4 H, R (0 ER), BB, 4 K
Jordan Cooper- 2 G (1 start), 6 IP, 4 H, R, 4 K, HR
Dale Dickerson- 3 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, R, K, HR
Clayton Ehlert- 3 G, 2 S, 3 IP, H, 0 R, K
Luis Encarnacion- 1 G, 1 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Michael Goodnight- 1 start, L, 3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Joey Mahalic- 1 G, 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 2 K
Kyle Petter- 2 G, 3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Mike Rayl- 1 start, L, 6 IP, 6 H, R, BB, 4 K, HR
J.D. Reichenbach- 1 G, 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER)
Nick Sarianides- 2 G, W, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, K
Felix Sterling- 1 start, W, 6 IP, 3 H, R, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
Kirk Wetmore- 1 start, W, 6 IP, 0 R, 5 BB, 3 K

Notes on Pitching:

Felix Sterling was very impressive in his Lake County debut Sunday afternoon. Sterling only gave up one run (a homerun in the first inning) in six solid innings of work.

Clayton Ehlert recored his first save of the second half on July 25th.

Kirk Wetmore had a quality start versus Bowling Green on Wednesday. Wetmore went six no-hit innings, striking out three and walking five. This was his best start in a Captains uniform.

Lefty-ace Mike Rayl was promoted to Kinston following the game on Wednesday. Rayl went 5-5 with a 2.92 ERA with the Captains. He was also a Midwest League All-Star.

Pitcher of the Week:

Felix Sterling

Upcoming Games:

July 29th - Bowling Green @ Lake Couny
July 30th - Lake County @ Lansing
July 31st - Lake County @ Lansing
August 1st - Lake County @ Lansing
August 2nd - Lake County @ Great Lakes
August 3rd - Lake County @ Great Lakes
August 4th - Lake County @ Great Lakes

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Game Recaps 7/29: Rodriguez, Captains win 5th straight

Ronnie Rodriguez (Photo: Lianna Holub)

Captains win 5th straight, 9-7 over BG

Moises Montero’s two out, two run double down the line in left lifted Lake County ahead of Bowling Green 7-5, as the Captains went on to win their fifth straight game by the final of 9-7.

Cody Rogers kicked this ballgame off with a solo homerun giving the Hot Rods a 1-0 in the top of the first.

The Captains took a 2-1 lead, in the bottom half of the first inning, following an RBI single by Chase Burnette and an RBI double from Ronny Rodriguez.

In the second, Luigi Rodriguez in his Captains debut ripped a two run double to centerfield extending the lead to 4-1.

Trailing 4-2, Bowling Green took back the lead in fifth. Phil Wunderlich hit a solo homerun leading off the inning. Nick Schwaner connected on a two run double giving the Hot Rods a 5-4 edge.

In the sixth, the Captains loaded the bases with a Carlos Moncrief single, followed by Luigi Rodriguez’s second double of the game and walk to Burnette. Moncrief scored on a Victor Mateo wild pitch tying the game at five.

The Captains added some needed insurance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ronny Rodriguez tripled to drive in Giovanny Urshela to make it 8-6. Rodriguez scored on Steve Hiscock wild pitch for a 9-6 lead.

The Hot Rods managed to string together a rally in the eighth inning, but feel short 9-7, scoring just one run on an RBI single by Steve Tinoco.

Dale Dickerson (2-1) picked up the victory working two innings allowing an unearned run on two hits, striking out two. Clayton Ehlert worked and 1.2 innings for his 13th save of the season. Victor Mateo (10-5) took the loss allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out three in three innings of work.

Lake County will head to Lansing for a three game series at Cooley Law School Stadium beginning on Saturday night at 7:05PM. The Captains will put the ball in the hand of RHP Felix Sterling (1-0) against RHP Marcus Walden (5-2) for the Lugnuts.

Clippers shutout 3-0

Syracuse continued the Clippers recent slide with a 3-0 win on Friday night.

Chiefs starter J.D. Martin (3-6) pitched seven scoreless innings, earning the win. The Clippers have now lost eight of the last ten games.

Martin recorded three strikeouts include a called third strike on Shelley Duncan in the first inning, leading to plate umpire Kelvin Bultron ejecting Duncan and Clippers manager Mike Sarbaugh.

Clippers starter Joe Martinez (6-5) allowed 12 hits and three runs over 5.1 innings in the loss. Chen Lee pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

The Clippers return home to begin a four-game series with the Norfolk Tides on Saturday. Right-hander Corey Kluber (4-7, 6.05) will oppose left Chris George (4-4, 4.50) for the Tides. First pitch is 7:05pm.

Costly error burns Aeros

Left-handed pitcher Matt Packer went 8.2 innings, but Juan Diaz committed a fielding error in the top of the fifth inning that allowed the game’s only run to score as the Akron Aeros lost game two of a four-game series to the Erie SeaWolves 1-0 Friday at Canal Park.

Packer allowed the unearned run and suffered the loss for Akron scattering seven hits and striking out six while walking two. His 8.2 innings was the longest start for an Aero this season.

The last nine-inning complete game by an Aero was Jeanmar Gomez’s perfect game May 21, 2009 at Trenton.

Left-hander Jay Voss recorded the win for Erie tossing seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits, walking four and striking out two. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Stohr got the last six outs to earn the save.

The Aeros (55-52) and SeaWolves (49-57) will play game three of this four-game series on Saturday. Akron will give the ball to left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 2011. He will face right-handed pitcher Jacob Turner, who is 3-5 with a 3.48 ERA this season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Kinston blanked in 4-0 loss

Kinston’s offense could only muster two hits Friday night at Frawley Stadium as Tim Melville turned in a two hit shutout effort in a 4-0 Kinston loss. The Indians have now lost five straight games and have lost first place for the first time in the second half.

Wilmington struck in the first off of Kinston starting pitcher Mike Rayl, making his Carolina League debut. After an infield hit and a seeing eye single, John Whittleman hit his 17th home run of the season to give the Blue Rocks all the advantage they would need. An unearned run crossed in the fifth inning to add to the Wilmington Advantage.

Blue Rocks starting pitcher Tim Melville turned in a seven inning shutout, limiting Kinston to just two hits. The two hits came in the fifth as Jesus Aguilar and Tyler Cannon led off the frame with back-to-back singles. A double play turned the tide and Aguilar was left stranded at third as the inning came to close on a pop fly. Allen Caldwell came on to work a perfect final two innings. Kinston managed to reach base three times in the game.

K-Tribe pitcher Mike Rayl turned in a solid debut, allowing four runs (three earned) over five innings on six hits. Rayl struck out four and walked one in picking up the loss. Trey Haley fired two scoreless innings and Jose Flores did not allow a run in the eighth, his only inning of work.

Kinston will try to even the series on Saturday night, with first pitch set for 6:05 pm. Clayton Cook is set to get the start for Kinston, he will look to become the first K-Triber to seven wins in 2011.

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).

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Minor Happenings: Wolters impresses in The Valley

Tony Wolters (Photo: IPI)

"Minor Happenings" is a weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

This report was absent last week as I was on vacation, and with the Indians heavily involved in trade deadline discussions most of my attention has been there this week. With new information and news coming in seemingly every moment on a potential Indians trades, it is time to get this report out today before it never gets out!

Once the dust settles with the trade deadline this weekend, things will be back to normal on the minor league front….that is until about August 10th when the draft signings will probably start to come fast and furious leading up to the August 15th deadline. I must say, from a reporting perspective with a focus on the draft, minor leagues, and big leagues that the period from June to mid-August is easily the busiest with the draft, trading deadline, All Star games, promotions, and all the signings!

As a reminder, I have lots in the pipeline with features on players like Beau Mills, Nick Weglarz, Michael Goodnight, Kyle Petter, Aaron Siliga and lots more. Also have lots of quotes from Farm Director Ross Atkins which I will post soon.

Also, I wanted to wish much luck to the departed Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith as they move onto their next baseball chapter with the Cubs. As this weekend gets into motion I have the feeling we will be saying goodbye to a handful of other minor league players in the Indians system. This is always the tough part, at least for me.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 21st through July 27th)

Tony Wolters (Shortstop – Mahoning Valley)
.526 (10-for-19), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 3 SB, 1.188 OPS

Tony Wolters

There were some nice performances this past week like that of Low-A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief, Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, and Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland, but the performance by short season Single-A Mahoning Valley shortstop Tony Wolters stole the show.

Wolters, who just turned 19-years old last month, is doing it all by not only hitting for average, but also drawing walks and driving the ball around the ballpark. On the season in 37 games he is hitting a very healthy .313 with a .407 on-base percentage, and is showing good plate discipline with a 18-22 walk to strikeout ratio and 22 strikeouts in 147 at bats. On top of that he has 13 stolen bases, and he has a good but not great .429 slugging percentage. All this from a kid a year removed from high school and going up mostly against 21-22 year old college pitchers.

The only thing to nitpick with Wolters at this point is he only has a .914 fielding percentage because he has 14 errors in 162 total chances. The 14 errors have been evenly split between throwing and fielding errors. This is not a big concern at the moment as his fielding is considered to be very good, and he has a strong arm. He just sometimes tries to do too much and does not stay within himself as a defender, which is something the Indians feel is correctable.

At the moment Wolters is lining himself up to be the next player after the Indians “Big 4” of prospects in left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, right-handed pitcher Alex White, second baseman Jason Kipnis, and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. With Kipnis and Chisenhall likely to lose rookie status by the end of the season, it is very possible Wolters could find himself in the Indians Top 5 ranking next year, maybe even Top 3.

Honorable Mentions:

Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – COL): 1-1, 1.93 ERA, 2 G, 14.0 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 11 K, .240 BAA
T.J. McFarland (LHP – AKR): 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 2 G, 13.0 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 13 K, .255 BAA
Rob Nixon (RHP – MV): 2-0, 2.45 ERA, 2 G, 11.0 IP, 13 H, 1 BB, 9 K, .283 BAA
Charlie Valerio (C – AZL): .381 (8-21), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .887 OPS
Robel Garcia (OF – AZL): .348 (8-23), 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.160 OPS
Jesus Aguilar (1B - LC): .389 (7-18), 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.121 OPS
Carlos Moncrief (OF – LC): .348 (8-23), 8 R, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K, 1.249 OPS
Tyler Cannon (INF – KIN): .381 (8-21), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.036 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .375 (9-24), 6 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.083 OPS

Previous Winners:

07/14 to 07/20: Beau Mills (1B – Akron)
07/07 to 07/13: Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL Indians)
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

IPI Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 14th through July 20th)

Beau Mills (First baseman – Akron)
.444 (12-for-27), 7 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1.426 OPS

Beau Mills

I’m a week late on this because I was away on vacation last week, but in any case first baseman Beau Mills had quite a send off at Double-A Akron. After hitting .300 with 11 HR, 49 RBI and a .880 OPS in 61 games at Akron, the Indians promoted him to Triple-A Columbus late last week.

Mills, 24, is enjoying a revival season where he is showing there is still some prospect power left in his tank. Left for dead by many fans after two sub par seasons in 2009 and 2010 at Akron, he is showing that sometimes players take longer to figure things out and that you can never truly give up on a former top rated talent.

The interesting thing is that being sidelined with an Achilles injury the first month-plus of the season and on the disabled list for really the first time as a professional it allowed Mills to take a step back and make some adjustments. He has always been praised for his unique awareness as a player and his professionalism, but he now appears to be making the adjustments at the plate that are allowing him to have more success and once again consistently drive the ball and be a run producer.

In five games with Columbus he is just 3-for-16 at the plate with a solo home run. The Indians plan to have him split time at first base and designated hitter along with veterans Shelley Duncan and Nick Johnson. If he has a solid finish in his first exposure at Triple-A, then he will definitely be back on the map for the Indians as an option at first base as soon as next year. He may also fetch some interest in a trade between now and the August 31st trade (with waivers) deadline.

Honorable Mentions:

Jason Donald (INF – COL): .500 (10-20), 8 R, 4 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 2 SB, 1.343 OPS
Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): .360 (9-25), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 7 BB, 2 K, 1 SB, .900 OPS
Ben Copeland (OF – AKR): .391 (9-23), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.070 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .333 (7-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.159 OPS
Brian Heere (OF – LC): .409 (9-22), 3 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.004 OPS
Jordan Smith (3B – MV): .407 (11-27), 4 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.002 OPS
Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL): .407 (11-27), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 SB, .930 OPS
Leonardo Castillo (3B – AZL): .333 (7-21), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.010 OPS
Felix Sterling (RHP – AZL): 0-1, 2.38 ERA, 2 G, 11.1 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 17 K, .158 BAA
Matt Packer (LHP – AKR): 1-1, 1.17 ERA, 2 G, 15.1 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 15 K, .154 BAA
Drew Pomeranz (LHP – AKR): 0-1, 1.86 ERA, 2 G, 9.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 11 K, .182 BAA

Previous Winners:

07/07 to 07/13: Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL Indians)
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

Infirmary Report

Here is an update on some of the walking wounded in the Indians minor league system:

Nick Weglarz

Double-A outfielder Nick Weglarz is not on the disabled list, but he has not played since July 19th because of a minor eye injury. According to a team official he was hit in the eye-nose area by a bat a player was exercising with. His eye is sore and he has been held out as a precaution as he showed some signs of a concussion. Since he is not on the disabled list, he is day to day. In 33 games he is hitting .168 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, and a .659 OPS.

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz was put on the disabled list earlier this week with left shoulder inflammation. He has not pitched since July 5th and was recently replaced in the starting rotation by lefty Drew Pomeranz. It is not known when he will return, but there is a chance that with just five weeks left in the season that his season may be over. In 17 starts this year he is 5-6 with a 4.56 ERA, and in 79.0 innings has allowed 68 hits, 53 walks, and has 84 strikeouts.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Bryan Price has been placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder sprain. He has not pitched since July 15th. It is unknown when he will return, but given the crowded bullpen situation at Akron he may be out awhile. In 20 appearances with Akron this year is 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA, and in 36.2 innings has allowed 41 hits, 14 walks, and has 27 strikeouts.

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto is still on the disabled list with left elbow neuritis. He is close to returning as he has recently been throwing at 120 feet out in Goodyear, Arizona and after a game or two in the Arizona League should probably be cleared to return to Kinston in the next week or two. In 11 starts he is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA, and in 56.2 innings has allowed 49 hits, 18 walks, and has 58 strikeouts.

Roberto Perez

High-A Kinston catcher Roberto Perez was recently placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He left his last game on July 18th with pain in his side after his first at bat and is expected to be out another week or two. In 67 games he is hitting .236 with 1 HR, 19 RBI, and a .705 OPS. His .375 on-base percentage is 2nd in the Carolina League only to Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt (.379).

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Owen Dew has been on the disabled list since May with a right elbow sprain. He has not pitched since May 10th and is rehabbing in Arizona. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment by pitching for the Arizona Summer League team any day. In 8 appearances this year he is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, and in 18.2 innings has allowed 22 hits, 6 walks, and has 17 strikeouts.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Bryson Myles has been limited since July 8th because of a hamstring pull. He came back and played on July 17th after a nine day absence but was removed from the game after two at bats and has not played since. In 20 games he is hitting .305 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and a .819 OPS.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Aaron Siliga rolled his ankle recently, but has not missed any time. In 29 games he is hitting .204 with 2 HR, 8 RBI and a .663 OPS.

Rookie level Arizona League infielder Logan Thompson has not played this year because of a fractured right ankle. No timetable on his return is available, but he may see time at short season Mahoning Valley if he does return sometime in August.

Pomeranz makes Double-A debut

Drew Pomeranz

Since making his Double-A debut with Akron on July 15th, left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has gone 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts. In 14.0 innings he has allowed 10 hits, 6 walks, and has 17 strikeouts. He left High-A Kinston earlier this month and finished his time there going 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, and in 77.0 innings allowed 56 hits, 32 walks, and had 95 strikeouts.

So far Pomeranz is having the same success in Akron that he had in Kinston. He is still limited with his 85-pitch count to pitch deep in games because he is still not efficient with his pitches, gets a lot of strikeouts, and walks some batters. He often does not make it to the sixth inning as 15 of his 18 starts have gone less than six innings.

Pomeranz’s fastball continues to show consistent velocity up to 95 MPH and his command is improving. His curveball is still a weapon, but he barely throws it in favor of developing his circle changeup. The changeup remains his main focus this season as the organization wants him to develop it into an average Major League offering. With two Major League weapons in his fastball and curveball, if he can harness his changeup as a quality, consistent change-of-pace pitch it will make him a more complete pitcher and just about ready to pitch in the big leagues.

In addition to developing his changeup, Pomeranz also still needs to work on his fastball command and becoming more efficient with his pitches so he can pitch deeper into games. This is not a huge concern as former Tribe lefty C.C. Sabathia also had this problem early in his career. As Pomeranz gets stronger, refines his mechanics and command, and matures, with his stuff he has the potential to be a workhorse at the top of the Indians rotation for years to come.

Award winners

Marty Popham

To catch up on some recent award winners, the Eastern League announced last Monday that first baseman Beau Mills was their Player of the Week for the period from July 11th to July 17th. During the five game stretch he hit .632 (12-for-19) with 4 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 runs scored, 3 walks, and had a 1.316 slugging percentage. He had three hits in three of the five games, scored at least one run in all five games, and drove in multiple runs three times.

The Carolina League announced last Monday that High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham was their Pitcher of the Week for the period from July 11th to July 17th. In a start on July 17th he struck out a season high 11 batters and only three hits and one run in 5.2 innings of work. In 16 appearances (10 starts) for Kinston he is 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA, and in 67.1 innings he has allowed 66 hits, 8 walks, and has 66 strikeouts.

This week the Carolina League announced on Monday that High-A Kinston outfielder Abner Abreu was their Player of the Week for the period from July 18th to July 24th. It was the departed Abreu’s second Player of the Week honor for the month of July, his second in three weeks. For the week he hit .522/.560/1.087 (12-for-23) in six games and had 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, and 7 K. He had at least one extra base hit in five of his six games, and was propelled by a big weekend on Friday and Saturday where he went 7-for-8 with 2 HR, 1 3B, and 7 RBI.

Random “Lower Level” Notes

Michael Goodnight

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Michael Goodnight has been the workhorse of the rotation in Lake County all season. In 20 starts he is 5-9 with a 4.22 ERA, and in 96.0 IP he has allowed 81 hits, 44 walks, and has 84 strikeouts. He has had a solid first full season, but it appears the rigors of a full six month season are starting to wear on him and he looks like a tired pitcher. In April he went 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA, in May he went 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA, and in June he went 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA. The wheels have come off for him in July where in five starts he is 0-3 with a 8.41 ERA (20.1 IP, 25 H, 16 BB, 16 K). His struggles stem from a loss of fastball command as each month his walk and hit rate have increased. In July he has 16 walks in 20.1 innings and batters are hitting .321 off of him. He has lots of upside, is a competitor, holds himself accountable for mistakes, and has a good feel for pitching, but two of his top offseason goals will be to get stronger and be a more consistent pitcher.

Low-A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief is coming on strong of late. In 90 games he is hitting .243 with 13 HR, 45 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and a .802 OPS. His raw tools have really been on display of late as in July he is hitting .287 with 5 HR, 12 RBI, and a .867 OPS. One of his recent home runs went 425 feet and hit the scoreboard in center field, only the second time a player has done that in Lake County. He has reached base in 20 of his last 21 games and with his strong month he appears to be coming around. With his tools and him still being so raw, he is a prospect on the rise and one to watch going forward.

Right-handed pitcher Will Roberts, who was the Indians’ 5th round pick in the 2011 Draft out of the University of Virginia, has recently made his pro debut with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He has made three starts and is 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA, and in 9.2 innings has allowed 14 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. His pitch count has been limited since he had not thrown for awhile prior to signing and is still being built back up.

Jordan Smith

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley third baseman/outfielder Jordan Smith is having one heck of a pro debut. So far the 6’4 205-pounder is hitting .341 with 0 HR, 30 RBI, and a .885 OPS in 35 games. Indians coaches have raved about his approach and consistency as he just puts together quality at bats night in and night out. While he has not yet hit a home run, they should come as he has been a doubles machine with 15 of his 47 hits going for doubles. As he adjusts to wood, matures, and refines his swing the home runs should come. He has split time at third base and outfield in Mahoning Valley, but the Indians focus for him in the future is expected to be at third base. He reportedly has been promoted to Lake County today, though this is unconfirmed.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley left-hander Harold Guerrero has been okay so far where in 9 appearances (6 starts) he is 2-1 with a 4.76 ERA (34.0 IP, 30 H, 16 BB, 24 K). As with so many pitchers at his level he is working through fastball command issues, something which has really shown in his five outings (16.1 IP, 14 BB). He is not afraid to be aggressive and go right after hitters, gets his fastball up to 93 MPH, and with his height he gets good downhill plane on his pitches, so he can be a tough lefty to hit.

Short season Single-A infielder KC Serna has already shown his versatility where just 25 games into his pro career he has played 7 games at second base, 7 games at third base, 5 games at shortstop, and 1 game in the outfield (5 games as DH). Being that he is not a higher level prospect, his versatility and the ability to perform will be a key for him going forward in creating value to the organization. He has been a reliable bat so far for Mahoning Valley where in 25 games he is hitting .264 with 0 HR, 7 RBI and a .668 OPS.

Rookie level Arizona outfielder Luigi Rodriguez was promoted to Low-A Lake County today. The 18-year old outfielder leaves Arizona hitting .383 with 3 HR, 13 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a .995 OPS in 24 games. His plate discipline still needs work (4 BB, 19 K), but the Indians feel he is ready for a challenge at a much higher level in Low-A. Coming into the season he was my top Latin prospect making his stateside debut, and so far he has not disappointed.

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).

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