Minor Happenings: Espino makes his case for a promotion

Paolo Espino (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.

It is time for another edition of Minor Happenings to get caught up on the week that was in the Cleveland Indians farm system. The Indians may have traded several players recently, but there are still lots and lots of talented players in the system to follow.

In case you missed it, yesterday I posted an article on Triple-A Columbus first baseman Beau Mills and his renaissance season. Also, I will continue to provide updates throughout the weekend and through Monday on any 2011 Draft signings and developments.

Onto the Happenings….

IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from August 4th through August 10th)

Paolo Espino (Right-handed pitcher - Akron)
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 10.0 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K, .211 BAA

Paolo Espino

For the second week in a row an undervalued player takes home the Player of the Week prize. Last week’s winner Triple-A Columbus outfielder Jerad Head is probably the most undervalued position player in the Indians system, and by the same token Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino may be the pitching version of Head as a player who performs but has yet to get a significant opportunity.

In fairness to the Indians, the Triple-A Columbus pitching staff has been loaded with big league starting pitching depth with a good mixture of high end prospects and veterans in the bullpen all year. Espino is also a guy who is just not highly valued in the industry, so when you combine the two you get a 24-year old pitcher who is stuck in Double-A and pitching at a level lower than he probably should. No matter the case, he has not complained and has gone out and pitched well this year with Akron where in 22 appearances (5 starts) he is now 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA, and in 81.0 innings has allowed 66 hits, 18 walks, and has 78 strikeouts.

With the departure of right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner and left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, the Indians have since inserted Espino into the starting rotation in Akron. In his two starts since the insertion, he has not given up a run in ten innings and continues to do a very good job of putting the ball on the plate and missing some bats. He has made six appearances this season with Triple-A Columbus (1-1, 6.75 ERA) and pitched for them down the stretch and into the playoffs last season (7 G, 3-3, 5.62 ERA), so with the departure of lefty David Huff on Saturday there is a good chance that Espino will be promoted to Columbus sometime by the end of the weekend.

Honorable Mentions:

Chad Huffman (OF – COL): .619 (13-21), 4 R, 6 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.857 OPS
Beau Mills (1B – COL): .476 (10-21), 5 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.370 OPS
Cord Phelps (2B – COL): .367 (11-30), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 1.140 OPS
John Drennen (OF – AKR): .400 (6-15), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1.337 OPS
Adam Abraham (3B – KIN): .406 (9-22), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, .909 OPS
Charlie Valerio (C – AZL): .429 (6-14), 4 R, 0 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 1 K, 1.383 OPS
Will Roberts (RHP – MV): 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 2 G, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K, .194 BAA
Toru Murata (RHP – KIN): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K, .050 BAA

Previous Winners:

07/28 to 08/03: Jerad Head (OF – Columbus)
07/21 to 07/27: Tony Wolters (SS – Mahoning Valley)
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)

Director’s Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins was with the Double-A Akron team this past week as they traveled to Portland, Maine and had some comments on a few players in the system:

Jerad Head

On Jerad Head: “He does it every year. Every year he is a better player and is creating a case for himself that he is a Major League option. This year he has been nothing short of that. The power numbers are consistently there and he hits for average, though we would like to see him get on base a little bit better. But he is a very good defender in left and right field and has some versatility where he can play first base, third base, and if he had to he could go to second base. He is a really good athlete that has really benefitted from a long minor league career and made the most out of it. He is a much better player than he was six years ago. He is a great person too and one that we pull for and are hopeful that we have another Josh Tomlin story in the system because he has the makeup to have that type of a story.”

On Head’s potential as a big league option: “It is unusual in that it is his persistence in that he has not given up whether it is us not giving him the red carpet to the Major Leagues. These guys can read between the lines and see who is given a better more clear opportunity than others, and we have not made it easy for Jerad. But that has not slowed him down and has not phased him as even when he gets less playing time over the years he still handled that exceptionally well, and when he gets the opportunity he has always capitalized on it. He was integral in the Columbus team winning the championship last year as he and Jason Kipnis were pretty much the driving force on that team. It looks like he is doing it again as he has been the cog in the offense for the entire year and been one of the most consistent players for that team. Hopefully we can improve the plate discipline a little bit as he plays a position where offense is very demanding in a corner outfield spot. If we can get his plate discipline up a little bit it will make him a Major League option.”

Austin Adams

On Austin Adams: “He is really interesting because he is up to 100 MPH, he can spin the ball, and he has a developing changeup. He is extremely athletic as he is a converted shortstop, and he is just now getting a feel for how his delivery translates into effectiveness, which is a hard thing to do. Guys can be effective and consistent with just stuff, but being consistently effective and having consistent command of your stuff is what gives you success in the upper levels and into the Major Leagues. In order to do that you have to have an excellent feel for your delivery and know when it gets off track and know when you are in a groove and find a way to get into that groove. He is just now learning that and I think he has made tremendous progress with [Akron pitching coach] Tony Arnold and [minor league pitching coordinator] Dave Miller this year in finding that delivery. He is finishing stronger than he started, which is always a good sign. Like I said, he is up to 100 MPH with an average to above average breaking ball, so if we can get his fastball consistently down in the zone and if that changeup comes he will be a Major League starting option.”

Chen continues to improve

Chun Chen

Double-A Akron catcher Chun Chen is not having as exciting a season as he had last year when he hit a blistering .315 with 12 HR, 69 RBI and a .924 OPS in 110 combined games between Low-A Lake County and High-A Kinston, but even so he is doing well and improving other areas of his game this season. In 90 games for Akron he is hitting .271 with 12 HR, 56 RBI and a .789 OPS.

At the plate Chen has shown some improved pitch recognition skills and has been able to hit breaking balls better. He showed last year he could hit a fastball, but now that he is up in Double-A the secondary offerings from pitchers are much better and he has been tested and faired well. He is also trying to be more selective to get pitches he can drive, but it appears to be affecting him some at the plate as he has 28 walks and 96 strikeouts in 328 at bats, which is a far cry from his 55 walks and 74 strikeouts he had in 390 at bats last year. Even still, he is making strides with the maturation process as a hitter and while the numbers may not be there this year as compared to last season he is certainly improving.

Behind the plate Chen continues to make some strides there as well. His English is improving and he has done a good job developing a rapport with his pitching staff. Sandy Alomar Jr. worked with him a lot during spring training on his receiving skills, and that work is starting to pay off as he has shown noticeable improvement with his blocking ability and game calling.

It remains to be seen if Chen can remain behind the plate because even if he maximizes all of his potential he maybe at best becomes an average Major League defender. His true value in the future may be at first base, a position where his right-handed bat may be a good fit for the Indians in the near future. He also could be a player who splits time at first base and catcher in the big leagues. Needless to say, he is one of the Indians top position player prospects and could be an option for them at the big league level around this time next season.

Scrappers All Stars

Jordan Smith

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley will be sending four players to the NY-Penn League All Star game on August 16th in Lowell, MA. Earlier this week it was announced that left-handed pitcher Danny Jimenez, shortstop Tony Wolters, outfielder Bryson Myles, and third baseman Jordan Smith were named to the team.

Smith, 21, is having an excellent pro debut as in 46 games he is hitting a blistering .337 with 0 HR, 36 RBI and a .858 OPS. He may not have any home runs, but the power potential is there as seen by his 15 doubles and one triple. He is also showing an advanced eye at the plate with 23 walks and 19 strikeouts in 178 at bats.

Wolters, 19, is having a very good first full season as a pro and has established himself as a Top 5 prospect in the Indians organization. In 51 games he is hitting .308 with 1 HR, 17 RBI and a .797 OPS. He has also stolen 16 bases in 20 attempts.

Bryson Myles

Myles, 21, has been limited to 30 games because of a hamstring injury in July, but when he has played he has been a difference maker and is showing the potential that made the Indians excited to nab him in the 6th round of this year’s draft. He is hitting .292 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, and a .757 OPS, and has 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

Jimenez, 21, is the elder statesman of the group as this is his third year in the Indians organization since being drafted in the 23rd round of the 2009 Draft. He has been a performer so far in his minor league career, and this season is no exception as in 13 games (8 starts) he is 2-3 with a 2.70 ERA. In 50.0 innings he has allowed 50 hits, 17 walks, and has 38 strikeouts.

The one glaring omission is catcher Jake Lowery as he is hitting .257 with 5 HR, 35 RBI and a .815 OPS, and has a nice 35-37 walk to strikeout ratio. His batting average may not be high but he has a .373 on-base percentage, and is 2nd in the league in doubles (17), 13th in runs (30), 5th in RBI, 11th in total bases (81), and 17th in OPS.

Award Winners

Will Roberts

This past week the Eastern League named Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Austin Adams as their Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 1st through August 7th. He made two starts over the course of the week and went 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched. On August 2nd he allowed just one run on three hits and three walks while striking out seven batters over five innings of work to earn the win. In his next start on August 7th he scattered seven hits and allowed two runs while striking out five and walking one over 6.2 innings to earn the win. In 22 starts this season he is 9-8 with a 3.81 ERA, and in 111.0 innings has allowed 117 hits, 57 walks, and has 105 strikeouts.

The NY-Penn League also named short season Single-A Mahoning Valley right-handed pitcher Will Roberts their Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 1st through August 7th. In his lone start for the week it was a doozy as he went 6.0 near perfect innings allowing just one hit – a leadoff single in the first inning - and no walks while striking out four. He did a great job all night establishing his fastball to both sides of the plate, kept the ball down in the zone, and was able to consistently throw his offspeed pitches for strikes. In six starts he is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA and in 25.2 innings has allowed 24 hits, 5 walks, and has 18 strikeouts.

Random Notes

Jeanmar Gomez

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez injured his right knee on Thursday afternoon while fielding a ball in the sixth inning. He was not immediately taken out of the game as he finished the inning, but he left the game while warming up in the seventh inning. The injury is not expected to be serious and at this point is not expected to miss his next start on Tuesday, though as a precaution he may miss a start or two. In 19 starts for Columbus this season he is 10-5 with a 2.45 ERA, and in 128.2 innings has allowed 115 hits, 43 walks, and has 100 strikeouts.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Tyler Sturdevant continues to pitch well. In 13 appearances with Akron he is 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA (23.0 IP, 24 H, 7 BB, 28 K), and overall this season in 35 appearances between Akron, High-A Kinston and Triple-A Columbus he is 6-3 with a 2.42 ERA (67.0 IP, 57 H, 17 BB, 76 K). He had a hiccup in his last outing on August 9th for Akron where he allowed three runs in 1.2 innings, but even still he is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his last 10 outings (18.0 IP, 14 H, 5 BB, 25 K). His fastball has consistently been in the mid-90s and he has been up to 97-98 MPH this year, and has complemented it with a nasty cutter. The Indians have a long line of talented right-handed relievers in the upper levels of their system, but his stuff and makeup helps separate him from a lot of them.

High-A Kinston left-handed starter T.J. House is not having the kind of season expected of him after a return trip to Kinston this year. In 21 starts he is 6-10 with a 4.92 ERA, and in 111.2 innings has allowed 108 hits, 57 walks, and has 69 strikeouts. He has a nice low 90s fastball that he complements well with a curveball and changeup, but his problem this year has been fastball command. One concern is his walk rate which has increased every year from 3.3 BB/9 in 2009, 4.0 BB/9 in 2010, and now 4.6 BB/9 in 2011. By the same token his strikeout rate has also steadily decreased from 7.3 K/9 in 2009, 7.0 K/9 in 2010, and now 5.6 K/9 in 2011. These trends are concerning, especially for a player repeating at the same level this season.

LeVon Washington

Low-A Lake County outfielder LeVon Washington has had a season full of ups and downs in his first full pro season. He has battled injuries for most of the year and it has affected him at the plate where in 60 games with Lake County he is hitting .228 with 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and a .667 OPS. Every once in awhile the talent has flashed this season, and is why he will still be considered a top prospect next year as there is belief in the industry the injuries have taken away some from his performance. He flashed those exciting abilities last night with an inside the park home run, using his speed and some luck to leg out what is one of the most exciting plays in baseball.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Bryson Myles is an exciting player to watch because of his ability to affect a game with his bat and as a runner on the bases. He led the nation this year with 53 stolen bases for Stephen F. Austin, and that speed has already shown itself where even being hindered somewhat by a hamstring issue he has 14 stolen bases in 30 games. Indians staff members have worked with him on slowing him down on the basepaths to understand there are certain situations where he can’t run. His size is impressive and he is a powerful player, so the doubles and home runs are expected to come as he adjusts to wood bats. He also actually had a scholarship to play linebacker for TCU, but the TCU coaches pulled the scholarship when he wouldn’t commit to football and drop baseball.

Rookie level Arizona left-handed pitcher Luis Lugo is one of the next young, raw Latin pitchers to keep an eye on. He was recently moved stateside from the Dominican Summer League team where he was 0-3 with a 3.38 ERA (29.1 IP, 21 H, 16 BB, 36 K), and in two appearances with the Arizona League team is 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA (6.1 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 7 K). He is 17 years old and was just signed in the spring, and with his impressive 6’5 200 pound size at that age is a guy you can dream on. He throws a fastball that he already gets to 87-91 MPH and complements it with a developing curveball and changeup. He has a good feel for pitching, poise on the mound, creates good deception, and has good strike throwing ability for his age. Though he is extremely raw, he is definitely a high upside starting pitching prospect for the Indians.

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).

Posted in: Austin Adams,Bryson Myles,Chun-Hsiu Chen,Jeanmar Gomez,Jerad Head,Jordan Smith,LeVon Washington,Luis Lugo,Paolo Espino,T.J. House,Tony Wolters,Tyler Sturdevant,Will Roberts