Around the Farm: AFL 10/7 & 10/8, Instructs 10/6 and AZPL 10/6 & 10/7

Welcome Back,
Hector Ambriz!
(photo: Columbus
Clippers)

Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in Instructional League, advanced Instructional League (AZPL), the Arizona Fall League (AFL), and the Caribbean Leagues.  The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Arizona Fall League: October 7

• Tim Fedroff (RF): 0-for-2, 1 R, 1 BB: Fedroff managed to score one of Phoenix's three runs by doing what he does best...get on base.
• Jesus Aguilar (1B): 0-for-4, 2 K: The life of a young player. Aguilar follows up a monster game with an 0-fer, but you can bet this isn't going to be the trend for the young, right-handed power hitter.

Arizona Fall League: October 8

• Jesus Aguilar (1B): 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K: Aguilar went hitless for the second game in a row, but managed a walk.
• Roberto Perez (DH): 0-for-4, 2 K: Clearly the Indians want to get Perez some at bats in the AFL, because Perez will never be confused as an offensive catcher. Still, he's one of the best defensive catchers in the minors, and if they can get him hitting even a bit, he becomes extremely valuable.

Arizona Parallel League: October 6

• Casey Frawley (SS): 1-for-3, 1 K: Frawley gets a hit in his first outing of the fall season. The kid deserves a chance, after bringing half the Carolina League dirt to Arizona on his jersey.
• Alex Monsalve (C): 2-for-3, 1 R: Players like Monsalve and Perez give the organization incredible catching depth, to go along with Jake Lowery, Chun Chen and Alex Lavisky. Monsalve could be the sleeper in the bunch, as he continues to hit the ball well without the accolades that some of the other names have gotten.
• Ryan Merritt (P): 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER: Merritt came to earth a bit after his first appearance, in which he went two, one-hit innings. Merritt was the Tribe's 16th rounder in 2011, and the lefty possesses a bunch of potential. He's not going to blow it by you, but there is definitely room for him to grow.
• J.D. Reichenbach (P): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K: Reichenbach was an interesting watch this past year, playing most of the season out of the pen, but finding himself making some solid spot starts on occasion. In his first appearance, he didn't do anything electric, but it's clear the Indians like him in several different roles going forward.

Instructional League: August 6

• LeVon Washington (DH): 1-for-4: Washington's abundant potential didn't show it's face much in 2011, but it's no doubt there. He's struggling a bit with the bat, but the Indians continue to work on their offensive project.
• Dorssys Paulino (SS): 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K: Paulino is making the most of his appearances, and belted a home run in this start. Clearly the eyes are on first round pick Lindor (who replaced Paulino in this game, going 0-for-2), but that doesn't mean there isn't enough room for middle infielders in the organization. Paulino was one of the Indians' biggest free-agent catches this past July, and he's the son of former Marlins, Cubs, Rockies and Reds pitcher, Jesus Sanchez.
• Leonardo Castillo (3B): 1-for-3, 1 K: This 18-year-old was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 16-year-old infielder. At 6'2" and 190 pounds, there's a lot of promise to be had here. He had a fantastic year in the Arizona League this past season, hitting .303, with four homers and thirty RBI. While he's not producing much power yet, his size and frame may dictate a sharp increase as he matures.
• Hunter Jones (LF): 1-for-3, 2 K: Jones was the Indians 11th round selection in 2010. He certainly has some MLB pedigree, as his father (Tracy Jones) was a former big leaguer Tracy Jones. He's always been a player to watch, as he comes with plus speed, and a rather large frame. There's no power to speak of as of yet, but he could be one to watch.
• Alex Lavisky (C): 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI: Lavisky is still hovering below the Mendoza Line at instructs, which seems to be his home at all minor league stops at this point. There's no doubt that he possesses extra-base potential, but his hit-or-miss mentality will start to catch up with him soon, as other catching prospects start to pass him.
• Anthony Santander (RF): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K: Santander was a big free-agent signee out of Venezuela this past July, and while he didn't make as big a splash as Paulino, he certainly could turn into something special. He's a speedy switch-hitter, who has plus power. Santander hasn't done much thus-far in instructs, but he's definitely got breakthrough potential going forward.
• Shawn Morimando (P): Morimando was the Tribe's 2011 19th rounder, and was a surprise sign this year. He's an athletic lefty, who has some real upside, and a viscous curve.
• Luis Lugo (P): Lugo was another big sign out of Venezuela this year as a 17-year-old lefty with some interesting size (6'5", 200 lbs). His fastball is already clocked in the low 90's, and projects upwards at least two to three MPH as he learns to pitch. He struggled a bit in his first go in the Arizona League, but is a solid watch over the coming years.

Arizona Parallel League: October 7

• Kyle Bellows (1B): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 K: Bellows continues to find himself at first base, and the solid infielder is showing some offensive skill as well. If he can continue to improve his offense, his defense will make him a solid major leaguer. Think Jack Hannahan.
• Carlos Moncrief (LF): 0-for-1, 3 BB: When you follow the minors daily like we do here at IPI, certain things jump out at you. For Moncrief, you always get the impression that there's more to offer than he's shown yet. Part of the reason has been his prodigious amount of K's (158 in 464 at bats this year). So, when he has a three walk game, that's called taking a step.
• Hector Ambriz (P): 2 IP, 5 K: Where have you gone, Hector Ambriz? Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? If you recall, Ambriz was selected by the Indians from the D'Backs prior to the 2010 season, and stuck around with the Tribe for an injury riddled 2010 season. After some stints on the DL, he was finally shut down in September, and underwent Tommy John surgery. Well, he's back, and looking pretty good out of the gate. Welcome back to the equation Hector.
• Dale Dickerson (P): 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K: The Tribe's 2009 16th rounder continues to pitch well in instructs. He's following up a mild-break-out season, in which he went 3-3 with a 2.51 ERA predominantly at Lake County. He'll find himself in Carolina in the upcoming season, and could be one of those guys that we haven't talked about much yet...that we find ourselves talking about a lot. He did just turn 25 though, so age is a factor.

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: Around the Farm,Hector Ambriz