2011 Prospect Book Update & More

With the start of the new year, it means another Cleveland Indians prospect book is on its way. For those wondering, I am happy to note that at the moment I am in the process of completing it.  I have been receiving a lot of emails and messages about when it will be available, and while I do not have a definite date when it will be available I just wanted to make a quick note today about it.

I had actually noted two weeks ago in my Sunday notes piece the progress of the book, but it may have been missed. In any case, the plan at the moment is to finish the book by the end of this month and send it to the publisher for printing. So with that in mind, I'd expect it to be available at the end of January or early February.

It is really quite involved re-writing and updating all the scouting reports from last season as well as writing new reports for some 50 new players from last year's draft, trades, waiver pickups, and Latin players coming stateside. In addition to that I have some new wrinkles in store for the new book which I hope people like! In all, expect over 160 scouting reports on just about every player in the system and tons of reference material to follow the entire organization in 2011.

Along with the new prospect book, I will also be starting my 2011 Top 50 Prospect countdown on the site. Like I have done in previous years, I will start from #50 and countdown each day from there until we reach #1 about mid-March. Unlike previous years though, I may only be posting a condensed version of the scouting reports and leave the full, detailed versions for those who purchase the book.  I'm not sure about that yet though.

To help preview the start of the countdown, I will be posting some organizational reports that site writer Jason Eddy has posted on the site message board the past week.  It is a very nice overview of each position that should be a good warmup act for the main act once the Top 50 countdown commences in the middle of next week.

As always, thanks for all of the support with the site and for reading. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to let me know and I will try and incorporate them into the new book if possible.

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Tribe Happenings: Depth, need squeezes Brown off roster

Brown's best chance may be to catch

on with another team. (Photo: Ken Carr)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

Brown out

On Thursday the Indians officially added outfielder Austin Kearns to the 40-man roster. To make room for him, they designated outfielder/first baseman Jordan Brown for assignment.

The Indians have ten days to trade, release or outright Brown to the minors. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, as a first time 40-man outright he cannot refuse an assignment to the minors and would be the Indians property for at least the 2011 season.

Brown, 27, made his major league debut on August 1st last season and played in just 26 games. He hit only .230 (20-for-87) with seven doubles, two RBI and had a .582 OPS. In 83 games at Triple-A Columbus last season he hit .298 with 28 doubles, one triple, eight homers, 67 RBI, and had a .804 OPS. In his six year minor league career he is a .306 hitter with an .840 OPS, has won two league MVP awards ('06 Kinston, '07 Akron), and two batting championships ('07 Akron, '09 Columbus).

Brown is a very good hitter who did not get much of a major league opportunity with the Indians mostly because of bad luck and the lack of a true position defensively. Every time he seemed to have a chance to get a shot the last three years an untimely injury seemed to always get in the way. The Indians also have acquired a lot of upper level talent the past few seasons in the wake of the trades for C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and others, which pushed him from near the top of the totem pole at the beginning of 2008 to what now appears on the outside looking in.

Brown's removal from the roster comes as somewhat of a surprise considering it was expected that Shelley Duncan would likely be removed once Kearns was officially added. But the Indians opted to remove Brown for depth reasons and team need, and are willing to gamble that he clears waivers.

Kearns was a need the Indians felt was important to add because of their all left-handed hitting outfield of Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, and Shin-Soo Choo, so as a right-handed hitter should complement them well as the fourth outfielder who primarily plays against lefties. He is also insurance in the event Sizemore is not ready to open the season and needs to spend additional time in Arizona rehabbing from knee surgery. Duncan is a better fit with the team because he is a right-handed hitter who hits lefties well, and is considered a better defensive option at both first base and left field than Brown.

Since Brown is a left-handed hitter he was no longer considered much of an option in the outfield because of the all left-handed starting outfield and because of his shaky defense. It left no opportunity to platoon with anyone at the big league level in the outfield, which meant his only option was first base and designated hitter.

But the Indians have Matt LaPorta and Travis Hafner locked into both of those spots, and recently rostered Jared Goedert is an option at first base as well. In addition to that, they also have the left-handed hitting slugger Nick Weglarz who if he can stay healthy will probably get a look in Cleveland sometime after the All Star break this year, if not sooner.

All that said, Brown can hit, so someone with a need for a platoon player or stop gap option at first base, designated hitter, and/or left field may snag him off waivers. However, considering how so many 40-man rosters are close to locked up for the start of 2011 spring training and Brown is limited as a one tool player (bat), it looks likely that he will probably clear waivers.

With that in mind, you always need to watch out for the Pirates as GM Neil Huntington is very familiar with Brown and saw him at his best before he took the Pirates GM post in 2008. Another team who may have interest is the Red Sox.

Blyleven, Alomar named to hall

Former Cleveland Indians right-handed pitcher Bert Blyleven and second baseman Roberto Alomar were named to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York on Wednesday.

Blyleven pitched five seasons for the Indians from 1981-85 and went 48-37 with a 3.23 ERA in 104 games, and as an Indian was an American League All Star in 1985 and finished 3rd in the American League Cy Young voting in both 1984 and 1985. His best season with the Indians came in 1984 when he went 19-7 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts, finishing 2nd in the AL in wins, 3rd in ERA and 4th in strikeouts. In his 22-year Major League career from 1970-1992 he finished with a record of 287-250 with a 3.31 ERA in 692 games. His 3,701 strikeouts are the 5th most in the history of baseball.

Alomar played with the Indians over three seasons from 1999-2001, hitting a combined .323 with 362 runs, 114 2B, 63 HR, 309 RBI and 106 steals. His 1999 season was one of the all time best in club history as he hit .323, scored a league best 138 runs, and had 40 doubles, 24 homers, 120 RBI and 37 stolen bases and placed 3rd in the AL MVP voting. He won Rawlings Gold Gloves over each of his three seasons with the Indians and Silver Slugger Awards in 1999 and 2000. He is one of just four players in history (Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor) with at least 500 career doubles (504), 200 homers (210) and 450 steals (474) to go along with a career batting average of .300.

Blyleven and Alomar are the 30th and 31st individuals to gain election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame who either played or managed with the Cleveland American League baseball franchise.

Sizemore making progress

Indians All Star outfielder Grady Sizemore is making his way back from microfracture surgery on his left knee last June, and after a recent checkup with doctors is on pace to be ready for opening day on April 1. This past week he got the okay to take part in a hitting and throwing program, and this week he will begin a light running program to build up strength in his knee.

While there is optimism for Sizemore’s healthy return, it should be noted that he very likely will not play early this spring as he and the Indians will take a conservative approach to help reduce the chance for a hiccup in his health when he does return to the lineup full time. It remains a possibility he could open the season on the 15-day disabled list and get some extra rehab time in Arizona and game action in extended spring and then join the team later in April.

Sizemore, 28, is coming off two injury plagued seasons in 2009 and 2010, and if his health returns it would be a huge boost to the offense. Last year he played in just 33 games and hit .211 with no homers, 13 RBI and a .560 OPS before being shutdown in May with the injury.

Indians, Pirates complete trade

On Tuesday the Cleveland Indians acquired right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later or for cash considerations.  The trade is not future compensation from the Pirates for infielder Josh Rodriguez who they took from the Indians in the Rule 5 Draft last month, and instead is likely to just be a cash deal.

Martinez, 27, was picked up by the Pirates in a trade last July, and in nine combined games at the big league level last year with the Pirates and Giants went 0-1 with a 4.12 ERA. In 21 combined appearances (17 starts) between Triple-A Fresno (Giants) and Indianapolis (Pirates) he went 5-6 with a 3.94 ERA.

Martinez throws an upper 80s sinking fastball and relies on pitching to contact and getting groundball outs. While he lacks dominating stuff he is still considered a starting option because he gets good movement on his fastball and has two solid secondary pitches in a curveball and changeup. In the past he has proven to be a durable, reliable starter, which is something the Indians need right now is a pitcher who can consistently give them innings and compete well. He may also fill a long relief or swing role in the bullpen at some point in 2011.

Barring injury, the Indians are set to open the 2011 season with Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot in the starting rotation. The options for the final spot in the rotation appear plentiful with Jeanmar Gomez, Josh Tomlin, Aaron Laffey, David Huff and others, but due to the youth, inexperience, and the inconsistent performance of all of those pitchers in the past - as well as the front four of the rotation - the Indians have been looking to acquire more starting pitching options this offseason.

No on Chavez

The agent for free agent third baseman Eric Chavez recently made it known that he will have a private work out for the Dodgers and two unnamed American League teams. With the Indians in search of a cheap third base option for 2011 it would appear that he would be a good fit for them, but they are not one of the two mystery teams that will work him out later this month as they are not interested in signing him.

Chavez is coming back from a serious back issue, and from what I have heard there are enough concerns with his medical that even if he can play in 2011 will likely will push him to first base, a position the Indians will be playing Matt LaPorta at a lot this upcoming season.

Indians sign Mathis

On Wednesday the Indians signed right-handed pitcher Doug Mathis to a minor league contract with an invite to big league spring training. He made 13 relief appearances with the Texas Rangers last year and went 1-1 with a 6.04 ERA, though the ERA is greatly affected by a disastrous outing on May 14th at Toronto where in 1.1 innings he allowed 8 earned runs. He recently pitched for Este in the Dominican Winter League where he went 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA in seven games.

Parting Shots

Right-handed pitcher Justin Germano last weekend accepted his assignment to Triple-A Columbus. As a non-first time 40-man roster removal he had the right to refuse an outright assignment to Triple-A and declare free agency. He will report to big league spring training in February. … Non-roster invitee middle infielder Adam Everett will make $700,000 if he makes the big league roster this year, and with incentives could make as much as $1 million. … Minor league outfielder Lucas Montero signed with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier in the week. He was a six year minor league free agent who reached as high as Double-A Akron and last year in 111 combined games at High-A Kinston and Akron hit .261 with 3 HR, 32 RBI, 25 stolen bases, and a .706 OPS. … Finally, ESPN’s Buster Olney recently commented that Indians President Mark Shapiro is someone who may get consideration down the road as the successor for Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig when he hangs it up.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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2010 Released Players: Final

Here is a listing of the players released over the course of the 2010 calendar year. Most of these players were organizational soldiers, though there have been a few surprise releases this season.

Note: This listing will be housed in the reference section on the right panel. Also, this is from info I have received throughout the year from the Indians and their affiliates. Not all releases are made public or are mentioned, but close to all (if not all) are included below.

2010 Released Players

John Allman (OF)
Lurvin Basabe (2B)
Ryan Blair (OF)
Matt Brown (OF)
Eddie Burns (RHP)
Brian Buscher (INF)
Jose Camargo (SS)
Gary Campfield (RHP)
Jose Campos (RHP)*
Dallas Cawiezell (RHP)
Jeffry Cleto (RHP)
Ryan Edell (LHP)
Guido Fonseca (RHP)
Santo Frias (RHP)
Miguel Fuentes (C)
Mike Gosling (LHP)*
Stephen Head (OF)
Jonathan Holt (RHP)
Brian Horwitz (OF)
Scott Lewis (LHP)
Tom Mastny (RHP)
Mike McGuire (RHP)
Ryan Miller (LHP)
Chris Nash (1B)
Tim Palincsar (OF)*
Rolando Petit (C)
Josh Phelps (1B)
Wady Pinales (RHP)
Mike Pontius (RHP)
Darling Read (OF)
Dioris Robles (OF)
Luis Rodriguez (INF)
Gregorio Rosario (RHP)
Steve Smith (RHP)
Erik Stiller (RHP)
Heath Taylor (LHP)*
Mark Thompson (SS)
Sung-Wei Tseng (RHP)
Michael Valadez (RHP)
Adam White (OF)
Matt Willard (2B)

* - voluntarily retired

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Captains to host Hot Stove dinner on January 18th

The Lake County Captains will host its ninth annual Hot Stove Dinner on Tuesday January 18 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Classic Park. The event will feature a silent auction, a buffet dinner and opportunity for fans to meet top prospects from the Cleveland Indians organization.

The event coincides with the Indians Winter Development Program which runs in Cleveland from January 17-21 and brings the Indians top prospects to Cleveland for off-season training in the Cleveland area.

Fans at the Hot Stove dinner will have the opportunity to meet former Captains players and other top Cleveland Indians prospects, as well as members of the Indians Player Development Department. The players will sign autographs and be a part of question and answer session. Players who have attended in past years include current Indians Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley Jason Donald, Frank Herrmann, Jeanmar Gomez and former Captains Nick Weglarz Carlton Smith and Josh Judy.

A silent auction of various Captains and Indians memorabilia will also be held during the evening, with 100% of the auction proceeds benefiting Captains Charities, an official 501(c)3 organization that serves as the charitable arm of the baseball club.

Fans will enter the event, which is held in the batting cage building at Classic Park, through the Captains home clubhouse. Fans will be able to get a photo taken with the Midwest League Championship trophy as they enter as well. The buffet dinner will include Penne Pasta with Italian sausage and meatballs, boneless chicken tenders, pizza, Italian sausage sandwiches, grilled chicken breast sandwiches, salad and desert. An assortment of non-alcoholic beverages is included as well. A limited selection of alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at a cash bar.

Tickets are only $30 for adults and $20 for kids ages 4-12. The Hot Stove dinner is limited to the first 150 reservations. Call 440-954-WINS for ticket information.

Hope to see you there!

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Indians designate Jordan Brown for assignment

The Indians on Thursday officially added outfielder Austin Kearns to the 40-man roster. To make room for him, the Indians designated outfielder/first baseman Jordan Brown for assignment.

Brown, 27, made his major league debut on August 1st last season and played in just 26 games. He hit only .230 (20-for-87) with seven doubles, two RBI and had a .582 OPS. In 83 games at Triple-A Columbus last season he hit .298 with 28 doubles, one triple, eight homers, 67 RBI, and had a .804 OPS. In his six year minor league career he is a .306 hitter with an .840 OPS, has won two league MVP awards ('06 Kinston, '07 Akron), and two batting championships ('07 Akron, '09 Columbus).

The Indians now have ten days to trade, release or outright Brown to the minors. If Brown goes unclaimed on waivers, as a first time 40-man outright he cannot refuse an assignment to the minors and would be the Indians property for at least the 2011 season.

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Lightning quick Henry moving up fast in Indians' system

(Photo: Lianna Holub)

Cleveland Indians minor league outfielder Jordan Henry has been a fast riser in the organization.

Almost exactly one year after being selected as a junior out of the University of Mississippi in the 7th round of the 2009 Draft, he found himself being promoted from High-A Kinston to Double-A Akron on June 14th of last season.

Henry’s rapid ascent from the lower levels of the minor leagues to the upper levels was a testament to his performance and advanced approach at the plate. In his two year career covering 183 games between three different levels at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley, Kinston and Akron, he owns a batting line of .303/.410/.349 and an impressive 125-123 walk to strikeout ratio.

Henry, 22, is not going to wow anyone with eye-popping numbers as a run producer, but he does everything else well by playing excellent defense, runs well, and gets on-base at a very good clip. He has shown a lot in his year and a half in the system, and has really hit the ground running as far as adapting to the professional game.

"Coming into [my first] season getting used to everything playing in short season [at Mahoning Valley] I got a good feel for things," Henry said in a recent interview with the IPI. "Getting to play at a higher level at Kinston earlier in the year [last] year was something a little different, but I felt comfortable. It took me a little while at Akron to get it going, but I feel like I made a couple adjustments and was better at the plate. I just felt that if I made the right adjustments and had the right approach that everything would be fine."

The adjustments a player has to make going from college to the pros and from level to level in the minor leagues is very tough, but so far Henry has adjusted nicely and has only had to make a few subtle adjustments in order to maintain consistent success so far in his career.

"There are a few small things that you can feel," Henry said. "For instance, I feel like sometimes I [had] to be more aggressive up [in Akron] than I was in Kinston. I kind of got behind counts more [in Akron] and there are more strikes thrown [at that level]. l like to go to the plate with a patient approach, but at times I have to change that up because if pitchers are getting ahead of you it is tougher to hit late in counts at the higher levels. So I had to make an adjustment and be a little more aggressive earlier in counts."

Henry doesn't have the prettiest swing, in fact a lot of people have joked that he looks like he is swinging a tennis racket instead of a baseball bat. But for pitchers the results are no laughing matter as he consistently finds a way to get on base and then wreak havoc with his plus speed and intelligence on the bases.

Henry knows what kind of player he is, that being a slap hitter who works counts and whose job it is to be a table-setter at the top of the lineup. He is what he is, and it is not going to change.

"If you try to do too much you will get out of your game," Henry said. "You just have to go with what you have and trust it."

Probably the only true weakness to Henry's game is his lack of any power. He has well below average power where he has yet to hit a home run in 697 professional at bats and has just 28 extra base hits. In fact, even with the assistance of the aluminum bat in college he hit just one home run over the fence in his three year career at the University of Mississippi.

According to Henry, that lone home run in college was legit and not the wind aided wall-scraper that you would think it would be.

"In college I hit one over the fence my sophomore year," Henry chuckled. "It was actually a for sure one that I hit to right center field and I got all of it. I don't know how many feet it went, but it was a no doubter that's for sure. But that is the only one so far."

For Henry to have much success in the upper levels and potentially reach the big leagues he is going to have to get a little stronger and at times show the ability drive the ball with more authority. He is fully aware of this limitation as a hitter and is working on ways to improve his ability to drive the ball into the gaps more so that it will keep the opposing outfielders more honest in how they play him.

Henry went to Instructional League in the fall and did not participate in any games, and instead spent the entire month there on a lifting program to try and improve his strength. He has since carried that lifting program into the offseason and he hopes to add a few pounds by the start of spring training.

"Yeah, I think there comes a point where you have to be able to do that, whether it be more home runs or hitting more doubles into the gaps to keep the defense honest," Henry said. "I think that is something down the road that I will need to improve every year because it is something I need to bring more to my game to be where I want to be. That [started] this fall as they [had] me working out in Instructional League just doing some weight lifting and try to put on a couple extra pounds and get a little stronger, so hopefully that will lead to some improvement."

With some added strength and a more aggressive approach at the plate, Henry hopes it will translate into more extra base hits for him in 2011.

"I am still trying to make that adjustment being more aggressive earlier in counts because I have always been used to being patient early in counts," Henry said. "I need to try to mentally go to the plate and feel more free and aggressive, and maybe that will lead to more extra base hits because it is hard to get those when hitting with two strikes a lot of times. So I feel like if I can get better earlier in the count [and get stronger], some of that will improve."

As a defender Henry is lightning quick in the outfield and goes back on balls as good as anyone in the Indians’ system. He shows very good range and a solid arm, and looks right at home patrolling center field.

"I feel great out there," Henry said. "Each year since I have been playing center I am feeling more comfortable. I have been able to make some plays out there and bring my confidence up even more out there. So I feel good where I am at. I just want to be aggressive out there and go after as many balls as I can."

Henry's brother, Justin, is three years older than him and is an infielder in the Detroit Tigers system. Both are the exact same kind of player where they lack any power whatsoever, but display some great plate discipline, bat-to-ball ability, speed, and play very sound defense. The only real difference between the two is their age and that one is an infielder and the other an outfielder.

They got a real treat last year when Jordan was promoted to Akron in June. Justin was playing for Double-A Erie at the time so they had a chance to meet on the diamond as professionals for the first and only time so far in their young careers.

"I had a chance to pay against him earlier in the year at Erie so that was pretty cool as it was the first time we played against each other," Henry said. "But then he got called up to Toledo. Hopefully I can catch up to him. We tell each other we could one day meet each other up there [in the big leagues]. That's the plan."

So far everything is working according to plan for Henry. He adapted well to the everyday rigors of the game last season, something that many players don't do, and should be ready to give it another crack once the 2011 season opens in about three months.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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Blyleven, Alomar Inducted Into Hall

(Photo: AP)

Major League Baseball announced today that right-handed pitcher Bert Blyleven and second baseman Roberto Alomar have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Blyleven pitched five seasons for the Indians from 1981-85 and went 48-37 with a 3.23 ERA in 104 games (41 CG, 9 SHO, 760.2 IP, 688 H, 273 ER, 218 BB, 548 K). He was an American League All-Star in 1985 and finished 3rd in the American League Cy Young voting in both 1984 and 1985. His best season with Cleveland came in 1984 when he went 19-7 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts (245.0 IP, 204 H, 78 ER, 170 K), finishing 2nd in the AL in wins, 3rd in ERA and 4th in strikeouts. In his 22-year Major League career from 1970-1992 he finished with a record of 287-250 with a 3.31 ERA in 692 games (685 of them starts), and in 4970.0 innings allowed 4632 hits and had 3701 strikeouts. The 3,701 strikeouts are the 5th most in the history of baseball.

Alomar played with the Indians over three seasons from 1999-2001, hitting a combined .323 with 362 runs, 114 2B, 63 HR, 309 RBI and 106 steals. His 1999 season was one of the all time best in club history as he hit .323, scored a league best 138 runs, and had 40 2B, 24 HR, 120 RBI and 37 stolen bases and placed 3rd in the AL MVP voting. The 138 runs and 120 RBI were career-bests and are single-season franchise records for a switch hitter. He won Rawlings Gold Gloves over each of his three seasons and Silver Slugger Awards in 1999 and 2000, and he finished 4th in the AL MVP voting in 2001 (.336, 113 runs, 20 HR, 100 RBI, 30 SB). Alomar is one of just four players in history (Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor) with at least 500 career doubles (504), 200 homers (210) and 450 steals (474) to go along with a career batting average of .300.

Blyleven and Alomar are the 30th and 31st individuals to gain election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame who either played or managed with the Cleveland American League baseball franchise.

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Indians Sign Doug Mathis

(Photo: MLB)

The Cleveland Indians announced today that they have signed right-handed pitcher Doug Mathis to a free agent minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training camp in Goodyear, AZ.

Mathis, 27, split the 2010 season between the AL Champion Texas Rangers and the Triple-A Oklahoma City Redhawks in his sixth season in the Texas organization. He went 1-1 with a 6.04 ERA in 13 Major League relief appearances (22.1 IP, 30 H, 15 ER, 11 BB, 10 K) over two stints in Texas. His numbers are greatly affected by a disastrous outing on May 14th at Toronto where in 1.1 innings he allowed 8 earned runs and 7 hits. He recently pitched for Este in the Dominican Winter League where he went 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA in 7 games (4 GS, 27.1 IP, 33 H, 10 ER).

The University of Missouri product was the 13th round selection of the Rangers in the 2005 draft. He has made big league appearances with Texas in each of the last three seasons since 2008 and owns a career record of 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA in 45 games (6 starts), and in 87.1 innings has allowed 106 hits, 47 earned runs, 35 walks, and has 44 strikeouts. In 2009 with Texas he posted an ERA of 2.14 (33.2 IP, 26 H, 8 ER, 21 K, .218 AVG) in 22 relief appearances. His career minor league record is 39-34 with a 4.08 ERA in 111 games (104 GS, 593.1 IP, 652 H, 269 ER) over six seasons since 2005.

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Indians Add Another Starting Pitcher To Mix

(Photo: MLB)

On Tuesday the Cleveland Indians acquired right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later or for cash considerations.

Martinez, 27, was traded last July by the San Francisco Giants to the Pirates for left-handed pitcher Javier Lopez. In nine combined games at the big league level with the Pirates and Giants he went 0-1 with a 4.12 ERA (19.2 IP, 26 H, 9 ER, 9 BB, 9 K), and in 21 combined appearances (17 starts) between Triple-A Fresno (Giants) and Indianapolis (Pirates) he went 5-6 with a 3.94 ERA (109.2IP, 124H, 48ER, 83K).

Martinez is yet another sinkerballer who specializes in pitching to contact and getting groundball outs. His fastball only comes in on hitters in the upper 80s, but has good movement and complements it with two solid secondary pitches in a curveball and changeup. He has proven in the past to be a durable, reliable starter who won't wow people with his stuff when he pitches, but he competes well and has had a lot of success in the minors and mixed results in limited time in the big leagues so far.

The Indians have been desperately looking everywhere for additional, inexpensive starting pitching options. The addition of Martinez adds another pitcher into the mix to fill the backend of the rotation and make starts this upcoming season.  He may also fill a long relief or swing role in the bullpen to start the season.

Barring injury, the Indians are set to open the 2011 season with Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot in the starting rotation. But due to youth, inexperience, and inconsistent performance all of those pitchers in the past, as well as several very green pitchers who need more development time at Triple-A like Jeanmar Gomez, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister, they have been looking to acquire more starting pitching options this offseason.

Martinez was on the Pirates' 40-man roster so will be added to the Indians 40-man roster and take the vacated spot left by right-handed pitcher Justin Germano who was designated for assignment over a week ago. Outfielder Austin Kearns still has not officially been added to the 40-man roster as his contract still needs approval, and once it is approved the Indians will need to remove another player from the 40-man roster in order to make room for him.

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Burnette Ready To Take On First Base Challenge

Burnette's left-handed stroke looks like a

good fit at first base. (Photo: Tony Lastoria)

The Indians picked up Jonathan “Chase” Burnette in the 18th round of the 2010 Draft out of Georgia Tech, and after signing he made one of the best first impressions last year of any pick from last year’s draft.

Burnette, 22, played in 72 total games for short season Single-A Mahoning Valley and Low-A Lake County and hit .265 with 9 HR, 30 RBI, and .750 OPS.

It was a solid, unspectacular start to Burnette’s career. A career that was kicked off when he decided not to go back to school at Georgia Tech for his senior season, and a decision he does not regret.

"Absolutely,” Burnette said in a recent interview for the IPI about his belief he made the right decision turning pro. “I felt it was the best decision given my situation. Georgia Tech has a really good program, but I felt like it was a good time to start my career and I felt the Indians were a great team to start my career with. Things are going pretty well and I am loving it and having a blast. It was really a great team [in Mahoning Valley] to start my career with because the coaching staff [was] great, so it made for a really easy transition.”

Signing quickly out of college and then playing at Mahoning Valley right away, Burnette got a two and a half month crash course of the demands of playing everyday and the toll it can take on a player’s mind and body. It was one of the things he picked up in his first half season that he feels will probably be one of the biggest challenges for him, especially next season.

"I can tell you right now the hardest adjustment is playing everyday,” Burnette said. “It is a grind and it kind of wears your body down a little bit. In college you are doing baseball stuff, but it is different when you are playing games everyday. It is why we do a short season so we can just get used to the routine and our bodies can get used to how it feels so next year we will be ready to go for a full 140 game season."

Burnette showed a nice refined swing with good strength and bat speed in his debut last season. His advanced approach at the plate and nice transition to the pro game was helped by facing some top level pitching at Georgia Tech. One of those pitchers he faced a lot was fellow Tribe right-handed pitcher Alex White whom the Indians drafted in the first round of the 2009 Draft.

“I think one of the biggest things that helped was the level of pitching I saw at Tech,” Burnette said. “The transition is going to be hard regardless, but I feel like the pitching I saw at Georgia Tech has really helped me have a smoother transition. Just from the guys I played against, Alex White [at North Carolina] was probably the best pitcher I saw in college baseball. So I was not overwhelmed when I got [to Mahoning Valley and Lake County] as I had seen this level of pitching before and I knew how to handle it."

One of the first things that Burnette and the Indians have to sort out is what position he will play as a professional. He split his time between left field and first base last year, but the organization appears committed to developing him as a first baseman.

“They did say in Instructional League that they would be focusing on me as a first baseman because they think that is where my future will be,” Burnette said. “I have played both growing up my whole life as I played outfield in college and played a little first base in the summers and in high school.”

Burnette is an average defender with an above average arm in the outfield, so it is a position he should be able to fall back on if needed. In the meantime he will fill an organizational need at first base in the lower levels next season, and it will also help add some versatility to his game. Some scouts view him as a future corner utility player, a player with some pop from the left side of the plate who is versatile and can play the corner outfield positions and first base.

"I am getting a lot more comfortable at first base,” Burnette said. “I love playing first base as it is very fun to me. I wasn't very comfortable [in the early going], but I feel 100 times more comfortable there now than I did at the start of the season. My comfort level just continues to go up. They say my hands are doing better, but my footwork needs a lot of work. It is more of the lateral movement and getting my feet in front of the ball."

With the change to first base and some adjustments Burnette is making at the plate, he has a lot on his plate this offseason and for the start of his first full season in 2011.

"I have been working all year on staying aggressive at the plate but being as selective as I can, so that is what I am going to focus really hard on as well as being as solid as I can at first base,” Burnette said. “One of the biggest things is confidence, so as long as I am working hard and staying solid at first base my confidence will keep going up."

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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Tribe Happenings: Minor success in 2010 is 2011's gain

The Low-A Lake County Captains championship

was one of the big highlights of 2010.

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

With the bringing in of the New Year, it is time to put the 2010 season for the Indians in the past and start to look ahead to the 2011 season. Here are some news, notes, and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

The thrill of victory

As we ring in the New Year, I felt this would be a good opportunity for me to give a little personal commentary about following the minor leagues.

I get many emails and responses via Facebook and Twitter asking why I like to follow the minor leagues so much or why I was so happy for the organization and the players when they won two minor league championships this past season.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, most of what goes on in the minor leagues may not matter and winning league titles or championships doesn’t mean a thing. To a great many, it may not mean a thing whether the Triple-A Columbus Clippers or the Low-A Lake County Captains win a league title.

In the end, however, the only thing that matters is what it means to those players, coaches, team staff, ballpark employees, and devoted fans of those teams. It’s all about perception.

Back in the 90s, I never understood why so many Cleveland Crunch fans held all those indoor soccer league titles to such high esteem. As a snobbish early to mid 20 year old young adult who disliked soccer and was close-minded to only following the Big Three teams in Cleveland, so I didn’t understand.

But I understand now.

As a fan of Ohio State, I would obviously go crazy if the Buckeyes win the National Championship in football, but what about a smaller Division-III school like Mount Union that wins championship after championship?

The comparison is almost the same where a great majority of people in Ohio notice a Buckeyes championship - just like they would if the Cleveland Indians won a World Series – but only a select few notice a Purple Raiders championship in D-III football just like with the Lake County Captains and Columbus Clippers winning minor league championships last year.

To the few who care, it is priceless. It is what sports is really all about as no matter how big or small a following, it all boils down to the chase and that rush a fan gets from winning. Being there on the night Lake County won the championship last year or when Double-A Akron won it in 2009 was a thrilling experience for me. It was something positive to experience in what is often a sea of negatives and disappointment these days with Cleveland sports teams.

The positives and good feeling is all about perception. To a great many, the Captains and Clippers championships go unnoticed. And for a great many of those that do notice, they dispel it as meaningless. But for the few who do follow these teams religiously, it means just as much as anything.

It’s all perception, and how it relates to you, and for that I once again give my congratulations to the Lake County Captains and Columbus Clippers on a job well done last year. I wish them as well as all the minor league teams and the big league team in Cleveland much luck in 2011!

Happy New Year!

Marson to Columbus?

In December the Indians signed catchers Luke Carlin and Paul Phillips to minor league contracts with an invite to big league spring training.

On the surface it looks very much like Carlin and Phillips will serve as a veteran catching duo at Triple-A Columbus this upcoming season to serve as major league catching depth but also to help nurture a young pitching staff there. While Carlos Santana is expected to be ready by the end of spring training and not miss any time, one of them would also immediately become the backup in Cleveland if Santana needs to open the season on the disabled list.

But another possibility exists where the Indians may decide at the end of spring training to option Lou Marson to Columbus to play everyday and keep one of Carlin or Phillips as the backup catcher in Cleveland. At the outset this may sound like a crazy idea, but it would actually make a lot of sense to do for at least the first half of the season.

Sending Marson to Columbus at the start of the season would allow him to get every day at bats, something he is absolutely not going to get in Cleveland with Santana around. Assuming Santana is healthy, he is going to get a large percentage of the time at catcher for the Indians, similar to what Victor Martinez did when he was with the club. As a result, the backup catcher will get few opportunities to play, something seen in the past when Josh Bard and Kelly Shoppach were backups to Martinez.

The Indians may explore playing Santana some at first base and he will likely be the designated hitter at least once a week to give him a breather, but even so it leaves few opportunities for the backup catcher. With a young catcher like Marson who is still developing and refining his game, he needs to get regular playing time in order to make the necessary adjustments he needs to in order to become a more consistent hitter.

When the Indians called up Santana in June last year, they optioned Marson to Columbus in order to allow him consistent playing time. Both were never on the roster at the same time as when Marson was called back up in August it was because Santana had gone on the disabled list with a season ending knee injury. It is possible at least for the first half of the upcoming season the Indians will again prefer that both catchers are not on the big league roster at the same time in order to ensure regular playing time and continued development for both.

The Indians have been down this road before as back in 2004 when Martinez had taken the catching duties full time to start the season and Bard was expected to open the season at then Triple-A Buffalo. An injury ended up sidelining Bard for the first two months of that season and he opened the year on the disabled list. When he came back he spent almost the entire rest of the season in the minors.

The same could happen to Marson this year, though not because of injury, but to finish off his development. He will still only be 24 years old when the season starts, an age most catchers are just scratching the Triple-A level for the first time. He really struggled in the big leagues last year where in 87 games he hit .195 with three homers, 22 RBI, and had a .560 OPS, so he could really benefit from playing everyday at Columbus the first few months of the season to not only gain more confidence and consistency with his bat, but also potentially improve his value to other clubs looking for catching.

In the event the Indians do opt to go the route of sending Marson to Columbus, then who would be the backup catcher in Cleveland?

It would likely be Phillips. He will be 34 years old in April and has played parts of seven seasons in the big leagues as a backup, so he would understand his very limited role as a guy who catches about one game a week. Carlin is 30 years old and brings with him almost the same minor league and major league resume, just he has a lot less experience in the big leagues and Phillips comes highly regarded as a catcher who does a great job handling a pitching staff.

Aviles makes first throw

The Indians drafted right-handed pitcher Robbie Aviles out of high school in the 7th round of the 2010 Draft. He was one of the top talents in all the Northeast sector of the United States, but a ligament tear in his right elbow just days before the draft caused his stock to slide considerably.

Knowing he was injured, the Indians quickly signed Aviles in early July for $150,000 and then he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. It generally takes a player about four to five months before they can start a light throwing program, and that is exactly what he just started doing recently as he got out and threw a ball for the first time on December 15th.

He is still a ways away from getting back up on the mound and throwing bullpens or simulated games, but he made his first official “throws” as an Indian and is on track in his rehab. If he does pitch at all in 2011, it likely will be at the tail end of the season in Arizona with the rookie level team, and more likely will be in the fall Instructional League program.

Winter ball update

The Dominican Winter League season ended a little under two weeks ago, and the Puerto Rico Winter League and Venezuela Winter League both came to a close on Thursday night December 30th, thereby officially ending the winter ball regular season. All that is left is the playoffs in those leagues, but almost all of the Cleveland Indians participating in winter ball have returned home and are done playing.

Only three players really played the final week, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, third baseman Jayson Nix, and infielder Luis Valbuena.

Cabrera faltered down the stretch going just 2-for-24 in his last seven games and finished hitting .252 with one homer and 16 RBI in 27 games. Nix missed about ten days after being hit in the head so he only played in 15 games. He did okay defensively, but his performance at the plate was one to forget about as he hit just .151 with no homers and seven RBI with an awful 2-17 walk to strikeout ratio in 53 at bats. Valbuena played in 53 games and only hit .228 with four homers and 22 RBI, but he had an outstanding 36-26 walk to strikeout ratio and had a .363 on-base percentage.

2011 Indians prospect guide…coming soon

I have been getting a lot of e-mails lately asking if a new book will be made available this year, and to that I can say that I have been working diligently the past few weeks on my new Indians book for 2011. I don’t know yet when it will be available, but at the moment I am targeting the end of January when the finished product will be sent to the publisher for printing. I will have more details in the coming weeks as things become clearer.

For those unaware, each year I publish a book profiling just about every player in the Cleveland Indians system. The book includes detailed scouting reports for their Top 100 players, as well as an additional 60-70 shorter scouting reports for the rest of the players in the system. In addition to that, I include tons of reference material such as upcoming Rule 5 lists, depth charts, schedules, affiliate information, and so on. It is basically a survival guide for every Indians fan to make their way through the upcoming season and know who the players are and what is happening, and is written not just for the extreme diehards but for the casual fans as well.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all the Cleveland Indians staff, players, and especially the fans!

With the flip of the calendar to a new year, it means an all new ride is in store for us on the rollercoaster that is a baseball season.  We once again get to not only experience the excitement and frustration that comes with the ups and downs of a baseball season, but watch the highs and lows with the development of so many young players from the parent team in Cleveland all the way down to the rookie level team in Arizona.

Hopefully one of these years the Indians can win a World Series, but for now we will have to hang our hat on the future.  2011 may not be the year the Indians achieve that championship that every Indians' fan is chasing, but it could be a step toward getting there.

In the meantime, enjoy a day of fun, food, and football and Happy New Year to everyone.

For those who want to re-live the championships for Columbus and Lake County in 2010, the Clippers have a video they put together with highlights from their two championship games here. With the help of Michael Taylor, I also put together a highlight video of the Captains championship below:

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