Minor Happenings: The Wright stuff in Lake County

Steven Wright (Photo: Tony Lastoria)

"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.

Lots and lots to talk about this week in the Cleveland Indians farm system. With that in mind, Minor Happenings will be split up into two pieces this week as part two will post tomorrow. Today the focus is on an update for over a dozen walking wounded in the organization as well as updates on several other players who have struggled or performed well this season.

Be sure to check out the team reports that post here on the Indians Prospect Insider on a weekly basis. Nino Colla writes up the Double-A Akron report every Tuesday, Jim Pete the High-A Kinston report every Monday, and Lianna Holub the Low-A Lake County report every Friday. These are good reports to get caught up with all the specific movement with transactions for each team and noteworthy news and developments.

By the way, now that I am four weeks removed from my surgery I am hoping to get the clear on Monday from my doctor in my post-op to get out of the house and FINALLY start seeing some games and interviewing players for some articles. My goal is to make it to Lake County next Friday, so if all goes well maybe I will see some of you there!

Onto the Happenings…

Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from May 12th to May 18th)

Steven Wright (Right-handed Pitcher – Lake County)
1-0, 2 G, 0.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 12K, .105 BAA

He may soon be turning 27 years old in August, but Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Steven Wright is proving it is never too late to open a bag of new tricks. Around this time last season he started toying with a knuckleball that caught the Indians attention, and now finds himself developing as a knuckleball pitcher.

Wright has now made six starts for Lake County going 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA, and in 31.2 innings has allowed 24 hits, 17 walks, and has 24 strikeouts. His best start came on Wednesday when he pitched six shutout innings and allowed one hit, three walks, and had three strikeouts. In his last two outings he has thrown 12.0 shutout innings and allowed four hits, six walks, and has 12 strikeouts, which shows it is about time he moves up to High-A Kinston to be challenged at a higher level.

With left-hander Drew Pomeranz ready for a callup, I’d expect Pomeranz to be promoted to Double-A Akron and for Wright to slide into Pomeranz’s spot in Kinston very soon. With right-hander Mitch Talbot about ready to come off the disabled list in the next five to seven days his activation will likely cause a domino effect of moves throughout the system, which is when Pomeranz and Wright could be on the move.

With each start Wright is gaining more comfort and confidence with the knuckleball since he has only been throwing it in games for a couple months now. He is showing a better feel for the pitch by not throwing it as hard and letting it work its way through the zone, and most importantly has developed a better feel for the knuckleball delivery and throwing his other pitches in that delivery, which is critical.

Even though Wright was armed with a low 90s fastball and a good slider he did not really have anything that separated him from the relief pitching prospect pack. With the knuckleball he now has that pitch. He is throwing all of his pitches, though the focus is mostly on the knuckleball. Going forward the Indians want to see him get more consistent with his strike throwing ability with it and miss more bats, and they are going to give him every chance to succeed as a knuckleballer as they are excited by what they may have found. The knuckleball has once again made him an interesting starting pitching prospect for the Indians.

Honorable Mentions:

Jerad Head (OF – COL): .318 (7-22), 7 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K, .990 OPS
Tim Fedroff (OF – AKR): .462 (6-13), 4 R, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.149 OPS
Chun Chen (C – AKR): .316 (6-19), 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, .965 OPS
Kyle Bellows (3B – AKR): .313 (5-16), 2 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 1 K, .976 OPS
Giovanni Soto (LHP – KIN): 1-0, 1 G, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, .125 BAA

Director’s Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins has been around to see players at various levels the past two weeks, and here are some comments on several of the players in the system:

On John Drennen’s suspension and what it means for him: “First and foremost we are in complete support and do everything we can to support the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program that Major League Baseball has in place. In addition to it we have implemented an educational program that our strength and conditioning coaches oversee and our trainers have some input in and our managers and coaches are very much a part of. The best thing we can potentially do is educate them, and we do everything but hold their hand when it comes to these issues. I will say we have only had one upper level incident in the minor leagues since the program has been in place. I feel like our strength and conditioning coaches and Major League Baseball have done an exceptional job of giving us the resources to educate our players and we will continue to do it. [For Johnny], technically it means [when the suspension is over] he comes right back into the fold. What that means on a larger scale is it will be very difficult for him missing 50 games of playing and getting right back into the mix. He is not at a point in his career where we can take our time and be cautious. It is a tough blow for him, and unfortunate.”

On Steven Wright: “Wright is a former high round draft pick for us in 2006 that has been tinkering with a knuckleball for the past year. This year in spring training we had him go full bore with the knuckleball and now he is a knuckleball pitcher that has done relatively well in Lake County in the Midwest League. The subjective comments have been even better than his stats. Tom Candiotti has been very involved in his development and has actually spent some time with him. His comments about his knuckleball are it is as good or better than any other knuckleball he has seen. Now that’s the first step. The second step is learning how to use it, learning how to pitch with it, and learning how to be consistent with it over 100 pitches over the course of an entire game and season. We are going to give him every opportunity to do it and it is an unconventional, creative approach, but we have the right athlete and resources we feel to hopefully make something come with it.”

On Candiotti’s importance working with Wright: “It is absolutely imperative. Really without him the only direction we would be able to give him is the strength and conditioning and mental component. From a fundamental side you have to have experience there and have to have adjustments and suggestions you can make and we did not have it. So without Tom Candiotti’s input [it would be a lot harder].”

On Michael Goodnight: “A great start to his season. He has had a great start statistically and he is doing some great things and giving them the best chance to win probably of anyone in that rotation. His fastball is up to 95 MPH, his breaking ball is a very good pitch, and his competitiveness is real. As a 21-year old out of Houston he is very much on our radar and a very good young pitching prospect for us.”

On Nick Hagadone: “We couldn’t be happier for him because last year was a long year for him. Coming over and trying to make an impression last year he was extremely frustrated he was not knocking on the door last year. He is certainly knocking on it now. He is dominating Double-A hitters and is absolutely showing he belongs to get out of there at some point and hopefully will make a contribution in Cleveland this year. He has a ton of ability and has a great head on his shoulders and is one of our favorite guys to pull for in the system. He is primarily working in the bullpen, and not to say it is said and done and he will never start again, but more than likely he will contribute [in the big leagues] as a reliever.”

On Zach McAllister: “Similar to Lonnie Chisenhall he is younger than anyone [in Columbus] as he just turned 23 years old. He is a really strong physical kid that grew up in the game as his dad is a scout. He is adamant that this is going to happen for him and that he is going to make a contribution and be a Major League starting pitcher for a very long time. The progress he has made since the time we acquired him has been really fun to see. The fastball is better, the slider is better, and the split-changeup is a weapon. He does all the little things and is a great athlete and a lot of fun to pull for.”

On Drew Pomeranz: “We put in a lot of time with Drew before the season talking about what would be best for him and his development, and we felt that going into Kinston he should really focus on using his changeup because it was a pitch he didn’t use [in college] because he didn’t need it. He has done that. Now we are focusing on helping him controlling the running game, and as soon as he shows us he has done that and knocked that off of his things to do we will move him out of there. He has a similar track record and path projection to Alex White as someone who could move quickly.”

Infirmary Report

Lots of injury updates this week on pretty much all of the walking wounded in the Indians minor league system:

Triple-A Columbus left-handed pitcher David Huff is battling some elbow soreness, and as a result his next turn in the rotation has been skipped to see if rest helps. The Indians are doing this mostly as a precautionary measure as there appears to be no concern the elbow issue is serious, though 23 hits and 11 runs in his last two outings covering 10.2 innings seems to imply something is not right.

Right-handers Hector Rondon and Alexander Perez are still progressing through their rehab from Tommy John surgery last year. Both are progressing normally on their return to throw program and on track. There is no estimated time when either will see any game action this year, but that likely will not occur until sometime in July at the earliest and only with the rookie-level Arizona team. Do not expect either to pitch at any other affiliate this year as most of their work on the mound will likely come in fall/winter league action.

Right-handed pitcher Bryce Stowell is doing well out in extended spring training and working his way back into the mix. He is supposedly healthy, but the delay to the start of his season is personal in nature which resulted in him having to leave the team for a little bit. He is throwing again and being built back up to get ready for activation.

The Indians are still continuing to monitor the innings workload of right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp on the front end. Rather than start him at the beginning of the season and then shut him down in July or August, by activating him in late May or mid-June he will be able to pitch through the end of the season. He is supposedly ready to go and feels good, and the Indians are looking to get him out to an affiliate very soon.

Shortstop Tony Wolters recently returned to game activity after being sidelined with a broken hamate bone in his right hand. He is slowly progressing up to full nine inning games and getting ready for the season. When he is ready will dictate where he goes.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Bryan Price is recovering well from right shoulder inflammation which sidelined him a few weeks ago. He threw a sim game earlier in the week and is close to being activated.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Connor Graham is throwing sim games and working his way back in rehab from some shoulder discomfort that came down just before the start of the season. He is still a few weeks away from returning to action.

Right-handed pitcher Rob Bryson is recovering well from the broken foot he suffered just before the start of spring training. He is close to getting back to throwing the ball, and right now is mostly doing running and other land based stuff. He is still expected to be back sometime in July.

Right-handed pitcher Hector Ambriz is progressing well from his Tommy John surgery he had back on October 1st. He has had no setbacks and still in the rehab stage and not close to any game activity. He likely will not pitch anywhere in the Cleveland organization this year.

Triple-A Columbus catcher Paul Phillips has been limited of late because of a hamstring strain, but has been able to get into a few games of late.

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez took a line drive off his wrist last Thursday, but is okay and missed little time as he was back in action on Wednesday.

High-A Kinston catcher Roberto Perez missed a few days because he was hit in the face by a thrown ball during batting practice on Monday. He returned to the lineup on Wednesday.

Mills returns

First baseman Beau Mills is back with Double-A Akron for the third time in his career after joining the team from extended spring training on Wednesday. He has been hampered with an injury to his left Achilles since spring training, an injury which initially surfaced late last season and caused him to miss some time. The injury subsided some in the offseason, but resurfaced early in spring training which resulted in him not being able to play any spring training games. He was able to start playing in games in extended spring training the past few weeks and was given the all clear to join Akron earlier this week.

Mills, 24, is looking to rebound from not only the injury but also two sub par seasons at Akron the past two years. In 2009 he hit .267 with 14 HR, 83 RBI, and a .724 OPS and in a return trip to Akron last year hit just .241 with 10 HR, 72 RBI, and a .689 OPS.

The Indians have challenged Mills to improve upon his performance. He shows flashes of his very good potential, but they want to see it more consistently over the course of the season. The Indians love his professionalism and maturity, and his defense is adequate at first base, but right now it is all about finding a way to jumpstart his powerful bat and getting his once promising career back on track.

Adams keeps improving

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Austin Adams continues to build upon each start this season and has vaulted himself into the upper tier of Indians prospects. In seven starts this season he is 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA, and in 34.1 innings has allowed 26 hits, 19 walks, and has 35 strikeouts.

Adams, 24, is a former shortstop with loads of athleticism. At 5’11” 185 pounds he comes at hitters from a small, compact position, but is armed with a plus fastball which has touched 99 MPH this year and has a very good power curveball. He is very aggressive on the mound where he pitches with no fear and goes right after hitters. He is one of the most competitive and disciplined pitchers in the entire organization.

Adams is still working on developing as a pitcher since this is only his second season as a full time pitcher. He has come a long way, but is still developing a feel for pitching as he mostly relies purely on stuff and his aggressive mentality rather than on location and command. As he develops that feel for pitching and continues to pick up all the nuances that come with being a pitcher his future is unlimited. He was pegged as a Major League late inning reliever going into the season, but now has a chance to develop into a starter if he continues to improve on his strike throwing ability and develops at least one average pitch to go along with his very good fastball-curveball combination.

Kluber finally has good outing

It took awhile, but for the first time in seven outings this season Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber had a quality start. On Monday he went 7.0 strong innings and allowed two runs on four hits, three walks, and had three strikeouts. In his seven starts this season he is now 1-3 with a 6.94 ERA, and in 35.0 innings has allowed 39 hits, 19 walks, and has 26 strikeouts.

Things did not get off to a good start for Kluber on Monday as he struggled through a 32-pitch first inning and it appeared that the start would be another rough one like the six previous outings, but he found a rhythm and started attacking the strike zone by throwing all of his pitches for strikes and keeping the ball down in the zone. His effective showing from the second inning on could be attributed to some of the work he and Triple-A Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla have done recently to work on his mechanics.

It was Kluber’s best start of the season by far, and maybe a building block to help him right the ship on what has been a tough season for him so far. Not only is he struggling on the mound, but he is also coming back from a scary incident late in spring training when he was hit in the head with a line drive off the bat of Jason Kipnis.

Diaz has some potential

Double-A Akron shortstop Juan Diaz is an infielder the Indians believe has a future in the big leagues. He already shows average Major League ability as a defender, and with his range and consistency of his play still developing he has a chance to be an above average defender in the big leagues some day.

But for Diaz, 22, to make it to the big leagues he is going to have to improve upon his offensive abilities. In 36 games for Akron he is hitting .245 with 3 HR, 15 RBI and a .696 OPS. He has good size at 6’4” and 200 pounds and he is a switch hitter, so there are some things to like from both a physical and versatile standpoint. He shows a good feel for hitting from both sides of the plate and has some pop where he could be a solid doubles hitter down the road.

The biggest key for Diaz as a hitter is to develop his approach at the plate, mostly with his plate discipline to strikeout out less and walk more as he has 34 strikeouts and 11 walks in 147 at bats this season.

Drennen suspended

On Tuesday the Indians announced that Double-A Akron outfielder John Drennen had been suspended for 50-games after a positive test for a banned substance. According to the commissioner's office, he tested positive for the banned female fertility drug Clomiphene which is a drug used to boost testosterone as part of a steroids cycle. The suspension went into effect immediately.

In 36 games for Akron this season Drennen, 24, is hitting .256 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, and a .811 OPS. This no doubt is an unfortunate situation for him and is a mistake he will learn from going forward. It will be interesting when he returns if it has tainted his standing in any way with the Indians, and maybe even other teams as the timing of the incident is terrible considering he is a minor league free agent this offseason.

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: Cannon provides firepower for Captains

Tyler Cannon (Photo: Lianna Holub)

"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’s time for another edition of Minor Happenings to get up to speed on all the Happenings in the Cleveland Indians farm system from the past week.  Not only is the big league team enjoying a ton of success, but several of their affiliates in the minors are as well, most notably Triple-A Columbus (21-6).

Before we venture off to the land of prospects, I just wanted to give a big thank you to Rick Grayshock and Scott Sargaent from WaitingForNextYear.com (WFNY) and Andrew Humphries from LetsGoTribe.com (LGT) for providing guest columns to the site while I am away.  Their contributions have helped immensely in keeping this site updated daily and were all very good.  I thank them for their help and be sure to continue to check out their stuff at their respective sites.  WFNY and LGT are two of the best Cleveland sports sites out there, maybe the best, so if you are not reading them regularly you should be.

As for myself, I am now two weeks past my surgery and still recovering.  I had a post-op this week to remove a drain from my side and also to give me my toxicology reports which confirmed I had stage 2 renal carcinoma and that the tumor was 6.0 centimeters in size (a little larger than a softball).  I’m still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I had cancer, and at 36-years old to boot, but am looking forward to a healthy life going forward and hoping/praying it does not come back.  Thanks again to everyone for all the kind e-mails and notes, it truly has meant a lot.

While I am at it, thanks to Nino Colla, Andrew Zajac, and especially Jim Pete for taking control of the site these past three weeks while I have been sidelined.  I am slowly working my way back into things, but what a huge help they have been to keep this site operating normally.  Jim has gone well and above the call of duty, and I am extremely appreciative of it.

With all that said, let’s get into the Happenings this week…

Indians Minor League Player of the Month

(for April)

Tyler Cannon (Infielder – Lake County)

.382 (26-68), 13 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 8 BB, 14 K, 1.063 OPS

Talk about your out of nowhere performances.  Low-A Lake County jack-of-all-trades Tyler Cannon had an April to remember, and one that was completely unexpected.  Sure, there were some dominating starting pitching performances from the likes of top pitching prospects right-hander Alex White and left-hander Drew Pomeranz, and outfielder Chad Huffman had a very good month, but no one matched the consistency and unexpected performance from that of Cannon.

In 25 games to date the 23 year old Cannon is hitting .370 with 3 HR, 15 RBI, and a 1.066 OPS. His .370 batting average ranks 2^nd in the Midwest League, and he also ranked 7^th in hits (30), 9^th in total bases (50), 2^nd in on-base percentage (.449), 5^th in slugging (.617), and 3^rd in OPS (1.066).  That’s exceptional production for any player, let alone a guy who lacks a regular position.  If he keeps this up, the Indians may have to rethink his role and consider him as an everyday third base, second base, or shortstop option at Lake County or High-A Kinston.

Cannon’s best attribute is his versatility and solid defense.  In 25 games he has played seven games at shortstop, six as the designated hitter, four at second base, four in the outfield, three at shortstop, and one at first base.  With his good hands, solid range, and very good instincts he was viewed as a utility player coming out of the draft because his bat was viewed to be limited, but so far that has not been the case.

As a switch-hitting college senior signing out of last year’s draft (12^th round, University of Virginia), Cannon’s performance does have to be taken with a grain of salt.  As nice as it is to see him perform and produce as he has so far, as a college senior there is an expectation for him to kind of do what he is doing because he is more advanced than a lot of the league which in several cases has 18-21 year old players making up the majority of rosters.

That having been said, you still have to perform and Cannon is doing that, so it remains to be seen how he continues to perform the next month or so.  He was unranked in my Top 100 coming into the season, but if he keeps this up he will surely find his way onto the Top 100 list next year a la Casey Frawley from last year to this year.  If he keeps hitting like he has hopefully it can provide him some momentum to get more recognition going forward.

Honorable Mentions:

Chad Huffman (OF – COL): .301 (22-73), 17 R, 4 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 18 K, .996 OPS

Zach McAllister (RHP – COL): 4-0, 3.38 ERA, 24.0IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 16 K, 1.17 WHIP, .270 BAA

Alex White (RHP – COL): 1-0, 1.90 ERA, 23.2 IP, 19 H, 5 BB, 28 K, 1.01 WHIP, .211 BAA

Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP – AKR): 1-3, 2.88 ERA, 25.0 IP, 16 H, 16 BB, 32 K, 1.28 WHIP, .188BAA

Nick Hagadone (LHP – AKR): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.2 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 18 K, 0.59 WHIP, .149 BAA

Drew Pomeranz (LHP – KIN): 0-0, 2.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 27 K, 0.78 WHIP, .150 BAA

Giovanni Soto (LHP – KIN): 1-3, 3.05 ERA, 20.2 IP, 15 H, 7 BB, 20 K, 1.06 WHIP, .195 BAA

Jesus Aguilar (1B – LC): .253 (20-79), 14 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB, 20 K, .872 OPS

Jason Smit (OF – LC): .372 (29-78), 14 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 12 BB, 20 K, 1.007 OPS

Kyle Blair (RHP – LC): 2-0, 2.63 ERA, 24.0 IP, 20 H, 6 BB, 18 K, 1.08 WHIP, .230 BAA

Michael Goodnight (RHP – LC): 1-2, 2.45 ERA, 25.2 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 19 K, 0.90 WHIP, .170 BAA

Mike Rayl (LHP – LC): 2-0, 2.70 ERA, 23.1 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 20 K, 1.07 WHIP, .188 BAA

Indians Minor League Player of the Week

(for games from April 28^th to May 4^th)

Chun Chen (Catcher – Akron)

.391 (9-23), 6 R, 3 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.505 OPS

It took a little while, but Double-A Akron catcher Chun Chen looks like he has found his stroke.  After an excellent spring training campaign where he pounded the ball all over the field and was an extra-base hit machine, he has started the regular season off very cold where as of April 27^th he was hitting .241 with 0 HR, 6 RBI, and a .530 OPS.  With his hot week he raised his batting average to .284 and his OPS up to .811, numbers which fall much more in line with what is expected of him offensively.

Chen, 22, is one of the Indians better hitting prospects in the system.  He shows good raw power and has a quick swing with a good approach at the plate.  He is also more agile than you would think and has some athleticism.  His biggest drawback is his defense behind the plate, something which remains uncertain if he can ever become at least an average Major League defensive catcher.  He continues to improve with his blocking, receiving, throwing and game-calling, but the general feel among those in the game is he will probably need to make a position switch down the road, possibly as a first base/designated hitter.

Another big thing Chen is still working on is both his English and Spanish so he can better communicate with his teammates.  He continues to get better, and his Spanish is a bit further along than his English.  To better assist him with his language transition the Indians no longer have a special assistant shadowing him to help him with his daily activities.  He must now do everything on his own without the help of his former interpreter and team assistant Jason Lynn.

Whether or not Chen remains a catcher is tough to predict at this point, but the Indians are firmly committed to developing him there.  Either way if he continues to hit like he has the past year-plus, then the Indians will find a spot for him in the lineup, be it as a catcher, first baseman, or designated hitter.

Honorable Mentions:

Zach McAllister (RHP – COL): 2-0, 1.20 ERA, 2 G, 15.0 IP, 13 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Jerad Head (OF – COL): .417 (10-24), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 7 K, .875 OPS

Ezequiel Carrera (OF – COL): .400 (10-25), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, .904 OPS

Jason Kipnis (2B – COL): .348 (8-23), 9 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K, 1.116 OPS

Jordan Henry (OF – AKR): .370 (10-27), 7 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, 5 SB, .822 OPS

Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .348 (8-23), 4 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 0 BB, 5 K, 3 SB, 1.027 OPS

Tyler Cannon (INF – LC): .458 (11-24), 1 R, 6 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.208 OPS

Argenis Martinez (2B – LC): .444 (8-18), 2 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, 1.045 OPS

Mike Rayl (LHP – LC): 1-0, 0.84 ERA, 2 G, 10.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 15 K

Directors Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins had some comments this week about the players and the huge amount of success the Triple-A Columbus team is having this year:

On the Columbus team: “It is very encouraging and a lot of those guys were there last year at the end of the year and certainly that staff has a lot of confidence.  Those guys have been playing together in Triple-A or Double-A for a year now, so they have some chemistry and some awareness of each other’s strengths and limitations.  I think the most encouraging thing about it is what it means for our future.  It is a very young team - the youngest in Triple-A - and we are one of the youngest teams in the Major Leagues.  So those two things combined certainly bodes well for our future with the win-loss record at the two places.”

On the Columbus infield: “Sarbaugh is doing a great job balancing it.  It is a very good problem to have to have a lot of middle infielders that we have to find playing time.  Based on experience, based on priority, and based on several other things we have come up with a rotation that prioritizes the middle infielders in a position where they need development and secondarily where they can help in the short term should we have the need in the Major Leagues.  Jason Kipnis will get most of his work at second base, Cord Phelps will get most of his work at shortstop, Jason Donald is going to be playing shortstop as well, and Lonnie Chisenhall will be anchoring third base.  Unfortunately somewhat for Luis Valbuena and Josh Rodriguez because their skill set are as infielders they will predominantly play outfield, but having said that it just gives them one more attribute on their resume as they look to transition to the big leagues as well.  They are all handling it well and they understand that baseball isn’t always fair.  It is an interesting rotation that we haven’t had that many middle infielders on one team before at least in the last ten years.  It is a good problem to have at a primary position.”

On Ezequiel Carrera:  “He has been unbelievable.  We have really pushed him to become a better on-base player, a better base-stealer, using the bunt more often, and using the whole field.  He has the ability to pull the ball out of the ballpark and we basically told him we don’t want to see it.  It is going to happen from time to time, just don’t try to do it.  He understands that in order to be a base-stealer he has to be on base all the time and he has done that.  His defense has been nothing short of exceptional.  His efficiency with his athleticism and speed is a lot of fun to watch.  He is really a well above average center fielder, and he is making a bid to be on a Major League team for sure.”

The good Hagadone is back

It took a year and a half, but the Cleveland Indians and their fans are finally seeing how dominating Double-A left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone can be.  Since coming into the organization in July of 2009 he has been erratic with his performance, namely with his command.  But everything appears to be working just fine again and he is flat out dominating the Double-A circuit where after eight appearances he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, and in 17.0 innings has allowed 11 hits, 2 walks, and has 20 strikeouts.

Hagadone, 25, two best pitches are a mid-90s fastball that has touched 99 MPH and a wicked slider that is his out pitch to left-handers.  The potential with those two plus offerings has always been there, but the question was always if he could consistently command them and develop a changeup.  He struggled the past two years with his command, mostly because he was fresh off of Tommy John surgery, but with his incredible walk rate so far this year one has to wonder if the health concerns are finally over and that it has allowed him to turn the corner with his command woes.

Hagadone has also dialed it down a little as he is sitting at about 93-95 MPH with his fastball and only topping out at 96 MPH this year, but the results speak for themselves.  The slight adjustment with his velocity along with some minor tweaks to his mechanics as well as a big confidence boost are the main reasons for his success so far.  With his command issues possibly behind him and being on the 40-man roster already, he is on the Indians radar as a possible relief option later this year.  With that in mind, he looks like he will be the next pitcher from Akron to be promoted to Triple-A Columbus, likely before the end of May.

Miller Time

One of the best moments in the history of the Indians farm system occurred last weekend when right-handed pitcher Adam Miller made his return to affiliate ball for the first time in three years when he was assigned to High-A Kinston.  As many know he has spent most of the past three years battling back from a rare injury to his right middle finger that many thought would end his career.  For most players it would have, but his determination, patience and perseverance has paid off and he is back on a mound finally pitching against other teams.

Miller’s debut with Kinston on Saturday showed how rusty and nervous he probably was as in one inning of work he allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits, one walk, and had one strikeout.  It was a forgettable outing, but many including myself looked past the numbers and are just happy to see him back out there pitching competitively.  Now it is time to hunker down and perform, and he started that by coming back on Tuesday throwing a scoreless inning of relief allowing one hit, one walk, and had one strikeout.

Miller, 26, had a very good spring training and was pitching well in extended spring training getting his fastball up to 95 MPH.  The Indians were finally comfortable enough with his slider that they decided to activate him, and now it is just time to see not only how his finger holds up but also how his stuff plays.  He is strictly a reliever going forward and will only pitch one inning an outing at Kinston.  The Indians plan to push him if his performance and health dictates so as if he puts together four or five good outings in a row they plan to move him to Double-A Akron and keep moving him up accordingly this year where he could potentially be a Major League option later in the season if all goes well.

Brown out

The Indians parted ways with first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown on Monday when they traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash.  With his departure the Indians were able to create a roster spot at Triple-A Columbus for recently reacquired infielder Josh Rodriguez.  The Brewers have assigned Brown to their Triple-A Nashville team.  In seven minor league seasons with the Indians (594 games) he hit .305/.369/.471 with 159 2B, 15 3B, 62 HR, and a 214-316 walk to strikeout ratio in 2266 at bats. He made his major league debut last August and in 26 games in 2010 with the Indians hit .230/.272/.310 with 7 2B and 2 RBI.

Brown, 27, leaves after what was really a rough past three years for him with the Indians.  Because of some depth in the outfield and at first base at the big league level to go along with some baseball politics he was never given much of a chance in Cleveland.  The politics are present with every team, and sometimes the game is just unfair for players.  As it is, there are a ton of guys on the Triple-A Columbus roster who could have a much better opportunity elsewhere, but the team is always going to look out for itself first before the player.  Most teams would kill for the depth the Indians have created at the Triple-A level.

Being bottlenecked at the Triple-A level for now his fourth season has been tough on Brown, and the opportunity in Milwaukee offers a fresh start for him and renewed hope.  He has a huge chip on his shoulder and wants to prove the Indians and everyone else wrong about him, so time will tell.  That may have to wait until he gets a chance elsewhere after this season and gets to sign with someone this offseason as a free agent (if not rostered by the Brewers).  Reason being, his opportunities with the Brewers could be even less than what they were with the Indians with the likes of Prince Fielder at first base and Ryan Braun and Corey Hart in left and right field.

Bottom line though, Brown just never got a chance because of his issues defensively, and with Travis Hafner locked in as the designated hitter there just never was a spot for him in Cleveland.  He has been one of my favorites the past several years, and I wish him nothing but the best of luck and I hope he gets a chance to prove all those doubters wrong.

Wright working on the knuckleball

Right-handed pitcher Steven Wright is a veteran in the Indians minor league system, but is pitching all the way down at Low-A Lake County to work on his new knuckleball that he picked up during the middle part of last season at Double-A Akron.  In three appearances so far at Lake County he is 0-0 with a 2.63 ERA and in 13.2 innings has allowed 15 hits, 6 walks, and has 6 strikeouts.

Wright, 26, is attempting to find a pitch that helps differentiate himself and gives him something that can get him to the big leagues.  He has kind of stalled as a prospect at the Double-A level partly because of his stuff but also because of some insane bullpen depth in the Indians system, so he is working to add a new wrinkle to his arsenal so he is more attractive as a pitcher to the Indians or another team.  He still mixes in his two and four-seam fastballs, cutter and slider, but the knuckleball is the pitch he is primarily throwing in Lake County in order to develop it to see if it can be an effective pitch for him.

The knuckleball is not a new pitch for Wright as he has been throwing it since he was a kid.  He messed around with it throughout high school, college and even as a pro, but just had never thrown it in a game before.  At Akron last season pitching coach Greg Hibbard saw him mess around with it one time and brought it to the Indians attention, and since then they have encouraged him to start using it.

To help foster the development of the pitch, during spring training this year the Indians brought in former Indians’ knuckleballer Tom Candiotti to work with Wright.  Being a new pitch in his arsenal there is a long development path with it, so pitching in the starting rotation should help expedite the development of the pitch and get a better read on how effective it can be.  What he needs to learn most with the pitch is how to add and subtract speed to it as well as develop a feel and controlled effort level.  If he is able to develop the knuckleball into a useable pitch, it would give him something extremely unique in his arsenal to get hitters out with as you just don’t see many pitchers who throw knuckleballs in relief or who also have a low 90s fastball and good slider.

Random Notes

Triple-A Columbus third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is starting to come around.  On April 20^th he was hitting .204 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, and a .678 OPS, but since then in 12 games he is 17-for-48 at the plate (.354) and is now hitting .278 with 2 HR, 15 RBI, and a .805 OPS.  After a hot spring training with the big league club it appears the week break between the departure from Arizona to the start of the Columbus season really cooled him off and he struggled to find his comfort zone in the box, but now appears to be finding that comfort zone again.

With the departure of right-handed pitcher Alex White to Cleveland last weekend, right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez has moved into the Triple-A Columbus starting rotation.  In seven total appearances this year he is 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA, and in 18.1 innings has allowed 22 hits, 3 walks and has 19 strikeouts.  Having a pitcher of his caliber who has big league starting experience ready to slide into the Triple-A rotation is a testament to the unbelievable level of depth the Indians have created at the Triple-A level.

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland is off to another solid start this season.  In five combined starts between High-A Kinston and Akron he is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA, and in 26.0 innings has allowed 23 hits, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts.  He has been piling up the groundballs with his sinker as he has a very nice 2.47 GO/AO rate.  While the ERA, strikeouts, and groundball totals to date look nice, one concern is his walk rate since being promoted to Akron.  He walked just one batter in 12.0 innings at Kinston this year, but in 14.0 innings with Akron has 10 walks.  That is something that will have to be cut almost in half if he wishes to have continued success in Double-A this year.

Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Bryan Price was shelved late last week with right shoulder inflammation.  Right-handed pitcher Kyle Landis was promoted from Low-A Lake County to fill the vacated roster spot.  In six games Price was 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA, and in 11.0 innings allowed 14 hits, 2 walks, and had 9 strikeouts.  This is the second year in a row that Price went down early in the season with an arm/shoulder injury, so it is something to monitor going forward.

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Clayton Cook is off to a good start this season where in five starts he is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA, and in 23.0 innings has allowed 22 hits, 12 walks, and has 17 strikeouts.  He had one disaster of a start on April 27^th where in just 1.0 inning he allowed 9 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, so it has spiked his overall numbers, but in his other four outings he has allowed no more than two runs.  One adjustment he has had to make in the early going is to stop aiming the ball and getting better at trusting his stuff and controlling his effort level.  Since then (aside from the one outing) his command has been better.

High-A Kinston first baseman Jeremie Tice is hoping to come off the disabled list soon.  He has been on the disabled list since April 16^th with a left wrist injury that he suffered on a check swing, and last week visited team doctors in Cleveland to get an update on how his wrist is healing. Doctors indicated that he tore a sheath that surrounds a tendon in his wrist which is why he has had swelling and pain.  If things go well the next few days, he could be activated sometime in the next week.

Low-A Lake County left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl is off to a great start this season.  In six starts this season he is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA, and in 30.1 innings has allowed 17 hits, 9 walks, and has 31 strikeouts.  His best outing of the season came on Tuesday night when he threw seven shutout one-hit innings with no walks and a career high 11 strikeouts.  He faced the minimum of 21 batters and threw 78 pitches (50 strikes).  He is really doing a good job of pounding the lower half of the zone and commanding all of his pitches.  He doesn’t throw very hard (87-91 MPH) and doesn’t have a true plus secondary pitch between his curveball and changeup, but he just knows how to pitch and his new sinker he added last year is really coming along.  If anyone wants to zero in on a Matt Packer-like player this year who could ascend rapidly in the system, it could be Rayl.

Low-A Lake County shortstop Nick Bartolone is not off to the start he nor the Indians ever could have imagined this year.  In 21 games he is hitting .167 with 0 HR, 5 RBI, and a .464 OPS; however, the hitting is not the biggest concern.  His defense has not been as expected as he already has 14 errors in 21 games.  The sure-handed defensive specialist is clearly pressing, and it would not be surprising to see the Indians send him to extended spring training to let him catch his breath and come back to Lake County in late June when short-season leagues pick up.  This could mean Tyler Cannon could begin to play more shortstop and someone like a Dan DeGeorge could slide down to Lake County to fill an infield need.  It possibly could also allow Tony Wolters to come up to Lake County, though that appears unlikely at the moment.

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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AFL Spotlight: Bryan Price

Price is yet another relief pitching prospect
for the Indians. Photo Credit: Tony Lastoria

Cleveland Indians right-handed minor league pitcher Bryan Price is currently out in Arizona participating in the prestigious Arizona Fall League (AFL). It is an opportunity to test his skills as a reliever against some of the best upper level minor league prospects, and at the same time showcase his talents to scouts and personnel for other organizations.

Price, who turns 24 in two weeks, pitched the entire season in the Double-A Akron bullpen going 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 40 appearances. In 69.1 innings he allowed 75 hits, 22 walks, and had 69 strikeouts. Currently, in five appearances in the AFL, he is 0-0 with a 9.53 ERA (5.2 IP, 10 H, 4 BB, 2 K).

“I feel like overall it [was] a pretty good year and I just want to end strong," Price said in a recent interview.

Price made the full time transition to the bullpen this season. Since being a 1st round pick out of Rice by the Red Sox in 2008, coming into the 2010 season he had started in 35 of his 38 games (172.2 IP, 184 H, 87 ER, 17 HR, 51 BB, 170 K).

Price was a raw pitcher coming into the draft as he only had 65.2 career college innings, so most felt even at draft time that his future was in the bullpen. The Indians made good on that projection by placing him in the bullpen to start this past season, and is a role he will now stay in for good, which pleases Price very much.

"I like it,” Price said. “The bullpen is where I have always felt comfortable. The Red Sox wanted me to be a starter for the beginning just to work on some stuff, but I have always told everybody I wanted to be in the bullpen. I don't know, you just come into pressure situations and it is a little more intense. When starting you are worried about lasting six innings, but in the bullpen you can just go and give it your all for however long they need you. Also I didn't really like the whole five days where if you throw badly you had to wait around forever, but if you go out there and pitch badly in the bullpen you can go back out there and pitch a few days later."

Part of what makes Price an interesting relief prospect for the Indians is he has two above average pitches with his fastball-slider combination. His fastball sits at 91-93 MPH though has topped out at 97 MPH in the past, and the slider is considered a major league pitch with good tilt and an ability to miss bats.

One pitch which may “finish” him off as a prospect to get him over the hump and make him a true option for the big league bullpen at some point next year and beyond is a splitter he started working on this past season and has shown a lot of progress with it.

"I have been throwing a splitter as a third pitch now,” Price said. “We started it [in July], and I feel like I have had some success with it and I can get people out with it, but I still feel like it is a pitch I should work on this offseason to get it to where it is a little more consistent and down over the plate a little more. Sometimes I am leaving it out too much and hitters are lying off it. But yeah, I feel like it is definitely a pitch that can help me in the long run."

The splitter will give Price an additional weapon to attack hitters, especially left-handers.

"It is mainly for lefties because my slider works pretty well to righties,” Price said. “I try to stick with it to lefties more than righties, but occasionally I will throw it to righties to keep them honest. It gives me something down and in instead of down and away. It is just like the two-seamer where you work on it going down and in and so it just keeps them from leaning over the plate too much."

The biggest thing Price is working on in the AFL and will continue to do so into the offseason is his pitching mechanics. The Indians feel he has made some good adjustments with his delivery and has the mentality to be an aggressive power arm out of the bullpen, but he needs to continue working on repeating his delivery to better complement his stuff.

“I feel like I [lose] my delivery a little bit,” Price said. “I have worked to get back to maintaining it at this point in the season.”

There was cause for alarm when Price sprained the rotator cuff in his right shoulder on April 20th, an injury which put him on the disabled list for about three weeks. It was an injury which could have been a lot worse, and when he returned he actually pitched better with a 2.83 ERA in 35 games (60.1 IP, 61 H, 19 ER, 5 HR, 19 BB, 59 K).

"I have felt pretty good since then,” Price said. “It took awhile for my velocity to come back as it took about a month and a half before I really got it all back. I feel like I am back, and I feel like my arm is fully recovered from that injury."

Rotator cuff injuries are serious as a tear can ruin a career, but Price was able to exhale when he got the news that he was able to escape with just a sprain.

"That was the first time I was ever on the DL, so I was a little unsure,” Price said. “It was just one of those things where I was pitching with it so I knew it wasn't too serious, but at the same time it was hurting occasionally so I knew something was wrong in there. I actually did not have any symptoms until one game when I felt it. I waited a couple days and pitched again and felt it again, so I just told them at that point. It was a little scary, but I am just glad to be over it."

When the AFL wraps up in two and a half weeks, all of Price’s attention will immediately shift to his wedding in January. After his honeymoon, he will get right back to work to get ready for the 2011 season, a season where a major league opportunity may await.

“The only goal right now is to go out there and pitch well,” Price said. “That's really what I have set all year, to compete and pitch well and see where it takes me. I don't really have a numbers goal or anything like that, I am just going to go out there and try to do the best I can and see where it ends."

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).

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Minor Happenings: Arizona Fall League Notebook

I’m finally settled in back home from my visit last week to Arizona for the Fall Instructional League and Arizona Fall League (AFL).  I posted my notebook for the Instructional League this past Friday, but here is my notebook on the AFL to get you caught up to date on what the nine Indians players on the Peoria Javelinas team will be doing out in the AFL:

- If you ever have a chance to attend an AFL game I highly recommend you do it.  It’s minor league baseball at its best with rosters overflowing with major league talent that will be in the show in the next year or so.  The atmosphere is very relaxed and family friendly, and while practically no one attends the games, the few fans who do are always treated to lots of interaction with star players.

- One of the games I was at last week the announced attendance was 227.  I was actually surprised it was even that high.  While the league has its doors open to the fans, it is not exactly marketed for fans considering every game is at 12:30 p.m. in the afternoon when the kids are in school and most people are working.  This league is all about the scouts and top baseball people getting looks at most of the top level prospects in the minors in one setting.  About 90% of the people in attendance are scouts or team personnel while the other 10% is made up of diehard fans and autograph seekers.

- Indians manager Manny Acta was at the game on Thursday October 14^th.  He was in street clothes and sat amongst the many scouts behind home plate.  He stayed until the very end and then after the game he and another Indians’ staffer talked to Javelinas manager Mike Sarbaugh for about 20 minutes in his office.  I already mentioned this in the Instructional League notebook, but it is still impressive he was there.  I did not see or recognize a big league manager for the other nine teams represented on the field in the two games I saw.

- It’s a lot of work for the managers of the six AFL teams as they have very little time to prepare and practice, and on top of that they are getting instructions from five different organizations on how to use their players.  Since every organization operates differently, this adds a lot of extra stress for the manager in making sure the workload of all their players is managed appropriately and that they don’t put anyone in harm’s way.  The first practice is five days before the start of the AFL season, so it doesn’t lend a lot of time to get to know players.  A lot of the players haven’t been in games for four to five weeks, and the pitchers need to get built back up so they only work with a lower pitch count so they can get in some innings and still have an opportunity to develop.  It’s definitely no picnic for the manager.

- Left-hander Scott Barnes is the Indians designated starting pitcher for the Javelinas team.  With each team being made up of five different organizations, each organization can send a maximum of one starter to the AFL.  So far Barnes has looked great as his changeup has been really good and he has thrown some good sliders.  For him it is all about fastball command, and that is what he is working on.  His numbers have been fantastic so far (0 BB, 11 K, 6.2 IP), and the one blemish is the five runs he allowed in the opener though half those runs came about because of a ball lost in the sun that led to a couple of runs.

- Left-handed pitcher Eric Berger is in the AFL to make up for some lost innings at the beginning of the season from an oblique issue he suffered near the end of spring training.  He will be pitching out of the bullpen, partly because the Indians want to get a look at him in that role and the other part because each organization can only designate one starter.  Since Scott Barnes is starting, that puts the rest of the Indians pitching contingent in the pen.  Berger will be a multiple inning guy, and this could be sort of an experiment in the pen to see how his stuff plays.  The Indians have an over-abundance of starting pitching options in the upper levels but no left-handed relief options, so this could be the beginning of a role change for him.  He will continue to work on his development with his fastball command and secondary stuff.

- Infielder Cord Phelps is going to take a stab at playing third base in the AFL.  He has exclusively played second base in his two and a half years in the Indians organization, but the Indians are taking a look at him at third base to see if he could be an option there for the big league team next year and to also see if he can add a little more versatility to his game.  He is considered the Javelinas main third baseman and will play there for four to six games a week.

- Second baseman Jason Kipnis is the Javelinas primary second baseman.  Even though hot shot Mariners second base prospect Dustin Ackley is on the team, Kipnis will get most of the time at second base while Ackley will split his time between second base, first base, and designated hitter.  While Kipnis did play third base in the opener last week for a few innings, that was completely out of need and not to get a look at him there.

- Right-handed pitchers Bryan Price and Chen-Chang Lee are both a part of a deep bullpen on the Javelinas roster.  Because teams want to monitor workload, the rosters are ten players larger than the regular 25-man roster you see for most teams in the regular season.  Most of these additional ten players are in the bullpen, so Sarbaugh has a lot of bullpen options to sift through which means most pitchers will only go about once every three days.  Price will continue learning how to use his stuff and work both sides of the plate with his fastball.  Lee has good stuff, but just needs to know how to use it better and work on throwing inside effectively.

- Roberto Perez is the backup catcher on the team and will catch at least two games a week, maybe three games.  The priority catcher is Ryan Lavarnway from the Red Sox, so he will be catching four to five games a week.  Even though Perez may be a few years younger than most of the players and a few levels below them, he is definitely in the AFL to play and keep getting better.

- The two taxi-squad players right-handed pitcher Travis Turek and third baseman/catcher Adam Abraham are extra depth on the roster.  Both will play, but their opportunities will be limited since the primary focus is on making sure that the priority guys designated at each position get their work in.  As a taxi-squad player, Abraham and Turek are only active on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s.  The idea is to have these extra players in order to save a player or two at a certain position and monitor workload.  Abraham will be spending most of his time as the bullpen catcher warming up pitchers.

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).

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Minor Happenings: Carrasco About Ready For Prime Time

"Minor Happenings" is a weekly column which covers 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.

I made a day long journey to Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus yesterday to see both teams in action, mostly because I wanted to see recently acquired right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber pitch and also see right-hander Carlos Carrasco in action.  During my visits I talked to about a dozen players, so will have feature pieces on them over the course of the next several weeks and into the offseason.  I also talked to a lot of scouts, so I will mix some of those things I have learned into future updates.

I’ll be hitting up Low-A Lake County later this week, and hopefully short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley on Tuesday or Wednesday night.  It’s a mad dash to see these guys, get interviews, and talk to scouts and organizational personnel before the season ends in two weeks!

Onto the Happenings…

Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from August 12th to August 18th)

Carlos Carrasco (Right-handed pitcher - Columbus)
1-0, 2 G, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, .174 BAA

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco is putting the finishing touches on his development at the minor league level where when he comes up to Cleveland in September the minor leagues will hopefully be permanently in his review mirror.  His performance over the past few weeks since returning from injury show that may be the case.

Carrasco, 23, is now 1-2 with a 2.73 ERA (26.1 IP, 20 H, 2 BB, 24 K) in his four starts since returning from the disabled list because of a forearm issue that cropped up in mid-July.  He’s been at his best, and looks to be about ready to attack major league hitters on a consistent basis.  In his first three starts back there were some concerns as his velocity was only at 89-91 MPH as compared to the 93-96 MPH it had been at all year prior to the injury setback, but in his outing yesterday he was consistently in the low 90s and was often touching 93-94 MPH.  It looks like he has regained the confidence to let it loose with his fastball, where with the impeccable command he has shown of late should only help.  On top of that he is pitching a lot more with his curveball, which as been a big reason he has been so effective of late.

In yesterday’s outing, Carrasco was unbelievable the first 5+ innings.  He had everything working and really commanded the zone with all of his pitches.  He hit the first batter of the game and then proceeded to pick him off first and ended up setting down the next 16 batters in order.  He was near-perfect and had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings before things unraveled for him in the 6^th inning, mostly because of some questionable strike calls by the home plate umpire and some weak hits which were perfectly placed.  He allowed two runs in the 6^th and 8^th innings before departing going 7.2 innings and allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk, and with 8 strikeouts.

The one issue that continues to show itself, and is a significant concern, is that when Carrasco has to pitch from the stretch he tends to lose focus.  I was at the game yesterday and in talking to one scout he mentioned that “when he pitches from the stretch, the game speeds up on him.”  This is a serious flaw for him, and something he needs to find a cure for as it is really the one thing that continually does him in where he has a tendency to not be able to work out of jams.  It’s been the big knock against him for awhile now.  Some say it is a lack of toughness, others say it is a lack of focus.  Whatever it is, if he envisions being a major league pitcher and sticking as one, this is an obstacle he will have to overcome and work his way through.  Maybe it will come together for him when he settles into a rotation spot in the big leagues (we hope).

Honorable Mentions:

Jose Constanza (OF - COL): .545 (12-22), 6 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 6 BB, 1 K, 5 SB, 1.325 OPS
Cord Phelps (2B - COL): .320 (8-25), 3 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.010 OPS
Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - AKR): .450 (9-20), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB, 3 K, 1.271 OPS
Jason Kipnis (2B - AKR): .429 (9-21), 7 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K, 1.413 OPS
Jordan Henry (OF - AKR): .423 (11-26), 7 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.038 OPS
Tim Fedroff (OF - AKR): .364 (8-22), 4 R, 1 2b, 2 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.031 OPS
Chun Chen (C - KIN): .474 (9-19), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 1.337 OPS
Jason Smit (OF - LC): .435 (10-23), 3 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 1.176 OPS
Greg Folgia (OF - LC): .423 (11-26), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 8 K, .869 OPS
Brian Heere (OF - MV): .353 (6-17), 2 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, .979 OPS
Luis Encarnacion (RHP - AZL): 0-0, 2 G, 2.16 ERA, 8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, .182 BAA
Mike Rayl (LHP - MV): 1-0, 2 G, 2.31 ERA, 11.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 15 K, .132 BAA
Scott Barnes (LHP - AKR): 0-0, 2G, 2.25 ERA, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 10 K, .143 BAA

Previous Winners:

08/06 to 08/12: Alex Kaminsky (RHP – Mahoning Valley)
07/28 to 08/05 T.J. House (LHP – Kinston)
07/22 to 07/28: Adam Abraham (3B – Lake County)
07/15 to 07/21: Jason Kipnis (2B – Akron)
07/08 to 07/14: Jesus Aguilar (1B – Arizona)
07/01 to 07/07: Matt McBride (OF – Akron)
06/24 to 06/30: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
06/17 to 06/23: Jason Kipnis (2B – Akron)
06/10 to 06/16: Jared Goedert (3B – Columbus)
06/03 to 06/09: Josh Rodriguez (INF – Columbus)
05/27 to 06/02: Paolo Espino (RHP – Akron)
05/20 to 05/26: Kyle Bellows (3B – Kinston)
05/13 to 05/19: Carlos Santana (C – Columbus)
05/06 to 05/12: T.J. McFarland (LHP – Kinston)
04/29 to 05/05: Trey Haley (RHP – Lake County)
04/22 to 04/28: Jason Donald (INF – Columbus)
04/15 to 04/21: Bo Greenwell (OF – Lake County
04/08 to 04/14: Carlos Santana (C – Columbus)

Coach’s Corner: Greg Hibbard

I recently had a chance to sit down with Double-A Akron pitching coach Greg Hibbard and talk about a few pitchers on his staff, and here is what he had to say:

On Nick Hagadone: "Normally at this level in Double-A we typically have a priority system to where you have your starters, your three priority relievers, and then your 10th, 11th, and 12th guy in the bullpen.  Recently we haven't really had priority guys and just been pitching guys which is beneficial to their development versus making sure they get their innings.  He is considered a priority reliever now where every two days we are going to get him into the ball game for hopefully two innings.  I think it is kind of a step back from being in a starting role and trying to simplify what he is doing right now over short stints and trying to maintain his focus a little more over the two innings that he is in versus the mindset he is starting and has to go five and pitch deep into games.  Just to clear his mind and ease his focus a little bit as he has been inconsistent with repeating his delivery.  At this level if you are not repeating your delivery and not locating you are going to give up hits and they are going to put good swings on you.  I think that at times has compounded maybe a little bit of his consistency in the strike zone as one of the best ways to get the pitcher out of the zone is to swing the bat.  So when they are swinging the bats better that tends to kind of allow pitchers to walk guys once in awhile."

On Kelvin De la Cruz: "We are just trying to get him to repeat his delivery.  At this level distractions can be a big thing.  We are seeing a lot of progress in his daily routines and that is one of the things that we have really strived for him to be able to accomplish.  Have better preparation on game days and just some high level stuff that he is finally learning at how important that is at this level and maybe the next two levels, and he is really showing signs of improvement in his bullpen work.  We are seeing him prepared to get people out in the first inning, we are just not seeing a lot of results in pitching deep into the game every time and we haven't seen it translate into the game yet with the hard work he is putting in his throwing program, in his side days, and in learning how to attack hitters and how to use his stuff.  It has been a slow process, which is not unusual.  He is a young kid and he is still developing tremendously at the Double-A level which is tough for everybody."

On Alex White: "He is so talented as far as having a 95 MPH fastball with the feel for command down in the zone with some late action.  We are not saying that can't work at the higher levels, we are just making sure that we develop the slider a little bit and get his splitter a little more consistent, and mainly just making some minor adjustments with his delivery which is going to allow his secondary pitches to have some late depth.  We are just looking at some of the misses that he has from time to time when he pitches which is conducive to his delivery being a little bit out of whack from time to time, so we are just trying to address some of those small issues with his delivery.  He responds well as he is a very talented, strong kid that is able to apply things he sees or you talk about.  I really believe he understands the importance of what he is working on."

On Scott Barnes: "He has applied some of the things we have identified with him working underneath his pitches a little bit and his fastball command was a little bit more up in the zone.  He didn't have the late sink down in the zone [earlier in the year].  For a guy like him he can't pitch up in the zone, and as a result his slider was a little side to side and his changeup was a little up to his arm side.  For instance, just his separation over the rubber.  When guys gather in over the rubber they tend to drift or get off line with their direction.  That's one of the things that he is trying to work on and he knows the importance of him staying on line, and the importance of his hand not working below the baseball.  He has a tendency of his hand to fall out from behind the ball, so he has to keep his hand behind the ball so he can work through the baseball and get some two-seam sink.  He understands that.  Effort level is very important for him as when his effort gets too high you will start to see his delivery get a little bit away from him.  He has been really good as far as his composure on the mound and has made a lot of strides in that direction.  Being a better teammate was a big key for him too.  Not that he was a horrible teammate before, but just some little things that he has had to make some adjustments with."

On Paolo Espino: "I think he has done a really good job.  He tends to kind of figure things out, and is a lot like Josh Tomlin.  He is kind of a finesse right-hander that has to locate his fastball, and when he doesn't he gets in trouble.  We identified some things he can do when they get on his fastball, like using his secondary stuff earlier in the count.  He has been solid with his record and ERA, and the amount of innings he has given is reflective to the job he has done this year.  He has been very professional and knows the importance of repeating his delivery.  If his effort gets out of hand his fastball tends to get up in the zone and becomes hittable.  He is aware of what he has to do to attack hitters."

On Eric Berger: "I want to believe where he is at right now is probably where he would have liked to start the season.  He is probably a month and a half behind where he would have been [because of the injury at the end of spring training].  He is able to make the right adjustments, which is what you want to start seeing in guys at this level and above.  When guys are struggling to show that they are able to make adjustments, to make that little tweak in the middle of an inning and able to get their fastball down in the zone, or throw their breaking ball for a strike.  Sometimes at other levels that is the thing they are striving to do, to become more of a coach within themselves on the mound.  Eric has been able to do that, to find his composure, know what the fix is to get the fastball in the strike zone, and that is all part of preparation and bullpen work and knowing yourself.  You have to know who you are."

On Bryan Price: "He has been one of our most reliable guys out of the pen.  He comes in throwing strikes.  He has a solid two-pitch mix with his fastball-slider, but he is starting to throw a little bit of a forkball-splitfinger to left-handers just to kind of get them off his fastball a little bit.  He has made some adjustments on the rubber where he has moved over toward the middle which has put his arm more on the plate which has helped him more with a put away slider.  I am starting to see more swing and miss with his slider in counts where he can use it where in the past he'd throw it and they would spit on it but now he is starting to get some swing and miss on some two-strike sliders.  Way at the beginning of the season he had a little tenderness coming out of spring training.  Since he has come back he has been solid, his velocity has been much better, and he has carried it through the whole season.  He is in a good place right now within himself."

Knapp Time

It has been a long time coming – almost a year really – but right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp is right back where he started with the Cleveland Indians organization in Low-A Lake County.  The difference is, this time he is 100% healthy.

When the Indians acquired the 19-year old Knapp last year he had been on the disabled list with bicep tendonitis, but little did they know that there was a more serious issue with the shoulder that would eventually shut him down in the offseason and force him to miss most of this season while he rehabbed from arthroscopic shoulder surgery.  His return to pitching has been slow this year, though the Indians have been overly conservative so as to ensure as best as they can there are no hiccups with his recovery.  Had it been an older pitcher and one closer to the big leagues, he may have been back pitching as soon as April or May this year; however, because of his youth, arm, projection and outstanding talents, they erred on the side of extreme caution in getting him back on the mound with an affiliate this year.

Now that Knapp is on the mound, he is back to dominating hitters once again.  He made five starts on a return to throw program for rookie-level Arizona and went 0-2 with a 1.46 ERA (12.1 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 18 K).  In Arizona he was consistently hitting in the mid-90s and touching 98 MPH, and his secondary stuff looked good.  After he was deemed ready to go, the Indians last week sent him to Low-A Lake County where he made his season debut there on Friday night.  He was on a four inning of 65 pitch limit, whichever came first, and ended up going four shutout-hitless innings and allowed two walks and had seven strikeouts.  His fastball didn’t have its normal velocity as it was at 92-95 MPH, but he pitched very well and looked sharp.

Knapp’s long absence from pitching actually helped him become even stronger and in the best shape he has ever been in, which is a credit to his outstanding work ethic.  Most importantly, he has become more of a student of the game in understanding what it takes to “pitch” rather then just “throw” like so many young pitchers fresh out of high school do.  Now that he has a chance to apply his understanding of how to pitch, it will be interesting to see how it translates going forward.

Knapp is scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday on the road in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  He is still being ramped up with his pitch count, and should be on a five inning 80 pitch count in the next start (or following one).  With two weeks left in the regular season he will probably make three more starts for Lake County and then make at least one start in the playoffs before he will report back to September in mid-September for the Fall Instructional League to make up some innings.

Random Notebook

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Shane Lindsay is an intriguing arm because he shows above average arm strength with his mid-90s fastball, but lacks much command with it as he is unable to control it in the zone and he has problems consistently repeating his delivery.  He’s also had problems staying healthy as he suffered a torn labrum in 2006 and a broken hand in 2008.  The impressive arm is a big reason why teams keep picking him up, but the command issues are also a big reason why he has now pitched in three different organizations this year as well.  To date, in 31 combined appearances this year in the minors he is 1-2 with a 5.20 ERA and in 36.1 innings has allowed 30 hits, 45 walks, and has 49 strikeouts.  The .222 batting average against and 12.1 K/9 are impressive, but the 11.1 BB/9 is horrifying.

Double-A Akron third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall has had a very nice season this year, especially considering the shoulder issues he has battled through much of the season.  He continues to show great natural ability with his hands and some good pull side power at the plate, and his defense at third base continues to be above average to exceptional (depending on who you talk to).  In a recent visit to Akron, an NL scout made it clear that he thinks Chisenhall has a chance to be a very good big league third baseman and projects well because he is still only 21-years old, plays great defense, and has a stroke that should make him a .300 hitter down the road.  In 101 games this year he is hitting .273 with 15 HR, 72 RBI and a .788 OPS.

High-A Kinston right-handed reliever Dave Roberts has battled inconsistently this season.  His problem has been his over-reliance on his fastball this year, which is something he and the Indians are trying to work through by mixing in his changeup and curveball earlier in counts to help keep hitters off balance.  As a result, he recently has been showcasing his secondary stuff a lot more, but it does not appear to be working much as he has struggled a lot where in his last ten outings he is 0-1 with a 9.37 ERA (16.1 IP, 22 H, 7 BB, 12 K).  Overall this season the 23-year old is 1-3 with a 5.91 ERA, and in 64.0 innings has allowed 82 hits, 21 walks, and has 61 strikeouts.

Low-A Lake County second baseman Argenis Martinez is slowly starting to put things together offensively.  Though he has struggled in his last ten games and is hitting just .212 with a .580 OPS, he has actually hit a lot better in the second half (.261/.671) compared to the first half (.171/.459) of the season.  The 20-year old defensive specialist is showing more confidence at the plate, and his turnaround has been helped by keeping his legs more grounded during his swing and getting him to work on the top half of the ball.  In 90 games this year he is hitting .214 with 0 HR, 23 RBI and a .562 OPS.

Short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder/first baseman Chase Burnette has been one of the few bright spots in what has mostly been a disappointing affiliate to follow this year.  He has shown a nice, refined swing with good bat speed and physical strength, and leads the team in almost every offensive category.  Given that Low-A Lake County will be in the playoffs and Mahoning Valley is going nowhere, it looks very possible that he will soon get a call up to Lake County for some action down the stretch and in the playoffs.  In 59 games he is hitting .288 with 8 HR, 28 RBI and a .813 OPS.

Rookie-level Arizona wrapps up play this coming weekend, so several players could be on the move to Mahoning Valley and Lake County in the next week.  One player who may get some action could be outfielder LeVon Washington, though he left his pro debut the other night after just one plate appearance so he may have suffered an injury.  As of this writing I am not sure what his status is, but will follow up via Twitter (@TonyIPI).  First baseman/catcher Juan Aponte and/or outfielder Anthony Gallas could go to Mahoning Valley to allow Chase Burnette to go to Lake County.  Given their age, second baseman Logan Thompson and outfielder Henry Dunn could also see time at Mahoning Valley or Lake County.  Younger players like Alex Lavisky, Tony Wolters, Aaron Siliga, Mark Brown, and Marcus Bradley, and others are not expected to be promoted.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His new book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on Amazon.com or his site.

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