Winter Meetings Rundown: Day 2

Ryan Ludwick (Photo: AP)

UPDATE 8:27PM: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Houston Astros offered to trade outfielder Carlos Lee to the Indians and pay half of his $18.5 million salary in 2012, but the Indians declined.
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Things were a little quieter on Tuesday with regard to the Indians being tied to any free agent or trade rumors during the Winter Meetings taking place in Dallas.

Nothing new has developed with any of the players they were tied to on Monday (Josh Willingham, Derrek Lee, Casey Kotchman, Casey Blake, Mark DeRosa, etc), but they have been linked to some new players as rumors surfaced about their interest in free agent outfielders Andruw Jones, Mike Cameron, and Ryan Ludwick.

On the trade front there is nothing rumored to be going on, though MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian has mentioned that teams have called the Indians inquiring into the availability of closer Chris Perez. Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com has mentioned that the Indians are willing to trade some of their bullpen depth to pick up a first baseman or outfielder.

As I wrote two weeks ago, the Indians would be wise to consider any offer they get for Chris Perez that would help fill a need on the big league roster. His loss would not be as great as some think, especially if he helps fill a need on the Major League roster. Rafael Perez is the other big league bullpen option that I believe they will consider trading in the right deal because of how high they are on lefty Nick Hagadone since they think he is ready for a big league role right now.

The big news of the Winter Meetings continues to be the Miami Marlins pursuit of free agent first baseman Albert Pujols. They reportedly have offered him a 10 year deal in excess of $200 million.

A lot of people are wondering how the Marlins suddenly can spend all of this money this offseason since they have been a bottom payroll team for so long, but the reason is quite simple: a new stadium. With their new state-of-the-art stadium opening up next season they will have massive revenues with a big attendance spike and lots of luxury box suite and TV money they never had before. This will help make them an artificial big market team (like the Indians in the 90s) for a few years until things eventually level out, and they are taking full advantage of it.

Indians fans should pay close attention to what happens with Pujols and the Marlins. If he does end up in Miami then it may make Marlins incumbent first baseman Gaby Sanchez available. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com said on Tuesday that if Pujols is signed that the Marlins may flip Sanchez for a #3 or #4 big league starting pitcher. This would be right up the Indians alley as they have a plethora of middle-of-the-rotation starter types they can afford to trade and also throw in another depth starter or a young reliever for good measure. Sanchez looks like a really good fit for the Indians at first base as while he is not a star he brings a productive right-handed bat they badly need to balance the middle of the lineup.

The Rule 5 Draft is Thursday and at the moment it still looks unlikely that the Indians select a player. With the roster full at 40 players they would need to designate a player in advance of the draft in order to participate in the Major League phase. As I do every year I will have a preview of the draft tomorrow and take a look at the players the Indians run the most risk of losing.

Speaking of clearing space on the 40-man, the Indians finally announced the 40-man move to open a spot for the resigned Grady Sizemore by designating right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon for assignment. Rondon fractured his right elbow in his last winter ball appearance in Venezuela on November 5th and on November 15th had surgery to repair it. He is expected to miss 6-9 months and will miss a good portion of next season. He likely will clear waivers, and if he does the Indians will outright him to the minors. He would be under the team’s control in 2012.

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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Indians should listen to offers for Perez

Chris Perez (Photo: AP)

The Cleveland Indians have already made one trade at the outset of the offseason when they traded for right-handed starting pitcher Derrek Lowe last month. It was the opening salvo to what is expected to be a very busy offseason for the Indians.

No one really knows what the Indians are up to this offseason and how things will look when the dust settles. They have some money to spend in free agency and can take on some salary in a trade, and they have proclaimed that they will upgrade the offense with some needed right-handed power.

General Manager Chris Antonetti and the rest of his staff have spent a lot of time this offseason surveying the options both in free agency and trade to help bolster their lineup. The Indians are taking a creative, exhaustive approach to fill their lineup needs, and you can bet that while attending the GM Meetings in Milwaukee last week that the wheels were already put in motion for several potential free agent signings and trades.

After you eliminate the upper tier free agents that are out of the Indians price range (sorry folks, Pujols and Fielder are wishful thinking), the free agent pickings are slim. There are some free agents who have some star power that could be affordable and they will certainly entertain – players like Aramis Ramirez, Michael Cuddyer, and Josh Willingham – but in the open market there are no guarantees and most of the players will end up being too costly to sign.

If the Indians make any kind of splash this offseason it is probably going to have to come via the trade route.

The trade market is a much more level playing field for teams like the Indians. In free agency it is all about who has the most money and who is willing and capable to take on the most risk. But in the trade market the best currency is not money but players, so if you have very good prospects or a surplus of good Major League talent to trade then you can acquire almost anything if it is available.

The Indians depleted their high end prospect talent in the upper levels of their farm system this past season with trades and promotions. The trade of left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz and right-handed pitcher Alex White in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal combined with the promotions of third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis leaves very little if any impact quality talent in the minors for the 2012 season. A few good players remain in the upper levels, but most of their elite talent is now in the lower levels of the minor leagues and a few years away.

With the lack of much high end talent in the upper levels of the Indians’ minor league system for teams to covet in a potential trade for a Major League bat, the Indians may have to result to trading a player or two already on their 25-man roster. Obviously they would not want to trade from a position of weakness where they fill one but create another. No, the idea here would be to trade from an area of strength where a hole that is created can be adequately backfilled from within.

Everyone knows that the Indians have a black hole right now at first base and even with Grady Sizemore set to return they still have the need for a good right-handed bat in the outfield. They do not have a reliable every day option within the organization to fill those spots to start next season. What they need to do is assess the team and determine where they could best risk losing a player in order to fill one of those holes.

That area of risk may be the bullpen.

If you take a look at the entire Indians organization from the big league team down to Double-A Akron your assessment would come to realize that their strength lies in relief pitching. Yes, they have depth in the starting rotation, but the Indians have a plethora of relief pitching prospects that could impact the Major League team to varying degrees and are ready for (or close to) an opportunity.

Indians fans saw some of those relievers last year as right-handers Josh Judy and Zach Putnam and left-hander Nick Hagadone made their big league debuts and saw limited action. It was also seen firsthand with the emergence of right-hander Vinnie Pestano who came into the season with almost no big league experience but by the end of the season proved to be the best reliever on the Indians’ staff.

Pestano is a prime example of the talent in the Indians’ farm system that is ready to emerge next year. Someone like Putnam or Judy could make the same splash next year that Pestano did this past season. Others like right-handers Chen-Chang Lee (C.C. Lee) and Hector Rondon could also factor into the mix at some point as well. And beyond them are a litany of relief pitching prospects headed by right-hander Tyler Sturdevant that are almost ready and could help the big league bullpen later in the season.

Answer and listen

The Indians have already had and will continue to get a lot of phone calls on the availability of a lot of players on their big league roster. They will decline most of the offers thrown their way, but one player they should keep an open mind about and listen to offers for is right-handed closer Chris Perez.

It may sound crazy to trade your closer; one that was also named to the All Star team this past season. But given the depth the Indians have with relief pitching and the lack of a big trading chip or two in the minors, an All Star closer like Perez would have some value on the market for a team looking to fill their closer need.

The closer’s market in free agency is already off its rocker this offseason as the Phillies signed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Papelbon for four years, $50 million. Former Phillies right-handed reliever Ryan Madson also had a four year, $44 million deal on the table before it was pulled. The one thing teams with closer needs know right now is that if they want to sign a closer in free agency they will have to overpay.

With that in mind, executives from other teams will surely look for other options to fill their closer needs. Several teams like the Reds and Blue Jays are rumored to be considering the trade route to pick up a closer. As these teams and others search through every possible option to fill their closer need, perhaps that search will take them to the Indians’ doorstep.

That’s where Chris Perez comes in.

Perez, 26, was an All Star last season and went 4-7 with a 3.36 ERA and was 36-for-40 in save opportunities. He helped anchor a very strong Indians bullpen and at the moment looks to have solidified himself as the Indians’ closer for the next few years.

But is Perez’s future really that secure with the Indians? And did he have as good a year as the save numbers suggest?

From a pure results standpoint, yes, he did his job and nailed down a high percentage of his saves (90%). But when putting a baseball team together for the next season it is often not about looking at what your players did the past season or in previous seasons, it is more about accurately predicting what your players will do the next season and in future seasons. One of the best ways to do that is to look at their peripheral statistics to try and forecast whether a given player’s success or misfortune will continue.

In other words, how likely is Perez to save 90% of his games again next year?

By now most people should know the Indians are huge proponents of statistical analysis which includes a lot of the more advanced metrics, some of which are not publicly available. When looking at some of the more important public stats for Perez last year there has to be some concern with him going forward and if that 90% conversion rate on saves can continue.

The warning signs are there. Perez had a drastic decrease in his strikeout rate last season as he had a paltry 5.9 K/9 rate, which was down almost four points from his career 9.5 K/9 coming into the season. He also had a poor 1.50 K/BB ratio, and in the advanced metrics department had a 0.1 WAR (wins above replacement).

In fact, look at the WAR for the most common Tribe relievers last season (courtesy of Fangraphs):

Vinnie Pestano: 1.5
Joe Smith: 1.2
Rafael Perez: 0.8
Chris Perez: 0.1
Frank Herrmann: 0.0
Tony Sipp: -0.1
Chad Durbin: -0.3

WAR is not a common stat used by baseball fans as it is unknown to many and can be confusing, but it is one of the top stats baseball teams use. It is a helpful statistical evaluation tool for players because it combines a few stat attributes and in a way spits out a summary of how important a player was to the team and if their performance was replaceable by another player.

With a 0.1 WAR, Perez was right at what is called “replacement level”. In fact, he was along the lines of fellow bullpen mate right-hander Frank Herrmann who is your typical fungible middle reliever. The 0.1 WAR suggests that Perez performed at a replacement level where a minor leaguer or another bullpen option could have had the same effect on the team.

This is hard to grasp because it would be hard to see how a minor leaguer could come in and close out games at a high rate or any at all, but going beyond the saves and going strictly by the numbers they were very mediocre and at that “replacement level.”

Pestano is the future

So how is Perez replaceable? And if he is not closing games for the Indians, who should?

That’s easy. Vinnie Pestano.

Pestano, 26, is more than a capable replacement for Perez and would more than adequately fill the closer need for the team if Perez were traded.

Pestano is ready for the opportunity. He made his Major League debut at the end of the 2010 season and pitched 5.0 total innings, so he came into the 2011 season as a rookie and had as great a first full season in the big leagues than any player in the Indians organization in some time.

Pestano made 67 appearances for the Indians and went 1-2 with a 2.32 ERA. The ERA was nice and one of the best in the American League among relievers, but ERA can often be a misleading stat. Beyond his ability and personality that are both suitable for the closer’s role, the deeper stats from this past season show he was an elite performer and is one of the top late inning relievers in the game.

Pestano ranked 5th among American League relievers in strikeouts (84), 8th in holds (23), 7th in batting average against (.184), 11th in WHIP (1.05), 14th in K/BB (3.50), 4th in K/9 (12.2), and tied for 11th in appearances (67). For the advanced metrics fans out there, they also favored Pestano as his 1.5 WAR was 11th among American League relievers, and he also ranked 8th in FIP (2.67) and 7th in xFIP (2.80).

By comparison, Perez had just three less appearances (64) than Pestano but among AL relievers he ranked tied for 55th in strikeouts (39), 4th in saves (36), 23rd in batting average against (.215), 32nd in WHIP (1.21), 62nd in K/BB (1.50), and 60th in K/9 (5.9). From the sabermetric perspective Perez ranked 45th in WAR (0.1), 46th in FIP (4.27), and 58th in xFIP (5.01).

Those are some pretty damning numbers that outside of the save total show that Perez was a very mediocre performer last season.

And it is not just the numbers from last season that suggest Pestano is the Indians’ closer of the future and maybe the present. He was born with the mentality to pitch in high leverage situations late in games and has about as much experience as a closer as any first year player in the big leagues can have. He closed 27 games in college at Cal-State Fullerton and pitched exclusively in a closer role in the minors where he totaled 71 saves in 166 games.

The Indians could certainly afford Perez next season at the $4-5 million he will likely command as a second year arbitration player and he is still under team control through the 2014 season. But his sudden inability to miss bats and a lack of life on his fastball should be a big concern for the Indians and this is why they should be open to the idea of a trade.

Obviously other teams are privy to the same stats everyone else is looking at and also see the same red flags, but even with the sub-par numbers from this past season there may still be a team willing to overlook them because of his young age, historical performance, moxie, and most importantly his contract. If the Indians were to find a palatable trade partner that is in search of a closer that is willing to part with a quality big league corner outfield or infield bat in return, they would surely have to listen.

No one is saying the Indians should trade Perez for prospects. No way. That’s not where they are as a team as they need to focus most of their efforts on acquiring big league talent. And no one is saying the Indians should dump Perez either. He’s a valuable member of the Bullpen Mafia and barring a good trade offer the Indians should keep him.

But if a team comes calling and offers up a deal that gives the Indians a nice bat to add to their big league lineup, it is an offer that the Indians should seriously consider. With what is perceived as a surplus of big league relief pitching talent, it arguably makes Perez the Indians best trade chip that they can use to improve their lineup, and they should consider cashing it in.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Tribe Happenings: Indians have a rotation decision to make

Carlos Carrasco (Photo: AP)

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

Who is #5?

The Indians will go about ten days without a fifth starter. Left-handed pitcher David Huff pitched on Wednesday and then right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco pitched on Thursday, but with newly acquired right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez being added to the rotation on Friday and an off day on Monday the Indians do not need either Huff or Carrasco to pitch again until next Saturday August 13th.

This is why it made sense for the Indians to make the two moves they made this past week by having Carrasco drop his appeal on his six game suspension and optioning Huff to Triple-A Columbus so they could add Jimenez to the 25-man roster.

Earlier in the week Carrasco, 24, was suspended six games by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at the head of the Royals’ Billy Butler last Friday. He had appealed the suspension, but with the Indians not needing a fifth starter for awhile they advised him to drop the appeal and take it now when it won’t hurt the team other than only being able to carry 24 players on the roster for six days. His suspension ends Thursday and he would be eligible to be in uniform on Friday, the day before the Indians would need a fifth starter again.

Huff, 26, has been sensational since being called up in July. In three starts he is 1-1 with a microscopic 0.51 ERA. He has been a completely new pitcher since returning by being more aggressive on the mound, has more life on his fastball, and his secondary offerings and delivery are all improved. Even after an impressive three game showing the Indians optioned him out after the game on Wednesday because they had to add Jimenez to the roster.

Optioning out Huff was not something they wanted to do, but because there would be no need for a fifth starter for ten days until August 13th plus they would already be down one roster spot with Carrasco serving a suspension, it made no sense for them to carry Huff around as an unusable player for so much time. While he was optioned out, he is expected to be right back as after his minimum ten day stay in the minors is complete the first day he would be eligible to return is August 13th, which is when the Indians need a fifth starter again.

This is all not just coincidence as the Indians obviously spent the week thinking all of this through in a way to circumvent some roster issues.

The question now will be which of Huff or Carrasco will make that start on August 13th. Huff has been great since his callup and a lefty in the rotation adds a nice dynamic to it. Carrasco pitched well against the Red Sox on Thursday, but he has really struggled since the end of June. Unless an injury occurs, I would expect Huff to be called back up on August 13th to make that start and for Carrasco to be optioned out.

For all those fretting the Indians using Carrasco’s final option, there is a rule where if a player is optioned out but is called back within 20 days then the option is not used. This same thing happened to former lefty Aaron Laffey in 2007. With the roster expanding to 40 players starting September 1st, the Indians could call Carrasco back up well before the 20 days are up and not lose that last option on him.

Growing concerns with Perez

There are some growing concerns with right-handed closer Chris Perez. He has now blown two straight saves, one on July 19th in Minnesota and another on Friday night in Texas. The three week stretch between closing opportunities shows just how much of a struggle it has been for the Indians to win games consistently of late. Both blown saves were crushing losses for a team starving for victories any way they can get them.

Before anyone suggests a kneejerk reaction has occurred, the concerns with Perez are not just surfacing now after two blown saves. These are concerns many people have brought up since earlier in the year and lots of baseball people have been monitoring all season.

Perez, 26, may be 22-for-25 (88%) in save opportunities, but you have to look much deeper below the surface where lots of warning signs are firing. Almost all of the indicators and rates for him have gone in the wrong direction compared to last year.

Last season when Perez went 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 23 saves, he was dominant as he allowed just 5.7 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, and 4.0 BB/9, and also had a 8.7 K/9 and 2.18 K/BB rate. Those were all very good and it is why so many people were excited to have him as the closer for the foreseeable future.

But this season Perez has taken a noticeable step back in all of his numbers. He is still throwing 93-95 MPH, so the velocity is there, but he is getting hit a lot more and not missing bats this season as he is 2-5 with a 3.40 ERA and has a 7.3 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 4.3 BB/9, and also has just a 5.9 K/9 and 1.37 K/BB. The biggest concern is the jump in his hit rate where he is allowing almost two more hits every nine innings and the drop in his strikeout rate where he is striking out almost three less batters every nine innings.

Perez is a good pitcher and he has the mindset to pitch in late inning situations. Hopefully the drop in his performance this season is just a hiccup and not a sign of more problems to come.

Ubaldo time!

There was a sense of excitement around Indians Nation on Friday as fans awaited the debut of newly acquired right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians paid a steep price for him and he has lots of potential, so fans were very interested in getting their first glimpse of him in a Tribe uniform. When all was said and done on Friday night, fans came away underwhelmed with him, at least for one night.

Jimenez, 27, was surely nervous and as a result his command suffered. He was all over the place the first two innings, but eventually settled in some and started showing signs of the dominant pitcher he is and the Indians hope will be. He consistently threw his fastball in the 96-98 MPH range, and he flashed a good splitter, slider, and changeup. There is no denying the stuff, as it looks like when he is on he can be dominating.

Jimenez finished the night going five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits, three walks, and had seven strikeouts. He left the night after throwing 108 pitches (63 strikes) in the tough Texas heat which at game time was above 100 degrees. Given that it was his first start and there were obvious jitters, he was facing a tough Texas lineup, and the high temperatures, it was an okay debut but one he will surely have to improve upon considerably going forward.

Crushing week

The Indians are in the midst of an absolutely brutal part of their schedule with a seven game road trip to Boston and Texas, and then follow it up with 12 straight games against AL Central rivals Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota, six of which are against the Tigers. The next two weeks are going to make or break the Indians in their quest to stay in contention the rest of the season.

The Indians have played well all week and should have won every game in Boston and the opener with Texas on Friday night, but instead of being 5-0 or 4-1 on the trip they stand at 2-3 heading into play on Saturday. All three of their losses last week were in walkoff fashion as Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox beat them twice in the 9th inning on Tuesday and Wednesday and Chris Perez blew the save on Friday which ultimately ended up in a loss. With time starting to run out on the season, these are games a team in contention simply can not lose.

The Indians are just not getting the big hits or big pitches in key situations right now. The starters continue to pitch well, but the Indians have had a big problem scoring runs late and suddenly their dominant bullpen is showing cracks in the foundation by giving up key runs late.

Youth brings inexperience and inconsistency, and the pressure of a pennant race this late in the season may be starting to wear on the Indians. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back from the Texas defeat and where they ultimately stand after they play the Tigers in Detroit on Sunday August 21st.

Final trade thoughts

Whether you are for or against the Indians’ trade activity of late, I think all Indians fans will agree it is nice that they are in buying mode for a change rather than selling and blowing up the roster. It is very clear that GM Chris Antonetti saw a unique opportunity in acquiring Jimenez from the Rockies as he is a controlled pitcher through at least 2013, which coincidentally is when the control for other key players like shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, and designated hitter Travis Hafner comes to an end.

The Indians have a small window open with their current core of players, and it appears they want to take advantage of it. Obviously the idea is not to have the window close after 2013 as they want to keep it open with the flow of minor league talent and other pickups in trades and free agency, but if they want to win with the current crop of veterans on the team the time is now.

For those fretting the loss of right-handed pitcher Alex White and left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, you are not alone as both are considerable talents. Both looked to be future linchpins in the Indians’ rotation. However, there are never any guarantees with pitching prospects and injuries can happen at any moment, so the old saying of a bird in the hand (Jimenez) is better than two in the bush (White, Pomeranz) applies perfectly here.

Also, remember that two years ago at this time that White and Pomeranz were not even in the organization. A lot of people have raved about Amateur Scouting Director Brad Grant’s work in the draft the last few years, so if you have trust in him you have to believe he will find another pitcher like Pomeranz or White in next year’s draft or in 2013.

Parting shots

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo continues to push his way back into the lineup as it looks like his return is right around the corner. He is now taking batting practice with the team, and may now go on a rehab assignment in the minors sometime this week before being activated next weekend or just after it. … Right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot and outfielder Travis Buck were both designated for assignment recently to clear space on the 40-man roster for new pickups outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and Jimenez. Both cleared waivers, and as a first time outright Talbot had no choice but to accept the assignment to Triple-A Columbus. As a second time outright Buck had the option of refusing it and becoming a free agent, but accepted the assignment on Friday to Columbus. … Columbus right-handed pitcher Justin Germano - he of the perfect game fame a week ago - has left the Indians and signed a contract with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Tribe Happenings: An opportunity lost for Phelps

Phelps dropped the ball at an opportunity

which may not come again. (Photo: AP).

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

Struggling Phelps gets demoted

The Indians optioned infielder Cord Phelps to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, almost exactly one month to the day when he was called up to Cleveland back on June 8th. It was a rough four week stint in Cleveland for Phelps as he came with so much promise, but exited with so much disappointment.

Phelps played in 19 games and hit only .196 with one homer, five RBI, and a .641 OPS. The struggles offensively were expected as it usually takes some time for a rookie to adjust to the big leagues, but the struggles he had defensively with the errors and mishaps were crippling to the Indians in several games. Because he was struggling so much both offensively and defensively, it was only a matter of time before he was sent back to Columbus.

Considering that Jason Kipnis is expected to eventually be the every day second baseman – possibly by the start of next season – Phelps really needed to come in and impress. The cold reality is he may have really hurt his chances at another big league call this year and possibly in the future. The Indians called up infielder Luis Valbuena on Friday and will give him a look to see what he can do, and then after that Jason Donald and Kipnis would be the next options before even considering Phelps again this year.

With Phelps’ lack of versatility to play anywhere but second base, it is possible the Indians may consider trying him out in left field to add another skill set to his repertoire. He is not a Major League option at shortstop, and is only a third base option in a pinch, so right now he is suddenly a defensive challenged second baseman in an organization loaded with options at second base.

The struggles Phelps had at second base show that sometimes being Major League ready is not all about putting up good numbers at the plate in the minors. His defensive struggles are exhibit-A why Kipnis may not see time in Cleveland this year as he continues to develop and hone his skills as a defender at second base. For now unless the Indians have a drastic change of heart with Kipnis it looks like second base for the remainder of the year could be some sort of mix between Orlando Cabrera, Donald and Valbuena.

Hafner healthy, productive

There was some talk going into the season and even the first few weeks that if designated hitter Travis Hafner bounced back with a solid to good season the Indians should consider trading him to get out from under his contract. He is making $13 million this year and is guaranteed $13 million next year. The Indians have a club option on him for the 2013 season for $13 million.

In 48 games this year Hafner is hitting .347 with eight homers, 35 RBI, and a .995 OPS. His health issues and performance the past few years have made his contract an albatross for the Indians tight payroll budget, but now that he is healthy and performing as expected again, suddenly his contract does not appear to be too much of an issue. Over the course of the season he has shown how important he is to the Indians lineup, and provided one of the biggest hits of the season with his walkoff game-winning grand slam on Thursday night in a 5-4 win.

It now looks like a strong possibility that Hafner will stick around for the duration of his contract, and if he is truly back to his old self it seems plausible the Indians would even consider picking up his $13 million 2012 option when the time comes. Another thing that may happen is instead of picking up the option he and the Indians work out some sort of multi-year extension.

Hafner is in his ninth season with the Indians, and at 34 years of age and entering the twilight of his career it would not be a surprise to see him stick around after his contract runs out so long as he is still performing and the team is contending.

Injuries continue to pile up

The Indians suffered two more injuries this past week. The first one occurred last Saturday when right-handed pitcher Fausto Carmona tripped running to first base and ended up straining his right quadriceps. The other occurred on Thursday night when third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was hit in the face with a pitch and he fractured a bone under his right cheek.

The Chisenhall injury put a brief scare into everyone when it initially happened and he caught a Carlos Villanueva fastball to the right side of his face, but it appears disaster has been averted. The result was a big shiner where he looked like Rocky Balboa after fighting Apollo Creed in the first Rocky movie. While he did fracture a bone in the cheek and it will take four to six weeks to heal, he will not have surgery and is not expected to be placed on the disabled list. He will likely sit out the remainder of this weekend, and then be back in the lineup next week possibly wearing some sort of protective mask on his face when play starts up after the All Star break.

The Carmona injury actually helps the Indians as it provides an opportunity for them to remove him from the rotation and shut him down for two weeks. He has struggled a lot this year where in 18 starts he is 4-10 with a 5.78 ERA, and in June was awful going 1-4 with a 7.62 ERA in five starts. There is no doubt that he has the goods, but he has struggled a lot this season so the minor injury should help give him a chance to catch his breath and maybe work on a few things in the bullpen sessions. He is expected to be activated on July 18th for the second game of a scheduled doubleheader with the Twins.

Start ‘em up

With Fausto Carmona down for the count for two weeks and right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot struggling, the Indians are going to have to make some decisions with the starting rotation. Carmona is too talented to put on waivers and risk letting go, so the Indians probably have to stick it out with him and hope he turns things around.

The same cannot be said for Talbot who is your typical fifth starter, journeyman type of pitcher who is easily replaceable. With Talbot now 2-6 with a 6.33 ERA in 11 starts, it may be time to make a change.

One option to replace Talbot is right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister who was called up on Thursday night to make Carmona’s start (4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K). McAllister was noticeably jittery in his Major League debut, but he battled and even though he did not have his best stuff and his command was off he competed and kept the team in the game, something Talbot has not done a lot of this year. McAllister is an innings eater and often pitches deep into games, and is something the Indians can really use in the fifth spot.

The best option to replace Talbot based on experience and who is pitching the best for Triple-A Columbus is right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez. In 14 starts for Columbus he is 9-3 with a 2.40 ERA, and is ready to be given a full time opportunity to pitch at the big league level. Another option with experience who is pitching well is left-hander David Huff who is 8-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 15 starts for Columbus.

Either way, whether the Indians decide to go with Gomez, Huff, or McAllister, the time is now to give one of them an opportunity in the big league rotation and let Talbot go.

Reyes update

Right-handed pitcher Anthony Reyes has been out in Arizona rehabbing from his surgically repaired right elbow as the result of Tommy John surgery back in June of 2009. He had another setback recently where he was having inflammation in his right forearm and weakness in his fingers which shut him down. After consulting doctors, he is going to give it another go and is expected to begin a throwing program very soon.

It has been a long road for Reyes as he has had setback after setback in his return from Tommy John surgery. Last year on two separate occasions he went on rehab assignments in the minors only to have them stopped because of a setback. He was resigned to a minor league deal in the offseason and came in this spring as starting pitching depth and an option for the fifth spot in the Indians rotation, but another setback occurred which shut him down and resulted in him spending the season to date rehabbing and waiting in Arizona.

With so many setbacks you have to wonder how much longer Reyes will continue to try to stay in the game. For now he is taking advantage of his contract with the Indians which allows him to rehab and cover his medical situation, but it does not appear the Indians will consider bringing him back after this season. With his health in doubt he may be hard-pressed to find another team willing to sign him in the offseason, so his career may be nearing an unfortunate end.

All Stars

The Indians had two players named to the American League All Star roster this week as shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and right-handed closer Chris Perez were both named to the team. With Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter bowing out of the game, Cabrera has been named the starting shortstop for the American League.

Cabrera, 25, is making his first career All-Star appearance. Going into Saturday’s game he was hitting .294 with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 14 homers, 51 RBI, 12 steals, and a .832 OPS in 86 games. His 14 homers are already a career high as he came into the season with 18 career homers, and he leads American League shortstops or is in the top ten of almost every offensive category imaginable. He has also been a nightly staple on Sportscenter with numerous web gems, and is ranked second in the American League among shortstops in fielding percentage (.985). He is the first Indians shortstop to be selected to the All-Star game since Omar Vizquel in 2002.

Perez, 26, is also be making his first career All-Star appearance. Going into Saturday’s game he is 2-3 with a 2.23 ERA and is 21-for-22 in save situations. He has converted his last 15 save chances and his 21 saves rank third in the American League. He is also 10-for-11 in one run save opportunities. He is the first Indians closer to be selected to the All-Star game since Bob Wickman in 2005.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Tribe Happenings: Cabrera looks All Star bound



Cabrera is all but certain to attend his first

All star game next month (Photo: AP)

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

All Star worthy?

The participants for the 2011 MLB All Star game on Tuesday, June 12th will soon be announced, and the Indians have a few players who are worthy of consideration.

I think it goes without saying that at this point that shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is a shoe in to be named to the team. He has an outside shot to be named the starter at shortstop for the American League club, though it appears that Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will maintain his 400,000 vote lead when voting ends on June 30th. Even so, when the reserves are announced next weekend he will most definitely be included on the team.

To date Cabrera, 25, is hitting .294 with 12 homers, 43 RBI, and a .842 OPS. He currently ranks 2nd in the AL shortstops in batting average, 1st in runs scored (50), 1st in hits (89), 1st in doubles (19), 2nd in triples (3), 1st in home runs, 1st in RBI, 3rd in stolen bases (12), and 2nd in OPS. In addition to his performance at the plate, he has been dazzling in the field and been a regular on ESPN’s Sportscenter “Plays of the Night”.

After Cabrera it gets a little dicey in figuring out who may also represent the Tribe in the Midsummer Classic. The only other possibilities are right-handed pitchers Josh Tomlin (9-4, 3.95 ERA), Justin Masterson (5-5, 3.18 ERA), Carlos Carrasco (7-4, 3.62 ERA), and closer Chris Perez (2-3, 2.54 ERA, 18 saves).

Tomlin, 26, is tied for the league lead in wins, but doesn’t appear to have the eye-popping numbers or sexiness to get added to the roster over a host of other popular names from other teams, though if he were to go out his next start and win his 10th game it could make it interesting. He is a machine who goes out there every night and competes, and while he is never really dominating, he always keeps his team in games. He has gone at least six innings in all but one of his 15 starts this year and has 11 quality starts.

Masterson, 26, has the sexiness that is a draw to the All Star game and is a player that opposing managers remember because of his very good stuff. His win-loss record may not be all that great, but that is beyond his control as he gets very poor run support. Even so, he appears a long shot to make the team.

Carrasco, 24, is having an awesome June where in five starts he is 3-2 with a 1.77 ERA. He has gone at least six innings in 11 of his 14 starts, and the three he did not go at least six innings were the start where he left the game on because of injury on April 24th and then the first two starts after coming off the disabled list in mid-May. His late surge will most likely not be enough, but he is laying the groundwork to a breakout season and some attention for next year.

Perez, 25, may have the best shot of anyone to join Cabrera. He has earned a reputation as one of the better young closers in the game, and his 18 saves ranks 3rd in the AL. He is 18-for-19 in saves, the 2nd best save percentage in the AL only to Jose Valverde of the Tigers who is a perfect 17-for-17. Usually the top four to five relievers make the All Star team, and there is no question that Perez has been one of the top relievers in the AL this year.

As for a prediction? Cabrera will be on the team, Perez probably will be, and Tomlin might be.

Painful loss

The Indians continue to get bit by the injury bug. The latest to be bitten is outfielder Shin-Soo Choo who was placed on the disabled list on Saturday with a broken left thumb and will probably be out for at least four to six weeks. The Indians recalled outfielder Travis Buck to fill his spot on the roster.

This is a big blow to the Indians. Choo may only be hitting .245 with five homers, 28 RBI, and a .687 OPS in 72 games, but he is still one of the key contributors to the team both offensively and defensively. He has hit at least .300 with over 20 homers and 85 RBI the last two seasons, so the belief has been that he would eventually turn things around this year (he still may). Also, while he has been an adventure of sorts fielding the ball in the outfield this year, there is no denying the impact his throwing arm can have on a game.

The Indians training staff has been busy this season and Choo is the latest player to miss considerable time. Already this season outfielder Grady Sizemore has been on the disabled list two different times, designated hitter Travis Hafner missed a month with an oblique issue, first baseman Matt Laporta is out with a sprained ankle, right-handers pitchers Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco missed a few weeks, and right-handed pitcher Alex White has missed the last month with a sprained right middle finger and could potentially miss the rest of the season.

For the Indians to be where they are at this point of the season is amazing when you consider that they have not been 100% all year as several key pieces have missed considerable time. In addition to that several key contributors on offense have performed below expectations. The team keeps plugging away and finds a way to win, but eventually it is going to catch up with them. They need to get healthy and their key players need to start performing better if they want to stay in the AL Central race for the remainder of the season.

Nunnally fired

The Indians made a surprise announcement last Sunday when they fired hitting coach Jon Nunnally. Minor League Hitting Coordinator Bruce Fields has been named the interim big league hitting coach until the Indians fill the job on a more permanent basis this offseason.

The reason the Indians gave for making the move was that they "needed a new voice", but there is no question that Nunnally fell on the sword for an offense which has underperformed for the last month and a half. A lot of this is not the fault of Nunnally as the offense went into a tailspin after Travis Hafner got hurt plus Grady Sizemore has been in and out of the lineup after two different stints on the disabled list. The two big disappointments though have been Shin-Soo Choo and catcher Carlos Santana, and are big reasons why Nunnally is unemployed by the Indians today.

The move does seem a bit reactionary though as for as bad as the offense has been of late it was the best in the American League the first five weeks of the season. Nunnally has to get some credit for that. Also, Asdrubal Cabrera is having a breakout year and Hafner is enjoying a resurgence at the plate. Again, if you are going to blame Nunnally for Choo and Santana's struggles you have to give him some credit for Cabrera's and Hafner's success too.

Also Michael Brantley has come into his own as a solid hitter. And really, how can you fault the hitting coach when the lineup often includes the likes of Jack Hannahan, Orlando Cabrera, Austin Kearns, and Lou Marson? The move appears to be something more the result of some things going on behind closed doors, either a rift between Nunnally and Acta or something personal with Nunnally that he needed to step away from the game.

In any case, the Indians have moved into a new direction and it appears they are hoping the midseason change at hitting coach can help spark the offense similar to what they did in June of 2005 when they fired Eddie Murray as hitting coach and replaced him with then Minor League Hitting Coordinator Derek Shelton. Whether by coincidence or not, the offense and team caught fire after that move was made.

Enough already

With Choo going on the disabled list with a broken thumb on Saturday, it means a couple of outfielders on the team will continue to get opportunities although they have done nothing to date to warrant it. Travis Buck was recalled for what feels like the hundredth time on Saturday and now will probably form some sort of right field platoon with Austin Kearns.

Buck, 27, was the story of spring training with a very good performance that earned himself a spot on the Indians opening day roster. With his prospect pedigree of the past it was felt that maybe the Indians caught a break and may have found a late-blooming gem. Unfortunately, that has not been the case as he has not played well this year hitting just .228 with two homers, nine RBI and a .625 OPS in 32 games. At this point he has proven to be nothing more than Major League depth and a classic “4A” player too good for Triple-A but not good enough for the big leagues.

Kearns, 31, has been an absolute disaster this year at the plate hitting just .198 with no homers, two RBI, and a .583 OPS in 30 games. There is absolutely no question you won’t find many higher character guys in the game or that the situation he is going through with his son tears at the heart, but tough decisions sometimes need to be made and made strictly on performance. He simply is not cutting it, and we are likely seeing his career ending right before our eyes.

The question remains how much longer will the Indians keep Kearns - and to a lesser extent Buck - around? With Choo’s injury it means Kearns probably gets to stick around awhile longer, and defensively he makes sense with his arm and solid defense. But right now there are lots of options internally that the Indians could turn to which at this point could produce no worse and likely would play better. It is well beyond time to make a change.

Minor shakeup

The Indians did some reshuffling of their minor league rosters up and down their system on Friday. One of the most noteworthy moves was the release of Triple-A Columbus right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis. From a performance perspective it is hard to argue with the decision as he really struggled with Columbus where in 22 games he went 3-2 with a 5.22 ERA, and really struggled keeping runners off base allowing 40 hits and 15 walks in just 28.0 innings (almost two baserunners an inning).

Lewis, 27, has had a rough year as going into the season he looked to be a lock to make the Indians opening day bullpen, especially after he signed for $650,000 in the offseason to avoid arbitration. But he pitched poorly in the spring and his velocity was down considerably, and the Indians eventually made the tough decision late in camp to remove him from the 40-man roster and after he cleared waivers he was outrighted to Columbus. Now that he has been released he is now free to sign with any team as a free agent.

The move created a spot on the Columbus pitching staff to add a high upside bullpen arm in right-handed Chen-Chang Lee, or more commonly known as C.C. Lee. He was having a very good season at Double-A Akron where in 23 appearances he went 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA (39.2 IP, 27 H, 11 BB, 56 K). He is one of the Indians best relief prospects, and by some considered the best, so his promotion was more than deserving. High-A right-handed reliever Tyler Sturdevant (4-2, 1.98 ERA, 21 G) was also promoted to fill Lee’s vacated bullpen spot in Akron.

The Future

Earlier in the week Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2011 All Star Futures Game to be played on Sunday, July 10 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona as part of Major League Baseball’s All Star festivities. The game pits the top talent in minor league baseball against one another in a matchup of the United Stats versus the World.

Two Indians minor leaguers were named to the United States team, Triple-A Columbus second baseman Jason Kipnis and High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz is one of ten pitchers on the United States roster, and so far this season in 12 starts is 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA (60.2 IP, 44 H, 23 BB, 77 K). Kipnis is one of fifteen position players on the team, and to date is hitting .291 with 8 HR, 43 RBI, and a .873 OPS in 71 games. He also has 13 doubles, nine triples and ten stolen bases.

Rosters for both teams were decided on by all 30 big league clubs, Major League Baseball, the MLB Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and USA Baseball. Players from all full season clubs are eligible for a selection. The game can be seen live on MLB.TV and ESPN2 starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. XM Radio will also broadcast play-by-play coverage of the event live on XM 175.

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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The Sunday Drive with Masterson, Tomlin, Sizemore and Pure Rage

© Cleveland Indians

The Easter eggs were aplenty in the Pete household on Saturday Night, as the diabolical duo (as my wife and I have dubbed my nine-year-old and my six-year old) spent the night coloring them every shade under the sun.

While there were no major brawls this year during the egg hunt (last year, we put on our own version of Wrestlemania when my son put the first two eggs he found directly in my daughter's face, and she took exception), there nearly was family banishment during the coloring of the first eggs. My son immediately went two-tone, coloring his egg half red, and half blue, dubbing it his "Cleveland Indians egg". My daughter went right for the blue, and when it came out, there were three perfect pinstipes of blue surrounding the egg. "Daddy," she said mischievously, "this is my Yankees egg, and it can beat the Indians' egg whenever it wants."

We better get driving, before the Easter bunny only fills one of my kid's baskets this year...

Three UP...

1. Who isn't excited by the starting pitching as a whole, and by Justin Masterson and Josh Tomlin in particular? If you just look at the particulars, their seasons are likely already better than most people thought. Tomlin fought for the last spot in the rotation all spring, and is pulling out his best Cliff Lee impression. In four starts this season, he's 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA. He's struck out 15 batters, and walked only seven in 27 total innings. Overall, Tomlin swallow up innings and win games. Personally, I'm sick of the people that say wins aren't important...it's the whole point, and that's what Tomlin does. If he stays away from the long ball, this could be a big year for the young righty.

Masterson really is one the one to watch though. For over a year, Tribe brass and fans alike have been debating Masterson's role on the team. Ultimately, would the big righty continue as a starter, or move to the bullpen. Last year was his first full season with the Tribe, and after a rough start, he did finish the year strong. In his last six starts, he pitched at least six innings, and in his last three, at least seven. During those last three games, he only gave up a run in each game, while striking out 18, and walking four. His ERA would drop a quarter of a run.

This season, Masterson has continued right where he left off, and then some. He's 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA. Masterson is pelting the strike zone with his fastball/slider combination, and tossing in enough changeups to keep the hitters honest. Here's where you can see Belcher's influence with regards to throwing strikes. Instead of trying to paint the corner with ever pitch, he's just letting his stuff take care of itself, and that's the difference.

Can Masterson and Tomlin continue the trend? Masterson really seems to have figured out how to replicate his outstanding stuff in a starting role, so while I doubt he remains this good all season, I think it's not a stretch to say that this could be a special year. With regards to Tomlin, I'm not as sure. This would be his first full season with the Tribe, and he really doesn't have the stuff to rely on as Masterson does when he inevitably struggles. Is Tomlin a good starter? Yeah, just look at his stats in the minors (51-24, 3.20 ERA in five seasons). Will those numbers translate in the majors? So far so good.

2. Grady Sizemore has made a big splash in his return from microfracture surgery last May. It's easy to forget how good Sizemore is, because fans really haven't seen Sizemore's brilliance in over a year. When Sizemore is healthy, he plays with a pure and nearly uncontrollable aggression that is impressive to watch. The 28-year-old is 9 for his first 23, with two homers and five RBI. His OBP is a crazy .440 right now, and while he hasn't been unleashed on the basepaths yet, he's clearly got his speed back. Sizemore is the best player on this team, and he's back. So is his aggressive play, that I very much doubt he will change any time soon. While I'd like him to find a way to stay 100% and not overcharge every ball, don't count on it. Sizemore plays every game like it's his last. It's what makes him who he is. I'm glad he's back, for however long it turns out to be.

3. Chris Perez is the type of closer that the Indians haven't had since Jose Mesa's sublime year in 1995. Sure, other closers have put up good numbers, but Perez has the type of stuff that should keep him from pulling a Borowski any time soon. Sure, Perez got lit up like a candle this past Thursday, when he gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Those hiccups will happen. Dating back to last year, Perez hadn't blown a previous save since an August 6th start against Minnesota. Since then, he saved 16 games in a row (third all-time for the Tribe) without giving up a run (second all-time).

He's got the blazing 95 MPH (he can top that) fastball, and a slider that can screw you into the ground. He's a huge presence on the mound, at 6-4 and 230 pounds, has crazy hair, and the crazy look. You can tell that the kid is wired for sound, and it translates. The big question is how he responds to blowing saves. We'll find out in his next appearance, but my guess is that we can put the heart medication back in the medicine cabinet.

...and three DOWN...

3. Fausto Carmona can't quite figure out if he's brilliant, or scuffling. Carmona got lit up in his first start, to the tune of 10 earned runs in three innings of work. Then, Carmona brought out the brilliance during his next three starts, going seven-plus in each, giving up only three earned runs, striking out 15, and walking only six. In his last start, Carmona lost his control, giving up six runs in five innings of work. The more alarming stat was the return of the walks. He walked four, while striking out one. If he throws strikes he's one of the best pitchers in the league. Throw strikes Fausto. Yeah, I know, sounds easy.

2. Shin-Soo Choo has come out of the gate crawling. We all know that Choo will rebound, but he's started the season struggling. Choo is only hitting .205, but thanks to some support around him, he still has 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI. Choo will right the ship, let's just hope it's soon.

3. While the Tribe bullpen has clearly been a strength for the team, Chad Durbin has really scuffled. How bad has he been? In 8.1 innings pitched in relief, he's given up seven earned runs. With a slew of arms in Akron and Columbus, it doesn't make much sense to keep Durbin around as long as he's playing the pot-luck game with every appearance. It appears as though Acta like Durbin, so I'm sure he'll get a few more chances. For his sake, I hope he rights the ship. If not, get some of those young arms up here.

The REARVIEWMIRROR...

Hopefully you all will find yourselves sitting with your family eating that Easter ham and watching some Indians baseball. For once, this Tribe team has given us something to watch. There's a nice little nucleus of players who have been around a few years, infused with some solid young talent. The staff is throwing strikes, and the defense has been exceptional. Much like most Tribe fans, I've over-analyzed every sign, trying to figure out whether or not this is going to last longer than the next start. It's time to forget about all that, and enjoy it while we've got it....

...and don't forget a shout out to IPI head honcho, Tony Lastoria.  Hopefully, Tony's resting comfortably today with his family, with thoughts of going home soon.

Have a Happy Easter everybody, and may your Easter eggs be of the red-and-blue variety, and not wretched pinstripes.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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Tribe Happenings: Long term deals not likely (yet) for signees

Cabrera may be the first player to sign a

long term deal (Photo: AP)

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

Signed, sealed, and delivered

The Indians completed negotiations this week with the final four arbitration eligible players on their roster.

Back in December they inked right-handed relievers Jensen Lewis and Joe Smith to one year deals just hours before the filing deadline date, and then this week they agreed to one year deals with shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, right-handed closer Chris Perez, left-handed reliever Rafael Perez, and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.

For the 2011 season Cabrera will be paid $2.025 million, Chris Perez $2.25 million, Rafael Perez $1.33 million, and Choo gets $3.975 million. For the two deals reached back in December, Lewis will earn $650,000 and Smith $870,000 this season.

The signings this past week came just hours before the arbitration deadline where if a deal was not reached, the club and player would go arbitration. With the signings of all of the Indians’ arbitration eligible players they avoid going to arbitration for the 20th straight year. The last time they went to arbitration was in 1991 for Greg Swindell and Jerry Browne. With the players under contract, the Indians payroll now sits at around $46.5 million.

Why one year deals?

The signing of all the players to one year deals does not mean long term contract extensions are out of play.

Also, the fact they signed one year deals does not mean that all of these players are free agents at the end of the season as they are all under the Indians control for several more years. The Indians control the rights of Cabrera, Choo, Rafael Perez, and Smith through the 2013 season, and control the rights of Chris Perez and Lewis through the 2014 season.

Going year to year with arbitration eligible players can be beneficial for the team and the players. Teams are able to control long term payroll and not worry about being tied down to a bad long term deal given to a player who struggles after agreeing to the deal. The one year deals also allow the player to hit free agency sooner.

All of that comes at a risk as a player is banking on health and production the next three years instead of taking the financial security of a long term deal, and the team is risking a player continuing to be very productive and becoming very expensive in arbitration and losing him earlier to free agency than they may have had they signed him to a long term deal.

Long term discussions

As the Indians have done in the past with signing the likes of Albert Belle, Charles Nagy, Kenny Lofton and others in the 90s, and then recently Victor Martinez, C.C. Sabathia, Travis Hafner and others, there are some players they will look to sign to long term deals to carry them through their arbitration years and the first one or two years of free agency.

This typically requires give and take by the club and the player, as the player gives up potential future earnings for the security of a guaranteed long term contract while the team gets to buy the first year or two of free agency by taking the risk of a long term guaranteed deal and potentially paying them more through their arbitration years.

At the moment the Indians are not close to a long term deal with any of the players that were arbitration eligible this year. They will continue to go year to year with Lewis, Smith and Rafael Perez due to the volatility of performance that comes from big league relievers.

Due to the presence of mega agent Scott Boras and his high demands along with an inflated outfield market the Indians almost definitely will continue to go year to year with Choo. Do not expect any long term deal to be announced this spring, though things on that front could possibly change later in the season.

The way things stand currently, Cabrera and Chris Perez look to be the most likely fits for a long term deal. Perez will be hard since as a closer his asking price will be high, and as a reliever the Indians may wait at least a half season before becoming more serious in negotiations.

If anyone is signed to a long term deal this spring, Cabrera looks to be the best shot, and that is decent at best. He and the Indians have mutual interest in getting a long term deal done, so there is some momentum there for a potential deal sometime this year, maybe as early as spring training.

Arbitration 101

For those unfamiliar with the arbitration process, you may be wondering what all of this is about and why these players only receive one year deals. The arbitration process for free agents (players with six or more service time) is a little different, but I will explain the process below for players that are arbitration eligible and have less than six years of service time.

Service time is accrued by each day a player is on an active 25-man Major League roster or Major League disabled list (both 15-day and 60-day). Once a player accrues 172 days of service it is considered one year of service time, and then the next count to 172 begins to achieve another year of service time. As these days and years add up a club has control of what they pay them if they are under three years of service time, which usually is at the Major League minimum of $400,000 or slightly above that. For example, as a player with less than three years of service time Choo made $461,000 in 2010.

Once a player has earned at least three full years of service time they become arbitration eligible. What this means is they now have the opportunity to be paid a fair contract and have some leverage to earn a lot more money depending on their performance and the market. Players have three arbitration years until they become eligible for free agency once they accrue six full seasons of service time (unless they are bound by a long term contract).

The arbitration process calls for the Major League team to offer the player arbitration by the December 12th filing date. If the club does not sign the player or offer them arbitration before the filing date, they become a free agent.

For those players that a club offers arbitration to, the club and the player’s representation continue to negotiate a contract. In January the player and the club each submit a salary figure to the league for arbitration, and if neither party can agree to a contract for the upcoming season by January 18th, the case goes before a three-person panel of professional arbitrators in February.

At the hearing, all parties are required to attend and each has one hour to argue its case and 30 minutes for rebuttal. The panel considers the player’s performance and leadership, the team’s record and attendance, and also the comparable salaries of other players with similar service time. The arbitrators then determine what the player will be paid for the upcoming season.

Grover back in the fold

Earlier in the week Mike Hargrove agreed to join the Indians organization this year in a special advisor role. His role will be a versatile one that exposes him to all parts of the organization where he will assist manager Manny Acta’s coaching staff in spring training, join SportsTime Ohio in the booth for several TV broadcasts, and serve as a resource for the many business, community and charitable endeavors of the Indians.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to once again be a Cleveland Indian and am very much looking forward to helping any way that I can,” Hargrove said in a statement this week. “Even when I was away and managing other teams I always had an interest in what was happening with the Indians. All I can really say is that it is good to be home.”

Known as the “Human Rain Delay”, Hargrove has spent 22 years in the Indians organization as a player, coach and manager. He hit .292 in 888 games over seven years with the Indians from 1979-1985, and in 12 big league seasons had an incredible 965 walks to just 550 strikeouts in 6693 plate appearances.

As manager of the Indians from 1991-1999, Hargrove went 721-591 including two American League titles and five American League Central Division crowns. He ranks second all-time in club history in managerial wins behind Lou Boudreau (728), third in managerial winning percentage (.550) and is the only Indians manager to guide the Indians to two American League pennants. He was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2008.

With the passing of the legendary Bob Feller a few weeks back, one can say the title of Mr. Indian has been passed onto Hargrove as he has always been a fan favorite and actively been a part of the organization in some way for over 30 years.

Shuey named to Kinston hall

Former Indians reliever Paul Shuey (1994-2002) was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame this week. He will be formally inducted at Kinston’s annual Hot Stove Banquet on March 10th. Kinston is the advanced Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

Shuey went to school at Raleigh Millbrook High School (NC), is a former All-American at the University of North Carolina, and after being drafted and signed by the Indians in the first round of the 1992 Draft he played at Kinston in 1993 and 1994. He made 15 appearances for Kinston in 1993 going 1-0 with a 4.84 ERA, and made 13 appearances in 1994 at Kinston going 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA with a team high eight saves before making his Major League debut with the Indians that same year.

Parting Shots

Former Indians catcher Wyatt Toregas has signed a minor league contract with an invite to big league spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In seven seasons in the Indians’ minor league system he hit .262 with 52 homers, 284 RBI, and .736 OPS in 536 games. He made his Major League debut at the end of the 2009 season with the Indians where in 19 games he went 9-for-51 (.176) at the plate. … The Low-A Lake County Captains unveiled their 2010 Midwest League championship rings this week. To see them, go to CaptainsBaseball.com. … Finally, the new 2011 Indians prospect guide I am completing is still targeted to go to press at the end of this month or beginning of February. I will continue to post details on its availability here.

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IPI Inbox: 2010 Draft Draws Near

It's time for another edition of the IPI Inbox to post some answers to some of the questions I have received recently regarding the Cleveland Indians. Be it the draft, the big league team, or the minor leagues, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Also, the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft is quickly approaching and is less than three weeks away (Monday June 7th).  The site will soon become involved with the draft by posting a few pre-draft articles.  Once the draft starts you will get no better instant analysis of the picks as they come in than right here, and there will also be tons of post-draft analysis and firsthand scouting info provided from talks with the Indians or scouts around the league.

Onto the Inbox...

Brent W. wrote: What are your feelings on the upcoming draft? Do you feel the tribe will look for an offensive player or take another starter?

Me: The draft is a little less than three weeks away. At the moment the Indians do not have one specific kind of player targeted with their first round pick, which is fifth overall. They obviously have a lot of pitching depth in the organization and several high upside starters. The strength of the organization is their pitching, so it appears that they could use some high upside hitters in the early rounds of the draft.

That said, they won’t draft based on need at least in the early rounds as it will be best player available, especially with that No. 5 overall pick. Outside of catcher Bryce Harper (pictured), there doesn’t appear to be a consensus overall hitting prospect worthy of a selection that high, so unless Harper somehow slips to them (they would no doubt take him if he fell to them) it is probably a pretty safe bet that they will take another pitching prospect with their first pick. Who that may be is anyone’s guess at the moment as they could go the prep or college route, but I think it could be one of these pitchers: A.J. Cole (RHP), Deck McGuire (RHP), Drew Pomeranz (LHP), Anthony Ranaudo (RHP), Chris Sale (LHP), Jameson Taillon (RHP), or Karsten Whitson (RHP). If I had to guess, my gut feeling is it will be a prep pitcher which would mean they take one of Cole, Taillon or Whitson.

I also get the vibe that signability issues will not be much of a concern. If a guy like Harper were to fall to them, or they really liked a prep guy who may be leaning toward college, I believe they would take them. They know that even if they were not to sign these players that they would get a compensation pick in next year’s draft at the exact same pick, so the risk would be warranted to take a gamble on a high profile guy and try to sign him knowing they can fall back on getting the same pick next year.

Terry wrote: Michael Brantley is back in the minor leagues. Matt LaPorta, Justin Masterson, and Lou Marson are struggling in the majors. Rob Bryson is in Single-A. Brian Price is struggling. We fear Nick Hagadone and Jason Knapp will turn into Adam Miller. So what exactly did the Indians get when trading two Cy Young Award winners and an All-Star catcher?

Me: I actually think the return on Victor was good. Masterson at some point this season or next will move back to a pen role which is where he has done well before and where he ultimately will excel. Also, Hagadone is finally having the leash cut so to speak and is pitching well and should spend a good portion of the season in Akron where I think he gets promoted to around the All Star break. Price, well, he was the third guy in that trade, so I am not too broken up about him yet though think he will be better in the long run and still has major league stuff.

As for the CC and Lee trades, it certainly is debatable on how good the trades were. At the moment the CC trade is looking just okay at best, maybe even worse, with LaPorta struggling and Brantley struggling a little this year in Cleveland, but I think long term both will be solid major leaguers. Brantley is still adjusting and LaPorta seems to be playing through injury still, and Brantley has settled down and is playing very well in Columbus right now. We'll see, but if you were to grade the trade right now I agree it certainly looks bad at the moment. That said, I still think we need to wait another year or two to properly evaluate the CC trade.

The Lee deal I am still kind of fine with and think it is better than most people think. I also think it is way too soon to even evaluate the trade until we see what the players received do in the majors for an extended period of time the next year or two. In just comparing the players the Indians got for Lee to what the Phillies got for Lee in their trade with the Mariners, it is no comparison as we got the better haul. Donald is looking like the everyday second baseman of the future and Carlos Carrasco still has a lot of potential as a solid middle-of the-rotation big league starter. Marson has been a disappointment, but I think he is a major league catcher but just as a backup. If they get an everyday second baseman, middle of the rotation starter, and a backup catcher at the big league level for the next five to six years, that’s a solid trade. The wildcard is Knapp, as if he ultimately reaches his potential and reaches the big leagues in two to three years, he makes it a very good trade. But like I said, we need more time to evaluate the trade before making snap judgments either way.

Matt wrote: At this point in time, who do the Indians think is their closer for next year and beyond? Chris Perez comes to mind almost immediately, but I wonder how much faith they have in that plan. Who are the other candidates? Jensen Lewis? Adam Miller? Josh Judy? Nick Hagadone?

Me: This is a good question. The Indians don’t typically develop pitchers in the minors to be closers, so it is always hard to tell who may fill such a role in the near future. My guess is either Chris Perez is the closer in 2011 and beyond or they pick up a veteran in a trade or in free agency and fill that need like they did with Bob Wickman, Joe Borowski, and Kerry Wood for the better part of the past decade.

As for internal candidates who could eventually find themselves in the mix, the first two that come to mind are right-handers Zach Putnam and Josh Judy. Both have closer stuff and the right makeup to handle such a demanding role if they are thrust into it. Right-handers Bryan Price and Alex White are two others who could factor into such a role, especially White if the starting rotation doesn’t work out for him though he will get every opportunity to succeed there. Nick Hagadone is certainly another option because of his stuff and makeup, but he provides more value as a front of the rotation starter so they are going to give him every opportunity to succeed as a starter. Right-hander Vinnie Pestano has an outside shot at the gig too, something he is very experienced at doing as he closed in college and has closed for a majority of his minor league career.

Really, there are a lot of potential closer types in the system from Triple-A all the way to rookie ball as they have a lot of power arms in the system now, so it will be interesting if they can find a young arm to plug into the role for the next five to six years. Developing a young closer to install at the backend of the big league bullpen is something that has alluded them really since the Jacobs Field-era began in 1994. They have just never been able to find or develop a young closer to build a bullpen around.

James D. wrote: I was showing off my level of knowledge of the Rule 5 draft gained from reading your site and took it a step farther and dropped the fact the AA is known for its hitting and High Single-A is known as pitching heavy. I was then asked why and my ignorance was exposed. Is it just the Eastern League or all AA leagues that are hitter heavy, and why? Same with the Carolina League? Am I completely mistaken?

Me: Actually High-A and Double-A really have no relation at all, and neither is pitching or hitting friendly. Double-A is probably the most true level of minor league competition where most of the top prospects closest to the big leagues are playing. Also, save for a few exceptions, Double-A also does not have any minor league veterans (4A players) playing at that level or former big leaguers looking to hang onto their career, two things common in Triple-A which dilutes the talent level and competion.

But, Double-A is not really a pitching or hitting heavy level, it is usually pretty well balanced. Also, the High-A level in general is not necessarily a pitching heavy level as well. It is the respective leagues within each level which create that perception. The Carolina League (High-A), where Kinston plays, is a notorious pitchers league because of the big spacious ballparks whereas in the California League (High-A) the ballparks are mostly bandboxes so offense is prominent. This is the same thing in Triple-A with the bandboxes in the Pacific Coast League (hence a hitters league) compared to the more neutral hitting sites in the International League (where Columbus plays).

So, no, a particular level is not a hitting or pitching heavy level as they are all really the same. It's the leagues and ballparks that make the respective league more pitching or hitting friendly and create that label.

Brian F. wrote: Why release Scott Lewis?

Me: In a nutshell, Lewis is all but done. Recurring bicep and forearm pain which came about and put him on the disabled list in late April was the last straw for the Indians. It was the same issue that sidelined him all last offseason and has sidelined him intermittently throughout his career. He has tried everything over the last seven years and the pain continues, and apparently with his latest setback and the bullpen sessions he was throwing, the Indians decided to pull the plug and felt he was done.

When Lewis is able to go out there and pitch, he is a good pitcher. The problem was he could no longer stay on the mound and was always pitching with pain this year and last year. The Indians may have done him a favor as if he still wants to pitch and get another shot elsewhere, he can get a head start on that considering he is a free agent. Still, I'd be surprised if he ever pitches for another team, and the career may be over. That’s too bad, as he is a good guy, an Ohio guy at that, and a very good pitcher who had big league ability. Like we have seen with so many other players, injuries quite often are a career killer.

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Minor Happenings: Akron Can Provide Some Relief

"Minor Happenings" 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.

This is part two of this week's Minor Happenings which was broken up into two installments. For part one, click here.

Before getting into this piece, a last minute bit of breaking news as Double-A Akron right-hander Hector Rondon has been promoted to Triple-A Columbus. This is a well deserved promotion for Rondon who was 7-5 with a 2.75 ERA for the Aeros. His ERA was the fifth-best in the Eastern League, he was in a four-way tie for fourth in the league in victories, and he was tied for fifth in the league with 73 strikeouts in just 72.0 innings. He was holding Double-A opponents to a .227 batting average. Recently signed left-hander Bobby Livingston is expected to take his spot in the rotation.

I will be in Akron this week to see them in action before hitting up Mahoning Valley and Lake County the following week. I will finally get out and see Kinston two different times at the end of this month when I see them in Kinston and then a week later in Myrtle Beach.

Also, I have a bunch of player pieces I have to get out, so expect a few of those over the course of this week....provided the Indians don't make a ton of trades or noteworthy moves and all kinds of stuff goes on like it has the previous few weeks!

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for June)

Nick Weglarz (Outfielder - Akron)
.294 AVG (25-for-85), 20 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 22 BB, 18 K, .450/.600/1.050

Things are finally coming naturally to Double-A Akron outfielder Nick Weglarz. The big Canadian admits he got a little ahead of himself early in the season trying to do too much at the plate, and it showed as he opened the season in a 5-for-56 tailspin for the month of April. He was way off his game as he was striking at a high rate with 19 strikeouts in 56 at bats and he showed no power with one extra base hit.

Since then things have changes dramatically. Weglarz finally took a step back, relaxed, and has been on an absolute tear every since the start of May. Since May 1st the 6'3" 255 pounder has been the hulking menace at the plate he is supposed to be hitting a solid .298 (56-for-188), but it his other numbers which have been impressive. He has scored 36 runs and has 49 RBI. He had a 10:19 walk to strikeout ratio in April, but since then he has a 37:37 ratio. He has 14 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs good for a .569 slugging percentage. His on-base percentage since then is .422 and he has a .991 OPS. It's been a great two month run for Weglarz, and he is starting to show the ability at the plate with the plate discipline and power that had people salivating after he hit 24 home runs and had 83 walks as a 19-year at Lake County in 2007.

On the season, Weglarz is now hitting .250 (61-for-244) with 12 HR, 55 RBI, and a .851 OPS in 76 games. He ranks 7th in the Eastern League in home runs (12), 3rd in RBI (55), and 2nd in walks (47). He was also honored last week as the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week ending June 28th, his second weekly award of the season. For the week he hit .450 (9-for-20) with six walks, two doubles, five runs scored and league-leading totals of four home runs and 12 RBI.

Honorable Mentions:

Matt LaPorta (OF/1B - COL): .304 AVG (31-102), 15 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 18 K, .849 OPS
Erik Stiller (RHP - AKR): 4-0, 8 G, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 6 BB, 12 K, 0.92 WHIP, .140 BAA
Carlton Smith (RHP - AKR): 2-0, 8 G, 1.37 ERA, 19.2 IP, 13 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 13 K, 0.97 WHIP, .188 BAA
Ryan Edell (LHP - AKR): 1-0, 5 G, 3.07 ERA, 29.1 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 9 BB, 31 K, 1.23 WHIP, .250 BAA
Eric Berger (LHP - KIN): 3-2, 5 G, 2.15 ERA, 29.1 IP, 23 H, 7 R, 14 BB, 17 K, 1.26 WHIP, .225 BAA
Russell Young (LHP - KIN): 1-0, 4 G, 2.19 ERA, 24.2 IP, 22 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 15 K, 1.05 WHIP, .234 BAA
Delvi Cid (OF - LC): .333 AVG (29-87), 16 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 6 BB, 23 K, 12 SB, .762 OPS
T.J. House (LHP - LC): 1-2, 4 G, 1.59 ERA, 22.2 IP, 18 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 21 K, 1.01 WHIP, .214 BAA
Chris Jones (LHP - LC): 2-1, 4 G, 1.56 ERA, 17.1 IP, 15 H, 3 R, 9 BB, 13 K, 1.38 WHIP, .242 BAA
Alexander Perez (RHP - LC): 2-1, 5 G, 2.08 ERA, 30.1 IP, 19 H, 7 R, 7 BB, 32 K, 0.86 WHIP, .174 BAA

Previous Winners:

May: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
April: Matt McBride (1B/OF - Kinston)

How Do You Spell Relief? A-K-R-O-N

While the Indians continue to look for relief options on the major league waiver wire and at the Triple-A level, maybe they should take a quick peek down at the Double-A level and what some of their relievers are doing of late. Here are the June numbers for some of the noteworthy performances in the Akron bullpen:

Matt Meyer (LHP): 1.13 ERA, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 7 BB, 6K, .120 BAA
Vinnie Pestano (RHP): 2.77 ERA, 13.0 IP, 10H, 5 BB, 12 K, .217 BAA
Carlton Smith (RHP): 1.37 ERA, 19.2 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 13 K, .188 BAA
Erik Stiller (RHP): 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 6 BB, 12 K, .140 BAA
Steven Wright (RHP): 3.07 ERA, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 11 K, .236 BAA

It's no secret that the key to Akron's success this season has been their pitching. Not only has the starting pitching been good, the bullpen has been stellar. It is amazing how you can pile up the wins when you go out there every night and get good outings from your pitchers innings one through nine on a consistent basis.

Several of the pitchers listed above are in the midst of some pretty impressive scoreless streaks. Smith (4-0, 2.68 ERA) has eight consecutive scoreless outings covering 17.1 innings and Wright (6-0, 2.78 ERA) has eight consecutive outings covering 15.0 innings. Not to be outdone, Stiller (5-3, 3.84 ERA) has allowed just two runs in his last 12 outings (20.2 IP) and Meyer has allowed just two runs in nine outings (9.0 IP) since his early June callup to Akron.

Stiller is the elder statesman in the Akron bullpen having spent much of the 2008 season in the Aeros pen, and this year when you take out his four spot starts his relief-only numbers are an impressive 5-0 with a 2.32 ERA and .189 BAA in 19 games. Wright actually opened the season in the Akron rotation before being shifted to a relief role for the first time in his career. Smith is also pitching in a relief role for really the first time in his career. Pestano has been consistent all year as the closer, and is 2-3 with a league leading 23 saves and a 3.03 ERA in 32 appearances. On top of all that, this listing doesn't even include high upside arms like right-handers Josh Judy and Zach Putnam as well since they struggled during the month and missed some time due to injuries, as well as flame-throwing right-hander Neil Wagner too.

Several of these guys are primed for a callup to Triple-A Columbus, but while there is certainly space for some of them in Columbus because of all the veteran stashed on the pitching staff there, one of the things often overlooked is that there has to be pitchers ready to move up to Akron and fill their vacant spot. The Indians can't gut the Akron bullpen and promote these guys if there is nothing at High-A Kinston to replace them with, and currently the options are limited because most of the pitchers in the Kinston pen have had disappointing seasons, are hurt, or have been very inconsistent. The only pitcher who may be called up soon to allow for at least one member of Akron bullpen to move up (likely Wright) would be right-hander Chen-Chang Lee who in 26 appearances is 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA (51.2 IP, 41 H, 20 BB, 60 K). Right-handers Jonathan Holt and Dallas Cawiezell are the only other possibilities.

In all, it is an impressive collection of relievers in the Akron bullpen. Some who have high ceilings, some much lower, but many who are performing well and giving themselves a chance to get to the next level and realize that dream of pitching in the big leagues.

Paging Dr. Smith

Speaking of Akron right-handed reliever Carlton Smith, he is now becoming a legitimate option for the Indians big league bullpen in the future. Prior to this season he has mostly always been a starter, but he was transitioned to a relief role this year and even though he was inconsistent at times earlier in the season, of late he has been dynamite and on quite a roll.

This is Smith's fifth year in the Indians system since they signed him out of high school as a 21st round pick in the 2004 Draft. He tied for the most wins in the system last year with 12 while pitching for High-A Kinston, and came into this season with a career record of 26-17 and a 4.30 ERA. He has never been one to strike batters out as he only has a career 5.6 K/9 rate, but he has done a pretty good job avoiding home runs (0.8 HR/9) and keeping batters off base (1.24 WHIP) in his career.

His success is driven by a hard sinker that sits around 91-93 MPH and has touched as high as 95 MPH. He has a pitch to contact mentality to get ahead in the count forcing hitters to pound the sinker into the ground for quick, easy outs. While he primarily throws his two-seam fastball because of its sinking action, he also complements it with three others pitches - a four-season fastball, slider, and splitter. Even though he is in a bullpen role, he has been told by the Akron coaching staff to continue using all four of his pitches. His command continues to improve and his delivery is much more consistent which has allowed him to become sharper with his pitches and have the sort of success he has had to date.

The Book On Perez

I had some e-mails asking if I had any information on the Indians newly acquired right-handed reliever Chris Perez and why I had not posted anything about him. Well, the main reason is because at the time of his pickup he was no longer a "prospect" anymore since he had 70 games and 65.1 innings in his two-year major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals. That said, he is very much an unknown and going into this season he was a top prospect in all of baseball (#91 according to Baseball America). Here is some information I was able to pull looking at his statistical history as well as from talking to a few people outside the Indians organization:

Perez played college ball at the University of Miami, FL from 2004-2006 before being drafted by the Cardinals in the 1st round of the 2006 Draft. He moved quickly through the Cardinals system as shortly after the draft he was sent to their Low-A full season affiliate Quad City where he went 2-0 with 12 saves and a 2.15 ERA in 25 games. In 2007 he split the season in Double-A and Triple-A, pitching in a combined 54 games at the two levels going 2-1 with 36 saves and a 2.96 ERA. He opened the 2008 season in Triple-A Memphis, but spent over half the season in St. Louis where in his major league debut he went 3-3 with 7 saves and a 3.46 ERA in 41 games. He was 1-1 with 1 save and a 4.18 ERA this year in 29 games for St. Louis before being traded to the Indians.

The Cardinals had him pitching in the backend of games since the day he was drafted to develop him as a closer, though he could also end up a setup man down the road. Either way, he is projected as having backend of the bullpen stuff and has shown it on many occasions. His fastball is effortless as it regularly sits at 94-95 MPH and he can reach back and get it as high as 98 MPH when needed. The fastball has good movement and natural sink, and he complements it with a hard slider he throws in the upper 80s that has good late action. He has the makeup to handle late inning situations, and has unbelievable confidence.

As with any pitcher who throws as hard as Perez, commanding the fastball and locating it well will be a huge key in determining his success as a reliever. To date, he has been very inconsistent with his command and is very susceptible to walks (6.0 BB/9 in minors, 5.1 BB/9 in majors) and he has a penchant for missing up in the zone. While his slider is good, it is not of wipeout variety, so to be a true dominant late inning reliever he needs to either continue to refine the slider to get it to that next level or perhaps learn to throw a curveball or changeup to mix in with his fastball-slider mix to give hitters something else to think about.

In addition to Perez, the Indians also will receive a player to be named later. The deadline to make that decision is September 1st, though it may be announced much sooner. The St. Louis Post Dispatch recently listed right-hander Jess Todd and right-hander Francisco Samuel as a couple of possibilities for the player to be named.

Scary Incidents

Kinston left-handed starter Ryan Morris was involved in a scary incident last Sunday, and he wasn't even playing. He was in street clothes and charting pitches in the stands behind home plate at Grainger Stadium in Kinston when he was hit in the ribs by a foul ball that went through the protective netting on the backstop. The way Grainger Stadium is situated is there are field boxes that go all around the home plate viewing area where a few people can sit in each box. The Indians and the opposing team always typically use one of the boxes directly behind home plate to chart pitches and get radar gun readings.

Upon getting hit, Morris doubled over in pain which caused a stir and Kinston trainer Chad Wolfe came rushing out of the dugout to check on him. Wolfe walked Morris to the clubhouse to evaluate the injury, and shortly after the game Morris felt better but was pretty sore. X-rays were taken, but came back negative, and the final result was a nasty bruise under the right side of his rib cage. He played catch on Monday, and while he the injury was still tender, he was able to make his scheduled start on Tuesday. Ironically, he put forth one of his best outings of the year going five innings and allowing one run on three hits, three walks and had seven strikeouts. In 15 starts for Kinston this year he is 3-8 with a 5.33 ERA (72.2 IP, 74 H, 46 BB, 65 K).

Another scary incident occurred on Monday night in Columbus when outfielder Trevor Crowe and shortstop Niuman Romero collided going for a fly ball in short left field. Crowe was charging in on the ball and Romero was running out from shortstop, and Crowe caught the ball moments before they both smacked into each other hitting hard knee to knee. It could have been a lot worse as both sat just one game with some soreness, but were back in action the next night. Romero is hitting .250 with 0 HR and 9 RBI in 29 games at Columbus, while Crowe is hitting .259 with 1 HR and 7 RBI in 31 games at Columbus.

Double-A & Triple-A All Stars

This week we learned who from the Indians Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus rosters have been selected to take part in this year's All Star games at the Double-A and Triple-A level.

Columbus will be sending three representatives to the 22nd annual Triple-A All-Star Game in Portland, Oregon, on July 15. Catcher Wyatt Toregas, third baseman Andy Marte, and first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown were selected to the International League squad. Five clubs lead the way with three representatives, Columbus being one of them (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Gwinnett, Lehigh Valley and Syracuse are the others). The game pits the International League against the Pacific Coast League and can be viewed live on ESPN2 at 10:05 PM EST.

Akron is one of three teams to have five players selected to the Eastern League All-Star Game (Trenton and Erie are the others). Catcher Carlos Santana, outfielder Nick Weglarz, first baseman Beau Mills, right-handed starting pitcher Hector Rondon and right-handed closer Vinnie Pestano will represent the Aeros and the Southern Division on July 15th at Waterfront Park in Trenton, NJ. The five representatives are just one off the franchise record set in 2007, when the Aeros sent right-handed pitcher Randy Newsom, left-handed pitcher Reid Santos, catcher Wyatt Toregas, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, first baseman Jordan Brown and outfielder Brian Barton to the All-Star game in Norwich, CT.

Not So Good First Impression

When you open your second professional season where you ended the previous season, it is not a very good sign for your future and your standing in the Indians organization. That's the case with 2008 18th round pick left-hander Kaimi Mead. He pitched for short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley in 2008 after being drafted, but this year spent the entire first half of the season in extended spring training and then was once again appointed to the Mahoning Valley opening day roster when their season began. Needless to say, Mead needs to do some big things these last two months of the season to improve his standing in the organization.

That looked like it was starting to happen at Mahoning Valley where in three appearances Mead went 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA, and in 10.0 innings allowed just two hits, four walks, and had ten strikeouts. He was quickly promoted to Low-A Lake County earlier this past week, but his first outing there on Wednesday was one to forget. The 23-year-old from Hawaii came into the game in the seventh inning given a 4-0 lead after yet another outstanding start by lefty T.J. House. Mead proceeded to throw just one inning and when the seventh inning was finished Lake County's 4-0 lead had evaporated and they trailed 5-4. The line in that one inning was brutal: four runs, two hits, three walks, three wild pitches, and a three-run home run to the eight batters he faced.

Mead went 5-8 with a 5.52 ERA in 15 starts for Mahoning Valley last year, but he was great in the offseason playing in the Hawaii Winter League pitching for the Honolulu Sharks where he put up a sensational 1.37 ERA in 15 relief appearances and was named to the league's post-season All-Star team. He used that solid finish in Hawaii as a springboard into spring training and the 2009 season, though ended up sticking around in extended spring training when full season teams left Arizona so he could continue to work on his mechanics. He's a maximum effort pitcher and at times he overthrows a little bit, so his future may be in the bullpen, one that he is now pitching in at least for the short-term in Lake County.

Transactions Rundown

Here is a listing of some notable transactions from the past week or so:

July 2: Mickey Hall placed on DL (retro to 7/1); John Meloan traded to Tampa Bay for Winston Abreu; Brian Grening transferred to Columbus from Mahoning Valley.

June 28: Blaine Neal placed on 7-day DL with right elbow impingement; Adam White placed on 7-day DL with left ankle sprain; Bo Greenwell transferred to Lake County from Mahoning Valley.

June 27: Doug Pickens transferred to Kinston from Mahoning Valley.

June 26: Eric Perlozzo signed to a Minor League contract and active in Kinston; Juan Aponte transferred to Mahoning Valley from Arizona Indians; Roberto Perez transferred to AZL from Mahoning Valley.

June 25: Santo Frias transferred to Kinston from Lake County; David Roberts transferred to Kinston from Lake County; Ryan Miller transferred to Lake County from Kinston; Travis Turek transferred to Lake County from Kinston; Wes Hodges transferred to Lake County

June 24: Robert Mackowiak placed on 7-day DL with left ankle sprain; Abner Abreu placed on 7-day DL with left shoulder strain; Stephen Head reinstated from DL and active in Columbus.

Draft Signings Update

The Indians made a few more signings from the draft this past week:

Right-handed pitcher Johnny Goryl was signed as a non-drafted minor league free agent. "JD" is the son of Indians special assistant Johnny Goryl who has been a prominent figure in the Indians organization since he first came on board in 1982. JD made his pro debut on Friday, June 26 for the rookie level Arizona League Indians out in Goodyear and went 2.0 shutout-hitless innings allowing no walks and had two strikeouts. JD recently pitched at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL.

On the draft front, 20th round pick right-hander Kyle Smith (Kent State University), 26th round pick right-hander Antwonie Hubbard (Oklahoma) and 28th round pick right-hander Nick Sarianides (Chattahoochee Valley CC ) have signed. The Indians have now signed 25 of their 50 selections, 18 of the top 20 and 22 of the top 28 picks. The only two players left unsigned in the top 20 are first round pick right-hander Alex White and second round pick outfielder Jason Kipnis.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (35-48, 4^th place, 10.5 GB): Outfielder Michael Brantley has been red-hot with the stolen bases of late, swiping nine bases in his last nine games. He currently has 31 stolen bases which ranks 2nd in the International League, and is the second time in his career he has reached the 30 steal plateau career. He is four steals away from tying his career high of 35 he had in 2007. He has only been caught three times all year, and boasts an incredible 91.2% success rate (31-for-34). On the season he is hitting .252 with 4 HR, 25 RBI and a .673 OPS. He also has 39 walks and 40 strikeouts. ... Outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta continues to split time in left field and at first base in order to be an option for the Indians this year and beyond at either position. He's ready for the call, and will get it soon, likely at the All-Star break. On the season, in 57 games at Columbus he is hitting .308 with 10 HR, 38 RBI, and a .924 OPS. ... Catcher Wyatt Toregas continues to play excellent defense, and with the more consistent bat he has displayed this year (.280, 7 HR, 27 RBI) he could be on the verge of moving to Cleveland as the backup catcher sometime during the second half if one of Victor Martinez (not likely) or Kelly Shoppach (likely) are traded. He will definitely be with the Indians after September 1st when rosters expand. ... The Indians have two starters rehabbing in Columbus. Left-hander Aaron Laffey (oblique) was activated on the Clippers roster and made his fourth minor league rehab start on Friday night (4.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 3 K), and right-hander Fausto Carmona was activated on the Clippers roster today (Sunday) and will make his third minor league "rehab" start. ... In addition to the starters, right-handed reliever Rafael Betancourt (right groin strain) is also in Columbus on a rehab assignment after being activated on Friday. He pitched an inning of scoreless-hitless of relief with a walk and strikeout on Friday.

Akron Notes (54-28, 1st place, 6.5 GU): On Monday, right-handed starter Jeanmar Gomez put up his sixth quality start in 11 starts at Akron. In six innings of work he allowed only five hits and three walks while striking out four batters. Since his promotion from High-A Kinston April 30th, he has been one of the most consistent starters on the team and is 6-2 with a 3.31 ERA, and his 94.2 combined innings at Akron and Kinston are the most for any player in the Indians minor league system. ... Right-hander John Tomlin is tied with teammate Jeanmar Gomez as the leaders in the Indians organization with eight wins. Tomlin has notched eight quality starts so far at Akron this year, and in his last six outings is 3-2 with a 3.17 ERA. On the season, in 15 starts he is 8-5 with a 4.09 ERA and in 81.1 innings has allowed 89 hits, 12 walks, and has 69 strikeouts. ... On Tuesday, outfielder Nick Weglarz's 23-game on-base streak came to a halt with his 0-for-4 night.. His streak was tied for the second-longest streak in the Eastern League this year. On the season he is hitting .250 with 12 HR, 55 RBI and has an .850 OPS. ... As a team, Akron went 19-9 in the month of June. They hit .260 as a team and out-scoring their opponents by 50 runs at 136-86, and the pitching staff held a 2.95 ERA and recorded 196 strikeouts as opposed to only 84 walks in 241.0 innings pitched. First baseman Beau Mills and Weglarz tied for second in the league with 21 RBI in the month of June, right-hander Vinnie Pestano led the league with nine saves, and left-hander Ryan Edell's 31 strikeouts were a league high. ... On Friday night Akron turned their first triple play in franchise history. The event came in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on second and first when a failed sacrifice bunt attempt led to three outs. Starter Josh Tomlin caught a popped up bunt and with the runners both moving on the bunt Tomlin threw to second for the second out and then shortstop Carlos Rivero threw to first for the third out.

Kinston Notes (4-5, 4th place, 3.0 GB, 31-47 overall): Kinston has had four new players join their roster recenty with right-handed reliever David Roberts, right-handed reliever Santo Frias and catcher Doug Pickens getting promotions from Low-A Lake County, while infielder Eric Perlozzo was signed as a minor league free agent. Perlozzo was drafted in 2007 by the Baltimore Orioles in the 25th round out of Shippensburg University. He spent 2008 with short-season Class A Aberdeen and in 51 games hit .241 with 1 HR and 8 RBI. ... Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall got into a little bit of a funk with the batting average in June hitting just .239, but most of his other numbers stayed very consistent as had five home runs and 15 RBI as well as a .500 slugging percentage for the month. On the season he is hitting .285 with 13 HR, 56 RBI, and has an .864 OPS. He is 1st in the Carolina League in hits (82), 7th in doubles (19), 4th in home runs (13), 2nd in RBI (56), 2nd in total bases (144), 3rd in slugging (.500) and 4th in OPS (.864). ... Right-handed reliever Chen-Chang Lee is quietly putting together a good season in Kinston, and may be on the verge of a callup to Akron soon. In 26 relief appearance for Kinston he is 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA, and in 51.2 innings has allowed 41 hits, 20 walks and has 60 strikeouts. He is holding hitters to a .219 average and his 10.5 K/9 and 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio is impressive. ... Catcher Richard Martinez has not done much with the bat (.204, 2 HR, 11 RBI) this season, but he has done well behind the plate. He recently has been getting a lot more playing time as fills in for regular catcher Alex Castillo while he deals with an injured catching thumb. Martinez has shown a great arm behind the plate, throwing out 16-of-39 (41%) would-be base stealers on the season, good for the third-highest caught stealing percentage in the league with a minimum of 39 attempts. ... Aside from Chisenhall, the only really big bright spot for Kinston has been left-handed starter Eric Berger who may be on the verge of a callup to Akron at some point here in the second half. In 16 starts this season he is 7-5 with a 2.13 ERA, and in 84.2 innings has allowed 67 hits, 37 walks, and has 70 strikeouts. ... Last Saturday, Kinston got an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning courtesy of an RBI double by utility man Adam Davis. Why is this so notable? The run broke a 25 inning scoreless streak for Kinston.

Lake County Notes (6-4, 4th place, 1.5 GB, 37-40 overall): On Tuesday night, right-handed starter Alexander Perez was solid again going 6.1 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits, two walks, and had two strikeouts. He wasn't sharp and did not have his best stuff, but he battled his way to a quality start and kept his team in the game, a clear sign he is rapidly maturing as a pitcher. On the season in 14 starts he is 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA, and in 78.0 innings has allowed 62 hits, 21 walks and has 74 strikeouts. ... Infielder Nate Recknagel has done well in his second stint with the Captains He returned to Lake County on June 18th after a one month visit in Kinston, and in his last ten games is hitting a blistering .459 (17-for-37) with 3 HR and 14 RBI. On the season in 240 combined at bats between Kinston and Lake County he is hitting .283 with 7 HR, 37 RBI, and an .800 OPS. ... Right-hander Mike McGuire was promoted to Kinston after the game last Sunday. In 20 appearances with the Captains, he went 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA (45.1 IP, 35 H, 22 BB, 42 K). ... Outfielder Adam White is on the disabled list with a sprained ankle and is expected to be out a total of three to four weeks. He is hitting .255 with 1 HR, 12 RBI and a .716 OPS in 145 at bats this season. ... White's injury opened the door for outfielder Bo Greenwell to get a promotion from short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley to Lake County. Greenwell spent the entire first half of the season in extended spring training before starting the season in Mahoning Valley. In seven games with the Scrappers he hit .346 (9-for-26) with 0 HR, 4 RBI and an .816 OPS. ... 19-year old outfielder Delvi Cid continues to impress at Lake County hitting .315 with 1 HR, 19 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a .772 OPS in 40 games.

Mahoning Valley Notes (9-6, 2nd place, 0.5 GB): Left-hander Ryan Anthony has been shelved for the time being as left-hander Vidal Nuno was called up from Arizona and took Anthony's normal spot in the rotation last night with a spot start. In his last outing, Anthony only lasted for an inning and was largely ineffective as he worked just one inning and could not find the plate walking two batters, hit a batter, and gave up three singles which all added up to four runs before he was sent to the showers. In his first start the previous week he was topping out at 78-81 MPH which is about ten MPH off his regular velocity, and in his last start he had trouble feeling his fingers. He is still being evaluated, but probably won't pitch for awhile. ... The offensive stars early on for the Scrappers have been those who came in from extended spring training and have already adjusted to professional ball with the routine and use of wood bats. Outfielder/first baseman Jason Smit is off to a good start hitting .333 with 0 HR, 7 RBI and a .941 OPS in 16 games. Also, outfielder John Allman is hitting .322 with 1 HR, 14 RBI and an .855 OPS. ... Right-handed starter Marty Popham has been awesome in his first three outings and is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA. In 16.0 innings he has allowed 13 hits, three walks and has 14 strikeouts. ... In addition to Popham, the rest of the starting staff has been very good with right-hander Clayton Cook (0-0, 2.30 ERA), right-hander Brett Brach (0-0, 2.77 ERA) and right-hander Preston Guilmet (0-2, 4.50 ERA) leading the way. ... Right-handed reliever Tyler Sturdevant has pitched very well in four games having not allowed a run in 9.0 innings (8 H, 2 BB, 11 K), and left-handed reliever Nick Kirk continues to blow hitters away with 17 strikeouts to only two walks in 10.1 innings (2-0, 1.74 ERA, 5 games).

Arizona League Indians (6-5, 3rd place, 0.5 GB) and Dominican Summer League Indians (12-19, 10th place, 9.0 GB): In case you were wondering why shortstop Jose Ozoria's name has been changed to Wally Bryan on his MiLB.com stats page, well, that is because that is his real name. He is a victim of the recent crackdown by Major League Baseball catching Latin players who have falsified documents, and it turns out he is 20-years old and not 17-years old which is a huge hit to his prospect status. He is currently hitting .274 with 0 HR, 11 RBI, and a .683 OPS in 30 games for the DSL Indians. You can kiss his career goodbye as he will likely never be approved for a visa to come stateside again. ... Turning the page for some better more uplifting news, left-hander Juan Lara made his official return with his first professional outing since his serious car accident in the fall of 2007 going an inning allowing a run on one hit, no walks and had a strikeout for the AZL Indians. ... Right-hander Francisco Valera continues to show his promise in Arizona, and in four outings has yet to allow a run. In 11.0 innings he has allowed just two hits and two walks while piling up 12 strikeouts. ... Right-hander Carlos Moncrief has made four appearances for the AZL Indians and has yet to allow a run in 6.1 innings. He has yielded just one hit and one walk while striking out 13 hitters. ... Third baseman Jesus Brito is off to a hot start for the AZL Indians. In 12 games he is hitting .333 (14-for-42) with 2 HR, 7 RBI and a 1.109 OPS. ... AZL Indians outfielder Joel Torres is hitting .300 (6-for-20) with 1 HR, 4 RBI and an .891 OPS in eight games.

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