Minor Happenings: Not too many Cook’s in the kitchen

Cole Cook (Photo: Lianna Holub)

"Minor Happenings" is a weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

Another season has come and gone….I swear it that just yesterday I was boarding a plane for spring training to get ready to kickoff the 2011 coverage. Wow how this year flew.

And with that so did another season of Minor Happenings. This will be the last installment of Minor Happenings until next April, but things will continue to be busy up until then with lots of stuff to cover from Instructional League, the Arizona Fall League, winter leagues, roster moves, the Rule 5 Draft, and of course the new 2012 Indians prospect rankings. If things work out I may also have one more Minor Happenings late next week with a year end review with Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins. Plus the 2011 Tony Awards will start to be unveiled next week!

I also want to take this time to thank everyone for the continued support with the site and for reading. I also want to give an extra special thanks to everyone for their support back in April when I learned of my cancer diagnosis, and for their continued words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers.

As I alluded to last week some changes are coming to the site….I am getting closer to unveiling those changes. Maybe by next weekend, and certainly in the next two weeks.

As a side note, I will be making my final baseball trip of the season from October 11th to October 15th to catch the end of Instructional League and see a few games in the Arizona Fall League. So be on the lookout for some direct reports from Arizona soon, but in the meantime I will continue to chime in with near-daily updates on the happenings in Instructs and everything else.

Onto the Happenings…

Cook sidelined late in the year

Cole Cook

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Cole Cook was sidelined at the end of July with what was termed as a mild strain of his UCL in his right elbow. He made his last start on July 31st lasting just 4.0 innings and allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits and did not make another appearance after that for the remainder of the season. In 20 starts he went 5-11 with a 4.54 ERA, and in 105.0 innings he allowed 126 hits, 35 walks, and had 68 strikeouts.

This was not the kind of pro debut the Indians probably envisioned from Cook, a player they invested a 5th round pick and paid a handsome bonus to last year. He actually was showing signs of coming around and was pitching better in the second half as even with the blow up in his last game he still managed to go 3-3 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts after the All Star break. But the elbow injury ruined any opportunity for him to try and continue that success into August and the rest of the season.

Cook’s improved performance in the second half was the result of him becoming more comfortable and focused on the mound. Early in the season he was still adjusting to the five day routine as a starter in the pros versus the seven day routine starting pitchers have in college. He was also working through some delivery adjustments to help him be more consistent with repeating his delivery so his fastball command and his secondary pitches would improve.

Cook has a lot of confidence in his fastball and changeup, but in addition to improving his fastball command his slider needs more work to become a more dependable, effective third pitch. He is a pitch-to-contact guy so he will likely never be a high strikeout pitcher, so commanding all of his pitches is vital to his future success. He has some very good work ethic and is very intelligent – some would say sometimes to a fault. He is a tall, skinny pitcher who has a lot of moving parts in his delivery, something that in the past he has described as Ichabod Crane on the mound and a “bowl of spaghetti” coming at you.

Cook recently had some more tests on the elbow, but the results on whether or not the damage is more extensive and whether any surgery will be involved is unknown at this time.  The performance this season and the elbow injury to end it are very concerning, but provided he checks out he is still pretty raw and there is a lot to like about him going forward. With his first season in the books and lots of downtime this offseason to get healthy and prepare for next year, the hope is that next season things start to come together for him.

Cook looks like another Gomez

Clayton Cook

While Cole Cook is looking to get healthy as well as build on his successes and learn from his failures this season, High-A Kinston right-hander Clayton Cook (no relation) had yet another strong season for the Indians. The 21-year old Texan went 9-9 with a 4.56 ERA in 25 starts, and in 122.1 innings allowed 124 hits, 53 walks, and had 106 strikeouts.

Cook’s numbers were not as eye-catching as his previous efforts with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Indians in 2008 (2.52 ERA, .217 BAA), short season Single-A Mahoning Valley in 2009 (2.79 ERA, .224 BAA), and Low-A Lake County in 2010 (3.35 ERA, .244 BAA), but nonetheless it was another solid season. It is interesting to note that he allowed four runs or less in 21 of his 25 starts this year, three runs or less in 19 of his 25 starts, and two runs or less in 17 of his 25 starts.

Cook’s poor numbers are the result of four terrible outings where he allowed 9 runs in 1.0 inning on April 27th, 7 runs in 4.0 innings on July 11th, 6 runs in 2.1 innings on August 21st, and 6 runs in 0.2 innings on September 2nd. He allowed 26 of his 62 earned runs (42%) in those four starts covering 8.0 innings, and without those four outings he would have had a 2.83 ERA on the year.

As Cook mentioned in an article for the IPI two weeks ago he wants to work on his consistency in order to best avoid those big blow ups. He struggled some down the stretch with his command and suffered from a small bout of wildness, but in the end he still finished with another strong season. The Indians often compare him to right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, and for comparison sake when Gomez was in Kinston at the same age back in 2008 he went 5-9 with a 4.55 ERA (138.1 IP, 154 H, 46 BB, 110 K). There are definitely a lot of similarities both in performance but also in stuff and ability.

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins spent a lot of time going back and forth between Triple-A Columbus and High-A Kinston the last two weeks watching them in the playoffs. Here are some recent comments on the teams and players there:

Ross Atkins

On the playoffs: “At this point in the year it is good to see players play in an atmosphere when games really have a lot of significance to them as individuals, to us as an organization, to the team, and to the staff to see how guys handle pressure because the pressure is certainly increased. Having said that, it is not necessarily the best time to give an evaluation. It is the end of the season so we are not really focused on development at all at this point. I think the biggest reason for us to have a front office presence in a playoff series it to let them know we are proud of them, we are happy for them, and we are in support of all the progress they have made and want to be there to hopefully see it through.”

On Clayton Cook, Michael Goodnight, and Mike Rayl: “Those three guys are all solid Major League prospects. They have a long way to go and have a lot of work to do with their consistency that still needs to come, but all three are interesting. Cook has the youth on his side, has a solid three pitch mix, and reminds me a lot of Jeanmar Gomez when he was a young player. Goodnight is a guy who has a really, really strong projectable delivery. Rayl has an incredible feel to pitch and is a left-hander with the ability to get a strikeout. All three have the intangibles to potentially become Major League starters.

On Jared Goedert: “He had a relatively quiet year, but it has been a good, solid year for him. He was in the middle of that lineup and was probably the biggest threat that they had. He made some progress at third base because of the opportunities that were created for him and he took advantage of them. He really had consistent at bats and really a solid year. We are certainly glad to have him on the roster and in the mix as part of this organization.”

On Beau Mills: “Beau is that guy that over the course of the year has not performed quite at the level he would like or we would like, but when the game is on the line there is not a staff member in the organization that would not want him at the plate because of his fight, his confidence, and with him wanting to be the guy. Hopefully that intangible for him can turn into more consistency and become one of the best players in the world because that is what it will take to crack into the big leagues to play first base at the Major League level.”

On Nick Johnson: “He has been an incredible influence on all of those young hitters and all of the guys transitioning now. He has helped the guys transitioning back and those transitioning back up and really been a positive influence. All the while he has been dealing with a very, very frustrating injury. As a hitter to have something going on with your wrist has to be one of the most challenging issues to deal with because hitting is such a fine motor skill and there is such an importance to have a feel for your hands and an awareness of the bat. A wrist is integral in that. He has absolutely powered through it. He is not 100%, but he has not looked back. He doesn’t need to play as he is playing for his love of baseball. He has been an unbelievable professional to our organization this year.”

On Corey Kluber: “He has finished strong. He pitched exceptionally well in August and had a fine Major League debut and he will get another opportunity to show what he can do in the Major Leagues at some point. We are hopeful that the fastball command will come so that he can get to the slider and changeup that are very good Major League weapons.”

On Mitch Talbot: “He is an interesting story. He has found some things that are helping him be more consistent right now. He really is a pitcher that is better than Triple-A. He needs to be more consistent to be a solid Major League pitcher, and he knows that. I think health has had a lot to do with that and his overall durability. We really have had no issues this year with players not handling transitions up and down well. It really is a testament to the job that scouting does and that Chris and baseball operations have done to get in not just quality baseball players but quality people. It certainly makes our lives in player development a lot easier when we are dealing with the consummate professionals, and Mitch has certainly been that.”

Holt shows promise

Tyler Holt

High-A Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt had a very good first full season as a professional hitting .253 with 2 HR, 26 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a .691 OPS in 123 games. Those numbers may not look all that impressive on the surface, but he was right around the Carolina League average for hitting (.250) and OPS (.700). Also, only one hitter in the league (that qualified) hit over .290 and only six players had an .800 or better OPS this year.

Holt, 22, is a tablesetter and he did that this season with a .365 on-base percentage which ranked 2nd best in the league thanks to his league leading 78 walks. When he got on base he created havoc for pitchers by getting in their heads because of his ability to go from first to third or home and his ability to steal bases. His 34 stolen bases ranked 3rd in the league, and he was caught only six times all season (85% success rate).

The Indians worked with Holt earlier in the year to get him to relax his front elbow in his stance to create a better bat angle so he could hit breaking balls better. The subtle change allowed him to see the ball better and have a more consistent swing path through the zone on all pitches. He is an instinctive, aggressive player that works counts well and is not afraid to take pitches and fall behind in the count, so if the consistency with his bat-to-ball and his swing improves he could make a leap forward next season.

Martinez impresses late

Joe Martinez

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez had a strong finish to his season. He made three starts in the postseason and went 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. In 22.0 innings he allowed 18 hits, 5 walks, and had 20 strikeouts. In 35 appearances (16 starts) over the course of the regular season he went 8-9 with a 4.04 ERA (118.0 IP, 136 H, 29 BB, 101 K).

Martinez, 28, pitched in any role needed this season where he pitched in the bullpen, made spot starts, and eventually finished the season as a starter. He also saw a velocity increase this year where coming into the year he was pitching more at 88-91 MPH but by season’s end was consistently at 91-94 MPH all year. The velocity spike was a result of him becoming more comfortable on the mound and working to stay behind the ball and not spinning off so much. He showed good ability to sink the ball to both sides of the plate and has a good feel for his changeup and breaking ball.

Martinez is not much of a prospect anymore but has proven to be good Major League depth pitching at the Triple-A level. He does not have an arsenal that allows him to get away with mistakes, and he has a tendency to flatten out at the top of the zone which is when he really gets hurt. That said he has all the intangibles to be a solid depth arm for a Major League organization. He is a minor league free agent this offseason so will probably look around for better big league opportunities in other organizations, but there is a chance he could return to the Indians next year.

Random Notes

Marty Popham

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham had his season end prematurely when he was struck on the back of his right wrist on August 30th. Up until the injury he had thrown four perfect innings, but he suffered the injury when a screaming liner came back and hit his wrist and he picked up the ball and tossed it to first for the final out of the fourth inning. The Indians treated the injury as a contusion and just shut him down for the playoffs. In 27 combined games (18 starts) between Kinston, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus this year he went 6-3 with a 4.58 ERA (112.0 IP, 117 H, 25 BB, 106 K).

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Preston Guilmet had an outstanding season closing games this season and for his efforts was named the Carolina League’s Reliever of the Year. He finished 48 of the 52 games he appeared in and went 35-for-36 in save opportunities. He went 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA, and in 58.1 innings allowed 43 hits, 11 walks, and had 60 strikeouts. He does not have dominating stuff, but he comes from a unique straight over the top angle that helps him get great leverage on hitters and he throws strikes. He is also very composed and thrives on pitching in tough situations and just battles when he is on the mound.

Mike Rayl

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl had a nice breakout season as a prospect, which in some ways is very similar to that of lefty Matt Packer last year. In 25 combined starts between Kinston and Low-A Lake County this year he went 6-8 with a 3.42 ERA, and in 123.2 innings allowed 114 this, 26 walks, and had 121 strikeouts. He is an athletic left-handed pitcher that the Indians believe has the stuff to be a starting pitcher in the big leagues.

High-A Kinston first baseman Jesus Aguilar had one of the best seasons offensively in the entire Indians’ minor league system. In 126 combined games between Kinston and Low-A Lake County he hit .284 with 23 HR, 82 RBI, and a .865 OPS. He has a lot of power and the Indians believe that he can also become a very good defender at first base. There is a lot to be excited about with him going into next year where he will likely open the season at High-A Carolina.

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). Use discount code 2Z6F362B to receive 40% off the book through the site store!

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Around the Farm: July 25

Cole Cook
(photo: Lake
County)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

I just wanted to take the time to congratulate Jason Kipnis on his game-winning single last night for his first major league hit. I've watched a lot of minor leaguers over the years in Kinston (and all the other various affiliate locations), and Kipnis stood out, especially as an offensive player at second base. For those of you that are seeing him for the first time, you can see what I mean with his approach at the plate. His demeanor showcases an "I've been here before" kind of attitude. It's not cocky by any stretch, but 100% professional. Watch his at bat from last night, if you get a chance. If you didn't know any better, you would never guess that he's a rookie. The kid can hit, and if he's playing every day, he's going to make a difference on this team. Last night was just a showcase of that talent.

Cole Cook: SP, Lake County: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/0ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (5-10): 

Cook has had a solid July, going 2-2 in 28 IP, walking only eight batters and striking out 15. His ERA over that time period is an impressive 2.89. His lone bad July start saw the righty give up four homers and five earned runs, which makes that 2.89 ERA even more impressive. Cook isn't high up the prospect rankings by any stretch, and he likely isn't even the best Cook in the system, but he's certainly been pitching better than his counterpart since the summer months have heated up.

• Luis Valbuena: 3B, Columbus: 2-4, 1 K: Valbuena has been hot-and-cold since returning from his short stint in Cleveland. He's alternated Oh-fer's with multi-hit games. Valbuena's in minor-league limbo at this point, so it will be interesting watching how he performs going forward.
• Beau Mills: 1B, Columbus: 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Mills crushed his first homer at the Triple A level, which also happened to be his first hit there as well. I suspect Mills is on his way to having a solid year with the Clippers, and this is the first sign that his hotting hitting will continue.
• Chen Lee: RP, Columbus: 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 K: Lee gave up his first earned run in Columbus tonight, and for the first time, didn't look all that good. The only thing tonight proved was that he's human. He's still well on his way to Cleveland, if not this year, then next.
• Mitch Talbot: RP, Columbus: 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB: Talbot was solid in his ongoing audition as a member of the bullpen mafia. So far, he's gone 5 2/3 IP in the relief role, giving up two earned runs. What's unfortunate is that he could keep a true reliever from getting their chance.
• Karexon Sanchez: SS, Akron: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K: Sanchez was bumped up to second in the order, and he responded with his first multi-hit game since July 14th.
• Matt McBride: 1B, Akron: 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI: McBride continues to rake since being demoted to Akron. He's had four straight multi-hit games, and had six multi-hit games in a row at the Double A level, dating back to June 26th and 27th. During that stretch, he's 13-for-27, with six runs, six doubles and nine RBI.
• Kyle Bellows: 3B, Akron: 3-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI: Bellows has a six-game hit streak, going 9-for-25, with three runs, two doubles and four RBI.
• John Drennan: LF, Akron: 2-5, 1 R: Drennan is starting to regain his footing a bit, going 7-for-20 in his last five games. He's hitting .244 overall on the season, but .270 in his last ten.
• Drew Pomeranz: SP, Akron: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 6 K: Pomeranz was okay in last night's start, but certainly not up to his normal standards. So far in his stint at Akron, Pomeranz has gone 14 innings, giving up 10 hits, four earned runs, six walks and has struck out 17 batters.
• Adam Miller: RP, Akron: 1 1/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R/ER, 2 BB: Miller was the feel good story to the first half of the season, but July hasn't been kind to the rehabilitating right-hander. Since June 9th, Miller has given up 11 runs in 8 2/3 IP, and just hasn't looked very good. Remember, he missed two entire seasons, and most of a third, so it's possible that this has more to do with stamina than anything else.
• Rob Bryson: RP, Akron: 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB: Bryson entered the game in the sixth inning, with runners on first and second, and Adam Miller having given up five hits, a walk and three runs. Bryson hardly locked things down though. He gave up a two-out walk to lead off his appearance, followed by a two-run, ground-rule double, then another walk. After a fielding error to the next batter, scoring two more runs, Bryson got out of the inning on a grounder. Not a stellar outing for Bryson, even though he didn't give up an earned run.
• Matt Langwell: RP, Akron: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K: Langwell rebounded from a rough outing on July 22. His overall ERA is a solid 2.83, but it's at 4.60 over his last ten games. He seems ready to take the next step, but there are a bunch of arms now between Langwell and the big leagues.
• Eric Berger: RP, Akron: 1 IP, 1 K: 'The Mustache" with his second perfect inning in a row, has been outstanding throughout July, giving up only one run since July 3rd, and lowering his ERA to 3.30 on the season.
• Adam Abraham: 3B, Kinston: 2-4, 2 K: Abraham seems to be finding his stroke again after only two hits last week. He's 7-for-17 in his last five games.
• Chase Burnette: 1B, Kinston: 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Burnette is doing everything to salvage the season, and perhaps his career in the organization. His homer last night was only his fourth of the season, but he's now 4-10 in his last three games, with four runs, two doubles, a homer and three RBI.
• Delvi Cid: LF, Kinston: 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, SB (18): Cid is intriguing because of his size and raw speed, but has been a let down thanks to a slow start after an injury-plagued start to the 2011 season. He's broken out of a monster slump over the past two days, however, by going 4-7, with a run, an RBI, two walks and three stolen bases. He's stolen seven bases in his last seven games, finally showing signs that he's returning to his 2010 form, when he stole 71.
• Clayton Cook: SP, Kinston: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R/ER, 4 BB, 4 K: Cook's been terrible since the start of July, giving up 17 runs in 13 2/3 IP, raising his overall ERA to 4.40. He was so good up to that point, that you have to wonder if there's some stamina issues. He just turned 21 this past week.
• Toru Murata: RP, Kinston: 1 2/3 IP, 2 K: Murata remains an intriguing prospect, and has been perfect since his return from a two-month stint on the DL. He's gone 3 2/3 IP, while striking out four batters. He's shown signs of brilliance out of the pen, and as a starter, and may be someone to keep an eye on. He is 26-years-old, but is playing his first season in the states.
• Carlos Moncrief: RF, Lake County: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 K: Moncrief is a tantalizing talent, and has the makings of a five-tool major leaguer. His stat-line over his past ten games is .295/.367/.659, with 13 runs scored, a double, five homers and seven RBI. He still strikes out way too much (53 BB-116 K's this season), which has really hurt him this season, but it's clear that there's a lot of promise with the free-swinger.
• Jesus Aguilar: 1B, Lake County: 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B: Aguilar had been 0-for-6 in his last three games before his two hit performance last night. He still remains one of the break-out stars of this 2011 campaign, and is an intriguing watch next year as he continue to learn plate discipline.
• Clayton Ehlert: Closer, Lake County: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K, S (11): Ehlert has been lost in the closer shuffle, and saved his first game since mid-June. Still, Ehlert's been solid, only giving up an earned run in his last 15 innings pitched. He's only walked three batters during that time, but only has two strikeouts.
• Mahoning Valley offense: 6-32, 0 R, 2 2B, 1 BB, 6 K: The normally tough Mahoning Valley offense was completely shut down last night. Not a player on the team had multi-hits, with Tony Wolters being the only player to get on base twice, with a double and a walk. This isn't the norm for this offense, so give credit to the Hudson Valley pitching staff.
• Nathan Striz: RP, Mahoning Valley: 2 IP, 3 K: Striz has made a few appearances on ATF, and while he's had a couple of bad outings since being demoted from Mahoning Valley, it's clear there some talent here. The big righty dominated last night, and lowered his ERA to 2.45 on the year with the Scrappers.
  

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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Around the Farm: June 17

Cole Cook
(Photo: Lake County)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Cole Cook: SP, Lake County Captains: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K, L (2-8):


Cook is a big right-hander (6'6", 215 lb) drafted in the fifth round in the 2010 draft. Cook has really struggled in his first full season in the Indians organization out of the starting roll for Lake County.  Last night's start was his best since back-to-back games in early May, and was likely his best start of the season.  While he doesn't live in the land of 95 MPH, he can touch the gun at 95 on occasion, but his fastball generally sits at 89-91, as he uses his height to create his advantages.  It will be curious to see if he can warm up a bit this summer, or if the Tribe will move him, as expected, into a relief role.

• Ezequeil Carrera: CF, Columbus: 2-5, 2 R, 2 H, 1 2B, 2 K: Carrera has a seven game hit streak, and is hitting .357 over his past ten games.
• Shelley Duncan: 1B, Columbus: 2-3, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB: Duncan is only batting .231 since his demotion to Columbus, but does have a modest three-game hit streak.
• Nick Johnson: DH, Columbus:1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K: Johnson has had a hit in six of his seven games in Columbus, but he's yet to have a multi-hit ballgame. While I certainly hope his performance improves, I just don't see the fit on the big league club.
• Jared Head: LF, Columbus: 2-4, 1 R, 2 K: Head continues his outstanding 2011 campaign with yet another multi-hit game. He's hitting 313 for the year, and .375 over his last seven.
• Corey Kluber: SP, Columbus: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, 5 K, W (4-4): This is about what you'd expect from Kluber at this point.  He rarely dominates, but often puts up a solid performance.
• Zach Putnam: RP, Columbus: Putnam has given up three runs in his past 1 1/3 innings.
• Josh Judy: Closer, Columbus: 1 2/3, 1 BB, 3 K, S (9): Judy has only given up two runs since May 13th.
• Jason Donald: SS, Akron: 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB: Donald has a hit in each of his three games since coming off the disabled list.  It will be interesting to see where he fits in the organization now, with Cord Phelps in Cleveland, and Valbuena and Kipnis playing so well in Columbus.
• Beau Mills: 1B, Akron: 2-4, 1 R: Every day Mills shows up on ATF is a good day for the Indians' organization,. and this is starting to become a regular deal.  Mills has been nothing short of outstanding with the bat since coming off the DL.  He's currently hitting .295 for the season, and has a .341/.372/.537 line over his last ten games.
• Austin Adams: SP, Akron: 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (5-6): Adams has had worst performances than this, but he still needs to find more consistency before he's promoted.
• Chen Lee: RP, Akron: 2 IP, 3K: Lee adds his two perfect innings two a month of June in which he's only given up two hits in his eight innings of relief.
• Chase Burnette: 1B, Kinston: 2-3: Burnette had two of Kinston three hits last night.
• Rob Bryson: RP, Kinston: 1 1/3, 2 K: Bryson was absolutely dominating in his second appearance for Kinston, pitching 1 1/3 innings of perfect baseball in some mop-up work.
• Jesus Aguilar: 1B, Lake County: 2-4, 1 K: Aguilar has been one of the hottest hitters in the Indians' organization, with a line of .394/.444/.576 in his past ten games. This kid has been one of the bright spots so far this season, and is a real sleeper as far as prospects go.  He does strike out a bit too much, but there's a boatload of power.
• Bryson Myles: OF, Mahoning Valley: 1-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB: Barely a week ago, the Indians selected Myles as their sixth round pick.  Four days ago, Myles signed a deal.  Last night, Myles had his first professional hit, and his first professional stolen base.  Many feel that Myles could have been a steal, saying that there's a certain "Kirby Puckett-ness" about him.
• Alex Lavisky: C, Mahoning Valley: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K: Welcome to Mahoning Valley, Mr. Lavisky.  With Jake Lowery on the roster, Lavisky will likely get pushed to excel at the catcher position, which is exactly what he did last night.  It's good to see the young prospect with .500 next to his name, rather than .200.  It seems as though the fresh start may be good for Lavisky.
• Anthony Dischler: RP, Mahoning Valley: 2 IP, 2 K: Dischler struggled in April with Lake County, but rebounded nicely in his first appearance for Mahoning Valley, pitching a perfect two innings of relief.

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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2011 Indians Top 50 Prospects: #44 Cole Cook

Cole Cook – Right-handed Pitcher
Born: 10/18/1988 – Height: 6’6” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

History: The Indians selected Cook in the 5^th round of the 2010 Draft out of Pepperdine University. As a draft eligible sophomore, the Indians signed him for $299,000. He was originally drafted out of high school by the Mariners in the 36^th round of the 2007 Draft but did not sign. He missed his entire freshman season in 2008 due to a broken wrist he suffered while pulling the tarp off the field after a rain storm. His father is Peter MacKenzie, a character actor who has appeared in many TV shows and had parts in several major films.

Strengths: Cook is a tall right-handed pitcher with a lanky frame who is a strike thrower and has a good feel for pitching. He comes at hitters from a low three-quarters delivery with a four pitch mix of a fastball, slider, changeup and splitter. His four-seam fastball often works at 88-91 MPH and has touched 94 MPH, and he commands it well with good arm side run and sink down in the zone. His slider is often mistaken for a curveball because of its slurvy action and upper 70s velocity, but while it is an inconsistent pitch, when it is on it has good, tight break. His splitter has good tumbling action and is a pitch he often relies on to put hitters away with two strikes on them. His changeup is a work in progress though is improving and has shown good fade.

Because of Cook’s size it allows him to get good leverage on hitters and keep his ball on a nice downward plane. He has a bit of a herky-jerky delivery which helps create some deception and adds some life to his fastball. He is a tough competitor and very intelligent pitcher who piles up groundballs and aggressively attacks hitters without any fear of pitching inside.  He shows a knack for keeping balls in the yard as in 187 career college innings he allowed just seven home runs. Some comparisons that have been thrown around based solely on look and stuff is that of Jeff and Jerad Weaver.

Opportunities: Cook’s slider is probably his biggest weakness as while it shows good, sharp break at times and has the potential to be a swing-and-miss pitch for him, it is inconsistent and he often has trouble commanding it.  Because of his low arm slot he has a tendency to get under his slider which causes it to flatten out and get pounded. His long frame and herky-jerky delivery leave very little room for error in his delivery mechanics because with so many big moving parts it has a big effect on his command. He needs to continue to get bigger and stronger, and also work on refining his mechanics and the command of his secondary pitches to improve his chances for success.

Outlook: Cook is an advanced college arm who still has a lot of room for growth as a pitcher and may not be even close to all he can be yet. He has the pitch mix to develop into a middle-to-back of the rotation starter – a role he will be developed in initially to see what happens – but his pitching style, acumen, and stuff projects him best as a late inning reliever in the big leagues, possibly a setup man. He should open the 2011 season in the starting rotation at Low-A Lake County and could move quickly to High-A Kinston where he may spend most of his time this season.

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG	BB/9	K/9	WHIP
2009	20	Pepperdine	C	7	3	3.69	16	8	83	57	34	4	20	79	.195	2.2	8.6	0.93
2010	21	Pepperdine	C	5	6	2.93	14	13	104	103	34	3	24	87	.258	2.1	7.5	1.22
2010	21	Mahoning Valley	A-	0	3	5.40	4	4	15	14	9	2	8	14	.226	4.8	8.4	1.47
		MiLB Totals		0	3	5.40	4	4	15	14	9	2	8	14	.226	4.8	8.4	1.47

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Draft Notebook: Indians Living Up To Draft Promise

Day 2 of the draft has come and gone.  The Indians made 29 picks yesterday and really seem to have taken an aggressive approach to the draft this year, something that John Mirabelli promised in my conversation with him last week.  This of course is very refreshing, and I will talk about that in more detail below.  As a reminder, capsules for all 30 picks to date are at IndiansProspectInsider.com.

Director’s Cuts

Indians Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant met with the media yesterday evening to talk about the Day 2 picks, and here is what he said:

On LeVon Washington: “He is an athletic high upside centerfielder, and is a left-handed bat with an advanced approach to hit.  He has very good natural bat speed and a very disciplined approach.  He is a 7 runner on the 2-8 scale, which is a well above average runner.  He is 4.0 to 4.1 down to first base which is well above major league players.  He was a second baseman in high school and transitioned to center field this year in junior college, and we see him as a center fielder.  With his speed and ability to cover gaps, and the ability to track down balls and go back and come in very well on balls he has a chance to be an above average centerfielder in the future.  He also has power too, so [while] he has the leadoff discipline, hitting and running, he also has some ability to pull the ball out of the ballpark and drive the ball into the gaps.  He is a good advanced junior college hitter.  There is a lot of upside to LeVon; that’s what is exciting about him.  He is a very good athlete with two things you can’t teach: above average bat speed and the ability to run.  He had a slight tear to his throwing shoulder which caused him to have to DH sometimes in high school.  This year the shoulder did not have any issues at all, though during the course of the season he did have some hamstring issues which caused him to miss games, but as far as the shoulder goes he has been fine.  We are fine [with the makeup] and I have talked with LeVon in the winter and we have known him since high school.  He is a good kid, and we are very comfortable with him.”

On Tony Wolters:  “He is another very good athlete and another above average runner.  He has the ability to play shortstop, has very good hands, actions, and instincts for the game.  He is a baseball player and a baseball “rat”.  He has a solid average arm and we envision him being a shortstop of the future with offensive and defensive capabilities.”

On Alex Lavisky: “We are happy to have the opportunity to draft him as he is a local kid that we have seen since his junior year in high school.  We saw him last summer play in all the showcases, and he is a right-handed hitting catcher with a power bat and obviously the ability to catch.  He caught Stetson Allie all year this year and had no problems catching him.  He has a plus arm and is a solid catch and throw guy that can stay behind the plate with power.  He has very good makeup and he is a very good kid.  He is a leader on the field and has an excellent mature presence off the field at the same time.”

On Kyle Blair and Cole Cook:  We have known Kyle since high school and he has always been a premium starter.  He had three very successful years at San Diego and comes with a four pitch mix and is a very big durable starter.  He has an average fastball, plus slider, and plus changeup.  He is a strike thrower who has had success everywhere he has gone.  Cole Cook is another big right-hander with a sinker, slider and split who is a strike thrower.  So we were able to add some big arms behind Drew Pomeranz.

Random Notes

• The MLB Draft is tough to follow for most since for a high percentage of fans no one has ever seen any of these guys play, and once players get drafted most spend two to five years to the minor leagues if they even make it to the big leagues.  A high percentage don't even get out of A-ball.  That all said, for those who are just a casual follower of the draft for this reason and were wondering just in fact how we are doing in the draft this year, I have to say the Indians approach this year has been extremely refreshing.  They have targeted high quality talent without any apparent consideration of signability.  It turns out Mirabelli was right from that conversation I had with him last week in that they have in fact been very aggressive in the draft.  It definitely is nice to see them taking a lot of high upside high school, junior college, or draft eligible sophomores this year, something not done in recent years.
   
• What the Indians have done has not gone unnoticed by other teams as one club official from a rival AL club whom I spoke to last night has been impressed with their draft so far.  "They [have been] extremely aggressive and it will be an accomplishment to sign them all. I will just say they did a fantastic job. They took a different approach this year than most years in the past. They are definitely a club that is trying to get better! You should be very positive about their effort."
   
• The Indians approach so far this draft has been to take the best available player and add several athletes into the system.  They not only wanted to add some good, quality arms, but they really wanted to target some premium athletes with good hitting and running skills at several premium positions, and so far have done that.  This is something they have not done in recent years, and assuming they are able to sign some of these guys their system below Double-A should get a big boost this year and next.
   
• One interesting thing to note is the Indians are in lockdown mode with regard to talking about contract details with any players.  At the beginning of his press conference yesterday, Grant made it clear that they will not be discussing with anyone contract details on any player until they have been signed.  A lot of this may have to do with the fact they have so many tough signs and don't want anything to take away from any advantage they may have in the process.  This makes sense in that if they are trying to sign several high profile guys they don't want anything leaking saying what one guy is getting which could in turn hinder the progress of other signings.  He also did not specifically address the LeVon Washington signing rumor, but as it was refuted by John Mirabelli earlier in the day yesterday, Grant acknowledged that at this point no one is signed.
   
• I've seen a lot of people not like the LeVon Washington pick in the 2nd round, mostly because of his supposed makeup issues and lack of passion to play the game. But considering over the years the Indians have been big on character and makeup, I believe they have done their due dilligence on him, and based on Grant's comments above it is not considered a concern. I happen to like the pick a lot. He adds something this system has lacked for awhile, and that is an athletic player who can run and hit with some pop, but who also carries with him some swagger and cockiness which is good for a change. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Brandon Phillips. Not necessarily because of the alleged makeup issues, but his stance at the plate, his size, his cockiness, and tools.

• Unlike the past two years when they converted Lonnie Chisenhall from shortstop to third base and Jason Kipnis to second base, there are no plans at the moment to convert any of the drafted guys to another position.

• Of the first 30 picks in the draft, a whopping ten are out of high school.  In total they have selected 17 pitchers (14 right-handed pitchers) and 13 position players (4 infielders, 7 outfielders, and 2 catchers).
   
• Over the past 24 hours I have talked to about two dozen scouts and representatives from about half the Major League franchises, and most clubs are in lockdown mode and not talking about their players they selected or even about players other teams have selected.  However, a few have offered up some of their thoughts on some of the picks the Indians have made so far.  I have pooled together all the comments below on the players from these scouts and executives, some brief and some more detailed.
   
• The Indians selected right-handed pitcher Kyle Blair out of the University of San Diego in the 4^th round, and according to one AL scout, “I think he's a nice value pick where you got him.  I saw his one-hit, 15 K game vs. Portland.  He showed a feel to pitch and changed speeds.  His curve ball was better than the slider for me, and he located the pitch to both sides of the plate and was his out pitch.  The slider didn't impress me.  He’s a big durable kid who needs to stay on top of his body conditioning.  His control and command were solid for me.”
   
• Right-handed pitcher Michael Goodnight was selected in the 13^th round out of the University of Houston.  According to an NL scout, "Goodnight is a physical guy with arm strength. His slider is much better than the curveball currently. His best outing was at the Minute Maid Classic against Texas, but he never duplicated that. At times he lacks the touch and feel for pitching."
   
• Catcher Diego Seastrunk was taken in the 14^th round out of Rice.  According to an AL scout, “Seastrunk was in the second year of being converted to catcher and still has a way to go to be solid defensively. However, he's made progress from last year. He's definitely more of a bat right now, and a pretty good one (with some power) from both sides of the plate."
   
• Left-handed pitcher Ben Holmes was selected in the 15^th round out of Clackamas High School (OR).  According to an AL scout, “He is a left-handed pitcher signed at Oregon State with a Mark Buehrle build who works quick and throws strikes.”
   
• Right-handed pitcher Tony Dischler was taken in the 23^rd round out of LSU.  One team executive said, "Tony is out of LSU-Eunice. He is a big, strong physical guy with a fastball around 90-96 MPH.  He needs a better feel for his slider and changeup.  Based off of what I was told they would have to over pay for where they took him. My guess is that he's not signable, but if they can't sign one of their top picks, they can use that money and make a run at him.”
   
• The final day of the draft with rounds 31-50 kicks off today at noon.  Unlike yesterday, things will be more streamlined today with the draft coverage since a lot will not be known about the guys taken today until more research is done later.  Plus, a high majority of these final day picks won't even be signed.  With that in mind, the picks will be listed in groups of five and limited if any information will be provided in the capsules for the time being.

• By the way, thanks to my wing man Jeff Ellis yesterday for the hard work in what was a near 8-hour marathon of draft coverage.  Also, special thanks to Andrew Zajac, Jim Pete, and Charlie Adams for their contributions.

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2010 Indians 5th Round Pick: RHP Cole Cook

In the 5th round of the 2010 Draft, the Indians select RHP Cole Cook out of Pepperdine University.

Height: 6'6 Weight: 210 DOB: 10/18/1988 Bats: Right Throws: Right

Signing Update (June 12): Cook has told me he will be signing with the Indians. He will be away for about two weeks for personal reasons, but upon returning is expected to quickly sign his contract. His signing should be made official near the end of the month.

Bio: Here is his bio on the Pepperdine University site.

Ranks:
Baseball America: 160
PGCrosschecker: 154

Quick Hit: Baseball America Twitter update right after the pick, "Tribe 5th-rounder, RHP Cole Cook, 6-6 eligible soph., sinker-changeup guy, gets on the side of his slider but commands the FB."

Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant's Take: "Cole Cook is another big right-hander with a sinker, slider and split who is a strike thrower."

Jeff Ellis: Cole Cook is a large 6’6” right handed pitcher. He was a 36th round selection by the Mariners in 2007. He throws from a low slot with his pitches. His fastball gets up to 94, but sits best at 89-91 and it has a solid sink to it. He has grown into his body some, but is still growing and could add more mass and muscle. Once he does bulk up this could cause that fastball to gain more MPH’s. He shows a nice slider and a change that is a work in progress. If you see tape of him you do worry about his delivery as it looks very violent and while it does help in deception it also makes you wonder when it will cause an injury. He does show very good signs of control with a 4:1 walk to strike out ratio this year. Cook is a pitcher who is interesting just based on his size and the fact he is still a bit raw. He fits the Tribe mold for pitchers since he does have a very nice sinking fastball that has the potential to possibly become a plus pitch once he does getter stronger.

Andrew Zajac: I'm very underwhelmed with the selection of Cole Cook. He projects as a #5 starter, at best, and as a middle reliever, at worst. Ideally, this isn't the kind of value you'd like to get in the fifth round. The thing about Cook is it's not a problem of his command, but rather, it's a Jeremy Sowers type problem that he throws too good of strikes. He's been very hittable this season giving up 50 hits in 45.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .284 against him. He needs to miss more bats and stop catching so much of the plate.

Cook can touch 93-94 mph, but usually sits more comfortably around 91-92 range. He also offers an average slider that is the main culprit of his struggles. When it's working, it can bite hitters' hands. When it is not, it stays up and doesn't change planes and gets hit. Maybe the Indians see something out of Cook I don't, but quite frankly, this pick leaves me scratching my head.

Jim Pete: Cook is a massive 6'6" and 210 pounds. You would expect a flamethrower from a guy with this size, but that's not what you get. He throws from a near sidearm delivery, has a good fastball with some movement, a nice change-up with the same delivery as his fastball, and a slurve that remains his most inconsistent pitch. Cook may be a bit of a reach in the fifth round, but may have slotted higher because of his size. Still, with only two pitches, and neither a plus pitch, major league hitters will sit on his 90-92 MPH fastball and time his changeup. If he can control that breaking pitch, he will be an effective middle rounder. I'll be curious to see if the Indians tinker with his delivery. Perhaps there is more velocity there with a more overhanded delivery.

Charlie Adams: Cole Cook is another WCC conference draftee, this time out of Pepperdine, and another advanced arm in a big body. He is not a fireballer, but he throws strikes and keeps the ball in the park, yielding only 3 home runs in 104 1/3 innings. Cook was drafted in the 36th round of the 2007 draft by the Seattle Mariners, but opted to attend Pepperdine instead.

Despite being 6’6” and being listed at 220 pounds, he doesn’t really bring the heat, but typically sits in the 90-92 range. He does compliment this with an effective splitter and seems to be torn on which off-speed pitch he wants to commit himself to. Right now he throws a true slider and a slurvy-breaking ball. His best pitch is his splitter and assuming he continues to work off the fastball-split combo, he would be better served to switch over to the slurve to separate the speeds a little better.

He has had success against some of the best college teams, including a 7-inning, 3ER, 9K outing against the powerhouse LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. Look for Cole Cook to be right next to Kyle Blair in the developmental process as these advanced arms are tested to determine what role they will best serve the big league club, because you can rest assured that these guys will be knocking on the door in one form or another sooner rather than later.

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