Five Prospects With The Most To Prove in 2012

Cord Phelps (Photo: IPI)

Being in the minor leagues is all about proving yourself, but for these five players, 2012 will be even more critical on their quest to proving that they belong in the Cleveland Indians' long-term plans.

Two weeks ago, I listed the five most exciting prospects for 2012.Continuing on with this theme, now I'll take a look at the five Tribe prospects with the most to prove in 2012. Whether they're on here because of injuries, poor performance or failure to live up to expectations, all five of these players need a big 2012 season to reestablish themselves as marquee, top-shelf prospects.


Cord Phelps, 2B, Columbus
In 163 games at the AAA level, Phelps has flat-out raked and justified his ranking as IPI's ninth best Tribe prospect going into 2011. His .303/.380/.498 slash line, .877 OPS, .381 wOBA (137 wRC+), 20 HR and 94 RBI more than justified his promotion over Jason Kipnis in early June. While those like me were begging for Kipnis at that point, it was hard to argue with promoting Phelps.

Unfortunately for Phelps and Tribe fans, his brief, 35 game major league stint was a disaster. Phelps had terrible offensive stats (.155/.241/.254 slash line, .494 OPS (39 OPS+), .231 wOBA (39 wRC+), -0.9 fWAR in 80 PA) and struggled defensively (five errors in only 75 chances). Phelps ended up back in AAA while Kipnis solidified his hold on the second base job later in the season.

While Phelps won't be able to prove himself at the major league level this year, he will need to impress as the everyday second baseman in Columbus in order to rebuild his stock. If he keeps producing at a high level in AAA, he'll get another shot in the majors. With the lack of middle-infield talent the Indians have in the higher levels of the minors, one injury will give Phelps his chance to prove himself again. He'll need to work hard this year to be prepared for that moment, whenever it comes.

Nick Weglarz, OF/DH, Akron
After top prospects Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall were promoted to the big league club and Alex White and Drew Pomeranz were traded to the Colorado Rockies, it would only make sense for IPI's number five prospect before the 2011 season, Nick Wegalrz, to move right on up to the top spot, right?

After a rough 2011 campaign that had him battling numerous injuries throughout the season, Weglarz will need to impress in 2012 in order to see AAA again, let alone make it to the majors. Weglarz's plate discipline and on-base abilities did not erode in 2011 (2011/pre-2011: 25.0/20.4 K%, 20.9/15.1 BB%, .360/.382 OBP), but his power disappeared. Before 2011, Weglarz owned a .455 SLG and had 23 HR and 87 RBI per 650 PA. In 2011, that dropped to a .306 SLG and 11 HR and 45 RBI per 650 PA.

For a player that does not rate well defensively at all, Weglarz needs to produce at a very high level with his bat in order to have any worth to the Indians. Hopefully Weglarz will be fully healthy in 2012 and get back to hitting for the power we had grown accustomed to seeing out of him.

Jason Knapp, RHP, Carolina (DL)
Considering that the non-Jason Knapp part of the package the Indians got in return for Cliff Lee holds a backup to marginal starting catcher (Lou Marson), a utility infielder (Jason Donald) and a middle of the rotation starter - if he comes back from Tommy John surgery the same guy (Carlos Carrasco), there are still a ton of expectations on Knapp's shoulders to become an ace.

Unfortunately, IPI's pre-2011 sixth best prospect has only logged 156.3 IP in his minor league career. He's been wildly impressive in that brief time (3.63 ERA, 2.60 FIP, 1.196 WHIP, 12.0 SO/9, 4.1 BB/9, 2.93 SO:BB), but it's all for nothing if Knapp can't stay healthy.

The good news is that Knapp is still only 21 years old. It's certainly not a good sign when a player has had as many arm/shoulder/elbow problems as Knapp's had, but he's still got plenty of time to figure things out. Though it wouldn't be ideal, if Knapp could stay healthy as a bullpen guy, he has the stuff to be a major force. It's easy to write off Knapp right now, but he's still young and has time on his side. Maybe 2012 will be the year he stays healthy and starts moving up the minor league ladder.

Beau Mills, 1B, Columbus
As if a list like this could exist without Beau Mills on it. The 13th overall pick in the 2007 draft came into 2011 as a major disappointment. Being a first round first baseman and only owning a .267/.332/.434 slash line, .766 OPS, .346 wOBA (108 wRC+) and 18 HR and 100 RBI per 650 PA can do that. The RBI total looks nice, but attached to the rest of that line, there was no denying Mills had become a non-prospect.

While he still counts as a non-prospect going into 2012, in 2011, Mills finally looked like the guy the Indians thought they were getting when they drafted him. Between Akron and Columbus, he posted a .289/.347/.513 slash line, .860 OPS, .377 wOBA (133 wRC+) and 30 HR and 111 RBI per 650 PA in his 391 total PA. There are still holes in his game, but 2011 was certainly a step in the right direction for Mills.

Since this is Mills' age-25 season, it very well could be his make-or-break year. Between Matt LaPorta, Russ Canzler and Mills, the first baseman slot at AAA will be very competitive. Also considering the fluid situation the Tribe has at first base at the big league level, if Mills were to take the final step in his development, the first base job would be his for the taking. The Indians won't just give him the job, though; he'll have to hit out of his mind and force the Tribe's hand. It's unlikely Mills will finally make it to the majors and fulfill the promise he held as a first round pick in 2007, but stranger things have happened. You just never know in baseball.

LeVon Washington, OF, Lake County
LeVon Washington also made my five most exciting prospects in 2012 list because of his athleticism, but he also has a lot to prove in 2012. Headed into the 2011 season, Washington had numerous achievements and accomplishments heaped on him before he'd really played professional ball. He'd been drafted in the first round in 2009 by the Tampa Bay Rays, the second round in 2010 by the Indians, and had been named IPI's seventh best prospect. The sky was the limit for Washington.

Like many before him, however, the harsh reality of baseball sent Washington crashing to the ground. His .218/.331/.315 slash line, .647 OPS, .311 wOBA (93 wRC+), 7 HR, 37 RBI, 28 SB, 65 R per 650 PA at low-A Lake County was hardly cause for celebration. 2012 will likely see Washington repeating Lake County, hoping to reestablish himself as a top prospect.

There were good things that came out of 2011 for Washington. First, his 14.0 BB% is a good sign for someone with that kind of speed. If he could stop striking out so much (25.4 K%), he'd get on-base a lot more and be able to make things happen with his legs. Second, last year was only his age-19 season. If he were to catch fire this year and finish the year at Akron, he'd be well ahead of his development. There is still plenty of time for Washington. Third, 2011 seems to have been a wakeup call for Washington. Anyone following him on Twitter @L_wash can tell that. It seems that Washington now realizes that he can't skate by on raw ability anymore. If he's dedicated himself to working hard, it's possible he'll be bringing #WashTime throughout the Indians' minor league system this year.

Like I said earlier, being in the minor leagues is all about proving yourself at the level you're at so you can continue climbing the ladder toward the major leagues. If a player is in the minors, then they inherently still have something to prove. For Cord Phelps, Nick Weglarz, Jason Knapp, Beau Mills and LeVon Washington, however, there's a little extra they need to do in 2012. If these five prospects don't impress in 2012, they'll be left behind for the next hot wave of young ballplayers. It's on them to make themselves into can't-miss prospects again.
 

If you want to follow Jim Piascik on Twitter, he's @DarkestDiamond.

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Tribe Happenings: LaPorta should be playing winter ball

Some winter ball action would have only

helped LaPorta and his bat (Photo: AP).

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

Winter no show

The Indians have several players currently participating in winter ball this offseason in places all around the globe in Australia, Panama, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. While some Latin stars play a few weeks for their home country, most of the players participating in winter ball are those in the minor leagues on the cusp of the big leagues, those in the big leagues with a year or two experience that have struggled and need to figure some things out, and those who have had injuries and need to make up at bats or innings pitched.

So why in the world is Indians’ first baseman Matt LaPorta not playing winter ball this offseason?

The Indians have a big question mark at first base at the moment, and with how inconsistent LaPorta has been in his three years in the big leagues he would probably be best served to go play winter ball and just play some games to work on things and maybe build some confidence going into spring training. In his three year career he has a .238 average, 30 homers, 115 RBI, and .701 OPS in 269 games.

Right now LaPorta is all but certain to open the 2012 season at Triple-A Columbus unless he wows in spring training and the Indians do not pick up a first baseman this offseason. Even so, the Indians may still opt to go with a Carlos Santana-Shelley Duncan combination at first base so LaPorta can go to Columbus to get him on track and build his confidence and consistency.

So how about getting a head start on all that by playing this offseason in winter ball?

I really think LaPorta is making a mistake by not playing anywhere this offseason. The Indians likely encouraged him to play, but ultimately the decision to play winter ball is 100% on the player as a team cannot force a player to do it. Had LaPorta played somewhere this offseason it may have helped serve as a catalyst to get him right again and give him an opportunity to see a ton of breaking balls (something he needs a lot of work on) for four to six weeks.

Two other players who really should be playing winter ball are second baseman Cord Phelps and catcher Lou Marson. Phelps needs more work defensively at second base, more consistency at the plate, and maybe even needs to work on playing some left field to add some versatility to his game. Marson still needs a lot of work with his bat, and it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to hit left-handed pitching better since that is when he will most often be in the lineup.

On the flip side, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera is playing winter ball in Venezuela. In 38 games he is hitting .265 with 2 homers, 13 RBI and .749 OPS, and his six triples lead the league and his 10 stolen bases rank second. While his numbers are quite ordinary he is gaining a ton of much needed game experience as he has accrued 178 plate appearances and will probably end up with over 200 plate appearances this winter. That’s valuable playing time and a player taking advantage of his offseason to maybe perform better next year.

Running out of alternatives

The Indians’ search for a right-handed bat to fill a need at first base continues to be a challenge this offseason.

Free agents Michael Cuddyer (3 years, $31.5 million) and Josh Willingham (3 years, $21 million) were taken off the free agent market this week which leaves very little in the way of reasonable upgrades for the offense available in free agency. The Indians did not have much interest in Cuddyer, but there was some interest in Willingham; however, as previously noted the Indians were not interested in going more than two years and even had he been willing to sign for two years the Indians would have had to make a trade to clear some salary in order to add him to the roster.

The only everyday right-handed bat upgrade available to the Indians in free agency appears to be first baseman Derrek Lee. His contract length of one year fits the Indians, but he could get $5-7 million which is not in the Indians budget at this time. Outfielder Andruw Jones also remains a possibility.

Free agency was never really much of an option for the Indians to acquire a significant bat this offseason, so the trade market continues to be the best possibility. But the trade market for any impact quality right-handed bats has been slow this offseason as really none have been traded, so it is hard to second-guess the Indians sitting pat since the activity around the league has been almost non-existent.

Since Albert Pujols did not end up in Miami, first baseman Gabby Sanchez is no longer expected to be available in a trade. The Padres pickup of first base prospect Yonder Alonso yesterday may put first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the market, but the Indians do not have the upper level starting pitching or Major League pitching that would match up in a trade. One trade option with continues to be a possibility for the Indians is Astros outfielder/first baseman Carlos Lee, but for a deal to take place the Astros will have to eat much more than half of his $18.5 million 2012 salary.

With each passing day the likelihood increases that the Indians may stand pat and wait until during the season to fill their bat need(s). Whether or not they do this and whether or not it is the right or wrong thing remains to be seen, but when looking at the internal options at their disposal for first base they are very limited.

The way things stand right now the Indians have Shelley Duncan, Matt LaPorta, Thomas Neal, and Jared Goedert along with newcomers Jose Lopez and Aaron Cunningham (more on them in a minute) as options to fill their right-handed bat needs in the lineup. That’s not a very good list of options at the moment to rely on for impact production at a corner infield position.

Look for the Indians to continue to bring in right-handed bats on minor league deals to have some options to sift through this spring in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. It still remains a possibility that one of Casey Blake or Mark DeRosa may still be brought in on a minor league deal.

Goodbye, Adam

With some sadness I am sorry to report that long time Indians’ right-handed pitching prospect Adam Miller has agreed to sign a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He was a first round pick of the Indians all the way back in the 2003 Draft and only outfielder Grady Sizemore, designated hitter Travis Hafner, right-handed pitcher Fausto Carmona, and left-handed pitcher Rafael Perez had a longer tenure in the Indians’ organization.

Miller, 27, leaves the Indians after nine seasons in the organization, though much of the last five seasons were limited because of chronic issues with the middle finger on his pitching hand. He had all the talent to be a sure-fire frontline starting pitcher in the big leagues and was about to get that opportunity in 2007, but a nasty and rare career threatening middle finger ailment cropped up that resulted in lots of surgeries and down time that saw him miss all of 2009 and 2010 before returning last season.

Miller was a free agent and it was his choice whether he stayed with the Indians or went elsewhere. The Indians were open to him returning, but with all the bullpen arms the Indians have stocked from Cleveland to Double-A Akron there really was no spot for them to guarantee him a place on a roster or consideration for a big league opportunity. He knows of the depth the Indians have firsthand because he lived through it last season as he was forced to pitch all season in High-A Kinston and Double-A Akron because there was no spot open for him to pitch in Triple-A Columbus.

This is why minor league free agency is available as it allows players who have been around a long time an opportunity to seek out another possibility elsewhere rather than be blocked and stuck in a system where they really have no future. There is no reason for him to be loyal to the Indians for not releasing him years ago when his career looked to be finished. At this point he needs to maximize his opportunity to make it to the big leagues because time is running out as there is no telling when his surgically repaired finger will give out one final time.

Another thing to keep in mind is Miller is still a complete unknown with his health. His fastball gets into the low 90s but it is not close to the fastball it used to be, and his slider is no longer the dominating plus pitch it was prior to his finger injury. He struggled with the consistency of his slider all last season and tried new grips and lots of suggestions by coaches to no avail. Without the slider he is simply not a Major League pitching option.

It would have been great to see Miller beat the odds and make it to the big leagues in an Indians uniform. It would have made a great story, and probably had Disney knocking on the door to get the rights to make a movie out of it. But at this point the odds are still extremely long he ever makes it.

I’m going to miss Miller very much as he came into the organization right when I started covering the Indians and their farm system, so I have been closely following his whole career. I wish him nothing but the best of luck going forward. I know I speak for many when I say that I will continue to watch his career and hope he gets that long awaited dream of pitching in the big leagues, even for just a day.

Internationally speaking

The Indians continue to search every corner of the globe for talent to add to their minor league system or to fill a need at the big league level.

In late November they had outfielder Yoenis Cespedes workout for them at their facility in the Dominican Republic. While they are very interested in him, his price tag is unfortunately much too high as the signing demands for him have gone into the stratosphere which has pushed him out of the Indians budget.

The fall developmental league in the Dominican Republic recently completed last month, and while out there several scouts and club executives already got busy preparing for the International Signing Period which opens up July 2nd. The scouting and workouts for that signing period started cranking up on November 1st and will continue to be hot and heavy the next several months in advance of the signing period.

This month the Indians have been taking a look at the talent participating in a big Pacific Rim tournament out in Taiwan. Clubs feel that this is one of the best years in the last decade or so for talent in Taiwan, so lots of high profile players are being looked at by the Indians and other teams. There is a possibility that the Indians will come away from Taiwan with a signing or two, though any such signing will probably be at the minor league level. The Indians have signed about five players out of Taiwan in the past four or five years and have a good reputation with agents there.

Minor moves

The Indians officially signed outfielder Felix Pie and infielder Jose Lopez to minor league contracts on Friday. Pie is a former top prospect with the Chicago Cubs who is still young (26) but has been a disappointment so far in his big league career. Last year in 85 games with the Orioles he hit .220 with no homers, 7 RBI, and .545 OPS. Lopez hit .216 with 8 homers, 21 RBI and .617 OPS in 82 combined games with the Rockies and Marlins last year. Two years ago he hit 25 homers and had 96 RBI with the Mariners.

Pie can make $700,000 if he makes the team and the deal also includes another $300,000 he can make in incentives. Lopez will make $900,000 if he makes the team.

The Indians also announced a trade on Friday as they sent Double-A right-handed reliever Cory Burns to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Aaron Cunningham. Cunningham is a right-handed hitter who is on the 40-man roster and out of options, so it looks like he has the inside shot for the fourth outfielder role in Cleveland. He hit .329 with 9 homers, 63 RBI and .930 OPS in 87 games at Triple-A Tucson last year, and in the big leagues with the Padres hit .178 with 3 homers, 9 RBI and .624 OPS in 52 games.

Burns was a mid-level relief pitching prospect with potential as a middle innings big league reliever. He has been one of the top save men in the minors the last two years and this season his 35 saves at Double-A Akron were tied for second most in all of Minor League Baseball.

Seven up

Of no surprise the Indians tendered contract to all seven of their arbitration eligible players before the midnight deadline this past Monday. The seven players up for arbitration are shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielder Shin-Shoo Choo, third baseman Jack Hannahan, right-handed starter Justin Masterson, right-handed reliever Chris Perez, left-handed reliever Rafael Perez, and right-handed reliever Joe Smith.

The combined salaries for all seven players will result in the Indians’ payroll increasing by $10-12 million just by their raises alone. Here are the salaries for each player with their 2011 salaries and 2012 projections in parentheses: Cabrera ($2.25M, $5.0M), Choo ($3.98M, $4.5M), Hannahan ($500K, $1.2M), Masterson ($468K, $3.7M), Chris Perez ($2.25M, $4.0M), Rafael Perez ($1.33M, $1.9M), and Smith ($870K, $1.5M).

Had they not tendered a player a contract they would have become a free agent. All seven of the players are under contract control through at least the end of the 2013 season.

Parting shots

To make room on the 40-man roster for the addition of Aaron Cunningham, the Indians designated right-handed reliever Josh Judy for assignment. If he clears waivers he will be outrighted to Triple-A Columbus and will still be property of the Indians in 2012. … Earlier this week the Cleveland BBWAA named shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera the Bob Feller Man of the Year and closer Chris Perez the Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award. … Radio voice Tom Hamilton signed a multi-year extension on Friday, and Jim Rosenhaus will join him in the radio booth full time this season as he replaces the retired Mike Hegan. The Indians also plan to have several three-man radio booth setups this season with former alumni taking part in select broadcasts. … Former Indians prospect Chuck Lofgren was resigned to a minor league deal with the Giants this offseason and is making the switch from the mound to first base or outfield this winter.

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 Tony Awards: Offensive Player of the Year

Jesus Aguilar (Photo: Lianna Holub)

Today we continue the IPI’s year end awards with the announcement of the Offensive Player of the Year.  This award goes to the position player in the Indians organization that had the best year.

It should be noted, like with all the awards, that this is 100% based on performance and not on prospect standing. Also, the players eligible for the award had to play in at least two-thirds of their team’s games. For a player who played from the start of the season on a full season team this would be 96 games, for a short season Single-A player this would be 50 games, and for a short season rookie league player this would be 37 games.

Here are the 2011 Tony Awards so far:

Rookie of the Year: Cody Allen (RHP)

Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Bellows (3B)

Biggest Disappointment: Nick Weglarz (OF)

Biggest Breakthrough: Elvis Araujo (LHP)

Reliever of the Year: Chen-Chang Lee (RHP)

Comeback Player of the Year: Beau Mills (1B)

Pitcher of the Year: Jeanmar Gomez (RHP)

This is the final “Tony Award” to be handed out, but later this week I will provide the final award piece which will be my All-Tony team where I list the best players this season position-by-position.

Again, these awards are simply for fun to hand out at the end of the year.  Also, the Cleveland Indians in no way whatsoever had any input in these awards.

Onto the nominees…

Offensive Player of the Year Nominees:

Jesus Aguilar (1B – Lake County/Kinston)

.284 (131-for-462), 70 R, 30 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 82 RBI, 46 BB, 126 K, 2 SB, .865 OPS

Aguilar had a big year for the Indians at the plate, especially in the power and production department.  He finished 2^nd in the Indians organization in home runs (23) and was 1^st in RBI (82). Even though he played just 95 game for Low-A Lake County he still finished 7^th in the Midwest League in home runs (19), 16^th in RBI (69), 17^th in doubles (27), 2^nd in slugging percentage (.544), 2^nd in OPS (.915), and was 2^nd in home runs to at bat ratio (1 in 18.4).

Adam Abraham (3B – Kinston)

.252 AVG (115-for-456), 63 R, 31 2B, 0 3B, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 70 BB, 114 K, 5 SB, .792 OPS

Abraham is an unheralded prospect who continued his workman-like approach and had a very good first season in High-A this year. He finished 5^th in the Indians organization in home runs (17) and 3^rd in RBI (72). He also finished 7^th in the Carolina League in games played (131), 4^th in doubles (31), 6^th in home runs (17), 5^th in RBI (72), 8^th in total bases (197), 4^th in walks (70), 6^th in strikeouts (114), 7^th in on-base percentage (.360), 9^th in slugging percentage (.432), and 8^th in OPS (.792).

Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron/Columbus)

.308 AVG (151-for-490), 71 R, 28 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 63 RBI, 62 BB, 74 K, 10 SB, .793 OPS

Fedroff came back with a much more consistent bat this season and hit over .300 for the first time since his pro debut at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley in 2008 (.319). He showed the ability to get on base and be a tablesetter at the top of the lineup. His .308 batting average was the 2^nd best in the entire organization and his .385 on-base percentage was unofficially the best in the organization this year for full season players.

Robel Garcia (2B – Arizona)

.284 AVG (48-for-169), 31 R, 10 2B, 8 3B, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 23 BB, 50 K, 7 SB, .915 OPS

With all of the raw, young talent on the rookie level Arizona roster this year, the one player who probably shined the most was Garcia who actually was not as highly rated coming into this season as some other players. While the numbers are taken with a grain of salt coming from the offensive-oriented Arizona League, he finished 3^rd in the league in triples (8), 6^th in home runs (6), 10^th in total bases (92), 9^th in walks (23), 8^th in slugging percentage (.544), and 13^th in OPS (.915).

Jerad Head (OF – Columbus)

.284 AVG (120-for-422), 67 R, 28 2B, 1 3B, 24 HR, 70 RBI, 25 BB, 99 K, 3 SB, .864 OPS

Head is an undrafted free agent signing and will turn 29 years old next month, but he just continues to get better and better with age. He earned himself a promotion to the big leagues and finished the season 1^st in the Indians organization in home runs (24) and 4^th in RBI (70). He finished 3^rd in the International League in home runs (24), 6^th in total bases (222), 2^nd in slugging percentage (.526), 8^th in OPS (.864), and 3^rd in home run per at bat ratio (1 in 17.6).

Beau Mills (1B – Akron/Columbus)

.289 AVG (101-for-349), 50 R, 22 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 67 RBI, 32 BB, 59 K, .860 OPS

Mills won the award for Comeback Player of the Year thanks to his strong season which was one of the best offensive performances in the Indians’ system this year. He split the season between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus so he did not rank in any league categories, but he finished 9th in the Indians organization in batting average (.289) and 3rd in home runs (18).

Bryson Myles (OF – Mahoning Valley)

.302 AVG (58-for-192), 36 R, 10 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 24 BB, 32 K, 20 SB, .795 OPS

There were actually four very good performances at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley this year as in addition to Myles others considered for the award were third baseman Jordan Smith, catcher Jake Lowery, and shortstop Tony Wolters.  He finished tied for 4^th in the Indians organization in batting average (.302) and was 5^th in the NY-Penn League in batting average (.302), 7th in on-base percentage (.394) and 8th in stolen bases (20).

Cord Phelps (2B – Columbus)

.294 AVG (111-for-378), 51 R, 25 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 89 K, 3 SB, .868 OPS

Phelps barely made it in for consideration for this award as he played in 97 games for Triple-A Columbus this year. While he disappointed with his play in the big leagues this year he had another very good season for Columbus. He finished 7^th in the Indians organization in batting average (.294) and finished 8^th in the International League in on-base percentage (.376), 11^th in slugging percentage (.492), and 7^th in OPS (.868).

Luigi Rodriguez (OF – Arizona/Lake County)

.304 AVG (69-for-227), 28 R, 10 2B, 4 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 19 BB, 55 K, 18 SB, .779 OPS

Rodriguez did not start playing until short season leagues kicked into action in late June, but he got off to a great start at rookie level Arizona. In 25 games there he hit .408 with 3 HR, 14 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and .987 OPS before being quickly promoted to Low-A Lake County where in 34 games he hit .250 with 0 HR, 5 RBI, 6 stolen bases, and .630 OPS. He finished 3^rd in the Indians organization in batting average (.304).

Luis Valbuena (INF – Columbus)

.302 AVG (127-for-420), 64 R, 22 2B, 0 3B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 46 BB, 96 K, 6 SB, .848 OPS

Valbuena is a player that a lot of people gave up on after a dismal 2010 performance in Cleveland (.193 AVG, 2 HR, 24 RBI, .531 OPS), but he came back this season and spent most of the season in Columbus and was one of the key cogs to the offense. He finished 5^th in the Indians organization in batting average (.302) and 2^nd in RBI (75). He was 11^th in the International League in batting average (.302) and 11^th in RBI (75).

And the Tony Award goes to…Jesus Aguilar

It was an interesting year for the Indians in their minor league system as there were few great hitting or pitching performances this year.  There were certainly a lot of good performances at the plate at all levels of the organization, but no standout performances that were of the elite quality (i.e. Carlos Santana in 2009: .290 AVG, 23 HR, 97 RBI, .943 OPS).

Outfielder Jerad Head and infielder Luis Valbuena both had very nice seasons for Triple-A Columbus, and it was great to see the return of first baseman Beau Mills. Players in the lower levels like outfielder Luigi Rodriguez, outfielder Bryson Myles, and infielder Robel Garcia all had good, promising seasons.

But the one player who really stood out from the pack purely from a numbers perspective was 21-year old first base prospect Jesus Aguilar. He came into the season as a relative unknown for many as a prospect. The power was known, but it was uncertain how he would fare at a higher level this season. Well, he more than held his own this year at Low-A Lake County where he dominated the Midwest League before the Indians were forced to move him up to High-A Kinston in order to give him a better challenge.

Aguilar’s power is a given. He looks like a tight end at the plate with his big 6’3” 241 pound frame, and when he swings the bat and barrels up the ball it goes a long way. This has always been the case for him throughout his four year minor league career, but the difference this season is he showed some improved and more consistent bat-to-ball ability this year at Lake County. He is also off to a raging start in the Arizona Fall League, so his prospect standing has jumped significantly.

Aguilar still has a ways to go with his plate discipline, but as long as he continues to put up production and power numbers like he did this season then the Indians can live with the strikeouts. He is now one of the only legit power prospects in the lower levels of the Indians system, and is arguably the best power prospect in the entire system. If he finishes his time up in the Arizona Fall League with a good showing he may even get some consideration as a Top 10 prospect going into next season, if he has not already.

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

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Minor Happenings: Is Goedert back in the Indians plans?

Jared Goedert (Photo: IPI)

"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.

With less than a week left in the regular season, the minor league season is quickly coming to an end, and thus so is Minor Happenings for the 2011 season. However, as everyone knows, the season does not end with the conclusion of the regular season as there is always tons to talk about in the offseason with Instructional League, the Arizona Fall League, winter ball, the Rule 5 Draft, roster moves, and of course next year’s prospect rankings and scouting reports. So the fun never ends!

I will be venturing out to Woodbridge, VA this weekend to take in High-A Kinston’s final four regular season games from Saturday to Monday. If they miss the playoffs it may well be their final four games as the affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. It will be a bittersweet visit for me that’s for sure as the K-Tribe staff and team has always been first class and they will be missed. The hope here is they make the playoffs and make it to the Mills Cup Finals where they will play either Frederick or Potomac, a series I likely would attend either in Frederick or Potomac.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from August 25th to August 31st)

Jared Goedert (Third baseman - Columbus)
.345 (10-for-29), 5 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1.049 OPS

Jared Goedert

Someone who has been forgotten about this season who is quietly putting together another good season is Triple-A Columbus third baseman Jared Goedert. In 83 combined games between rookie Arizona (where he rehabbed for eight games) and Columbus he is hitting .272 with 17 HR, 45 RBI, and a .857 OPS.

The extra base hit production is the most interesting as Goedert has 19 doubles and 17 homers in those 83 games, with almost half of his hits (81) going for extra bases (36). The most notable improvement this season though may be his approach as he is walking more and striking out much less. Last year he walked 53 times in 481 at bats (9.1 AB/BB) and this year has walked 37 times in 298 at bats (8.1 AB/BB). Last year he struck out 112 times in 481 at bats (4.3 AB/K) and this year he has struck out 62 times in 298 at bats (4.8 AB/K).

Goedert, 26, was an offseason addition to the 40-man roster last year and looked to be in line for a possible big league job at some point this season as a right-handed bat off the bench. A nasty oblique injury sidelined him in spring training and ruined his chances this year, and he ultimately was removed from the 40-man roster recently. His injury paved the way for a player like Jerad Head to get an opportunity, one which probably would have been his had he been healthy all year.

With Goedert now healthy and once again showing his power stroke, there would seem to be some interest to add him back to the roster. The Indians are desperate for right-handed bats, especially any with power and production ability. There is a chance he could be added back to the roster sometime in September to get a late season look at him, though that remains to be seen. He has split time this season between first base and third base, and also got a lot of work in last offseason and this spring in left field, so he could add some much needed versatility and right-handed power off the bench.

Honorable Mentions:

Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): .360 (9-25), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, .888 OPS
John Drennen (OF – AKR): .368 (7-19), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, .899 OPS
Casey Frawley (SS – KIN): .357 (5-14), 1 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 6 BB, 1 K, 1.050 OPS
Bo Greenwell (OF – AZL/KIN): .600 (7-17), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.293 OPS
Jose Ramirez (INF – AZL): .400 (6-15), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .904 OPS
Joey Mahalic (RHP- LC): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 6 BB, 0 K, 0.42 BAA
Cory Burns (RHP – LC): 0-1, 2 saves, 1.42 ERA, 4 G, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 10 K, .227 BAA
Joe Martinez (RHP – COL): 0-1, 1.88 ERA, 2 G, 14.1 IP, 12 H, 1 BB, 12 K, .222 BAA

Previous Winners:

08/18 to 08/24: Elvis Araujo (LHP – Arizona)
08/11 to 08/17: Francisco Jimenez (LHP – Kinston)
08/04 to 08/10: Paolo Espino (RHP – Akron)
07/28 to 08/03: Jerad Head (OF – Columbus)
07/21 to 07/27: Tony Wolters (SS – Mahoning Valley)
07/14 to 07/20: Beau Mills (1B – Akron)
07/07 to 07/13: Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL Indians)
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins has been out getting in a lot of last minute looks at a lot of his players as the season winds down. Here are some comments he made recently this week on some players and other things:

Cord Phelps

On the Mike Sarbaugh and the Columbus Clippers: “The most important thing to note is that it is not easy to do [getting to the postseason]. A lot of people will tell you that winning a championship is getting hot in the playoffs and really the most significant threshold is winning your division and getting into a playoff format. With the contributions that that team has made to Cleveland this year and then maintaining a winning record with a very young prospect laden team is a great accomplishment that I hope [Mike Sarbaugh] is very proud of. It is significant for a couple of years to have winning records and to go into those playoff chases. It is great for those players for when they get those opportunities in the Major Leagues whether it is their first call or they are going to the playoffs that they have had incremental increases in their challenges and their competition levels, and this is just one more of those. On many fronts a great accomplishment and we are very proud of Mike Sarbaugh and the job he has done there.”

On the Cleveland bullpen: “We have been talking frequently about the accomplishments that Manny and Time Belcher and Scott Radinsky have had with their bullpen. It really has been remarkable in our eyes. We haven’t studied it to the extent that we could say that it is unprecedented, but it is significant to look back over the course of the year and think about how little movement there has been in the bullpen. It pretty much has been the same bullpen for the entire year except for when there have been workload issues. That is incredible. It has got to be one of the most difficult things to manage as a manager, pitching coach and a bullpen coach to keep those guys at the top of their game, performing well, and not overworked. What it does is it allows us to not rush guys and for them to get the most out of Triple-A.”

On Cord Phelps: “Cord has been consistent and hopefully when he comes back this time it won’t be as much of the potential pressure he felt as well as the anxiety of this being his day and his call. Hopefully that will be minimized or mitigated to some extent and he will be able to be the player that he is and not try to be more. Cord is such a driven, motivated, competitive person that we do not have to be hard on him and have to put challenges in front of him as he does it himself. I am hopeful and confident at the same time that he will handle this transition well. He has always put up good at bats and he did it the first time, and I think his defense will be more consistent this time. We are looking forward to him benefitting from all of the hard work that he has put in. Especially with a player of Cord’s intelligence and commitment, he really did benefit from that first call up and time back down to Triple-A to reflect upon what went well and what he could have done differently. Cord is the type of individual that can maximize that.

Nick Hagadone

On Nick Hagadone: “He has gotten much better over the course of the year, and he is finishing pitching as well as his entire time with us. He is 95-97 MPH every time out. His fastball command is improving and his slider is very much a Major League weapon. Hopefully we will see him [back] in the Major Leagues soon.”

On Chen-Chang Lee: “A year ago we did not know if he would really be a solid Major League option for us because of his inconsistency with his fastball command and the variability from outing to outing for him. He has really become a force, and probably is the most dominant reliever in that pen even above Nick Hagadone. The right-on-right is really, really impressive, and he has really improved his ability to get lefties out. He has tightened up his breaking ball. Fastball command is really what separates those younger players from Major League pitchers, and his fastball command has improved as well.”

On Matt Packer: “All year Matt has not walked guys and he has still gotten strikeouts, so we were encouraged that luck would be in his favor toward the end of the year. When I say luck, really it is just him being prepared for opportunity if he continued to go out there and put the ball over the plate that he would get better outcomes. That has really occurred recently and he has really dominated for the last month and been the best starter in that rotation in Akron and has solidified our thoughts that he is a Major League pitcher. He is a great feel to pitch left-hander that has some power and deception to his fastball and when he commands it he can pitch at any level. He will have to have elite command because the power and deception is not over the top. It is not the Justin Masterson-ilk and not that type of fastball, so he is going to have to do a better job of commanding it, but he is showing the ability to do that. We are pleased with the progress, and it is always nice when guys are finishing much stronger than they started.”

On Austin Adams: “We have talked about him and his name comes up a lot with everyone in our organization. I think it is a testament to his commitment and a testament to the Major League staff and Chris Antonetti allowing us to be patient with him and keeping him in that starting role because it would have been easy to envision him in a relief role throwing 100 MPH and helping a Major League team immediately. I think with the Major League bullpen being consistent and not needing someone to experiment with and then Austin’s commitment to making adjustments and making himself a more complete pitcher has solidified in our minds that he is going to be a Major League starter with above average weapons. There is work to be done, but we believe in the person and feel good about the process ahead of him and really feel good about what he has accomplished this year.”

Lindor debuts

Francisco Lindor

The Indians 2011 first round pick shortstop Francisco Lindor made his pro debut at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley on Sunday. In two games he is 1-for-6 at the plate and has scored two runs.

Lindor is still 17-years old and does not turn 18-years old until mid-November, and is the first ever 17-year old player to don a Mahoning Valley uniform. He has actually been working out with the team since August 17th, but due to his age and him not playing all summer the Indians have gradually ramped up his baseball activities. He worked out with the team for almost two weeks before getting into a game on Sunday, and in the two games he has played he did not play the whole game as he was removed after five innings both times. He also has not yet played in back-to-back games.

In team drills and in his first two games Lindor has shown lots of speed and athleticism on the field with good speed on the bases and incredible hands and quickness in the field. He is also a player who looks like he is having fun out there as he always has a smile on his face and is very welcoming as a person, but by the same token is very competitive and loves to win.

Lindor is a native of Puerto Rico, but he and his family moved stateside to Florida four years ago when he was 13-years old to sharpen his baseball skills and improve his English to provide him a better opportunity professionally. That decision by his family paid off as he became a highly sought after prospect this year for the draft and wound up passing on a full scholarship to play collegiately at Florida State when he signed with the Indians for $2.9 million just before the midnight signing deadline in August 15th.

Lindor’s experience in Mahoning Valley is more of an introduction to the minor league life with the daily routines, travel, and everything that goes into being a pro baseball player outside of the white lines. After the season finishes up this weekend he will go home for a short bit and then head out to Instructional League in Arizona which starts up on September 14th. He will get a lot of one-on-one instruction while out there and get some games in there as well before it wraps up on October 14th and everyone goes home for the winter.

Infirmary Report

Bo Greenwell

High-A Kinston outfielder Bo Greenwell returned to Kinston this week after rehabbing from surgery to repair a broken thumb he suffered back in June. Dr. Thomas Graham performed a procedure on him in June where he removed some loose tissue inside the finger and inserted a plate and four screws to stabilize the thumb. After two months of rehab he played in four games in Arizona last week and was assigned to Kinston on Monday. In 63 games this year he is hitting .282 with 4 HR, 26 RBI and a .757 OPS.

High-A right-handed pitcher Marty Popham left his start on Tuesday after the fourth inning when he was hit on his wrist by a line drive. Up until that point he had thrown four perfect innings and had four strikeouts. The severity of the injury is unknown at this time, but he is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

Triple-A Columbus catcher Luke Carlin dislocated his left thumb on Sunday and had to leave the game. He returned and played on Tuesday night going 0-for-3 at the plate. In 61 games this year he is hitting .208 with 5 HR, 27 RBI and a .689 OPS.

Playoff outlook

It is pretty academic at this point with regards to the postseason chances for the Indians’ six stateside affiliates. Triple-A Columbus is the only team so far to clinch a playoff berth. Rookie level Arizona, short season Single-A Mahoning Valley and Low-A Lake County are all eliminated from the playoffs. The only two teams whose postseason fate is undecided right now are High-A Kinston and Double-A Akron.

Akron is 70-67 and is 3.0 games back of the wildcard with five games to go, so they will need a miracle to get in. The two teams ahead of them in the wildcard chase are Richmond and Bowie, and both would essentially have to tank while Akron would seemingly have to win all of their remaining five games for them to get in.

Kinston has a great shot to make the playoffs, and really they control their own destiny. They are 34-29 in the second half and are tied for first with Winston-Salem, though have one less loss and one less win because of two postponements that they have to make up. They have six scheduled games remaining, and one of the postponements from last weekend because of Hurricane Irene has yet to be rescheduled. It looks like that one will only be played – likely on Tuesday - if needed to decide the second half division title.

Random Notes

Paolo Espino

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino has been sensational since being called up to Columbus in mid-August. He has made five appearances (four starts) and gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA (23.1 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 26 K). He has dominated in his last four appearances where he has thrown 17.1 shutout innings and allowed 9 hits and no walks while striking out 20 batters. He often gets glossed over for other more high profile players or pitchers with better stuff, but he just continues to perform. In 33 combined appearances between Double-A Akron and Columbus this year he is 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA (116.1 IP, 97 H, 25 BB, 115 K). He was also named the International League's Pitcher of the Week last week. He could be another Josh Tomlin-like pitcher in the system, though the question is whether or not he will get the chance.

Double-A right-handed pitcher Austin Adams had a very impressive year this season where in 26 starts he went 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA (136.0 IP, 147 H, 63 BB, 131 K). He was recently put on the temporary inactive list in Akron which may signal his season is done, not because he is hurt but because he may have reached his innings threshold of 135-140 innings this season. He has really developed himself into a starting pitching option for the Indians going forward. He has the very good upper 90s fastball and a good power curveball; it is just developing that fastball command and his changeup that will determine if he stays a starter down the road. He has a tendency at time to leave his pitches over the plate middle up, so getting him to more consistently work down in the zone and to both sides of the plate is key for him as well. There is no doubt he is at worst a Major League bullpen option.

Tyler Holt

High-A Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt is putting the finishing touches on his first full pro season. He has played well this year where in 119 games he is hitting .256 with 2 HR, 26 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a .694 OPS. Those numbers may not look that impressive, but remember this is the Carolina League where offensive numbers suffer. Only one player in the entire league is hitting over .287, and his .256 average ranks 21st in the league. One of the things the Indians liked about him when they drafted him was his ability to get on base and impact a game on the bases, and he is doing that as he is 1st in the league in walks (76), 2nd in on-base percentage (.368), and 3rd in stolen bases (34).

Low-A Lake County right-handed reliever Cody Allen got a well deserved callup to Double-A Akron for the final week of the season. He has been lights out since being drafted this year and making his pro debut with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. In 21 combined appearances between the two stops he is 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA and in 50.2 innings has allowed 31 hits, 14 walks, and has 70 strikeouts. He was his best at Lake County where he did not allow a run in seven appearances covering 17.1 innings. The call to Akron was more to help them as they lose players the final few days due to workload and promotions as he will likely open the 2012 season at High-A Kinston, but there is no doubt he has quickly opened some eyes and put himself on the radar as a bullpen option for the Indians down the road.

Jordan Smith

Short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley third baseman Jordan Smith continues to do well and in 63 games is hitting .306 with 0 HR, 44 RBI, and a .803 OPS. After a good June (.324/.405/.405) and blazing hot July (.347/.427/.485), he cooled considerably in August (.258/.388/.299). He has struggled of late where in his last 15 games he is hitting just .208 with a .616 OPS, which is probably him just tiring out at the tail end of the season after playing everyday for over two months straight for the first time ever in his career. He has certainly impressed this season with his good eye, approach, and developing power and size at the plate that it makes him an interesting prospect going forward as a corner infielder or outfielder.

Rookie level Arizona third baseman Robel Garcia had a nice season this year where he finished up hitting .284 with 6 HR, 24 RBI and a .915 OPS in 45 games. The 18-year old switch-hitter is still very raw and inexperienced as a player, but made some strides at the plate this season with his approach and showed a lot more power. Last year in Arizona he had a .286 slugging percentage but this year had a .544 slugging percentage. He can run a little bit, has a good arm, and has the tools and versatility to play almost anywhere in the infield, so he is a prospect to keep an eye on next year, and could open the season at Low-A Lake County.

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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Tribe Happenings: Not yet time to make change with Santana

Carlos Santana (Photo: AP)

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

What to do with Santana?

Catcher Carlos Santana has had an interesting sophomore season in the big leagues this year for the Indians. Billed as an impact hitter and defender when he was called up a little over a year ago in June, his impact in either area of the game has yet to materialize.

Santana, 25, has actually had a solid season so far at the plate. Even though he is only hitting .226 he has done a good job of getting on base with a .347 on-base percentage. He also has been productive where he has 15 homers and 47 RBI, and has maintained a good approach at the plate with 68 walks to his 85 strikeouts. While he only ranks 8th among all qualified catchers in baseball in hitting, among catchers he also ranks 2nd in runs (47), 3rd in home runs, 5th in RBI, 3rd in on-base percentage, and 5th in OPS (.763).

Outside of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and designated hitter Travis Hafner, Santana has been the most productive hitter in the Indians lineup. Even more than popular outfielder Michael Brantley. The problem is his performance has not lived up to expectations, so the perception is that he has been very bad when in fact he has been a little above average as a hitter (league average for OPS is .712).

Where Santana has really struggled this year is behind the plate. In the minors he was billed as an above average receiver with a powerful arm that could impact a game defensively.

So far the only impact Santana has made from the behind the plate is helping other teams score runs. His six errors and .986 fielding percentage along with his 21.8% throw out percentage of attempted base stealers are one of the worst in baseball.

Thankfully the Indians have Lou Marson around. For as offensively challenged as Marson is, he only has two errors (.993 fielding%) and has thrown out 47.4% of attempted basestealers which is tops in baseball.

With Matt LaPorta struggling at first base (.238, 10 HR, 39 RBI, .710 OPS) and Marson excelling defensively behind the plate, a lot of people have recommended moving Santana to first base full time. That is probably the right choice in the short term for this season, but long term Santana's best value to the organization is as a catcher.

One thing to remember is Santana is still coming off a frightening knee injury just a year ago, and there may be some confidence issues he is still dealing with. Also, considering he has bounced around back and forth from first base and catcher and has not consistently been behind the plate, it is possible it has affected his throwing and defense overall.

What Santana needs is a full offseason of rest where he does not play, can work out and get stronger, and most importantly get a lot of personal instruction from Sandy Alomar Jr. and other Indians coaches.

These things can't always be done in-season, and before the Indians pull the plug on Santana as a catcher they need to see him through at the position and see what a full offseason of work without rehab taking up all his time can do for him. If he is still struggling at this time next year behind the plate, then the Indians will have to consider the move to first base and giving the full time gig to Marson.

Season low point

With the Indians being no-hit in a 3-1 loss on Wednesday to Ervin Santana of the Angels and then shutout in a 12-0 loss on Friday night to Jeff Francis and the Royals, the Indians hit their lowest point of the season.

Ever since a hot 30-15 start the Indians have been on a steady decline back to the .500 mark where they are stood at 54-53 going into tonight's game. The reason for that 24-38 record since their 30-15 hot start is partly because of some sloppy defensive play, but mostly because of an inept offense.

Sometimes you just tip your cap to a pitcher, which is the case on Wednesday when Santana dominated the Indians. He was on his A-game and just breezed through their lineup to achieve history. But what happened on Friday night is inexcusable. To get shutout by Jeff Francis and get clobbered by the last place Royals is very concerning, and is probably the worst loss of the season for the Indians.

The Indians need to right this ship quickly in order to avoid falling even further as they are in danger of dropping to third place and dipping under .500.

The Indians are still having a very positive season, one that most did not expect. Unfortunately, they are going backwards this year where after starting so hot and creating some excitement, their play of late has created a lot of frustration and apathy when there really should be much more excitement for a young team that is over .500 and back to relevance.

Even so, it is not time to throw up the white flag as even if they are not a serious World Series contender this division is still very winnable. With over 50 games to go in the season there is still a lot that can happen and the fortunes of the team can change at any moment, especially if they get healthy and some players start playing like they are capable of.

Rough July for Carrasco

It is time to start worrying about right-handed starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Overall he is having a solid season where in 19 starts he is 8-8 with a 4.25 ERA; however, his struggles of late are concerning.

Carrasco, 24, looked to be making significant strides back in June where he made six starts and went 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He looked like a staple of the Indians rotation for years to come and was living up to his promise as a former top prospect. Many thought he had arrived, but once the calendar flipped to July everything has changed.

In four starts this month Carrasco is 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA. Suddenly, all that progress he seemingly had made has gone out the window, and in some ways he looks to be regressing to the same fragile-minded pitcher he had come to be known as.

Nothing shows this better than what transpired Friday night when he was pounded for seven runs and three homers in 3.1 innings by the Royals. After serving up a grand slam home run to Melky Cabrera he went headhunting on Billy Butler on the next pitch and was promptly thrown out of the game. It was a bush league move by him, and a sign he still has a ways to go from a maturity standpoint and issues with his toughness are still present.

Carrasco is still a big part of the Indians future. Right now it is important for him to get with pitching coach Tim Belcher and look at the tapes from June and compare them to the tapes in July and see why he was having success and somehow get back to it. If the Indians have any thoughts of staying in the division race this season he will need to get back to competing and putting up quality outings on a much more consistent basis.

Choo is ahead of schedule

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is working his way back from his broken left thumb that he suffered in San Francisco about five weeks ago. With the struggles the Indians have had offensively, this is good news for Indians fans. He is still about a month from returning, but according to Choo he is pushing himself and believes he may be ready to return as soon as the August 16-18 series in Chicago against the White Sox.

Choo has been taking part in a throwing and hitting program where he is throwing the ball at 90 feet and hitting balls off of a tee. He is considered to be ahead of schedule, and was expected to start a soft toss program early this week while he travelled with the team to Boston and Texas. If things continue to go well he will begin taking batting practice with the team possibly by this weekend and could go on a short rehab assignment right after.

Parting shots

Infielder Jason Donald had been splitting time between third base and shortstop at Triple-A Columbus. Indians Infield Coordinator Travis Fryman was in Columbus recently to work on him at third base. In 46 games at Columbus he is hitting .306 with four homers, 15 RBI, and a .836 OPS. … Second baseman Cord Phelps is finally back to playing his normal position of second base every day now that Jason Kipnis has been called up. He had been playing out of position almost exclusively at shortstop all season in Columbus. In 73 games with Columbus he is hitting .291 with eight homers, 47 RBI, and a .837 OPS. … The Indians have not thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981. It is the longest drought between no-hitters for any team in baseball (Mets and Padres have never thrown one).

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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IPI Inbox: Indians have lots of candidates for bullpen

C.C. Lee could be a bullpen option for the

Indians really soon in Cleveland (Photo: IPI).

It is time for another IPI Inbox to talk about some of the questions from the minors to the big leagues that Indians fans have asked of late. These are all questions I have received of late via e-mail or on my Twitter page (@TonyIPI).

If you have a question on anything pertaining to the Cleveland Indians from the minors to the big leagues that you would like answered in a future inbox, feel free to contact me. I also pull from questions in the comments sections in articles, and also from Twitter, so you can post your question there as well.

To the IPI Inbox we go.....

Chad L. wrote: Since C.C. Lee is tearing it up in AAA, who do you think will be the first person demoted out of the bullpen if they bring him up before the roster expansion September 1st?

Me: Chen is actually not the next reliever in line for a promotion at Triple-A Columbus. That designation belongs to right-handers Josh Judy and Zach Putnam. Judy is the short term fill in option when the Indians need an arm for short stretches, but once they make a long term move this season for the bullpen the player added will very likely be Putnam. Since he is not on the 40-man roster a player would surely have to be removed, likely the reliever he replaces in Cleveland, someone like right-hander Chad Durbin.

The Indians have deemed Putnam big league ready since early June, but an opportunity has yet to present itself with the bullpen in Cleveland pitching so well. He will likely be a September callup unless Frank Herrmann or Durbin struggle, an injury occurs, or the Indians trade one of their big league relievers to get a bat (a legit possibility), which would then result in his call up coming sooner. With Joe Smith and Rafael Perez both getting expensive and nearing free agency the Indians may decide to strike on one of them while the iron is hot and to fill a need elsewhere on the team. When or if any of that happens, I expect Putnam to be added to the 25-man roster in Cleveland, and I expect him at worst to be a late season addition sometime in September.

As for Lee, I don't see him being an option until sometime in 2012. He is having another great season where since being called up to Triple-A Columbus he has thrown 12.1 shutout innings in eight appearances (7 H, 3 BB, 19 K), and overall this season in 31 games between Double-A and Columbus is 4-1 with a 1.90 ERA (52.0 IP, 34 H, 14 BB, 75 K). He is living up to his billing as one of the Indians’ best relief prospects (maybe their best), but there are other options above him in the pecking order right now.

Unless the Indians get hit with the injury bug here the last two months of the season, I’d expect Lee to finish the season in Columbus. There is an outside shot he could be a callup in September to add another bullpen arm to the pitching mix for the stretch run, but assuming there will already be so many other relievers on the roster he probably won’t be as the Indians have shown in the past they will not bring up a valuable player to sit and start accruing service time. Even still, he and Putnam are two impact quality relievers in waiting in Columbus for the Indians….or potentially in a trade.

David K. wrote: Any chance we see Hagadone in the pen before the year is through? It looks like he’s found his groove in Columbus.

Me: Yes, there is definitely a chance, though as noted with Chen Lee, Hagadone is not first in line out of Triple-A Columbus. There is no doubt that Hagadone, Lee, Putnam and Judy are all legitimate big league bullpen options, and could soon find their way in Cleveland if they trade an arm or two from the big league roster to acquire help elsewhere on the roster. It is also possible that Hagadone and company could all be part of a trade as well to bring in a player.

If Hagadone is not dealt I would think there is a decent chance he could be in Cleveland sometime in September, and may eventually be the replacement in waiting for lefty Rafael Perez. Hagadone is having a very good season where in 32 combined appearances between Double-A Akron and Columbus he is 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA (50.1 IP, 41 H, 15 BB, 52 K). Most impressive for him this year has been the return of his command where he has cut his walk rate from 6.6 BB/9 in 2010 to an amazing 2.7 BB/9 this year. With him throwing more strikes and being a high velocity bullpen guy from the left side, there is a ton of value there for the Indians bullpen in the very near future or to another team. He is still highly regarded by a lot of teams, and will surely be a guy teams ask to be included in any deals this July and August.

Orrie S. wrote: Do you see Luis Valbuena ever getting another shot with the Indians despite the logjam of middle infielders, or is he trade bait?

Me: ValbuenaChisenhall and Jason Kipnis.

Valbuena, 25, is still relatively young and with his versatility I believe he is a guy whose long term future with the organization will be as a utility player. He does not have the excellent defense that a lot of utility options have up the middle, but he is more versatile in that he can play third base and some outfield and also has some pop from the left side. He has been forced of late to play some outfield at the big league level before he was ready because of the rash of injuries, so some of the defensive issues out there are not his fault, but it could be an area they look to shore up by having him play in the outfield during winter ball this offseason to gain some valuable experience out there.

Valbuena may not be an everyday guy anymore, but he still has value. The last two years in Triple-A he has dominated, so he just needs to find a way to carry that consistency and success over to the Major League level. He sort of did that at times in 2009 but fell off a cliff last year, and in limited play so far this season at the big league level has not impressed. I still think his performance last year was just an outlier and I expect him in the future to be more like he was in 2009 once he gets a chance to settle in at the big league level again.

Eric wrote: I had a question about the Phelps/Donald/Kipnis conundrum. Assuming we keep all three, wouldn't the best plan be to start Kipnis at second base, have Phelps be the everyday designated hitter (in 2013) and have Donald be the utility guy?

Me: I think that's kind of the plan which is to have Kipnis as the everyday second baseman and Lonnie Chisenhall the everyday third baseman with Donald as the utility guy who hits from the right side and complements both well while also being versatile enough to play shortstop, third base and second base.

The odd man out in the equation is Phelps who unless Kipnis bombs will have a hard time sticking with the big league club since he is almost strictly a second baseman. He has played a little third base and a lot of shortstop this year in the minors, but from what I have heard the reports are not that good and he is not a Major League option at either position unless in emergency. Phelps could be trade bait, or may have to learn to play the outfield in the offseason to add some versatility to his game. Obviously he could fill in at designated hitter if need be, but that is Hafner's position at least through next season.  Plus, I think by the time Hafner is gone that Phelps will have been traded anyway.

At this point it appears that Phelps is the backup plan for Kipnis at second base. If Kipnis fails, then you can maybe move him back to the outfield and you then have Phelps as an option at second base. But if the Indians are sold enough on Kipnis right now they may choose to sell high on Phelps instead of waiting to find out if Kipnis lives up to his promise.  If they did that, they would then use Donald as a fall back option at second base or even Luis Valbuena.

David K. wrote: How high is the internal level of concern of having not only a lefty- hitting dominated lineup, but also as far as I can tell not a single high level right-handed hitting prospect?

Me: I think there is some concern about the lack of right-handed hitting options in the system, but I don't sense any urgency on the part of the Indians to fix this perceived problem. There would surely be a ton more urgency and concern if they lacked pitching. I believe the thought is as long as you have lots of pitching options those needs offensively can usually - though not always - be addressed by using some of that pitching to plug holes where needed in the lineup. I would expect some of these right-handed hitting concerns to begin to be addressed with a trade or two between now and the end of this coming offseason, and possibly in free agency.

John wrote: I am wondering what Kyle Blair's injury is? I met him early in the season and he was incredibly nice to my son so I am hoping he is okay.

Me: Blair is working through an injury to his right knee. It started to bother him in early June, and after coming back on June 26th from a 12 day layoff he was still experiencing some issues so was put on the disabled list and has been out in Goodyear, Arizona rehabbing ever since. Obviously the knee has affected his performance to some degree this year as in 14 starts for Low-A Lake County he is 3-5 with a 5.98 ERA (61.2 IP, 65 H, 35 BB, 58 K).

Blair’s performance this season has been a bit of a disappointment as with his college experience and draft pedigree he was not expected to stay in Lake County this long, so maybe in some way the injury can be blamed for his inconsistency this season. It has been a learning experience for him this year that's for sure. He’s a great young man, and a favorite of mine, so I hope he can come back soon and finish the season strong.

Chad L. wrote: What is the status of Hector Ambriz? I know we tried him out last year and then he got hurt, but I haven't heard his name as one of the possible bullpen call-ups...didn't know if he was working out well in AAA or not?

Me: Ambriz is still in Arizona rehabbing from Tommy John surgery he had on October 1st, 2010. He will not pitch anywhere this year, though may pitch some in Instructional League or in winter ball. That does not seem unlikely since he would have to complete a throwing program and several bullpen sessions in the next six to eight weeks, so he probably will not pitch in any kind of game setting until next spring.

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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