Weekend Update: Valentine's Day Edition

Time for another rundown of the week that was in the Indians minor league system. Lots of news to share this week, especially for this site. Spring training for the big league team is officially underway, and minor league camp is on the horizon.

Anyway...

Thanks to Josh Tomlin for coming on Smoke Signals this past Thursday to talk some baseball. Tomlin is an interesting guy to watch and follow this year as in his three previous years in the organization he has been what many baseball people would call a "performer" due to his impressive numbers year to year, but has questionable tools. What really changed last year for him was the increase in his fastball velocity to where it tops out now at 93 MPH, and in addition to that his slider improved greatly and the addition of a cutter seems to have been the difference maker for him. Also, his story about playing against Adrian Peterson in high school was classic!

This week (Feb 19) outfielder Nick Weglarz will join the show, and the next week (Feb 26) outfielder/first baseman Stephen Head will be on. Also, sometime in March, possibly as soon as the March 5th show, former Baseball America writer and now Pittsburgh Pirate scout Chris Kline will be on the show to talk scouting. We won't get into the Pirates/Indians organizations for obvious reasons, but instead talk about the life of a scout, what they do, how they do it, and so on. I am really looking forward to it, and when the time comes I'll be soliciting for questions to ask on the show.

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Speaking of Weglarz, I've been trying to nail him down on the show for about a month, but we always had to reschedule because he is one of the busiest 21 year olds I know (just turned 21 by the way). We appear to be catching him at the right time because he actually flew out to Goodyear out of Buffalo (yikes) on Wednesday and will be in big league camp with the Indians preparing for the Word Baseball Classic (WBC). After two and a half weeks of prep, he'll leave Goodyear on February 28th to join his Team Canada teammates in Florida and be the starting left fielder for them. After a few exhibition games March 3-5 against the Blue Jays, Phillies and Yankees, they will open WBC play with their first game against Team USA in Toronto on March 7th.

It goes without saying that Weglarz's experience playing with and against so many high caliber major league players will do nothing but benefit him. In a big way. While some people were disappointed with his overall season in Kinston last year (I felt it was good for a 20-year old), I was mostly impressed with his play Internationally last year in the Olympics in Beijing and the qualifiers in Australia and Taiwan before that where he faced a lot of talent equal to Triple-A or higher. And, you'll see that factored heavily when his ranking is released in my Top 100 list (those that have the book already know what I am talking about).

By the way, he's up to 255 pounds now...and that's a ripped, country strong 255 pounds. The kid just turned 21 for crying out loud and is as big and strong as an ox. He still has yet to step in the batters box at the Double-A level or above yet, but he's one of the best young pure power prospects in the game right now. And his power ability surpases that of LaPorta. I expect big things from this kid, and I think he not only has the talent (chicks AND dudes dig the long ball), but he has the makeup and personality to be adored in Cleveland if he gets there. All the comps to Jim Thome are dead nuts on.

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I have some big site news to announce. It looks like several players will be blogging on the site this year, which is something I wanted to add to get that other perspective out there to the fans. I have the articles, pictures, videos, and radio show to sort of promote these guys in every way possible, but nothing from the first person perspective. So who are the players who will be doing “player blogs” on the site this year? They are: catcher Chris Gimenez, right-hander Vinnie Pestano, right-hander Clayton Cook, and left-hander T.J. House.

I initially wanted just one or two guys, but after I reached out to a few I was surprised that everyone was interested in doing it. What I like about the variety of guys, is not only are they high profile prospects, but they are all at different levels in the organization and experiencing different things. Gimenez was just added to the 40-man roster, is a legit option to make the Indians team sometime this year, will be playing for the new Columbus team, and is on the cusp of the big leagues, so he has a lot going on right now and it will be interesting to get his perspective on things. Then you have the young'uns like T.J. House and Clayton Cook who are getting ready for their first spring training and first experience with extended spring training.....everything is brand new to them and as high profile 2008 Draft picks it will be kind of cool to get their perspective on things this year from time to time. And, for Vinnie Pestano, being in Akron (if he doesn't start there he should get significant time there) there's different things going on there as well for him, especially considering he will likely be the closer there.

So I am very excited to have these guys on board, and some should be writing something very soon as spring training gets ready to officially start on March 5th (for the minor leaguers). As for how often they write, it is up to them, but I would say most will write two to three times a month. And, I still may add another guy or two to the mix who may be slotted for Lake County and Kinston to sort of get that viewpoint as well.

Be sure to welcome them and give them feedback (constructively) when they post their blog entries.

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Former Tribe farmhand, left-hander Dan Cevette, has resurfaced with another team. He had retired last June, but it appears he was able to work something out with the Indians where they released him from their control this offseason and he is going to take another shot at a career in baseball, this time with the Kansas City Royals organization. Injuries ruined what was a promising career for him, but if he can get past the injuries and improve his command he has the pitches and stuff to maybe get to the bigs someday. Good luck to Dan, and I wish him well.

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My 2009 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More book is now going to be sold and listed on-line at Amazon.com as well as many other on-line book sites. The link and everything is being worked up, but it should be listed sometime in the next two to three weeks. Also, it appears the book will also be available in some of the minor league team shops this year, though I am still working out the details on that.

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Not only does the Indians Prospect Insider have its own page on Facebook, I have also networked the site with other blogs on Facebook as well. Click here to check out it out and be sure to click to become a fan and follow the blog. Thanks!

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Game Recaps 4/28

Lake County and Akron were off on Monday, but Kinston and Buffalo were in action.

Buffalo won 5-2, and were led by Adam Miller's four shutout innings where he allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four. Miller was not sharp as he needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, and because he was up to his 85 pitch count he was not brought back out for the 5th inning. OF Ben Francisco paced the offense going 3-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and OF Jason Cooper chipped in going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles.

Kinston finally broke out offensively, winning 10-5. First baseman Beau Mills had a huge game, going 3-for-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI, with the big blow being a 2nd inning grand slam home run. Utility man Jerad Head was 2-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and OF Nick Weglarz was 2-for-5 with a 2B and RBI. Right-hander Hector Rondon struggled in his start, going only 3.2 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two. Reliever Erik Stiller continues to be reliable and very effective out of the bullpen as he went two shutout innings and allowed only one hit and no walks while striking out two.

Two Kinston notes:

- Second baseman Adam Davis was replaced in the first inning after he came up lame running to second base. No word on his status, but a roster move could be forthcoming.

- Right-hander Joanniel Montero has joined the Kinston bullpen, and while the name of who he replaced his not been officially released, it most likely will be lefty Dan Cevette. Cevette is sidelined with yet another shoulder issue, although it is not known if it is his labrum again or his rotator cuff. Either way, it looks like Cevette's season may be done and that his career is at a crossroads.

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Head To The DL

Akron put outfielder Stephen Head on the disabled list yesterday with a broken bone in his right (non-throwing) wrist and activated infielder Brandon Pinckney from extended spring training. Head had appeared in just five games with Akron following a return from off-season shoulder surgery, but was hitting .357 with three RBI in those contests. Supposedly, Head and the doctors were actually happy with the result however, because the break is minor enough that it will not require surgery and he will miss a minimum of two weeks. When asked how he broke the bone, Head said it happened while sliding into second base on a steal attempt and joked, “I guess that’s why they say speed kills.”

Outfielder Trevor Crowe is still out with back issues, and won't be coming back in the next week as he did not accompany the team on the road trip they started yesterday. I may know more about his prognosis later today.

There were some great pitching performances last night:

Lake County Right-hander Chris Archer continues to dominate. Archer went five shutout innings and allowed only two hits while walking four and striking out four. Archer's ERA is now at 0.63 after three starts, although he has issued a ridiculous amount of walks (12 BB in 14.1 IP). Right-hander Mike Pontius got the save going 2.2 shutout and no-hit innings and did not walk a batter while striking out five. In five appearances, Pontius has yet to allow a run in 12 innings and has only surrendered four hits and four walks while striking out 15. This kid is a special reliever, and could be on the move to Kinston by mid-season if he keeps this up.

Kinston right-hander Steven Wright put up his second straight outstanding start, allowing only one run on one hit and walking one while striking out five. Recently recalled Dan Cevette was awesome in his 2008 debut, throwing three shutout and no-hit innings for the win and walking two and striking out two.

Akron right-hander Frank Herrmann (2-0) got another win with a strong performance. The sinker-baller went 5.2 shutout innings scattering seven hits and did not walk a batter or record a strikeout.

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Final Camp Update 3/30

Just a few final updates as spring training wrapped up for the minor leaguers yesterday:

- All players who have been assigned to full-season clubs are on their way to them today, while those who have not been assigned to a club are staying behind in extended spring training (EST) in Winter Haven.

- In Buffalo's last spring game on Saturday, 1B Jordan Brown went 2-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI, finishing the spring with a .286 average (6-21) with three home runs and six RBI. RHP Adam Miller started for Buffalo and threw three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three. In his two spring starts he gave up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts (3.00ERA). Some other stats for Buffalo players this spring: 1B Ryan Mulhern hit .414 (12-29) with six doubles and five RBI; OF Jason Cooper hit .375 (6-16) with three doubles, a triple and one RBI; C Wyatt Toregas hit .375 (6-16) with three RBI; RHP Eddie Mujica was 2-0 with a 0.00ERA in four games (6.0IP, 6H, 2K); RHP Rick Bauer pitched five scoreless games (8.0IP, 6H, 4BB, 8K); and RHP Jeff Harris posted a 1.29ERA in two spring games (7.0IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 8K).

- Outfielder Stephen Head has remained in EST because he is still recovering from offseason surgery to his labrum on his right shoulder. He was noticeable absent from many of the games all through camp, and is still not 100%. He is expected to be ready to go and in Akron by mid-April.

- While I had mentioned that left-hander Dan Cevette had requested his release to look for a better opportunity after being left behind in EST, apparently the Indians still want him and did not grant the release. There is a good possibility that if Cevette stays healthy in mind and body, he will get a shot in Akron or Kinston sometime in April.

- Outfielder Mike Butia was released in final cuts on Saturday.

- I'm still uploading video, but here is one of catcher Chun Chen taking batting practice. And, here is another that I found hilarious of the young Latin players playing some hot potato while they waited for stretching exercises to begin. I have a second hot potato video I will be uploading shortly which is even more hilarious.

- Previews should start posting tomorrow or Tuesday, so be on the lookout for them.

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Winter Haven Update 3/18

Cevette Working His Way Back Onto Indians Radar

A little over two years ago, left-hander Dan Cevette was considered one of the top young hurlers in the Indians farm system. In fact, some believe he still is. But these days, Cevette is trying to work his way back from injury and into the big picture he seemed so clearly in just a few short years ago.

Cevette was drafted by the Indians in the third round of the 2002 Draft out of high school (PA). After a few good showings in Burlington and Mahoning Valley in 2002 and 2003, Cevette burst onto the scene in 2004 when in 16 combined starts for Mahoning Valley and Lake County he compiled a 5-0 record with an amazing 1.91 ERA over a total of 80 innings pitched and struck out 80 while walking only 20. He used the 2004 season as a springboard into 2005 where in 17 starts he went 5-4 with a 2.73 ERA and in 82.1 innings had 85 strikeouts and gave up 30 walks.

But, while Cevette had a very good year in 2005 at Lake County, things started to take a turn for the worse as he was sidelined early in the season for two months with a broken thumb after trying to field a groundball with his bare hand. He came back from that injury well, but the most devastating injury occurred at the end of the season where he suffered a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder and had to have surgery in the offseason to correct the issue.

Cevette rehabbed almost the entire 2006 season in extended spring training in Winter Haven, and made three starts late in the year at Lake County totaling five innings. He continued his rehab through the offseason and went into the 2007 season ready to get going again, but halfway through the season his shoulder flared up on him.

"I rehabbed all offseason and came into the 2007 season feeling good to go, and the Indians had me as a starter again," said Cevette in a late afternoon interview on Tuesday. "I was throwing a lot and the volume was still high, and at the middle of the season I just crashed again. They sent me up to Cleveland to have me looked at, and the doctor said I need to be a low volume guy (innings pitched) and be a reliever."

Reportedly, the bullpen is exactly where Cevette will now need to learn to earn his keep, although the Indians still feel there is a possibility of him returning to a starting role because of his solid three pitch mix of a fastball that consistently sits around 88-91 MPH and tops out at 92, a very good changeup, and a slider that is still a work in progress.

Working out of the bullpen, it is not known if there will be any restrictions with Cevette's pitch count or how often he makes an appearance, but in any case he is excited with how he feels.

"I am not sure how they are going to do it," said Cevette. "I am just excited with how I feel, and excited about this season. My expectations are through the roof."

Cevette has every right to be excited about his potential this season as he feels he is at least back to or better than he was before his injury two years ago. He is a pitcher where his fastball is deceptive and can get in on hitters quickly because of his real easy and loose delivery. He also has a quirk in his delivery where he cocks the ball behind his head, which can make it hard for opposing hitters to pick up the ball.

"I think the Indians have been great with me as they have been patient and let me work things out," said Cevette. "Right now I feel I could compete at any level, and I don't care where you put me, I know I can go out there and get guys out. But, I would say I am back and stuff-wise as good and better as I ever was. I am definitely a more intelligent pitcher now."

The confidence is brimming with Cevette, but along the road to recovery it has been rough where he has experienced several ups and downs.

"I'll tell you, being hurt since the end of 2005 has been tough," said Cevette. "It is like a roller coaster with a lot of peaks and valleys, and you are thinking you are good then you are feeling terrible. You really sit back and have a lot of time to analyze and think about things and what you really want to do. I sat back and just decided that I am going to go 150% at this until I know I can't pitch, and until I can't compete at a good level I want to do this. I have never gone out there and felt over-matched, even when I was hurt. I think that is the key, to stay confident. No matter what people are saying, like when they say "you are off the radar" or whatever. You have to stay confident not to let that stuff bother you or it can spiral down from there."

Right now, it looks like Cevette is pegged for a bullpen role at either Akron or Kinston. Heck, who knows, he could even be one of those guys on the bubble as a candidate to be released. But, the way things look, Cevette should stick around in the Indians organization awhile longer.

That said, after this season Cevette will be a six year minor league free agent and will be able to sign with any team he chooses. As a result, if the Indians keep him it is probably in their best interest to have him get considerable time in Akron this year so they can properly see what they have in Cevette before they run the risk of losing him after the season.

Wherever Cevette lands in 2008, he knows what his strengths and weaknesses are and what he has to do to improve. One of his best attributes is his confidence and how he goes right after hitters. He is not afraid to pitch inside, and his nasty changeup can make hitters look foolish at times.

"I think I can throw pretty good inside and then my changeup away is definitely my out pitch," said Cevette. "It moves a lot. One of the guys who was hitting against me this year said the changeup never does the same thing. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it goes down, sometimes it stays straight. It is a very deceptive pitch. Throwing in hard to righties, and then throwing something away soft can get ‘em diving a little bit."

While his changeup is his bread and butter pitch, Cevette still needs a lot of work on his breaking ball to be more successful. He has worked hard to try and develop his slider into a more consistent pitch, but is still having problems with it.

"I need a consistent breaking ball," said Cevette when asked about what he needs work on the most. "The higher up you get, if you are in the pen a two pitch combination is good but if one of those pitches is not working one day they are going to sit on you. So, I need a consistent breaking ball. Something I can throw for a strike. At times it is there, it is where it needs to be, but other times it is like I have never thrown a breaking ball before. It has been the hardest pitch for me to be consistent with. It is tough because I worked extremely hard at it in the offseason, and I worked a lot to get it down and even neglected some of my other stuff to work extra on the breaking ball but it just has not really gotten there. Sometimes it is great, but other times it looks like a high school guy pitching. I tend to fall away from it and go just to my fastball or changeup and sometimes I can get in trouble where the changeup may be flat that day and they can sit on the fastball. But, for the most part, most of my outings have been fastball first, changeup second, and then the breaking ball to show something different."

Outside of baseball, Cevette has become quite the accomplished recording artist and even has his own recording studio. He listens to a lot of alternative music and Christian rap, and was inspired by Eminem's "Infinite" album a few years ago to do some hip-hop recordings at his recording studio in his house where he worked with several big names on some recordings.

"Being left-handed, I guess I am a little more artsy than most people," joked Cevette. "I actually play piano and a pretty good guitar. I play in bars back at home and do acoustic sets, and the hip-hip thing came about as I can't sing well but I can rap and put a rhythm to the stuff I know and I understand the word schemes."

As for the recording studio, it is something Cevette is very serious about. So much so, whenever his playing days end he plans to make a career out of it.

"The recording studio is something I build on every year," said Cevette. "I have a few guys back home I work with, and also some of the bigger guys in the industry who have passed through my town. I did some work with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Blackchild, and Tony Yayo from G-Unit. It is just something fun to do, and I don't take it real serious right now. Although, when I do finish up with baseball I do want to own my own recording studio. I am really good at the engineering side of it, and I do my own producing and recording."

For now, Cevette is working his way back onto the Indians radar as a top pitching prospect in the system. So his recording career can wait.

Notebook

- Buffalo was on the road yesterday and lost to Round Rock 8-2. Offensively, they were lead by outfielder Nathan Panther who was 2-for-3 with a solo home run and third baseman Wes Hodges who also had a solo home run. Buffalo only had five hits in the game. On the pitching front, Fausto Carmona got the start as it was his regular day to pitch but the Indians were off, and he allowed three unearned runs on six hits in five innings of work while striking out five. Left-hander Shawn Nottingham and right-hander Neil Wagner combined to pitch the final three innings, with Nottingham struggling (5 runs, 4 hits, 3 walks) and Wagner impressing (0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks).

- Left-hander David Huff looked to be in mid-season form yesterday. He was brilliant in three innings, allowing no runs or walks and by my count only one hit while striking out one. There is a real difference when you see him pitch compared to the others in the Kinston and Lake County group, and you can see how much more of a polished pitcher he really is. He has excellent composure on the mound, looks like a big league starter already, and looks like he indeed is on the major league fast-track. Because of the logjam of starters at Buffalo and Akron, he is expected to start the season in the Kinston rotation. Click on his hyperlink to see a video of him in action yesterday.

- With roster cuts looming, right-hander Joanniel Montero may have punched his ticket out of Cleveland with an awful showing yesterday. He was bombed in about two innings or work and showed little command or the ability to get anyone out.

- Right-hander Luis Valdez looked solid, and is in a battle with what seems like 30 guys for a bullpen spot in Kinston and Lake County.

- Right-hander Paolo Espino looked strong yesterday, and looks like he could be a very good reliever down the road, although there still is no word whether he will stick in the rotation this year or move to the bullpen.

- Right-hander Steven Wright pitched in a Mahoning Valley scrimmage, and was okay. Click on the hyperlinks for Valdez, Espino and Wright to see videos of them in action yesterday.

- Apparently, left-handed reliever Rich Rundles has been wowing Tribe officials in major league camp. As a result, he has jumped onto the bullpen scene, and is now a depth option for the Indians possibly as the first left-hander they would turn to if Aaron Fultz or Rafael Perez go on the disabled list.

- The talk around camp is that it is all but a done deal where the Indians will move their Triple-A affiliate from Buffalo to Columbus next year. While no deal has been officially made through a press release, supposedly it is but a formality at this point and an official announcement will be made sometime during the season.

- In regard to my report yesterday about the Indians signing Edward Salcedo, I got a lot of e-mails on the subject and just wanted to clarify what I was told. This did not come from an Indians official, but from someone with ties to the Indians international dealings. I can't say more than that, as you have to keep a source in confidence. Hopefully an official announcement is made soon.

- First baseman Chris Nash has been bothered by a muscle strain of some sort in his right rib cage area and has not played the past few days. He has been working out, and is expected to be back in action soon.

- First baseman Jordan Brown and right fielder Steven Head stayed behind in Winter Haven yesterday while their Akron and Buffalo teammates went on the road to play in Kissimmee. Both have some nagging injuries they are trying to recover from and played a short scrimmage with Mahoning Valley.

- Today is a camp day for the minor leaguers. No games are scheduled, just drills and a couple of short inter-squad scrimmages. The big league club will once again be on the road today, but six pitchers will throw in the minor league scrimmages, namely Jake Westbrook, Rafael Betancourt, Joe Borowski, and Aaron Fultz.

I'll be back with a short update tomorrow because of the short camp day today. I have an interview with outfielder Nick Weglarz ready to go, so be on the lookout for that. Also, sometime in the next few days I will post a photo gallery of all the pictures of players from camp. Also, thanks to Ken Carr for the photo assistance with the picture for Dan Cevette in this article.

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