Columbus Report: Carrera is next in line

Ezequiel Carrera (Photo: Lianna Holub)

This technically is the second part of Minor Happenings that I mentioned yesterday would post today. I decided with all of the Columbus news to make this a Columbus only piece to bring everyone up to speed with most of the Major League options in waiting at Columbus.

Carrera is next in line

With outfielder Grady Sizemore out with a knee injury and outfielder Travis Buck being scratched from the lineup yesterday with a toe injury, the Indians removed Triple-A Columbus outfielder Ezequiel Carrera from the Columbus lineup yesterday as a precaution. If Buck happens to end up on the disabled list in the next few days, it looks like Carrera would be the next outfielder called up to Cleveland.

Carrera, 23, is an excellent depth option for the Indians to have in waiting at Columbus. In 37 games for Columbus this year he is hitting .317 with 2 HR, 17 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and a .824 OPS. He is not a powerful player as his game is based more on getting on base, stealing bases, and playing excellent defense in the outfield, which are attributes which would fit in nicely as a fourth outfielder in the big leagues.

Carrera has some pop to his pull-side so he is simply not a slap hitter, but he mostly concentrates on working counts and putting the ball in play all over the field. As a defender he is arguably the best outfielder in the Indians system, including the big leagues. He is exceptional at making both the routine and diving plays, takes good angles and routes to balls, and with his plus speed really covers a lot of ground.

The biggest improvement for Carrera this year has been his approach at the plate where he has worked hard to become better at consistently getting on base and using the entire field. He is not a player you probably ever want as a regular in the lineup except as a replacement for injuries, but he is excellent outfield depth for the Indians and should be an integral piece to the roster for the next several years as a fourth outfielder for them.

Phelps is ready for the call

Triple-A Columbus infielder Cord Phelps is ready for the big leagues. Now it is just about when the Indians will give him that opportunity.

Phelps, 24, is hitting .300 with 6 HR, 25 RBI and a .938 OPS in 36 games for Columbus. He has always been viewed as a versatile defender with good on-base skills, and he is showing that this season where he is playing shortstop for the first time and also playing some third base and second base. His 29 walks and .422 on-base percentage both rank 1st in the International League, so the on-base skills are certainly still there.

The biggest change for Phelps has been the increased production at the plate where he is driving in more runs and showing more power. He has a .515 slugging percentage this year, whereas he had a .413 slugging percentage over his entire three year career coming into the season. He hit his 7th homer of the season last night in a suspended game so it is not included in his overall totals, which is one shy of the eight home runs he hit last year in 119 combined games between Double-A Akron and Columbus (a career high).

Even more amazing has been how Phelps has performed offensively even with all the changes being asked of him in the field. For a lot of players being asked to play a new position can be a huge distraction and take away from their offense, but that has not been the case for him at all as he has made a seamless transition to shortstop and other positions on the field and performing at an all-time great level offensively.

With Travis Hafner dinged up and probably heading to the disabled list for a few weeks, the Indians are going to need an internal option with some punch to help fill in and Phelps appears to be the guy best prepared to help the offense in Cleveland going forward. He is an everyday option at second base so he can take some of the everyday duties off the hands of Orlando Cabrera which could help him remain productive over the course of the season, and Phelps could also fill in at shortstop, third base, and designated hitter if needed.

Upward Head-ing

Against all odds Triple-A Columbus do everything fielder Jared Head appears to be on the cusp of getting a Major League opportunity. He is not on the Indians’ 40-man roster and there are other options the Indians may turn to instead for a right-handed hitting bench option, but there is no longer any debate that he is on the Major League radar. With Austin Kearns struggling and Travis Hafner probably out a few weeks, he is one of the top options the team will look at to replace either one of them in the short term.

Head, 28, is an undrafted free agent signing for the Indians back in August of 2005, and now in his seventh season in the Indians minor league season he is showing he may be a late bloomer. It all started last year when he hit .299 with 17 HR, 66 RBI, and a .906 OPS in 86 combined games for Double-A Akron and Columbus, and the level of his play in the playoffs the past two years has been sensational. This year he is hitting .356 with 5 HR, 16 RBI, and a .964 OPS in 30 games, and is ranked 1st in the International League in hitting (.356), 3rd in on-base percentage (.407), 4th in slugging percentage (.558), and 3rd in OPS (.964).

Head is the consummate professional who has the versatility to play any position on the diamond including catcher in an emergency. He has primarily played left and right field this year, but has the ability to play first and third base on a regular basis and can fill in when needed at shortstop, second base, and center field. His bat has improved every year and he has some good pop from the right side. He runs through walls for his manager and is a favorite of the organization, and while viewed an impossibility just a few months ago his big league opportunity now is well within reach.

Both Kipnis, Chisenhall are steady

It is amazing how nearly identical both Triple-A Columbus second baseman Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall have performed so far this season. Both have played 37 games where Kipnis is hitting .275 with 3 HR, 21 RBI and a .801 OPS and Chisenhall is hitting .282 with 3 HR, 23 RBI, and a .805 OPS.

The Indians really like the power and discipline Kipnis has with his bat. He also has a unique competitiveness to him and has no fear, which have helped him as a performer. Chisenhall shows natural ability at third base and is doing well in a league where most of the players are two to five years older than him.

The focus for both Kipnis and Chisenhall is to make them the best defensive players they can be. This is just Kipnis’ second season playing second base so his focus is more on gaining more experience and picking up the nuances of the position, and for Chisenhall it is about ironing out some wrinkles he has at third, mostly with his throwing. At the plate both need to continue to refine their approach to not get overly aggressive or too anxious, but offensively both are ready for the big leagues.

Huff putting in his work

Triple-A Columbus left-handed pitcher David Huff has been working on his mechanics and also more heavily incorporating a breaking ball into his pitch mix. He has always been mostly a fastball-changeup pitcher, but the Indians have challenged him to throw sliders often in order to develop the pitch. As a result he has been hammered around the park some the past two outings where in 10.2 innings he has allowed 23 hits and 11 runs (8 earned).

Even with the rough outings his last two times out, Huff is still having a solid season for Columbus where in seven starts he is 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA (41.2 IP, 46 H, 13 BB, 19 K). He has been battling some mild elbow soreness which as a precaution the Indians skipped his scheduled start this week, but he has not been placed on the disabled list and is expected to be back out there when his next turn in the rotation comes back up.

Random Notes

After right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez it looks like right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister is the next starter in the pecking order to fill a need at the big league level in Cleveland. With lefty David Huff struggling a little and slowed with some elbow soreness he has now jumped Huff. The Indians believe McAllister has all the attributes to be a long term Major League starter. In seven starts this season he is 6-0 with a 2.80 ERA, and in 45.0 innings has allowed 40 hits, 10 walks, and has 35 strikeouts.

Right-handed reliever Frank Herrmann may be called to Cleveland soon to replace the departed Justin Germano as the long man in the bullpen. The Indians may also decide to insert right-hander Mitch Talbot into that role in the short term while they sort out their starting pitching needs. Herrmann has been throwing harder since he was optioned to Columbus, and one of the more encouraging things has been the development of his slider as it has been much more consistent. In nine appearances for Columbus he is 0-0 with a 5.91 ERA, and in 10.2 innings has allowed 13 hits, 4 walks, and has 12 strikeouts.

Right-handed reliever Zach Putnam is coming on strong and the Indians firmly believe he will be an impact arm for the big league bullpen, possibly this season. If the Indians decide to nix going the long man route in the pen with Herrmann or Talbot, they may opt to bring up Putnam now to add another good arm to the bullpen that could potentially be used in any situation. He is commanding his fastball well to both sides of the plate and both his slider and splitter have been at least average or better this season. In 13 appearances this year he is 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA, and in 21.1 innings has allowed 18 hits, 4 walks, and has 17 strikeouts.

Left-handed reliever Eric Berger may not be long for Columbus with his performance and with some bullpen options at Double-A Akron ready for promotion (Nick Hagadone, C.C. Lee). In six games with Columbus he is 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA where in 7.1 IP he has allowed 14 hits, 9 walks, and has 11 strikeouts. After a solid start at Akron this year where in five games he had a 2.13 ERA (12.2 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 16 K), his issues with command have resurfaced as he has struggled to throw consistent strikes in Columbus.

Outfielder Chad Huffman could be another option the Indians turn to soon to fill a short term need as a right-handed bat off the bench. He can play all three outfield positions and some first base, and he has some power and run producing ability with his bat, so he would be worth taking a look at in place of Austin Kearns. In 36 games he is hitting .265 with 5 HR, 21 RBI and a .800 OPS.

Infielder Josh Rodriguez has mostly played the outfield since being returned to the Indians, but with the recent injury to Jason Donald and the promotion of Luis Valbuena, he should now see most of his playing time in the infield. In eight games he is hitting .192 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and a .596 OPS.

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 League Notebook: 4/1

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

New look, same old Berger

Left-handed pitcher Eric Berger looks a lot different these days.

If you saw Berger you would almost thing he was wearing a costume.  Gone is the short haircut and clean shave, and in is much longer and free flowing hair and a mustache that would make Rollie Fingers proud.

The image change is just Berger showing another side of his unique personality, but he says there really was no inspiration for the change and that it was just something that happened.

“There was no inspiration,” said Berger about going with the big mustache.  “I just didn’t shave in the offseason and when I cleaned up I just left it as I never had a moustache before.  I figured I would try something new and the guys seem to enjoy it.  It’s just a different look and a different year, so I am having some fun with it.”

New look or not, the soon to be 25-year old pitcher in three weeks knows he needs to have a much better season than the one he had last year.  In 23 combined starts at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus last year Berger went 5-6 with a 4.90 ERA.  It wasn’t a terrible year, but he really struggled in the early going because he was recovering from an oblique injury at the end of spring training and then he struggled at the end of the season when he got a call to Columbus (5 GS, 5.84 ERA).

Berger struggled with his command last year, mostly the result of an inconsistent release point in his delivery which he had trouble correcting when he was a little off in games.  Maintaining his delivery and learning how to make quicker adjustments to re-find his release point is something he has focused on in spring training.

“When you lose your release point its how quickly can you get it back,” said Berger.  “I don’t want it to be the next inning or batter, I want it to be the next two or three pitches.  I think that is the biggest thing is when you lose the release point to get it back as soon as possible.”

Berger doesn’t have dominating stuff as he throws a low 90s fastball and compliments it with a good curveball and developing changeup.  He added a new wrinkle to his arsenal late last year when he began incorporating a cutter into his pitch mix.  He really likes the pitch and plans to use it a lot more this season.

“I’m looking forward to throwing the cutter more this year,” said Berger.  “At the end of last year I started mixing it in and now I am looking to use it a good amount as I like it a lot.  So far I have been getting some good double play balls from righties and getting it on their hands a little bit.  I’m looking forward to going fastball in to cutter in so it looks like I am doubling up the fastball and it sneaks in on them.”

In addition to getting better with the cutter and maintaining his delivery, Berger wants to improve his strike throwing ability and more consistently pound the zone.  If he can get better with throwing more consistent, quality strikes, as a left-hander he has a chance to pitch in the big leagues.

“I just need to throw first pitch strikes, get ahead in the count, and double up when necessary,” said Berger.  “I need to get the strike percentage up in all categories and [if I do that] I think I will be good.”

Notebook:

Knapp slowed:  The Indians are being very cautious with right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp this spring.  He is not hurt, but the Indians have him on a very conservative throwing program and he will not be ready to open with an affiliate when camp breaks today.  He is expected to remain in Arizona for an undetermined amount of time to allow him time to get himself ramped up to pitch in games and at the same time improve the strength of his shoulder.  Since he threw just 28.1 innings last year he is going to be really restricted with his inning workload this season, so one way to do that is to delay the start of his season.  When he is ready to pitch, he is expected to be assigned to High-A Kinston.  The best guess as to when that might occur is sometime before the end of May.

Goedert smash: Infielder Jared Goedert may be on the 60-day disabled list, but he is playing spring games out in Arizona and will continue to do so until the early part of May.  Playing with Akron on Friday, he played first base and went 1-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run.

Pictures please:  As noted a few weeks back, I was able to take a lot of pictures of players while I was at camp out in Arizona.  For those who I have made arrangements with already, I will be sending them to you soon.  I have a couple thousand pictures to sort through, edit, and file away, and I plan to have that all done by next weekend.

Akron recap I: On Thursday, Akron lost to Kinston 5-1 in a 12 inning B-game to give right-handers Mitch Talbot (5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K) and Josh Tomlin (5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K) each a lot of work.  Outfielder Jordan Henry (3-for-6, 3 2B, K) and catcher Doug Pickens (2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) did all the damage offensively.   

Akron recap II: On Friday, Akron lost to the Padres 8-4. Center fielder Jordan Henry (2-for-2, R, 2B), shortstop Juan Diaz (2-for-2, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB), and third baseman Kyle Bellows (2-for-4, 2B) paced the offense.  Lefty Kelvin De La Cruz went 4.0 innings (3 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and was followed with lefty Nick Hagadone who went 2.0 innings (2 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K) and lefty Eric Berger who went 2.0 innings (3 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 2 K).

Kinston recap I: On Thursday, Kinston beat Akron 5-1. Outfielder Greg Folgia (1-for-6, R, HR, 2 RBI, K) and second baseman Ronald Rivas (2-for-4, R, BB) were the main contributors at the plate.  On the mound lefty Scott Barnes (3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K), righty Austin Adams (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K), and lefty Giovanni Soto (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K) all chipped in.

Kinston recap II: On Friday, Kinston beat the Padres 8-7.  Right fielder Bo Greenwell sizzled at the plate going 3-for-5 (3 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), and got some assistance from third baseman Adam Abraham (1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI) and second baseman Ronald Rivas (2-for-3, RBI, K).  Righty-hander Clayton Cook pitched a dandy of a game going 5.0 innings (2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K).  Lefty Chris Jones struggled and in 1.0 innings (4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K), and righty Adam Miller got some working going 1.0 inning (0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K).

Lake County recap I: On Thursday, Lake County beat the Reds 5-1. Second baseman Jorge Martinez (2-for-2, R) and DH/3B Tyler Cannon (2-for-2, 2 BB) were the offensive stars of the game.  Righty Michael Goodnight went 5.0 excellent innings (1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K), and lefty Kirk Wetmore went 2.0 good innings (2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) and righty Trey Haley went 1.1 innings (2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K).

Lake County recap II:  On Friday, Lake County lost to the Padres 2-1.  The Captains managed just four hits, with third baseman Giovanni Ursehla doing all of the damage (1-for-3, R, HR, RBI).  Lefty Mike Rayl had a nice showing on the mound going 4.0 strong innings (0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K), and righty Kyle Blair followed him up by going 4.0 innings (4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB,  0K).

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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Goodyear Notebook: 3/11

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Aviles is on schedule

With the start of minor league spring training, it is always interesting to find out how some of the players coming off major surgeries are doing in their rehabs.  One of those players is right-handed pitcher Robbie Aviles.

Aviles, 18, was drafted by the Indians in the 7^th round of last year’s draft and signed with them for $150,000.  He was actually projected to go in the first or second round, but a ligament tear in his elbow just a few days before the draft seriously damaged his draft standing going in.  He had Tommy John surgery performed on July 13^th, and is on the road to recovery.

“I’m feeling great,” said Aviles during an interview on Friday.  “So far so good.  Everything is pain free right now, so I am happy.”

Aviles continues to progress nicely with his rehab and is now throwing flat grounds as on Friday morning he threw a flat ground session to a catcher squatting down for the first time.  Going forward, the plan is to have him throw off a five inch mound in about one or two weeks so he can get used to the downward angle and then progress to a full sized mound around the beginning of April.

If things go well Aviles could pitch for the Indians rookie level team in the Arizona Summer League sometime in June or July, but the focus appears to get him 100% healthy by the time Instructional League starts.  While he has made a lot of positive strides in his rehab, he is still several months away from being ready to pitch in games.

“I am holding back some,” said Aviles.  “In my flat grounds to a catcher I am probably throwing at 75%, and when I am long tossing I am at about 90%.  When I start getting on the mounds I will probably start at 60% and then work my way up about 5% every throwing session.”

As for the injury, it happened on June 4^th which was just a few days before the 2010 Draft.  Because New York starts their high school baseball season so late, Aviles and his school were still playing, something you rarely see from high school players in June.

“I was throwing well and it was the best I ever felt,” recalled Aviles about the day he hurt his elbow.  “I heard I was up to 95 MPH in the first inning, but on the seventh pitch of the game I just tore it.  I got off the mound, talked to some scouts, and every team knew an hour later.”

The injury was devastating for Aviles as it put his pro career in jeopardy, one which he was eager to get started with right away rather than go to college where he was committed to play at the University of Florida.  When the Indians selected him he knew he had little bargaining power because of the injury and he did not drag the negotiating process out.  It did not matter to him as all he wanted to do was play baseball, so he signed quickly.

“I was happy when my area scout Brent Urcheck called me up,” said Aviles.  “I was not going to hold out.  My agent, parents and I talked and my goal my whole life was to play baseball, so I just signed right away and got the surgery going right away so I can hopefully come back as soon as [possible].  If I had held out I might have missed all of this season and Instructional League.  But since I signed right away and had the surgery right away, I am hoping to pitch halfway through this year and be able to pitch in Instructs at 100%.”

The Indians plan to make some adjustments to Aviles’ mechanics and improve the quality of his pitches, but those plans are currently on hold until he starts pitching on a mound and proves he is healthy.

“I have been talking to the pitching coaches here and they want to tweak my mechanics a little bit but they are waiting for me to get on the mound,” said Aviles.  “I really want to work on my secondary pitches.  I have a clean slate right now so I want to work on all my stuff and get better at everything and just work hard.”

This season is all about health for Aviles.  If he can successfully return from Tommy John surgery, then he should be able to pitch in 2012 with few if any restrictions and be back on track to achieving his dream of pitching in the big leagues someday.

“My goal is to come back healthy, be a good pitcher, and make it to the major leagues someday,” said Aviles.  “And help the Indians win a World Series.”

Notebook

On the comeback trail: Right-handed pitcher Alexander Perez had Tommy John surgery last May.  So far so good as he is currently throwing at 90 feet and should be back on a mound probably sometime in April, though because of his youth and his high priority as a prospect to the Indians they will be very conservative with him this year.  He will open the season in extended spring training and probably will not pitch for an affiliate until short season ball kicks up in June where he will probably pitch a few games for rookie level Arizona.  If all goes well he could potentially go to High-A Kinston to finish out the season, maybe even Double-A Akron.

Not far behind: Right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon had Tommy John surgery last August and has also recently started a throwing program where he is at 90 feet.  Considering he had his surgery three months after Perez yet is almost on the same time table it is a sign that he is either making some big strides in his rehab or Perez has had a setback or two along the way.  I will try and get more clarification on this in the coming days.  In any case, I would not expect to see Rondon pitch for any affiliate other than rookie level Arizona this year.  If things go very well, there is an outside chance he could pitch for Triple-A Columbus at the end of the season, but the target appears to be to let him loose in Instructional League and maybe even have him go to the Arizona Fall League.

Abreu’s confidence:  The shoulder issue that plagued outfielder Abner Abreu for most of last season appears to be a thing of the past.  He was never technically hurt last season, but ever since separating his shoulder in June of 2009 he has had a confidence issue with the shoulder and it was also never really at a 100% last season.  There is a belief by a few coaches that his poor showing last year and his lack of power was simply the result of a lead shoulder issue where he lacked the confidence in it and it was still not a 100%, similar to Jared Goedert prior to last year.  If the confidence truly has returned and he is healthy, it will be interesting to see how he performs this year and if the shoulder issue really did affect his play last year.

Welcome back Mr. Davis: So I get to minor league camp on Friday and I see some tall, lanky righty pick up a ball with a nameless jersey and No. 51 on the back.  After a closer look I realize it is Jason Davis, but in my surprise I ask around in order to be sure as the warm Arizona sun may have affected my vision.  Sure enough, it is him.  The Indians have not signed him as they just have him in camp for a few days to take a look at him.  This is similar to when they brought in right-hander Tom Mastny last year, and then subsequently released him a few days later.

Morris feels good: Left-handed pitcher Ryan Morris says he feels as good as he has in a long time.  He recently had a follow up physical with his doctor on his left shoulder, and apparently his range of motion has improved by 40 degrees, something that he and his doctor are quite pleased with as the procedure to release the joint capsule in his shoulder looks like a success so far.  It remains to be seen if he will make a team out of camp, will open in extended spring training, or maybe is even released, but this is encouraging news for him nonetheless.

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

House adjustment: Left-hander T.J. House made a change to his mechanics over the winter where he is now staying back much more through his delivery so he can drive the ball through the zone better.  The change should help him have more power to his pitches.  I’ll be talking to him later on in camp and will discuss the change further with him then.

Eric “Rollie” Berger: Probably the most interesting thing my first day was the sight of left-hander Eric Berger who has grown his hair out and has a mustache that would make Rollie Fingers proud.  Check out the photo of him to the right….classic.  And I heard that the mustache was two times as big just last week before he trimmed it down.

Roster cuts:  Eight players were sent down from big league camp on Friday: right-handed pitchers Bryce Stowell, Hector Rondon, and Corey Kluber, left-handed pitchers Kelvin De La Cruz, Nick Hagadone and Drew Pomeranz, infielder Jared Goedert, and catcher Chun Chen.  Their arrival will likely mean a first round of cuts coming sometime this weekend or early next week.

Get your pictures:  Just a reminder to family members of the players, if you would like any high quality pictures of your son, brother, nephew, etc in action this spring, just drop me an e-mail at tlastoria@indiansprospectinsider.com and I will send you some pictures at the completion of my visit.

Family visits: Speaking of family, you may or may not know that you are able to obtain guest passes so you have authorization to get inside the complex and get a closer look at the action.  I’ve learned over the years that the players often don’t realize they can get you these guest passes, or that they are afraid to ask for them.  As long as the player requests them at least 24 hours in advance, you should have no problems getting them.

Today: I will be at the minor league fields all morning and then spend the day at the ballpark watching the big league team.  Not much action yet in minor league camp as it is mostly just pitchers throwing bullpens and doing lots of different drills.  Things should kick up on Sunday as it will be the first full squad workout with position players and pitchers will start throwing live batting practice.

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

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AFL Spotlight: Eric Berger

Berger is pitching well in the AFL.
(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

We are down to the final days of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) season as regular season play wraps up this Thursday. After a one game playoff between the two division leaders is played on Saturday, everyone will have gone home for the winter.

For Indians left-handed pitcher Eric Berger, 24, it will put to an end a disappointing 2010 season.  A year where in 23 starts between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus he went 5-6 with a 4.90 ERA.

"It was a learning experience as every year is not going to go too smoothly,” Berger said. “With how my April and May went - and I know I can't take that away - if I move beyond that I think my year was decent. It was definitely a learning experience, and at the end of the year I felt really good, especially with my curveball as I had a lot of confidence in it and I was throwing it pretty well."

It was a rough month indeed for Berger in April and May as he made seven starts and went 1-4 with a 7.73 ERA. In 29.1 innings he allowed 35 hits, 24 walks, and had 21 strikeouts. Things got much better from June 1st on as he made 16 starts and went 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA. In 82.2 innings he allowed 74 hits, 48 walks, and had 69 strikeouts.

Berger’s better performance from June 1st on was mostly the recent of him getting his pitching legs under him. He had injured his oblique in his last appearance of spring training which shelved him for about the first four weeks of the season. After the time off and learning to cope with the injury, it took some time for him to get back into pitching form after being off for about a month.

A lot of times a poor pitching season can result from an early season injury where the pitcher spends the rest of the season trying to get all the way back, which is what may have happened with Berger.

"It wasn't even the last game as there may have been a week left of spring training and I tweaked the oblique a little bit,” Berger said. “Then I slept wrong on the bus coming back from Portland and missed another two or three weeks. So, yeah, I had to deal with that a little bit [this year]."

While his 2010 season in affiliated ball may have been a disappointment, Berger’s performance so far in the AFL has been promising where in eight relief appearances he is 0-0 with a 0.90 ERA. In 10.0 innings he has allowed 7 hits, 7 walks, and has 12 strikeouts. The high walk-rate is still a concern, but it is nice to see his strikeout numbers jump back up and him continue to be tough on hitters in holding them to a .184 batting average.

Berger has been pitching out of the bullpen in the AFL mostly because each organization can only designate one pitcher to be a starter. Since left-handed Scott Barnes was sent to the AFL to start, that meant Berger had to pitch in relief.

But the move to the bullpen in the AFL could be a precursor for what actually happens next year for Berger. The Indians have a lot of starting pitching depth at the Double-A and Triple-A levels next year where it likely will push him to the bullpen. Add in the fact the Indians have almost no left-handed relief options in the upper levels of the system, and there is value in such a role for Berger even though his experience in such a role is limited.

"It looks like it,” Berger said about his potential change in role to a reliever. “I don’t know though as I thought I would be starting actually [here in the AFL], but I am coming out of the pen. I did it for a month [for the University of Arizona] when I came back from Tommy John surgery and a little my freshman year in college, but that's it [as far as experience goes in the role]."

Most of the players in the AFL are not working on doing too much as far as any mechanical changes to their swing or delivery, but considering Berger lost about six weeks of time this year because of the oblique injury in the spring he is in the AFL to make up innings and also work on improving the command of all of his pitches.

"I want to get better fastball command and use this [time in the AFL] to throw maybe 2-0 offspeed,” Berger said. “Because when you get to the upper levels you need to throw offspeed for a strike as catchers are going to expect that you can throw a 2-0 pitch for a strike that is not a fastball. So I am [working] on that no matter what the count is to just throw anything and be confident.”

With the AFL season coming to a close later this week, Berger plans to take some time away from baseball this offseason with some much needed vacationing. He will also work with the youth giving some pitching lessons, something he loves to do and hopes to do more of this offseason.

"I am going to work out and probably do some pitching lessons and vacation,” Berger said. “I like to work with kids and do pitching lessons and stuff in northern California. I like doing that because it is the offseason and it is nice to talk about it. Even when you are talking about pitching and not doing it you are still registering stuff and reminding yourself. So I would like to do that and also enjoy some time off, and try and get to the big leagues next year."

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling stateside).

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Minor Happenings: Arizona Fall League Notebook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His latest book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on his site for a special year end closeout sale of $10.00 (including shipping and handling).

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Minor Happenings: Pino, Espino Come Up Big In Playoffs

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

Here is the final regular Minor Happenings of the season with all the last minute nuggets from my notebook as well as updates on the minor league playoffs and comments from Farm Director Ross Atkins.  While this is the last regular edition of the Happenings, there will still be a few more smaller pieces posted before the end of the month with any last minute news and notes.

This is also probably a good time to announce that the Minor Happenings as we have come to know it over the past five to six years is due for a major change next season.  With technology changing by the day, it just makes no sense to sit on some of these items all week to post in a weekly recap.  With that said, the piece will continue to evolve like it did this year with the separate team notebooks posted weekly.  The same information will still be posted, but the piece will likely be broken up into two to three pieces over the course of the week.  More on all that next year when we get set to open the 2011 season.

Next week I will be posting a special edition of the Happenings with a year end discussion with Ross Atkins.  If you have a burning question you would like asked about a player or anything else, please e-mail me at tlastoria@indiansprospectinsider.com.  I can’t guarantee your question will be asked, but I will certainly consider it.

Also, we are getting close to the 5^th annual Tony Awards, which is the year end piece which profiles all the big performers and big disappointments in the season that was.  I will be doing it a little different this year where instead of one big posting, I will be unveiling the awards separate in successive days for Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Reliever of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Biggest Breakthrough, Biggest Disappointment, and my All-Indians Team.  Look for that at the end of the month.

I will be in Lake County this weekend to see the Captains hopefully win the Midwest League championship, so Go Captains and hope to see some of you there cheering them on!

Onto the Happenings…

Pino, Espino Shine

Triple-A Columbus is on the verge of the International League Championship, but they would not have gotten this far without the return to form of right-handed pitcher Yohan Pino and the emergence of right-hander Paolo Espino.

Pino struggled through his first full season in the Indians organization going 10-9 with a 5.75 ERA in 26 starts (145.2 IP, 175 H, 47 BB, 114 K).  The Indians received Pino as the player to be named later from the Twins in the Carl Pavano trade last year, and it was thought that he could potentially provide some depth to the big league team this year.  But, after a great April start where in four starts he was 3-0 with a 3.47 ERA, things quickly went downhill from there in May ( 6 starts, 5.45 ERA), June (5 starts, 7.36 ERA), July (4 starts, 5.47 ERA), August (6 starts, 6.09 ERA), and September (1 start, 9.00 ERA).

Of course, after all those struggles and the start of the playoffs, what does Pino do?  He goes out and pitches two gems in the postseason.  He picked the right time to get his game back on track with his best two outings of the season where in his first playoff game last Friday he went 7.0 one-hit shutout innings and then followed that up with an extraordinary 8.0 innings outing where he allowed one earned run on three hits.  The key to his success is his ability to command and locate his fastball, and for the better part of the season it was very flat and he was just leaving it out over the plate, but it has had a lot more life of late.  A lack of truly dominant stuff leaves him little room for error, and it looks like at this point he will be depth option once again at the Triple-A level for the Indians next year.

Espino has had a very good, consistent season, one where he has filled a need in the rotation both at Columbus and Double-A Akron.  He showed his versatility to pitch in any role this year with Akron as he pitched both as a starter and reliever and in 21 appearances (15 starts) he was 9-4 with a 4.00 ERA (101.1 IP, 95 K, 35 BB, 92 K).  He was promoted to Columbus on August 3rd to fill a starting pitching need there because of a staff ravaged with the callups of right-handers Josh Tomlin and Jeanmar Gomez and also with Carlos Carrasco temporarily sidelined with a forearm issues.  Since arriving in Columbus he has helped stabilize a staff in need of it and in seven starts went 3-3 with a 5.62 ERA (41.2 IP, 43 H, 12 BB, 32 K).

Espino’s numbers in Columbus are a little deceiving as he had two disastrous outings against Toledo where he went 4.0 innings and allowed 8 runs in each, but in his six other starts (including one playoff outing) he allowed 2 runs or less in each outing and in five of those six outings has gone at least 7.0 innings.  His success is based on his ability to consistently throw strikes, his no-fear approach, and a deadly curveball that when it is on can be unhittable.  Having his cousin catcher Damaso Espino around this year both at Akron and Columbus has also helped him relax and pitch to the best of his abilities.  He's eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, so it will be interesting to see if his recent success brings interest from the Indians or another team to add him to the 40-man roster this offseason.

Director's Cuts

Indians’ Farm Director Ross Atkins has been taking in a lot of the playoff action around the Indians’ system the past week, and this week offered up some comments on the postseason as well as some players still playing and some who are done:

On David Huff: "He really has [accomplished some things in Triple-A].  It is really one of the most challenging things that we experience in player development helping that young major league player who is coming back to the minor leagues to focus on a goal with the right outlook and energy, and he has done that.  It reminds me of Cliff Lee in 2007 when he came back to Buffalo and had to do some similar things.  Some of it is based on just performance which is typically related to adjustments that need to be made on the fundamental or mental side.  It's a struggle and is really tough for those guys, in comparison to the young 22-year old who has never tasted the major leagues and has nothing but up to go.  I think after the initial transition, since then he has been remarkable.  The initial transition was tough, but he has been incredible his last two starts I think from a mental and performance standpoint just how he is going about it, the work he is putting in, the adjustments he is making, how open-minded he has been, and just how consistent his effort has been.  He has been a leader throughout the playoffs for that team.  There were a couple of adjustments and some things that we wanted as an organization that were uncomfortable for him, and that is very normal.  It is usually more rare when a player takes to an adjustment immediately, especially when they have had such incredible success in the minor leagues.  It is hard as you want to use what brought you there, and then you realize what you have at the major league level is not quite good enough and to go back to the minor leagues and make subtle adjustments is tough.  He has done that.  He has moved over on the rubber, he is using his breaking ball better, and his fastball command has been much better as it is on the plate and he is getting it in on right-handed hitters better and I think more firm than it was earlier in the season."

On Alex White: "Alex has been everything we could have possibly imagined in a person, a performer, and a pitcher and then some.  His strength and maturity, how he approaches each time he throws and in-between just warming up out to 60-90-120 feet just playing catch to begin his day, he takes it very seriously.  We try to teach that and instill that in all of our players and he came with that innately.  Just like with any professional if there is anything they try to excel at and be the best at what they do they have to take it very seriously, and he does.  On top of that he has a ton of ability.  He really has been impressive, has been very open-minded about suggestions, and has handled the progress and process of development as well as anyone we have ever had."

On shutting down White: "The first thing that comes to mind is his workload as he reached his workload in the minor leagues and made strides that were positive.  The second thing to talk about is what puts us in the best position to get to the World Series and sustain it, so you always have to think big picture and long term.  With Alex we are going to do the best that we can to get the most out of the minor leagues and put him in the best position to have long term success.  I think this year was a very good step towards that.  Next year he will come into spring training and be in the major league mix.  I think there are still some strides to be made this offseason and it will be a productive one for Alex.  We are working through a delivery adjustment where in some cases it would be considered significant, but because of his athleticism it is really not a significant one."

On Matt Packer: "We really have had some good stories in player development this year, which is really a combination of scouting a player development.  Packer was not really highly touted in the 2009 Draft.  In 2008 he led all of college baseball in ERA and was the collegiate pitcher of the year, but in 2009 did not have quite that year and lost some velocity and fell in the eyes of most amateur scouts.  This year he recouped some of that velocity and got back to pitching the way he was in 2008 and all the while developed.  He added a great pickoff move and controlled the running game, and showed an elite feel for three pitches with a developing curveball.  His fastball-slider-changeup combination is as good as Jeremy Sowers and Scott Lewis was, and his curveball is another weapon.  He is similar to where those guys were starting early in their careers with really much less of a profile and pedigree to start his minor league career."

On Lonnie Chisenhall: "If you eliminate the one month he had where he was playing with some pain in his shoulder and just look at the other months, he really had an exceptional year.  He finished the year with an .800 OPS and had a .900 OPS the last month when it is the hardest time to do it at the end of the year.  At 21 years old turning 22 that is exceptional at the Double-A level.  Absolutely a very positive year, and I think a year of growth for Lonnie.  Very good results in 2010 as far as we are concerned and I feel like a lost of positive steps forward."

On the importance of playoff games: "They are great and a great develop opportunity.  Any start is valuable for a young, developing pitcher.  When you only get to play every five days and get those 105 pitches, they are priceless.  Then you take them into an environment where regardless of what you have done or where you have been where it could potentially be one of the last games of the season and could turn into a ring, there is a heightened anxiety level and a heightened level of pressure and anticipation.  So how that is handled and how effective they are in those environments makes for great development."

On the value of OPS: "Really what it comes down is what historically people seek in batting average.  All stats are valued, just some are more significant than others.  I think the OPS stat is a more encompassing stat and tells you the whole picture.  You look at a player like Travis Hafner as a great example and this is a down year for him.  He has a similar batting average as he has had in years past, but there is a 200-300 points difference in OPS which is on-base and power.  You add those facets to batting average, how much power do they have and the slugging percentage and how much they get on base and then you have OPS.  That is just a more telling stat of overall production than batting average, although batting average is very much an important stat.  So it is easy when you are generally speaking about a player to just to go to OPS because of it being more indicative of their overall production for any given year."

Abrupt Ending For De La Cruz

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz sat out the final two weeks of the season as he had reached his 125-130 inning threshold.  Coming off a severe injury scare last year with his elbow, the Indians really wanted to monitor his innings workload this season.  While he was shutdown he remained with the team and continued to workout with them throwing bullpens, doing delivery drills and working on his conditioning.

The sudden end finished off an up and down, inconsistent season for the 22-year old De La Cruz where he impressed in the early going at High-A Kinston where in six starts he was 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA ( 34.0 IP, 22 H, 8 BB, 28 K), but upon moving up to Akron in mid-May he went 5-6 with a 5.77 ERA in 20 starts (93.2 IP, 98 H, 64 BB, 77 K).  He pitched well in his first two outings with Akron going 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA, but then the wheels fell off on his season as his performance declined and he really struggled with his command in just about every outing the rest of the way.

De la Cruz really struggled with the walks the last three months of the season, a problem that the Indians felt was just as much mental as it was mechanical.  They worked on some things to help his composure and pace on the mound, and though the results did not show in his performance at the end of the season, he showed better composure and balance with pitching through the ball.  While the numbers were not up to the standards expected from a top pitching prospect, the Indians felt like he showed progress this season, especially off the field with his preparation and routine between each start and his mental approach to those starts.

Ultimately, considering De La Cruz had missed almost all of last season with a left elbow strain, the most important matter this season was that he remained healthy all year.  His command was absent for most of the year and was something he really struggled with, though any time you have a player coming off of a serious elbow injury the command can often be the last thing to return.  Everything else with the physical tools and abilities were very much present, and he still has some very good stuff.  It just all boils down to him getting that command back, something that will be his number one focus this offseason and in spring training next year.

Hagadone's Command Blues

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone had a sub par season going 3-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 29 combined appearances (17 starts) with High-A Kinston and Akron.  It was sub-standard mostly because while he was hard to hit (.226 BAA) this year and averaged more than a strikeout an inning with 89 in 85.2 innings (9.4 K/9), he gave up way too many walks with 63 in 85.2 innings pitched (6.6 K/9).  His command problems plagued him all year, and to help counteract the problem the Indians completed a pre-planned move to the bullpen with about six weeks left in the season.  After moving to the bullpen, Hagadone finished the year going 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA and .229 BAA  in 12 relief appearances (22.0 IP, 19 H, 16 BB, 18 K).  The walks were still there, but the quality of his stuff improved.

The move to the bullpen was something the Indians told Hagadone back in January that he would transition into late in the season.  The Indians feel Hagadone is best suited as a bullpen guy because he is such a highly intense competitor.  As a starter his consistency with repeating his delivery for five to six innings and 80-90 pitches was a constant battle because he has a lot of effort in his delivery, but as a reliever the need to consistently repeat his delivery is less important.  He also has had inconsistent command, which is typically easier to cover up in the bullpen over one or two innings rather than as a starter going five to seven innings.  His stuff is still not all the way back to where it was prior to Tommy John surgery in June of 2008, but it is close.  The command is usually the last thing to come, but it did show signs of improvement in the bullpen, so it will be interesting to see how he fares next season, likely at Triple-A Columbus to start.

Inconsistency Hinders Berger

It was a year of inconsistency for Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Eric Berger who in 23 combined appearances between Triple-A Columbus and Akron went 5-6 with a 4.90 ERA (112.0 IP, 109 H, 72 BB, 90 K).  He started the season off on the wrong foot as he came down with an intercostal strain at the end of spring training which caused him to miss about the first six weeks of the season, and when he returned he spent the next several weeks scrambling to get caught up and back to where he was physically in spring training.

Berger, 24, got a surprise call to Columbus in July mostly because the Indians had limited options, and his command issues were exposed with 20 walks in 24.2 innings over five starts.  He worked on his mechanics all year to improve on the inconsistency with his command since he has a tendency to rush his delivery which causes his arm to lag, and in the end showed some improvement.  After leading the organization with a 2.50 ERA last season, it was a frustrating year and in some ways a cold dose of reality of how injuries and moving up the minor league ladder can affect performance in a negative way.

Perez A Defensive Gem

Low-A Lake County catcher Roberto Perez had a solid first full season hitting .217 with 6 HR, 38 RBI, and a .699 OPS.  The 21-year old catcher obviously needs to work a lot on being better with his bat-to-ball, but he showed good strides with his approach at the plate this year.  He walked 80 times, and while he only hit .217 he got on base at a .360 clip which is exceptional for a defensive-minded catcher.

Perez, 21, flourished defensively behind the plate this year, and is now one of the most highly regarded defensive catchers in the minors.  He handled the Lake County pitching staff exceptionally well all year, called a good game, was a leader on and off the field, and showcased a lot of good major league skills behind the plate.  He led the Midwest League with a .997 fielding percentage and was second in the league throwing out runners at 40% (50-for-125).  His quick, powerful, accurate right arm and ability to control the running game is definitely an asset.  One area that he is still refining defensively is his pitch calling in situations he knows a team will run, as well as maintaining good tempo and footwork with his throws.

Packer On Standby

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Matt Packer has been working out and traveling with Columbus since the early part of this week.  He has been in Columbus mostly as insurance in the event an injury occurs or a pitcher is called up to Cleveland.  It is not a coincidence that he arrived in Columbus right after right-hander Mitch Talbot came up lame in his last start, as the Indians appeared to really be considering adding a pitcher from Columbus to assume Talbot's spot in the rotation for however long he was out.  They instead decided to move Justin Masterson back into the rotation for Talbot's next start on Saturday, and then Talbot is expected to be back for his next start.

For now Packer, 23, is just taking in the Columbus title run as a spectator and very likely will not pitch in either of their two possible remaining games.  He finished the season 9-7 with a 2.04 ERA in 30 combined appearances (18 starts) between Low-A Lake County and Akron.  His 2.04 ERA was second best in all the minors, second only to Brandon Beachy of the Gwinnett Braves (1.73).

Playoff Update

Triple-A Columbus and Low-A Lake County are currently in the final round of their respective league's postseason.

Columbus currently leads 2-1 in their best-of-five series with Durham, and can finish off the series and win the Governor's Cup with a win tonight in Durham.  Here is the remaining schedule for the two possible playoff games:

Game 4: Friday 9/17 @ Durham (RHP Paolo Espino), 7:05PM EST
Game 5: Saturday 9/18 @ Durham (RHP Corey Kluber), 7:05PM EST (if necessary)

If Columbus is able to close out the series with a win, they will move on to the Triple-A championship game this coming Tuesday in Oklahoma City against the Pacific Coast League champion.  It would mark the first time in Columbus franchise history that they have played in the game.

Lake County's series is tied 1-1 in their best-of-five series after last night's marathon loss that went 18 innings.  No matter what, a league champion will be crowned in Lake County this weekend as the final three games are in Lake County (hopefully it is the Captains celebrating).  Here is the remaining schedule for the final three possible playoff games:

Game 3: Saturday 9/18 @ Lake County (LHP Giovanni Soto), 6:30PM EST
Game 4: Sunday 9/19 @ Lake County (RHP Brett Brach), 6:30PM EST
Game 5: Monday 9/20 @ Lake County (LHP Vidal Nuno), 6:30PM EST

Development Contracts Extended

The Cleveland Indians on Thursday announced that they have extended the player development contracts for both High-Kinston and short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley for two years through the 2012 season.

The 2011 season will be the 25th for Kinston as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, which is the longest relationship in the Carolina League.  In the K-Tribe's 24 years (1987-2010) as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, they have enjoyed 19 winning seasons, 17 playoff appearances, 11 Southern Division Championships and five Carolina League Championships. In 24 years, more than 115 former Kinston Indians players have reached the Major Leagues. During the K-Tribe's 24 years as a Cleveland affiliate, the Indians have missed the Carolina League Playoffs in back-to-back seasons only once.

The 2011 season will be the 13^th for Mahoning Valley as a Cleveland Indians affiliate, a relationship that has been in existence since Mahoning Valley’s inaugural season in 1999.  Forty-six former Scrappers have played in the major leagues, 21 of which are currently on active MLB rosters, including C.C Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Ben Francisco, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Ryan Church. Nine former Scrappers are on the Indians active roster including Fausto Carmona, Jensen Lewis, Tony Sipp, Josh Tomlin, Chris Gimenez, Jordan Brown, and Trevor Crowe. Asdrubal Cabrera and Mitch Talbot, also on the Indians active roster, played in Mahoning Valley during the 2010 season on rehabilitation assignments.

For those wondering, the player development contracts for Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus are through 2012 while Low-A Lake County is through 2014.

Random Notes

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Brett Brach had another very good year going 5-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 24 combined appearances (22 starts) between High-A Kinston and Lake County (122.1 IP, 119 H, 29 BB, 92 K).  He picked up right where he left off from last season in his pro debut where at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley he went 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 15 starts (78.0 IP, 62 H, 20 BB, 61 K).  He had a better second half of the season (5-5, 3.20 ERA) than first half (0-3, 4.03 ERA), and the uptick in his performance in the second half was helped by a subtle change in his delivery where he kept his eyes fixated on home plate during his delivery, something he was previously not doing as he would dart his eyes just before he made his motion to home plate.  The small change allowed him to be a little sharper spotting his pitches.

There are a lot of similarities between Low-A Lake County left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto and right-handed pitchers Hector Rondon and Jeanmar Gomez when they were in Lake County three year ago. All three pitched at the Low-A level at 19 years of age and have a rail thin physique, though Soto is the only one of the three who actually performed well.  Soto doesn’t have the fastball either of those two had at this stage, but his secondary stuff is more advanced.  He is also a little better of a strike thrower than Rondon and Gomez were at Lake County, and the advanced command and feel for his secondary stuff really takes advantage of the hitters in the Midwest League where they mostly have poor discipline, hence the very good numbers this year.

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher T.J. House had an unspectacular, but solid season going 6-10 with a 3.91 ERA in 27 starts (135.2 IP, 135 H, 61 BB, 106 K)..  In a lot of ways, his performance this year largely went under the radar.  His command was inconsistent all season, but even though he often labored through many of his innings and starts he found a way to keep his team in games.  In addition, for a 20-year old in the Carolina League he held his own and has proven to be a durable, reliable starter.  Next year he should open with Double-A Akron, which is where his prospect mettle will truly be tested.

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Travis Turek had a good season going 4-3 with a 3.73 ERA in 41 relief appearances this year (79.2 IP, 82 H, 30 BB, 45 K).  He is a sinker-baller who doesn't strike out a lot of batters because he pitches more to contact, as evidenced by his below average strikeout rate (5.1 K/9) but high ground ball rates the past two seasons with a 2.31 GO/AO this season and 3.03 GO/AO last year.  The Indians worked with him this year on some of his game preparations such as to be more prepared in knowing his opponent better.  He is a former high school middle infielder who had limited experience pitching before he turned pro, and had a two year detour in his career after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2006, so he is still picking up on some of the finer points of pitching.

Low-A Lake County has had some late season injuries which have taken away from some of the depth on the pitching staff with several pitchers out for the rest of the year.  Right-handed reliever Nick Sarianides is out with a strained rib cage muscle and back, right-handed pitcher Antwonie Hubbard is out with a sore right elbow, right-handed starter Clayton Cook is sidelined with a sore shoulder, and right-handed reliever Jeremy Johnson has a fractured back though amazingly is pitching through the injury after he was told no further damage could be done pitching with it.

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

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Indians make some AFL decisions, TBA on others

The Arizona Fall League (AFL) unveiled their rosters on Tuesday afternoon, and the Indians will be sending seven players to the highly touted offseason prospect league.

The Indians will be sending one player from Triple-A Columbus in second baseman Cord Phelps, and an additional four players from Double-A Akron in second baseman Jason Kipnis, left-handed pitcher Scott Barnes, left-handed pitcher Eric Berger, and right-handed pitcher Chen-Cheng Lee.

Two additional players from the Indians will be sent, one a catcher and the other a pitcher, but who exactly they are sending has yet to be confirmed as the Indians, players and league are still working out details.

For those unaware on how the AFL rosters are set up, there are six teams in the AFL where each team is comprised of five Major League organizations that provide six players for a total of 30 players per team. The following roster rules apply:

• All Triple-A and Double-A players are eligible provided they were at least on a Double-A roster by August 1st.
• Each Major League team is allowed to send one player below the Double-A level.
• Only one foreign player is allowed as long as the player does not reside in a country that participates in winter ball, as part of the Caribbean Confederation or the Australian winter league.
• Players with one year or less of Major League service time by August 31st are eligible, except a team may select one player picked in the most recently concluded Major League Rule 5 Draft.
• Any players on minor league disabled lists must be activated at least 45 days before the conclusion of their respective seasons to be eligible.

The Indians have already publicly mentioned that they were hoping to send High-A Kinston catcher Chun Chen to the AFL, and seeing how one of the “TBA” players is a catcher this certainly looks like who they plan to eventually send. The main reason he has not been announced as a participant is because he may play for Taiwan this offseason in the Asian Games, but he has to make the team. If he does make the team there then it would make sense for the Indians to have him go play there as by doing so his military requirement would be waived. In Taiwan it is a requirement that all healthy males serve 15 months in the military, but for a player like Chen he would actually be granted an exception to cut the mandatory service time down from 15 months to just 12 days if he just makes the Taiwan team.  Taiwan and many other Asian countries that have mandatory military service time often provide this perk to their players as an incentive to play for them in these highly competitive contests between rival countries in the Pacific Rim.

As for who the "TBA" pitcher may be it is not very clear, but there has been some speculation that it could be Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp. League rules specify that a player needs to be on the active roster 45 days before the season ends. Well, Knapp was activated on the rookie-level Arizona League roster on July 24th, and including that day when counting to the end of the Lake County season this Monday…..it is exactly 45 days. Still, this may just be coincidence and it is very unlikely Knapp goes since if Chen is sent then Knapp would not be able to go as well since only one player below Double-A can be sent.

The pitcher I have my money on to be sent out to the AFL is right-handed pitcher Hector Ambriz. He is currently in Cleveland, but he could use the time to get some much needed additional innings and work on some things. He falls under the rule where players picked in the most Rule 5 Draft can be sent, and he also has under one year of Major League service.  Plus, listing him as a "TBA" and not releasing his name yet makes sense since he is still pitching for the big league team in Cleveland.

As for who is missing? The one glaring omission is Double-A Akron third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall who all but appeared a lock to go to the AFL. However, after he and the Indians weighed the pros and cons of playing in the AFL versus the opportunity for rest, recovery and strength training this offseason, they opted for the latter. As many know, Chisenhall has had a lingering shoulder issue all year which is much better now, but it makes sense to have him take the offseason off and get the shoulder and body back to 100% for next year, especially considering he is a big league option at third base as soon as June or July next season.

As for the roles of the players already announced to the team, Berger is going out to make up for some lost innings this year since he missed about the first six weeks of the season due to an intercostal strain. Barnes has some work to continue to do with his delivery, and Lee needs an opportunity to face higher level competition in a priority bullpen role.

As for how Phelps and Kipnis will both factor in, especially with highly regarded Mariners’ second base prospect Dustin Ackley on the roster? Well, reportedly Ackley will see some time at first base which would open up a lot of playing time at second base. Kipnis will 100% play second base (or at times DH) and will not be playing any other positions. The same can’t be said for Phelps, who will see limited time at second base because the Indians are sending him out to the AFL to primarily play third base.

It appears given that since Kipnis and Phelps play the same position and will open in Triple-A Columbus next year that the Indians are going to experiment with Phelps at third base in the AFL to see if it is an option for him next year at Columbus or Cleveland. It will not be completely foreign territory for Phelps as he has played third base and shortstop in college at Stanford, and is really a move that was coming to add some needed versatility for him.

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

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