Tribe Happenings: Chisenhall may start season in minors

Barring some injuries, it looks like Chisenhall

is ticketed for the minors (Photo: AP).

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

Chisenhall’s no sure thing

I’ve heard a lot of discussion that one of the position battles that bears watching this spring is at third base between Lonnie Chisenhall and Jack Hannahan. While it is technically true that the third base starter has yet to be determined, the position battle Chisenhall is involved with is not with Hannahan, but with several bullpen arms and right-handed hitting bench options.

Barring an injury this spring Hannahan is a lock to be on the Indians opening day 25-man roster. In addition to the guaranteed $1.1 million he is scheduled to make this season, he also is an exceptional defender, a key component in the makeup of the team, and has some versatility to play a few other positions. So there is no doubt he is on the team.

Chisenhall has a chance to make the opening day 25-man roster, but unless the Indians suddenly change their philosophy with the makeup of the roster or someone gets hurt, it looks like he is ticketed to open the 2012 season at Triple-A Columbus. He is no doubt the Indians’ third baseman of the future, and that future may be now, but there are several reasons as to why he may have to open the season at Columbus.

The Indians will be sporting a regular starting lineup that features an all left-handed hitting lineup (7 lefties, 2 switch hitters). Since both Chisenhall and Hannahan hit left-handed they are probably unable to keep both players since they need to have an all right-handed hitting bench in order to best complement their left-handed heavy starting lineup.

If the Indians stick with their four man bench setup like in years past (12 pitchers, 13 position players), then barring injury the bench looks close to being set right now with catcher Lou Marson, infielder Jason Donald, outfielder/first baseman Shelley Duncan all but guaranteed spots. The fourth and final spot could be filled with Hannahan or Chisenhall so the Indians can carry both players, but the Indians will probably need that final spot on the bench for another right-handed bat like Aaron Cunningham, Ryan Spilborghs, or maybe even Jose Lopez.

So the true battle that involves Chisenhall this spring comes down to the Indians making the best decision on what to do with the 25th spot on the roster. Do they just do what they have in the past and stay with the 12-man pitching staff and just option Chisenhall to Columbus? This looks like the most ideal scenario. The only chance he may have to make the team is if they decide to have more flexibility with the lineup and only have 11 pitchers, thus creating another bench opening for someone like Hannahan since Chisenhall would be the regular third baseman if he is with the team.

You hate to send Chisenhall to the minors to open the season, but it may be what is best for the team in the short term. The pitching staff really trusts Hannahan over at third base, and Chisenhall is still adjusting to the big leagues. His defense and hitting both could use a little more polish in the minors, and he still does have all three of his options left.

The Indians were able to afford the lumps they took with Chisenhall starting at third base for them last season because they were desperate for a spark, but they may not have that luxury to start this season since it is important that they get off to a good start. With another young player in Jason Kipnis manning second base to start the season, from a consistency perspective it may make more sense to go with the more sure thing in Hannahan at third base in the short term.

Chisenhall’s situation will play itself out over the course of spring training with his performance, the performance of others, and most importantly injuries to him and others. All that being said, if both Hannahan and Chisenhall are healthy it really looks like Chisenhall is going to start the season in Columbus.

Increased bench values

Speaking of the Indians’ bench, it will be more important than ever to have a deeper, stronger bench because of how manager Manny Acta will need to be able to use his bench almost every game for late game matchups. With an all left-handed starting lineup teams are going to match up late in games with left-handers from the bullpen so Acta needs suitable options to turn to in key spots. He also needs to have players that have the capability to start on a regular basis when they face a left-handed starter.

At this point the prohibitive favorites to make the bench are catcher Lou Marson, infielder Jason Donald, and first baseman/outfielder Shelley Duncan. If all three of those players are healthy they are expected to man three of the four bench spots, or five bench spots if Acta decides to roll with 11 pitchers.

That final bench spot is the only one up for grabs. The Indians at this point could conceivably go in any direction with that fourth spot on the bench. They could use it for Hannahan if they feel Chisenhall should be the everyday third baseman. They could use it for Cunningham if they feel Donald and Duncan do not provide enough versatility for the outfield. They could use it on Spilborghs or Lopez to have more experience and versatility.

The makeup of the Indians’ bench is going to be very important to the success of the team. Acta is going to need options that can play a lot against lefties and in late game pinch hitting situations. The Indians appear to have those options with Marson, Donald and Duncan, but the only question that remains is who the last person will be in that group.

Cabrera signed

The Indians resolved their final arbitration case on Friday when they announced that shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera had been signed to a one year $4.55 million deal. By agreeing to the deal he and the Indians will not go to arbitration, a streak the club has held intact since they last went in 1991 with Jerry Browne and Greg Swindell.

Cabrera, 26, was a first time All Star last season and was awarded the Silver Slugger award after he hit .273 with 25 homers, 92 RBI and .792 OPS in 151 games last season. His 25 homers were a club record by a shortstop, beating out the old record held by Jhonny Peralta in 2005 when he hit 24 home runs. Cabrera led the team in runs (87), hits (165), RBI (92) and stolen bases (17) and among shortstops in the American League he led them in RBI and was tied for first in hits, and second in runs, doubles and home runs.

Cabrera and the Indians were working on a long term deal, but for now he took the one year deal since his arbitration hearing date was closing in fast. He and the Indians are expected to continue to work on trying to hash out a long term deal this spring. Even if a long term deal is not agreed to, he is still property of the Indians beyond this coming season as he is not eligible for free agency until after the 2013 season.

Indians are a good team

People are so disgusted with the Indians’ offseason and impressed with the Tigers’ offseason that I get this sense that many people have already thrown up the proverbial white flag on the coming season.

A lot of people seem to have forgotten that the Indians were the best team in baseball the first two months of the season last year when they were healthy. As soon as players like Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and others got hurt, they started to struggle. It remains to be seen if the struggles the last several months in 2011 was simply just water meeting its level or because of the injuries, but I find it amazing how so many people disregard the start they got off to last season.

On top of that, no one aside from Asdrubal Cabrera really had a banner year for the offense. Almost everyone underperformed, yet they still managed to win 80 games. A lot more is expected from the likes of Choo, Sizemore, Hafner, Carlos Santana, and Michael Brantley, and if you add in a young gun like Kipnis into the mix for the whole year, the lineup is actually pretty good.

The top of the rotation with Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez has a lot of potential to be electric, and the Indians have a lot of depth in the rotation behind them. The bullpen is intact and a strength too. Just like with the position players no one really had a great year or one that was unexpected except for some of the guys in the bullpen. But for the most part the pitchers underperformed as Chris Perez was inconsistent, Jimenez was a mechanical mess, and Fausto Carmona was too up and down.

If pitchers like Jimenez can pitch up to their potential and hitters like Santana can perform as expected, this team will be something to be reckoned with this season. No one is wishing for any player to have a career year like Cabrera did last year. No, not at all. But if the regulars can just stay healthy and perform up to their capabilities, then anything can happen.

There will surely be some disappointments and players that get hurt or underperform, but limiting those injuries and poor performances is the key for a franchise like the Indians from being a 75 win team or a 90 win team. If they can be a little luckier in the health department and the players do what is expected this season, they will make some noise in the AL Central. The Tigers may be the overwhelming favorite to win the division, but the Indians are a team that could compete all year and be a dark horse to come through and win it down the stretch.

Huff on the ups

While right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey is the favorite to land the fifth spot in the rotation this spring, the Indians still plan to go into spring training with a competition for the final spot. Others in the mix are left-hander David Huff, right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, and right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister.

Out of all of the pitchers competing for the final spot in the rotation they are all good options, though inserting a lefty like Huff into the rotation is intriguing in order to give teams a different look every five days. Last season he went 2-6 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) in Cleveland, and in 18 starts for Triple-A Columbus he went 9-3 with a 3.87 ERA.

Huff bounced back from a dreadful 2010 campaign in Cleveland where he went 2-11 with a 6.21 ERA in 15 starts. His improved performance last season had a lot to do with a delivery overhaul that he and Triple-A pitching coach Ruben Niebla worked on before and during last season.

Niebla got Huff to get more hip turn, more load over the rubber, and got his lead arm up a little more in order to hide the ball. This delivery change helped his fastball have more life and his command was much better. He took ownership of the delivery change, and in turn gained more confidence and developed a better understanding of what he wants to do on the mound.

In the past Huff also had a tendency to rely on his changeup too much, something opposing hitters knew as well. So last season the Indians asked him to use his curveball and cutter more, which in turn helped his fastball play better.

Over the course of the season the Indians are going to need seven or eight starters, so a pitcher like Huff needs to be ready for his chance should he open the season in the minors. While it may not be the best situation for any pitcher stuck in the minors since they all want to be in the big leagues, it is a good situation for the Indians to have pitchers like Huff, Gomez, and McAllister on stand-by in Columbus when a need arises.

Parting shots

With the signing of Asdrubal Cabrera on Friday, the Indians are pretty much done spending this offseason. Their 2012 team payroll is right around $68.5 million. … Pitchers and catchers report to Major League spring training on February 20th. Also, pitchers and catchers report to minor league camp on March 5th, and position players report on March 9th. … I’ve been out of town for a family matter the past week so my new book has been delayed considerably, but I will have an update on that later this week. Also, my new site should launch on Tuesday.

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).

Read More

Tribe Happenings: Indians make some coaching decisions

Radinsky is named Indians Pitching Coach,

a job he just missed out on two years ago.

(Photo: AP)

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

Indians finalize their 2012 coaching staff

On Friday the Indians announced the additions to their 2012 coaching staff. They promoted Scott Radinsky from bullpen coach to pitching coach and promoted Dave Miller from minor league pitching coordinator to bullpen coach. The promotions came about when pitching coach Tim Belcher stepped down at the conclusion of the season.

The Indians also announced that Tom Wiedenbauer was promoted from minor league field coordinator to first base coach. He fills the void on the big league coaching staff left when bench coach Tim Tolman stepped down at the conclusion of the season. Sandy Alomar Jr. had already been promoted from first base coach to bench coach shortly after the season.

Radinsky has been in the organization since 2004 and next season will be his third as a member of the big league staff. Miller has been in the organization since 1993 and had been the minor league pitching coordinator the past ten years. This will be his first Major League opportunity as a player or coach. Triple-A Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla was also strongly considered for both pitching posts, but is expected to return to his same role next season.

The decisions on the pitching front are not very surprising considering the Indians as expected promoted from within. Two years ago when the Indians were looking for a pitching coach both Radinsky and Miller were considered favorites for the job, so both were expected to get strong consideration again. Many felt that Radinsky should have been named to the post two years ago, and after 19 years in the minors as a coach the time was right to give Miller a chance at a big league coaching gig.

The decision for the first base coach does raise a few eyebrows. It was felt that Triple-A manager Mike Sarbaugh was a strong favorite for the job and in some circles was an obvious choice. Minor league outfield and base-running coordinator Gary Thurman was another person considered for the job, but in the end manager Manny Acta chose Wiedenbauer. Acta has a history with Wiedenbauer going back to his days with the Astros and it looks like he preferred experience over the much younger and inexperienced Sarbaugh and Thurman.

While the big league staff is all set for 2012, now the Indians have several coach openings in the minors to fill. They started to fill some of those openings on Friday as well when they hired Alan Zinter as the new minor league hitting coordinator. He takes over for Bruce Fields who will return as the big league hitting coach next season.

But with the promotions of Miller and Wiedenbauer the Indians also have to find replacements for their former minor league pitching coordinator and minor league field coordinator roles. In addition to those two openings they now also have to find a minor league outfield and base-running coordinator as Gary Thurman has left to an unknown team, and there is also a vacancy for the High-A Carolina Mudcats post as manager Aaron Holbert has left the organization and joined the Atlanta Braves organization.

It remains to be seen if there will be any other departures from the Indians’ minor league coaching ranks. Whether or not Sarbaugh is one of them remains to be seen, but do not forget that after former Columbus manager Torey Lovullo was turned down for the Cleveland manager’s post two years ago and later spurned for a post on Acta’s big league staff that he left the organization. He ended up joining the Boston Red Sox organization and managed their Triple-A Pawtucket affiliate in 2010. A year later he joined manager John Farrell’s big league coaching staff in Toronto.

Donald in the outfield?

The Indians have a lot of decisions to make this offseason in the outfield. At the forefront of those decisions is what to do with Grady Sizemore’s option and what player they may target to acquire to fill a much needed right-handed power bat need.

On a smaller scale it looks like another decision they are pondering is if infielder Jason Donald could be an option in the outfield. They are experimented with him some in the outfield this fall in Instructional League games, and in fact had him play center field. On Wednesday he worked out in the outfield during morning practice and then played with the Parallel League team in the afternoon as the starting centerfielder. He did not bat as he only played the outfield (one of the liberties of Instructional League) and made a few nice plays going to his right and left.

It was but one game and one view of Donald’s play in the outfield, but he looked like a natural out there. He will not be looked at as an everyday option in the outfield, but if he can play there from time to time it would create more versatility for manager Manny Acta to get his productive bat into the lineup more often. With such a left-handed heavy lineup, especially in the outfield, getting his bat into the lineup from time to time in the outfield will only help the team and also help him get more playing time. A win-win for everyone.

It remains to be seen whether of not the Indians will go into spring training with Donald as an option in the outfield. He is not scheduled to play any winter ball, so it appears his play in Instructional League was just a quick look. If they decide to pursue him further as an option in the outfield he could return to Arizona later in the offseason to continue working out there. If he could play outfield it would add another position to his skill set as he would be an option at almost any position on the field for Acta and would be a true super-utility player.

Rondon is an option

If things continue to go well this offseason for right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon, he will enter spring training very much in the Indians’ plans next season. He is currently pitching fall ball in Instructional League and then next week will go home to Venezuela to pitch winter ball in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Rondon, 23, pitched in two games at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley at the end of the season (3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K) and has been pitching this fall in Instructional League and the Parallel League out in Arizona. He is still recovering from Tommy John surgery at the end of last August and looks just about all the way back.

Rondon’s fastball has that same pop and great late life that made him so effective prior to the injury. He has been back up to 93-95 MPH with the fastball and as he continues to regain his form he should be more consistent and potentially better with his velocity.

Even if Rondon is healthy he is all but certain to open next season at Triple-A Columbus. There is an outside shot he could make the big league opening day roster, but that appears to be an extreme long one as the Indians would probably prefer he gets a few innings under his belt in Columbus before considering him an option in the big leagues next year. That having been said, if he is healthy and pitching well he will be another arm for the Indians to turn to early on next season in the starting rotation or maybe even the bullpen.

Masterson has surgery

In an announcement that came completely out of nowhere, the Indians announced on Wednesday that right-handed pitcher Justin Masterson underwent arthroscopic surgery in Wilmington, Delaware. Dr. Craig Morgan repaired a posterior labral tear in Masterson’s left, non-dominant shoulder and is expected to pitch without restrictions when spring training opens next season.

The injury and subsequent surgery to Masterson is obviously not as severe given that it involves his non-throwing shoulder, but it still was interesting that he even had to undergo surgery to begin with. Apparently his left shoulder had been bothering him since his days with the Boston Red Sox, and it really only became an issue near the end of this past season. With the offseason here both Masterson and the Indians felt it best to take care of the issue now so his 2012 season is not affected.

Masterson had a banner year in his second full season in the Indians organization going 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 games. He is under team control for another three seasons before he can become a free agent after the 2014 season. He is up for arbitration this offseason, but there is a chance that the Indians may consider buying out his three arbitration years and sign him to a long term deal in order to control his cost and maybe add another year or two of club control past his arbitrations years.

Attendance surge

The Indians finished the 2011 season by bringing in 1,840,835 fans through the turnstiles in 81 home games. The total was an increase of close to 450,000 from 2010 when they drew 1,391,644 fans in 81 home games. Their attendance increase of 32.7% from 2010 to 2011 was the highest percentage attendance increase in all of Major League Baseball.

This is a nice sign, though it should be noted that there was only one way to go but up as they were dead last in attendance last year at 30th in the league and finished this year 24th in the league. There is still a long way to go there, especially considering the Indians were in contention for most of the season and for the first two months of the season were one of the best in baseball.

The attendance increase this year and a moderate projected increase next year should allow the Indians to increase payroll this coming season. While no figures have been mentioned publicly by the Indians, a good guess is that they will probably operate with a payroll somewhere in the low to upper $60 million range next season. It is not a lot to work with, but should allow the team to be creative in both trades and free agent signings this offseason to help improve the team.

Parting shots

Former Indians left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz was arrested very early Friday morning for disturbing the peace. As of this writing there is no word on what he did, but he was released from jail on a cash bond. … The Indians have resigned veteran minor league outfielder Ben Copeland. He was signed in the middle of this past season to fill an outfield need in the upper levels of their minor league system and hit .257 with six homers, 26 RBI and .739 OPS in 60 combined games at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. … The Indians recently signed Taiwanese free agent 17-year old right-handed pitcher Shao-Ching Chiang to a minor league contract.

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).

Read More

Tribe Happenings: Carrasco likely out until 2013

Carlos Carrasco will likely not return until

the start of the 2013 season. (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Carrasco to have major surgery

The Indians got some bad news this week as after lots of tests and consultation with doctors it was decided that right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco would undergo ligament transplant surgery – more commonly known as Tommy John surgery – on his right elbow. He will have the surgery this coming Wednesday in New York and it will be performed by Dr. David Altcheck.

Carrasco, 24, has been bothered by the elbow for most of the season. After just five starts to open the season he was placed on the disabled list on April 28th with inflammation on his right elbow. He returned on May 11th and really looked to settle in with a great June going 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA in six starts.

But Carrasco’s struggles with the elbow started to return again in July, and it showed with his performance where in five July starts he went 0-5 with a 9.13 ERA. He made one final start on August 3rd against Boston and actually put forth his best outing since June when he went seven strong innings and allowed three runs, but a few days after the game he was placed on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation again. After he did not respond well to treatment he and the Indians searched for answers and ultimately the decision was made to have the Tommy John surgery.

According to head Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff, the MRI of Carrasco’s elbow showed that he had been pitching with a bad elbow for some time as it showed damage to the elbow from some time ago. Carrasco revealed to the Indians that he has actually hurt the elbow when he was 14 years old, but instead of any rehab or surgery he just stopped throwing for several weeks.

Amazingly, after that injury as a young kid Carrasco went on to get signed as a free agent by the Phillies at 16 years old and never showed signs of the injury while pitching in the minors. In a five year span from 2006 to 2010 he averaged 165 innings pitched a season, which is incredible considering almost all of that time was in the minors.

The injury was only found this season because Carrasco had issues with the elbow and supposedly this is the first time in his career he has ever had an MRI on his elbow. He never had an MRI when he signed with the Phillies and never had an MRI after that, even when he was traded to the Indians. Both the Phillies and Indians never knew of his condition until the problems with the elbow this season started to surface.

The surgery on Carrasco’s elbow this week will keep him out for 12-18 months. Every player responds differently to the surgery and some could be back as soon as 12 months - like Nationals’ right-handed pitcher Steven Strasburg. Others respond slower and some suffer setbacks along the way, so it is why his recovery process could take up to 18 months.

With the twelve month anniversary of the surgery to come next September and near the end of the 2012 season, Carrasco is expected to miss all of next season. If he pitches anywhere it will likely only be in a few rehab games in the minor leagues next September and then in fall or winter league action after the season. The hope is that with a whole offseason next year to continue his rehab that he will be ready to be an option for the starting rotation when spring training opens in 2013.

Lee trade blues

With Carlos Carrasco now undergoing major surgery on his elbow, the Indians have now lost two players to significant injury that they received from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal consummated back in July of 2009. The Indians received Carrasco, right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson and infielder Jason Donald in the trade.

The other player to suffer serious injury setbacks is Knapp who has had two major shoulder surgeries since the trade. He had one surgery in the fall of 2009 and then another this past June after he experienced more discomfort with his shoulder earlier in the year. The Indians are hopeful that Knapp will be 100% and ready to go at the start of next season, but with two shoulder surgeries on his resume his chances to make it to the big leagues are starting to look long.

With Carrasco and Knapp going down with serious injuries, a lot of people have declared the Lee trade a bust. From a results standpoint it is hard to argue against that; however, it does not mean the Indians made the wrong decisions at the time of the trade.

Prior to the injuries – which no team can predict – Carrasco was viewed as a near ready Major League starter who could be a good #2 or #3 starter in the big leagues. He showed that ability this season before succumbing to the injury. Knapp was viewed as the best or second best pitching prospect in the Phillies’ system at the time of the trade, and one of the best in all the minors. Marson has turned into one of the best defensive catchers in the bigs, and Donald is a solid infielder.

So why didn’t the Indians have an MRI on Carrasco or Knapp performed at the time of the trade?

The Indians - or any club in baseball for that matter - cannot perform an MRI on a player when they are acquired in a trade. When a player is signed as a free agent an MRI can be performed, but in a trade it cannot since the player is still the property of the other team. All the Indians or any other club can do in a trade is request all of the medical information the former club has on file, everything from doctor notes, x-rays, or previous MRIs that were done prior to the trade and then take all that information and have their doctors look over the information.

In addition to the information given to them by the other club, the Indians can give the player a thorough physical evaluation. After the physical and review of medical records, the doctors will either clear or not clear the player and based on that finding it is up to the front office to make a decision. In the case of Carrasco and Knapp they were both cleared by team doctors as there were absolutely no red flags, so the Indians okayed the trade.

As a result, the Indians had no idea how damaged Knapp’s shoulder or Carrasco’s elbow were. If the Indians could have had an MRI performed on them, trust me, they would have. It is just an unfortunate outcome for them with the trade, and another example of how there is never a guarantee with any player received in a trade.

Taking the bull by the horns

Much credit goes to the Detroit Tigers as they took matters into their own hands this past week and for all intents and purposes clinched the AL Central by sweeping the White Sox and Indians in back-to-back series’. While both the White Sox and Indians are both still alive mathematically, with a 9.5 game lead with less than three weeks left in the season the division race is over. It is but a matter of counting down the days until the Tigers officially clinch the division.

The amazing thing is going into the play on August 19th the Indians were 1.5 games out of first and tied in the loss column with the Tigers. The Indians and Tigers opened a three game series in Detroit that day and the Tigers swept the Indians right out of Motown and have been blazing hot ever since. Since August 19th the Tigers have gone 17-4 and the Indians have gone 9-13 pushing them from 1.5 games back to 10.0 games back in just three weeks.

The Tigers are a very talented team and look to have finally gotten things together. With Justin Verlander and that lineup coming together they could surely do some damage this offseason and are a team that should be a tough matchup for anyone this postseason.

The Indians on the other hand showed their youth and inexperience down the stretch, and injuries just eventually caught up with them. Even so, it has been a successful season and with a return to full health and a key move or two in the offseason should bring hope to a lot of people they can win the division next year.

Pomeranz and White in the big leagues

Right-handed pitcher Alex White has now made four starts for the Colorado Rockies at the big league level and has really struggled in the early going. In those four starts with the Rockies he is 2-1 with a 8.18 ERA, and in 22.0 innings he has allowed 27 hits (including NINE home runs!), 11 walks, and has 14 strikeouts.

Somehow, someway White has earned a win in each of his last two times out as on September 3rd he went just five innings and allowed four earned runs and then last night went five innings and allowed seven earned runs on five home runs.  He has been bothered with some command issues as he has not been able to consistently command his pitches in the zone which has resulted in a high walk rate (4.5 BB/9) and hit rate (11.1 H/9) and an outrageous home run rate (3.7 HR/9). The sample size is small, but surely the Rockies did not expect this from him in the early going and you really have to wonder how healthy that middle finger is.

Left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has been called up by the Rockies and is expected to make his big league debut today. It is a surprising reversal of fortune as just last week he was expected to be done for the season after having an emergency appendectomy, but he recovered well and has been able to get back on the mound much sooner than expected.

Pomeranz has only made two appearances in the Rockies’ minor league system since being acquired from the Indians on July 30th (officially on August 15th). In those two outings he has been dominant throwing a combined ten shutout innings allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out seven. He has just five appearances above the Single-A level, so it is interesting to see the Rockies push him up so quickly, especially this late in the season.

Remembering 9/11

Today marks the ten year anniversary since the horrific events that transpired on September 11, 2001. It is a day that no American that was old enough to witness it will ever forget, and today we honor all those who perished that day. Additionally, I’d also like to thank all of those in the military as well as all of the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and so on who continue to put their lives on the line everyday for us.

Parting shots

Designated hitter Travis Hafner has been taking part in a running program as he continues to work his was back from his right foot injury. If he continues to respond well to treatment there is a chance he could be activated sometime this week. … Right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin got the all clear on Wednesday that his right elbow is okay to begin a throwing program. The Indians are hopeful that he will be back to pitch before the end of the season, though with the recent bout of injuries you have to wonder if they are playing with fire here and it best to just shut him down. ... Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is responding well to treatment on his oblique injury and is expected to return to the lineup this week, possibly at the start of the Rangers series on Tuesday.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra). Use discount code 2Z6F362B to receive 40% off the book through the site store!

Read More

Tribe Happenings: Not yet time to make change with Santana

Carlos Santana (Photo: AP)

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

What to do with Santana?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season low point

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rough July for Carrasco

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

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

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

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

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

Choo is ahead of schedule

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

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

Parting shots

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

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

Read More

IPI Inbox: Indians have lots of candidates for bullpen

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

Indians really soon in Cleveland (Photo: IPI).

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

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

To the IPI Inbox we go.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Me: ValbuenaChisenhall and Jason Kipnis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read More

Around the Farm: July 15

Jason Donald
(photo: Columbus
Clippers)

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

Jason Donald: 3B, Columbus: 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K:

Holy cow, Donald is absolutely on fire right now, and it does directly correlate with Luis Valbuena's call-up. Donald has had multi-hit games since July 8th, the day that Valbuena was called up ahead of him. During that stretch, the middle infielder has gone 11-19, with three runs, three doubles, two homers and five home runs. While his hit streak goes back five games, if you extend his stats back seven, he's 13-26, with seven runs scored. I'm not sure where Donald fits on this team with so much talent in Columbus at the middle infield positions, but it's hard to overlook a guy that hitting over .500, who's a steady infielder at second, short and third, over any measurable stretch. While I doubt that Donald is going to continue at this torrid a pace, it's distinctly possible that something has clicked on for Donald, who may be playing for his major league life right now.

• Jerad Head: LF, Columbus: 3-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 K: Head's been an offensive constant in the Columbus lineup throughout the season, and he has always peppered his statistics with big games like this. I'm not saying that Head is a long-term answer in the Tribe's outfield, but I do feel that he could give the Indians a short term, right-handed answer. Of course, if you think Austin Kearns' .212 with a homer and five RBI is, well, then nevermind.
• Chad Huffman: RF, Columbus: 0-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB: You start to wonder what a team is thinking when you sign a journeyman outfielder to perhaps to give your team depth and he struggles mightily throughout the season. You REALLY start to wonder what another team is thinking when they intentionally walk a guy who hasn't hit a thing in a long...long...time.
• Zach Putnam: RP, Columbus: 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K: Perhaps the all-star break did some good for Putnam, who was rocked for five runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched in his two games leading to the break. He used to be the first option out of Columbus because of his talent and performance, but that's teetering on the brink. More outing like this though, and Putnam can solidify his spot as most likely to join the bullpen mafia.
• Josh Judy: Closer, Columbus: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, W (3-2): I like seeing these two inning performances from Judy, who will likely become a set-up man for Cleveland when he eventually makes to move permanently. While he gave up a run in Cleveland, with Columbus, he hasn't given up a run in 11 games.
• Ben Copeland: RF, Akron: 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, SB (5): Cleveland made a bunch of free agent, minor league signings, in particular, in Akron, and all the players, including Copeland, have paid off. Copeland brings a nice blend of plate discipline and speed to the Aeros, and could be a nice fill in as a veteran presence in Columbus should they need one.
• Beau Mills: 1B, Akron: 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Beau Mills, power hitting corner outfielder, likely future major leaguer. That all sounds really good for a kid that has come off the DL in 2011 and finally started to hit the ball the way a first round pick should. He's 8-16, with five runs, three doubles, two homers and six RBI in his last five games.
• Chun Chen: C, Akron: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI: Chen rested his back during the all-star break, and it's clearly paying off, as he's gone 3-8, with a run, a double and two RBI in his last two games.
• Karexon Sanchez: 2B, Akron: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K: Sanchez has been a bucket full of struggle from the offensive side of the plate, but can play every infield position, so is a viable option in Columbus...if THEY weren't so loaded with potential major league talent.
• Drew Pomeranz: SP, Akron: 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR: Pomeranz went over his 90 pitch threshold in the fourth inning, so while his numbers were solid in his debut, you can see there was some struggle there. Of course, a third of his outs were K's, and his debut double A ERA is 1.93, so it only gets better for the Tribe's top pitching prospect.
• Matt Langwell: RP, Akron: 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K, W (3-1): Langwell rebounds with a solid outing after getting lit up prior to the break. There's promis there, but he needs to get past a roller coaster ride in June and early July.
• Cory Burns: Closer, Akron: 1 1/3 IP, 2 K, S (26): Burns leads the league with 26 saves (by 9), and is the organizational saves leader. You have to like the depth at this position with Josh Judy at Triple A, Burns at Double A and Guilmet in Single A. Throw in several flame-flowers in between, and you have a bunch of potential closers should the Indians ever need them.
• Brett Brach: SP, Kinston: 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 3 R/ER, 5 K, 1 HR, L (6-6): This wasn't Brach's best performance, but with an offense that only gave him four hits and a run of support, well, welcome to Kinston.
• Rob Bryson: RP, Kinston: 1 IP, 2 K: Bryson is liking winding down his time with the K-Tribe. He's been nothing short of dominant since his return, giving up only six hits, three walks and a run, while striking out an impressive 20 batters in 14 innings of work. He may be the most talented, strictly bullpen arm in the system, if he can stay healthy.
• Carlos Moncrief: RF, Lake County: 3-5, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB (15): I really love the part of my job when you see a kid really start to figure things out. Moncrief is in that boat right now, as he's really started hitting the ball from the lead-off spot in Lake County's offense. He's 11-27, with three runs, two doubles, a triple and an RBI in his last six games.
• Jesus Aguilar: 1B, Lake County: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Jump on the Aguilar bandwagon now. While his power numbers certainly impress, what has to make the Tribe brass absolutely giddy are games like this one. Why? He walked twice without a strikeout. Aguilar has struck out 87 times this year, with only 30 walks. If he starts showing this type of plate discipline, his star goes up another notch. Wow, a big, power-hitting righty in the system. Who'd have thunk it.
• Bryce Stowell: RP, Lake County: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K: While I mentioned Bryson as the best pure reliever arm in the system, he may have taken that title away from Stowell. While it's true, he took a major step backwards this year, start taking notice. Stowell is starting to pitch like the guy from last year.
• Kyle Petter: RP, Lake County: 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K: Petter was the 34th round pick for the Tribe in 2010, and he's starting to show some solid stuff. His ERA at Mahoning Valley was 0.00 in six games, and he made the jump to Lake County. While he got touched up in his first two outings, he's been rock solid in his past three, going 4 2/3, with one hit and eight K's. Looks like we have another solid reliever on our hands.
• Jordan Smith: 3B, Mahoning Valley: 2-4, 2 RBI: Smith has gotten lost a bit in the shuffle in Mahoning Valley, but has ben the most consistent hitter on the team, since Bryson Myles has been out.
• Alex Lavisky: DH, Mahoning Valley: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K: What is this? Is Alex Lavisky hitting the ball? He has a modest (for him, not so much) five-game hitting streak, and is 7-17. The youngster has to be feeling good right now, and just might be turning the corner.

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).

Read More

Tribe Happenings: Goedert could provide power, versatility

Goedert's power and versatility as a righthanded

hitter has value to the Indians.

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Some news, notes and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Goedert could be an option

The Indians are in desperate need for some offense and punch to their lineup, and one option they may soon consider is Triple-A first baseman and outfielder Jared Goedert. While they have relied mostly on the duo of Shelley Duncan and Austin Kearns as right-handed bench options this season, the time may be coming for Goedert to get his opportunity and see what he can do to help an offense that is struggling mightily in Cleveland.

Goedert, 26, is hitting .247 with six homers, 17 RBI and a .853 OPS in 25 combined games between Double-A Akron and Columbus this year. The batting average may be low in just 89 at bats, but the power is showing with 12 of his 22 hits going for extra bases.

The start of Goedert’s season was slowed by an oblique injury he suffered in spring training which resulted in him missing almost the first two months of the season. He returned to action in mid-May with a rehab assignment to Akron, and at the end of May was moved up to Columbus.

With first baseman Matt LaPorta getting injured on Friday night and hitting the disabled list on Saturday, the Indians recalled Travis Buck from Columbus. Catcher Carlos Santana is not an everyday option at first base, and it does not appear that the Indians want to move third baseman Jack Hannahan to first base for too many games a week since his value is as a plus defender at third base. This means Buck will get some time at first and likely platoon with Santana.

Buck is not a long term solution at first base, so if LaPorta is out for awhile a legit first base option will be needed. The Indians may be able to get by with a Santana and Buck platoon for a week or two, but eventually someone like Goedert or Nick Johnson may be called up to fill the void.

Johnson would obviously be the first guy to get consideration as he is a Major League veteran and an excellent defender at first base. The problem is he is still rehabbing from his wrist surgery and playing at Columbus where he is hitting .222 with no homers or RBI and a .582 OPS in seven games. It looks like he definitely still needs more game action before he is ready for activation, which looks like at least two to three weeks away.

With Johnson and even the defensive challenged Shelley Duncan potentially out of the picture, it could open the door for Goedert to get a look with the big league club. He would add a much needed right handed bat, and could be eased in with Santana playing a few games at first a week as well as even Hannahan.

Goedert provides some power from the right side of the plate and also some versatility in the field as he can play first base, third base, and the corner outfield positions. The transition to first base and the outfield is new this year as the Indians experimented with it in winter ball and liked it so much that he has continued the experiment this season. The reports have been positive at first base where he continues to show improvement with some good athleticism and solid range. Fielding has always been something he has been solid at as the throwing has always been the bigger issue at third base, so now that he is at first base it sort of eliminates that issue.

Now that Goedert is pretty much back up to game speed he could be an option almost any day, it just depends on when GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta decide to pull the trigger and also of course how he is playing.

Lots of starting pitching depth

The Cleveland Indians are the envy of almost every team in Major League Baseball. They may not have a true ace anchoring their rotation, and a guy like right-hander Fausto Carmona has certainly been maddening to watch this year, but their rotation as a whole has been rock solid.

The envy for teams is the excellent starting pitching depth they have managed to pile up. Even with right-handed pitcher Alex White potentially on the shelf for the rest of the year the Indians have four arms in Tripe-A Columbus who would be pitching right now in a lot of big league rotations with right-handers Jeanmar Gomez and Zach McAllister and left-handers David Huff and Scott Barnes.

Gomez, 23, has pitched in four games with the Indians already this season when right-hander Carlos Carrasco was on the disabled list and he did a solid job (0-1, 4.91 ERA). In nine starts for Columbus he is 6-1 with a 2.28 ERA and is really showing a good fastball that he cuts and sinks at will as well as a good slider and changeup. He recently was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week and has been on a roll where in his last four starts he has allowed one run in each start (28.0 IP, 18 H, 4 R/ER, 11 BB, 22 K).

McAllister, 23, is also having a very good season at Columbus where in 12 starts he is 7-2 with a 2.96 ERA. He is a workhorse who can haul innings and a sinkerballer who commands the strike zone well. Aside from one outing two weeks ago where he allowed 12 hits and seven runs in five innings of work he has been very consistent all season. The Indians had him skip a start to give him some rest and pitching on a limited pitch count he responded with four shutout innings Thursday night.

Huff, 26, is the veteran of the Columbus staff and has lots of Major League experience. He has battled some minor elbow soreness earlier in the year, but even still in 11 starts for Columbus he is 5-2 with a 4.04 ERA. After being shutdown in mid-May for about two and a half weeks he has since come back stronger than ever where he is back up to 94 MPH and his slider has been much improved. The difference maker for him has been the life of his fastball, his more aggressive approach, and the addition of a cutter. In his last two starts he has been great combining for 14.0 innings and allowing nine hits, two runs, two walks, and has 13 strikeouts.

Barnes, 23, is the least experienced member of the Columbus staff and not an option this year for the big league team, but may be the most talented where in 11 appearances for Columbus he is 5-1 with a 3.97 ERA. He has been on a roll in his last five starts where he has pitched 28.0 innings and allowed 23 hits, 6 runs, 12 walks, and amassed 40 strikeouts. His ability to pound the ball past hitters from the left side (84 K, 67.2 IP) makes him special. Once he learns to be more efficient with his pitches and more consistent with his fastball command and offspeed stuff he could be a nice option for the Indians in the near future.

Johnson update

Speaking of first baseman Nick Johnson, his play continues to be monitored as he returns from his wrist surgery. He has yet to play more than three games in a row, and has not played first base yet on back to back nights. All of this is part of a rehabilitation program to get him back on the field on a regular basis and be a big league option possibly sometime at the end of the month or in July.

Johnson, 32, has had no setbacks with the wrist and continues to get treatment on it after games and is working to get it stronger. He is still bothered a little when he swings and misses at pitches, so until that goes away he will probably remain on a restricted playing program in Columbus.

Johnson’s contract calls for him to be added to the 40-man roster by July 1st or he can request to be released, and it appears he is right on target where the Indians will need to make a decision on whether to add him or not. If he is relatively healthy and back up to full game speed it does not appear likely that Johnson would pass on the option to become a free agent if the Indians do not add him to the roster.

Hafner returns

Indians’ designated hitter Travis Hafner returned as expected to the lineup on Friday night from his oblique injury, and he immediately provided a spark in a 5-1 win. Manager Manny Acta wasted no time in getting him acclimated to big league pitching after a five week layoff as he inserted him right into the cleanup spot. He responded by going 1-for-3 with an RBI and walk, and just missed a three-run homer in the eighth inning that went for a double high off the wall.

There is absolutely no question that Hafner’s absence from the lineup the past several weeks has hurt the Indians offense and is one of the main reasons why they have struggled. With his return and with a leader in the middle of the order perhaps the other players can now relax and not try to do too much. A lot of players have clearly been pressing the past few weeks, and a lot of that may have to do with them trying to make up for the loss of Hafner.

Hafner did not play on Saturday as a pre-scheduled off day for precautionary reasons, but will be back in the lineup today and should be good to go from here on out to play everyday. Unfortunately, with interleague play shifting to the National League for nine games starting this Friday he will be reduced to one plate appearance a night. But that’s better than not having him at all, and it is great to have him back and available.

Remember me?

If you go back in time to the beginning of spring training you will remember that infielder Jason Donald was all set to be the Indians opening day third baseman. Unless something crazy happened, that was the plan. Well, something crazy did happen as in the first week of Cactus League games he was hit with a pitch on his hand and ended up missing the rest of spring training and opening the season on the disabled list. Jack Hannahan took the reigns at third in Cleveland.

Since then Donald has battled several injuries and is still trying to get back. After he returned from the hand injury and went on a rehab assignment he suffered two different setbacks because of leg injuries, the most recent one being an MCL sprain to his right knee in mid-May that sidelined him for about four weeks. He started up a rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Tuesday and in three games is 3-for-7 at the plate.

A lot of people have been calling for Lonnie Chisenhall or even Cord Phelps to replace Jack Hannahan at third base. But the real option may be Donald, and might be the player the Indians are waiting for to get healthy. If he has no further injury setbacks and proves he is ready to go, do not be surprised to see Donald called up as the player to replace Hannahan at third base and take back the position which was his at the outset of spring training.

The General

While the Indians have struggled in just about every facet of the game through this June swoon, the one constant has been the leadership of manager Manny Acta. Through the poor performance and injuries he has maintained a positive attitude and shown that he is the true backbone of the team.

Acta’s ability to lead the team through these rough times and all the adversity that comes with it is a big step in helping the maturation of this young, inexperienced team and they will be better off for it in the long run. If the Indians right the ship and are still in the playoff race in late September or win the division, one of the crucial turning points of the season will be how Acta kept this team together through this tough time.

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).

Read More

Tribe Happenings: Concerns with offense are growing

Austin Kearns is just one of a few problems

with the Indians offense (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

Indians need more offense

The Indians are now 37 games into the season and are a healthy 24-13, good for the best record in the American League. But with 125 games to go – 77.2% of the schedule – it is still very early in the season and things can still go either way for this team.

There is no doubt that this team has the pitching to sustain their success and win a lot of games this year and beyond. The depth in the starting rotation is unheard of, and they have a solid bullpen with several options with impact ability looming on the horizon in the minors. Also, even though the defense has struggled a little of late, it has been solid all year and is much improved over last season.

The offense is also much improved this season, but it continues to be the biggest question mark and will probably be what determines the fate for the team this season. They were locked in at the plate in April as they ranked first in almost every category offensively as a team, but in May the warts are starting to show. Some of it is the result of facing some very good pitching, but good pitching also helps expose weaknesses that are otherwise overlooked because some hitters take advantage of performing against lesser pitching.

Outfielder Michael Brantley and Grady Sizemore as well as shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, first baseman Matt LaPorta and designated hitter Travis Hafner have all performed solid to very good this year. But there are a few spots in the lineup in need of a jolt.

Outfielder Shin-Shoo Choo (.222, 5 HR, 19 RBI) and catcher Carlos Santana (.220, 5 HR, 18 RBI) have been disappointing so far this year. Their production totals with the homers and RBI have actually been solid as they both project to about 21 homers and 81 RBI, and both have taken walks to where Choo has a .301 on-base percentage and Santana a solid .345 on-base percentage. The problem though is hitting in the three and four holes in the lineup a lot more is expected, and they are short-circuiting a lot of innings with their poor batting average and so many strikeouts.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan looks to be petering out both offensively and defensively. After a solid month of April where in 22 games he hit .273 with eight extra base hits and 14 RBI, so far in nine May games he is hitting just .172 with no extra base hits and one RBI. He may just be going through a slump, or he may just be leveling out with his overall performance which given his history as a player the latter seems more likely. This may not be a bad thing as if his performance continues to crater then hot hitting third base prospect Lonnie Chisenhall (.285, 3 HR, 22 RBI, .819 OPS) could be promoted from Triple-A Columbus very soon.

Also outfielder Austin Kearns’ career looks to be about over. He is playing a lot since he is the fourth outfielder and a right-handed hitting option, but in 16 games is hitting just .160 with two extra base hits and two RBI. His bat speed has all but evaporated, and if not for his $1.3 million contract for this year and the personal situation he is going through with his son he would probably have already been released. In the short term the Indians need to replace him on the roster with outfielder Chad Huffman or Travis Buck from Triple-A Columbus, but may need to look outside the organization for a long term option for the remainder of this season.

If the problems with the offense continue and they are unable to find solutions from within, then expect the Indians to become heavily involved in the trade market later in June. While they are still assessing the needs of the team, they know where their biggest needs lie, and almost all of them are in the lineup.

A secondary concern

So far this season second baseman Orlando Cabrera has proved to be a solid offseason addition. Signed for $1 million his biggest value has been his veteran leadership and attitude which has positively affected several players on the team. Going into Saturday’s action he is hitting a healthy .273 at the plate with two homers and 21 RBI, which are all solid numbers. But a look deeper into the numbers shows a player starting to show his age as his performance on the field has been on the decline since the first few weeks of the season.

Cabrera may have a healthy batting average, but his .295 on-base percentage is poor (four walks in 36 games). He also has just eight extra base hits for a .360 slugging percentage, and with his on-base and slugging combined has a sub par .655 OPS. That is not good offensive production for anyone in the lineup, especially someone who regularly hits sixth in the lineup. After a hot start to the season, since April 12th he is hitting .243 with a .255 on-base percentage and .320 slugging percentage (.575 OPS).

To be fair, Cabrera’s overall production at second base is about league average, maybe even slightly above league average. Meaning more than half the teams in all of baseball have players at second base performing worse. So the offense from Cabrera may not be the biggest concern, it is the defense. Quantifying defensive performance has always been tough to do, but those watching the games – especially the Rays series this past week – can see that he does not get to a lot of groundballs, or not enough of them. For a groundball pitching staff this can be devastating and extend innings.

It is still early in the season and the numbers still look favorable for Cabrera as at worst a league average offensive and defensive second baseman, but he looks to be in decline. One thing we could see down the road is a reduction in his playing time to maybe help him stay effective. Right now he is playing almost every night, but cutting him back to four to five games a week may be something the Indians consider.

By doing that it could allow the Indians an opportunity to call up infielder Cord Phelps to start two to three games a week at second base. He is hitting .302 with five homers, 20 RBI and a .936 OPS at Triple-A Columbus, and with his versatility to play some third base and shortstop he could also play a game or two a week at one of those positions and essentially upgrade Adam Everett’s roster spot.

The Indians are in no hurry to make any significant roster changes and really do not want to mess with the team chemistry. They have also been pleased with the performance of Cabrera and Everett to date. But as we get into June some changes will need to be made to the lineup and one of those could be a reduction of Cabrera’s playing time and integrating Phelps (or even Jason Kipnis) into the mix as a key lineup cog going forward.

Talbot to the pen?

Right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot is still recovering from a strained right elbow that put him on the disabled list on April 17th. He has been pitching bullpens in Cleveland and extended spring training out in Arizona, and on Saturday made his first or two scheduled rehab outings for Triple-A Columbus before the Indians consider activating him from the disabled list.

Talbot made his first of two appearances on Saturday for Columbus going  5.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, no walks, and had 2 strikeouts.  At the moment he is pitching in line with right-hander Alex White who started against the Mariners yesterday, and both are set to pitch again on Thursday.  If after that Thursday outing Talbot checks out he would be ready to come off the disabled list and slide into the rotation for White’s next start on Tuesday May 24th against the Red Sox.

Or will he?

As has been mentioned previously, the Indians called up White with the idea he would be up in Cleveland for much more than a handful of starts. He has already impressed with two good outings going into his start yesterday, and if he performs as expected leading up to Talbot’s activation then White should remain in the rotation.

Instead, Talbot may be an option to replace right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco if he is struggling, though Carrasco is also a long term option for the team and one they would prefer pitch at the big league level this year. Carrasco will get two more starts before Talbot’s expected activation, and if he gets things back on track then he would likely remain in the rotation.

So if Carrasco and White stay in the rotation and Talbot is healthy and ready to go in ten days, what do the Indians do with Talbot?

One of Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson or Josh Tomlin could potentially get hurt (hopefully not), but assuming everyone is healthy the only option the Indians may have is to move Talbot to the bullpen. He is out of options and to send him to the minors he would have to clear waivers, something that probably would not happen. To keep him around as starting pitching depth he could temporarily replace right-hander Justin Germano in the long man role until a rotation spot opens up or a trade opportunity arises.

You can never have too much pitching, and right now the Indians have a lot of it. They have some tough decisions to make with the rotation in the near future, but it is a good problem to have.

40-man decisions looming

Infielder Jared Goedert started a 20-day rehab assignment with Double-A Akron this week. He is currently on the 60-day disabled list so does not count on the 40-man roster, but his time on the 60-day list expires at the end of the month.

Goedert, 25, is playing first base and outfield for Akron and in four games is hitting .250 with one homer and four RBI. He should soon move up to Triple-A Columbus to finish his rehab assignment and likely will remain there once he comes off the disabled list. At the conclusion of his 20-day rehab assignment the Indians will need to make a decision on who to remove from the 40-man roster to add him back, or they may just remove him from the 40-man roster by designating him for assignment.

In addition to Goedert, the Indians also have another 40-man decision looming with first baseman Nick Johnson. He is currently rehabbing a wrist injury in Arizona, but is expected to be ready to play in minor league games by the end of the month. He can request his release from the organization if he is not put on the 40-man roster by July 1st, so the Indians have a little less than seven weeks to make a decision on him.

Johnson, 32, was signed in the spring to a minor league deal with a club option for $2.75 million in 2012. Even if he is added to the 40-man roster by July 1st, the Indians have to add him to the 25-man roster at some point this season otherwise his 2012 club option is voided.

Extending Sizemore unlikely

Outfielder Grady Sizemore has made a triumphant return to the Indians lineup this year where in 18 games he is hitting .282 with six homers, 11 RBI and a .974 OPS. The return of his energy and power to the top of the lineup has helped ignite the Tribe’s offense, and his importance to the team and lineup has clearly shown itself when he has been absent from the lineup.

Sizemore is in the last year of the guaranteed portion of his contract and making $7.5 million this season. The Indians hold a club option on him for next season at $9 million which they will surely pick up, but his future with the Indians beyond the 2012 season looks very much in doubt.

At the conclusion of the 2012 season Sizemore will have just turned 30 years old, and if he is healthy and playing as he is currently and to his career norms, he will be one of the hottest commodities in baseball in the 2012 offseason. Some of the big spenders will be more than willing to give him a four to six year deal for anywhere from $15-18 million a season, if not more.

The Indians are just not able to compete with such offers. The dollar amount per year would not be the biggest obstacle; it is the length of the deal as any deal over two years in guaranteed length is really uncomfortable for the team. As the club has seen firsthand with the injuries to right-hander Jake Westbrook, designated hitter Travis Hafner, and Sizemore himself, there is a lot of risk when signing players to big money deals for a long time. Those kinds of deals can be an albatross to a small to mid-market team, and why the Indians have always shied away from deals that are guaranteed for longer than two to three years.

This is why if Sizemore continues to play as he has to date that he probably will not stay with the club past next season as he will easily get four or more years from someone else. So enjoy him now Tribe fans while you still can.

Parting shots

Outfielder Grady Sizemore has a sore right knee after an awkward slide into second base on Tuesday night. As a precautionary measure the Indians had an MRI performed on his knee and the reports came back favorable with no structural damage. The injury is not to the same knee he had microfracture surgery and he is considered day-to-day. … Infielder Jason Donald suffered an MCL sprain to his right knee on Tuesday while playing for Triple-A Columbus when a runner crashed into him while trying to breakup a potential double play. He is expected to be sidelined for three to five weeks. … The Indians traded Triple-A Columbus outfielder Bubba Bell to the New York Mets for cash. Bell was picked up from the Red Sox for cash just before the start of the season as additional outfield depth, but had been inactive because of all the available outfielders in Columbus. In eight games with Columbus he hit .292 with no homers, two RBI, and a .721 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).

Read More

Minor Happenings: Phelps making big league case

Cord Phelps (Photo: Lianna Holub)

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

Another week of action in the Indians farm system has quickly come and gone, and that means yet another edition of Minor Happenings to run down all the notable happenings from the week that was in the minors.

We also have a draft coming up, which means lots of coverage on the horizon for the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.  It is hard to believe it is less than four weeks away….which means another 50 players will be born into the Indians family and into the lore on this site.  Of course only roughly half will of those 50 picks will sign on the dotted line, but once they do they will be followed as prospects for years to come.  Jeff Ellis did a mock draft for the site yesterday, and we will have more mock drafts and articles leading up to the draft, and of course loads of coverage on draft day.

Things for me are slowly getting back to normal, and with that I will soon be going out and catching some games in person to interview players, coaches, and so on.  I’m hopeful I can start doing that by the end of the month or beginning of June.  Lord knows I am chomping at the bit to talk to some guys off to some hot and cold starts!

Onto the Happenings…

Indians Minor League Player of the Week

(for games from May 5^th to May 11^th)

Cord Phelps (Infielder – Columbus)

.417 (10-24), 6 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, 1.381 OPS

When you peruse the Triple-A Columbus roster for the most impactful Major League ready player in the infield, no it is not third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall or second baseman Jason Kipnis, but instead is actually infielder Cord Phelps.  Chisenhall and Kipnis may have more upside and the better big league careers in the long run, but right now at least in the short term Phelps is the best option available to the Indians who could impact the big league team in a very positive way.

So far this season in 30 games Phelps is hitting .318 with 5 HR, 20 RBI and a .987 OPS.  As a switch-hitter with an ability to take a walk (26 BB, 32 K, 107 AB) who also has some pop, he would be a much welcomed addition to the big league roster.  With incumbent second baseman Orlando Cabrera starting to show his age at the plate and in the field it is possible that at some point down the road the Indians look to cut back on Cabrera’s playing time and bring up Phelps to take up some of the second base at bats.

The beauty of Phelps is he can play several positions, so even if Cabrera is still playing four to five games a week at second base, the Indians could find Phelps enough regular work at other positions where he could play four to five games a week himself if he proves worthy of the time.  He is not an everyday option at third base or shortstop, but he has the versatility and ability to fill in at each position once or twice a week.  He would be a clear step down defensively from Jack Hannahan at third base or Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, but he would potentially be as good or better than both of them at the plate.

Phelps is a good ace in the hole for the Indians, and when they do decide to bring him up they will have to add him to the 40-man roster though the obvious move would be to designate infielder Adam Everett for assignment when the time comes.  Those who remember Gregg Jefferies who played many seasons for several teams from the late 80s to the end of 90s, this is the kind of player Phelps could be.  He is athletic, versatile, switch-hits, has some speed, and has some pop in his bat where he may not be a regular at any one position, but can be a regular in the lineup at a different position every night.

Honorable Mentions:

Ezequiel Carrera (OF – COL): .385 (10-26), 9 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 5 SB, 1.005 OPS

Tim Fedroff (OF – AKR): .462 (12-26), 1 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1.058 OPS

Matt McBride (1B – AKR): .407 (11-27), 7 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.337 OPS

Tyler Holt (OF – KIN): .429 (6-14), 1 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 8 BB, 0 K, 1.136 OPS

Anthony Gallas (OF – LC): .444 (12-27), 6 R, 5 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1.130 OPS

Brett Brach (RHP – KIN): 1-1, 2 G, 2.19 ERA, 12.1 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 8 K, .128 BAA

Infirmary Report

Here is an update on several players in the Indians system who are rehabbing from injuries or recently been injured:

Infielder Jason Donald recently returned to action with Triple-A Columbus from a left hand injury which sidelined him most of spring training and for most of the first month of the regular season.  After just a few games back in action this past week he was injured again on Tuesday night when a base-runner took a hard slide into him at second base to break up a potential double play.  He had an MRI on the knee and the results are still unknown, but he is wearing a brace on his left knee and is expected to be out for at least two to three weeks.

Infielder Jared Goedert started a 20-game rehab assignment with Double-A Akron this week.  He is recovering from a rib cage strain (oblique) that he suffered back in spring training that resulted in him being placed on the 60-day disabled list to start the season.  He should finish his rehab with Triple-A Columbus and is set to come off the 60-day disabled list at the end of the month, so the Indians will need to make a decision in the next two weeks on who to remove from the 40-man roster to add him back or if they will designate him for assignment.

Outfielder Nick Weglarz is still recovering from his left knee injury in spring training.  He is expected to start playing rehab games in Arizona soon, and could be back with Triple-A Columbus by the end of the month.

Right-handed pitcher Anthony Reyes is pretty much ready to be activated from extended spring training where he has been working to get stronger from his Tommy John surgery that he had two years ago.  The big problem has been finding somewhere to pitch him as the rotations in Cleveland and Columbus are bursting at the seams, and they still have to get right-hander Mitch Talbot back into the mix in the next two weeks.  In the meantime he just in a purgatory state and just biding his time until the Columbus rotation thins out and a spot opens up for him or the Indians trade or release him.

First baseman Nick Johnson is recovering well from his right wrist injury.  He is on the verge of playing some rehab games, and if things go well could be in Triple-A Columbus by the end of this month or beginning of June.  The Indians will need to make a decision on him in the next seven weeks since he has an opt-out clause in his contract where he can request his release if not on the 40-man roster by July 1^st.

Right-handers Hector Rondon and Alexander Perez are both rehabbing from their Tommy John surgeries last season.  Both will likely start pitching in rehab games with rookie level Arizona when their season starts in late June, and if all goes well it is possible both could see time with a regular affiliate in late July or August.  Both will be limited pitching in affiliate ball this year, and most of their work will likely come in the fall in Instructional League or another fall/winter league.

High-A Kinston outfielder Delvi Cid is back on the disabled list as he has struggled to overcome recurring back spasms.  The back spasms and a groin injury sidelined him in spring training and delayed the start of his season by a month, and after just three games of action with Kinston he is sidelined again for an undetermined amount of time.

Zach Attack

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister is back pitching to the level he was prior to last season, which is great news for the Indians especially considering they picked him up from the Yankees last August for outfielder Austin Kearns.  Once again the Indians look like they made a trade that at the time was considered low profile that may pay big dividends down the road just like the Eduardo Perez for Asdrubal Cabrera, Ben Broussard for Shin-Soo Choo, and Casey Blake for Carlos Santana trades of the past.

McAllister, 23, has made six starts for Columbus this year and is 6-0 with a 3.00 ERA.  In 39.0 innings pitched he has allowed 36 hits, 6 walks, and has 29 strikeouts.  He has really been on a roll his last four starts going 4-0 with a 1.92 ERA and in 28.0 innings has allowed 6 runs, 25 hits, 2 walks, and has 21 strikeouts.  This is a big change from last year where pitching mostly for Triple-A Scranton WB he went 9-12 with a 5.29 ERA (149.2 IP, 185 H, 45 BB, 99 K) in 27 total starts between the Yankees and Indians organizations.

McAllister’s confidence has returned and he is once again working the strike zone to near perfection.  While he is a physical specimen at 6’6” 240 pounds, he is not an overpowering pitcher as he generally sits 87-91 MPH with his sinking fastball though has touched 94 MPH in the past.  He is more of a command and control specialist with a deep mix of pitches he can throw for strikes as in addition to his fastball he also throws a slider, cutter, curveball and changeup.   He is an intelligent pitcher who just knows how to pitch and has a feel for working to both sides of the plate.  His biggest step forward this year has been the improved command of his pitches and the effectiveness of his cutter and slider.

McAllister is now without a doubt Major League starting depth, and yet another option at the big league level for the Indians who are now nine starters deep with Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Alex White, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot, Jeanmar Gomez, McAllister, and Dave Huff.  The depth and youth the Indians have in the starting rotation is almost unheard of, and one big reason they can sustain the success they have had in the early part of the season.

Barnes a future option

Another big league starting pitching option looming on the horizon for the Indians is Triple-A Columbus left-hander Scott Barnes.  Due to the depth of the staff both in Cleveland and Columbus it is highly unlikely that he will ever see time in the big leagues this season unless a catastrophe occurs, but he is on the radar as an option in the near future.  He is up for roster protection after this season and will surely be added to the 40-man roster as the Indians believe he is a starting pitching option for them in the future.

The Indians acquired him back in July of 2009 for Ryan Garko, and again it could pay off as another low key trade that pays big dividends for them in the future.  He worked through some struggles last season and really finished strong with a good showing in the Arizona Fall League and has come out this season pitching like a man on a mission.  He opened the season in Double-A Akron and dominated in two starts (11.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 17 K) before quickly being called to Columbus where in four starts he is 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA (21.2 IP, 23 H, 13 BB, 20 K).

The numbers so far for Barnes at Columbus have not been pretty, but the beauty of the situation is he is under no pressure to get to the big leagues this year and can use the rest of the season to get acclimated to the Triple-A level, gain confidence, and work on his limitations (slider, emotions).  His fastball has been up to 96 MPH this year and his changeup continues to impress, but his command – mostly his fastball arm side - has been off a little since his promotion to Columbus though some of it is likely the result of dealing with some nerves in his first exposure to Triple-A.  He is a very intense, emotional pitcher and sometimes it can get the best of him.

Brach continues to perform

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Brett Brach is about as consistent as they come.  Coming into the season, in 39 career games (37 starts) he owned a 10-11 record with a 2.97 ERA, and in 200.1 innings had allowed 181 hits, 49 walks, and had 153 strikeouts in combined time from 2009-2010 with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley, Low-A Lake County, and Kinston.  This season in seven appearances (5 starts) between Kinston and Double-A Akron, he is 4-2 with a 1.34 ERA, and in 33.2 innings has allowed 19 hits, 12 walks, and has 23 strikeouts.

Brach, 23, is a performer.  Armed with an 89-92 MPH sinking fastball and average secondary pitches, he lacks the stuff to be considered a high end prospect.  But sometimes even those who lack the sexiness of a 98 MPH fastball or devastating slider can get noticed and make their mark as a prospect.  This is something Brach is doing as he consistently gets hitters to pound the ball into the ground and he throws strikes.  In a lot of ways he looks to be an overlooked over-achiever much like right-hander Josh Tomlin was in his early days in the system.

At the moment Brach’s 1.63 ERA at Kinston is 3^rd best in the Carolina League.  He has always pitched well with his sinker-changeup combination as he gets good separation in velocity between the two pitches, but he has made some strides so far this season with his fastball command and his breaking balls.  He has done a better job keeping the ball down in the zone and has really challenged hitters going right at them with his pitch to contact mentality.  His slider and curveball have been effective in allowing him to get ahead in the count with first pitch strikes.  He may never be a high end prospect, but he is starting to make a name for himself as an innings eating potential back of the rotation big league pitching prospect.

Miller’s slider

Now that High-A Kinston right-hander Adam Miller has been activated, just about every appearance he makes and every pitch he throws is going to be over-analyzed.  He struggled in his first outing on April 30^th allowing four runs, four hits, one walk and had one strikeout in one inning of work, but in the two outings since then on May 3^rd and May 8^th he has thrown two scoreless innings and allowed one hit, two walks, and has two strikeouts.  The time between his appearances has resulted some in trying to maintain his health but mostly because of all the rainouts Kinston has had.

Miller, 26, is sitting in the low 90s with his fastball at 90-93 MPH and has been up to 95 MPH.  The big thing he is working on at the moment is regaining the feel of his slider, a pitch that was once considered the best in his arsenal and a plus-plus devastating weapon.  Since the last digit in his right middle finger is now stationary and does not bend, he has to find a feel for the slider since the tip of his finger always lays flat and is unable to curl around the ball or put pressure on it.  He has made unbelievable strides with his health, now the key is getting that slider back to being a usable, consistent weapon.  Once he and the Indians are comfortable with how the slider is coming along, he should quickly move up to Double-A Akron.

Award Winners

Low-A Lake County swept the Midwest League awards this week as outfielder Anthony Gallas was named the Midwest League Player of the Week and left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for the period from May 2^nd to May 8^th.

Gallas, 23, is a Strongsville native and Kent State University graduate and during the period hit .433 (13-30) with 5 2B, 3 RBI, and scored 6 runs.  In 29 games he is hitting .348 with 3 HR, 12 RBI, and a .969 OPS, and ranks 5^th in the league in hitting (.348), 5^th in OPS (.969), 2^nd in hits (39), 1^st in doubles (15), 5^th in total bases (63), and 6^th in runs (22).  As an undrafted free agent signing last June, he has come on strong and quickly made a name for himself because of his performance and wide skill set as a defender, runner, and hitter.  With every game he is starting to look a lot like another Brian Barton who broke onto the scene back in 2005 in Lake County as an undrafted payer.

Rayl, 22, made one start during the period and threw seven scoreless innings allowing one hit, no walks, and struck out a career high 11 batters.  On the season he has made seven starts and is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA, and in 35.1 innings has allowed 23 hits, 9 walks, and has 39 strikeouts.

Random Notes

Triple-A Columbus third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .281 with 2 HR, 21 RBI, and a .793 OPS in 31 games.  He has really turned things around after a slow start and in his last ten games is hitting .350 with a .897 OPS.  The biggest change is he is once again using the entire field and spraying line drives all over the place.  When he is on his game – like in spring training – he has a nice line drive stroke going from gap to gap.

With infielder Jason Donald out again for awhile, Triple-A infielder Luis Valbuena may now be the first option the Indians will call upon for a utility need should they decide to part ways with Adam Everett.  In 25 games for Columbus he is hitting .277 with 4 HR, 16 RBI and a .805 OPS, and he is playing all over the field as he has appeared in 13 games at shortstop, four at third base, four in the outfield, and one at second base.  He is currently primarily playing outfield for Columbus due to the depth of infielders on the team, though is not foreign to the position as he has played there in the past in winter ball.

Double-A left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone showed he was human this past week in allowing his first earned runs of the season.  In ten appearances he is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA, and in 20.2 innings has allowed 14 hits, 6 walks, and has 23 strikeouts.  His one blemish this year has been his appearance on May 7^th where in 1.2 innings he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks, but he actually threw well that outing as he was the victim of some very poor calls on balls and strikes by the home plate umpire.  Even with the tight strike zone he kept his composure, and overall his ability to harness his adrenaline and emotions has been a big key in cutting down on the walks this year.

Double-A Akron third baseman Kyle Bellows is really struggling at the plate this season where in 27 games he is hitting just .177 with 0 HR, 9 RBI, and a .496 OPS.  He’s been a big disappointment offensively, though the concerns with his offense were known going into this season.  Defensively he continues to be an excellent defender at third base, and that defensive ability is going to keep him in the organization for a long time to hopefully allow him time to iron out his flaws offensively.

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz continues to dominate the Carolina League where in six starts he is now 1-0 with a 1.27 ERA (28.1 IP, 16 H, 10 BB, 42 K).  He picked up his first professional win this past week in his last start on May 7^th when he went five shutout innings allowing three hits, three walks, and had eight strikeouts.  In his last start he relied mostly on his fastball as he had trouble locating his curveball and changeup, which is a clear sign that he needs to move up to Double-A as he needs to be challenged to throw his secondary stuff more and not just get by with fastballs when needed.

High-A Kinston outfielder Jason Smit has had a rough introduction to the Carolina League since his promotion from Low-A Lake County last week.  In five games with Kinston he is hitting .167 with 0 HR, 2 RBI and a .536 OPS, while in 26 games for Lake County he hit .344 with 2 HR, 11 RBI and a .938 OPS.  At Kinston he will split time between the outfield and first base.

Low-A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief is off to a very good start where in 32 games he is hitting .260 with 4 HR, 19 RBI and a .838 OPS.  He is still working his way back as an everyday position player since he spent his first two seasons in the organization as a pitcher.  He has the power bat and arm that projects well as a prototype right-fielder, and his performance so far this season is encouraging and he is showing signs of development.

Low-A Lake County middle infielder Argenis Martinez is a slick fielder who is one of the best defensive infielders in the entire Indians system, if not the best.  In 25 games this year he is hitting .244 with 0 HR, 13 RBI and a .628 OPS.  At 5’11” and 160 pounds he moves swiftly and is an acrobat in the field showing excellent range to track down almost any ball, good footwork and hands, and a solid throwing arm.  Even with all that potential defensively, he still needs to show he can hold his own offensively if he wants to move up to the higher levels of the system.

The Indians recently released infielder Ron Rivas and right-handed pitcher Orlando Pereira.  Neither release is a surprise as Rivas was an error-machine last year for Kinston and even after a big showing in spring training had been playing sparingly this season.  Pereira was a young pitcher from Venezuela who topped out at the rookie level.

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).

Read More