Tribe Happenings: Should Marson open in Cleveland?

Marson is happy to be in Cleveland,
but how long will he stay there?
(Photo: Getty Images).

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

Everrett, Marson need to make most of opportunity

There were no real big surprises with the final roster decisions the Indians made at the end of spring training.  Right-hander Josh Tomlin was awarded the final spot in the rotation, Jack Hannahan earned the third base gig, Travis Buck annihilated pitching this spring to win the final outfield spot, and right-handed relievers Frank Herrmann, Vinnie Pestano, and Justin Germano all pitched lights out in spring training and made the opening day bullpen.

If there was any surprise it may have been infielder Adam Everett making the team as the utility infielder and catcher Lou Marson making the team to be the caddy for Carlos Santana.

Everett is not that much of a surprise as the Indians' focus this spring was on defense, and he can certainly pick it; however, if not for a hand injury to infielder Jason Donald there is a good chance that Everett would not have made the team.  With his play early on in camp Donald was almost a sure thing to be the third baseman, and after the way Hannahan performed he likely would have been the utility infielder.  Donald should be back later this month, so Everett will need to make good on the limited chances he gets the next few weeks or his stay could be a short one.

As for Marson, he should be thanking his lucky stars that Donald got hurt.  Donald’s injury in some ways created a butterfly effect of sorts because the Indians had to use a roster spot for Everett, a spot they may have preferred to use for catcher Paul Phillips at the end of camp.  But with Everett on the team and with little wiggle room with regard to the 40-man roster the Indians sided with Marson as the opening day backup catcher.

Marson is still only 24 years old, which is still considered a baby for catchers.  He is still learning and still has room for development, particularly as a hitter.  Burying him on the big league roster as the backup catcher where he may - if he is lucky - play two games a week is not a good way to finish off his development.

Marson may only have a future as a backup in Cleveland because of the presence of Santana, but many around the game still view him as having starting potential if he can show more consistency as a hitter.  With that in mind he should be in Triple-A Columbus playing everyday to try and improve in an area that is his greatest weakness and improve his overall value to the organization, and potentially other organizations as well.  Having him as the backup in Cleveland really stalls any potential progress he could make.  Plus, it is not like the team is going to be a win or two better this year with him or someone like Phillips or Carlin as the backup.

This is not a knock on Marson at all as from a defensive perspective he is the best option as the backup catcher on this team.  But at the plate, Phillips and even Luke Carlin are no worse right now, and both of those guys are no slouches defensively either.  Also, Marson has development opportunities left that it makes a lot of sense to try and take advantage of now while we can.

There is no guarantee that sending Marson to Columbus to open the season would fix anything with his hitting, but it is worth a shot, especially since catchers take time to develop.  He is still apparently having the same issues at the plate as last year when you look at his abysmal spring performance, so playing two times a week in Cleveland and working in the cages is not going to do him any justice.

Of course all of this could be moot once Donald comes back and the roster is updated in a few weeks and Marson is potentially shipped off to Columbus at that point.  The bottom line for me though is I am more for continued growth and increasing value, which would be possible by sending Marson to Columbus for a majority of this season.  Playing him in Cleveland all year potentially stunts both his growth and lowers his value.

Opening thoughts

The Indians lost 15-10 to the Chicago White Sox in the season and home opener at Progressive Field on Friday afternoon.  They also fell behind by a score of 14-0 by the fourth inning after their ace Fausto Carmona was touched up for an astounding ten runs on eleven hits, two walks and two home runs in 3.1 innings of work.

That all said, beyond the outcome of the game and the poor performance by Carmona and then long man Justin Germano, there were actually more positives than negatives to take out of the game.  If you look up and down the box score and graded the performance of every player in the game, you would no doubt give Carmona and Germano an ‘F’ for their performance.

But what about the rest of the players?

Frank Herrmann and Vinnie Pestano looked great in their season debuts combining for three innings of work and allowing one run on two hits, no walks, and had eight strikeouts.

From a hitting perspective it is hard not to like ten runs and 17 hits by the Tribe lineup.  Six players in the lineup had multi-hit games and the only one who went hitless and was any kind of a disappointment was Austin Kearns although he at least drew a walk.

Shin-Soo Choo only went 1-for-5 and made a base-running blunder on a Travis Hafner bomb to the center field wall, but he is the least of our concerns.  The guys we wanted to see come out and get off to a good start did, at least for one game.  Guys like Michael Brantley (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Asdrubal Cabrera (3-for-5), Carlos Santana (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI), Travis Hafner (2-for-5, RBI), Matt LaPorta (2-for-5, RBI), and even Jack Hannahan (3-for-5, HR, RBI).

So, yeah, they lost the game.  And yes, they fell behind 14-0.  But the way they came back and put up ten runs when they could have just rolled over and gone through the motions to close out an unwinnable game showed me something.  Also, when evaluating specifically on a player level and not a win-loss level, there were a lot of positives from yesterday for the team to build upon.

As the old cliché goes, it was only one game.  But if you look at it objectively this was a positive stepping stone to build on for the rest of the season.  This season could be a lot of fun as this lineup and bullpen has the potential to be pretty good, but the key will be finding a way to make that shaky starting rotation more consistent.

Goedert and the 60-day disabled list

One of the more interesting quirks with managing a Major League Baseball roster is the use of the 60-day disabled list.  All teams have a 40-man roster that is set and that they use to pull players from to add to their 25-man active roster at the big league level, but in order to add other players not on the 40-man roster the team must create roster space.  This is what the Indians did this past week when they placed outfielder Trevor Crowe and infielder Jared Goedert on the 60-day disabled list as it created two 40-man roster spots to add players to it.

The difference between the 15-day disabled list and 60-day disabled list is significant.  While on the 15-day disabled list a player can obviously come back sooner and he still counts toward the 40-man roster, but with the 60-day disabled list a player must be out a minimum of those 60 days and more importantly while he is still listed on the 40-man roster he does not count towards it while he is on the 60-day disabled list.

Typically players who have been in the big leagues for at least a little bit are the only ones considered for the 60-day disabled list.  The reason for this is because when a player is on the 60-day disabled list they accrue major league service time that counts toward free agency and they also are paid a normal major league salary.  Minor leaguers with no service time are almost always never added to it because teams prefer not to start the service time clocks of young players when they don’t have to.

Goedert’s addition to the 60-day disabled list was interesting this week as he is a zero service time player.  As a result, he will at least earn about 60 days of major league service time and on top of that will be paid a major league salary while on the 60-day disabled list.

For a player like Goedert that is huge as consider that he will make more money in just one week on the 60-day disabled list than he would have if he played the entire 2011 season at Triple-A Columbus.  In addition to that, in the 60 days he is on the 60-day disabled list he will make almost double the salary he has made in his entire five year minor league career from 2006-2010.

The fact the Indians placed Goedert on the 60-day disabled list shows just how much of a roster crunch they were under to add all the non-roster spring invitees at the end of spring training.  By the same token, it was a classy move by the organization for a player they could have tried to take off the roster by sneaking him through waivers.

Yeah, it is unfortunate that Goedert will be stuck in Arizona rehabbing and playing extended spring training games the next several weeks when he probably could have opened the season in Triple-A Columbus.  But at the same time he is going to be making some pretty good money.

Tough break for Crowe

Outfielder Trevor Crowe went into spring training as the odds on favorite to be the Indians opening day fourth outfielder.  With his versatility to play any spot in the outfield, his speed, and his switch-hitting ability, he was a natural fit for the team in the role.

But a few weeks into camp Crowe complained of some right shoulder soreness, more specifically in the rotator cuff area.  The Indians shut him down and had him rehab to see if the soreness would go away, but after he did not respond to their aggressive rehabilitation and treatment program the club sent him to New York this week to consult with a specialist.  Two days after the consultation he ended up having arthroscopic debridement of his right shoulder, a procedure performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Crowe has already started his rehab and he is expected to begin a return to play program in about two months, but he is expected to be out of consideration as a big league option until probably at least the beginning of August because he will likely serve two terms on the 60-day disabled list from April 1^st to June 1^st and then from June 1^st to August 1^st.

Predictions

In case anyone was wondering what my predictions for the 2011 baseball season are, I have the Indians winning 80 games this year.  I see a lot of potential for this season to be like 2004 where we go through lots of ups and downs but the team competes and is in every game.  The lineup is on the verge to become one of the better ones in baseball, and with an improved defense and a solid bullpen they could surprise some teams this year.  Their questionable starting pitching is going to be the biggest weakness to sort out if they hope to contend next year – or gulp – this year.

The biggest key if anything for me is that this club gets off to a solid start.  If they can just find a way to win 13 or 14 games in April to open up one game above or below .500 for the first month I think that will go a long way at providing some momentum not only for the development of the team but to also start gaining some attention from the fans.

As for the rest of the predictions, here they are: AL East (Red Sox), AL Central (Twins), AL West (Athletics), AL Wildcard (Yankees), NL East (Braves), NL Central (Reds), NL West (Giants), NL Wildcard (Phillies), and in the World Series the Red Sox beat the Braves.

Parting shots

Outfielder Grady Sizemore and right-handed reliever Joe Smith have reportedly left Arizona and are set to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week.  If both do not have any setbacks they both could be with the club by month’s end. … Infielder Jason Donald is taking groundballs in the field and is expected to start swinging a bat on Monday.  He could also go on a minor league rehab assignment soon and join the team by the end of the month. … On Tuesday the Indians traded infielder Jayson Nix to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.  Nix lost out in the competition for the third base job to Jack Hannahan and also the utility job to Adam Everett.  He was out of options and the Indians needed his roster spot to add players like Hannahan and Everett to the 40-man roster. … On Thursday the Indians completed a minor league trade when they acquired outfielder Bubba Bell from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.  He has been assigned to Triple-A Columbus.  The 28-year old outfielder hit .293 with 17 doubles, 6 homers and 49 RBI in 104 games last year at Triple-A Pawtucket.

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

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Tribe Happenings: With Donald out, Hannahan the favorite?

Non-roster spring invitee Jack Hannahan may

now be the Indians best hope at third base.

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)



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

Donald’s injury opens door

Infielder Jason Donald was an uncertainty going into camp because of his lack of experience playing third base, but he really had a strong showing that he can handle the position and appeared to be the odds on favorite to win the opening day spot at third for the Indians.  That was up until he was hit in the left hand with a pitch back on March 5^th.

Since then, Donald has been out of games rehabbing the hand and trying to get back out there.  He was expected to be back sooner, but the bruise was worse than originally thought and he had a minor setback.  He played in a minor league spring game on Thursday and only played in the field as the Indians are easing him back into the fold.  Since the injury is to his non-throwing hand, it does not present much of a problem in the field, but hitting will be the big test to see if there is no pain when he swings.

Then yesterday it was learned that Donald has a crack in his left middle finger which is going to sideline him longer where he will have to open the season on the disabled list.  It is not known when he will be available to play for the Indians this season, but it looks like he will miss at least the first two or three weeks of the season.

With Donald out, infielder Jack Hannahan has really taken advantage of the opportunity and may now be the favorite to win the position.  With Lonnie Chisenhall sent out to minor league camp and with Donald out, it has really given the Indians a long, extended look at Hannahan and he has impressed, especially with the bat.  In 14 games this spring he is hitting .400 (14-for-35) with four doubles and four RBI.  He has some versatility to play third and first base, and could be an option to make the team either as the third baseman or as a player off the bench.

The other third base options are Luis Valbuena and Jayson Nix, though Valbuena may be ticketed to Triple-A Columbus to be the regular shortstop.  Because Hannahan and Nix can play more than one position and Nix is right-handed and Hannahan is left-handed, it is possible the Indians may opt for a platoon situation in the short term at third base.

Short leash for Talbot?

Everyone has been so focused on the camp battle for the fifth starter’s spot between left-handed pitcher Dave Huff and right-handed pitchers Jeanmar Gomez and Josh Tomlin that right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot’s tenuous hold on the fourth start spot has been overlooked.

Talbot, 27, had a solid season last year for the Indians going 10-13 with a 4.41 ERA in 28 starts.  Because of his strong overall showing last year and him being out of options, he went into spring training this year with a guaranteed spot in the starting rotation to start the season.

But how long will Talbot hold onto it?

Talbot had a nice first half last season where prior to the All Star break he went 8-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 17 starts, but he faded in the second half where after the break he made 11 starts and went 2-5 with a 5.29 ERA.  He made a strong impression last spring where he made five appearances and had a 3.71 ERA (17.0 IP, 17 H, 4 BB, 10 K), but this spring he has been a disaster so far where in four appearances he has a 10.80 ERA (11.2 IP, 21 H, 4 BB, 5 K).

Talbot’s struggles late last season and his poor showing so far this spring make you wonder how long the Indians will stick with him in the rotation this year if he continues to struggle.  Since he is out of options he would have to be put on waivers before he could be sent to the minors, but if he continues to struggle, does it really matter if anyone claims him (who would claim him?).

Talbot is probably not long for the organization and is just a stop gap until (hopefully) better options present themselves, and the Indians certainly have several arms that they would like to take a look if he struggles.  In addition to those in the battle for the fifth starter opening, others like right-handers Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber, Anthony Reyes and Alex White could all be options at some point.

Right-hander Fausto Carmona should be a staple at the top of the rotation another few seasons, and right-hander Carlos Carrasco has the most upside of any pitcher in the Indians system not named Carmona.  Outside of that, though, there is too much uncertainty with the rotation, which is why even with Talbot’s struggles he is a good guy to have in the short term as a “what you see is what you get” kind of pitcher.”

But if Talbot continues to struggle into mid-May, don’t be surprised to see the Indians move quickly and go with another option from Triple-A Columbus.

Keeping it in house

The Indians kicked the tires on a few free agent pitchers in the offseason.  Everyone knows that they were talking to right-handers Jeremy Bonderman and Kevin Millwood, and they also talked to other free agent pitchers on minor league deals like Rodrigo Lopez, Dave Bush, Bartolo Colon, Justin Duscherer, and Jeff Francis.

No deal with any pitcher ever materialized, and while it is uncertain how strongly the Indians pursued the pitchers they talked to in the offseason, I for one am happy they did not waste the time and resources on signing any of them.

It is hard to argue the Indians’ reasoning as to why they wanted to bring in another starter, even as a reclamation project.  They wanted to sign someone to give them another starting option to eat some innings this year so they would not have to rely on so many of their young pitchers and possibly be forced to push a guy to the big leagues faster than they may prefer (like Jeanmar Gomez last year).

But in what is viewed as a developmental year, there is no better time to get an extended look at the likes of right-handers Carlos Carrasco and Justin Masterson to see if they are guys to build upon for a contending rotation.  They also have lots of backend starting options with Gomez, Huff, Tomlin, Talbot, Kluber, McAllister and White, so there are plenty of innings to be spread around without really overworking anyone or pushing anyone too soon.  Of those listed only White would seem to be someone who could be pushed too soon as he may not see any time in Cleveland this year.

Right-hander Anthony Reyes will also be in the mix provided he has no setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow.  Injuries can always play into things, but you never can predict that or truly prepare yourself for them.

So kudos to the Indians for not just signing a veteran starting pitcher just to sign one.  I for one am happy to pass on the reclamation project and instead see what we have with all this pitching depth they have accumulated at the big league and upper levels of the minors.  There is no better time to find out what these guys can do.

Indians make tough call on Chisenhall

It was a tough decision to make, but the Indians made the right one when they sent hot hitting third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to minor league camp on Monday.  In 12 spring games with the Indians he hit .500 (13-for-26) with two homers and five RBI.

The move came as no surprise as Chisenhall himself knew at the outset of spring that he would not make the team.  Had he hit a homer in every game and hit .850 he still would have been ticketed for Triple-A Columbus, but when the move was announced a lot of people really disapproved of the decision.

Yes, part of the reason Chisenhall was sent out was to manage his service clock and his payroll number down the road.  But this is nothing new.  If you polled people from other organizations this is common place. You will be hard-pressed to find a zero service time rookie with any long term value starting the season in the big leagues for any team.  It is just the way clubs operate these days where they choose to have rookies open the season in Triple-A in order to manage their future cost and when they attain free agency rights.

That all said, this was a move to send Chisenhall out in order to continue to hone in his defensive game.  This will be just his third year playing third base, so there are some things he still needs to smooth out there, particularly with his throwing.  He also only had a batting line of .278/.351/.450 last year at Double-A Akron, which was good but not great.  He needs Triple-A time to become more consistent offensively, get better against left-handed pitching, and get better defensively.  The Indians want to best ensure that when he gets the call to the big leagues it is the only call they make as they want him to stay and not have to go back to the minors.

There is no rush to get Chisenhall to Cleveland, so with that in mind they might as well polish him off and do whatever they can to best ensure that when he comes to Cleveland he is productive from day one rather than waste a year or two acclimating him to the big leagues because they brought him up too fast.  Either way, if he is healthy and playing well, he should be up in June or July.  So whether he is up in April or a few months later, does it really matter?

Sizemore progressing

On Tuesday outfielder Grady Sizemore continued to progress in his rehab and his quest to return to game action.  He ran the bases by running home to first, home to second, and second to home and had no setbacks.  On Thursday he ran the bases again and had no problems.  He is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut today (Sunday) and get two at bats, but will only be the designated hitter.  The final test to see if he is ready to progress to full time game action will be if he can slide without reinjuring the knee.  He originally hurt the knee while sliding, so there will be some apprehension there for sure.

Roster cuts

The Indians cut the big league roster by seven players on Monday when they optioned right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister and outfielder Nick Weglarz to Triple-A Columbus.  They also reassigned right-handed pitcher Zach Putnam, right-handed pitcher Alex White, catcher Juan Apodaca, second baseman Jason Kipnis, and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to minor league camp.  As a reminder, players optioned to the minors are on the 40-man roster while players reassigned to the minors are not on the 40-man roster.

Then on Saturday they cut three more players as they optioned right-handed pitcher Josh Judy to Columbus and reassigned right-handed pitchers Yohan Pino and Joe Martinez to minor league camp.

Book update

The Goodyear team shop sold out of all the 2011 Indians prospect books I sent there, so another order was shipped and arrived there on Friday.  Because of the support of the book there the Indians have decided to carry the book in the team shop at Progressive Field.  So be on the lookout for it when you go to a game this year as it should be at the ballpark all year.

As an FYI, the book is also still available for purchase here on my site and at Amazon.com.  Those who visit the minor league affiliates, you will be able to purchase it as Mahoning Valley, Lake County, and Kinston, and it will probably be available at Akron.

Parting Shots

Former All Star outfielder Kenny Lofton is back with the team over the weekend.  He arrived back at camp on Wednesday and will be in Goodyear through Sunday to continue working with players on their baserunning and also assist with the outfielders. … Right-hander Anthony Reyes made his spring debut on Tuesday when he threw 22 pitches.  He had to be lifted after four batters and was unable to finish the inning because he had reached his pitch count. … Right-handed reliever Joe Smith has some upper abdominal soreness which has sidelined him for a few days.  The Indians hope to have him back out there throwing in a game soon. … Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus will play each other in two exhibition games this spring before the start of their regular season.  Columbus will travel to Akron on April 4^th (6:05 PM) and then Akron will travel to Columbus on April 6^th (2:05 PM). … Columbus will also play the Ohio State University in an exhibition game in Columbus on April 5^th (6:35 PM) and will play the Cleveland Indians in Columbus on March 30^th (1:05 PM).

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

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Tribe Happenings: Who's on third?

Jason Donald is in the mix at third base

(Photo: AP)

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

Third base is question #1

There are a lot of spots on the opening day 25-man roster for the Cleveland Indians that are up in the air this spring. While most of the competition is for the final few spots in the bullpen and who rounds out the bench, the one starting spot this spring which will be interesting to see sort itself out is third base.

If baseball lines were set on the competition, the best odds would be on one of Jason Donald, Jayson Nix, or Luis Valbuena to be the Indians opening day third baseman. Others like Jack Hannahan and Jared Goedert will be in the mix and get consideration, but they are not expected to be in the running for the everyday job to open the season.

While the odds heavily favor the trio of Donald, Nix, and Valbuena, the real mystery is trying to figure out which one of the three is favored over the others because at the moment there appears to be no frontrunner. Manager Manny Acta and GM Chris Antonetti have been very vague in their comments on the subject since the start of camp, and likely will continue to be until a winner is named late in the spring.

All three players certainly have their warts. Neither of the three has much if any experience at third base, all three are below average to maybe fringe average defensive options there, and all three are below average big league hitters.

Nix, 28, was picked up off of waivers last June and struggled in his short time at third base with the Indians in the second half of last season. He showed some thunder in his bat by pounding out 13 homers in 78 games with the Indians, but he also only hit .234 and had 75 strikeouts to just 13 walks in 282 at bats.

Valbuena, 25, had one of the worst seasons by a Tribe hitter in some time last year as he hit just .193 with two homers, 24 RBI and had a .531 OPS in 91 games. Not only was he a mess at the plate, but he also struggled in the field as he botched too many groundballs.

Donald, 26, had an uninspiring big league debut last year where he only hit .253 with four homers, 24 RBI, and had a .690 OPS in 88 games. He also left several people in the organization questioning whether he can be an everyday player because of his questionable defensive play.

At the outset, it looks like it is wide open and whoever proves to be the more reliable defender this spring will probably win the job. These things are fluid and can change at a moments notice with injuries, roster moves, and obviously their play this spring, but if I were handicapping the race it appears that Nix has the edge early on in camp.

A lot of this is due to the fact that Nix has remained on the roster the entire offseason when it looked like he was a goner several times. Sometimes the transactions the Indians make or don't make speak loud and clear, and since he has stuck around so long and been a survivor up to this point, it appears the Indians have him penciled in as the guy at third base unless he bombs this spring or one of Donald or Valbuena clearly play better.

Valbuena looks more like he will make the team as a utility option, and quite possibly could serve as the left-handed portion of a platoon at third base with whichever one of Nix and Donald is named the regular third baseman. Donald may have more upside than Nix, but there are some in the organization who believe Donald may be best suited if he started the season in Triple-A Columbus as the everyday shortstop to keep him as an option at shortstop this year and beyond.

No matter what happens, it is a decision that really only has short term ramifications. A month or two into the season Cord Phelps could be an option to replace any of the three if they are struggling and Phelps is playing well in Columbus. Also, if things go well with Lonnie Chisenhall in Columbus, he could be in Cleveland sometime around the All Star break and would be given every opportunity to nail the position down for most of the next decade.

Also, don’t rule out the Indians signing a free agent, making a trade or waiver claim at the end of camp to fill the void.

Sizemore move coming?

No one is really talking about it yet, but outfielder Grady Sizemore may at some point this season make a zip code change in the outfield from center field to left field.

The Indians have had discussions about it in the offseason and right up to the start of camp, but for now they appear content with keeping him in center field as they believe it is the best place for him to better ensure his health. Coming off microfracture surgery to his left knee, he has been limited by injuries the past two seasons so it is probably a good idea to have him stay in center field for now until he re-establishes himself and proves he is healthy.

“The wear and tear, going side-to-side, abrupt stopping, walls, etc all make it tougher on the knees to play corner outfield than center field according to the medical experts,” says a source close to the situation.

Currently, Sizemore is working his way back from his microfracture surgery and has already started taking live batting practice and is doing sprinting drills. He is expected to start playing in Cactus League games later in spring training, likely the middle of March.

While Sizemore's progress to date is encouraging he still has a long way to go. He is almost certain to open the season on the 15-day disabled list to allow him more time to rehab from his surgery and get back to 100%.

Sizemore will probably stick around in extended spring training for a week or so, and then go on a 20-day minor league rehab assignment before being re-activated. He will probably begin his rehab assignment at High-A Kinston as the warmer weather would help in preventing any setbacks or loss of games due to weather, and then move up to Triple-A Columbus at the tail end of it.

If Sizemore has no setbacks on his rehab assignment and all goes well, he could be back in Cleveland sometime in late April to early May.

Crowe hobbled

With Sizemore very likely to open the season on the disabled list it means Austin Kearns will get the lion’s share of playing time in left field and that Michael Brantley will be the everyday centerfielder. It also opens the door for one of Trevor Crowe or Ezequiel Carrera to make the team as the fourth outfielder.

Crowe, 27, looked to be the favorite there, but a rotator cuff strain may shelve him for the start of the season. To make matters worse, the injury setback hurts him as he is running out of time in the organization in that this season is his last option year.

Crowe has underwhelmed since being selected by the organization in the first round of the 2005 Draft out of the University of Arizona. He never really had a consistent season in the minors, and in 190 games the last two seasons in the big leagues with the Indians he has been a poor performer hitting just .246 with three homers, 53 RBI and a .627 OPS during that span.

There is no doubt that Crowe brings the pedigree as a former first round pick, and his speed, versatility, and switch-hitting ability are seen as assets. But his inconsistent performance and lack of any real value as a major league hitter will likely force the organization to make a decision on him at some point this year, be it during the season or early in the off-season.

With Crowe probably now out of the fourth outfielder mix, it means that Carrera and Travis Buck look like the frontrunners to win the spot. Shelley Duncan, Jared Goedert, Chad Huffman, and Jordan Brown are expected to battle for the fifth outfielder and backup first base role this spring.

Indians land four in Top 100

This week Baseball America released their 2011 Top 100 prospects in the minors. The Indians placed four players in the listing with third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall (No. 25), right-handed pitcher Alex White (No. 47), second baseman Jason Kipnis (No. 54), and left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz (No. 61). The Indians are one of just ten organizations in Major League Baseball to have at least four prospects in the Top 100 listing.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has also recently released his Top 100 listing, and the same four players appear in his listing just in a different order: Kipnis (No. 28), Chisenhall (No. 40), Pomeranz (No. 43), and White (No. 71).

International affairs

The Indians continue to sign players year round on the international front. This year they have seen a significant increase of around 25% in their international budget, and they are using that extra money to go out and try to unearth young, talented players in the Pacific Rim and in the Caribbean.

Their 2011 budget is somewhere between $2.5 million to $3.0 million, which is a significant change as just a few years ago they were spending less than $1.5 million internationally. The extra money in the budget is expected to allow them to be bigger players during the International Signing Period this year when it opens up on July 2nd. The Indians have a strong presence in Venezuela, so don't be surprised to see a July 2nd signing or two come out of there.

Goodyear and book

I’ll soon be heading out to Goodyear, Arizona on March 10th and will be out there for close to two weeks. I’ll be providing updates daily on my site at IndiansProspectInsider.com as well as at STOHD.com.

Also, my new 2011 Indians book is now already in its second print run. Thanks again to everyone for all the support. For those interested, you can order the book here on my site through the order form on the upper right side of the page, or you can e-mail me directly to place an order by mail.

The book will soon be available at several retail outlets and team shops. I can confirm that the Cleveland Indians team shop is already on board, and it will soon be at all their team shops including the Goodyear team shop.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Minor success in 2010 is 2011's gain

The Low-A Lake County Captains championship

was one of the big highlights of 2010.

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

With the bringing in of the New Year, it is time to put the 2010 season for the Indians in the past and start to look ahead to the 2011 season. Here are some news, notes, and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

The thrill of victory

As we ring in the New Year, I felt this would be a good opportunity for me to give a little personal commentary about following the minor leagues.

I get many emails and responses via Facebook and Twitter asking why I like to follow the minor leagues so much or why I was so happy for the organization and the players when they won two minor league championships this past season.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, most of what goes on in the minor leagues may not matter and winning league titles or championships doesn’t mean a thing. To a great many, it may not mean a thing whether the Triple-A Columbus Clippers or the Low-A Lake County Captains win a league title.

In the end, however, the only thing that matters is what it means to those players, coaches, team staff, ballpark employees, and devoted fans of those teams. It’s all about perception.

Back in the 90s, I never understood why so many Cleveland Crunch fans held all those indoor soccer league titles to such high esteem. As a snobbish early to mid 20 year old young adult who disliked soccer and was close-minded to only following the Big Three teams in Cleveland, so I didn’t understand.

But I understand now.

As a fan of Ohio State, I would obviously go crazy if the Buckeyes win the National Championship in football, but what about a smaller Division-III school like Mount Union that wins championship after championship?

The comparison is almost the same where a great majority of people in Ohio notice a Buckeyes championship - just like they would if the Cleveland Indians won a World Series – but only a select few notice a Purple Raiders championship in D-III football just like with the Lake County Captains and Columbus Clippers winning minor league championships last year.

To the few who care, it is priceless. It is what sports is really all about as no matter how big or small a following, it all boils down to the chase and that rush a fan gets from winning. Being there on the night Lake County won the championship last year or when Double-A Akron won it in 2009 was a thrilling experience for me. It was something positive to experience in what is often a sea of negatives and disappointment these days with Cleveland sports teams.

The positives and good feeling is all about perception. To a great many, the Captains and Clippers championships go unnoticed. And for a great many of those that do notice, they dispel it as meaningless. But for the few who do follow these teams religiously, it means just as much as anything.

It’s all perception, and how it relates to you, and for that I once again give my congratulations to the Lake County Captains and Columbus Clippers on a job well done last year. I wish them as well as all the minor league teams and the big league team in Cleveland much luck in 2011!

Happy New Year!

Marson to Columbus?

In December the Indians signed catchers Luke Carlin and Paul Phillips to minor league contracts with an invite to big league spring training.

On the surface it looks very much like Carlin and Phillips will serve as a veteran catching duo at Triple-A Columbus this upcoming season to serve as major league catching depth but also to help nurture a young pitching staff there. While Carlos Santana is expected to be ready by the end of spring training and not miss any time, one of them would also immediately become the backup in Cleveland if Santana needs to open the season on the disabled list.

But another possibility exists where the Indians may decide at the end of spring training to option Lou Marson to Columbus to play everyday and keep one of Carlin or Phillips as the backup catcher in Cleveland. At the outset this may sound like a crazy idea, but it would actually make a lot of sense to do for at least the first half of the season.

Sending Marson to Columbus at the start of the season would allow him to get every day at bats, something he is absolutely not going to get in Cleveland with Santana around. Assuming Santana is healthy, he is going to get a large percentage of the time at catcher for the Indians, similar to what Victor Martinez did when he was with the club. As a result, the backup catcher will get few opportunities to play, something seen in the past when Josh Bard and Kelly Shoppach were backups to Martinez.

The Indians may explore playing Santana some at first base and he will likely be the designated hitter at least once a week to give him a breather, but even so it leaves few opportunities for the backup catcher. With a young catcher like Marson who is still developing and refining his game, he needs to get regular playing time in order to make the necessary adjustments he needs to in order to become a more consistent hitter.

When the Indians called up Santana in June last year, they optioned Marson to Columbus in order to allow him consistent playing time. Both were never on the roster at the same time as when Marson was called back up in August it was because Santana had gone on the disabled list with a season ending knee injury. It is possible at least for the first half of the upcoming season the Indians will again prefer that both catchers are not on the big league roster at the same time in order to ensure regular playing time and continued development for both.

The Indians have been down this road before as back in 2004 when Martinez had taken the catching duties full time to start the season and Bard was expected to open the season at then Triple-A Buffalo. An injury ended up sidelining Bard for the first two months of that season and he opened the year on the disabled list. When he came back he spent almost the entire rest of the season in the minors.

The same could happen to Marson this year, though not because of injury, but to finish off his development. He will still only be 24 years old when the season starts, an age most catchers are just scratching the Triple-A level for the first time. He really struggled in the big leagues last year where in 87 games he hit .195 with three homers, 22 RBI, and had a .560 OPS, so he could really benefit from playing everyday at Columbus the first few months of the season to not only gain more confidence and consistency with his bat, but also potentially improve his value to other clubs looking for catching.

In the event the Indians do opt to go the route of sending Marson to Columbus, then who would be the backup catcher in Cleveland?

It would likely be Phillips. He will be 34 years old in April and has played parts of seven seasons in the big leagues as a backup, so he would understand his very limited role as a guy who catches about one game a week. Carlin is 30 years old and brings with him almost the same minor league and major league resume, just he has a lot less experience in the big leagues and Phillips comes highly regarded as a catcher who does a great job handling a pitching staff.

Aviles makes first throw

The Indians drafted right-handed pitcher Robbie Aviles out of high school in the 7th round of the 2010 Draft. He was one of the top talents in all the Northeast sector of the United States, but a ligament tear in his right elbow just days before the draft caused his stock to slide considerably.

Knowing he was injured, the Indians quickly signed Aviles in early July for $150,000 and then he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. It generally takes a player about four to five months before they can start a light throwing program, and that is exactly what he just started doing recently as he got out and threw a ball for the first time on December 15th.

He is still a ways away from getting back up on the mound and throwing bullpens or simulated games, but he made his first official “throws” as an Indian and is on track in his rehab. If he does pitch at all in 2011, it likely will be at the tail end of the season in Arizona with the rookie level team, and more likely will be in the fall Instructional League program.

Winter ball update

The Dominican Winter League season ended a little under two weeks ago, and the Puerto Rico Winter League and Venezuela Winter League both came to a close on Thursday night December 30th, thereby officially ending the winter ball regular season. All that is left is the playoffs in those leagues, but almost all of the Cleveland Indians participating in winter ball have returned home and are done playing.

Only three players really played the final week, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, third baseman Jayson Nix, and infielder Luis Valbuena.

Cabrera faltered down the stretch going just 2-for-24 in his last seven games and finished hitting .252 with one homer and 16 RBI in 27 games. Nix missed about ten days after being hit in the head so he only played in 15 games. He did okay defensively, but his performance at the plate was one to forget about as he hit just .151 with no homers and seven RBI with an awful 2-17 walk to strikeout ratio in 53 at bats. Valbuena played in 53 games and only hit .228 with four homers and 22 RBI, but he had an outstanding 36-26 walk to strikeout ratio and had a .363 on-base percentage.

2011 Indians prospect guide…coming soon

I have been getting a lot of e-mails lately asking if a new book will be made available this year, and to that I can say that I have been working diligently the past few weeks on my new Indians book for 2011. I don’t know yet when it will be available, but at the moment I am targeting the end of January when the finished product will be sent to the publisher for printing. I will have more details in the coming weeks as things become clearer.

For those unaware, each year I publish a book profiling just about every player in the Cleveland Indians system. The book includes detailed scouting reports for their Top 100 players, as well as an additional 60-70 shorter scouting reports for the rest of the players in the system. In addition to that, I include tons of reference material such as upcoming Rule 5 lists, depth charts, schedules, affiliate information, and so on. It is basically a survival guide for every Indians fan to make their way through the upcoming season and know who the players are and what is happening, and is written not just for the extreme diehards but for the casual fans as well.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Indians take a look at Colon



Could Colon be on his way back to the

Indians? (Photo: AP)

 Some news, notes and thoughts from my Tribe notebook…

Will Colon look lead to signing?

The Indians have been very open the entire offseason of letting it be known they want to sign a veteran starter to add to their starting rotation mix. The pickings in free agency are slim not only because the availability of quality starting pitching is scarce, but also because the Indians are shopping with an extremely limited budget this offseason.

The Indians are looking for potential one year fits to help eat innings over the course of the season and ease the burden on what will be a very young and inexperienced pitching staff in 2011. Few options on the free agent market appear to be a fit, but of late the Indians have been connected to right-hander Bartolo Colon.

Colon, 37, pitched for the Indians for six seasons from 1997-2002 going 75-45 with a 3.92 ERA in 162 appearances. Over a nine year span from 1998-2005 he averaged over 200 innings pitched in a season and won 14 or more games eight times. Injuries and weight issues derailed his career in 2006, and after a couple rough years with his last two teams the Boston Red Sox in 2008 and Chicago White Sox in 2009 he was seemingly out of the game for good after no one signed him last offseason.

But apparently Colon is trying to make a comeback.

Colon is currently pitching out in the Dominican Winter League and in six starts there is 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA, and in 35.1 innings has allowed 33 hits, six walks, and has 27 strikeouts. According to league sources, he looks motivated and is in much better shape after losing close to 40 pounds. His fastball is at 90-94 MPH and showing good movement, and he is getting lots of groundballs and showing good strikeout ability.

It should be noted that the Indians scouting of Colon hardly means a signing is imminent. They as well as every other team scout every player at every level all year long. They like other teams have a scouting presence in the offseason winter leagues and are looking for potential fits for their club. Obviously they will scout certain players more heavily than others, but just because the Indians are reportedly scouting a guy don't mistake that as being "interest" in a guy.

If Colon impresses the Indians or another team enough to sign him, expect it to only be to a minor league deal.

Kearns re-signed

On Monday the Indians signed free agent outfielder Austin Kearns to a one year deal for $1.3 million. It is the first guaranteed major league contract the Indians have handed out this offseason, and may be the last.

Kearns, 30, returns to the Indians after spending a majority of the 2010 season with the club. He hit .272 with eight home runs and 42 RBI in 84 games with the Indians last season before being traded to the New York Yankees on July 30th in exchange for right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister. In 36 games with the Yankees he hit .235 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Kearns' signing fills a need for the club in the outfield where they needed a right-handed bat to offset their all left-handed hitting starting outfield of Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Michael Brantley. Last season with the Indians he made 63 starts in left field, 12 in right field and four in centerfield after making the club out of spring training as a non-roster invitee, so he will likely fill their fourth outfielder role and be used primarily against left-handed pitching. He also adds insurance as a stop gap starter in the event Grady Sizemore has a setback and is not ready to play at the start of the season.

To make room on the roster for Kearns the Indians outrighted right-handed pitcher Justin Germano to Triple-A Columbus. He has the option to accept the assignment or elect free agency, and as of this writing has not made a decision.

Indians sign Japanese hurler

Last weekend the Indians signed free agent Japanese right-handed pitcher Toru Murata to a minor league deal. He will not report to big league spring training, and instead should report to early minor league camp in late February.

Murata, 25, is a former number one pick of the Yomiuri Giants in 2007, but was recently released on December 2nd. He never made it to Japan's version of the major leagues, and instead spent three seasons in the minors where he went 2-10 with a 4.56 ERA in 43 appearances. He pitched a total of 96.2 innings and allowed 115 hits, 7 home runs, 42 walks, and had 64 strikeouts.

The Indians and other clubs got a look at Murata last fall when he pitched in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) in 2009. Pitching for Scottsdale he went 1-2 with a 5.73 ERA in nine games, and in 11.0 innings allowed ten hits, three homers, three walks, and had eight strikeouts.

"He is a high profile prospect who pitched in the AFL and showed ability to get future major league hitters out," Indians Director of Scouting John Mirabelli said. "He is still only 25 with upside and we feel our Player Development people can help him get back on track."

Murata is not a big pitcher as he only stands in at 6'0" and is 176 pounds. He throws a low 90s fastball with movement that has touched 92 MPH, and complements it with a slider, curveball, and changeup.

It is not known exactly what level Murata will be placed at to start the season, but it looks like he should open the 2011 season at Double-A Akron due to his age and three years of experience as a professional already under his belt; however, the Indians may initially opt to break him in slowly by having start at High-A Kinston but quickly move him up to Akron by May or June.

Indians earn a Buck

The Indians made another signing on Tuesday when they inked free agent outfielder Travis Buck to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training,

Buck, 27, missed a lot of games last season due to injuries and only played in 14 games at the big league level with Oakland hitting .167 with one home run, two RBI, and a .541 OPS. He also played for Triple-A Sacramento, but played just 32 games there hitting .298 with three homers, 17 RBI, and a .827 OPS.

When he is healthy Buck has proven to be a solid left-handed hitter as in his four year career with Oakland covering 170 games he hit .250 with 18 homers, 71 RBI, and had a .755 OPS. The problem has been keeping him healthy as he has had elbow surgery as well as shin splints, post-concussion syndrome, and shoulder and oblique injuries in the past few seasons.

Buck has little if any chance to make the big league club out of spring training. There is not even a guarantee that he goes to Triple-A Columbus when you consider all of the internal outfield options at the Indians' disposal, though it appears that if he is healthy the Indians will find a spot for him somewhere. If he makes the big league roster, he will make $625,000.

Minor signs

Several former Tribe minor leaguers inked deals with new teams this past week.

Outfielder Brian Barton has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds. Last year he played independent ball in the Atlantic League and hit .346 with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases. The Indians lost him in the 2007 Rule 5 Draft when he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals and they kept him on their 25-man roster the entire 2008 season.

First baseman Michael Aubrey signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. Last year in 102 games at Triple-A Norfolk (Orioles) he hit .235 with 22 homers, 68 RBI, and had a .805 OPS. He was a first round pick of the Indians in 2003 who has battled numerous injuries in his career and was traded to Baltimore in June of 2009 for cash.

Catcher Damaso Espino has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last year in 85 combined games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus he hit .250 with two homers, 31 RBI and had a .613 OPS. The Indians had acquired him back in June of 2008 for cash from the Kansas City Royals.

Winter ball update

The end of the winter ball season is quickly approaching as the Venezuelan Winter League and Puerto Rico Winter League wrap up regular season play next week. A few Indians are still playing, such as shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, third baseman Jayson Nix, outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, and infielder Luis Valbuena.

Last weekend Nix returned from a ten game absence after being hit in the head with a pitch. He is holding his own defensively out in Puerto Rico, but in 12 games played is just 7-for-42 (.167) at the plate.

Cabrera is playing shortstop everyday out in Venezuela to make up for some lost at bats during the 2010 season, and is hitting .280 with one homer, 15 RBI, and a .650 OPS in 24 games.

Valbuena has been a staple in the lineup for his team in Venezuela and has primarily played second base, and is hitting .222 with four homers, 21 RBI, and a .701 OPS in 51 games.

Carrera has been in and out of the lineup of late for his team in Venezuela, and in 41 games is hitting .261 with no homers, 12 RBI and a .681 OPS.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Carmona is not on the trade block

Carmona is a much needed piece of the

puzzle for the Indians in 2011 and

beyond (Photo: AP).

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

Carmona will pitch for Indians in 2011

There has been some buzz created with reports this week that Cleveland Indians right-handed starting pitcher Fausto Carmona may be on the trade block. However, according to sources, those reports are greatly exaggerated and not true.

It’s the nature of the beast at this time of the year where a lot of rumors are fabricated on the assumption that a player is available or that just because a player may eventually be traded in the future, well, then it means he is available now. A great majority of the rumors at this time of the year are half truths and mere speculation written as fact.

The point is that the Indians have absolutely not shopped Carmona around to other teams nor have they given any hints that he may be available. Simply put: Teams are calling the Indians, they listen, and then they politely decline saying Carmona is not available.

Are teams calling the Indians and asking about Carmona? Absolutely. They get phone calls, e-mails, and texts all the time from other teams asking about their players. This is no different for any other team. The Devil Rays probably get calls on David Price all the time, or the Royals have probably fielded tons of calls on Zack Grienke the past few years.

Listening, however, does not mean a team wants to deal a player. Teams listen to what every team has to say in order to gauge the potential market for players in the event that they someday do want to trade them.

The bogus Carmona rumors have surfaced because of the Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez trades in 2009. The Indians dealt them even though they were not free agents after that season as they both were under the Indians’ control in 2010. As a result, the assumption by other media and fans is that the Indians will now trade anyone with more than a year left on their contract.

That assumption is incorrect as the Lee and Martinez trades were a unique circumstance. The Indians still prefer to only trade players in the last year of their contract that they consider unsignable or that they do not plan to bring back the next season. Deals involving players with another full season of control can happen, but should not be expected unless it is one where they think they are filling an immediate need and can afford to lose the player because of depth at the position (ex. Coco Crisp trade).

The Indians know that in order to become a contender again that they have to develop their own starting pitching. It is why they protected the likes of right-handed pitchers Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister this offseason and added them to the 40-man roster. They need all the options they can find in the rotation and need to work through this upcoming season to find the best fit. Trading someone valuable like Carmona who is under team control for the next four seasons works backwards from that belief.

Carmona is in the final year of the guaranteed portion of his seven year deal he signed with the Indians in 2008. He will make $6.1 million in 2011, an absolute bargain considering what he brings to the table as a top of the rotation starter. The Indians have three club options for the next three years that will pay him $7 million in 2012, $9 million in 2013, and $12 million in 2014.

If Carmona continues to pitch as he has, when you consider the cost of just average starting pitching in free agency, he is a bargain the next four years at just under $35 million total. In addition to that his contract is very team friendly as the Indians are not on the hook for anything long term as they essentially will be going year to year with him the next few seasons. If he suffers a serious injury or a big setback with his performance, they are not tied into his contract and can just choose to decline to pick up his club option the following year thereby voiding the rest of the contract at no cost to them.

Since the Indians control Carmona another four seasons, if they ever do decide to shop him it will very likely not be until he gets closer to free agency. If the Indians pick up all of his option years he will become a free agent after the 2014 season. If at that time they consider that he will be hard to resign, then a potential trade could occur sometime after the midpoint of the 2013 season.

Bottom line, the Indians are desperate for starting pitching. While Carmona has been somewhat inconsistent, when he is on he is one of the better pitchers in the game. Why would they trade an innings eating workhorse who has the stuff to dominate when he is under control the next four years at a bargain? Especially when the plan is to contend again in 2012?

Not to mention if you trade Carmona what little fans remain will jump ship. The organization is already taking on a lot of water and fans are losing interest. A trade involving anyone like Carmona or Shin-Soo Choo for that matter at this point could be the iceberg that sinks them for good.

You can never say never in this game, but Carmona is about as available as David Price in Tampa. Or Tim Lincecum in San Francisco. Unless a king’s ransom is sent for any of those players they are not being dealt.

No matter what the rumors say the only thing that would prevent Carmona from being the opening day starter in 2011 for the Indians would be an injury. Otherwise, expect another year of Carmona pitching for the Cleveland Indians on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Remembering Feller

The Indians lost a legend on Wednesday night as hall of fame right-handed pitcher Bob Feller passed away. He was 92 years old and had recently been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

Feller started 484 games in his career for the Indians, winning 266 of them, and had a lifetime 3.25 ERA. In his career he threw three no-hitters (including the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history on April 16, 1940), 12 one-hitters and 44 career shutouts.

Feller spent all 18 of his seasons in the big leagues with the Indians, something you rarely see anymore in the modern era of sports. He was a key member of the 1948 team which is the last Indian team to win a World Series. Since retiring after the 1956 season he was an ambassador for everything that is Cleveland Indians baseball by participating in the Indians fantasy camp for years and routinely showing up at games during the regular season as well as in spring training.

Feller’s greatest contribution came off the baseball field as the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 he enlisted in the United States Navy and put his Major League playing career on hiatus for four years while he served his country. When asked over the years what his greatest victory was he would always say, “World War II.”

I’ve only been able to see Feller pitch in old movies and highlight reels you see played on TV, but he is unquestionably the greatest Cleveland Indian ever and arguably the greatest right-handed pitcher in the history of the game.

Indians owner Larry Dolan summed it all up best in his statement this week after Feller’s passing: “Bob will be with us always. Not at Opening Day, not at Fantasy Camp, not in the Press Box, but in our hearts. We in Cleveland have been blessed to have had him with us these many years. We will never let his memory pass.”

Kinston sold, moving to Zebulon

In an out of nowhere announcement on Thursday the Cleveland Indians High-A affiliate in Kinston, North Carolina has been sold to the Carolina Mudcats. As part of the sale the old Mudcats team was sold and will move to Pensacola, Florida while Kinston will move to the Mudcats’ home in Zebulon, North Carolina and take Kinston’s spot in the Carolina League beginning in 2012.

The Indians new home in 2012 in Zebulon (suburb of Raleigh) will come with significant improvements to the facilities and fan support they saw in Kinston. Zebulon’s Five County Stadium is a state-of-the-art 6,500 seat ballpark built to Triple-A standards and will become the second largest ballpark in the Carolina League. Kinston averaged just 1,799 fans a game compared to Carolina who averaged 3,811 in 2010.

The sale and move is quite convoluted and complex, but in a nutshell Carolina sold their team because of transportation difficulties while Kinston was sold because of revenue problems.

Carolina currently plays in the Double-A Southern League but have often complained of transportation difficulties because they are the northern most affiliate in the league and are over 500 miles away from over half of the other teams in the league. In contrast, every team in the Carolina League is less than 500 miles away from Carolina, so the travel arrangements work much better for them.

The 2011 season will mark the final season with Kinston as an affiliate for the Cleveland Indians, a partnership which has been in effect since 1987. Kinston reportedly will try and lure another team to play in their town, but the chances of that appear slim. Not only are they the smallest city with affiliated baseball and have an old facility, but so many other variables have to work just right in order for them to land a team. There is talk of possible expansion in 2012, but is still considered a long shot at this stage.

Indians sign Everett

On Thursday the Indians added another option to their infield in 2011 when they signed infielder Adam Everett to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training. In his ten year career he owns a .243 batting average with 40 homers and 282 RBI.

Everett, 33, is at the tail end of a career which has been in decline for the past few seasons. He only hit .185 with no home runs and four RBI in 31 games last year for Detroit. He is considered a defensive specialist, which is where his value mostly lies. The Indians will give him a shot this spring to stick with the club as the utility player off the bench and serve as the backup at shortstop to Asdrubal Cabrera.

Parting Shots

Former corner utility player Chris Gimenez has signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Indians had removed him from the 40-man roster this offseason thereby making him a free agent. … According to reports, Indians minor league field coordinator Dave Hudgens will be leaving the organization to be the big league hitting coach for the New York Mets. The move is not yet official, though is expected to be announced Monday or Tuesday. … Infielder Jayson Nix has not played out in Puerto Rico since he was hit by a pitch on December 8th. He is day to day and is expected back in the lineup soon. … I am in the middle of completing the 2011 Indians prospect book, my fourth prospect book. I will have a more detailed update after the Holidays, but to those who have been asking (or wondering), expect it to be available sometime in January. … Finally, I want to wish all the loyal readers and Indians fans out there a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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

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Tribe Happenings: Indians’ Winter Ball Season Winds Down

Nix is playing third base in
Puerto Rico (Photo: AP).

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

Home Sweet Home

There are only about three weeks left in the winter ball season and most of the Indians have already gone home. Recently infielder Jared Goedert returned home from Venezuela and right-handed pitcher Josh Judy returned home from the Dominican Republic, and two more Indians have since returned home as first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride and outfielder Nick Weglarz both left their respective winter league clubs last week.

McBride, 25, put on an impressive showing in the Dominican Winter League hitting .282 with 8 homers, 26 RBI and a .899 OPS in 28 games. He split time between first base, left field and right field, and when he left he was in the top two in the league in both home runs and RBI. The performance piggybacked a solid 2010 season where in 127 combined games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus he hit .279 with 21 homers, 75 RBI and a .814 OPS. He is eligible to be picked up in the Rule 5 Draft this Thursday, and his versatility at first base, corner outfield and even catcher to go along with his power may create some interest in him.

Weglarz, 22, had recently gone out to Venezuela to make up some time after he missed the last month and a half of the season at Triple-A Columbus because of a thumb injury. He played in four games in Venezuela and went 3-for-12 at the plate with four walks, but injured his back when he collided with the shortstop chasing down a short fly ball in left field. While it was just a minor injury, he and the Indians felt it best to not risk anything so he was shut down and he returned home. He is already working out with a personal trainer in Canada and began a running and lifting program on Monday. He is expected to head out to the Goodyear complex in Arizona in early January to get ready for the season.

Just Getting Started

While several players have already gone home there are some players just getting going in winter ball.

Infielder Jayson Nix made his winter debut out in Puerto Rico on Wednesday where he will be playing third base on a daily basis. In three games he is 1-for-13 at the plate and has committed one error in the field. He is the favorite to be the starting third baseman on opening day and the Indians want to give him some extra experience there this offseason as well as get a few more looks at him there to see to see how he handles the position.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera started playing for his team in Venezuela last weekend and in seven games is 5-for-25 at the plate with four RBI. He is playing winter ball to help make up for the two months he lost during the season because of a broken forearm.

The Dream Rotation

Oh, what could have been.

Earlier this week I provided some detailed information in an article on the dealings between Tim Lincecum and the Indians and how he almost became an Indian. Had the Indians signed him after taking him in the 42nd round of the 2005 Draft out of the University of Washington, he could have teamed up with C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee to form a very formidable rotation for years.

Now, to be fair here, the reason why Lincecum slid to the 42nd round is because he was deemed unsignable with a $2 million price tag and was still in a lot of ways an unknown commodity in the scouting industry. He ended up slashing that asking price in half after the draft, but in the end the Indians and Lincecum were never able to reach an agreement and he went back to school for his junior season and then was a 1st round pick of the Giants in 2006.

But had Lincecum signed, his midseason arrival in 2007 would have made for one of the greatest starting pitching rotations of all time in Cleveland, rivaling those great late 40s and early 50s rotations that had Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, and Mike Garcia. A young Lincecum being added to the rotation in 2007 may have been the difference needed to vault past the Red Sox in the ALCS and win a World Series that year.

With all three of Lincecum, Sabathia, and Lee pitching at Cy Young levels in 2008 and beyond, it makes you wonder “what if”.

Obviously keeping all three in this day and age would have been nearly impossible, as if the same market conditions today were present back in the 40s and 50s, guys like Feller would have left the Indians in their prime for greener pastures. We all know Sabathia signed with the New York Yankees for seven years at $161 million ($23 million per year) and that Cliff Lee is likely to get close to the same deal somewhere this offseason. Lincecum is still three years away from free agency, but will make at least $13 million next season.

All totaled up, the three would cost about $70 million alone in payroll in 2012, which is obviously too rich for mid and smaller market teams like the Indians with limited revenues, especially when you have 22 other spots on the 25-man roster to fill. Of course, one could argue that with that kind of staff you would need very little offense (look at the San Francisco Giants this year for example), and with a strong farm system and making well timed acquisitions via free agency that the rest of the 25-man roster could be put together rather cheaply.

Yes, what could have been, to have three of the four or five best pitchers in the game, here, in Cleveland, and in their prime.

Of course what else did you expect, this is the kind of stuff that only happens in Cleveland.

Smith, Lewis Back In Fold

Just before the midnight filing deadline on Thursday night the Indians came to terms on one year deals for right-handed relievers Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis. For the 2011 season Smith will earn $870,000 and Lewis will make $650,000.

Smith, 26, went 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA in 53 relief appearances for the Indians last season. Lewis, also 26, went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 37 relief appearances for the Indians last season as well. Had either player not been signed by the filing deadline, they would have likely been non-tendered and would have become a free agent. Both are expected to be in the Indians’ opening day bullpen next season.

The Indians also offered arbitration to their four other arbitration eligible players Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez and Rafael Perez. The Indians have not gone to arbitration since 1991 when they did so with Greg Swindell. They will try to keep that streak alive this offseason, though Choo could be the biggest obstacle considering Scott Boras is his agent.

40-man Blues

With all of the excitement that goes into the player selection process for those young minor league players who get added to a Major League 40-man roster in November, there is a sinking feeling and a lot of disappointment for those who are removed.

Fans often do not lose any sleep over players removed from the 40-man roster because the player was likely not very good, had maxed out his potential as a big leaguer, or was a complete unknown. But to the player, it means everything as that chance to make it and stay relevant in the big leagues takes a serious blow and their future in the game is put in considerable doubt.

"I have nobody to blame but myself as I did it to myself,” said Chris Gimenez in an interview earlier in the year for IndiansProspectInsider.com when asked about being removed from the 40-man roster last offseason. “Now the hard work starts as I did all this stuff to get there, now I have to put it all in play and just bust my [butt]. But it’s a sucky situation. I know it is a tough decision too and a lot comes into play, so I am okay with it and understand it as the Indians are trying to make the organization better."

Being on the 40-man roster means a player has a chance, which is all any minor leaguer wants. Yes, players will get added to the 40-man roster all the time during the season, but for a lot of the players who are on the roster in the offseason they know they have better job security and are considered an option for the big league team going into the season.

"I find myself thinking back on it and you start to say to yourself 'what if I never get back to the big leagues again’," pondered Gimenez. “That little taste is just enough, and that's all I want to do is go back."

Minor Pickups

The Indians announced some minor signings this week as they re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Late Friday they also came to terms on a minor league deal for infielder Jack Hannahan.

Hannahan, 30, played for the Seattle Mariners last year and in 290 career games in the big leagues is a .224 hitter with 16 homers, 90 RBI and a .658 OPS. Obviously he is not much of a hitter, but he is considered a good, versatile defender who can play third base, second base, and some first base. He will be in the mix for the starting third base job for the Indians this spring, but if he makes the team it will likely be as a bench player.

Carlin, 29, has played in just 52 big league games where he has a .175 average with 3 homers, 10 RBI and a .553 OPS. He has spent most of his career in the minor leagues where in his nine year minor league career he is a .252 hitter with 22 homers, 199 RBI and a .709 OPS. He will participate in big league spring training, but assuming Carlos Santana and Lou Marson are both in Cleveland to start the year, he will open the 2011 season as the starter or backup catcher at Triple-A Columbus.

Parting Shots

The Indians had some interest in infielder Dan Uggla who was recently traded from the Florida Marlins to the Atlanta Braves on November 16th, but the cost was too steep for them to seriously consider more actively trying to acquire him. … The Andy Marte Era has officially ended in Cleveland as he signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week. The signing puts to an end a very disappointing five year career in Cleveland from 2006-2010 where in 277 games he hit .224 with 20 homers, 90 RBI and a .650 OPS. … The Rule 5 Draft is this coming Thursday December 9th. I will have lots of updates leading up to it on my site so be sure to check back often throughout the week.

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

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