A Look Back: The 2009 Columbus Clippers

Editor's Note:  This is the first post (a very good one I may add) from new site writer "Charlie", who will be following and writing about the Indians Triple-A affiliate Columbus on the site.  Thanks again to Charlie and all the others who have come on board to the IPI recently.

Pre-season expectations were reasonably optimistic for the Columbus Clippers 2009 squad for a variety of reasons. The Opening Day lineup sported the 3rd, 10th, 12th, 16th, 17th, and 20th rated prospects in the 2009 IPI rankings and the organization was rated as the 7th best according to Baseball America's organizational talent rankings. Add in an organizational philosophy of acquiring cheap veterans to be stashed in AAA and called upon when needed, and you have a pretty high talent-level for an International League team.

In addition to the upper-level prospects and presence of veterans littered throughout the core of the team, there were guys like Matt LaPorta and Trevor Crowe who figured to spend time shuttling up and down I-71 to provide month-long infusions of talent. From a position-player standpoint, the Clippers looked like they were going to score some runs.

However, like every AAA club in baseball, the most fluid thing on the team was going to be the pitching staff, and like every level of baseball pitching is going to heavily determine a team's success. Heading into the 2009 season, the Cleveland Indians starting rotation consisted of Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona, Carl Pavano, Scott Lewis, and Anthony Reyes. This left David Huff and Aaron Laffey as ready-to-go prospects being stowed in AAA and players like Kirk Saarloos and Tomo Ohka as veterans that were there when the big league club had the need. No, these guys weren't going to throw shutouts on a nightly basis, but they figured to be steady and keep their team in the game every night out. Couple this setup with the 4th, 14th and 16th rated prospects in the bullpen and things started to look pretty good when it came to run-prevention.

But much like the parent club, things fell apart for the Clippers pretty quickly. Though the Clippers won their first game, they followed in Papa Tribe's footsteps soon thereafter and lost four of the next five. As injuries began devastating the big league team, the Clippers suffered as their ranks were drained. The team fell to 11-18 as the litany of starters during Cleveland's swoon and Columbus' corresponding AAA-sputtering included: Ohka, Saarlos, Jeremy Sowers, Jack Cassel, David Huff, Zach Jackson, and Greg Aquino, not exactly the solid five-man rotation you would hope for with a AAA team.  On top of this, the potentially dominant bullpen never developed due to Adam Miller's injury, Tony Sipp's big league promotion and John Meloan's inclusion in a trade for Winston Abreu.

Despite all of these setbacks, a hot offense led by Andy Marte, Jordan Brown and Michael Aubrey brought the Clippers back to 31-30 with a win over their opening day victims: the poorly named Bats, in a 2-1 victory. Unfortuantely, this would be the last time they would sniff a .500 record.

The 2009 Columbus Clippers finished the season at 57-85, twenty-seven games out of first in the West. Much like the Indians, the Clippers could score with pretty much anyone, but couldn't stop anyone from scoring themselves. They had a top five offense in nearly every category, but had the worst staff in the league by a wide margin, allowing 46 more runs than the second worst team. Despite this, the Clippers pythag record projected them to win six more games than they actually did, and a good look at the trees doesn't make the forest that was the Clippers 2009 season seem so bad.

One thing that simply can't be overlooked is the organizational remodeling that occurred at every level. With every piece the Indians traded out at the Major League level, one had to be drawn from the minors. Yes, the most talent departed from the Major League level with Lee, Victor Martinez, Ryan Garko, Ben Francisco and Rafael Betancourt all being dealt, but the replacements for the guys replacing the departed stars weren't in AAA for a reason. Clearly, the Clippers were most heavily drawn upon and the big league need was immediate. We are talking about last-minute buses and flights for AAA guys that were being pressed into service that same night because the Indians needed a 25th man on the roster.

By the time the rebuilding storm was over the 2009 Clippers had been beaten beyond repair. They limped to a 10-27 record in August and September. Their horrible pitching numbers were made even worse by allowing 220 runs over those final 37 games, which if extended over a full season, would have put them on pace for 844 runs allowed rather than 731.

A huge bright spot for the 2009 Clippers was the outbreak of two players whom prospect status had begun to dim: Jordan Brown won the IL batting title by hitting .336 and slugging .532 to finish third in the league. Andy Marte out OPS-ed Brown by hitting at a .327/.369/.593 clip over 300 at bats and falling just short of the plate appearance minimum to qualify for the leaderboard in the IL. However, like all things Cleveland Indians-organization related in 2009, there was a catch. Marte was out of options and still clearly hadn't won the trust of soon-to-be-axed big league skipper Eric Wedge, and Brown was (in this fan's opinion) snubbed at roster expansion time when Niuman Romero got the call instead.

You have to look pretty hard to find an unblemished success story come out of Columbus, but they are there. One of the most promising things has got to be the graduation of guys like Tony Sipp, Matt LaPorta, Luis Valbuena, and Michael Brantley who appear to be big-league fixtures for the foreseeable future and the establishment of youngsters like Hector Rondon who got his AAA feet wet at the age of 22 and should be poised to get a cup of coffee with the Tribe in 2010. This crucial step in the development of young players cannot be understated for a team with the resources of the Indians. It would be great if we had a whole organization of talent's like Cabrera who only assemble a season's worth of at bats at AAA over their entire minor league career and graduate to the Majors without looking back, but that is the exception to the rule.

The Clippers mean to win every game and have a beautiful ball park, a dedicated front office led by Ken Schnacke, and a team filled with passionate young players trying desperately to fight their way on to the big league roster. All of these things lend themselves to the great organization that is the Clippers, but none of them necessarily lead to on-field success. Between an organization that was devoid of upper-level elite pitching talent until the big league trading deadline, a parent club that was destroyed by injuries and inconsistent performance and a constantly shifting lineup that was drained to fill the Indians with warm bodies, the Clippers stood little chance at having a pretty win-loss tally come season's end.

Despite all these things, the Clippers completed their main goal for 2009: they provided the Indians with a shelter for their assets, gave them flexibility with their injured players, hedged against their uneven performance and got the organization through a tough season. All eyes are on 2011 for the big league club to jump back into contention as all the pieces start to lineup for a two-year horizon, and this can mean only good things for the 2010 Clippers.

Read More

Minor Happenings: Espino In The Zone

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

This is the third installment of three planned Minor Happenings articles this week. Part 1 touched on the recent trade acquisitions and their debuts, and Part 2 touched on more of the noteworthy news in the system.

For those wondering, I will be in Lake County on Wednesday to see the organizational debut of right-hander Jason Knapp, though this is subject to change if his start is moved up to Tuesday or back to Thursday. Either way, I am going to the game he pitches. I will also be in Mahoning Valley mid-week depending on what day Knapp ends up pitching. If he goes as scheduled on Wednesday, I will be in Mahoning Valley on Tuesday night.

Onto the Happenings....

Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for July)

Andy Marte (Third Baseman - Columbus)
.385 AVG (30-78), 20 R, 11 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 9 BB, 13 K, .448 OBP, .872 SLG

For the month of July third baseman Andy Marte was red hot, which might be the understatement of the season. He pounded out an incredible 20 extra base hits and put up a .872 slugging percentage, and on top of that hit a blistering .385. He was as good as he has ever been in the four years in the Indians system, and he parlayed that into a second chance with the Indians (or third, depending on how you look at it) when his contract was purchased and he was added to the big league roster at the end of July when Ryan Garko was traded. Marte for all intents and purposes is done in the Indians minor league system and will never play another inning there as he can't be optioned back and if he is DFAed he'll be picked up or elect free agency. In any case, he finishes his 2009 season at Triple-A Columbus hitting .327 with 18 HR, 66 RBI and a .963 OPS in 82 games.

Aside from Marte, there were a ton of strong performances among Indians prospects for the month of July, so many that several players who hit well over .300 are not even listed in the honorable mentions this month because of so many players having outstanding months at the plate and on the mound. Triple-A first baseman Jordan Brown had another stellar month hitting .364 with a 1.043 OPS and played 17 of his 21 games in the outfield (1 at 1B, 3 as DH). Double-A catcher Carlos Santana was the runner-up to Marte for Player of the Month consideration with unbelievable production numbers with eight homers and 29 RBI. Also, several of the Indians second level pitching prospects like lefties Ryan Edell and Russell Young and righty Marty Popham all had outstanding months.

Of particular interest is the performance for the month of the hitters out in rookie-level Arizona, namely third baseman Jesus Brito, first baseman Chris Kersten, and catcher Roberto Perez. These are three guys to definitely put on the long term radar and are interesting to watch going forward, though one caveat with some of the ridiculous numbers being put up by these guys and other Tribe hitters in the Arizona League is it really looks like it is a hitter's league. The Indians old rookie-level home in the Gulf Coast League has a 3.48 league ERA this season while the Arizona League this season has a 4.43 league ERA. This follows suit with last season with the Gulf Coast League having a 3.76 ERA and the Arizona League a 4.34 ERA. Still, it's always fun to see some success at the plate for hitters at the lower levels, and in the coming weeks I will have more on some of these guys in the Arizona League and even the Dominican Summer League.

Honorable Mentions:

Jordan Brown (OF/1B - Columbus): .364 AVG (28-77), 15 R, 10 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 10 BB, 8 K, 1.043 OPS
Carlos Santana (C - Akron): .311 AVG (28-90), 17 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 10 BB, 22 K, 1.015 OPS
Ryan Edell (LHP - Akron): 1-1, 6 games, 2.38 ERA, 34.0 IP, 30 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 35 K, 1.03 WHIP, .234 BAA
Russell Young (LHP - Kinston): 2-2, 6 games. 1.80 ERA, 40.0 IP, 37 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 25 K, 1.03 WHIP, .247 BAA
Steve Smith (RHP - Lake County): 0-0, 9 games, 0.00 ERA, 5 saves, 10.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 0.50 WHIP, .139 BAA
Marty Popham (RHP - Mahoning Vy): 3-1, 6 games, 1.59 ERA, 34.0 IP, 27 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 46 K, 0.94 WHIP, .214 BAA
Vidal Nuno (LHP - Mahoning Vy): 2-0, 7 games, 1.14 ERA, 23.2 IP, 16 H, 3 ER, 8 BB, 22 K, 1.01 WHIP, .188 BAA
Jesus Brito (3B - AZL Indians): .418 AVG (38-91), 29 R, 10 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 11 BB, 18 K, 1.228 OPS
Chris Kersten (1B - AZL Indians): .422 AVG (35-80), 21 R, 13 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 5 BB, 19 K, 1.142 OPS
Roberto Perez (C - AZL Indians): .355 AVG (27-76), 16 R, 7 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 10 BB, 12 K, .964 OPS
Jesus Aguilar (3B - DSL Indians): .300 (27-90), 17 R, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 12 BB, 14 K, .894 OPS

Previous Winners:

June: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
May: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
April: Matt McBride (1B/OF - Kinston)

Coaches Corner: Greg Hibbard

While I was out checking out High-A Kinston the past two weeks I not only had a chance to talk to a lot of players, but I also had a chance to sit down and talk with a lot of scouts and coaches at length and talk about the players. Here is a conversation I had with Kinston Pitching Coach Greg Hibbard on several of the members of his pitching staff:

On Scott Barnes: "You know, just on first look and seeing him for the first time and not knowing anything about him as I really did not get any advance notice on what we were going to see I was very impressed. Just from his mound presence that he showed, the maturity of taking control of what he wanted to do. He took control of the infield which was really good to see as far as when there was a left-hander up he would look over at the first baseman and say 'hey I will get over' or whatever. Those are some veteran type things you like to see out of a young kid. Just watching his bullpen before the game it was very distinct and focused in what he was trying to do. When you just talk about stuff, he commands a fastball, breaking ball and a changeup so he has confidence in all three. He really likes to use his fastball which is good to see, and I thought he did a good job commanding it down in the zone to both sides of the plate to both left-handed and right-handed hitters and pitched in to both guys. Then he also showed a behind in the count ability to throw offspeed, so these are some things you like to see in a young kid if he can do it. After the fact he struggled in the one inning he came back and put up two easy zeroes which is another thing you like to see a kid bounce back from. It's all about him right now. It's just sit back and watch what he can do. Apparently, he is doing some things right that is allowing him to pitch deep into games. Right now would not be a good idea to give him too much information about this league or the hitters. If he comes to me and asks me about certain guys we may give him some information on that, and I feel like he is ready for that. I feel like if he asks me about a guy in the lineup he can execute our gameplan."

On Eric Berger: "He still has a couple limitations that are kind of glaring. Controlling the running game is something he has done a better job at. His times to the plate and his comfort level when he has runners on base have gotten better. But it is just his move to first and when he throws over and some things like that that needs to be tightened up. And that is not really a drastic thing for us right now that needs to be changed or worked on as much as maybe some of his secondary stuff. Like getting better with his changeup which he has done a great job with and it now has actually become more of a weapon. His fastball command has definitely improved from day one of the season to now. His breaking ball needs to improve a little bit more I think. Just the overall command of it, using it as a lead strike and in fastball counts from time to time, or when he has to make it to put a guy away it is very crucial for him to be able to execute the pitch and right now it is still a little bit inconsistent. I think it is definitely improved. He is such a competitor that I feel like he gets away with maybe a lack of stuff sometimes because he competes so well."

On Russell Young: "He is a very interesting guy. His stuff is about average, but he has a good feel for a changeup and his curveball is not really a put away pitch but he likes to throw it and he will throw it for strikes and throw it in any count. Fastball command is pretty good and he keeps it down and pitches it to both sides of the plate. More than anything I feel like he has really learned to pitch with his stuff and not try to be somebody that he is not. Sometimes I think we get caught up in trying to be maybe a power guy when we are averaging 87-88 on our fastball. I just feel like he pitches to contact and relies on his defense a lot. I think he has done a really good job with that in his last seven to eight starts. Doing that I believe it has allowed for him to be more of a high level guy if he can do that at each level. Unfortunately, as you go to the next level they will figure it out quicker, but his stuff is improving. He knows that his breaking ball needs to get a little more consistent and his changeup needs to improve. He knows that fastball command is a big part of pitching. He is a very good evaluator and I think he is very honest with himself, and I think he is doing a really good job of working on the limitations are in front of him right now."

On Paolo Espino: "He reminds me a lot of a Russell Young. They both are kind of similar. Paolo knows what he has to do to get outs, and I feel like when he gets in trouble is when he pitches away from contact. He has got to be a guy who makes them put the ball in play early in the game or early in counts, and he has to throw his breaking ball for strikes. Here of late he has done a better job of that in his past few outings. In his defense he did have a little bit of arm fatigue [a few weeks back], and there for about three starts in a row his command kind of left him a little bit. When your arm is tired you just feel like you have to do a little extra and the next thing you know you are missing up with the fastball and not locating as well. So we have him back on track a little bit and gave his arm a little breather and we missed some sides and it has kind of given him a little boost of energy in the way he is throwing and he actually feels better. In his last couple of outings he has done a better job of using his changeup. He throws kind of a split-changeup and he is using it in fastball counts of 1-0 and 1-1, so he is not as predictable when he is throwing his fastball. If he had a little two-seam action that would be helpful for him, but right now it is not something he is worried about because he has the split-change that he throws to contact."

On Alexander Perez: "I see a very mature guy. Right off the bat I was very impressed with the way he carried himself in bullpen sessions and in game settings. There are some little things that he needs to tighten up a little bit with just his mannerisms as far as being overconfident. I think that kind of relays its way into him being a very cocky guy, which he is not as he is just very confident. So we are trying to channel that in the right direction. He kind of walks on the field and walks off the field, and he is just very laid back. That is just his personality, and he doesn't mean anything by the way he acts it is just something we need to tighten up a little bit. Having said that, he is a strike-throwing pitcher and he has command of three pitches. He likes to throw his fastball and has an above average curveball. His changeup I believe is average to above also, as he likes to throw it, is not afraid to double up, and is not afraid to throw it over the plate. When you have confidence that kind of stuff will happen. The fastball usage he is very aware of and concerned about it. After a game he will come in and ask what his percentage of fastballs was. I feel like if you attacked hitters with your stuff and you kind of pitched your way through the game and got outs and you are at 60-65% then that is perfect. One game he was 58% and he was a little cautious of why it was a little low, not really as I feel like he pitched well with his stuff. He just needs to understand that it is so easy for him to get caught up in using his secondary stuff because it is so good. At this level it is easy to get people out when you have a good breaking ball. We are trying to teach him how to be able to pitch at the higher levels where you have to use your fastball. He has a little bit of deception in the way he throws. He is kind of very soft when he breaks his hands and leaves the rubber and then all of a sudden has a very fast arm. That's very good for a changeup. I think his changeup is just okay as far as action, but his arm action is so good that it fools the hitter right out of the hand that it gets them out on their front foot. I think his changeup is going to improve over the next year or so also, it is just right now he is learning how to use it."

On Bryce Stowell: "We are piggybacking him and McGuire both basically to allow him to have his work day, and it keeps his innings at bay and his pitch count down. He is built up to 70-75 pitches, but only letting him work once every five days so far has been good for him. He is also getting that work day where he is getting a 40-pitch side inside the five day routine. I really like the way he is bouncing back, his side days are 100%, and he gets after it pretty good. He is just kind of raw with what he is working on as far as his delivery goes and his arm slot. There are a couple things he is trying to solidify right now as his breaking ball and changeup needs a little work. But he definitely has a fast arm, and he likes to pitch. He is very aggressive and goes after hitters and does not run away from contact, and that's kind of the guy you want to see. "It is such a feel pitch, that to me things can change that feel. Giving up hits, giving up runs, being afraid to throw it can change the way you throw it with conviction. I think right now he is not sure what to trust when he throws it in a game. He can do some things on the side when he throws it, but when he gets in a game it is not there. It probably is just a confidence thing right now and it is just going to take some time the more he throws it. It might be where we start making him throw it ten times a game, and he has got to use it strictly as an out pitch. Unfortunately it might hurt the team because he is using his third best pitch to get outs, but it is about development and it is about him getting better. Like I said, it is just such a feel pitch that he has got to throw it in game settings."

On C.C. Lee: "We are trying to solidify [his arm slot]. It is kind of like pulling teeth to get him to believe where his slot should be. We'd like to see him kind of at a low three-quarter, I mean he is a side-to-side guy, but he needs to keep his hand above his arm a little bit and stay on top of the baseball. He has such a power arm that when he flies open his elbow will drop and he gets underneath the ball and everything kind of works uphill and he does not create much angle. He is not a real tall guy, so if he loses that arm slot and gets low it gets even lower. His breaking ball is also going to benefit from having a better arm slot. Here of late I think he has thrown the ball the best here in the last eight or ten outings. He has been more consistent, and I think he had just one outing where he struggled a little bit. But he has definitely shown a better breaking ball. We threw a little light side yesterday and hopefully tonight we are going to throw some split changes and start mixing that pitch in a little more to both left and right-handed hitters as I just want him to throw it in a game and just get some confidence in it. It can be a groundball pitch for him and that is something he is going to need."

On Dallas Cawiezell: "He is right over the top and he comes in with a lot of confidence. He throws the ball over the plate. He will give up a couple hits, but he does not run away from his fastball. We are just getting him to believe that he has to pitch inside a little more. He throws kind of a fork-split and we are trying to get him to throw that a little harder. It gets to where it is a little loopy and an early see out of his hand. We are trying to make that a little bit more of a power pitch. It has been in the 77-78 MPH range and we are trying to get it in the 81-84 MPH range just to create some later depth and some later sink. But he is definitely an interesting guy. He is a big body who is very durable. I feel like we have worn him out, but he just keeps wanting more. That's the kind of guys you want in the pen."

The Meloan Saga

Boy, has the career of former Indians right-handed pitching prospect John Meloan unraveled this year. Going into the season as a reliever on the Indians 40-man roster, he was considered major league bullpen depth that the Indians would be able to turn to at some point this season when a need arose. As the season progressed and the Indians need was obvious for relievers, he never got the call and instead eight or nine other pitchers at Triple-A Columbus were summoned. In fact, several of the pitchers the Indians turned to instead of Meloan were guys they picked up off the waiver wire during the season.

Then on July 2nd the Indians completed a then curious trade sending Meloan to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-hander Winston Abreu. It left many Indians fans puzzled on why they would "dump" a seemingly promising arm for nothing. Well, the reasoning behind the trade centered around the idea that the Indians were just ready to move on without him and also were planning many upcoming roster moves where he would likely be designated for assignment anyway, whether later in the month or this coming offseason. Over the course of the season the Indians became very disinterested with Meloan as he had problems working through some delivery issues and really since joining the Indians organization last July his performance was not very good in games and in side work.

The Indians then went and designated Abreu for assignment on August 1st. He cleared waivers, but instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus he elected to become a free agent. Then get this, he resigned with Tampa Bay on Thursday and then the next day (Friday) Tampa Bay designated Meloan for assignment after they picked up catcher Greg Zaun in a trade with Baltimore. Tampa now has ten days to release, trade or outright Meloan to the minors. If absolutely no one bites on him in a waiver claim - in which they would have to insert him onto their 40-man roster - it is a clear sign of how far his value has fallen. You can get on the Indians for dumping a guy, but when a second team dumps the same guy and then no one else wants him, that's pretty damning.

I don't know if the Meloan deal will ever truly make sense to the diehards, but bottom line it has been surprising to learn over the past month that he is not as valued in baseball as originally thought. When I talked to him and Columbus Pitching Coach Torey Lovullo literally less than a week before getting traded I did not get the sense there were any attitude problems or other issues outside the lines which affected his standing, though sometimes the player and team can hide these issues well. In any case, this should pretty much close the door on Meloan's story with the Indians. He seemed like a down to earth and quiet guy, and I wish him the best as he goes through what I am sure is a very troubling, confusing time for him. All this shows is how hard it really is to get to the big leagues.

Espino In The Zone

One particular prospect in the system who has bounced back well from a down year least season is High-A Kinston right-hander Paolo Espino. In an injury riddled season last year, in 26 combined appearances between Kinston and Low-A Lake County he went 2-2 with a 5.54 ERA (66.2 IP, 74 H, 23 BB, 68 K). This season he has bounced back and in 22 combined appearances between Lake County, Kinston and Double-A Akron he is 5-8 with a 3.56 ERA, but where he has really flourished is in the Kinston rotation where in 16 starts he is 3-6 with a 3.08 ERA (84.2 IP, 64 H, 21 BB, 67 K).

Espino's last four starts have been awesome in that he has pitched 28.1 innings and allowed just 5 runs (1.59 ERA) on 12 hits, 2 walks, and has 24 strikeouts. On Wednesday night he had his best outing of the season when he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before finally allowing a home run (the only hit and run for the opposition in the game) with one out in the eighth. On the night, he threw 92 pitches, gave up one hit, one run, one walk, had six strikeouts, and recorded 14 fly ball outs to just two groundball outs. The best news is his performance came in front of Farm Director Ross Atkins and a few Indians staff members who have been in Kinston the past week to watch the team play.

Espino's return to form is largely the result of him being healthy as he had some arm issues he battled through last year which slowed him down. He has also gotten much better at keeping the ball on the plate and attacking hitters with his fastball while effectively mixing in his offspeed pitches. His curveball already was a plus pitch, but he has tightened it up to where it is getting some much sharper break at the end through the strike zone resulting in more swing and misses or poorly timed swings. The development of his pitches and approach is a sign he is maturing and learning how to pitch, and he is now back on the radar and could be a useful relief prospect for the Indians down the road.

Johnny Be Good

Triple-A left-hander Chuck Lofgren gets a lot of pub for his comeback season, but another guy who is having a very good year and has resurrected his prospect status somewhat is Double-A Akron outfielder John Drennen. He was seemingly left for dead as a prospect after a miserable 2008 campaign at High-A Kinston - his third straight year there - where in 117 games he hit .235 with 3 HR, 39 RBI and a .631 OPS. He has bounced back this season at Akron to hit .297 with 3 HR, 33 RBI and a .797 OPS in 72 games. Since returning from a brief stint at High-A Kinston on June 1^st he has been on a tear where in 51 games he is hitting a smoking .337 (61-for-181) with 16 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR and 23 RBI.

Drennen turns 23 years old in a few weeks, so he still has some time left in his prospect clock. From a numbers perspective he is having a solid season, though with limited pop his bat does not project well at the big league level as a regular, but his versatility and athleticism could make him a solid fourth outfielder down the road. Next year he likely is ticketed for a return trip to Akron at least to start the season due to the Indians depth in the outfield at the upper levels, which would do him some good as now that he is settled in and has seemed to grasp a better handle on the strike zone there may be a larger focus for him to attack the zone more so some of those doubles start turning into a few home runs again.

Random Player Updates

Right-hander Hector Rondon has now made six starts at Columbus since being called up in early July. He has had a quality start in five of the six outings, going at least six innings and not allowing more than two runs in those five quality starts. His one sub par outing came on July 28^th when he went 5.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, two walks and had four strikeouts. In his six starts he is 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA, and in 21 combined appearances between Double-A Akron and Columbus he is now 10-7 with a 2.69 ERA (107.0 IP, 96 H, 22 BB, 108 K).

Double-A Akron shortstop Carlos Rivero has gotten things going of late. After a disappointing first half of the season where he hit .220 with 1 HR, 25 RBI and a .569 OPS, he has slowly turned it on offensively hitting .265 with 4 HR, 17 RBI, and an .812 OPS in 22 second half games. He's really been hot in his last ten games as he is hitting .306 and hit home runs in three consecutive games from July 30 to August 1. While he has been somewhat of a disappointment this year at the plate, he has been very impressive in the field. He recently had a 22-game consecutive errorless streak snapped, and his .973 fielding percentage is tops in the league by far (nine points) among shortstops. The club record for fielding by a shortstop is Ivan Ochoa's .970 set in 2005, so if Rivero finishes strong he should shatter it.

Akron first-baseman Beau Mills is on one of his patented second half tears. On the season he is hitting .268 with 10 HR, 61 RBI and a .716 OPS in 111 games, but in 21 games since the All Star break he is hitting .306 with 3 HR, 14 RBI and an .811 OPS. On the flipside he hit just .259 with 7 HR, 47 RBI and a .693 OPS in 90 games the first half. Last year in his MVP season at High-A Kinston, he hit .268 with 9 HR, 47 RBI and an .821 OPS before the break, and then hit .327 with 12 HR, 43 RBI and a .962 OPS after it.

Affiliate Notebook

With four weeks left in the minor league season, even less time for the rookie level teams in the Arizona League and Dominican Summer League, it is time to start looking at who has a shot to make the playoffs and who does not. Here are the prospects for each team as well as some noteworthy news and notes:

Columbus Notes (48-64, 4th place, 15.5 GB): Columbus is 15.5 games out of first place and the magic number to be eliminated from contention for the International League's West Division title is 15. Their standing is not much better for the wildcard as they are 14.0 games back and their magic number to be eliminated from wildcard contention is 17 (nine teams are ahead of them). They will not make the playoffs and their season will end on September 7th. ... Right-hander Kirk Saarloos has an injured right elbow and his season ended a few weeks ago. He has left the team and gone home, and in 15 starts went 3-10 with a 5.61 ERA (86.2 IP, 112 H, 35 BB, 53 K). It's probably safe to say the 30-year old's career may be at an end. ... Catcher Lou Marson has reached base in 22 of his last 23 games (he reached in his last 18 with Lehigh Valley). Over that stretch, he has hit .338 (24-for71) with an on base percentage of .445. He put together a 19-game on base streak from 7/5 to 7/30, good for 19th longest in the International League this year. ... The Clippers lead the league in runs scored (508) and hits (1,011). On the flipside, they also lead the league in runs (537) and hits (1,064) given up. ... On Thursday, left-hander Mike Gosling and right-hander Winston Abreu cleared waivers and were outrighted to Columbus. Gosling accepted the assignment, but Abreu chose free agency and signed with Tampa Bay.

Akron Notes (71-43, 1st place, 8.0 GU): Akron is eight games up on second place Reading in the Eastern League's Southern Division with their magic number to clinch at 22. The magic number for Akron to clinch a wildcard spot is 21. Akron has one of the best records in professional baseball, so at this point it would take a complete disaster for them to not make the playoffs. With the assumption they get in, the Eastern League playoffs will start on Wednesday Sept 9th. If Akron wins the division they will host the first two games of the best-of-five opening round series on Wednesday September 9th and Thursday September 10th and if necessary Game Five on Sunday September 13th. If they wind up the wildcard, they would host Game Three on Friday September 11th and if necessary Game Four on Saturday September 12th. ... Right-hander closer Vinnie Pestano is still sidelined with a sore elbow and has now been out a month with the injury with no word of a return anytime soon. In 34 games he is 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 24 saves for Akron. Right-hander Josh Judy has assumed closing duties in Pestano's absence. ... In his last 31 games outfielder Nick Weglarz is hitting .153 (15-for-98). It has been a season of extended hot and cold streaks for him, and while his batting average of .233 is not very good he still has 16 HR, 65 RBI and a .832 OPS. He also has 73 walks to 71 strikeouts. ... Right-hander Josh Tomlin leads the starting staff with 12 quality starts in 20 games started. On the season he is 10-8 with a 4.21 ERA (117.2 IP, 126 H, 21 BB, 95 K). He is one of only four pitchers in the league with 10 or more wins. ... In 18 starts at Akron right-hander Jeanmar Gomez is now 10-3 with a 3.18 ERA, and in 22 combined starts between High-A Kinston and Akron he is 12-5 with a 3.08 ERA (128.2 IP, 108 H, 36 BB, 109 K). His 12 wins lead the Indians organization. ... Right-hander reliever Steven Wright has been electric out of the bullpen all season for Akron. In 22 relief outings he is now 9-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 36 strikeouts against 13 walks in 43.1 innings.

Kinston Notes (17-25, 4th place, 5.5 GB): Kinston is in the unique position where they could end up with one of the worst overall records in professional baseball this season, but because Single-A splits their season into two with a first half and second half winner, they could still wind up in the playoffs. It gets even better for them as current first place Winston-Salem already won the first half title in the Carolina League Southern Division, so if they win both halves the second place finisher in the second half gets the nod. Kinston is only 2.5 games behind second place Myrtle Beach. They still have a tough road to hoe as they lost two of their horses in left-hander Eric Berger and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to promotions this past week, but they have an outside chance still of making the playoffs. ... Yesterday third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was promoted to Double-A Akron. He leaves the Carolina League ranked 1^st in RBI (79), 2^nd in extra-base hits (46), 3^rd in home runs (18), 3^rd in slugging percentage (.492), 4^th in doubles (26) and 5^th in hits (107). He went 1-for-5 with a double in his Double-A debut last night. ... Kinston has finished with a sub-.400 overall winning percentage just one time in their 53 year franchise history, and that happened in 1974 when they went 38-91 (.290) when they were a Montreal Expos affiliate. Through Saturday, Kinston is 43-66 (.394). ... Kinston starting pitching continues to dazzle having allowed just 36 earned runs in 130.2 innings over the last 25 games, an ERA of 2.48. ... Outfielder Tim Fedroff is in the midst of a 28-game on-base streak. ... Left-hander Scott Barnes was promoted to Akron after the game last night.

Lake County Notes (23-19, 2nd place, 3.5 GB): Just like with Kinston, Lake County benefits from the reset in the second half and now find themselves in the thick of a heated playoff race in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division. Only 5.5 games separate the first to sixth place teams, so a lot can certainly change these final four weeks. ... Left-hander Nick Hagadone made his organizational debut with the Captains on Thursday night going 3.0 innings allowing one run on three hits, no walks, and had five strikeouts. He is pitching under a 50-pitch or three inning restriction since he is coming back from Tommy John surgery, so he likely we only throw three to four innings a start the rest of the season. ... On Friday night left-hander Francisco Jimenez got the win working 2.1 innings allowing a run on two hits, one walk and had six strikeouts. He inherited a base loaded no outs situation when he relieved left-hander T.J. McFarland and did not allow a run striking out the side. In 11 combined appearances between Lake County and rook-level Arizona he is 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA, and in 28.1 innings has allowed 22 hits, 4 walks, and has 40 strikeouts. ... In 34 games with Lake County, outfielder Bo Greenwell is hitting .272 with 1 HR, 10 RBI and a .745 OPS.

Mahoning Valley Notes (32-18, 1st place, 3.0 GU): Mahoning Valley has 26 games remaining and their magic number to win the NY-Penn League's Pinckney Division is 24 or to win the wildcard is 23. Mahoning Valley has been a model of consistency so far backed by some very good pitching and timely hitting, but their lead is tenuous and anything can happen these final four weeks especially when you have a very inconsistent offense like they do. ... Left-hander Vidal Nuno has been a pleasant surprise as in his last two starts he is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA (11.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K). On the season, the versatile pitcher is 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA for the Scrappers in eight appearances. ... Since joining the Scrappers on July 22^nd, infielder Casey Frawley has been a spark to the offense hitting .321 with 2 HR, 12 RBI and an .830 OPS in 15 games. ... Third baseman Jesus Brito was promoted from the Arizona League team yesterday to the Scrappers. With Arizona he hit .366 with 3 HR, 25 RBI and a 1.081 OPS in 35 games. In his Scrapper debut last night he went 2-for-3 at the plate with two walks and two runs scored. ... The Scrappers are 5^th out of 14 teams in the league in hitting (.246), 6^th in HR (20), 1^st in walks (195), 3^rd in stolen bases (57), and 4^th in OPS (.672). On the pitching front they are 3^rd in ERA (2.94), 4^th in strikeouts (403), and 5^th in WHIP (1.20).

Arizona League Indians Notes (5-6, 2nd place, 2.5 GB): The Arizona League is interesting in that they split the 56-game season into two 28-game halves. The Indians did not win the first half, but the team that won the first half (Mariners) also currently are in first place in the second half. If the first half winner finishes in first in the second half, then the second half winner defaults to the second place finisher which is where the Indians currently sit. With 18 games left and only 2.5 games separating five teams for the second half title, this will likely go down to the wire. ... Catcher Roberto Perez is 2^nd in the league with a .360 average and has hit safely in seven of his last eight games batting .412 (14-for-34) with 3 2B, 1 HR, and 8 RBI and 6RS. He is also 2^nd in the league with a .439 on-base percentage and has reached base in 25-of-29 games this season. ... Infielder Argenis Martinez has scored in eight of the last ten games. ... In the last nine games infielder Jose Camargo is hitting .454 (15-for-33) with 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, and 13 RBI. ... In the month of July left-hander Daniel Jimenez went 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA in five relief outings. ... Right-hander Dale Dickerson has not allowed a hit in his last three outings pitching 4.0 innings.

Read More

Minor Happenings: More Roster Changes Coming?

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

There are some interesting things that have happened in the organization since last week's farm report. Mark DeRosa and John Meloan have been traded, Andy Marte has been on fire in Columbus, All-Stars at Double-A and Triple-A have been announced, players are bracing themselves for callups as the big league team's season continues to circle the drain, and lots more.

Due to the amount of material to cover, Minor Happenings is being broken up into two installments this week. Today the focus will be on the some of the recent roster moves and a long conversation I had last weekend with Columbus manager Torey Lovullo. Sometime over the weekend I will post the second half which will be the more traditional mixed bag of updates about all the players and affiliates.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from June 25 through July 1)

Andy Marte (Third Baseman - Columbus)
.520 AVG (13-for-25), 4 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K

Well look who has resurrected himself from the dead.

While he is no longer a prospect, Triple-A Columbus third baseman Andy Marte is still only 25-years old and is in the Indians minor league system. Cast off the 40-man roster in March, he has seemingly turned his career around and is having a fantastic season at least from a statistical perspective. On the season he is hitting .326 with 11 HR, 46 RBI and a .908 OPS, but the more impressive number is just 37 strikeouts in 230 at bats which is good for one strikeout in every 6.2 at bats. This is a guy who coming into the season in his minor league career had a 4.3 to 1 at bat to strikeout ratio (2576 AB, 603 K), and in his short major league career had a 4.6 to 1 at bat to strikeout ratio (513 AB, 112 K). So something seems to have clicked so far for him in making more consistent contact.

Marte has just been unbelievably hot of late. In his last ten games he is hitting a blistering .526 (20-for-38) with half of those hits going for extra bases (6 2B, 4 HR). He also has 14 RBI, five walks, and just two strikeouts over the ten games. For his efforts, he was named the International League Player of the Week last week for the period from June 22-28. He hit safely in each of his six games for the week and also had an RBI in five of those games ending the week with a total of eight RBI which was tied for 2nd in the league. Overall, he is 3rd in the league in hitting (.326), 9th in HR (11), 4th in RBI (46), 3rd in slugging (.548), and 3rd in OPS (.908).

Honorable Mentions:

Jordan Brown (1B - Columbus): .387 AVG (12-for-31), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K
Nate Recknagel (1B - Lake County): .409 AVG (9-for-22), 6 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K
Delvi Cid (OF - Lake County): .400 AVG (12-for-30), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, 4 SB
Roberto Perez (C - AZL Indians): .389 AVG (7-for-18), 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K
T.J. House (LHP - Lake County): 0-0, 2 games, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 12 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Clayton Cook (RHP - Mahoning Vy): 0-0, 2 games, 2.45 ERA, 11.0 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 10 K

Previous Winners:

06/18 to 06/24: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Marte Decision Looms

A decision on Marte may be coming very soon, one where the often polarizing figure among fans may soon get one final shot in a callup to Cleveland, or be sent packing in a trade. His value is at an all-time high right now, at least since he was acquired by the Indians in January 2006. Ever since his acquisition his stock has continued to plummet to the point where when he was designated for assignment this past spring he went unclaimed by every other organization in baseball and returned to the Indians on a minor league deal at the end of spring training.

He's worked hard to get back to being an offensive force and did some soul searching, and to date it has paid off. The numbers have been impressive so far as in his last two games he is 7-for-8 with three doubles, two home runs, and four RBI. Marte's recent ten game tear, placement in several league top ten hitting categories, and Player of the Week award are noted above, so life is good right now for him.

It remains to be seen if those numbers can translate at the major league level and whether he truly has figured some things out or is just a maturing player who is simply just feasting off Triple-A pitching. He still has the same holes in the swing where he is very susceptible to the low and away breaking ball from right-handers or low and away changeups from left-handers, and his plate coverage on the outer third of the plate is still lacking. But with the numbers he is putting up and the consistency he has shown since taking over the every day third base duties in Columbus in early May, maybe he has figured a few things out.

The reason a decision with Marte may be looming is because third baseman Wes Hodges is nearing a return to the Columbus lineup. Also, with what happened with first baseman Michael Aubrey last week when first baseman/outfielder Stephen Head was activated off the disabled list, they could possibly make another minor trade sending Marte elsewhere (or call him up) in order to make room for Hodges. Hodges is currently in the midst of a rehab assignment at Low-A Lake County and could be activated by the end of the weekend.

Hodges was the opening day third baseman for Columbus and struggled offensively the first five weeks of the season to hit .275 with 1 HR, 15 RBI and a .689 OPS in 27 games before being sidelined with a wrist and shoulder injury on May 6th. He was recently assigned to Lake County on June 26th on a return to play program where his game load would be progressively increased each outing to ease his shoulder and wrist back into everyday action. On June 26th he played three innings at third base, sat out the next game to rest, then the next night (June 28^th) he played three innings again at third base. He sat out another game and then this past Tuesday (June 30th) he was ramped up to six innings at third base and instead of sitting him the next night he played the entire game as the designated hitter (Wed July 1st). Last night he was back in the lineup for the third straight night and again played just six innings at third base. He is expected to play one or two full games at third base for Lake County over the weekend, and once he does so he will be activated and brought back up to Columbus by the start of next week.

Once Hodges is brought back to Columbus he will move back to the regular third base slot playing there seven to eight games of every ten game set. This would only leave Marte two to three games every ten game stretch for playing time at third base. The Indians have had discussions with Marte about getting him playing time at first base and the outfield, and there could be some at bats at designated hitter. However, considering that Matt LaPorta, Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley will get the lion's share of playing time in the outfield with Stephen Head and Jordan Brown filling in, Brown and LaPorta splitting time at first base with Head filling in there as well, and whichever of the five between Brown, Brantley, LaPorta, Head and Crowe who is not in the outfield or first base likely in the lineup at designated hitter, it looks like Marte is really going to be squeezed for regular playing time.

This is a reason why first baseman Michael Aubrey was moved last week since they needed his at bats to go to recently activated first baseman/outfielder Stephen Head, a player they still have some development time left with and want to get a better read on. The same fate Aubrey had could happen to Marte when Hodges is activated, and it would make sense as this is probably the highest value Marte will have in any trade. Once relegated to a backup role, that trade value (if any) would start to take a hit.

There is a small chance Marte could be activated and called up to Cleveland, though with Jhonny Peralta entrenched at third base as well as the first base and designated hitter duties maxed out with the likes of Victor Martinez, Ryan Garko, Chris Gimenez and Travis Hafner, it seems unlikely. The Indians need to use the entire second half of the season to get a long extensive look at Peralta playing third base, as well as Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop and Luis Valbuena at second base. Playing Marte at third base would impede that, so if Marte is brought up it would likely be as a role player on the bench filling in for Peralta from time to time at third as well as getting some at bats at first base and designated hitter.

Making Sense Of Meloan Deal

Many of you who got word yesterday of the news where Triple-A Columbus right-hander John Meloan was traded to Tampa for right-hander Winston Abreu were probably left scratching your head and saying "huh?" when it was announced. Almost 24 hours after the trade, I am sure many people still are scratching their heads as they try to make sense of why the Indians would send away a 24-year old prospect with a good arm and some upside still for a 32-year old journeyman who pitched in Japan last year.

But, to steal a tagline from this summer's movie blockbuster Transformers 2, as far as this trade goes there is "more than meets the eye."

Abreu is really yet another veteran reliever GM Mark Shapiro has picked up off the scrap heap this year. He had been signed to a minor league contract by Tampa on February 4th with a non-roster invitation to spring training. He pitched most of this season at Triple-A Durham where he went 3-0 with 10 saves and a 1.41 ERA (32.0 IP, 14 H, 5 R/ER, 10 BB, 49 K) in 23 appearances. He was recalled to Tampa on June 14th and appeared in 2 games (2.45 ERA, 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K) before being designated for assignment on June 27th. Abreu was a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities at Durham and limited hitters to a .128 (14-for-109) average including a mark of .061 (4-for-66) against right-handed hitters. He spent 2008 pitching in Japan, and last appeared in the majors in 2007 with the Washington Nationals. He owns a career Major League record of 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA (42.0 IP, 50 H, 32 R, 30 ER, 17 BB, 35 K) in 35 career games with Baltimore (2006), Washington (2007) and Tampa Bay.

Abreu's 2009 numbers are certainly impressive, but again, we are talking about Triple-A numbers and those don't necessarily translate to the big leagues. Plus, does anyone remember right-handed closer Rick Bauer at Buffalo last year? In 22 games from April through early June he was 0-0 with a 1.54 ERA and had 15 saves (23.1 IP, 17 H, 4 R/ER, 10 BB, 30 K), was then called up to Cleveland, made just four appearances in Cleveland before being designated for assignment, and has not pitched a game since and is out of baseball.

That all said, why would the Indians make such a trade to send away Meloan for the rights to Abreu? While Meloan's stock in the organization had noticeably fallen, he still had value. Even though I wrote earlier in the week how he'd been passed over numerous times for a call to Cleveland, his good June showing had him on the radar to potentially finally get that call to Cleveland. In eight games in June, Meloan was 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA (13.1 IP, 12 H, 4 R/ER, 3 BB, 10 K).

The reasoning behind why they were willing to give up Meloan and cash to make this deal is uncertain at this point, but it is expected to be revealed soon as additional moves will be made to the 25-man and 40-man roster in the coming days/weeks. Also, I am hearing that this trade was not necessarily a stand alone trade as this may be connected in some way to a larger deal that may be coming down the pipeline soon. So, while the first reaction on this move is to question Shapiro's sanity, it appears the trade may become more justified in the coming days once more is revealed. Stay tuned.

Coaches Corner: Torey Lovullo

I was in Columbus over the past weekend to take in a game at Huntington Park, and before the game I was able to talk to manager Torey Lovullo about a lot of players and hot topics surrounding the team this season. We also talked extensively on right-hander John Meloan who was just traded and those comments can be found in the article I did on him this past Tuesday.

On handling the anxiety many players go through as they await "the call": "Well, what I tell the guys is we are a holding tank for the Cleveland Indians. Whether you are the starting first baseman or the 25th guy on the roster, you are going to have an opportunity at some point this season to go help the Indians because they don't go out and trade for people and sign free agents to help fill gaps that way, they come directly to this level and pull guys from this level. So, that is their chance and their opportunity to go out there and make that decision for us, because really what they do they make the decision for us. The players that are playing and doing their job to be a good teammate make that decision for us. I think they are all on edge and they all are ready, and at times that can be distracting, but the best ones will separate themselves from the rest of the guys. They can't be distracted by it, the player just has to put faith in us as a player development group in our system to get them to the big leagues as soon as possible. And that is as a group, it is not anything I am inventing or anybody else, it is a collective effort [by the entire organization] to get them there."

On managing the rapid roster turnover: "That is definitely the challenge of this level. It is easily the most challenging level that I have managed at because of [all the roster moves]. You have players coming and going so rapidly, and chemistry is such a big part of having success at this level. I think my toughest challenge is to continue to go over signs and to continue to go over rules, ideas, and my expectations of what I expect us to play like. It is an ongoing effort by the week having meeting after meeting with guys to say this is what my expectations are because they have not heard it as you are getting a new batch of guys week in and week out. It is challenging, but very rewarding."

On Frank Herrmann: "Every time he comes into the game I am very comfortable. Everything slows down and he throws strikes. He very rarely beats himself, and he very rarely beats himself period. I feel good about where he is at in his career. I know that he switched from being a starter to coming out of the bullpen and his fastball as a result has played up. He is working on a split-fingered fastball and I think if he ever masters that like he throws his fastball and slider he could be a real special big leaguer. It is just up to him how he wants to continue to develop it, and with the two-pitch mix he has right now he could go up there and get the job done, but I think he wants to be the elite type of relief pitcher that we are all expecting him to be. He is challenging himself to master that split-finger."

On Chuck Lofgren: "He has looked very good, and I have been very encouraged with what he has offered at this level. He needs to keep it going and he needs to challenge himself to keep it going. He pitched into the 8th inning in his last start, which is something that is probably new to him. Each outing is a learning experience, and each time he takes the ball he is growing as a pitcher. I know he had a frustrating year last year and he battled through some things, and he has done a really good job turning the page and getting himself to the big leagues. I think really what happens with him [getting tired late in a game], it is a challenge for a young pitcher to understand how to go out and finish your inning and walk off the mound with them making the third out rather than your manager coming out and going to the bullpen. That is something that he needs to continue to work on, and he is a young pitcher so he will get the feel for that. His last start was a great learning experience for him as he had pitches left, he was into the 8th inning and we wanted to get him back in the dugout trailing 2-1 with a chance to win the game. A couple things faltered, and he learned a couple things from that outing."

On Matt LaPorta: "He is doing good. The rotation is 50/50, so he is going to get half the games at first base and the other half in the outfield between left field and a little bit of right field. He has been fine as we feel like he is a more than capable outfielder, but for the need of the Cleveland Indians right now they want him to be familiar at first base in case they need the versatility he can offer. He needs to understand that. I think he gets frustrated because he thinks we are making the position change because he can't play the outfield. But that's far from the truth, he is a great outfielder, we just want to give him a chance to make it to the big leagues as a first baseman as well because it is right now that the Indians may need that versatility. It is hard for a young player to understand that as he only sees things in black and white right now. That's okay, that's fine. Really, [the players] need to leave the rest of it up to us and trust us that we are trying to do the best thing for them to get them up to the big leagues as fast as possible."

On Michael Brantley: "He got off to a great start as he was probably hitting in the first five or six games something like .550, and then he started to slow down. I don't know if it was the weather or maybe a little bit his hamstring injury, but he hit a little bit of a rough patch for about two weeks and he has been playing catchup ever since. But, true to the form we all think he can maintain he has picked himself up and had a steady progression over the course of the year. From the end of April until right now he has had great weeks, and his average has gone from .200 to whatever it is right now. He is a special kid, he has great focus and passion for this game, and he is going to be a great big leaguer for a lot of years. As a staff here, I think we all feel the same way. He understands where he is at right now, he is a young kid and is still learning a lot of the minutia of the game, and I think in time he will get his opportunity [in Cleveland].

Check back over the weekend with the second installment of this week's Happenings. Have a Happy 4^th everyone and be safe!

Read More

Meloan Traded

Wow, this is a surprise. The Indians today traded RHP John Meloan to Tampa Bay for RHP Winston Abreu. I had a gut feeling something was up with Meloan, which is why I was quick to get that piece on him up this week as soon as possible. In any case, good luck to Meloan with Tampa.

Here is the official release:

The Cleveland Indians today announced they have acquired RHP WINSTON ABREU from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league RHP JOHN MELOAN and cash. Abreu will join the Indians 25-man roster in the coming days with a corresponding roster move being announced at that time (wearing #36).

Abreu, 32, who was signed by the Rays to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training on February 4th, has spent the majority of the 2009 season at AAA Durham where he went 3-0 with 10 saves and a 1.41 ERA (32.0IP, 14H, 5R/ER, 10BB, 49K) in 23 appearances. He was recalled to Tampa Bay on June 14th and appeared in 2 games (2.45ERA, 3.2IP, 3H, 1R/ER, 2BB, 3K) for the Rays before being designated for assignment on June 27th. This year at Durham he has struck out 49 and walked just 10 while being a perfect 10 of 10 in
save opportunities. Abreu has limited AAA hitters to a .128 (14-109) average including a mark of .061 (4-66) against right-handed hitters while averaging 13.8 strikeouts per 9.0IP.

The 6-2, 170-pound right-hander spent the 2008 season pitching for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League under Manager Bobby Valentine. In 20 appearances with the Marines he was 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA (21.2IP, 23H, 9R/8ER, 8BB, 24K) before having surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow on June 6th. Abreu last appeared in the Majors in 2007 with the Washington Nationals where he was 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA (30.1IP, 37H, 21R/20ER, 9BB, 26K) in 26 appearances out of the bullpen. He owns a career Major League record of 0-1 with a 6.43 ERA (42.0IP, 50H, 32R/30ER, 17BB, 35K) in 35 career games with Baltimore (2006), Washington (2007) and Tampa Bay.

Meloan was 0-0 with a save and a 5.52 ERA (44.0IP, 52H, 27R/ER, 17BB, 37K) in 25 games, including 2 starts at AAA Columbus.

Read More

Minor Happenings: Abreu Done For The Year

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

A shorter update today, mostly because things have been hectic of late. I'll chime in with a short piece tomorrow or early in the week on my blog sort of taking a look at the first half of the season and how the system overall is doing and run down how my pre-season Top 20-30 have done so far (by the way, my Indians 2009 Top 100 Prospect book is still available).

Be sure to check out and follow my Twitter page to get up-to-date info as it happens in the Indians minor league system.

In case you missed it, on our radio show Smoke Signals, Paul and I this week talked to 2009 first round pick right-handed pitcher Alex White. We talked for about 15 minutes about where he is in the signing process, his experience in the College World Series, and lots more.

Also, I was in Mahoning Valley on Wednesday, so will have some pictures, video, and a few articles from that visit soon, though I have some stuff from recent visits to Lake County and Akron I have to get out as well. Anyway, I talked to right-handed pitcher Clayton Cook and infielder Jason Smit, so expect future feature pieces on them at some point this season.

I'm off to Columbus today, so hope to see many of you at the game tonight.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for game from June 18 through June 24)

Nick Weglarz (Outfielder - Akron)
.429 AVG (9-for-21), 7 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K

After admittedly trying to do too much at the plate in the first month of the season, Double-A Akron outfielder Nick Weglarz has been on fire for the last two months and to date is hitting .265 with 11 HR, 52 RBI, and has a .902 OPS. The numbers really become eye-popping when you look at his numbers since May 1st as he is hitting .327 with 10 homers and 46 RBI in just 49 games over the last two months. Weglarz has also collected 13 doubles in that span, scored 24 runs, and has more walks than strikeouts while notching a .628 slugging percentage.

Weglarz was widely considered one of the Indians top five prospects going into the season (#2 by me), and so far he has lived up to that ranking. Weglarz was at his best in a three-game series against Trenton that concluded earlier this week as he hit .700 (7-for-10) in the series, homered in all three games, drove in eight runs, and collected his first four-hit game of the season Wednesday before becoming just the 12th player in franchise history to draw four walks in a game on Thursday.

Weglarz has collected hits in 12 of his last 14 games and raised his batting average to .265 which is the highest it has been at this season. On the season, he leads Akron and is tied for second in the Eastern League with 52 RBI.

Honorable Mentions:

Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 game, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Nick Kirk (LHP - Mahoning Vy): 2-0, 1.42 ERA, 2 games, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
John Allman (OF - Mahoning Vy): .455 AVG (10-for-22), 3 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K
Jared Goedert (3B - Akron): .429 AVG (9-for-21), 1 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
Jordan Brown (1B - Columbus): .346 AVG (9-for-26), 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K
Juan Aponte (1B - AZL Indians): .462 AVG (6-for-13), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K

Previous Winners:

06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Scouting Abreu

First off, Low-A Lake County outfielder Abner Abreu was lost for the season last weekend when he dove for a ball in the outfield and ended up separating his shoulder. He has been put on the disabled list, and they are still evaluating him to determine whether or not he will have surgery on the shoulder. In any case, he is expected to be out the remainder of the season. In 63 games with the Captains, he hit .305 with 7 HR, 30 RBI and had an .839 OPS. The injury is very unfortunate for him as he was really coming into his own, but now the focus is getting him healthy and using his successful first half of the season this year as a building block to next year.

That said, I was able to talk to a scout who has recently seen Lake County play - ironically the night before the injury occurred - and he came away glowing after seeing Abreu play. Those who have been reading Minor Happenings the past year know that Abreu is a guy the Indians are very high on, so it is good to hear it coming from someone from outside the organization with no bias toward the players in the Indians system.

"Seriously, body and actions-wise, at least defensively, he reminds me of when I saw Vladimir Guerrero back when Vlad was in the Eastern League at Harrisburg like a gazillion years ago," said the scout. "Same kind of tall, gangly body, crazy range in right field - he tracked a ball to the right field line to make a huge catch at a crucial time in the game in foul ground, then later glided into the right-center gap to run down a ball that would have gone for extra bases with almost anybody else playing right field. I'm not saying he's Vladdy, but that's who he reminded me of defensively and the fact that he was easily the best player on the field from either side."

The Guerrero comp is interesting as this is the same comp Ross Atkins used about a month back. Now, obviously, they are not saying he is Vladimir Guerrero today, but his tools and physical build really resemble the kind of player Guerrero was back when he was in the minors. And, this is what comps are for, to give people an idea of what a player could become or what he looks like to give a mental picture in their head what the scout is seeing.

The scout went on to talk about the rest of Abreu's game.

"That's what he does - he glides," said the scout. "Glider runner on the bags, but more so in the outfield. He's more raw at the plate, but shows ability to make contact with pitches all over the zone. The speed doesn't play as well on the bases, but he's aggressive as hell in all phases of the game. He's going to get bigger and stronger, which will probably limit the ridiculous range he has now, but should also give him more power. I think he recognizes pitches extremely well at the young age he is now, and that'll get better as he moves up. Just a guy who's obviously dripping with tools."

Get well and see you next year Abner.

Checking In On Meloan, LaPorta

As I mentioned in the intro above, I'll be travelling to Triple-A Columbus tonight, and my hope is that I see right-handed reliever John Meloan get some work. While he has struggled some this season with a 5.79 ERA in 23 appearances, it is still somewhat of a mystery why he is not in Cleveland and has been passed over time and time again by journeyman relievers. According to one scout I spoke to recently: "He has decent stuff, but doesn't command the strike zone well at this time. Since he's not very athletic overall, the adjustments take time. Given his delivery, I trust they are trying to simplify it." I hope to find out more from Columbus Manager Torey Lovullo or Pitching Coach Scott Radinsky while I am there and will report what I find out (if anything).

Another thing to watch tonight in Columbus will be Matt LaPorta and his continued play at first base. Indians Assistant General Manager Chris Antonetti and others have been following him around recently to watch him and see him play at first base to evaluate whether or not he can fill the need right now at the major league level. With Mark DeRosa currently in left field and Grady Sizemore back in center field, there are no regular at bats available for LaPorta. The Indians want to get him to Cleveland now, and the only option at the moment to get him there is at first base since they can slide Victor Martinez back to a more full time catching role to relieve the struggling Kelly Shoppach. LaPorta still plays some outfield, but the Indians have really focused on him more at first base lately. To date, in 48 games at Columbus he is hitting .315 with 9 HR, 30 RBI and a .930 OPS.

Indians Bid Adieu To Aubrey

Earlier this week, the Indians traded first baseman Michael Aubrey to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a player to be named later. At Triple-A Columbus Aubrey was hitting .292 (62-for-212) with 27 runs scored, 16 doubles, a triple, 5 HR and 29 RBI in 57 games. In his seven years in the Indians system, the former 2003 first round pick out of Tulane played in 397 games and hit .295 with 53 HR, 260 RBI, and a .831 OPS. He also played in 15 games last year at the major league level, hitting .200 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and a .613 OPS.

A few years back Aubrey was one of the up-and-coming players in the organization, but as it happens to so many injuries are the great equalizer and unknown and they ultimately took him off his perch as a can't miss prospect and made him into just another player. Once considered a gold glove potential defender and an excellent hitter, numerous back and leg injuries from 2004 through 2006 eroded his skills as a hitter and defender and went from potential future big league all star to a depth option in the Indians organization.

With Matt LaPorta and Jordan Brown needing most of the reps at first base, and a spot needed for Stephen Head who has returned from the disabled list this week after a leg injury, the Indians no longer had a place to get Aubrey regular at bats. Aubrey was going to be a six year free agent at the end of the season and would have been lost anyway, and with the focus on LaPorta and Brown at first base in Columbus and potentially getting them up to Cleveland, Aubrey was deemed expendable. This deal likely will not be for a player in return, but just for cash. It also was a good gesture by the Indians to send Aubrey to a team where maybe he may have a better chance to crack the big league roster this year or get regular playing time at Triple-A. Good luck with your new team Michael, and with your future baseball career.

Putnam Hurt, But Not Bad

On Wednesday night, Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Zach Putnam left the game with what was termed as right biceps soreness. He had trouble getting loose while warming up, came into the game in the eighth inning and retired the first batter he faced before allowing a home run, and then departed in the middle of an at-bat with two on and two out.

At this point it is unclear how long he will be out of commission, but he is not expected to be put on the disabled list and will likely just be shut down for a week. This injury is very reminiscent of the one right-hander Hector Rondon suffered in a start on June 4th. When Putnam comes back he will probably be on the same kind of restricted pitch program Rondon has been on for the last two weeks, though being a reliever this means he may be limited to an inning an outing for a few weeks. In 19 combined appearances at Kinston and Akron, he is 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA, and in 47.1 innings has allowed 47 hits, 13 walks, and has 41 strikeouts.

Greenwell A Hit In The Valley

Short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Bo Greenwell is off to a good start to his season as in seven games so far he is hitting .346 (9-for-26) with 0 HR, 4 RBI and a .816 OPS. This is his third professional season since being drafted in 2007, but as a high school draft pick he has spent the last few years at the Indians spring training complex working on adapting to the professional game, maturing, and improving his skills and growing physically.

Greenwell is a very good athlete, one who was highly sought after as a quarterback and safety in football by college scouts, but an ACL injury his senior year ended those dreams and instead he focused on baseball. He had a scholarship to the University of Miami lined up before deciding to turn pro and sign with the Indians.

He played first base in high school, but since joining the Indians he has been moved to the outfield and has taken to it well. He still has a ways to go, but because of his above average speed and outstanding work ethic he has become a solid outfielder with a lot of room to grow. At 20-years of age, his game on the offensive side is still growing as well. He plays hard, and though he is not expected to be a big power threat it has improved since he was drafted to where he now can pound the gaps and be an average power hitter down the road. The ball jumps off his bat and he uses the whole field well.

Obviously, with the last name of Greenwell, some may wonder if there is any relation to the former Red Sox all star outfielder Mike Greenwell. Yes, there is, as Bo happens to be his son. His dad Mike was in town last weekend to take in his son's first action as a player at Mahoning Valley, his first experience in a real baseball environment.

Weglarz, Santana Named To Futures Game

Double-A Akron outfielder Nick Weglarz and catcher Carlos Santana will represent the World Team in the 11th annual XM All-Star Futures Game as part of Major League Baseball's All-Star Weekend Sunday, July 12th at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Last year, third baseman Wes Hodges and outfielder Matt LaPorta played for the U.S. Team and right-hander Hector Rondon pitched for the World Team.

"This is a very prestigious honor for both myself and Carlos," Weglarz shortly after receiving the good news he and his teammate were selected. "It's one of the biggest honors I've received personally, along with playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Olympics."

Santana, rated by many as the #1 prospect in the Cleveland minor league system, was the centerpiece of the Casey Blake trade between the Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 27, 2008. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was named the California League MVP last season despite only playing 99 games prior to the trade. In 130 games total with Inland Empire, Kinston and Akron, Santana batted .326 with 21 home runs, 39 doubles and 117 RBI, which ranked second in all of minor league baseball.

This season Santana is batting .263 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI, and leads the Aeros with a .401 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage. He is tied for first in the league with 46 runs scored and tied for fifth in home runs, and his 50 walks are the most in the Eastern League and the seventh-most in minor league baseball. Santana has also been tremendous defensively, as he has thrown out 35% of opposing base stealers and the Aeros are 32-15 when he starts behind the plate.

Weglarz's very good season so far has already been touched on above, but this is yet another prestigious honor being thrown his way. The big redhead from Canada has really taken off of late in Akron, and we are starting to see performance as well as projection from him and there is no telling how impressive of a season he could end up having. Triple-A Columbus Manager Torey Lovullo has also been selected to be a coach on the US Team.

All-Star Wrapup

High-A Kinston third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall got Tuesday's All-Star game festivities off with a bang, defeating five other sluggers to take the All-Star Home Run Derby before the Carolina League vs. California League All Star Game. Chisenhall is the first player to win the contest since current Cleveland Indian Chris Gimenez won it in 2007. Chisenhall was also the Carolina League's starting third baseman in the game and kept the bat going with a single in his first at bat, finishing 1-for-3 on the night.

The Carolina League fell to the California League in Tuesday night's All-Star game 2-1 in 10 innings. In addition to Chisenhall, the other two players who were part of Kinston's All-Star trio shined brightly. Second baseman Cord Phelps drove in the only Carolina League run in the game with an RBI grounder (he reached on an error) in the top of the eighth inning and finished the night 0-for-2. In a game dominated by pitchers, left-hander Eric Berger pitched a scoreless third inning, giving up no hits, walking one and striking out none.

In the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, the Indians Low-A affiliate Lake County sent two players to the contest in second baseman Karexon Sanchez and right-handed pitcher Alexander Perez. Sanchez and Perez helped guide the Northern Division to an 8-7 victory over the Southern Division. Sanchez was named the game's MVP after he went 2-for-2 at the plate with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Perez was roughed up in his one inning of work, yielding three runs on three hits, no walks, and one strikeout.

Signings Update

After the flurry of signings following the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, things have cooled down on the signings front since the rosters for the short season leagues at Mahoning Valley and Arizona have been filled. The Indians are still actively trying to sign players, but most are summer draft-and-follows that they plan to watch play this summer and then try to sign near the August 15^th signing deadline. Dennis Nosco will have an update tomorrow on my blog on what some of the guys who have yet to sign are up to and where they are playing this summer.

Here is a quick rundown of the signings from the past week:

- 7th round pick OF Jordan Henry (Ole Miss)
- 13th round pick RHP Jeremy Johnson (Washington St)
- 17th round pick OF Casey Frawley (Stetson U)
- 18th round pick C Dwight Childs (Arizona)
- 26th round pick RHP Antwonie Hubbard (Oklahoma)
- Undrafted free agent LHP Ryan Anthony (Emporia St)
- Undrafted free agent infielder Dan DeGeorge (Princeton)

17 of their top 19 picks have signed, and the only unsigned in the top 19 are 1st rounder RHP Alex White and 2nd rounder OF Jason Kipnis, though talks are already underway with both or will begin shortly. White is expected to be a late signing, though Kipnis could be signed, sealed and delivered soon. We will try and get Kipnis on our radio show this coming week or the following week.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (34-41, 3rd place, 6.5 GB): Through the first 11 games of June, first baseman Jordan Brown hit .175 (7-for-40) without any multi-hit games to bring his average down to .300 on June 14th (his lowest since hitting .222 on April 14th). In the 12 games since, Brown is hitting .375 (18-for-48) with four multi-hit games and is back in the top 10 in the International League in hitting at 6th (.316). He also ranks 4th in hits (78) and 3rd in doubles (20). ... On Thursday night outfielder Michael Brantley stole at least two bases in a game for the third time this season. He now has successfully attempted 12 straight steals, and he ranks tied for 2nd in the league with 25 steals, two behind Louisville's Drew Stubbs for the lead. Of the four players in the league with at least 20 steals, Brantley's 92.6% success rate is the best. On the season he is hitting .259 with 3 HR, 22 RBI and a .677 OPS. ... Catcher Wyatt Toregas is quietly having a solid season in Columbus, and really could figure into the Indians backup catcher plans soon if Kelly Shoppach is traded before the July 31st deadline or this offseason. Toregas is a very good defensive catcher, but he has been very consistent at the plate all season hitting .282 with 6 HR, 21 RBI and a .792 OPS. ... On Thursday, the Clippers had two relievers receive a blown save (Frank Herrmann and Masa Kobayashi) for the second time this season (4/20, Ryan Edell and John Meloan). It was the Clippers' first blown save in nearly a month (5/27 Kobayashi), and they are now 2-5 when not converting a save opportunity and their nine blown saves which rank 3rd in the league. ... Left-hander Chuck Lofgren has been very good with the Clippers so far. He's eating innings, having gone six or more inning four times, and he has pitched even better than his numbers show. In six starts he is 2-4 with a 4.71 ERA and in 36.1 innings has allowed 39 hits, 11 walks, and has 21 strikeouts.

Akron Notes (48-23, 1st place, 8.0 GU): Last night (Friday), right-hander Hector Rondon delivered 5.2 innings of two-hit baseball for his first win since May 25th, and in his past three starts has now worked 14.1 consecutive scoreless frames with just six hits and three walks while recording 13 strikeouts. On the season in 14 appearances (12 starts) he is now 7-4 with a 2.59 ERA and in 66.0 innings has allowed 56 hits, 15 walks, and has 65 strikeouts. ... Left-hander Ryan Edell is another guy who is quietly putting together a solid season. He has thrown two straight quality starts and has a quality start in four of his last six starts. In 10 starts for the Aeros, he is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA and in 49.1 innings has allowed 47 hits, 13 walks and has 52 strikeouts. He has rebounded well from his short stint early in the season in the Columbus bullpen where in nine appearances there he was 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA (14.1 IP, 23 H, 5 BB, 15 K). ... Right-handed reliever Carlton Smith has been very hot of late. The native of Piscataway, New Jersey has run his scoreless streak to 14.0 consecutive innings spanning his past seven outings. In 18 appearances out of the bullpen, he is 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA and in 43.1 innings has allowed 39 hits, 13 walks, and has 23 strikeouts. He also has a better than 4:1 ratio of groundouts to fly outs this month. ... With the victory yesterday, Akron remained in a tie for the best record in professional baseball this season and the team is in line for the best season in recent Eastern League history. Thursday's game marked the halfway point in the season, and the Aeros are on pace to win a franchise-record 96 games. The last team in the Eastern League to win 96 games was Reading in 1983, although Akron would have to win 97 games to surpass Harrisburg's .681 winning percentage in 1993. On the individual side, Nick Weglarz (52 RBI) and closer Vinnie Pestano (21 saves) also are on pace to break the record-setting 2008 seasons of Wes Hodges (97 RBI) and Randy Newsom (28). ... Right-handed reliever Steven Wright is 5-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 18 combined appearances between Akron and Columbus. In 46.2 innings he has allowed 43 hits, 11 walks, and has 34 strikeouts. ... Catcher Carlos Santana is hitting .268 with 11 HR, 47 RBI and a ,914 OPS. He still has an incredible 50 walks to 35 strikeout ratio.

Kinston Notes (0-2, 4th place, 2 GB, 27-43 overall): At the start of play on May 10th, Kinston was 17-13 and in first place in the Southern Division of the Carolina League. Since then, they have been decimated by promotions, injuries, and poor performances and have gone an astonishing 10-30. ... Left-hander Russell Young had a solid performance on Sunday, his third straight quality outing, and in the process he earned his first win of the season. He managed to go a season high 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, one walk, and had five strikeouts. In 13 combined appearances between Kinston and Lake County, he is 1-4 with a 5.31 ERA and in 61.0 innings has allowed 70 hits, 15 walks, and has 42 strikeouts. ... Outfielder Roman Pena returned to action on Thursday night, going 1-for-4 in the game. He had been out since going on the disabled list on May 15th with a hand injury. On the season he is hitting .254 with 2 HR, 15 RBI and a .745 OPS. ... Highly touted right-handed starter Bryce Stowell has had a rough go of it since coming to Kinston about a month ago. In five starts he is now 0-4 with a 6.61 ERA, and in 16.1 innings has allowed 17 hits, 10 walks and has 16 strikeouts. ... Right-handed relievers Santo Frias and Dave Roberts were recently promoted from Lake County to Kinston.

Lake County Notes (2-0, 1st place, 0.0 GU, 33-36 overall): Left-hander T.J. House has been on a roll the past month. He has allowed two runs or less in all of his last seven starts covering 39.1 innings, and has allowed 31 hits, 7 earned runs, 11 walks, and has 35 strikeouts during that span. Amazingly, even with how effective he has been during this stretch (1.60 ERA) he is only 1-3. On the season, in 14 starts House is 2-7 with a 2.64 ERA (75.0 IP, 62 H, 24 BB, 63 K). Hitters are only batting .224 against him and he has allowed just two home runs. ... Right-hander Alexander Perez is 5-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 13 starts. In 71.2 innings he has allowed 54 hits, 19 walks and has 72 strikeouts. So far in June in four starts he is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA, allowing just 5 walks while striking out 30 in 24.0 innings and holding batters to a .133 average. ... Right-handed reliever Matt Langwell has had a very nice season coming out of the Captains bullpen. In 22 appearances he is 0-2 with a 2.23 ERA and in 32.1 innings has allowed 29 hits, 12 walks, and has 39 strikeouts good for a 10.9 K/9 rate. ... Not to be out done, right-handed closer Steve Smith has also had a good year to date and is 2-2 with 11 saves and a 3.08 ERA in 22 appearances. In 26.1 innings he has allowed 25 hits, 7 walks, and has 35 strikeouts good for a 12.0 K/9 rate. ... Another reliever, right-hander Eddie Burns, has also had a very good season. In 12 appearances he is 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA, and in 24.1 innings has allowed 26 hits, 6 walks, and has 33 strikeouts good for a 12.2 K/9 rate.

Mahoning Valley Notes (6-2, 1st place, 1.0 GU): Like many other Scrappers, 2009 8th round pick right-hander Cory Burns made his professional debut earlier in the past week. Being new to the system, somewhat surprising has been his Luis Tiant-like delivery where he hesitates with his back completely showing to home plate before following through and firing the ball. The delivery creates some deception to where it disrupts the hitter and can throw off their timing. It has been effective for him, though he was roughed up last night. In three relief appearances he is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA (5 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 7 K). ... Left-hander Ryan Anthony only lasted three innings in his start on Wednesday giving up two runs on five hits, two walks and had two strikeouts. He was an undrafted free agent signing out of Emporia State (KS), and may just be filler until some of the other recent arms from the 2009 draft make it to The Valley. His fastball was only topping out at 81 MPH on Wednesday and it consistently sat in the 78-80 MPH range. Yeah, that's not gonna keep him employed professionally long. ... Second baseman Lurvin Basabe is only 19-years old and as a result is a little young and reckless. The Indians are working with him on how to play under more control as the game at times does speed up on him. He's one of their Latin prospects they like, and to date in eight games is hitting .300 with 0 HR, 3 RBI and a .767 OPS. ... Right-hander Marty Popham returned to action on Tuesday night after a bout of strep throat kept him from making his start on opening night. He rebounded well, and toss five strong innings allowing just one run on six hits, one walk, and had four strikeouts. ... On Monday, the Scrappers' 18-inning scoreless streak was snapped in the sixth inning.

Arizona League Indians Notes (3-2, 3rd place, 1.0 GB) and Dominican Summer League Notes (8-16, 11th place, 9.0 GB): For those wondering why big left-hander Elvis Araujo has not made an appearance yet for the Arizona League Indians, well I have bad news which explains why. Apparently, he has a left elbow strain and has been shutdown. No word on how serious it is, but "elbow strains" are always something to be very concerned about. Get well Elvis. .... Another young prospect who is missing from the scene in Arizona is the young defensive gem at shortstop Kevin Fontanez who is out with a lower back strain. He could be back in action sometime in July. ... Right-handed reliever Carlos Moncrief has been dominating in his two appearances going 3.1 shutout-hitless innings and allowed one walk while piling up 10 strikeouts. ... Keep an eye on right-hander Francisco Valera in Arizona. I saw him pitch a few times in spring training and like what I saw. In two appearances so far in Arizona he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA (6 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K). ... Out in the DSL, catcher Alex Monsalve - a big signing last year - is hitting .316 with 0 HR, 11 RBI and a .761 OPS in 19 games. ... Remember third baseman Kelvin Diaz? Well, as reported back in the spring his visa issues were not cleared up and likely never would, and apparently the Indians gave up on him as he is missing from the DSL roster.

Read More