Tribe Happenings: Indians 2011 season comes to a close

Manny Acta reflects on the Indians' 2011

season and looks ahead to 2012 (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Hope springs eternal

The Indians had a successful 2011 campaign. Yes, they did not win a World Series, make the playoffs, or finish with a winning record, but they showed they are ready to make a leap forward next year and contend.

They certainly still have lots of question marks, but they have built a strong foundation from which to build upon going forward. For the first time in awhile they go into an offseason with a positive vibe among the fans that they could contend next year. There is also a more positive feeling among the fans that the Indians will make some moves this offseason to improve the team.

Along with some expected moves this offseason in free agency or on the trade front there is excitement to see the growth of this young team and what it can do with better health next year. The Indians finished the season with the third youngest roster (27.5 years old) in the Major Leagues behind only the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros, and finished the season with eleven rookies on the Major League roster.

The Indians also used the disabled list 22 times in 2011 - second most in the American League to Minnesota’s 25 – and lost 826 player days to the disabled list. In contrast, they only used the disabled list 14 times in 2010 and lost 673 player days to the disabled list. This season their top four established hitters Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera were only in the same lineup 17 times all year (they won ten of those games).

The Indians will not be in on mega free agents like Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols this offseason, but they should be in on just about any other player available in free agency or trade. It is the combination of a growing, youthful roster, improved health, and some noteworthy offseason additions that make the possibilities with this team exciting for 2012 and beyond.

Coaching carousel

The Indians announced a flurry of coaching moves at the conclusion of the season with pitching coach Tim Belcher and bench coach Tim Tolman both stepping down. The news of both Belcher and Tolman leaving their roles was unexpected, but both will remain with the organization in a more limited capacity.

Belcher stepped down so he could spend more time with his family. He will go back into the role he had with the Indians as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations prior to being named pitching coach two years ago. Tolman stepped down for health reasons as he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease two years ago. He will transition to another capacity within the organization that will be determined in the coming weeks.

With Tolman’s departure, first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. will become the bench coach in 2012. The move to bench coach does not limit Alomar’s pursuit for any manager openings. He is a top candidate for several openings, most notably the one with the White Sox after Ozzie Guillen was let go this week.

The Indians also announced that they have picked up the 2013 club option on manager Manny Acta. Acta led the Indians to a second place finish in the American League Central this year with a record of 80-82 (.494), an 11-game improvement in terms of wins over the previous season. He is now signed through the 2013 season and owns a two-year record of 149-175 as Indians manager.

Wanted: Coaches

The pick up of Acta’s option was but a formality, and is just a show of confidence in ownership and the front office that he is doing a good job. He now has to work on adding three new coaches to his staff as he has to fill the voids left at first base coach, pitching coach and hitting coach.

Jon Nunnally was fired as hitting coach back in June and Bruce Fields took over on an interim basis. It is not known whether he will continue in the role full time, but the Indians will surely look at all options to fill the role. Jim Thome returned to the Indians this year and may decide to retire, and if so he would surely be a leading candidate if he was open to it.

At the outset of the pitching coach search the three main candidates will likely come from within as Indians bullpen coach Scott Radinsky, Triple-A Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla, and Minor League Pitching Coordinator Dave Miller will all likely get first consideration for the job opening before looking outside the organization. Niebla is highly regarded for the work he did this year with his pitchers in Columbus and has done a great job in previous years. Radinsky has done a great job with the bullpen in Cleveland the last two years, so both seem to be the top candidates right now.

The first base coach could come down to any number of people in the organization. The top candidate would appear to be Triple-A Columbus manager Mike Sarbaugh. He is very deserving of a Major League coaching opportunity and this would be a great way to add him to the mix, especially considering so many of the players on the roster played under him the past few years. Another possibility could be Minor League Fielding Coordinator Travis Fryman, but the unknown is whether or not he is ready to be more involved since his current role allows him more time with his family.

Mixed results for Pomeranz and White

Former Indians’ left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz and right-handed pitcher Alex White had mixed results in their final starts to finish what was a chaotic 2011 season for both of them.

Pomeranz had a solid Major League debut for the Rockies where in four starts he finished 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA (18.1 IP, 19 H, 5 BB, 13 K). After a sensational big league debut on September 11th where he threw five shutout innings he was very mediocre at best in his final three starts, but overall it was a very good foundation for him to build on for next year. At this point it looks very much like barring injury that he should open the 2012 season in the Rockies’ opening day starting rotation.

On the other hand, White’s future is not so certain. He was awful in his seven starts for the Rockies going 2-4 with an 8.42 ERA (36.1 IP, 48 H, 16 BB, 24 K). His numbers were horrific in that he put up a 1.76 WHIP and one-quarter of the hits he gave up were home runs (12). He averaged close to one home run allowed every three innings!

I said it at the time of the trade that White was not 100% healthy, and he certainly pitched like an unhealthy pitcher the rest of the season. It will be an interesting offseason to see if additional issues with his finger cropped up and if more surgery occurs to “correct” things. There definitely has to be some concern on the Rockies front about his future.

For those wondering, the other two players in that deal right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner and first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride both had mixed results as well while playing for the Rockies’ Double-A Tulsa affiliate. Gardner made six starts and went 3-3 with a 2.48 ERA (36.1 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 22 K), and McBride struggled through injuries and played just six games and hit .235 with no homers, two RBI and a .513 OPS.

The Indians paid a pretty hefty bounty to acquire right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez from the Rockies back on July 30th. Some may wonder why updates on Pomeranz and White are necessary since both are no longer in the organization, but considering the magnitude of that deal it is very relevant to provide the information on the performances going forward of all the players involved in that deal. Whether we admit it or not, we will all be keeping an eye on White and Pomeranz to see how their careers end up in relation to what impact Jimenez has for the Indians.

Indians get #15

With the regular season coming to a close the Indians draft slot for next year’s draft was finally determined. The draft slot is determined by taking the worst record in the league and awarding them the #1 pick and so on, and the Indians ended up with the #15 pick.

While controlling where a team selects in the draft is not a goal a team shoots for, there was a bit of drama on the final day as with the Indians loss and the Washington Nationals win the Indians “earned” that #15 pick. Had the Indians won or the Nationals lost the Indians would have finished with the #16 or later pick, a difference that has some significance.

By getting the #15 pick the Indians now have a protected first round pick. Picks at #16 or later in the first round are unprotected. What this means is for a team with an unprotected pick that signs a Type-A free agent they lose their first round pick as compensation to the team they signed the player away from. Teams that have a protected first round pick do not lose the first round pick when signing Type-A free agents and instead lose their second round pick.

Of course, the Indians will never really be big players in free agency for the marquee free agents; however, being designated a “Type-A” free agent does not always mean such a player is a high profile free agent. The Indians have some interest in first base/left field right-handed bats this offseason, and two names that get brought up a lot are Michael Cuddyer and Josh Willingham. Both are Type-A free agents, so at least the Indians now know what the cost will be in draft picks going into any possible bargaining sessions for either player.

LaPorta to visit Haiti

First baseman Matt LaPorta will join with SportsTime Ohio’s efforts to aid earthquake relief in Haiti. Many remember the devastation caused by the January 12, 2010 earthquake that resulted in an estimated 300,000 deaths or over 3% of the nation’s total population and left the small nation completely devastated.

SportsTime Ohio has been heavily involved in various fundraising efforts immediately following the earthquake and has raised $175,000 thus far. LaPorta will join the SportsTime Ohio team on October 6, 2011 to visit Gressier Haiti, an area approximately ten miles from the epicenter of the earthquake. It is also home to Christianville, a mission that has a school with four campuses and 1200 students, a medical facility and several feeding programs feeding as many as 4500 people per day. The campus was decimated in the earthquake but now has rebuilt the schools and actually increased the feeding programs as well as being the home to Haiti’s only malaria lab.

LaPorta will be in Haiti for four days, and while there will tour the schools, support facilities and orphanages that have benefited from the funds raised in North East Ohio. LaPorta will see all of the relief efforts first hand and will be showcased as part of a SportsTime Ohio program to air in January of 2012, the second anniversary of the earthquake.

Henry has surgery

There was some unfortunate news on the minor league front this week. Double-A Akron outfielder Jordan Henry had right knee surgery on September 22nd for what was supposed to be a surgery to clean the knee out and repair cartilage in the knee. The recovery time was expected to be six weeks.

Unfortunately for Henry, during the procedure the damage was found to be more extensive so his doctor ended up performed micro-fracture surgery to repair it. The possibility of micro-fracture surgery was known going into the surgery, but was not known for certain until doctors went in and started operating on his knee.

The recovery time is expected to be five to six months and Henry is already out in Arizona rehabbing the knee. He should be ready by the start of minor league spring training in March, but the Indians will likely be conservative with getting him back into full time game action next year.

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

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Thoughts on the Ubaldo Jimenez trade

Ubaldo Jimenez (Photo: AP)

Here are some quick thoughts on the Indians trade last night getting right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez from the Colorado Rockies for prospects left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, right-handed pitcher Alex White, right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner, and first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride.

What the Indians got

- There are a lot of people either all for the deal or completely against it, and it is usually because those for or against the trade are non-prospect fans or prospect fans. On one side you have those people who are not into prospects saying that such a high percentage of prospects flame out, so this is a deal well worth taking a gamble on for a sure thing. On the other side you have the prospect fans worried that the Indians gave up two potential front-of-the-rotation pitchers in a deal for one pitcher.

- I’m a prospect guy, but I have to say that in this case, as long as Jimenez is healthy and checks out, I am with the non-prospect fans on this one. Anytime you have a chance to pickup not only a proven front of the rotation pitcher but one who is under control for another few seasons and cost effective, you have to make the move. Sure, Pomeranz and White *could* end up as good as Jimenez down the road, but the big thing is Jimenez is doing it now, has proven it over time, and is still young, cheap, and controlled.

- You also have to consider what mode the Indians are in. Are they rebuilding, building, or contending? If they were rebuilding, then this deal would make no sense at all, but they are not rebuilding. The question is what mode are they currently in? Building or contending? They are actually doing a little bit of both right now, so a deal like this makes sense as Jimenez gives them a chance to contend and win now and he is another building block for a potential run at a World Series the next few years.

- One thing to consider is the Indians window for contention is now with the current set of players like Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Rafael Perez, and Joe Smith who are all free agents after 2012 (Sizemore) or 2013 (the rest). Also Justin Masterson and Chris Perez are free agents after the 2014 season. Jimenez will also coincidentally be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, so the Indians are taking a shot to now and the next two years to make the playoffs and do something during this current window of contention from 2011-2013 with the older group of core players on hand.

- Their postseason chances may appear slim this year, but they just set themselves up as strong contenders the rest of this season in the AL Central and in 2012 and 2013 with this deal. Yes, they need bats, something which could be addressed this offseason, but in the end the main goal is to win, and that was the focus with this trade. That makes this Jimenez deal worth it if you ask me for two “potential” big league pitchers.

- That’s the key word: “potential”. The Indians are acquiring a piece in Jimenez not just for this year but for at least the next two years to help the big league team win now. Pomeranz and White could potentially help now an beyond, but they were still unknowns. With the significant middle finger injury White suffered it is a huge red flag for him going forward. Who knows how effective he will ever be after he returns from the injury or if other injuries result from him compensating for the finger. Injuries quite often ruin the careers of “can’t miss” prospects, and there is never a guarantee a top rated pitcher will fare well when and if he gets to the big leagues. Pomeranz has made just three appearances at the Double-A level, so there is no guarantee that he will not get injured or hit a wall as he pitches more in Double-A, gets to Triple-A, and ultimately the big leagues. There are still several levels to achieve success at before he even reaches the level Jimenez already has. That’s why getting the sure thing trumps potential.

- Aside from dealing for Jimenez, I would not have been happy with a trade for any other player said to be available where we included Pomeranz and White. This includes bats such as Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence. This was a two pitchers for one sale, and one I can live with. Two potentials for one sure thing. Now, had the Indians substituted Jason Kipnis or Lonnie Chisenhall for one of White or Pomeranz, I would have been much less excited about the deal because we would be dealing from a position of weakness (position players) than strength (pitching).

- That’s another key. The Indians are loaded with pitching in the minors. This is why making a play for Jimenez is not such a bad thing as they have the arms to adequately replace the departed Pomeranz, White, and Gardner. Now, yes, there are no other arms currently in the system like Pomeranz and White, but there are lots of guys now on the immediate horizon who can help cover up their loss. Pitchers like lefty Scott Barnes for one, a guy some scouts have said could be a “Pomeranz-lite”.

- With Jimenez, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, Fausto Carmona, Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff, and Zach McAlliser all under control for several seasons past this one, the Indians have a very strong, deep core of starters to go with the next several years. This is why the loss of White and Pomeranz does not hurt as much. With the starting rotation seemingly strong for the next few years, it gives the organization time to develop or draft the next Pomeranz and White so they are ready in 2013 or 2014.

- Speaking of drafting and developing, two of those future stud arms could be right-handed pitcher Dillon Howard (2nd round) and left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters (20th round) from the this year’s draft. Both are unsigned, and while Howard was expected to sign, Peters was not a sure thing. After this trade it would surprise me to see the Indians do what it takes to ensure they get both of them into the system to replenish some of the top level pitching talent they lost.

What the Indians gave up

- The big loss in the deal is Pomeranz, a pitcher who has come on like gangbusters this year and been everything the Indians hoped he would be when they took him #5 overall in last year’s draft. He was the unquestioned #1 prospect in the Indians system at the time of the trade, and for many evaluators is a Top 20 prospect in all of baseball. Losing a prospect of that caliber is something that is hard to sit with, especially being that he comes from the left side with power stuff with the potential to be a dominating front of the rotation pitcher. He looked to be on the path to being a big league option at some point next year, and a very successful pitcher for the Indians for a long time. I believe he will have a very good, long Major League career.

- Alex White is no doubt a very talented pitcher who has unbelievable makeup and is tough. Indians fans saw all of that firsthand when he was called up in May and made a few appearances before being sidelined with the finger injury. There is no doubt in my mind that prior to the finger injury he would have been a good number two or three starter for years to come for the Indians. With his fastball, splitter and slider combination he has the goods.

- That all said about White, I would be very nervous if I were the Rockies. The finger injury he suffered is an uncommon one in baseball, and is the same one which ruined former Indians top prospect Adam Miller’s career. Several surgeries and three years later Miller is making a miraculous comeback this season. Time will tell on White if the finger injury was serious or just a minor blip, but anytime a pitcher gets a significant injury to their hand, arm or shoulder I am concerned.

- It should be noted that when Miller initially was hurt he went through almost exactly the same rehab program where he was back pitching in a few months. But then he developed an elbow issue, something that may have come about because of concerns pitching with the finger. This is what could happen with White, and why the Indians are smart to maybe trade a potentially damaged goods pitcher now at peak value before anything else happens.

- I know there was legitimate concern about White’s finger, and knowing that scouts and other teams read the papers and such the Indians have been openly putting out his rehab progress a lot the last month. It is no coincidence that he went to Akron on Saturday for a rehab outing the day before the trade deadline. If teams balked about a deal not knowing he was healthy, by sending him on a rehab outing it was a way to “show” he was healthy and making great progress. So even though White was in fact on a rehab assignment and on his way back to the Indians at some point, it definitely looks like the Indians played some poker there with his true health status.

- Joe Gardner is a solid pitching prospect that the Rockies are getting in the deal, but he is not the higher level prospect he was claimed to be at the start of the season when he was included in several Top 10 lists. He has dropped significantly (I’d put him #25-30 now), but he is still a workhorse with a very good sinker he consistently runs in the low 90s and has touched 95 MPH and throws a high percentage of the time. His problem has been that both secondary offerings his slider and changeup are below average pitches, which is what has hurt him some this year when facing more talented hitters at the Double-A level.

- Gardner was a hot prospect at this time last year because of his high groundball and strikeout rates, but he has struggled this year in his first taste of Double-A. He sported a very good 3.8 BB/9 and 8.7 K/9 rate last season in Single-A, but that has changed significantly this season where he has a 4.3 BB/9 and 5.5 K/9 this year. On top of that he also held batters to a .197 BAA and had a 3.29 groundball rate (GO/AO), which is what made him very exciting with his ability to miss bats and get players to pound the ball on the ground. But this season hitters are batting .287 off of him and he has dipped to a 1.91 GO/AO. While the Rockies will surely continue to develop him as a starter, all of this points to his struggles with being a once pitch pitcher as a hard sinker can only take you so far, which is why he will likely end up in the bullpen if he makes the big leagues.

- Matt McBride was just inventory to the organization, something that was clearly on display this year when they assigned him to Double-A Akron to start the season and after a midseason promotion to Triple-A Columbus he was recently sent back to Akron. That kind of movement for a 26-year old prospect was a clear sign that he was not a priority prospect for the organization and was viewed more as organizational depth. He has good power and some versatility to play left field, first base and catcher, but he is considered a below average defender in the outfield.

- The Rockies may explore playing McBride at catcher again, a position he played prior to shoulder surgery at the end of 2007, but everything I have heard say his catching days are behind him. He may get a cup of coffee in the big leagues, especially now considering he was included in a major deal, but is not expected to stick around long. He is a guy who could have a nice career and play a long time bouncing back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues.

Final thoughts

- As they often say though, to get something you have to give up something. Initially I will admit, I was upset about losing Pomeranz for any player. But if you look at the deal objectively, if Pomeranz ends up being anything close to what Jimenez has been as a Major League pitcher we would all have been elated. The Indians are trading the potential of Pomeranz in the future for a guy doing it now. That’s a tradeoff that helps the Indians now. A team looking to win right now.

- I know that some of us hate to deal prospects because we often get attached to them since we follow them and grow fond of what they could be. This is the tough part for me as I get to know a lot of these guys not just by looking at box scores and from conversations with organizational personnel and scouts, but also personally as well. I’ve gotten to know all of these players over the years, especially McBride who is a class guy. All are great young mean on and off the field, and I wish them nothing but the best.

- Overall, the only two pieces to be concerned about losing in this deal are Pomeranz and White. Gardner and McBride are more filler in the trade with limited Major League futures. So the question you have to ask is this: are Pomeranz and White worth Jimenez? For me, the chance to shore up the rotation with a front of the rotation pitcher is a no-brainer to win now and for the next few years. With Pomeranz and White not being guarantees going forward, I think a two-for-one sale to acquire a sure thing makes perfect sense. But that’s just me, as I am sure others value all four players the Indians gave up in this deal differently.

- Whether you like the trade or not, I think one thing all Indians fans will agree on is it is nice to see the Indians be a buyer for once at the trade deadline, or in any trade for that matter. Quite often they are the one trading the Ubaldo Jimenez’s of the world for prospects, but this time they are the ones making a move to win now rather than for the future. This is the biggest trade deadline deal in their history as far as them getting a Major League player in return. Kudos to Antonetti and company for having the guts to risk some of their future for a chance to win now.

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

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2011 Scouting reports for Pomeranz and others

Going into the season I had Alex White as my #3 Indians prospect, Drew Pomeranz my #4 prospect, Joe Gardner as my #10 prospect, and Matt McBride as my #56 prospect. At the midpoint of the season Pomeranz was the unquestioned #1 prospect, White still #3 or #4, Gardner more #25-30 and McBride lower than his #56 coming into the season. All of these scouting reports and 170+ more on Indians prospects are in my book this year.

I posted the 2011 Top 50 Indians prospects earlier this year, so the 2011 scouting reports for Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, and Joe Gardner are available by clicking on their hyperlinks. The 2011 Matt McBride report was not on-line....until now.  I have provided it below (remember, this was written before the season):

56. Matt McBride – First Baseman/Outfielder
Born: 05/23/1985 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Matt McBride

History: McBride was selected by the Indians in the 2nd round of the 2006 Draft out of Lehigh University. He had surgery on his shoulder (right labrum) after the 2007 season to correct a lingering shoulder issue that had plagued him since he was drafted, and the recovery forced him to miss most of the 2008 season. He played in the Arizona Fall League in 2009 and in 22 games hit .378 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and a 1.159 OPS. Last year he finished the season 2nd in the organization in home runs (21) and 4th in RBI (75). He went out to winter ball in the offseason and put on an impressive showing in the Dominican Winter League hitting .282 with 8 HR, 26 RBI and a .899 OPS in 28 games. He only played winter ball for about five weeks, but at the time he left he was in the top two in the league in home runs and RBI.

Strengths: McBride is a big, strong hitter with good power and solid bat-to-ball skills. His strength is to his pull side as he can drive the ball into left field and the left center gap as well as anybody. Even though he is a power hitter he does a good job limiting the strikeouts and consistently puts the ball in play. During his rehab from shoulder surgery he added a lot of strength and improved his physical makeup, and it has shown the past two years with the amount of doubles and home runs he has piled up. As the health of his shoulder has improved it has also allowed him to gain more confidence and be more consistent at the plate, and he showed an improved ability to cover the outer half of the plate last season. He has also adopted a more simple approach where he just tries to be productive every at bat and stick to his plan. He is athletic and runs well for his size. He is a warrior who has excellent work ethic, and is sort of a throwback that hustles on every play and does not showboat.

Last year McBride was only hitting .255 with 4 HR, 32 RBI and a .686 OPS in 68 games at Double-A Akron through June 27th; however, from that point he finished the season hitting .308 with 17 HR, 43 RBI and a .964 OPS in 59 combined games at Akron and Triple-A Columbus. His midseason spike in performance can be attributed to a small change in his swing where he started using his hands much better and was not using so much of his body when he swung which allowed him to see the ball better. In addition to that he was just trusting his abilities, putting up better quality at bats, and was more confident.

Before McBride's shoulder surgery three years ago he was always viewed as one of the top catching prospects in the game because of his good catch-and-throw skills, above average arm, and leadership qualities behind the plate. In his return from surgery he attempted to catch in 2008 and 2009, but the carry on his throws was no longer there and his shoulder was not strong enough to handle the everyday rigors of catching, so to keep him healthy the Indians moved him to first base and left field full time in 2010. His shoulder is fine but just not strong enough to catch. At this point, his future is as a versatile player who can play first base, left field, right field and designated hitter. His days as an everyday catching option are gone as he is now viewed as nothing more than an emergency option there. His conversion to first base and left field started in winter ball in Hawaii in 2008, and in the last two seasons he has shown improvement and has started to settle in at both positions. He continued his development at first base and the outfield in the offseason out in the Dominican Winter League as he split time between first base, left field and right field. He has worked hard on his footwork both at first base and the outfield, and has become a slightly below average defender at both positions. His arm is solid average in the outfield, and by playing a lot of first base it saves some wear and tear on his shoulder.

Opportunities: McBride is about as streaky as a player can get as he follows up long cold spells with extreme hot streaks and vice versa, so he needs to be a more consistent performer where his performance is not so slanted to one extreme or the other. He is also very much a dead-pull hitter as he has a tendency to want to pull everything and has trouble lying off inside pitches. He did a better job last year of handling the outer half of the plate and working up the middle, but he still needs more work there as he still slides back to his tendency of trying to pull everything. While he does a solid job of limiting strikeouts, he could show a little more patience at the plate to help improve his walk rate. Defensively, he still needs to work on becoming more acquainted with first base and the outfield. There is still a lot to learn with getting better reads and jumps in the outfield and with his footwork around the bag at first base, so experience and playing time should help.

Outlook: McBride has now had two very productive seasons in a row, and while the Indians have always known he can hit his power spike is encouraging. The big problem for him is he no longer fits at any one position, which hurts his value as an everyday player. Right now there is a large bottleneck of like players in the outfield and first base between Cleveland, Columbus and Akron, so it appears a long shot for him to get that coveted big league opportunity with the Indians. But, if he continues to produce like he has the last two years and continues to improve defensively and stay healthy, at some point someone is going to give him a shot. He should open the 2011 season at Columbus.



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

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Minor Happenings: Rodriguez hitting all cylinders in Arizona

Luigi Rodriguez (Photo: IPI)

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

All the All Star games are done, and now it is time to officially begin the second half of the minor league baseball season….even though we are almost two thirds of the way through already. It is hard to believe that the regular season for all the minors will end in roughly seven weeks. Where did this season go?

In case you missed it, I posted a piece on shortstop Tony Wolters on Wednesday. Also, I provided a separate update yesterday on left-hander Scott Barnes who injured his knee on Sunday and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

I actually left for Florida today for my annual family reunion trip to the beach so will be off line a lot more for the next week; however, I still plan to provide updates and some articles while I am away. That said, Jim Pete will thankfully be taking on more day to day stuff with the game recaps and any news updates that occur while I am away.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 7th through July 13th)

Luigi Rodriguez (Outfielder – Arizona League Indians)
.500 (9-18), 7 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 SB, 1.418 OPS

Luigi Rodriguez

Not a bad stateside debut so far for rookie level Arizona outfielder Luigi Rodriguez. He is an 18-year old out of the Dominican Republic who in 12 games with Arizona is hitting .395 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 stolen bases, and a 1.034 OPS. The hot start comes off a very successful pro debut last year in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) where in 63 games he hit .301 with 2 HR, 27 RBI, 31 stolen bases, and a .864 OPS.

Rodriguez’s good start in Arizona is no surprise as coming into the season he was considered the Indians top Latin American prospect making his stateside debut (shameless plug alert: He was my #1 Latin American prospect in my book this year). While he has been a run producer in the early going, that is not really his game as he is more of a top of the lineup table-setter with his excellent speed, bat to ball ability, and advanced approach at the plate.

The speed is intriguing with Rodriguez as Scouting Director John Mirabelli once mentioned to me shortly after signing him in September of 2009 that he was probably the fastest player they had ever brought into the system during his tenure. He has a lot of raw speed, but now is learning all the finer points of using that speed in the right way and being a more efficient runner by learning to read pitchers and be a smarter baserunner.

Rodriguez has below average power, but as he has shown so far he has some good bat speed and some occasional pop in his bat. His approach for a Latin player is surprisingly good as he has walked 38 times while striking out only 43 times in 244 career at bats. Defensively, he was originally signed as a second baseman, but after some struggles there he was moved to the outfield and since then has flourished.

Players like Rodriguez are always a lot of fun to follow and see how all the upside translates as he moves up the minor league chain. There is no doubt that he is performing very well in the early going in Arizona, and if he continues to rake he could see some time in short season Single-A Mahoning Valley or Low-A Lake County near the tail end of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Jason Donald (SS – COL): .429 (6-14), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.429 OPS
Beau Mills (1B – AKR): .412 (7-17), 4 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.265 OPS
Raul Padron (C – AKR): .389 (7-18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.122 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .313 (5-16), 4 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.326 OPS
Cody Elliott (OF – MV): .375 (6-16), 2 R, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .974 OPS
Jose Ramirez (INF – AZL): .500 (8-16), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 SB, 1.063 OPS
Joseph Colon (RHP – MV): 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 2 G, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K, .184 BAA

Previous Winners:

06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

IPI Minor League Player of the Month
(for June)

Jesus Aguilar (First Baseman – Lake County)
.373 AVG (31-for-83), 16 R, 8 2B, 0 3B, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 6 BB, 23 K, 1.195 OPS

Jesus Aguilar

If you want a top candidate for biggest breakthrough as a prospect at the midpoint of the season, it would be hard to argue against that person being Low-A Lake County first baseman Jesus Aguilar. In 84 games so far this season he is hitting .292 with 18 HR, 59 RBI, and a .916 OPS.

Aguilar, who just turned 21-years old two weeks ago, is having a breakout season as a prospect. He is showing well above average power and an ability to not just sit dead red fastball but to also hit the breaking ball a long way. The plate discipline is an issue as he has 87 strikeouts in 312 at bats, but the ability to be a powerful run producer is certainly there. He is also making some very good strides as a defender at first base, and shows surprising athleticism around the bag and the potential to be an average to above average defender there.

It is possible that Aguilar could see a promotion to High-A Kinston before the season ends, but it appears that the Indians will keep him in Lake County the rest of the season so he can continue to develop his approach at the plate and his defense. With the possibility of a full season in Lake County, it will be very interesting to see what kind of numbers he finishes with and if his numbers go up or down here in the last two months of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Jason Kipnis (2B – COL): .324 AVG, 28 R, 4 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 23 K, 1.024 OPS
Luis Valbuena (INF – COL): .361 AVG, 19 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 13 BB, 17 K, 1.081 OPS
Scott Barnes (LHP – COL): 4-1, 1.66 ERA, 6 G, 38.0 IP, 26 H, 12 BB, 39 K, .190 BAA
Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – COL): 4-1, 2.18 ERA, 6 G, 41.1 IP, 35 H, 14 BB, 36 K, .235 BAA
David Huff (LHP – COL): 5-0, 2.56 ERA, 6 G, 38.2 IP, 33 H, 9 BB, 32 K, .224 BAA
Matt McBride (OF – AKR): .322 AVG, 16 R, 9 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 9 BB, 17 K, .998 OPS
Beau Mills (1B – AKR): .306 AVG, 17 R, 8 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 8 BB, 21 K, .844 OPS
Cory Burns (RHP – AKR): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 S, 12 G, 12.1 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 12 K, .100 BAA
Tyler Cannon (INF – KIN): .295 AVG, 14 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 13 BB, 20 K, .945 OPS
Drew Pomeranz (LHP – KIN): 1-1, 1.38 ERA, 5 G, 26.0 IP, 20 H, 12 BB, 27 K, .213 BAA

Previous Winners:

May: Tim Fedroff (Outfielder – Akron)
April: Tyler Cannon (Infielder – Lake County)

Director’s Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins talked this week about Zach McAllister and some players in the lower levels of their system:

Zach McAllister

On Zach McAllister: “It is unusual that we ask a Triple-A player to go to Instructional League [last year to work on his delivery], and even more unusual that we did not get any push back. We got no push back from Zach as he was excited to go out there and there were no reservations or reluctance on his part. He was excited about the potential of some mechanical adjustments. Typically at that point in someone’s career mechanical adjustments are not that significant with huge overhauls. With Zach it was more subtle in looking to maximize his size and athleticism and he was open to doing it and open to creating a little bit more athleticism and power to his delivery and he has taken right to it. He has seen the results, and we are excited to see how it translates to the Major Leagues. Really it was just creating a little bit more lower half involvement which engages his legs and core so that he can get everything out of his body to create more action to his pitches. To the naked eye you wouldn’t see a ton as it is just him loading a little bit better with his hips and lower half. That will lengthen your stride a little bit and create a little more athleticism and leverage. He has done a great job and has been really committed with it. He has overwhelmed and overmatched Triple-A hitters with his fastball. His secondary weapons are still developing, but are certainly weapons that will play. He has really been exceptional for a high school player. He has some pedigree as his dad is a professional scout, so he has been around the game to know the differences in a professional and amateur environment. With how open and committed he has been he has really stood out to us.”

On developing in the rookie league environment: “We have tried to do as much as we can to create structure for those young players because they are usually coming out of a high school environment and out of their homes going in to playing baseball for three to four hours a day and having a lot of down time. Anything that we can do to educate them on maturity, professionalism and certainly the game of baseball we look for those opportunities. [Sending them to a game to see us play the Diamondbacks] was a layup as that was an easy one to take them into that environment. It is powerful for them to see it a little bit closer than they probably have seen it before. Hopefully what they see is they are not that far away and the players are not that more talented than they are. The magic word being is that [the Major Leaguers] are much more consistent than these young players. Physically and just from a pure raw ability standpoint hopefully they see that one day they will be able to do that if they are more consistent. That was a big part of our vision in creating a facility closer to Major League players and our young players see them each day and can learn from them and aspire to be just like them at some point. Anthony Medrano has done an unbelievable job with those guys and we are a much more disciplined group than we were two years ago. It is much more than just coaching a team and managing a team as these kids are young. They need a ton of structure and guidance and he has done a good job at providing it.”

On the difference between Mahoning Valley and Arizona: “Typically the Arizona League predominantly has high school and Latin American players. In the NY-Penn League you predominantly have college players, and sometimes some very accomplished college players. Depending on the time of the year some say that level is stronger than the South Atlantic League and Midwest League because you have some of the more accomplished college players and a greater number of them than you do at the next step levels. They are very different levels. The biggest difference is consistency as the raw abilities are similar, but the college pitcher may have a better feel for breaking pitches, more exposure to wooden bats because of summer leagues, and will certainly be a better decision maker as they have played baseball for three or more years than the other person. There is a very wide gap not only from an execution standpoint, but also an experience standpoint with not only three years of college baseball but the college life with that experience leaving their homes, being away and in a new environment, and playing with a new group of people.”

Tony Wolters

On Tony Wolters: “He is off to a great start. He had a hamate fracture earlier in the year so he missed the bulk of spring training and really missed the first half. He is just now returning to full strength and is off to an incredible start offensively hitting for power, hitting for average, getting on base, and is a lot of fun to watch at shortstop.”

On Jake Lowery: “There is a lot to the emotions in this game and the immediate reactions and immediate assessments and you try not to put a ton of weight into what could be an emotional evaluation. Having said that, when someone stands out immediately to our Player Development group as being above the norm, that is a good sign even if it is a quick look. He has stood out to our Player Development group right out of the gates as being much more advanced and polished and having some leadership ability, but the one thing that has really stood out is the bat and he has shown that objectively as well.

On Bryson Myles: “That is scouting showing some confidence in player development as we are getting a very raw athlete and hopefully we can help him refine his baseball skills. He is different with his physical attributes but is similar with his raw abilities to someone like LeVon Washington. He is someone who is going to need player development and need the process to go level to level and all of the Instructional Leagues. If he takes advantage of them he has a great chance based on his athleticism.

Pomeranz gears up for Akron debut

Drew Pomeranz

As reported earlier in the week, High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has been called up to Double-A Akron. After attending the Futures Game on Sunday he made his way to Akron to join the team before they travelled to Harrisburg on Wednesday. As of this writing no official word has been provided on when he will make his Double-A debut, but there is a good chance that may happen tonight (Friday).

Pomeranz, 22, was stellar in 15 starts with Kinston where he went 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, and in 77.0 innings allowed 56 hits, 32 walks, and had 95 strikeouts. At the time of his promotion his 1.87 ERA was tops in the Carolina League, and he also ranked 4th in strikeouts (95) and 8th in the league in WHIP (1.14).

From a statistical standpoint the promotion was long overdue, but the Indians wanted him to develop a solid base to pitch from and show improvement in his changeup and controlling the running game. The changeup is showing more consistency and his delivery is improved. The biggest change is his work out of the stretch where he lowered his leg kick which has taken almost a whole half second off his times to home plate (1.7 to 1.23 seconds), which in turn helps him control the running game. With the strides he has made, the timing with the Futures Game and All Star break was a perfect time to make the long awaited move to Akron.

Sturdevant now on the radar

Tyler Sturdevant

Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Tyler Sturdevant is now a part of what is a deep mix of potential Major League bullpen options for the Indians at the Double-A level or above. After an impressive season at High-A Kinston where in 21 games he went 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA (41.0 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 44 K), the Indians felt it was time to challenge the 25-year old at the next level by promoting him to Akron at the end of June. In six appearances with Akron he is 2-1 with a 4.22 ERA, and in 10.2 innings he has allowed 14 hits, 3 walks, and has 11 strikeouts.

Since starting pitchers get most of the priority and a lot of them are turned into relievers late in their career, it is extremely tough for career minor league relievers to make enough waves to get consideration as a prospect and the attention of the big league team. Sturdevant has done a good job of beating the odds to date as he was not a high priority guy when he initially came into the system (27th round, 2009) and is an older prospect, but he is definitely in the mix now.

Sturdevant’s rise up the Indians system has a lot to do with his stuff. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95 MPH, and he has a cutter that is an effective but average secondary offering. The intangibles like his consistency, toughness, and work ethic are the other reasons for his success to date. He has outstanding makeup and is an aggressive pitcher who loves to compete on the mound.

The Indians are having him develop a curveball to give batters a different look from his fastball-cutter mix, and the occasional slider and splitter he also has stored away in his arsenal. The Indians feel if he stays healthy and continues to rebound well from the Tommy John surgery he had in 2007 that he could one day pitch in the Major Leagues. If he continues to do what he has done so far, that looks like a distinct possibility.

Trying to find the Wright stuff

Steven Wright

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Steven Wright continues to work on the development of his knuckleball. He was recently promoted to Kinston after spending some time in Low-A Lake County where in 9 starts he went 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA (46.0 IP, 48 H, 24 BB, 33 K). In four starts with Kinston so far he is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA (25.0 IP, 31 H, 8 BB, 19 K). Overall this season in 15 games (11 starts) at four different levels he is 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA, and in 78.2 innings he has allowed 87 hits, 34 walks, and has 58 strikeouts.

The numbers for Wright are not very impressive, but again, he is working on harnessing the knuckleball so the stats as a result will often be ugly. The pitch comes and goes, and he is working on developing more consistency with it along with mixing in his high 80s fastball and nice slider. Right now he is throwing the knuckleball about 75% of the time, and he uses a two fingertip grip on it so he throws it harder than traditional knucklers do as it comes in on hitters at about 72-76 MPH.

Wright continues to talk to former Indians knuckleballer Tom Candiotti throughout the transition, and may even seek out Charlie Hough in the offseason for some additional pointers. His goal the remainder of the season is to find the proper arm path and become comfortable with the pitch regardless of the results. He also needs to learn to accept that he will walk guys and not throw as many strikes as he used to.

Catching still a third option for McBride

Matt McBride

Triple-A Columbus first baseman/outfielder Matt McBride is learning a lot about the versatility game this year. With a crowded situation in Columbus to start the year but the first base position vacant in Double-A Akron because Beau Mills was injured, McBride opened the season by going to Akron to be the regular first baseman. It was not a placement that he particularly liked after spending most of 2009 and 2010 in Akron, but he did what he does best and played well where in 76 games at Akron he hit .286 with 12 HR, 46 RBI and a .862 OPS.

With injuries up and down the system at catcher and some callups and injuries in the outfield and first base in Columbus, McBride eventually got another shot in Columbus when he was called up at the end of June. He initially went up to Columbus as a backup catching option to Paul Phillips since Luke Carlin has been nursing a right elbow injury, but the Indians on Thursday moved catcher Michael Hernandez up from Akron to Columbus. McBride will now once again settle into a first base and outfield only role.

Catching is certainly still an option for McBride, but it is clear it is not a priority for the Indians as he has been relegated to emergency only status as a catcher. The Indians initially moved him off of catcher at the end of 2008 to preserve his shoulder after he had surgery the year before, but he now only fits for them as a first base and outfield option. With Chun Chen needing to play everyday at the Double-A level to facilitate his development, and with two Major League quality depth options at Triple-A with Phillips and Carlin, the Indians like their catching options right now in the upper levels.

Lowery living up to billing

Jake Lowery

One of the more impressive early returns for the Indians so far from the 2011 Draft has been the play of 4th round pick catcher Jake Lowery at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. In 22 games he is hitting .274 with 4 HR, 16 RBI, and a .900 OPS. He has been an extra base hit machine as 14 of his 23 hits have gone for extra bases, and he has shown a good approach with 12 walks to 14 strikeouts in 84 at bats.

Lowery turns 21-years old next week, and has been as advertised by crushing the ball all over the field. In 61 games this year at James Madison he hit .359 with 24 HR and 91 RBI, but some people felt his offensive performance was inflated by the new bandbox of a park he played in there. The Indians scouts saw the power, and so far he is proving them right as he is making good, solid contact and appears to have already transitioned well to using wood bats full time.

Lowery is very strong and should only continue to get stronger as he matures and is exposed to professional training and nutrition every day. He has a good plan when he steps up to the plate where he is often relaxed and won’t try to do too much. He has shown an ability to strike a good balance between being aggressive early in the count and being patient to get his pitch deeper in the count. He is a very confident player, and has excellent makeup.

Huffman struggles continue

Chad Huffman

Triple-A Columbus outfielder/first baseman Chad Huffman has struggled for most of the season where in 83 games he is hitting .231 with 10 HR, 43 RBI and a .724 OPS. After a good month of April where he hit .301 with 5 HR, 18 RBI and a .996 OPS in 21 games, he has struggled since May 1st hitting just .211 with 5 HR, 25 RBI and a .642 OPS in 62 games.

The Indians picked Huffman up off waivers last September and retained him even after removing him from the 40-man roster in the offseason because they viewed him as big league depth in the outfield. He had a solid spring and good April, but with his play cratering the past few months he is no longer an option for the big league team. This is unfortunate because had he continued to play well after April there is a chance he could have come up to Cleveland considering their need for a right-handed bat and an outfielder.

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

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Minor Happenings: Pomeranz's days numbered in Kinston

Drew Pomeranz (Photo: MiLB.com)

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

Okay, time for take three of Minor Happenings this week. Be sure to check take one which was a catchup version posted on Wednesday and then take two yesterday which was the first half of this week's normal posting.  There are lots of updates in both pieces, so be to check out all three parts of this week's Happenings trilogy.

Things should get back to normal next week with one installment of Minor Happenings now that the draft is over and a lot of the early signing news has sub-sided. More players should be signed in the coming days, which I will continue to update and post in the 2011 Draft Signing posting.  You can also go to the 2011 Draft listing which is also linked to the right of the page to keep track of all the 2011 Draft picks signing status and view their individual capsules.

Onto the Happenings....

Pomeranz likely on the move

Drew Pomeranz

With the first half coming to a close on Sunday for the Single-A teams, do not be surprised if this coming week that High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz is promoted to Double-A Akron. Last night in Kinston he made what was probably his final start for the K-Tribe where he put up his longest and arguably best outing of the year going 7.0 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk and had 7 strikeouts. In 12 starts this year he is 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA, and in 60.2 innings has allowed 44 hits, 23 walks, and has 77 strikeouts.

Pomeranz, 22, has come back well after being shut down for around two weeks because of a lingering hamstring issue and tweaking his mechanics and working on polishing his curveball and changeup in bullpen sessions while he was temporarily shut down. He has a lot of confidence in his fastball and is his go to pitch, but his secondary stuff at times - particularly his changeup - have been inconsistent.

The performance both subjectively and objectively for Pomeranz so far this year has been outstanding. The challenges the organization has made for him to improve his changeup and control the running game have been met, now it is time to see what he can do at the next level. Getting him to Akron where he likely will finish out the season would be a good way to test him for half of a season and force him to use his offspeed pitches more and continue developing his changeup.

Miller continues to pitch well

Adam Miller

It’s been a few weeks, so time for another obligatory Adam Miller update. Sometimes no news is good news, and that is exactly the case for the Texan right-hander these days. He has been pitching in games now since March and has had no setbacks of any kind with his finger, and since being promoted to Double-A Akron a few weeks back is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 6 appearances with Akron. Overall this season in 14 combined appearances between High-A Kinston and Akron he is 1-2 with a 4.66 ERA (19.1 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 19 K). As the peripheral numbers show he has been much better than the ERA suggests, which is ballooned as of the result of one or two bad outings.

The magnitude of Miller’s miraculous comeback is not only being appreciated and praised by Indians fans, but by everyone in the organization as well as the players. When Kinston manager Aaron Holbert announced to the team that he was being called up to Akron a few weeks back his Kinston teammates lined up at his locker while he packed to each individually congratulate him on reaching the next step in his quest to make it to the big leagues.

Miller is still working on the consistency of his stuff as most of the time it is there, but every so often it can disappear an outing here and there. The velocity has probably peaked at 95 MPH, which is still very good, and the slider is coming along although it still has a ways to go with him becoming comfortable with the deeper grip in his hand. He just needs more reps to build up arm strength since he has barely pitched in three years. He also needs to continue to work on getting more consistent with the slider and will eventually need to prove he is durable enough to pitch every other night and then on back-to-back nights.

There have been absolutely no setbacks, not even minor pain with the finger, and as a result Miller rarely even thinks about it anymore. Since he is on an expedited track there is a good chance he could soon move up to Triple-A Columbus, and while he may not be a big league option this year in Cleveland, do not be surprised if he is healthy and performing well that he is a September callup when rosters expand from 25 players to 40 players. It would be a perfect time to add him back to the big league roster as an option for 2012, but to also put the finishing touches on a great comeback and to reach the big leagues this year. What a payoff, and amazing night that would be if it happens.

Forward Head-ing?

Jerad Head

One of the better developments this season has been the continued good play of do-everything player Jerad Head at Triple-A Columbus. He can play any position on the field and has over his career, but has only played outfield in Columbus this year. He has always proven his worth as an organizational player and for an undrafted player he has already achieved more than anyone ever thought he would. All that having been said, he is continually improving at the plate and it may eventually pay off for him with a cup of coffee in the big leagues some day.

Head, 28, is not really considered much of a prospect in the industry because of his age, but as players in the past like Casey Blake have shown, sometimes players get better with age and blossom in the twilight of their prospect years. In 53 games this year for Columbus he is hitting .309 with 8 HR, 29 RBI, and a .875 OPS, which is coming off a very good season last year where he hit .299 with 17 HR, 66 RBI and a .906 OPS in 86 combined games between Double-A Akron and Columbus.

Head has never been a priority player for the Indians and may still not be, but that doesn’t seem to bother him as he just keeps going out and producing all while being unsure what position he may play on any given night. He is a hard working player who is an overachiever and gives everything he has night in and night out, and those kinds of players have value to an organization even if they are not considered big time prospects.

This was put on display earlier in the year on May 6th against Lehigh Valley when Head ran into the outfield wall in left field to try and catch the ball and ended up popping out his shoulder. He simply got up, popped it back in, and stayed in the game and collected two hits and a sacrifice fly the rest of the way. That’s a guy fans will have no problem rallying behind and learning to love if he ever gets a chance to play in Cleveland.

Forgotten Man

Matt McBride

Double-A Akron first baseman and outfielder Matt McBride has been sort of struck in neutral this year. He is playing well as in 67 games he is hitting .273 with 12 HR, 40 RBI and a .838 OPS, but he is playing down a level at Akron when he should probably be at Triple-A Columbus. This is not because of some personal vendetta that the organization has against him; it is just because there is nowhere to play him in Columbus because of a deep mix of outfielders and first basemen there.

McBride, 26, should see time at Columbus this year, the only question is when. With Nick Johnson and Jared Goedert getting most of the time at first base and designated hitter, and then Jerad Head and Chad Huffman getting the time in left and right field as well as Nick Weglarz likely to be in the mix there soon, there just is no spot for him. This will likely change in the next two to three weeks as the Indians make roster decisions which could involve promoting any or all of Goedert, Huffman, Head and Johnson. When and if that happens, then McBride’s opportunity in Columbus should arrive.

Through it all McBride has remained positive and been the consummate professional even though if he were in almost any other organization he would probably at least be playing at the Triple-A level. He has continued to work on his swing, and after a slow start in April where he hit .237 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and a .662 OPS, he has bounced back where since May 1st he is hitting .290 with 11 HR, 36 RBI and a .917 OPS in 44 games.

Popham ready for another challenge

Marty Popham

I think it is safe to say that High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham needs a better challenge at the Double-A level. He has been up to Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus for a handful of spot starts, but has yet to settle in at either level. Meanwhile, in 9 appearances this year (3 starts) at Kinston he is 1-0 with a 2.59 ERA. The impressive part for him are the peripherals as in 31.1 innings he has allowed just 22 hits and no walks while striking out 30 batters.

The problem for Popham and so many other pitchers in the system is that the Indians are deep with pitching, so while in past years Popham would surely already be in Akron, that is not the case for him and his pitching brethren this year as many are stuck at a level lower than they should be at. The Indians made a lot of moves in the system yesterday, and with the first half coming to a close this weekend for Kinston and Low-A Lake County along with short season leagues starting up, some pitching moves will surely still be made in the coming days.

Popham, 23, has a Major League quality fastball-changeup combination. He has good velocity and gets swing and miss with the fastball because it has a lot of life in the zone, and the changeup is a solid-average pitch. Also, with his 6’6” size he really leverages the ball well. But the key to him separating himself and becoming a true big league option will be the development of his slider, which is something the organization has challenged him this year to improve.

Iron Man

Roberto Perez

There is a super hero on the loose at High-A Kinston and his name is Roberto Perez. The K-Tribe defensive stalwart behind the plate showed off some incredible durability and strength this week where he caught an unheard of 46 innings in three days from Saturday through Monday. On Sunday and Monday he caught all 37 innings alone because of the 23-inning marathon on Sunday and the double-header on Monday.

Had Perez been an animal, some animal rights activist would surely have called PETA for cruel and unusual punishment, but Perez was up to the challenge. The Kinston coaching staff left it up to Perez if he felt good enough to play in the second game of the double-header on Monday and he said he felt strong and good to go so they let him play both games. He has been swinging a hot bat of late, and with the team making a late push for the first half division title felt he was not being exposed to any risk of injury.

Perez has been red hot at the plate in June hitting .390 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, and a 1.148 OPS in 12 games, which has raised his batting average on the season from .177 to .257 since the start of play on May 30th. In 47 games this year he is hitting .257 with 1 HR, 15 RBI, and a .774 OPS.

Reichenbach to the rescue

J.D. Reichenbach

What an impressive performance by High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher J.D. Reichenbach on Tuesday. Called up on Monday from Low-A Lake County to fill in for a taxed pitching staff he actually pitched a third of an inning of relief in game two of Kinston’s doubleheader on Monday night. Then, the very next day on Tuesday he went out and made a spot start and pitched 5.2 innings of no-hit ball in his first career professional start. Wow.

The Indians were hoping Reichenbach would give them three, maybe four innings because he was on a 50 pitch count, but he was so efficient that he ended up giving them 5.2 innings while still making only the mandated 50 pitches. He did not allow a hit, and even though he walked two batters and hit another he still ended up facing the minimum over his 5.2 innings before he walked the last batter he faced thanks to three double plays. He threw first pitch strikes to 13 of 18 batters, and 13 of the batters saw three pitches or less. He was aided by a five-pitch third, seven-pitch fourth, and a seven-pitch fifth, a total of just 19 pitches to get nine outs in those three innings. That was just what the doctor ordered for the K-Tribe pitching staff which had pitched 37 innings the two previous days.

Reichenbach doesn’t throw hard, but he mixes up his three pitch mix of a fastball, changeup and slider well. He worked to his strength which is pitching to contact and keeping the ball down in the zone. His call to Kinston was only temporary as a few days later he was sent back to Lake County. In 18 combined appearances between Lake County and Kinston he is 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA (47.1 IP, 39 H, 13 BB, 36 ).

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Jordan Brown

There are lots of former Tribe minor league players sprinkled all around the minors hanging onto the dream and playing for several other organizations or in independent ball. Here is a quick listing of some notable former Indians’ prospects with where they are and how they are doing:

First baseman Jordan Brown is in the Brewers organization and playing for their Triple-A Nashville affiliate, and in 34 games he is hitting .259 with 1 HR, 13 RBI and a .637 OPS. His once promising career as a hitter seems to be evaporating this year as injuries and other limitations may have caught up with him.

Left-handed pitcher Chuck Lofgren is pitching in the Giants organization for their Triple-A San Jose affiliate, and in 12 games is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA and in 14.2 innings has allowed 11 hits, 10 walks, and has 14 strikeouts. He missed all of April with an injury.

Outfielder Brad Snyder is in the Cubs organization and playing for their Triple-A Iowa affiliate, and in 38 games is hitting .342 with 7 HR, 29 RBI and a .943 OPS. He has also played in eight games in the big leagues this year going 1-for-9 at the plate. Last year he had an incredible year at Iowa hitting .308 with 25 HR, 108 RBI and a .949 OPS in 132 games, and made his Major League debut in September hitting .185 with 0 HR, 5 RBI and a .437 OPS in 12 games.

Stephen Head

Right-handed pitcher J.D. Martin is in the Nationals organization and playing for their Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, and in 14 games (6 starts) he is 1-4 with a 5.09 ERA and in 46.0 innings has allowed 48 hits, 9 walks, and has 27 strikeouts. He made his Major League debut for the Nationals last year making nine starts and going 1-5 with a 4.13 ERA (48.0 IP, 56 H, 11 BB, 31 K).

Former first baseman and outfielder Stephen Head is with the Rockies organization and apparently is making a comeback as a pitcher where they will start the experiment with their short season Single-A Tri-City team. For those that remember when the Indians selected Head in the 2nd round of the 2005 Draft, he was a highly touted pitcher and first baseman for Ole Miss, so it appears he is giving baseball one last try as a pitcher.

In the independent Atlantic League the league is littered with former prospects who were in the organization at some point in the past half decade. Right-handed pitcher Jake Dittler is on the disabled list and in 7 starts this year is 1-5 with a 8.70 ERA (30.0 IP, 44 H, 14 BB, 23 K). Right-handed pitcher Brian Slocum in 3 starts is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA (17.0 IP, 13 H, 4 BB, 15 K). Right-handed pitcher Jim Ed Warden in 17 appearances is 0-0 with a 0.53 ERA with 13 saves (17.0 IP, 5 H, 6 BB, 15 K). Infielder Brandon Pinckney is hitting .287 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 40 games. Outfielder Brian Barton is hitting .318 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in 7 games. Right-handed pitcher Bubbie Buzachero in 16 appearances is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 8 saves (16.0 IP, 15 H, 3 BB, 11 K). First baseman Ryan Mulhern is hitting .348 with 10 HR and 34 RBI in 29 games.

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

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Around the Farm: June 10

Matt McBride
 (photo: Akron Aeros)

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

Matt McBride: RF, Akron: 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI:

Yesterday's game in Akron was the Matt McBride show.  The right fielder belted a grand slam in the third inning that gave the Aeros a 7-5 lead, after they had fallen behind 5-0 in the first inning.  He then followed that up with a solo shot in the ninth inning, to give the Aeros their final 9-5 tally.  McBride has been floating around in the system seemingly forever.  The former second round pick in 2006 has been a consistent performer since 2006, but has never really showcased second round ability.  His average has never been below .272, or above .287, but his power has really improved over the past three seasons.  In Kinston and Lake County two years ago, McBride has his first double-digit homer season when he hit 18 homers and drove in 99 runs.  He followed up with 21 homers and 75 RBI last season in Akron and Columbus.  Still, the 26-year old found himself back in Akron this year as the odd man out.  So far this season, the outfielder has 11 homers and 38 RBI.

• Tim Fedroff: LF, Akron: 0-4, 1 BB, 2 K: Fedroff is in a free fall after one of the hottest months in the organization.  He's 0-16 in his last four games, and 1-21 in his last five.  His average is still a solid .335, but he's gone cold after scorching Eastern League pitching for much of the month of May.
• Beau Mills: 1B, Akron: 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI: Mills continues to produce, upping his hit streak to eight games.  He's scored runs in six of the last seven games (8 total), and has nine RBI in his last ten games.  Perhaps Mills is beginning to showcase first round ups.
• Kyle Bellows: 3B, Akron: 2-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Bellows has struggled all season for Akron, hitting below the Mendoza line from the start.
• Austin Adams: SP, Akron: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R/2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, W (5-5): Adams struggled out of the gate, but wasn't helped by his defense.  An error in the first which would have ended the inning with Adams only giving up a run. Still, Adams didn't have his best stuff, giving up baserunners in every inning but his last. 
• CC Lee: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K: Lee continues to impress.  Aside from some control issues, Lee continued his scoreless inning streak to 8 1/3 innings, and dropped his ERA to 2.25 on the season.
• Matt Langwell: 2 IP, 2 K, S (3): Langwell has been dominant this season, continuing a trend from his past two seasons. Langwell has a scoreless innings streak of 10 1/3 innings, and dropped his ERA to 1.27 on the season in getting his third save.  In 2009, Langwell had a 1.97 ERA in Lake County, and followed it up with a 2.41 ERA in Kinston in 2010.  Langwell still remains under the radar in the system, but continues to produce big numbers in a set-up role.
• Bo Greenwell: 2-4, 1 R: Greenwell has struggled for much of the 2011 season, but seems to be warming up a bit of late.  He has hits in six of his last seven games.
• Abner Abreu: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI: Abreu's double in the seventh inning broke up a no-hitter by Robbie Ross in the seventh inning, and he'd eventually score Kinston's first run in the inning.  Abreu's single in the eighth inning scored Bo Greenwell to give the Indians a win against first place Myrtle Beach. Second place Kinston now finds themselves three-games back thanks to the enigmatic Abreu. Summer is closing in, and Abreu is a notorious slow starter, so perhaps Abreu can start using some of that vast potential we keep talking about.  He currently has a season-high five game hitting streak.
• Marty Popham: SP, Kinston: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 5 K, 1 HR: Popham makes a spot start, and is brilliant.  Not sure what the plans are for Popham.  The Indians moved him to the bullpen full-time this year, but he seems to thrive out of the starter role.
• Tyler Sturdevant: RP, Kinston: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 1 K, W (4-2): Sturdevant has been solid all year, but not last night.  Still, he was at the right place, at the right time of a K-Tribe rally, and gets the win.
• Preston Guilmet: Closer, Kinston: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, S (14): Ho-hum, Guilmet is rock solid again, getting his league-leading 14th save in 14 opportunities.
• LeVon Washington: CF, Lake County: 1-3, 2 BB, SB (8): Washington continues to take baby steps in the right direction.  While he had a hit and a stolen base, the big thing to take note of are his two walks. His OBP over the last ten games is an impressive .444, and that's what made the Indians pick him in the second round last season.
• Jordan Cooper: SP, Lake County: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR: A nice start for Cooper, who has struggled with inconsistency since becoming a full-time starter for the Captains.
• Nick Sarianides: RP, Lake County: 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K: Sarianides gave up the tying run, but overall pitched very well in long relief.
• Rob Bryson: RP, Lake County: 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K, L (0-1): Nothing but struggles for Bryson in his two-thirds of an inning. He gave up a hit, a walk and hit a batter in getting the loss. It was his first rough outing since making his return.

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

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IPI Inbox: Where art thou Anthony Reyes?

Anthony Reyes (Photo: AP)

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

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

To the IPI Inbox we go.....

J. Sweeney wrote: I'm baffled why Anthony Reyes is he still in the organization. I have heard from more than one source he's ready to pitch and that they have no place to put him. If they wanted him, they'd make a spot for him. Why waste his time, their time, the training staff's time, the money on the minor league salary I presume they are paying him if he's so low on the depth chart as to be the last one on it? It seems at this point it would be better for both parties if they simply gave him his release. So, again, why is he here?

Me: You bring up a good question, but one which there is no fair answer. Right now Reyes is simply starting pitching depth for the organization. He signed a minor league contract with the Indians in the offseason, so now has to abide by it until after this season when he becomes a free agent (or the Indians release him prior to that). I agree it appears unfair that he is sitting in wait in Arizona to pitch somewhere in the organization, be it Cleveland, Columbus, or even Akron. But this is the risk players take when they sign minor league deals.

This is part of the unfair nature of baseball where teams have so much control over players. Once they are signed to a deal the team can pretty much do whatever they want with a player the rest of the contract. Reyes is like so many other players in Triple-A or in that purgatory between the big leagues and Triple-A who want out and want a new opportunity with a new team. Right now there are probably at least a half dozen guys in Columbus who would give anything to be traded because they are buried in the organization, but there is nothing they can do because they are bound by the roster rules of baseball.

From an organizational perspective, there is no need to release or trade Reyes right now. From a player perspective, he surely wants out. It is often the same dynamic that exists at the Triple-A level where so many players want out of the organization because of limited opportunities, yet few if any ever are granted a trade/release request. This is the case with how unfair MLB is at times as teams can hold players hostage until the end of the year when that player becomes a free agent. Often times when teams like the Indians already have so much invested with rehab time and surgery with a player they will hold onto the player to see if there is ever a return on the investment or a need at the big league level.

Bottom line there has to be a spot in Columbus for Reyes to go to, and right now there is no spot. Injuries to the Indians pitching staff are starting to mount up where it appears that another injury or two will create the spot and opportunity Reyes needs, but for now it looks like he will remain in limbo in Arizona. I personally don't think he will see time in Cleveland this year unless a rash of injuries occurs with the starting rotation, which would be good for him but unfortunate for the team. He is simply an extreme backup plan. One that the team has liberty to keep around based on the contract he signed. I don't agree with it, but it is money already spent, he’s being paid, and just the unfair setup in the game for the players.

Brendan M. wrote (via Twitter): Do you think Cord Phelps could replace Adam Everett in the near future?

Me: This is the most common question asked these days. With Phelps hitting .310 with 7 HR, 29 RBI and a .937 OPS for Triple-A Columbus and showing the versatility to play shortstop and third base as well as an everyday player at second base, the time is now for Phelps to join the Indians roster.

With a team desperate for some offensive punch with outfielder Grady Sizemore and designated hitter Travis Hafner both out injured, it would make sense to bring Phelps up now to take some of the everyday duties away from Cabrera at second base and also fill the role Everett has as the backup infielder. Clearly Everett is a better defensive option at shortstop and third base than Phelps, but both are about the same defensively at second base and Phelps has much more potential with the bat to impact the lineup when he plays. Also Phelps is an athletic player with good quickness so he could also fill Everett’s pinch running role too.

As to why the Indians have yet to call up Phelps it could mostly be that they do not want to mess around too much with the team chemistry. Everett is a popular player in the clubhouse and has done a solid job in the utility role. Also there may be some consideration to avoid bringing Phelps up a few more weeks in order to potentially be in the clear of Super 2 arbitration with him down the road.

Chengy wrote: Look at some of the pitchers [the Indians] have faced in May.
Weaver, Haren, Shields, Price, Cahill, Gonzalez, etc. I think any offense will look to be sputtering against those guys. Maybe when we get back into facing more average pitchers the offense will pick up again.

Me: To me you learn the most about your team in any sport when they face good competition, and to me facing the pitching the Indians have this month has helped them much better assess the needs of the team than any of the games played in April. You learn very little when you face a bad team, or one with poor pitching and hitting. So yeah, even though we have faced some good pitching, I also believe it has helped us see some of the complimentary parts may not be long term fits for the duration of this season.

Some good and bad things have shown during this stretch against some very good pitching. On the positive side shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is proving he is a legit star in the making and outfielder Michael Brantley is going to have a long, successful career. On the negative side of the ledger the days may be numbered for third baseman Jack Hannahan and second baseman Orlando Cabrera. Both are gaping holes in the lineup offensively as they can be pitched to.

I don’t see the Indians replacing Cabrera unless he gets hurt, but I could see them reducing his playing time some from everyday to four to five days a week. He is showing some wear as after a good start the first week and a half of the season, since April 12th he is hitting just .238 with 1 HR, 17 RBI and a .567 OPS. His defense has also been sloppy of late. Hannahan continues to be very good defensively, but he has been awful at the plate where since April 26th he is hitting .194 with 0 HR, 6 RBI and a .523 OPS.

Of the two Hannahan will probably be replaced, but his defense is so valuable that until uber prospect Lonnie Chisenhall replaces him at third he will likely continue to be the regular player there. What may help is to reduce his playing time much like Cabrera, which as mentioned above would make a great opportunity to get Cord Phelps some playing time as an alternative to both of them.

Chad L. wrote: Is there any way that Matt McBride could be similar to what Casey Blake was for the Indians? He is a jack-of-all-trades kind of player. I know that he can play catcher, first base, and outfield but I didn't know if the organization was maybe going to try him out at third base so he can be the ultimate role player.

Me: No, while McBride has some versatility, he lacks the athleticism someone like Blake has to be a true super utility player. McBride is average at times but is mostly a below average defender in the outfield and at first base. He is not an option at any other infield position as he simply does not have the quickness and athleticism to play third base or even shortstop and second base. Also, his catching days are behind as he is strictly only an emergency catcher.

When McBride came into the system he no doubt had a chance to become a Major League catcher. As with any player though, injuries kill or stall careers and that is what his shoulder injury did to him. No longer a catcher, he does not profile well at any other position. Catcher is where it needed to happen. This is meant as no disrespect to McBride who has one of the best makeups of anyone in the organization, but players who play first base and corner outfield who are sub par defensively are a dime a dozen in the minors. This is why he will be hard pressed to make the big leagues with the Indians or any team. He has good power, but his hitting is too inconsistent. He's at the point now where little growth is expected and he really is what he is as a player.

Personally I am a big fan of McBride's as I love the way he plays. But being honest, he is going to find it hard to get to the big leagues. That being said he still can make a good baseball career and living playing Triple-A ball where I think he can play a long time which would allow him to possibly get a cup of coffee in the big leagues at some point.

Steve wrote (via Twitter): When a minor leaguer is brought up to the bigs to fill in for an injury and eventually sent back down does it count as one of his options?

Me: Anytime a player who is on the 40-man roster is not on the 25-man active roster and has been assigned to the minor leagues, he is using an option. Options are not counted by each occurrence but for each year, so you can option a guy up and down 50 times over the course of a season and it still counts as one option.

When a player on the 40-man roster does not make the opening day roster and is sent to the minors to open the season, an option is used. Whether he stays in the minors all year and never pitches in the big leagues, or if he is called up and down several times, it all counts as one option year.

As an example, right-hander Zach McAllister is on the 40-man roster but is using one of his three option years this season as he was optioned to the minors at the end of spring training. He may never pitch in Cleveland this year, but it still counts. On the flip side right-handed pitcher Frank Herrmann has been called up and down a few times, and he too will use one option year like McAllister this season.

Marty W. wrote: What is the status of Alexander Perez? Is he in extended spring training yet? What affiliate is he likely assigned to when he is ready to pitch again?

Me: Perez is in Goodyear, Arizona at the Indians Player Development Complex where he is participating in the Indians extended spring training program. He is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and on a return to throw program. Due to the nature of the injury and the rehab involved, an exact timetable on when he will pitch is still unknown. The likely scenario is he probably will see some action pitching in a few games for the rookie level Arizona League team which starts play at the end of June. He probably will make a few appearances there in July and may join up with a major affiliate in August if all goes well. If he is assigned to a team, my guess is High-A Kinston. All that having been said I expect most of his innings this year to be thrown in fall and winter ball.

Josh W. wrote (via Twitter): Any idea on what is going on with Trey Haley? Is he pitching in Lake County?

Me: Haley was shut down for a short bit because of a groin strain and because the coaches were working on his mechanics. Since returning to Lake County he has been pitching out of the bullpen and he has found some success there. He is still expected to move back into the starting rotation later this season and will continue to be developed there, but long term it looks like a bullpen role may suit him better as he has the talent to be dominating in short stints. I actually will have a lot more to say about Haley in my Minor Happenings column tomorrow.

Bob wrote: What is the status of Rob Bryson?

Me: Bryson is recovering well from his broken foot and is now taking part in conditioning drills and running out in Arizona. He will probably make his season debut pitching in a few rehab games for rookie level Arizona in late June and early July, and if all goes well will probably be assigned to Double-A Akron by the end of July or early August. He looks like a guy who is definitely going to pitch in the Arizona Fall League this year to make up innings.

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

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