Indians Trade Newsom To Pirates

Today, the Indians traded RHP Randy Newsom to the Pittsburgh Pirates. No word on what compensation the Indians will receive in return, if anything. Pittsburgh's Double-A affiliate Altoona is playing Akron today, so it will be an easy transition for Newsom as he will flip sides and be in the Altoona dugout today. More details later.

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Newsom To Akron, Finocchi Released

Nothing official at the moment, but with the Indians signing RHP Luis Vizcaino today he is expected to either join the Indians in Cleveland or go to Triple-A Columbus. With that, a roster spot needed to be opened up in Columbus, whether it is Vizcaino going there or whoever is optioned out from Cleveland going there. I am hearing the Indians cleared roster room in Columbus by sending RHP Randy Newsom to Double-A Akron and releasing RHP Michael Finocchi.

An official transaction should be posted in the next 24-48 hours.

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Bold Bullpen Moves Signal Indians New Direction

"We've always had a set way of doing things here and tried to respect. But now I think we've got to have a little greater sense of urgency where those things are not going to be as important." - Indians GM Mark Shapiro

Wow, what a crazy day yesterday in Tribe Land with all the roster moves, mostly in conjunction with an organization looking for answers for the major league bullpen. It was a monumental day in that for maybe the first time under GM Mark Shapiro’s leadership we see real signs that the organization is willing to think outside of the box for solutions and also has a sense of urgency to fix an issue with a team still barely a month into the season.

In the past, the Indians have notoriously been extremely slow to make moves or respond to problem areas of the team in-season mostly because of their even keel and patient approach of doing things. They often have waited for that 40-game mark to consider moves, but with how the bullpen has imploded this year and is absolutely ruining this season for the team (with an average bullpen effort they are probably in first place), the Indians have been active making move after move trying to find a way to right the ship. Love him or hate him, you have to like what Shapiro is doing here or at the least the message it is sending.

The big news of the day yesterday evening was the Indians decision to move left-handed starter Aaron Laffey to the bullpen and call up left-hander Jeremy Sowers from Triple-A Columbus to fill Laffey's spot in the rotation. The Indians also said good-bye to right-hander Vinnie Chulk, optioned out left-hander Rafael Perez to Columbus to get him straightened out, and added veteran right-hander Matt Herges from Columbus as well.

Shapiro said yesterday that there are limited external alternatives for the Indians to fix their bullpen issues, which is true because a lot of teams have bullpen problems they would like to fix too. Plus, no one is dumping any relief help of significance this early in the season. He also implied that the well is pretty dry in Columbus as far as immediate help is concerned internally. With Adam Miller and Joe Smith on the disabled list, Jeff Stevens traded in the offseason, John Meloan struggling with his command, and a mix of past their prime veterans or too green prospects, there is virtually nothing left to pull from in Columbus.

This led to the bold decision to move Laffey into the bullpen, a decision that came out of nowhere. While many people contemplated the Indians options in the bullpen over the past week, I don't think anyone thought about putting Laffey in the pen and using an area of strength - starting pitching in Columbus - as a possible solution to the bullpen problems. While the well may have dried up as far as relievers go in Columbus, the Indians still had two very good starting options in lefties Jeremy Sowers and David Huff. With the surplus of starting pitching, they needed to figure out a way to get their best available options in Columbus - Sowers and Huff - to Cleveland, hence the Laffey move to the bullpen.

Laffey, theoretically at this point obviously, could be just what the doctor ordered for the bullpen. Some may wonder why the Indians would move Laffey to the bullpen, especially with how he has been one of the better starters on the staff in the early going. This came down to versatility and need, and of the five guys in the rotation Laffey is best suited for a bullpen role. Cliff Lee obviously would not be moved to the pen, as well as Fausto Carmona. Pavano has pitched well of late and was not an option either. The only other candidate would have been Reyes, but he just made a start the previous night so was unavailable for a few days anyway if he was even considered at all.

Also, some may wonder why not put Sowers into the bullpen and keep Laffey in the rotation? Bottom line, the goal is to stop the bleeding in the bullpen. If this is the case, who would you have more confidence in using in such a role late in games to get outs, Laffey or Sowers? Enough said. Or, would you rather keep Laffey in the rotation and try more of the retread options like Rich Rundles, Zach Jackson, Tomo Ohka, or whatever in the bullpen instead? They needed to put someone in the pen who they know can get consistent outs, and when they weighed all the options it looks Laffey came out on top as the best option.

Again, while the move itself is questionable, I like the boldness of it and the risk the Indians are taking. I think it is a well calculated risk. It may or may not work, but the Indians are at the point of desperation. With no solutions in Columbus to turn to, they made the bold move of taking one of their more versatile starters and more importantly one of their more composed, mentally tough starters and pushed him to the pen. This allowed them to use the depth of starting pitching in Columbus to an advantage and used them instead to fill the rotation.

Sowers has looked very good in Columbus so far, and some of the people I have talked to in and out of the organization say he looks like he is ready to get another shot to pitch and perform at the big league level. He was 1-1 in four starts there with a 2.25 ERA, but more importantly in 24.0 innings had only allowed 5 walks and 23 hits while striking out 22. His command was good, and his velocity was up to 92-93 MPH. Now that he is in Cleveland, time will tell. Even if he falters, it now opens the door for Huff to get an opportunity, and with right-hander Jake Westbrook nearing a return likely in about five to seven weeks, the Indians have a surplus of starting options still at their disposal.

The other thing in play yesterday besides the Laffey move to the pen was a lot of movement in the farm system. With Sowers going to Cleveland, right-hander Frank Herrmann got the well deserved call up from Double-A Akron to Columbus to fill the open spot in the rotation. Herrmann is a legit depth starting option at this point to be considered if Sowers, Huff and eventually Westbrook struggle. In Akron no one has replaced Herrmann in the rotation, though right-handed reliever Erik Stiller is expected to get the temporary starting job until a solution is decided.

One of the more interesting moves of the day was the promotion of right-hander Zach Putnam from High-A Kinston to Akron. Putnam is definitely a guy to watch, as it is no coincidence that he was promoted yesterday and moved to the Akron bullpen and Shapiro made these comments on the same day:

"So, we're going to have to try and be creative. We're going to have to look at things from top to bottom in our system and look for solutions. Those are conversations we're having right now. We are pushing the envelope on internal considerations. The reason we're doing that is we're not going to be able to turn over the whole bullpen from external alternatives. We've got limited external alternatives. We'll continue to be aggressive in pursuing external alternatives, but the reality is the answers are probably going to have to lie internally."

Putnam was a 5th round pick in the 2008 Draft last year out of the University of Michigan. He has limited experience professionally, but was always thought to be a guy who could move quickly through the system - especially as a reliever - because of his advanced pitching approach. At 6'2" 225-pounds he has a big frame to go along with very strong legs and broad shoulders that give him an ideal body to be a workhorse in the bullpen or rotation. He is an aggressive, power pitcher who shows excellent composure in tight games and is a notorious big game player who has that knack of coming through in the clutch, which is something the Indians desperately need in the bullpen right now. He throws two plus pitches, a fastball which sits 92-93 MPH and tops out at 96 MPH and a devastating splitter. The fastball has great movement, and the splitter is nasty and already considered a major league out pitch. He also throws a slider, curveball and changeup, but these would be used sparingly in a bullpen role.

Putnam had been starting in Kinston, but the Indians moved him up to Akron to pitch in the bullpen. In four starts at Kinston he was 2-0 with a 4.13 ERA, and in 24.0 innings had allowed 22 hits and 5 walks while striking out 23. Don't let the ERA fool you, as his performance was much better than that number indicates as he was the victim of a bad first inning in an outing a few weeks ago where seven runs came to the plate on some well placed hits (he came back and shutout the opposition the next four innings).

While Putnam had been pitching out of the rotation in Kinston, he has always been viewed as a dominant late inning bullpen option in the making. He was starting to mostly work on his secondary pitches and get regular work, and he actually would have opened the season in the Kinston bullpen had right-hander Bryce Stowell not come up lame in spring training.

Shapiro also made comments that they may pull someone from Double-A to fill a bullpen void, which immediately puts a guy like Putnam on notice. It also should put a little extra spring in the step of other pitchers in Akron like Stiller, Vinnie Pestano, Josh Tomlin, Chuck Lofgren, Steven Wright, Michael Finocchi, Josh Judy, Carlton Smith and Neil Wagner. The most likely options that may be considered out of that bunch are Tomlin and Wright, with Tomlin someone to have an eye on as well because of his ability to pitch in virtually any role in the bullpen, his makeup, his exceptional command, and his strike throwing ability. He may be our Jensen Lewis of 2007 later in the season.

Some may wonder why I have not mentioned right-hander Hector Rondon as an option from Double-A Akron. In a nutshell, he really is an untouchable as far as the bullpen goes. There is a sliver of a chance anything can happen and he may see bullpen work at some point this year in Cleveland, but it is very, very unlikely. He's still very green, growing, maturing, and has exploded onto the prospect scene as a legit front-of-the-rotation starting pitching prospect, and you don't bounce around a young high-level pitching prospect like that.

I even asked Farm Director Ross Atkins point blank in our sit down last week about the possibility of a bullpen role for Rondon this year, and he emphatically denied that Rondon was an option for the bullpen. Like I said, anything can happen, but a move of Rondon to the bullpen as a short-term fix is extremely unlikely.

With all of this movement, I have to say I am a little perplexed at why they are not giving right-hander Randy Newsom a shot. Yes, he may not be an impact guy or may just be a right-handed version of Rich Rundles, but what else does this guy have to do to get a big league shot? He has had some issues with walks, but I still believe he is a better option to try and use than someone like a Matt Herges. Newsom has great makeup, is made for a bullpen role, has that gimmick submarine pitching style, and has loads of experience in many situations out of the bullpen. Why not try him out, especially with Joe Smith on the disabled list? If he can't get a chance now, he'll never get one.

Anyway, as they say, drastic times call for drastic measures. These are certainly drastic times with the Indians bullpen. Let’s hope the moves the Indians made yesterday are the start to getting the bullpen on track to save this once promising season.

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Roster Moves

As noted in the message board last night, RHP Randy Newsom was promoted to Triple-A Columbus today, and he takes the place of INF Andy Cannizaro who was transferred to Mahoning Valley. Also RHP Paolo Espino was transferred back to Low-A Lake County, and RHP Steven Wright was moved off the Mahoning Valley list. Espino had been added to the Akron roster for bullpen help and Wright was sent to Mahoning Valley as a paper move. No word yet on who is replacing Newsom on the Akron roster.

Edit: Another move was announced today in Lake County as LHP Russell Young was promoted to Kinston and RHP Eddie Burns was called up to Lake County from extended spring training.

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Aeros/BaySox Sunday Game Notes

The 1st place Akron Aeros beat the Bowie Baysox 6-3 on Sunday in Bowie on the strength of an outstanding starting pitching performance from Chuck Lofgren. Lofgren gave up one run on just two hits in 6 innings of work, striking out three and walking just one. Some quick hit thoughts on the game:

• Lofgren wasn’t overpowering, but he was extremely effective. He had the Baysox off balance all day, and seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He was sitting at around 83 with his fastball in the 1st inning, but cranked it up to 88 mph in his 6th and final inning. Lofgren didn’t allow a baserunner until a one out walk in the fourth, and didn’t give up a run until a solo HR with one out in the 5th. Lofgren’s intense competitive streak was on display on Sunday, as he was fired up all game long. He was really upset with himself after giving up the HR, but didn’t let it effect him as he came back to get the next two hitters. The only other baserunner he allowed was a bloop single in the 6th. It was his 2nd good start of the season, and if he keeps pitching like this he will find himself back among the ranks of the top Indians prospects in a hurry.
  


• 1B Beau Mills had a great day with the bat and in the field. He was 2-5 with a double and two runs scored at the plate and got a chance to show off his wheels in the 5th. Running on the 3-2 pitch, he scored all the way from first base on a Carlos Santana single to right that was misplayed by the RF. In the 2nd inning, he made back-to-back nice plays in the field on the Baysox 4 and 5 hitters. The 1st play was a simple popup down the 1B line, but as Mills moved over to catch it, Baysox catcher Guillermo Rodriguez literally screamed right in Mills’ face as he was running down the 1B line. I have never seen anything like that before, and give credit to Mills for hanging in and making the play despite the bush-league antics. The next Baysox hitter smoked a hard grounder to the hole between 1st and 2nd, and Mills made a great diving play to get to the ball and even beat the runner back to the bag himself for the out. Mills can hit in his sleep, and if he can continue to field the ball like he did on Sunday, he will be in Cleveland sooner rather than later.
  


• Nick Weglarz got off the schnide in a big way, hitting a deep SAC fly to drive in Mills in the 3rd inning and hitting an absolute bomb the other way over the left center field fence in the 5th. I was sitting right behind the Aeros dugout, and the look on Weglarz’s face when he rounded third could probably be best described as relief. He is doing a good job staying back on the baseball, as in 3 of his 4 AB’s he hit the ball to the left side of the field. Wegz may have been pressing just a bit due to the slow start, so hopefully this can get him untracked and he can hit the way we all know he can.
  


• Neil Wagner looked decent in relief of Lofgren, giving up a solo HR but touching 95 on the radar gun. Randy Newsom seemed to struggle a bit with his release point and walked a couple of guys. Fellow sidearmer Vinnie Pestano came on to record the last out of the game for his 5th save of the season.

I really can’t tell you how enjoyable it is to cover these minor league baseball games. You get right down on the field to watch the games, you can sit wherever you want in the ballpark, you can hear the players joking back and forth…I highly, highly recommend it to any baseball fan. I was able to chat with the players before and during the game (Nick Weglarz is a really nice guy), listen to the guys in the bullpen make fun of each other (Randy Newsom is hilarious), and really get a good read on how they react to what happens on the field. The tickets were cheap, the food was good, and there were no lines for the bathrooms. A good rule is to try and see twice as many minor league games in person as major league games during the year. Look for these recaps anytime an Indians minor league affiliate comes to the DC area this season.

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Weekend Update: Super Bowl Edition

Very short update today. Teams are getting ready for spring training as the Indians' equipment truck left Progressive Field on Friday and is on its way to sunny Goodyear, AZ as we speak. Pitchers and catchers report on Feb 12th, with the first workout scheduled for Feb 14th. Two weeks!

- As mentioned last throughout the week, the 2009 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More book is now available! I got my first shipment in the mail during yet another blizzard here in northeast Ohio on Friday afternoon and sent out the round of shipments at the post office on Saturday. I will have the rest of the current prepaid orders in the mail on Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Everyone that had their book shipped in the Saturday shipment have already been contacted via email to let them know the book is on its way.

Again, the cost of the book INCLUDING shipping and handling is $17.95, and each additional book in the same order is $14.95. The book is 158 pages in length, and is really a hardcopy version of this site as almost all the information housed here is in the book for easy reference when you are away from a computer. Things like the 2008 Depth Chart (updating here on the site this week), 2009-2012 Rule 5 Draft Eligibles, 2008 Draft Recap, Affiliate info, coaching staffs, player development roster, 2009 schedules, 2008 transactions, and more. And of course all the scouting reports for the Top 100 posted on this site, as well as an additional 27 players not listed on this site.

I look forward to feedback from the people who get the first shipment. Anyone interested in picking up a copy, feel free to use the form on the right to order it via PayPal. Or, if you would like to send money via US Mail please contact me at tlastoria@indiansprospectinsider.com .

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This past Thursday we had catcher/outfielder Matt McBride on our weekly Smoke Signals program for about 20 minutes. Matt is a shy guy by nature, but was a great guest on the show. He actually provided some interesting news in that he in fact is being moved out from behind the plate and to the outfield in a full time capacity. We knew he was playing outfield in the fall Instructional League and in the Hawaii Winter League, but were not sure what that meant for 2009....now we know. Yes, he will still catch bullpens to stay fresh at catcher, but the primary focus for him in spring training this season will be a permanent conversion to the outfield.

So why the change? Granted the Indians are top heavy with outfielders in Triple-A Columbus, they are also extremely top heavy in catchers from the big league team with Victor/Shoppach to Triple-A Columbus with Toregas/Gimenez and to Double-A Akron with Santana. This left very little room for McBride. He'll surely keep up on the catching, but there is a big dropoff in the outfield after Triple-A, and if McBride does not start the season in the Akron outfield, he'll be there very quickly this year. In addition to the need in the outfield, it is also to save his shoulder which he has had problems with since he was drafted, and even though he had surgery on his labrum last offseason they feel it is better for his long term future to get him out from behind the plate and to the outfield where there is a lot less wear and tear on the arm.

This coming Thursday February 5th we'll have right-handed closer Vinnie Pestano on, and in future weeks right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin (Feb 12th) and outfielder Nick Weglarz (Feb 19th).

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Right-hander Randy Newsom penned a very nice piece on his blog a few days ago. He talks about life as a minor leaguer where it often can be tough to see people you have become good friends with leave the organization, be it by choice or not. Some really good insight into the relationships these guys all have with one another and how you really have to like your teammates since you are with them literally 24/7 for six months.

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Former Indians farmhand RHP Dan Denham has signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Speaking of Denham, his younger brother Jason who is still in the Indians system is coming back from a nasty hand injury he suffered late last year. While I won't provide the details of what occurred, he should be in camp when spring training starts.

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The minor league reporting date is what I believe to be March 5th from what I have been told, with some players attending a pre-camp reporting date of February 25th.

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Indians Top 100 Prospects: #60 Randy Newsom

60. Randy Newsom - Right-handed Pitcher
Born: 05/06/1982 - Height: 6'2" - Weight: 200 - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP
2004	22	GCL Red Sox	R	2	2	2.81	18	0	4	32.0	32	10	0	9	25	2.5	7.0	1.28
2005	23	Lowell	A-	0	0	0.00	1	0	0	2.2	1	0	0	2	4	6.8	13.5	1.13
	23	Greenville	A	1	0	5.06	15	0	1	37.1	39	21	2	15	20	3.6	4.8	1.45
	23	Wilmington	A+	0	1	0.00	2	0	1	2.2	0	0	0	2	2	6.8	6.8	0.75
2006	24	Greenville	A	1	0	0.00	1	0	0	4.0	2	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.50
	24	Wilmington	A+	1	1	3.92	19	0	1	43.2	42	19	0	19	27	3.9	5.6	1.40
	24	Lake County	A	0	0	2.25	3	0	0	4.0	6	1	0	0	3	0.0	6.8	1.50
	24	Kinston	A+	2	2	2.61	16	0	1	20.2	23	6	1	7	17	3.0	7.4	1.45
2007	25	Kinston	A+	0	1	1.50	11	0	0	12.0	11	2	1	1	9	0.8	6.8	1.00
	25	Akron	AA	4	1	3.12	46	0	18	49.0	52	17	3	17	22	3.1	4.0	1.41
2008	26	Akron	AA	5	1	3.00	47	0	29	45.0	43	15	2	29	28	5.8	5.6	1.60
	26	Buffalo	AAA	0	1	1.86	9	0	1	9.2	9	2	0	6	6	5.6	5.6	1.55
		Career		16	10	3.19	188	0	56	262.2	260	93	9	107	163	3.7	5.6	1.40

History:  The Indians received Newsom in July of 2006 as the player to be named later in the Coco Crisp trade from earlier that year in January.  Newsom originally signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Tufts University (MA) with the Boston Red Sox in June of 2004.  He turned out to be an important acquisition in 2006 for the Indians, as he was the Mills Cup Finals MVP that year for Kinston in the Carolina League Championship Series. 

Strengths & Opportunities:  Newsom is a side-arm/submarine-style pitcher who is a command-control guy.  He does not have a blazing fastball, wipeout slider, or a knee-buckling curveball, but he is extremely intelligent, has moxie, commands his pitches well, goes right after hitters, and his makeup is off the charts.  He does not throw very hard as his fastball sits in the 82-85 MPH range, but this is more by design as he can actually throw harder but the lower velocity allows him to sink the ball more and keep it from flattening out.  He complements his fastball with a changeup, slider, and a four-seam fastball.  He has a lot of confidence in his changeup, and his slider is coming around.  He is a very hard worker, a very likable guy, and is a great teammate. 

Newsom's pitches get so much sink and work in on right-handers hands that opposing hitters pound the ball into the ground (4.11 G/F ratio in 2006, 3.05 in 2007, and 3.34 in 2008).  He also has not been hurt by the home run ball, giving up only nine in 263 career innings pitched.  He has mostly been used in a late inning role the last two years at Double-A Akron and handled the late innings well, serving mostly as the closer where he now is the franchise leader in career saves with 47 after shattering the record of 24 formerly held by Mike Soper.  The Indians feel he has been very effective against right-handed hitters, but the biggest test for him will be consistently getting left-handed hitters out.  There are not many right-handed specialists in the big leagues, and with one in Joe Smith already on the Indians major league roster it will make it hard for Newsom to get a chance with the Indians.  He also needs to be more consistent and show he can continue to pitch in pressure situations. His slider still needs work and he has to become more confident in using it. 

Outlook:  Newsom knows his submarine style is his ticket to the big leagues and he is now a legit relief pitching prospect in the Indians organization.  If you love pitchers who work quick, pitch to contact and get a lot of groundball outs, then you'll love Newsom.  He should open the 2009 season in the Triple-A Columbus bullpen and could make his big league debut sometime in 2009. 

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr 

Randy Newsom MinorLeagueBaseball.com stats page 

Randy Newsom Baseball-Reference page 

Randy Newsom MinorLeagueSplits.com page 

Randy Newsom video: 

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Weekend Update: 12/13

Time for another rundown of some of the stories from the week:

- Right-handed reliever Randy Newsom was our guest this past week on an extended edition of Smoke Signals which ran for 1 hour and 40 minutes this week. We talked about the recent signing of closer Kerry Wood and the Gutierrez trade which netted the Indians right-handed reliever Joe Smith and infielder Luis Valbuena. In addition to that we sat down and talked to Newsom for about 40 minutes and covered everything from the Rule 5 Draft, winter ball, his 2008 season, his future, his company Real Sports Interactive, and so much more. Click on the hyperlink to listen to the podcast!

Next week, right-hander Rob Bryson will be our guest on the Thursday December 18th edition of the show at 9:30pm. Bryson was one of the players obtained in the Sabathia trade and we’ll obviously talk about the trade and the recent surgery he underwent to repair a torn labrum which could have him shelved for most of the 2009 season. And of course we’ll talk about lots more.

We will not have a show on Thursday December 25th and Thursday January 1st for obvious reasons, but the show will be back in its regular slot on Thursday January 8th. A special edition will air on Monday December 29th and left-hander Ryan Morris is expected to be our guest. Guests in January are expected to be Nick Weglarz, Frank Herrmann, Matt McBride, and Josh Tomlin.

- The Indians did not lose anyone in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft as predicted here on Wednesday. Contrary to what some have said in the media the past few days, this is NOT an indictment on the lack of talent in the Indians system just because no one was drafted. All it means is the Indians protected the right guys and that their eligibles list was not strong with what clubs are looking for: major league caliber players, preferably high upside arms for the bullpen. Aside from Jordan Brown and maybe Randy Newsom, no one that was eligible was really major league ready.

Fans have a tendency to believe that teams look to pluck players from the Rule 5 just to stash them and not use them all year, which is not the case except in the most rare of circumstances when a Single-A high upside pitcher may be exposed. Bottom line, the teams want players that can come in right away and contribute in some way, and a high percentage of the picks are relievers which was the case again this year as over 60% of the picks were relievers, just like in the five years prior. The Rule 5 Draft has really become a hunting ground for relief pitching.

In any case, the Indians did lose two minor leaguers in the Triple-A phase of the draft, right-handers Carlos Arias (Royals) and Rafael Quintero (Pirates). Not much is known about either player, other than Quintero is a converted shortstop who had some good numbers last year in the DSL (5-1, 1.36 ERA, 23 games, 46.1 IP, 44 H, 5 BB, 48 K). But, having not even played stateside yet, it is hard to know much about him or what we really lost. The same goes for Arias, who did okay at Mahoning Valley this year (1-2, 3.41 ERA, 22 games, 29 IP, 30 H, 14 BB, 38 K). Both have been in the Indians farm system for at least five years and both haven't pitched a game for a full season team yet, so they do not appear to be much of a loss.

Apparently Farm Director Ross Atkins - who signed Arias when he was the Tribe’s Latin America coordinator - felt the same way as he said the Indians had decided the innings they would eat up in 2009 were better served elsewhere. "We look at that [innings] value and would rather give that value to our amateur and Latin American scouts and see if we can keep filling in guys we'll have a few more years of protection with," Atkins said in a statement released by the team. "[Quintero and Arias] are good baseball players, but we'd rather give those innings to guys who we have more years of control with."

- One final nugget on former Tribe farmhand right-hander J.D. Martin who signed with Washington over a week ago. According to someone close to Martin, it was very tough for him to leave the Indians as after being with them for eight years they were like his family. He is truly gracious for the way the Indians were patient with him in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and he wanted to express his thanks to the Indians fans who have supported him over the years. He had 13 teams call him on the day free agency started and after a lot of phone calls and researching the situation he felt the best solution for him was to leave the Indians and sign with the Nationals because they offered him the best chance to reach the big leagues this year. While he understands it is a business, he did feel somewhat insulted with the way he was handled last year. As I said last week, much luck to J.D. with the Nationals!

- Right-hander Brian Slocum (if you got 'em) signed with the Pirates last week. Slocum had been removed from the Indians 40-man roster earlier in the offseason and was a minor league free agent.

- I know I mentioned this last week, but on Monday I should have some details on the 2009 Prospect Book.

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Previewing The 2008 Rule 5 Draft

We are about 24 hours from the 2008 Rule 5 Draft, which commences at noon ET on Thursday December 11^th. As the draft time nears, as with every year around this time with minor league diehards, there is some anticipation from the fans that the Indians may lose a player or two in the draft.

Predicting what ultimately happens in the Rule 5 Draft is a crapshoot, and the Indians may indeed lose a few players when all is said and done, but according to sources from three different organizations I have talked to over the past week they believe the Indians may end up having no one selected. The general consensus is other teams just have a far greater depth of players to choose from on their Rule 5 eligibles list compared to those on the Indians eligibles list. One person even said "I think the last team we take anything from will be the Indians".

As far as Indians who are eligible to be selected, there is absolutely no sure thing to be taken as there are question marks with everyone. The players themselves have no idea what to expect as they can only go by what their agents tell them, and since the player is still the property of their current team the agent and player cannot contact other teams to gauge interest.

For more information on the Rule 5 Draft and how it works, check out my FAQ housed on my blog. Here is a quick rundown in alphabetical order of the Indians top Rule 5 eligibles and why or why they won't be picked.

Jordan Brown - First Baseman

2008: .281 AVG, 30 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 35 BB, 67 K, .754 OPS in 109 games @ Buffalo

Why he will be taken: His bat is major league ready, and if you can hit, teams will find a spot for you. His excellent bat-to-ball-ability and ability to pile up doubles could be enticing to a non-contending team looking for a first baseman to plug into their major league lineup this year. He plays a solid first base and is also somewhat versatile having played some left field during his time with the Indians.

Why he won't be taken: First base is typically not a position that garners much attention in the Rule 5 Draft. Brown's lack of power may turn some teams off since many like a left-handed bat off the bench with some pop. While he has played some outfield, he is still very raw out there and really hasn't played out there since 2006 in Kinston. Also, he has been slowed down with a few injuries the last two years, and some teams may pass because of his questionable health.

Predicted outcome: While Brown has certainly been the most popular and talked about Rule 5 eligible player discussed by fans, after talking to a few people in other organizations the consensus is they believe he is a longshot to be taken. Anything can happen, but at this point the Indians gamble to not roster him may pay off.

Stephen Head - First baseman/Outfielder

2008: .290 AVG, 24 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 49 RBI, 24 BB, 75 K, .780 OPS in 106 games @ Akron

Why he will be taken: Head is an excellent defender at first base and also in right field. His versatility, athleticism, left-handed pop, and high character have him on the radar for a lot of teams. He may also get more consideration than the popular Jordan Brown because of his superior defense, versatility, and home run potential.

Why he will not be taken: Head's strike zone management declined in 2008 with a 24-75 walk to strikeout ratio compared to a 48-89 walk to strikeout ratio in 2007. He has been inconsistent up until this past season, and has yet to play a game above Double-A. He has also had some recent injury issues with his shoulder, although he came back from that this year 100%.

Predicted outcome: Because of his excellent defense at two positions and left-handed pop, Head actually has as good or a better chance than Jordan Brown to be selected. If it weren't for his inconsistent approach at the plate, he would have a very good chance of being selected. Even still, if anyone is selected from the Indians, Head may have the best chance.

Frank Herrmann - Right-handed Pitcher

2008: 11-8, 4.14 ERA, 26 games, 150.0 IP, 161 H, 43 BB, 104 K @ Akron/Buffalo

Why he will be taken: Herrmann is big and strong at 6'4" and 220-pounds. He has been a very durable starter in his three year minor league career with the Indians, making 26 starts every year and never missing a start. With his power sinker and fastball that touches 93-94 MPH Herrmann keeps his teams in just about every game, which may be attractive to a team looking for a reliable fifth starter for 2009.

Why he won't be taken: While Herrmann throws in the low 90s, he really lacks a true out pitch (career 6.05 K/9). Also, starting pitchers typically are not selected in the Rule 5 Draft because unlike a fourth outfielder, utility player or reliever, you can't hide a starter on the roster and use them strategically since they pitch every fifth day. He has also made only two starts above the Double-A level.

Predicted outcome: Herrmann is a longshot to be selected, and is all but certain not to be taken. A non-contending team may like his ability to eat innings and put up quality starts, but his inexperience above the Double-A level holds him back.

Chuck Lofgren - Left-handed Pitcher

2008: 2-6, 5.99 ERA, 28 games, 85.2 IP, 93 H, 52 BB, 72 K @ Akron

Why he will be taken: One of the things the Indians and people from other organizations love about Lofgren is his excellent makeup and his drive to succeed. The general feeling is while he had a poor season in 2008 as far as statistics go, the problem was mechanical to where new coaching and instruction in another organization can get his performance back on track. He throws left-handed and in the low 90s and is a former top prospect in the Indians system, so there is value there.

Why he won't be taken: After a sensational year in Kinston in 2006 when he went 17-5 with a 2.32 ERA and was the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, Lofgren has been in decline the past two years going 12-7 with a 4.37 ERA at Akron in 2007 and then went down from there in a return trip this season. He has also had a hard time with the walks, and this past season averaged nearly six walks every nine innings.

Predicted outcome: There is no question that Lofgren has the talent, and there is the possibility some organization takes a $50K gamble on him because of his prospect pedigree. That said, his rough 2008 season may be too much of a disappointment and ultimately scares teams away.

Randy Newsom - Right-handed reliever

2008: 5-2, 30 saves, 2.80 ERA, 56 games, 54.2 IP, 52 H, 35 BB, 34 K @ Akron/Buffalo

Why he will be taken: Newsom is a gimmick pitcher who throws from a unique low three-quarters slot (submarine) that may be attractive to another organization that wants different "look" for hitters to face out of their bullpen. His arm is resilient and he has proven he can pitch effectively on no rest for two-three days in a row. He is a groundball pitcher, is smart, has pitched a lot of games at Double-A and above, and has proven himself pitching in the late innings.

Why he will not be taken: Newsom's fastball velocity sits in the low 80s, which goes against the Rule 5 way of selecting power armed relievers. While he is deceptive with the delivery, he often gives up a lot of hits. In addition to the hits, Newsom's biggest problem is his penchant for giving up walks this past season as he allowed 35 in 54.2 innings in 2008. With no true out pitch, he doesn't figure to factor into a late inning role at the major league level.

Predicted outcome: Newsom is a wildcard as it is really hard to gauge interest in him. This is where I consult the Magic 8-Ball....shake, shake, shake......"Better not tell you now". Yeah, that's what I thought. Newsom could go to someone, possibly the Pirates because of GM Neal Huntington's knowledge of him, but he is not likely to be taken by anyone. If I were a betting man, I'd give 3:1 odds on him getting selected.

Neil Wagner - Right-handed reliever

2008: 3-8, 4.38 ERA, 48 games, 72 IP, 77 H, 25 BB, 92 K @ Kinston/Akron

Why he will be taken: Wagner has a plus fastball that sits around 95 MPH and tops out as high as 98 MPH. Relievers with power arms typically are the top target in this draft, in fact about 60% of the players selected in the last five years have been relievers, so this is why Wagner may be someone a team looks at selecting. He is extremely intelligent, is a strike thrower, and really came on at the end of the year in the Double-A Eastern League playoffs and had a good showing in the Arizona Fall League.

Why he won't be taken: Wagner has only spent a few days above Double-A, having only pitched in seven regular season games at Double-A Akron this year when he was called up in August. He lacks a good second pitch, which ultimately should be what makes teams shy away from him.

Predicted outcome: Wagner certainly has the power, but his lack of a second pitch and inexperience in the upper levels of the minor leagues will likely result in teams passing on him. Very doubtful.

Others who may get consideration, but should not be selected:

Jose Constanza (OF - Akron): A scrappy, small outfielder who is a joy to watch because of how he can change a game with his speed. He can latch on somewhere as a fourth outfielder, but better options are available in the draft as far as outfielders are concerned.

Kevin Dixon (RHP - Akron): Big, strong, and durable right-hander with a low 90s fastball, but there are many other starting pitching options available in the draft, including one in his same organization (Herrmann).

Ryan Edell (LHP - Akron): A mature left-handed pitcher who can start of pitch in relief, but his fastball is average and he lacks a dominating pitch.

Lucas Montero (OF - Lake County/Kinston): A nice power/speed combo and the ability to play anywhere in the outfield, but lacks any playing time above Single-A in the minors.

In the end, while there could be a surprise, the Indians are not expected to lose anyone in this year's Rule 5 Draft. Now, there is a good chance that the Indians could lose a player in the Triple-A and Double-A phase. The players listed above are protected from these phases as all are on the Triple-A reserve list, but some players on the not on the Triple-A or Double-A reserve list I am told have been targetted. For whatever reason, right-hander Jose Jimenez came up in one discussion. It was not clear why he was brought up, but his name did come up as a possible pick in the Triple-A phase.

One final note, if the Indians lose any of the six players profiled above, all have agreed to appear on my radio show “Smoke Signals” if they are picked. So, be sure to tune in this Thursday night at 9:30 pm if one is picked, but do tune in anyway as right-hander Randy Newsom will be on regardless and we will talk about the Indians offseason developments.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Newsom No Longer An Underdog

This article was originally written in July of 2007, and this is being re-posted for those that missed it the first time around on TheClevelandFan.com. From the people I have talked to, Newsom is said to be one of the top 2-3 players from the Indians for the Rule 5 Draft this Thursday as noon EST. I'll have a Rule 5 preview up on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Akron right-handed reliever Randy Newsom is a rapidly ascending relief pitcher in the Indians farm system. He has gone from the obscurity of being an unknown and undrafted pitcher in the Red Sox organization fighting to hang onto a baseball dream, to now a legit relief pitching prospect in the Indians organization.

Newsom is from Cincinnati, OH, and attended Tufts University. He ended up going undrafted in the 2004 Draft, but quickly signed with the Boston Red Sox less than two weeks after the draft as an undrafted free agent.

His first year with the Red Sox, he pitched in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League (GCL) for the GCL Red Sox. He did well, going 2-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 18 games.

But, it was the chain of events after the 2004 season which have re-shaped his career. Near the end of Red Sox spring training in 2005, Newsom was messing around on the mound throwing submarine style, and Red Sox officials saw it and approached him about actually going with the approach. What started as a joke may now end up being his ticket to the big leagues.

"I was just making fun of somebody. I mean, I meant nothing to the Red Sox, so they were kind of like 'oh, let's try this'," recalls Newsom. "Credit to them, they liked me as a person so they gave me a lot more opportunities than they would have given some random undrafted free agent. You know, I worked hard and I was there early, and I got to know the front office people."

Newsom is a very likable guy, upbeat, funny and someone who doesn't take himself too seriously. Oddly, an incident with a fellow Latin teammate helped him stick around in extended spring training in 2005.

"I think one of the things that helped me stay in extended spring [in 2005] was that I talked to one of the Latin players who had a problem with the Bank of America, who tried to take advantage of the kid," says Newsom. "He was gone, and he was over-drafting every month because he had overdrawn. Well, he was gone for six months. So they were going to charge him that and the interest. So I went there and I used my broken Spanish to kind of explain what was going on and talked him through it. And they actually came to me after that and they were like ‘we didn't know you could handle extended spring with all these Latin players'. So I caught some breaks with that...I can't bash the Red Sox as they gave me an opportunity, but I can't say being traded wasn't good for me."

Newsom worked hard on the new pitching style the rest of the 2005 season, finishing the year going 1-1 with two saves and a 4.48 ERA in 18 combined appearances at three different Red Sox Single-A affiliates. But, he made huge strides in the following offseason going into the 2006 season.

"When I came back last spring [2006], the Red Sox were like ‘oh, okay, this is different...this is a different kid,'" recalls Newsom. I worked a lot, I worked everyday in the offseason. Even if I wasn't going to throw, I was getting off the mound or doing flat ground drills. I was learning how to do it and actually I dropped my arm slot even more than what you see now. So, by the middle of last year facing hitters I was confident that every time out the ball was going to sink and wasn't going to stay flat. Some days it is going to sink more than others, but I knew that I could battle out there and I was confident in the fastball and changeup. And I think toward the end of the year I became more confident in the slider."

In January of 2006, the Indians and Red Sox made a major trade headlined by third baseman Andy Marte and outfielder Coco Crisp. One of the covenants of that trade was the Indians would also get a player to be named later, which was a list of players the Indians and Red Sox agreed upon whom the Indians wanted to do some more scouting on before making a decision. The Indians were piqued by Newsom's unique arm slot, and ended up choosing him back in late July last year to complete the trade.

Newsom, always quick to joke about things commented on the trade saying, "Yeah, they [Red Sox] just gave me away. You know? I was the player to be named later. I am sure there were other players on the list, but I am sure when the Indians were like ‘we'll take Newsom' the Red Sox were like ‘Randy??? You want him???' (laughter). No, but really, it was good as I really like the Indians."

While Newsom may joke about the trade, this is how he is as a person. As a guy who has battled tough odds as an undrafted free agent to get here, he knows how to make light of things. As a player in his position you almost have to, as one of the realities of being an undrafted free agent is you are always one bad outing from being sent home.

"One of the things people don't realize is that when you get a million dollars there is something invested in you that the team is saying ‘we are giving you this chance' and they are not going to cut a guy even if he struggles," says Newsom. "If I struggle, I am going home. So I don't have any safety net. So it wasn't a question. It was just could I pitch with my back against the wall every time out. When I was struggling [in 2005], I knew that if I had a blowup outing that could be it. So, a lot of times I was pitching not to lose at first and I think it got to the point where I had something like a six and a half ERA in the South Atlantic League and I said ‘you know what, if they are going to cut me they are going to cut me. I am just going to throw the ball the way I can and attack hitters and pick the corners'. And heck, you know what? Groundballs started coming. I got lucky I think."

He finished 2006 going 4-3 with two saves and a 3.24 ERA in 39 combined appearances (72.1 innings) in the Indians and Red Sox systems. Upon his arrival in the Indians organization, Newsom made three appearances with Single-A Lake County before being moved up to advanced Single-A Kinston.

Newsome really seemed to gain momentum in the Indians system after his spectacular performance in the Carolina League Finals for Single-A Kinston last September. He was tabbed as the Mills Cup Finals MVP after he pitched 5.1 innings without allowing a run and yielded only one hit and one walk while striking out five in three appearances. But, it went beyond the numbers for Newsom, as for the first time he felt the coaching staff and an organization had confidence in him.

"It's not so much that they gave me the award [Mills Cup Finals MVP], it is the situations that I pitched in and out of. The manager [Mike Sarbaugh] had so much confidence in me, and made me realize ‘hey wait a second, this is a guy who thinks his career is going to be furthered by throwing me into this game.' For the first time a manager said ‘you know what, Randy Newsome is going to help me.' And that was cool, it was really nice. For the first time I felt the front office was going to let him [the manager] do his thing, I was traded for, and my back is not against the wall every time out and I can go in and attack. I don't have to worry about picking. I think that has really helped, and this year I have another new manager in Bogey [Akron manager Tim Bogar] who is behind me telling me to go do your thing, throw the ball down the middle. Bogey is just constantly reinforcing me."

Newsom started this season back in Kinston, and after 11 appearances out of the bullpen was 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA, and in 12 innings allowed 11 hits with one walk while striking out nine. His hot start earned a promotion to Akron, where upon arriving he was thrown into the closer role. As of July 14th, Newsom is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA at Akron, and was 13-for-13 in save opportunities before a couple botched save attempts heading into the All-Star break.

For some, pitching in the ninth inning is something pitchers have a hard time accepting, but for Newsom he likes the challenge.

"As a pitcher, you want to be out there for the last out. The game is tangibly won or lost in the 9th inning, so being in the 9th inning is great," says Newsom. "Even if you are down or up you know the game is on the line and this is the last shot so you gotta go do it. I've enjoyed it. I don't mind it. Some people don't like it, I love it."

Newsom knows his submarine style is his ticket to the big leagues. The key now for him is to become more consistent and show he can pitch in pressure situations. "Yeah, there [are] lots of things I am working on, consistency being a key," says Newsom. "I am struggling with lefties right now, so I am working on that, but the thing is, is I am getting better with getting a lot of groundballs [against lefties] but they are going through."

Probably surprising to many, and to even to me before I interviewed Randy, is he does not throw very hard. His fastball sits in the 81-83 MPH range, but as a submariner this is key as the lower velocity allows the ball to sink more. If you throw too hard, the ball is flatter and much more hittable.

"I throw a fastball, changeup, slider, and I have a four-seam fastball I don't throw much," says Newsom. "I'm at my best at 81-83 with the fastball. It usually means the ball is sinking more because it is taking longer to get to the plate. If I am throwing 87-88 the ball usually is more straight. It's just physics as it will be straighter since it is getting there quicker. When it is sinking a lot down in the zone, it is a lot better."

Newsom knows that while a 95 MPH fastball would be a great weapon to have, you can be just as effective being a command-control guy. Especially when throwing from a unique arm slot.

"I'm not going to blow anybody away, but I have a lot of confidence in my offspeed pitches too, which helps," says Newsom.

He may not be blowing anyone away, but Randy Newsom certainly is blowing by other relief prospects in the Indians system and is someone for Indians fans to pay special attention to going forward.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Weekend Update: So Long J.D.

Time for another Saturday rundown of all the happenings in the Indians minor league system this past week:

• Right-handed minor league free agent pitcher J.D. Martin has signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals. The signing ends his eight year career in Cleveland that started with so much promise when he was taken in the first round of the 2001 Draft, but was often sidetracked with injuries throughout his time with the Indians. In those eight seasons, Martin compiled a career record of 53-28 with a 3.50 ERA in 147 games (119 starts) and in 656 innings allowed 603 hits, 180 walks and had 565 strikeouts. Martin was rostered after the 2006 season, but the writing was on the wall after he was removed from the 40-man roster last December. He re-signed and stayed on for one more season and had an excellent year in 2008 going a combined 12-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 35 games (9 starts) at Akron and Buffalo. With the depth in the Indians upper levels with starting pitching and particularly right-handed relievers, Martin moved on to an organization where he has a better chance of getting to the big leagues and he should get that opportunity in Washington. He joins first baseman Matt Whitney who also signed with Washington about two weeks ago. I hate to see him go, but I wish J.D. well and lots of luck with his new team and look forward to him making his major league debut soon.
  
  
• Catcher Chris Gimenez appeared on my weekly radio show "Smoke Signals" this past Wednesday. As usual, Gimenez was laid back and very upfront and honest and we talked for about 45 minutes covering everything from being rostered, his approach at the plate, his recent transition to catching, some serious injuries he has gone through in the past, and so on. One of the more interesting things we talked about was his versatility. He projects as a super utility guy who can play anywhere on the corners in the infield and outfield as well as at catcher. But, he considers third base to be his best position and the one he is the most comfortable playing. In case you did not notice the Indians need a third baseman for 2009, so depending on what they do the rest of this offseason, Gimenez could be a serious option at the position sometime in 2009 and be a placeholder there until Wes Hodges is ready to take the position full-time by the end of the season or at the start of 2010. Of course, if Gimenez gets a chance to play third base and plays well there he could make it hard for the Indians to give the job to Hodges.
  
  
• This week, "Smoke Signals" will be back in its normal Thursday night timeslot from 9:30-10:30pm. The show may be extended by a half hour depending on what happens in the next week as there should be a flurry of activity in the Winter Meetings, some (hopefully) involving the Indians which could provide a bevy of topics for us to talk about. Also, with the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning/afternoon, we'll know who - if any - of the Indians minor leaguers were taken. If someone from the Indians is taken, there is a good chance that they will be on the show later that night to talk about it for a few minutes. Also, while not confirmed and really depending on what happens at the Winter Meetings with Indians activity, whether he is selected or not right-hander Randy Newsom will likely be a guest on the show this week.
  
  
• On Friday, the Indians signed right-hander Tomo Ohka to a minor league deal with a non-roster invite (NRI) to major league camp in spring training. Ohka, 32, owns a career Major League record of 50-63 with a 4.14 ERA in 184 games (172 starts) over nine big league seasons from 1999-2007 with Boston, Montreal, Washington, Milwaukee and most recently Toronto (999.0 IP, 1105 H, 459 ER, 283 BB, 559 K). His best season came in 2002 with Montreal, going a career-best 13-8 with a 3.18 ERA in 31 starts. Ohka last appeared in the big leagues in 2007 with Toronto going 2-5 with a 5.79 ERA in ten starts after opening the season as the Blue Jays fifth starter. He also pitched professionally in Japan for the Yokohama Bay Stars from 1994-1998. Ohka spent the 2008 season at Triple-A Charlotte after signing with the White Sox organization and was 5-11 with a 4.18 ERA in 28 games (20 starts), and in 135.2 innings allowed 146 hits, 35 walks and had 112 strikeouts. This is a depth signing and really has no bearing on the major league roster, and is more to fill the void needed for a veteran starter to round out the rotation in Triple-A.
  
  
• The Indians did not have anyone ranked in Baseball America's Arizona Fall League Top 20 ranking (premium), which may come as a surprise to some. But while Wes Hodges hit a nice .349 with 6 HR, 26 RBI and a .956 OPS in 25 games, the batting average and OPS were not even in the top ten in the league which goes to show how many good hitters were out in the AFL. That said, the AFL released their top prospects team and as expected Hodges was Included. Baseball America's listing is a Top 20 overall grouping of pitchers and position players, where the AFL's is by position where Hodges and Brett Wallace (Cardinals) were clearly the top third baseman in the league.
  
  
• MiLB.com recently completed their Top 50 Prospect listing, and the Indians placed two players on the listing with outfielder Matt LaPorta at #14 and right-handed pitcher Adam Miller at #41. LaPorta came in where he was expected to be, but Miller was a surprise at #41. When healthy, Miller is no doubt the top pitching prospect in the Indians system and one of the top 10-15 in all of baseball, but at some point the injuries have to be considered. Not to mention with the likes of catcher Carlos Santana and outfielder Nick Weglarz in the system, they were more deserving of being ahead of Miller. But that is just my opinion.
  
  
• Earlier in the week, first baseman Jordan Brown talked about not being rostered in an article on MLB.com . Nothing new here as we talked with him about this on "Smoke Signals" on Tuesday November 25^th where he actually went into greater detail about the roster situation, but it is still nice to see it in print.

Also, I have some news on my 2009 Indians Prospect Book which I will share in more detail on Monday, but the 2009 scouting reports should be showing up on this site very soon and the book should be available soon as well.

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Rule 5 In Review

Since it's been a relatively quiet off-season for the Indians, most of the talk has been about the 40-man roster and concern about the Rule 5 Draft. There has been a lot of confusion over who is eligible and who the Indians might lose in the draft. For those who don’t know how it works and want to get more info on it, take a look on this site and you can find that Tony has explained it many times. I wanted to quickly just touch on the monetary side of the draft. If you select a player, you must pay his team 50K for the selection; if that player doesn’t make the team’s 25-man roster then he can be returned to the original team if the original team is willing to pay a 25K return fee.

This article is a five year look back at the Rule 5 drafts to help give an idea of who typically gets taken in the draft. I tried my best to locate every trade, but I admit I might have missed one or two as many of these players have little or no information on them, thanks to the fact that few of them actually play any significant time in the majors. One thing to keep in mind is that when I talk of trades I mean trades where teams work out a deal to keep a player they selected and send him to the minors. I am not counting deals where Rule 5 selections are traded on draft day. In addition, I would list a player as an SP if that was what he primarily did the season before in the minors; most pitchers even when SP in the minors are going to be a MR if they get taken in the Rule 5 draft.

2003

In the 2003 Rule 5 there were a total of 20 selections, only 7 of which were kept (roughly 1/3). There was one trade which most Indians fans will remember: the Indians traded a selected player, Willy Taveras, along with Luke Scott for Jeriome Robertson. While a stinker of a deal now, I can’t fault the Indians for trading for a lefty coming off a 15 win season in a hitter’s park. The break down of players selected in the draft is as follows:

SP 1 (5%)
MR 12 (60%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 1 (5%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 2 (10%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 2 (10%)
OF 2 (10%)

Indians selected: 4 (20%)

The four Indians selected in the draft were Willy Taveras, Hector Luna, Lino Urdaneta, and Matt White. Of these players only Luna was not offered back to the Tribe. The biggest name selected in the draft was either Taveras or Chris Shelton to Detroit. In other words, it’s not like any all stars were taken this year. I have listed the category of a utility player here for the first time – this is a player who logs 50 or more games at multiple infield positions.

2004

In the 2004 Rule 5 Draft there were 12 players selected and of those only 3 were kept. There were no deals and the Indians did not have any selected this year. The break down this year was:

SP 3 (25%)
MR 5 (42%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 1 (8%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 3 (25%)

Of the players kept, the player who hasn’t gotten much publicity is Andy Sisco, someone people made a big deal of when he was first drafted but who has really failed to do much since then. The best player selected in this draft was Shane Victorino, but he was not actually kept. Victorino could not make the Philly squad, but the Dodgers didn’t want to pay the money for the return fee so Philly was able to keep him. It’s undoubtedly a mistake the Dodgers regret to this day as the return fee is virtually nothing.

2005

In the 2005 draft there were again 12 selections and only 3 players kept. I also found no trades and zero Indians selected. The break down this year was:

SP 2 (17%)
MR 8( 67%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 1 (8%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 1 (8%)

The big player that was selected during this year was Dan Uggla, who moved from Arizona to Florida. Another interesting aspect of this draft was pitcher Victor Santos, who was selected, stayed on roster all year, and then was cut after the season was over. Now three years into this review we see that the draft is dominated by MR arms, specifically players who were MR in the minors.

2006

This year there was a rise in both players selected and kept. There were 19 players taken and 4 kept, but the percentage of players kept dropped to 21%. There were also two trades that happened this season. The first player taken was an Indian, Ryan Goleski, but I am sure Oakland wishes they had taken Josh Hamilton instead. Here is the break down for the draft:

SP 1 (5%)
MR 10 (53%)
C 3 (15%)
1B 1 (5%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 2 (11%)
OF 2 (11%)

Indians selected: 2 (11%)

This is the most interesting draft in this five year cycle because not only were there two Indians taken, but one all-star and one soon to be all-star were selected. The two Indians were Ryan Goleski and Jim Ed Warden, both of who were returned to the Tribe. The all-star players that year were Josh Hamilton and Joakim Soria. Both players were surprise picks at the time but have looked like genius since then. Hamilton had been so long out of the game and Soria had never played above A ball. They were both well-thought of though and ended up being the 2^nd and 3^rd players selected in the draft.

2007

Last year’s draft saw a total of 18 players drafted, and of those 18 only 3 were kept. Once again the percentage of players kept this time was around 17%. In terms of trades there were a total of four, so a lot more players were able to stay with the team that selected them. There were two Indians selected and one of them, Brian Barton, was one of the players kept. Here is the break down:

SP 2 (11%)
MR 12 (67%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 1 (5%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 1 (5%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 2 (11%)

Indians selected: 2 (11%)

With this draft there was no marquee name. It can be argued that Barton did the most of any player that was kept as the other two were middle relievers that didn’t show much. Once again the draft was dominated by guys who teams take a flier on to see if they can help the pen. After all, 50K is cheaper than even the minimum FA contract.

5-Year Total

Now, if the data from the past five years is added together, it is possible to see what and who a team like the Indians could lose. In the five year cycle there were 81 players selected and a total of 21 kept, so roughly only 26% of all players selected stick. The average amount of players selected every year is 16, which basically means an average of four players leaving teams. In that same time there were 7 trades, so it also seems a lot of teams were unwilling to trade a prospect that was selected from their team. Here is the break down:

SP 9 (11%)
MR 47 (57%)
C 0 (4%)
1B 2 (2%)
2B 2 (2%)
SS 2 (2%)
3B 2 (2%)
UTIL 4 (5%)
OF 10 (12%)

Indians selected: 8 (10%)

What these data show (to me, at least) is that the main use of the Rule 5 Draft is to find bullpen help. There are also a decent amount of outfielders and starting pitching, but by and large the draft is dominated by bullpen help. It is a bit disturbing to see 10% of all players selected come from the Indians. One might think, well, on a positive note, in the cycle only two Indians were lost by being selected and kept on roster the whole year, except that if you take the two out of the total players it means that of all the players kept in the last five years, 10% were from the Indians. The two players the Indians lost were Brian Barton and Hector Luna, so it goes against the rest of the data since you would expect at least one of the lost players to be a bullpen arm.

I believe the Indians will have two to three players selected, but I also expect most of them to be returned. Looking at all the data, I feel the most likely to be selected and lost is Jordan Brown (advanced bat and plays multiple positions). I expect some team to take a chance on Neil Wagner because of his velocity and the fact that he’s a bullpen guy. On a team like SD or Bal, why not roster a guy who can get it up there at 98; the only issue is that he spent a good chunk of the year in A.

I would not be shocked to see anyone else taken, but every other player has some detracting issue. Stephen Head plays the best first base in the whole system and had a solid year, but the previous lackluster seasons and lack of patience at the plate might scare teams. Lofgren has a lot of talent, but this year was very rough and the jump from AA to the majors is huge. Randy Newsom had another great year, but some still view him as a gimmick pitcher. If a 2^nd or 3^rd player is selected I would expect it to come from that group.

I personally think every one of these guys can help the Indians at some point and hope none get selected, but at the same time I just see no way the Indians get through this year unscathed. The draft is quickly approaching and I know everyone here will be checking the results – let’s just hope there aren’t too many Indians on it.

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Weekend Rundown

Time for another Saturday rundown to recap all the happenings in the system from this past week as well as a few news items:

• I had left-hander Matt Meyer on my weekly radio show Smoke Signals this past Thursday. Thanks again to Matt for coming on and best of luck the rest of the way. This coming Thursday I’ll have right-hander Jeff Stevens on, and every week going forward a player should be on as a guest. Smoke Signals can be heard live every Thursday from 9:30-10:30pm ET, and is available to download at anytime.

• There is some concern among fans that after left-hander Chuck Lofgren struggled through a lost season in Akron this year (2-6, 5.99 ERA, 52 BB in 85.2 IP) and is getting shelled in the Arizona Fall League (5 games, 4.1 IP, 12 H, 17 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 3 K, 35.51 ERA) that he has slid completely off the prospect map. At 22 years of age, Lofgren is still very young and can rebound from what has been a disaster of a season for him on the field and an emotional rollercoaster off of it. He is Rule 5 eligible this offseason and even with the bad numbers has a small chance to get selected (he won’t be rostered by the Indians), but in any case he should be with the Indians next year and likely open in Akron again looking to rebound in a big way. Whether he remains a starting pitcher or is converted to a reliever remains to be seen, but it should be noted that he was sent by the Indians to Arizona to start but surprisingly has pitched out of the bullpen. I was able to speak to someone about Lofgren on Thursday, and contrary to other reports his fastball velocity is still around 88-92 MPH out in Arizona. There seems to be a misconception that he sits 94-95 MPH, which he doesn't. Yes, he occasionally tops out at 93, 94 or 95, but he usually sits low 90s. In any case, people have been asking what this “personal issue” is with Lofgren and what has been bothering him all season. Out of respect to Lofgren I have kept a lid on what he is going through and have waited to say something about it until he speaks out first on it himself. There is a good chance that will happen soon.

• First baseman Michael Aubrey looks like he may be sticking around awhile longer as he looks to be in line to get a fourth option year. Players get three option years once they are added to the 40-man roster, but a lot of people are not aware a fourth option year can be given for medical reasons. Any player who is entering his fourth or fifth season on a 40-man roster gets a fourth option year (without waivers) if he has missed one or more seasons to injury. Specifically, missing a season to injury means they accrued less than 90 days on an active roster. Aubrey was rostered back in November 2005, but proceeded to only play in 14 games in the 2006 season during his first option year and was active for just a few days that season. As a result, Aubrey should be in line to get this special exception for a 4th option year. This has been done in the past for the Indians, most recently with the likes of Brian Tallet, Jason Stanford, and Andrew Brown. Left-hander Tony Sipp should also get this special 4th option year when his third and final option year runs out (likely after the 2010 season).

• Right-hander Randy Newsom is blogging about his experiences pitching in Venezuela this winter. Check out his most recent entry, which is very deep and talks about some of the mental issues that can be a constant struggle to overcome off the field. Newsom is Rule 5 eligible and after the 2009 season will be a minor league free agent, so his life may just get a little crazier (and better) real soon.

• Catcher Chun-Hsiu Chen has a blog that has lots of pictures that capture his time from spring training through his season in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) this year. Chen is only 19 years old and is a free agent signing out of Taiwan last offseason. I saw him a few times in spring training and also in action with the GCL club this year and was impressed with the way the ball jumps off his bat. In 38 games he hit .261 with 3 HR, 15 RBI and had a .745 OPS, and could see time in Lake County next year.

• Baseball America reviewed the Indians 2008 Draft. This is premium content, but for the most part they really liked the Indians late signings of Trey Haley, T.J. House, Zach Putnam, Tim Fedroff and Bryce Stowell. Check out the discussion of this on the site message board.

• The Indians made two roster moves on Friday, as right-hander Brian Slocum cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. He is now a minor league free agent, though there is a good chance he and the Indians reach a deal to where he can be one of those veteran depth guys on the pitching staff. Also, right-hander Brian Bullington was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. The removal of these two players from the 40-man roster is no surprise, and there could be another non-free agent player or two removed as the Indians get ready to start adding players from the minor league system in need of roster protection like a Trevor Crowe, Carlos Santana, Jordan Brown, Jeff Stevens, and more.

• In case you missed it, MiLB.com did a nice little 2008 review of the Indians farm system this past week.

• I have the Indians Rule 5 eligible list, but have one issue I am trying to clear up with it before posting. At the latest, it will go up on Monday. In addition to that, I will be posting the Indians future eligible list for 2009 through 2012 as well.

• Last, big ups to DSLewis and GoTribe31 for their help with providing several updates a week on how the Indians players are doing in the winter leagues.

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Minor Happenings: Lewis Rolling In Akron

"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 short abbreviated version of Minor Happenings posted on Monday, and today Minor Happenings returns to its regular Thursday-Friday spot with all the news and notes from the past week plus anything from the prior week not touched in the shortened version.

Also, on either Sunday or Monday a special edition of Happenings will post recapping my two week trip to Winter Haven to see the GCL Indians and to Myrtle Beach to see Kinston in action. The piece will feature comments from GCL pitching coach Steve Lyons and Kinston pitching coach Greg Hibbard, as well as blurbs on players like catcher Carlos Santana, infielder Jared Goedert, right-hander Vinnie Pestano, right-hander Michael Finocchi, left-hander T.J. McFarland, and outfielder Kevin Rucker. If I have time, I will also post links to video I shot on the trip.

After that, I have a special article on outfielder Nick Weglarz that should post sometime early next week as his Canadian teammates get set to start play on Wednesday. In addition to the Weglarz piece I have articles in queue I need to get out on several players, so next week could be an active week with articles, so be on the lookout.

Last, the Happenings Live radio show should go on its maiden voyage this coming Thursday for about 45 minutes to an hour, starting sometime between 9-10 PM. Please note, we are not actively promoting the radio show yet since we are trying to work through the kinks the first few weeks and find out who works well with one another. Just about none of us have TV or radio experience, so it will be very raw in the early stages. There will be a call-in number, so feel free to call in with any questions you have. I will have more on all of this on Wednesday or Thursday next week here on my blog.

By the way, due to the time constraints and the material involved in this report, I apologize in advance for any typos as I was really pressed for time to get this out today even though I just got back from Myrtle Beach late Wednesday night.

Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for July)

Wyatt Toregas (Catcher - Akron)
.345 (29-for-84), 14 R, 7 2B, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 8 BB, 8 K, .417 OBP, .750 SLG, 1.167 OPS

Toregas just had an unbelievable month in Akron. After a disappointing first two months in Buffalo where he hit .219 with 2 HR, 25 RBI and a .610 OPS in 50 games, Toregas has been on fire since moving down to Akron in mid-June. In just 39 games, Toregas is hitting .316 with 11 HR, 34 RBI, and a 1.029 OPS at Akron. His nine home runs in July were more than he has ever hit in any season. That's how hot he has been at Akron.

Toregas had an 11-game hitting streak halted on Tuesday night, and he has now put together consecutive 11-game hitting streaks having hit in 22 of his last 23 games entering play on Wednesday night. Toregas hit .366 (30-for-82) in those 23 games with six doubles, six homers, 22 RBI, 12 runs, and only five strikeouts. He just missed out on the Eastern League Player of the Month award for July, as he finished third in the league with a .345 average, led the league with nine home runs, and was tied for fourth with 24 RBI in 25 games.

Toregas is an excellent defensive catcher that can control a running game. He consistently averages 1.85 seconds on throws to second base, which is much better than the major league average of 2.0 seconds. Toregas is the best defensive catcher in the Indians system, and he has been ranked as the best defensive catcher in the league he played in the last two years. He has the potential to be an adequate hitter, which to go along with his outstanding defense has Indians officials excited. It remains to be seen if he has figured some things out offensively or is just in the midst of a very long hot streak, but his play offensively of late is certainly encouraging and makes him very valuable.

Honorable Mentions:

Beau Mills (1B - Kinston): .333, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .936 OPS
Abner Abreu (3B - GCL Indians): .300, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 1.010 OPS
Scott Lewis (LHP - Akron): 2-1, 1.00 ERA, 6 starts, .209 BAA
Todd Linden (OF - Buffalo): .314, 5 HR, 22 RBI, .985 OPS
Eric Berger (RHP - Mahoning Valley): 2-1, 1.73 ERA, 6 starts, .196 BAA
Kyle Landis (RHP - Lake County): 1-0, 0.00, 9 games, .171 BAA

Previous Winners:

June: Trevor Crowe (OF - Akron)
May: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Lake County)
April: Ryan Miller (LHP - Lake County)

Coaches Corner: Travis Fryman

Former Indians fan-favorite Travis Fryman is enjoying his first season as a manager in the Indians player development system. I recently had a chance to talk to him about it along with some of the new players in the Indians system:

On his first year of managing: "I am having fun and it is a great time. It is a little disappointing as I'd like to win more games than we have. You never know what to expect when you come to this level because there are so many new guys coming in out of the draft. It has been a fun experience and a learning experience and I tell them I am a rookie too this year so we will all make some mistakes and all get better as the year goes. So far that has held true."

On Lonnie Chisenhall: "Lonnie is doing a good job. I think one of the surprises is he has looked good at shortstop, so I think they are pleased with that. Offensively he got off to a slow start, but you can see it wasn't going to be that way for long. He has been hitting the ball great really the last [month]. We are real pleased with the way he is swinging the bat, he is playing really well, he is learning the game and his body a little bit as playing everyday takes a little out of you so we are trying to pace that a little bit."

On Ryan Blair: "I really like Ryan. He has made a great first impression here. We really feel like he might become a sleeper pick for us, and we just see some real bright spots with him. That's a pick up we are very excited about and we think we stole something there. He has been compared to Matt Brown as there are some similarities there. I think he is a better player than even he thinks he is able to become. You can see he has a great frame and is real thin, he is going to get stronger in our organization with our strength and conditioning program. He is learning how to swing the bat more aggressively as when he got here he thinks more like a singles guy and goes the other way, but he has a lot of power and great instincts on the bases."

On Jeremie Tice: "Jeremie has played very well. There are definitely some things we are going to begin working with him on to smooth out his defense a little bit. But offensively he looks better everyday. He has been hitting the ball very hard and he is one of our leading hitters."

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from July 31^st through August 6^th)

Carlos Santana (Catcher - Kinston)
.429 AVG (12-for-28), 10 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K

Apparently, not only can Carlos Santana play a mean guitar, but the guy can also hit a little. In all seriousness, Santana is just flat out a guy who was born to hit and so far is looking like a great pickup by the Indians in the Casey Blake trade. In ten games so far at Kinston he is hitting .419 (18-for-43) with 2 HR, 6 RBI and a 1.096 OPS. Combined with his numbers in the Dodgers system this year, in 109 games he is hitting .333 with 36 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 102 RBI, and a 1.004 OPS. Those are some eye-popping numbers offensively and it is easy to see why there is so much hype with him as a hitter.

Like incumbent Indians starting catcher Victor Martinez, Santana is a switch-hitter who has 20-25 home run power and is an RBI machine. In addition to all of the production, Santana has shown an advanced approach at the plate as he has drawn 71 walks to only 67 strikeouts. Santana showcases above average arm strength, which is no surprise as he is a former third baseman. His throwing has not been much of a problem for him so far in his transition to catching, but his receiving skills behind the plate are still very much rough around the edges. It is also possible the Indians may convert Santana back to third base or even the outfield.

Honorable Mentions:

Frank Herrmann (RHP - Akron): 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 2 starts, 12 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 11 K
Joey Mahalic (RHP - Lake County): 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 starts, 10 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 11 K
Eric Berger (LHP - Mahoning Valley): 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 2 starts, 10 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 11 K
Lonnie Chisenhall (SS - Mahoning Valley): .429 AVG (9-for-21), 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI
Carlos Rivero (SS - Kinston): .360 AVG (9-for-25), 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Previous Winners:

7/24 to 7/30: Matt Brown (Outfielder - Lake County)
7/17 to 7/23: Michael Aubrey (1B - Buffalo)
7/10 to 7/16: Niuman Romero (3B - Kinston)
7/3 to 7/9: Nick Weglarz (OF - Kinston)
6/26 to 7/2: Stephen Head (1B/OF - Akron)
6/19 to 6/25: Trevor Crowe (OF - Akron)
6/12 to 6/18: Chris Gimenez (C - Akron)
6/5 to 6/11: Jim Deters (RHP - Kinston)
5/29 to 6/4: Steven Wright (RHP - Kinston)
5/22 to 5/28: Chris Archer (RHP - Lake County)
5/15 to 5/21: David Huff (LHP - Akron)
5/8 to 5/14: Steven Wright (RHP - Kinston)
5/1 to 5/7: Jeremy Sowers (LHP - Buffalo)
4/24 to 4/30: Jose Constanza (OF - Akron)
4/17 to 4/23: Hector Rondon (RHP - Kinston)
4/10 to 4/16: Wes Hodges (3B - Akron)
4/3 to 4/9: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Lake County)

Lewis Impressing, On Verge Of Big League Call

Talk about a rebound. When left-hander Scott Lewis came up lame the final days of spring training with a pulled lat muscle, it appeared he would once again feel the bite of the injury bug and see his season derailed before it could even get started. Lewis went on to miss most of the first half of the season as he rehabbed from the injury and finally was activated on June 6th.

His performance since his return has been sensational, as in 12 starts Lewis is 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA. In his last six outings, Lewis has not allowed more than one run and only two earned runs total over that time period. On Monday, Lewis put forth the best outing of the season when he fired 5.2 shutout innings and struck out a career high ten hitters and allowed just one hit. In his last two games he has thrown 11.2 scoreless innings and stuck out 18 batters, and in his last six games he is 3-0 with a 0.49 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 36.2 innings pitched.

Lewis was a third round pick out of Ohio State in 2004 and battled various arm injuries the first two years of his career. Finally healthy in 2006 and 2007, his talent finally showed as he was 3-3 with a 1.48 ERA in 27 starts at Kinston in 2006 and 7-9 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts at Akron last year. Lewis has settled in and is starting to firmly establish himself as a starting pitching option for the Indians as soon as next year. Since he is on the 40-man roster Lewis will get many opportunities next year to start, and when Akron's season ends this year he should make his major league debut sometime in September as a callup when rosters expand.

Once pegged as a left-on-left guy in the bullpen or a middle reliever, Lewis has showcased the endurance and ability to be a major league starter. There is no question he has the pitches. Lewis has a fastball that consistently sits around 87-89 MPH and tops out at 91 MPH, but his tremendous command of his secondary pitches along with good arm action and deception throughout his delivery makes his fastball play up and look faster. He also throws a curveball and changeup, and the power and depth he has added to his nasty 12-6 curveball has made it one of the best in the system. His changeup has developed into a plus pitch, and he gets a lot of action on his pitches in the strike zone.

Since Lewis missed so much time early in the season, the Indians will look to get him some work this offseason to make up the lost innings. That means Lewis is likely heading to the Arizona Fall League or will pitch somewhere in winter ball to get up to around 150 innings for the year (65.2 currently).

Reyes Set For Cleveland Debut

Right-hander Anthony Reyes has been called up from Triple-A Buffalo to Cleveland and will make his Indians debut tonight against Toronto at the Skydome. The Indians acquired Reyes on July 27th in a trade with St. Louis in exchange for right-handed reliever Luis Perdomo. Reyes is a former #1 prospect in the St. Louis system, so to get the once highly regarded Reyes for a good middle relief prospect shows how much his stock has fallen in the last two years, but the Indians are hoping that a fresh start in Cleveland will help resurrect his career.

So far so good on that fresh start as in two appearances at Buffalo he was great going 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA. His last outing on Sunday was masterful as he went eight innings and allowed only one run on five hits, no walks and had four strikeouts. Reyes featured his 93-95 MPH fastball, but the real key for him in the outing was that his secondary stuff was sharp as he was dialed in with his breaking ball and changeup mix.

Reyes looked strong on the mound, and apparently was deemed ready to begin his audition for a 2009 starting rotation spot in Cleveland now. Reyes is expected to make a strong push the rest of the season for the #5 spot in the Cleveland rotation next year. He will get about 7-8 starts in Cleveland this year, likely some starts in winter ball, and then all of spring training before the Indians have to make a final decision on whether to give him that spot in the rotation. Reyes is out of options next year, so he would have to break camp with the Indians or risk being lost on waivers.

Reyes is a lot like former Indians farmhand Jeremy Guthrie who struggled when he was with Cleveland and the organization simply ran out of time and patience with him. Guthrie resurfaced with Baltimore after the Indians designated him for assignment last year, and he is now a rock in their rotation. Here is hoping the Indians get some good fortune for once with a castaway from another team flourishing as an Indian.

Reviewing The Top 10

Okay, I have had a lot of requests from readers to provide an "updated" Top 10-20 prospect list based on the recent trades and performance of players through the first four months of the season. While I do not want to assign any particular ranking at this point since I have not thoroughly broken down what the actual list will be this offseason, here is a quick listing of three groups of players which will cause the biggest shakeup in my prospect list from last year:

The Newcomers: The Indians have acquired some very high level talent in their recent trades, and outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta is all but certain to be ranked in the top three. Catcher Carlos Santana is a top ten guy, and right-handed reliever John Meloan likely somewhere in the 8-13 range depending on what happens from here on out and who the Indians trade or bring in. Also, the player to be named later for C.C. Sabathia has a chance to be a top ten guy.

The Risers: These guys have all jumped several spots from where I ranked them coming into the season. A lot of these guys will get strong consideration for top ten spots, while the rest likely jump seven to ten spots and sit somewhere from #11 to #25 depending on where they were ranked last year: Trevor Crowe (OF), Beau Mills (1B), Scott Lewis (LHP), Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP), Abner Abreu (3B), Jeff Stevens (RHP), David Huff (LHP), Hector Rondon (RHP), Stephen Head (1B/OF), Mike Pontius (RHP), and Chris Jones (LHP).

The Faders: These guys should all drop as much as five to ten spots from where they were last year. Some of these guys will drop for performance reasons, while others are being affected more by the emergence of several very good younger players who have trumped them in the rankings or because of all the top talent the Indians have acquired recently: Jordan Brown (1B), Chuck Lofgren (LHP), Matt Whitney (1B), Jared Goedert (3B/2B), John Drennen (OF), Reid Santos (LHP), Robbie Alcombrack (C), Cirilo Cumberbatch (OF), and Santo Frias (RHP).

I'll begin compiling the list in late September and early October, and this year I plan to have the new prospect book out in late November or early December. It may even be expanded to a Top 75 or more, and will be much larger overall this year. More details on the next prospect book once the offseason gets here.

Meloan Returns Home To The Bullpen

Newly acquired right-hander John Meloan is hoping that his transition back to a bullpen role will be just what the doctor ordered to cure what has been a season-long struggle for him as a starting pitcher. Meloan was a fifth round draft pick out of Arizona University by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005; however, even though he was a starting pitcher for three years at Arizona the Dodgers moved him into a bullpen role and he stuck there until this season. Meloan was absolutely dominating as a reliever where in 86 career minor league appearances (nine starts) Meloan was 10-5 with 22 saves and a 2.40 ERA. More impressively, during that time opposing hitters only hit .168 off of him and he had piled up 236 strikeouts in 157.2 innings for a ridiculous 13.47 K/9 over the three combined seasons.

The Dodgers decided to move him to a starter's role this year after they noticed a dip in his velocity when he pitched on back-to-back days. With his very good four-pitch mix, it was felt that he may be better served long term as a starting pitcher where he would not have to pitch as frequently. The experiment failed, as Meloan struggled this year for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas going 5-10 with a 4.97 ERA in 20 starts.

Meloan feels at home in the bullpen, and his first few outings with Buffalo show that as in four appearances since being acquired on July 27th for Casey Blake he is 0-1 with a 1.35 ERA. In 6.2 innings has allowed six hits, one walk, and struck out four. The Indians view Meloan as an excellent backend bullpen prospect, and his ability to throw four pitches for strikes makes him a valuable weapon coming out of the bullpen. Meloan throws a fastball that touches 94-95 MPH and a nasty slider that are both major league out pitches, and he complements them with a curveball, cutter and change-up, so he has the repertoire to go to war against any hitter.

Still Huff-ing Along

Prior to his rain shortened start on Tuesday night, left-hander David Huff had been very strong his last four outings. Even though he is being limited to a short pitch count in order to limit his innings the rest of the season, Huff did not allow more than one run in either of those four starts. In his 12 starts for Buffalo, Huff has not allowed more than four runs in any start and has given up two runs or less nine times. His 121 total strikeouts lead the Indians minor league system.

Huff will be limited to no more than five innings an outing (about 60 pitches) because the Indians want to limit his workload coming off a season where he was injured and missed considerable time. Huff was shut down last May because of a strained ulnar collateral ligament and only made 11 starts and threw a total of 59.2 innings. Right now, the goal is to have Huff finish around 145 to 150 innings this season and not exceed that number. The Indians do not want to overextend his arm coming back from the short workload last season and instead will ramp his innings up to where next year he should have few if any pitching restrictions. Because of Huff's limitations as a starter the final three weeks of the season, another starter will piggyback his starts.

Beijing Bound

Over the weekend, USA and Canada squared off in a four-game exhibition series from August 1-4 in Durham, NC to get tuned up for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games which begin tonight with opening ceremonies at 8:00 PM on NBC. The USA and Canadian teams will both practice for the next five days before beginning pool play on Wednesday, August 13th. In their first game, USA squares off against Korea and Canada against China.

In the four game exhibition set, outfielder Matt LaPorta hit .313 (5-for-16) with a double, three home runs, five RBI, and scored six runs. Right-handed reliever Jeff Stevens appeared in two games (0-1, 3.38 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K) as well for Team USA. For Team Canada, right-handed reliever T.J. Burton worked two scoreless innings. Also, outfielder Nick Weglarz was involved in a nasty collision in the outfield in the first inning of the game on Saturday, but is okay. He went 1-for-6 with a walk in the exhibition series.

LaPorta's Wild Month

We just reached the one month anniversary of the C.C. Sabathia trade yesterday. On July 7th, the Indians agreed to send Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta, right-handed pitcher Rob Bryson, left-handed pitcher Zach Jackson, and a player to be named later expected to be a top prospect. To think what LaPorta has been through in the month since the trade is ridiculous.

After being named in the trade on July 7th, LaPorta had to undergo physicals and catch a flight to Akron to make it for a media press conference on July 8th and play what was to be his first game in the Indians organization only to have it rained out. He played in a double-header at Akron on July 9th and a regular game on July 10th before boarding a bus to Reading, PA to play the Reading Phillies on July 11th where he hit a two-out game winning two-run home run in the ninth inning. From there, LaPorta packed his bags for New York City where he attended the festivities for the Futures Game on Saturday and Sunday July 12 and 13th. After going 1-for-3 in the Futures Game on Sunday the 13th, he went back home to Port Charlotte, FL to attend the funeral for his grandfather Clarke Cornett who had passed away from lung cancer. After the funeral, LaPorta spent a few days with his family before returning to Akron on July 19th. Prior to returning to Akron, LaPorta was named to the USA Men's Baseball Olympic team on July 16th. When LaPorta returned to Akron on July 19th he played in ten games until he left the team on July 27th to join his Team USA teammates to prepare for the Olympics. He then went to Durham, NC to play in a four-game exhibition series with Team Canada from August 1-4 before departing for Beijing the next day.

In his 14 games with Akron, LaPorta has only hit .212 with 1 HR, 7 RBI and a .538 OPS, but it is still very early to make any kind of assessment of him. Once he returns from the Olympics, he is expected to rejoin his Akron teammates the final week of the season and help them in their playoff run.

Chisenhall, Phelps Enjoy Success

The early returns from two of the Indians top picks in the draft this past June have been favorable so far. While first-rounder Lonnie Chisenhall (SS) has not exactly set the world on fire, he has transitioned well to the professional game at 19 years of age. In a league loaded more with 21-22 year olds, Chisenhall has fit in well and been one of the leaders for short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley. In 42 games, Chisenhall is hitting .276 with 4 HR, 31 RBI and a .771 OPS, and his is 5^th in the NY-Penn League in RBI.

Third-rounder Cord Phelps has also shown glimpses of the offensive ability that had Indians officials excited when they had an opportunity to draft him. The 21-year old infielder is hitting .294 with 0 HR, 5 RBI and a .734 OPS in eight games at Mahoning Valley, highlighted by a 7-for-10 combined effort in back-to-back games on August 3rd and 4th. Prior to joining Mahoning Valley, Phelps played in one game with the Gulf Coast League club in Winter Haven going 0-for-3 with an RBI. Phelps is still adjusting to the professional game, but so far has demonstrated good patience at the plate and is seeing the ball well.

Newsom Back In Akron

Akron all-time single season saves and career leader Randy Newsom is back in Akron. The right-handed Newsom was recently reassigned from Buffalo to Akron, but not for performance reasons as he was 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA in nine appearances for Buffalo in the short time he was there. No, Newsom was sent back to Akron mostly to get him regular work since the Indians have so many veterans and new prospects at Triple-A Buffalo they want to see more immediate work from since they are being considered for major league opportunities this year.

The Indians also would rather have Newsom pitch in a playoff environment in Akron rather than at Buffalo where they are finishing off a lame duck season. With Akron in the midst of a tight playoff rest and Buffalo going absolutely nowhere, it makes sense to expose your better prospects to the ups and downs and pressure situations that pennant races can bring. Newsom also needs more regular work pitching to left-handers. In 48 combined appearances at Buffalo and Akron, Newsom is 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA and has 27 saves. In 48.1 innings pitched, he has allowed 42 hits, 29 walks, and has 31 strikeouts.

One Up, Two Down

Akron right-hander Kevin Dixon often gets lost in the shuffle among the Indians pitching prospects. The 6'3" 225-pounder showcases good stuff on the mound with a sinking fastball that sits around 90-92 MPH and he complements it with a changeup, slider and split-finger. Prior to his disastrous outing on Sunday when he allowed seven runs in three innings, Dixon had put together a string of six very good starts from June 27th to July 24th going 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA. On the season, the Minnesota State-Mankato product is 8-8 with a 4.54 ERA and has 12 quality starts out of 21 starts overall. He also leads the team with 91 strikeouts.

While Dixon is having a solid season, 2008 has been a season to forget for Akron left-handers Chuck Lofgren and Reid Santos. Lofgren was pulled from the starting rotation in early June and put on the inactive list to go to Winter Haven and clear his head and work on his mechanics. Since his return the results have been better, and he is now pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. In seven games as a reliever Lofgren is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA and opposing hitters are only hitting .203 off him. Also, in 17 innings he has walked only three while striking out 17 batters. Those numbers are much more the Lofgren of old as compared to the Lofgren earlier this year in the starting rotation who in 14 starts was 1-4 with a 6.49 ERA and opposing hitters hit .289 off him while he had 42 walks and 54 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.

Santos was downright awful in Buffalo this year as in 16 relief appearances he was 2-2 with a 7.20 ERA and opposing hitters were hitting .378 off him. Since coming down to Akron in June, Santos has settled down and been much more the pitcher that the Indians felt needed to be protected on the 40-man roster this past offseason. In 20 appearances at Akron, Santos is 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA and opposing hitters are hitting a more respectable .242 off him. Akron pitching coach Tony Arnold has worked a lot with Santos on the side, mostly to get him to establish his fastball to better setup his very good changeup.

Bullington Looks For Fresh Start

Buffalo right-hander Bryan Bullington is trying to resurrect his once lofty prospect status. Back in 2002 the 27-year old Bullington was a first round pick for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was a highly rated Pirates prospect for years. Bullington had made it to the majors in 2005, but was shut down because of pain in his shoulder which eventually led to surgery and him missing all of the 2006 season. Bullington played well in his return last year at Triple-A Indianapolis (11-9, 4.00 ERA), but in 15 starts with Indianapolis this year struggled (4-6, 5.52 ERA).

Bullington ran out of time in Pittsburgh and his struggles led to the organization eventually giving up on him when they released him in early July. The Indians picked Bullington up off waivers on July 10^th and added him to a crowded pitching staff in Buffalo already bursting at the seams with castaways from other teams. So far, Bullington's new start with the Indians has gone well, and he was outstanding in a start against his former club on Wednesday night where he threw seven innings and did not allow an earned run on five hits, no walks and two strikeouts. He threw 57 of his 93 pitches for strikes, and was in attack mode all night working fast and getting ahead in counts. In five Buffalo appearances, Bullington is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA.

Affiliate Notebook

Buffalo Notes (55-65, 5th place, 18.5 GB): First baseman Michael Aubrey doubled in three trips to the plate on Wednesday night and has now hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. Aubrey has posted a .333 (25-for-75) batting average in 18 games since the All-Star break and also has 5 HR and 16 RBI. At Buffalo he is hitting .300 with 6 HR, 27 RBI and a .790 OPS in 54 games, and in 79 combined games at Akron, Buffalo and Cleveland is hitting .286 with 10 HR and 45 RBI. ... Outfielder Brad Snyder has been on a little bit of a tear recently. In 18 games since the All-Star Break, Snyder has hit .319 (22-for-69) with 12 of his 22 hits going for extra-bases. He has six doubles, two triples and four home runs since July 17, good for a .638 slugging percentage. His 11 home runs lead the team. ... On Wednesday night outfielder Trevor Crowe's on-base streak with Buffalo came to a halt at 11 games. Crowe had reached base safely in his first 11 games with Buffalo, and is hitting .286 with 4 HR, 8 RBI and a .929 OPS in 13 games. ... Infielder Andy Cannizaro was acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay for future considerations (likely cash) on Monday and added to the Buffalo roster. Cannizaro hit .240 (41-for-171) with 1 HR and 17 RBI in 51 games with Tampa Bay's Triple-A affilciate Durham. To make room on the roster for Cannizaro, infielder Walter Diaz was reassigned to Mahoning Valley. ... Outfielder Jason Cooper (395) is just five games away from tying former Buffalo catcher Tom Prince (400) for the most games played in Buffalo's Modern Era. ... On Sunday, former Buffalo Bison Luke Easter was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame. Former Buffalo outfielder Dave Clark and manager Brian Graham were inducted into the Buffalo Hall of Fame.

Akron Notes (70-48, 1st place, 2 GU): After battling some command problems for a little while, right-hander reliever Erik Stiller seems to have gotten on track recently. In his last 12 outings dating back to June 28th, Stiller is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA and in 20.2 innings has allowed 17 hits, 6 walks, and struck out 22 batters. In 36 combined relief appearances between Kinston and Akron, Stiller is 7-4 with a 3.95 ERA and has 72 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. ... First baseman/outfielder Stephen Head has been a model of consistency in the middle of the Akron order all year as he has kept his batting average north of the .300 mark since June 21st. On the season, Head is hitting .308 with 10 HR, 40 RBI and an .831 OPS in 84 games. ... Left-hander Reid Santos has been somewhat of a disappointment this season, but of late seems to be showing signs of turning things around. In his last three outings, Santos has pitched 4.2 consecutive scoreless innings and allowed just one hit, no walks, and piled up six strikeouts. In 36 combined appearances between Akron and Buffalo, Santos is 3-2 with a 5.18 ERA. ... Right-hander Scott Roehl has allowed just one run in his last 17 outings for Akron, a span of 20.1 innings. On the season, Roehl is 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA and has five saves in 33 appearances out of the bullpen. In 43.1 innings he has allowed 33 hits, 17 walks and struck out 46 batters. ... Third baseman Wes Hodges is in the midst of a second half slump which has seen him hit .182 with a .582 OPS in 20 games since the All-Star break. In 91 games before the break, Hodges hit .315 with an .862 OPS.

Kinston Notes (25-20, 3rd place, 6.5 GB, 61-54 overall): On Wednesday July 30th, ABC's "Good Morning America" sent a four-man crew to Kinston to take in the sights and sounds of a ballgame at historic Grainger Stadium. Throughout the game the camera crew made its way around the park all night shooting the action on the field, the fans in the stands, and also the stadium itself. The segment will be featured on ABC's "Good Morning America Weekend" with correspondent John Berman in future broadcast yet to be determined. ... Right-handed closer Vinnie Pestano blew his first save for Kinston on Tuesday night in Myrtle Beach. The blown save also broke a six inning scoreless streak he had going coming into the game. In 44 combined games between Lake County and Kinston, Pestano is 2-2 with a 2.47 ERA and is now 21-for-25 in save situations overall. ... Infielder Jared Goedert's modest six-game hitting streak came to an end on Wednesday night when he went 0-for-2, but he did walk three times in the game to extend his on-base streak to nine games in a row. Goedert has really had a consistent season where he has not suffered through very many hot and cold streaks as his batting average has not dipped below .260 all year. On the season, Goedert is hitting .261 with 8 HR, 60 RBI and a .717 OPS. ... July was not kind to outfielder Cirilo Cumberbatch (.176 AVG, .529 OPS), outfielder John Drennen (.188 AVG, .542 OPS), infielder Jared Goedert (.221 AVG, .602 OPS), and shortstop Carlos Rivero (.223, AVG, .617 OPS).

Lake County Notes (20-26, 4th place, 11.0 GB, 61-55 overall): Right-hander Joey Mahalic earned a no decision on Wednesday despite yet another strong outing from the 19-year old where he went five innings and allowed only one run on four hits, one walk, and struck out six. On the season, Mahalic has been rock steady and is 6-4 with a 3.62 ERA in 16 appearances (14 starts). ... Left-hander John Gaub has put up an interesting season so far. Finally healthy, he is piling up strikeouts at a ridiculous rate to where he has 72 punchouts in just 49.2 innings of work. In 27 appearances, Gaub is 0-1 with a 3.99 ERA and has held opponents to a .202 batting average. ... Left-hander Ryan Morris threw five scoreless, hitless innings walking two and striking out seven on Monday. It was the second straight scoreless-hitless outing from Morris, and in his last two starts he has thrown 11 innings without allowing a run or hit while walking three and striking out 15 batters. On the season, Morris is 8-4 with a 3.50 ERA in 22 starts. ... Now that August is here, some Captains players are shouting "Hallelujah" after the brutal month of July they went through. Here is a quick rundown of notable players who had a month to forget in July: infielder Jeff Hehr (.127 AVG, .372 OPS), outfielder Lucas Montero (.229 AVG, .656 OPS), outfielder Roman Pena (.200 AVG, .591 OPS), outfielder Adam White (.158 AVG, .426 OPS), left-hander Ryan Miller (0-4, 6.43 ERA), and right-hander Joanniel Montero (0-3, 7.63 ERA). ... On Tuesday, first baseman Todd Martin was placed on the disabled list again with a hamstring strain. First baseman Dustin Realini was assigned to the Lake County roster after a six week absence and played left field on Wednesday night.

Mahoning Valley Notes (22-26, 5^th place, 8.0 GB): 2008 seventh round pick outfielder Tim Fedroff out of the University of North Carolina was signed by the Indians on Thursday. Fedroff is expected to report to Mahoning Valley very soon and may be there by the weekend. ... Left-handed starter Kaimi Mead lost three of his first four decisions and put up a 6.89 ERA; however, since then Mead has gone 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA in five starts. In nine total starts he is 4-5 with a 5.22 ERA. ... Infielder Isaias Velasquez is currently riding a 17-game hitting streak, which is the longest for the Scrappers this season and the fourth longest in the New York-Penn League this year. Velasquez also has the league's longest on-base streak which is currently at 25 straight games and counting. On the season he is hitting .318 with 1 HR, 15 RBI and an .800 OPS. ... Scrapper batters have walked 207 times this season, which is 28 more than the second ranked team (179) and leads the NY-Penn League.

GCL Indians (20-23, 5^th place, 7.5 GB): Left-hander T.J. McFarland has had a Jeckel and Hyde-like showing his last two starts. On June 26^th, McFarland went four innings and was bombed for nine runs on 12 hits, a walk and a strikeout. In his next appearance on July 31^st, McFarland was sensational going six shutout innings and allowed only one hit, no walks and had six strikeouts. Do figure. ... Left-hander Chris Jones is a prospect on the rise. In his last two starts he has combined to throw 11 shutout innings and allowed just two hits, six walks, and has seven strikeouts. On the season, Jones is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA in eight starts. ... Third baseman Adam Abraham, who has a short, stocky build similar to Ryan Garko, is hitting .260 with 4 HR, 19 RBI and an .806 OPS. ... DSL outfielder Darling Read is hitting ,256 with 8 HR, 30 RBI and a .789 OPS in 57 games. ... Right-handed closer Jose Pena is 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 13 saves in 18 appearances. In 20.2 innings he has allowed 13 hits, six walks and has 22 strikeouts.

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