Offseason Spotlight: Roberto Perez

Roberto Perez (Photo: IPI)

Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez has the goods to play in the Major Leagues right now as a defender. But as it is with any player, it is his bat which will determine if he ever makes it to the big leagues.

Perez, who turns 23-years old next week, hit just .225 with 2 HR, 30 RBI and .675 OPS in 94 games for High-A Kinston this past year. He played in the Arizona Fall League earlier this offseason and in 16 games hit .226 with 4 HR, 11 RBI and .854 OPS. He is currently participating in winter ball out in Puerto Rico, but has played in just two games and is 2-for-7 at the plate with a walk.

“They are sending me here to work on my hitting,” Perez said about his offseason plan in a recent interview for the IPI. “They want me to stay on top of the competition. I have been hitting the ball well this offseason hitting it hard but right at people. I am just trying to do the same thing every day.”

Perez had some issues with injuries in the past year which hindered his development some at the plate. Last offseason he sprained his rotator cuff playing in Puerto Rico, and in the middle of this past season he suffered an oblique strain that affected him for some time.

Perez has been an inconsistent hitter over his minor league career. In three seasons he is a career .242 hitter and owns a .723 OPS. In his last two seasons at Low-A Lake County (.217) and High-A Kinston (.225) he has really struggled at the plate with his hitting, but thanks to 167 walks in his career he has a very good career .373 on-base percentage.

The walks are very good to see, but as Perez moves up the minor league ladder it will get tougher to draw them. He has a tendency to take too many pitches, a lot of them that are good pitches to hit, so getting him to be more aggressive at the plate is a goal the Indians have set for him this offseason and next season.

The Indians are very happy with his catching skills, but at this point it is all about jumpstarting his bat. He is just having a hard time finding something that works and is unsure of himself at the plate. If his passiveness at the plate can be replaced with a little more aggression and his work ethic improves, some improvement may result.

“Right now I am trying to figure things out by myself,” Perez said. “I need to find something comfortable and get back to what I was doing in Puerto Rico last year. I am just trying to be me and do my routine every day and stay on top of my hitting. My defense is there, but my hitting is up and down so I just want to get it consistent.”

Behind the plate there are a lot of things to like about Perez. If he did not have to hit he could play in the big leagues right now as a backup catcher. He has the ability to control a running game with his quick, powerful, accurate right arm, and he displays very good abilities with his leadership, calling games, receiving, blocking, and handling a pitching staff.

Even though most of the focus has been on improving his performance at the plate, Perez believes he improved as a defender this past year.

“I believe I got better calling games,” Perez said. “My receiving was good as I only had four passed balls, and two of those were to [Steven] Wright and his knuckleball. I worked on calling games by looking at hitters and discussing them with the pitchers, so it worked out for me and I am happy about it.”

2012 is shaping up to be a big year for Perez. He is expected to be a part of the Indians Winter Development Program in January, and then play at Double-A Akron next year where his defense and approach at the plate will really be tested.

Perez has to show improvement at the plate to avoid being cast off as a non-prospect and just another good defensive catcher in the upper levels of the minor leagues that can’t hit. There are lots of catchers like up and down Triple-A and Double-A rosters all around baseball. If the bat ever comes for him where he hits just a little, he is going to be a legit Major League catching option for the Indians; however, until he makes the necessary adjustments at the plate his future is limited.

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

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2011 Arizona Fall League Recap

The Arizona Fall League (AFL) wrapped up play over a week ago. I had planned to post this recap last Wednesday, but with the details of the new CBA that came forth early last week along with the holiday I decided to hold off on this recap until today. Better late than never.

Here are a few quick thoughts on each player that participated in the AFL this fall:

Tim Fedroff (OF): Fedroff was out in Arizona for the first week-plus of the AFL season, but once first baseman/outfielder Chad Huffman joined the club about a week and a half into it he was deactivated. He also incurred a minor injury which the Indians felt was best to just shut him down and not have him continue playing in the AFL instead of having him go back out later in the AFL season when he would have been able to be activated again. He only played in three games and went just 2-for-11 at the plate with 2 2B, 2 BB, and 2 RBI. His inability to remain on the field was a blow to him as he was unable to showcase his talents to a lot of the top scouts for other clubs. There is no doubt the book was already written on him after scouts evaluated him this season, but considering he is Rule 5 Draft eligible it may have provided him a slim opportunity to improve how he is viewed and get him drafted, but now there is almost no chance. He should open next season as one of the starting outfielders at Triple-A Columbus.

Jesus Aguilar (1B): The most impressive performance by any Indians’ player this fall in any offseason league has come from Aguilar. With no experience above the Single-A level and just 31 games at the High-A level, the inexperienced 21-year old has more than held his own against pitching that is of Double-A and Triple-A caliber. In 16 games in the AFL he hit .339 with 3 HR, 9 RBI and 1.069 OPS, and so far in five games out in Venezuela is hitting .273 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and 1.166 OPS. His walk-strikeout ratio this offseason has been much better than it was in the regular season when he had 46 walks and 126 strikeouts. He is still striking out a lot this offseason with 20 strikeouts in 70 at bats, but he is also drawing a good amount of walks (17). He still has his problems with breaking balls low and away and is something pitchers will expose a lot more as he moves up the minor league ladder, and he also has a long way to go with his defense at first base to be a Major League option there. Those are the two things he will continue to work on this offseason and into the start of next season. Due to the strides he has made this offseason he may open the season at Double-A Akron, but a return to High-A Carolina is not out of the question.

Roberto Perez (C): Perez had a nice return to the desert where he hit .226 with 4 HR, 11 RBI, and .854 OPS. At first glance his performance at the plate was not very good as the .226 batting average is awful, but looking deeper into the numbers he actually played well. He continued to play above average defense behind the plate, and at the plate he had more walks (13) than strikeouts (10). With his walks he had a very good .382 on-base percentage, which is amazing considering how low of a batting average he had. He also showed some pop blasting four homers that helped spike him to a .474 slugging percentage. He could probably hold his own in the big leagues right now as a defender, but the bat still has a ways to go even to have him around as just a backup catcher. The discipline is there, but he needs to start showing more consistent results when he puts the ball in play. He is Rule 5 Draft eligible, and assuming he is not drafted he will likely open next season as the starting catcher at Double-A Akron.

Chad Huffman (OF/1B): Huffman’s regular season struggles carried over into the AFL as he hit just .214 with 1 HR, 11 RBI and .655 OPS in 17 games. For as experienced a Triple-A player as he is much more was expected of him at the plate. His overall combined showing at Triple-A Columbus and the AFL this year is going to make it hard for him to remain with the club in 2012 considering at Columbus they have Beau Mills slotted as the regular first baseman and several other options at their disposal to play the outfield next year. He played some first base this fall to give him more experience at the position and some versatility so the Indians could use him either as an outfielder or first baseman next season. Reviews of his first base performance were mixed, but the overall view is he is at best a below average defender there. Another concern is how out of shape he looked and how he really softened up this season. He will need to train hard this offseason to get in better shape and with a clean slate at the plate it may help him get his performance up to expected levels. If he sticks with the Indians next year – and I still think he will – he will open the 2012 season at Triple-A Columbus rotating between the outfield, first base and designated hitter.

Carlos Moncrief (OF): Moncrief was a late season addition to the AFL roster because Fedroff was unable to return due to a minor injury. In eight games he hit .174 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, and .584 OPS. His performance at the plate is not surprising considering he has only reached Low-A and was facing much more advanced pitching that exposed him at the plate. He did draw 5 walks, but he also had 8 strikeouts in 23 at bats. He is a very raw, inexperienced player who had a nice season at Low-A Lake County this year hitting .233 with 16 HR, 53 RBI, and .768 OPS in 122 games. The batting average and high strikeout total (158) is a concern, but he shows a ton of athleticism and a good power/speed combo that makes him exciting. He is also given a pass for some of his performance at the plate because he has only been an outfielder in the system for the last two years as he transitioned there from the mound in spring training last year. He exhibits a good plan at the plate and is patient, but now he needs to work on improving the discipline and get better at making more consistent contact. He was a busy man this offseason playing in the Instructional League, Parallel League, and Arizona Fall League, so the hope is the extra games and instruction have helped give him a foundation to make the needed improvements next season where he will likely play at High-A Carolina and take off as a hitter.

T.J. McFarland (SP): McFarland had a very nice showing out in the AFL as he made eight starts going 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA (28.1 IP, 30 H, 1 HR, 13 BB, 22 K). He is a second level prospect for the Indians as you will not see him ranked in many Top 20-25 lists, but he has been a consistent performer so far in his minor league career and has the talent to pitch in the big leagues someday. The Indians love his ability to put the ball on the ground as in four minor league seasons he has yet to have a groundball-flyball ratio below 2.17, and in over 455 career innings has allowed just 30 home runs. While the Indians love his sinker, he needs to continue to work on his secondary offerings to make them average Major league pitches. There is no doubt that he is probably disappointed that he was not rostered this offseason. He is now eligible to be picked up in the Rule 5 Draft, but considering teams rarely take soft tossing back of the rotation starters in Rule 5 he will likely return to the Indians next season. The question is where he will pitch next year as he had a good season this past year at Double-A Akron going 9-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 25 starts that is worthy of promotion, but with so much starting pitching depth at the moment at Triple-A Columbus and other good pitchers on the Akron staff deserving of a callup, it looks like he will return to Akron to start the 2012 season.

Preston Guilmet (RP): Guilmet went 0-0 with a 6.43 ERA (14.0 IP, 18 H, 0 HR, 8 BB, 12 K) in ten appearances this fall. The numbers were not pretty nor what people had grown to be accustomed to after his stellar showing at High-A Kinston this year (2.16 ERA, .202 BAA, 35 saves), but he had a much better showing in the AFL than his numbers suggest. His numbers were inflated by two poor back-to-back performances where he allowed 8 runs and 9 hits in 3.0 total innings, and while you can’t pick and choose which stats to include sometimes when there is such a small sample size of data there are some poor outings that just need to be thrown out. Everyone has a bad game of two over the course of a season, but the problem is in an offseason league you do not have the benefit to pitch a lot more games and make up for a poor outing since the opportunities are limited. He showed average stuff and is still considered a fringe Major League prospect at best, but he continues to be effective and should open next season at Double-A Akron where he will have a great opportunity to continue to prove himself and raise his stock as a prospect.

Cory Burns (RP): Coming off a great season at Double-A Akron where he put up a 2.11 ERA and had 35 saves which garnered him Double-A Reliever of the Year honors, Burns went out to the AFL and continued to pitch well going 2-1 with 1 save and a 4.50 ERA (14.0 IP, 18 H, 0 HR, 3 BB, 12 K). He doesn’t overpower hitters with a big fastball nor does he have any plus Major League pitch, but he continues to get hitters out and dominate them because of the deception from his funky tornado-like delivery and his ability to throw all of his pitches for strikes. Like with Guilmet, he had a tough two-game stretch where he allowed 6 runs and 9 hits over 2.0 innings, so his numbers and performance were actually much better than they appear. Over his last six outings he was every bit the pitcher he was during the regular season as he threw 7.0 shutout innings allowing 6 hits, 1 walk and had 9 strikeouts. His standing in the organization is good though his view as a prospect is limited, so he will need to continue to pitch well and prove people wrong. He will probably open the 2012 season as the closer at Triple-A Columbus.

Tyler Sturdevant (RP): If there was one pitcher that elevated his stock the most this fall it is Sturdevant. In ten appearances in the AFL he went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA (12.0 IP, 11 H, 1 HR, 4 BB, 13 K) and was really consistent out there from the beginning to the end. He has been an unheralded reliever in the system the past few years mostly because of his age and his draft standing, but he has elevated himself to one of the best relief pitching prospects in the system. Not just because his performance the last two years, but also because of Major League stuff that has the Indians excited about his potential as a middle reliever (or more) at the big league level in the near future. He was consistently up to 98 MPH this fall and he even touched 100 MPH once though it may have been a hot gun. When you combine that powerful fastball with an above average cutter, he is a very intriguing relief option down the road for the Indians and is a guy Indians fans are going to start to hear a lot more about next year. That should start in the spring as I would be very surprised if he is not a spring training invite to big league camp. No matter what happens he will likely open the season at Triple-A Columbus and if he continues to progress like he has he could be an option in Cleveland later in the year and definitely appears to be in line for at least a September callup.

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

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2011 Tony Awards: Defensive Player of the Year

Kyle Bellows (Photo: Lianna Holub)

Today we continue with the IPI’s year end awards with the announcement of the Defensive Player of the Year. In the coming days the Biggest Disappointment, Biggest Breakthrough, Reliever of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and All-Tony Team will be announced.

Here are the 2011 Tony Awards so far:

Rookie of the Year: Cody Allen (RHP)

The Defensive Player of the Year award is given to the Indians minor leaguer who had the best season defensively. This was a new award I added last year, and one I think that is very deserving to acknowledge some of the great defensive play by some players who may or may not have had a good season at the plate.  You’ll have to cut some major slack here as the candidates for the award were determined by a combination of their basic defensive stats (fielding percentage) and perception (how they actually looked).

As always, prospect standing is not considered with these awards as they are 100% awarded based on performance. Please keep that in mind as just because a guy is or is not listed does not mean anything from a “prospect” standing. These awards are simply for fun to hand out at the end of the year. Also, the Cleveland Indians in no way whatsoever had any input in these awards.

Onto the nominees...

Defensive Player of the Year Nominees:

Kyle Bellows (3B – Akron)

.962 PCT, 119 G, 68 PO, 259 AST, 13 E, 340 TC, 26 DP

It is no surprise to see Bellows up for this award as even without the good performance he is considered a very good defensive third baseman. His .962 fielding percentage led all third baseman in the Eastern League, and he also led the league with the most total chances, most assists, and most double plays.

Chun Chen (C - Akron)

Fielding: .993 PCT, 82 G, 651 PO, 66 AST, 5 E, 722 TC, 6 DP, 18 PB

Throwing: 38 CS, 72 SB, 110 ATT, .345 PCT

Chen is not considered a very good defensive player, but purely from a numbers perspective he had a good season this year behind the plate. The 18 passed balls were not good, but he had one of the top fielding percentages in the league. More impressive was his .345 throw out percentage of base-stealers which was good for 3^rd best in the Eastern League.

Juan Diaz (SS- Akron)

.966 PCT, 127 G, 172 PO, 391 AST, 20 E, 583 TC, 83 DP

Diaz had a very solid year and was one of the most consistent defensive middle infielders in the Eastern League this year, and finished with the most assists and double plays in the league. He also went up to Triple-A Columbus and took over the shortstop duties in the playoffs and was unfazed by the pressure of the playoffs or by the call up itself.

Cody Elliott (OF)

1.000 PCT, 65 G, 123 PO, 6 AST, 0 E, 129 TC, 2 DP

Elliott is a 2011 Draft pick who brings a lot of speed and defense to the table, and he certainly displayed both of those qualities this year in his pro debut at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He is now one of the top defensive outfielders in the Indians’ system. He finished tied for 1^st in the NY-Penn League in fielding percentage and near the top in assists.

Todd Hankins (2B)

.976 PCT, 59 G, 88 PO, 195 AST, 7 E, 290 TC, 42 DP

Hankins is another player the Indians picked up in the 2011 Draft that is a solid defender and shows good athleticism on the field. He came in with the label as a scrappy player and he definitely showed that this year both in the field and at the plate. He led all second baseman in the NY-Penn League in fielding percentage.

Argenis Martinez (2B)

.968 PCT, 92 G, 151 PO, 240 AST, 13 E, 404 TC, 55 DP    

Martinez has been considered one of the Indians’ top defensive middle infielders for some time now, and he continued that success this season with another good year at second base. He split the season at Low-A Lake County and High-A Kinston, but his fielding percentage at either place would have led the league had he qualified.

Roberto Perez (C)

Fielding: .991 PCT, 94 G, 767 PO, 87 AST, 8 E, 862 TC, 12 DP, 4 PB

Throwing: 44 CS, 77 SB, 121 ATT, .364 PCT

Perez was last year’s winner as the IPI Defensive Player of the Year and he had another very strong season. He no doubt is the organization’s top defensive catcher. He finished 2^nd in the Carolina League in fielding percentage and he also had the most total chances, putouts, and double plays in the league. His .364 throw out percentage of base-stealers was 3^rd in the league.

And the Tony Award goes to….Kyle Bellows

The Indians do not have a lot of elite level defensive players, but there were certainly some impressive performances by several defenders throughout the system this year. Some of the players listed above performed as expected, while others were a pleasant surprise. There are also a handful of players who are good defenders who missed being nominated because they did not play up to par, and there are others who are young and on the rise who may be up for nomination next year.

When it comes down to it the one player who was a cut above anyone else defensively this year was Double-A Akron third baseman Kyle Bellows. His reputation precedes him as a defensive stalwart at the hot corner, and he lived up to that and then some this season in Akron. His pitchers had unbelievable confidence in him, and people inside the organization as well as around the league felt he was the best defender at third base if not the best defender in the entire league.

Bellows displays a quick, strong arm at third base with a unique slinging action when he throws the ball. He not only consistently makes the routine play, but has a knack for making the exceptional play as well with a highlight reel defensive play seemingly every night. He takes a lot of pride in his defense, and probably the best play he makes is how he comes in on a slow rolling grounder and can pick it up with his bare hand and make a strong snap throw to first base.

While Bellows played very good defense at third base all year, he struggled for most of the season at the plate. In 123 games for Akron he hit .229 with 3 HR, 43 RBI, and .605 OPS, numbers which he is going to have to improve upon drastically if he wants to make it to the big leagues.

Bellows problems at the plate stemmed from an abysmal start to his season where in the first 58 games he hit just .168 with a .505 OPS.  His defense was never affected even with the poor performance offensively, and after some work with his coaches and a minor adjustment to get him more upright and shorten his swing he hit .281 with a .691 OPS his remaining 65 games.

The offense for Bellows will hopefully come, but he no doubt he is a Major League caliber defender. Hopefully the same can be said for several other players at this time next year when the award is handed out.

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

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Minor Happenings: Wolters impresses in The Valley

Tony Wolters (Photo: IPI)

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

This report was absent last week as I was on vacation, and with the Indians heavily involved in trade deadline discussions most of my attention has been there this week. With new information and news coming in seemingly every moment on a potential Indians trades, it is time to get this report out today before it never gets out!

Once the dust settles with the trade deadline this weekend, things will be back to normal on the minor league front….that is until about August 10th when the draft signings will probably start to come fast and furious leading up to the August 15th deadline. I must say, from a reporting perspective with a focus on the draft, minor leagues, and big leagues that the period from June to mid-August is easily the busiest with the draft, trading deadline, All Star games, promotions, and all the signings!

As a reminder, I have lots in the pipeline with features on players like Beau Mills, Nick Weglarz, Michael Goodnight, Kyle Petter, Aaron Siliga and lots more. Also have lots of quotes from Farm Director Ross Atkins which I will post soon.

Also, I wanted to wish much luck to the departed Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith as they move onto their next baseball chapter with the Cubs. As this weekend gets into motion I have the feeling we will be saying goodbye to a handful of other minor league players in the Indians system. This is always the tough part, at least for me.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 21st through July 27th)

Tony Wolters (Shortstop – Mahoning Valley)
.526 (10-for-19), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 3 SB, 1.188 OPS

Tony Wolters

There were some nice performances this past week like that of Low-A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief, Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, and Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland, but the performance by short season Single-A Mahoning Valley shortstop Tony Wolters stole the show.

Wolters, who just turned 19-years old last month, is doing it all by not only hitting for average, but also drawing walks and driving the ball around the ballpark. On the season in 37 games he is hitting a very healthy .313 with a .407 on-base percentage, and is showing good plate discipline with a 18-22 walk to strikeout ratio and 22 strikeouts in 147 at bats. On top of that he has 13 stolen bases, and he has a good but not great .429 slugging percentage. All this from a kid a year removed from high school and going up mostly against 21-22 year old college pitchers.

The only thing to nitpick with Wolters at this point is he only has a .914 fielding percentage because he has 14 errors in 162 total chances. The 14 errors have been evenly split between throwing and fielding errors. This is not a big concern at the moment as his fielding is considered to be very good, and he has a strong arm. He just sometimes tries to do too much and does not stay within himself as a defender, which is something the Indians feel is correctable.

At the moment Wolters is lining himself up to be the next player after the Indians “Big 4” of prospects in left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, right-handed pitcher Alex White, second baseman Jason Kipnis, and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. With Kipnis and Chisenhall likely to lose rookie status by the end of the season, it is very possible Wolters could find himself in the Indians Top 5 ranking next year, maybe even Top 3.

Honorable Mentions:

Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – COL): 1-1, 1.93 ERA, 2 G, 14.0 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 11 K, .240 BAA
T.J. McFarland (LHP – AKR): 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 2 G, 13.0 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 13 K, .255 BAA
Rob Nixon (RHP – MV): 2-0, 2.45 ERA, 2 G, 11.0 IP, 13 H, 1 BB, 9 K, .283 BAA
Charlie Valerio (C – AZL): .381 (8-21), 6 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, .887 OPS
Robel Garcia (OF – AZL): .348 (8-23), 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.160 OPS
Jesus Aguilar (1B - LC): .389 (7-18), 3 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.121 OPS
Carlos Moncrief (OF – LC): .348 (8-23), 8 R, 1 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K, 1.249 OPS
Tyler Cannon (INF – KIN): .381 (8-21), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.036 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .375 (9-24), 6 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.083 OPS

Previous Winners:

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

IPI Indians Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from July 14th through July 20th)

Beau Mills (First baseman – Akron)
.444 (12-for-27), 7 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1.426 OPS

Beau Mills

I’m a week late on this because I was away on vacation last week, but in any case first baseman Beau Mills had quite a send off at Double-A Akron. After hitting .300 with 11 HR, 49 RBI and a .880 OPS in 61 games at Akron, the Indians promoted him to Triple-A Columbus late last week.

Mills, 24, is enjoying a revival season where he is showing there is still some prospect power left in his tank. Left for dead by many fans after two sub par seasons in 2009 and 2010 at Akron, he is showing that sometimes players take longer to figure things out and that you can never truly give up on a former top rated talent.

The interesting thing is that being sidelined with an Achilles injury the first month-plus of the season and on the disabled list for really the first time as a professional it allowed Mills to take a step back and make some adjustments. He has always been praised for his unique awareness as a player and his professionalism, but he now appears to be making the adjustments at the plate that are allowing him to have more success and once again consistently drive the ball and be a run producer.

In five games with Columbus he is just 3-for-16 at the plate with a solo home run. The Indians plan to have him split time at first base and designated hitter along with veterans Shelley Duncan and Nick Johnson. If he has a solid finish in his first exposure at Triple-A, then he will definitely be back on the map for the Indians as an option at first base as soon as next year. He may also fetch some interest in a trade between now and the August 31st trade (with waivers) deadline.

Honorable Mentions:

Jason Donald (INF – COL): .500 (10-20), 8 R, 4 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 2 SB, 1.343 OPS
Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): .360 (9-25), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 7 BB, 2 K, 1 SB, .900 OPS
Ben Copeland (OF – AKR): .391 (9-23), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.070 OPS
Abner Abreu (OF – KIN): .333 (7-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1.159 OPS
Brian Heere (OF – LC): .409 (9-22), 3 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1.004 OPS
Jordan Smith (3B – MV): .407 (11-27), 4 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.002 OPS
Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL): .407 (11-27), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 SB, .930 OPS
Leonardo Castillo (3B – AZL): .333 (7-21), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.010 OPS
Felix Sterling (RHP – AZL): 0-1, 2.38 ERA, 2 G, 11.1 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 17 K, .158 BAA
Matt Packer (LHP – AKR): 1-1, 1.17 ERA, 2 G, 15.1 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 15 K, .154 BAA
Drew Pomeranz (LHP – AKR): 0-1, 1.86 ERA, 2 G, 9.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 11 K, .182 BAA

Previous Winners:

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

Infirmary Report

Here is an update on some of the walking wounded in the Indians minor league system:

Nick Weglarz

Double-A outfielder Nick Weglarz is not on the disabled list, but he has not played since July 19th because of a minor eye injury. According to a team official he was hit in the eye-nose area by a bat a player was exercising with. His eye is sore and he has been held out as a precaution as he showed some signs of a concussion. Since he is not on the disabled list, he is day to day. In 33 games he is hitting .168 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, and a .659 OPS.

Double-A Akron left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz was put on the disabled list earlier this week with left shoulder inflammation. He has not pitched since July 5th and was recently replaced in the starting rotation by lefty Drew Pomeranz. It is not known when he will return, but there is a chance that with just five weeks left in the season that his season may be over. In 17 starts this year he is 5-6 with a 4.56 ERA, and in 79.0 innings has allowed 68 hits, 53 walks, and has 84 strikeouts.

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Bryan Price has been placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder sprain. He has not pitched since July 15th. It is unknown when he will return, but given the crowded bullpen situation at Akron he may be out awhile. In 20 appearances with Akron this year is 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA, and in 36.2 innings has allowed 41 hits, 14 walks, and has 27 strikeouts.

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto is still on the disabled list with left elbow neuritis. He is close to returning as he has recently been throwing at 120 feet out in Goodyear, Arizona and after a game or two in the Arizona League should probably be cleared to return to Kinston in the next week or two. In 11 starts he is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA, and in 56.2 innings has allowed 49 hits, 18 walks, and has 58 strikeouts.

Roberto Perez

High-A Kinston catcher Roberto Perez was recently placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He left his last game on July 18th with pain in his side after his first at bat and is expected to be out another week or two. In 67 games he is hitting .236 with 1 HR, 19 RBI, and a .705 OPS. His .375 on-base percentage is 2nd in the Carolina League only to Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt (.379).

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Owen Dew has been on the disabled list since May with a right elbow sprain. He has not pitched since May 10th and is rehabbing in Arizona. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment by pitching for the Arizona Summer League team any day. In 8 appearances this year he is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, and in 18.2 innings has allowed 22 hits, 6 walks, and has 17 strikeouts.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Bryson Myles has been limited since July 8th because of a hamstring pull. He came back and played on July 17th after a nine day absence but was removed from the game after two at bats and has not played since. In 20 games he is hitting .305 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and a .819 OPS.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Aaron Siliga rolled his ankle recently, but has not missed any time. In 29 games he is hitting .204 with 2 HR, 8 RBI and a .663 OPS.

Rookie level Arizona League infielder Logan Thompson has not played this year because of a fractured right ankle. No timetable on his return is available, but he may see time at short season Mahoning Valley if he does return sometime in August.

Pomeranz makes Double-A debut

Drew Pomeranz

Since making his Double-A debut with Akron on July 15th, left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has gone 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts. In 14.0 innings he has allowed 10 hits, 6 walks, and has 17 strikeouts. He left High-A Kinston earlier this month and finished his time there going 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, and in 77.0 innings allowed 56 hits, 32 walks, and had 95 strikeouts.

So far Pomeranz is having the same success in Akron that he had in Kinston. He is still limited with his 85-pitch count to pitch deep in games because he is still not efficient with his pitches, gets a lot of strikeouts, and walks some batters. He often does not make it to the sixth inning as 15 of his 18 starts have gone less than six innings.

Pomeranz’s fastball continues to show consistent velocity up to 95 MPH and his command is improving. His curveball is still a weapon, but he barely throws it in favor of developing his circle changeup. The changeup remains his main focus this season as the organization wants him to develop it into an average Major League offering. With two Major League weapons in his fastball and curveball, if he can harness his changeup as a quality, consistent change-of-pace pitch it will make him a more complete pitcher and just about ready to pitch in the big leagues.

In addition to developing his changeup, Pomeranz also still needs to work on his fastball command and becoming more efficient with his pitches so he can pitch deeper into games. This is not a huge concern as former Tribe lefty C.C. Sabathia also had this problem early in his career. As Pomeranz gets stronger, refines his mechanics and command, and matures, with his stuff he has the potential to be a workhorse at the top of the Indians rotation for years to come.

Award winners

Marty Popham

To catch up on some recent award winners, the Eastern League announced last Monday that first baseman Beau Mills was their Player of the Week for the period from July 11th to July 17th. During the five game stretch he hit .632 (12-for-19) with 4 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 runs scored, 3 walks, and had a 1.316 slugging percentage. He had three hits in three of the five games, scored at least one run in all five games, and drove in multiple runs three times.

The Carolina League announced last Monday that High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham was their Pitcher of the Week for the period from July 11th to July 17th. In a start on July 17th he struck out a season high 11 batters and only three hits and one run in 5.2 innings of work. In 16 appearances (10 starts) for Kinston he is 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA, and in 67.1 innings he has allowed 66 hits, 8 walks, and has 66 strikeouts.

This week the Carolina League announced on Monday that High-A Kinston outfielder Abner Abreu was their Player of the Week for the period from July 18th to July 24th. It was the departed Abreu’s second Player of the Week honor for the month of July, his second in three weeks. For the week he hit .522/.560/1.087 (12-for-23) in six games and had 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R, 2 BB, and 7 K. He had at least one extra base hit in five of his six games, and was propelled by a big weekend on Friday and Saturday where he went 7-for-8 with 2 HR, 1 3B, and 7 RBI.

Random “Lower Level” Notes

Michael Goodnight

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Michael Goodnight has been the workhorse of the rotation in Lake County all season. In 20 starts he is 5-9 with a 4.22 ERA, and in 96.0 IP he has allowed 81 hits, 44 walks, and has 84 strikeouts. He has had a solid first full season, but it appears the rigors of a full six month season are starting to wear on him and he looks like a tired pitcher. In April he went 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA, in May he went 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA, and in June he went 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA. The wheels have come off for him in July where in five starts he is 0-3 with a 8.41 ERA (20.1 IP, 25 H, 16 BB, 16 K). His struggles stem from a loss of fastball command as each month his walk and hit rate have increased. In July he has 16 walks in 20.1 innings and batters are hitting .321 off of him. He has lots of upside, is a competitor, holds himself accountable for mistakes, and has a good feel for pitching, but two of his top offseason goals will be to get stronger and be a more consistent pitcher.

Low-A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief is coming on strong of late. In 90 games he is hitting .243 with 13 HR, 45 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and a .802 OPS. His raw tools have really been on display of late as in July he is hitting .287 with 5 HR, 12 RBI, and a .867 OPS. One of his recent home runs went 425 feet and hit the scoreboard in center field, only the second time a player has done that in Lake County. He has reached base in 20 of his last 21 games and with his strong month he appears to be coming around. With his tools and him still being so raw, he is a prospect on the rise and one to watch going forward.

Right-handed pitcher Will Roberts, who was the Indians’ 5th round pick in the 2011 Draft out of the University of Virginia, has recently made his pro debut with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He has made three starts and is 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA, and in 9.2 innings has allowed 14 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. His pitch count has been limited since he had not thrown for awhile prior to signing and is still being built back up.

Jordan Smith

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley third baseman/outfielder Jordan Smith is having one heck of a pro debut. So far the 6’4 205-pounder is hitting .341 with 0 HR, 30 RBI, and a .885 OPS in 35 games. Indians coaches have raved about his approach and consistency as he just puts together quality at bats night in and night out. While he has not yet hit a home run, they should come as he has been a doubles machine with 15 of his 47 hits going for doubles. As he adjusts to wood, matures, and refines his swing the home runs should come. He has split time at third base and outfield in Mahoning Valley, but the Indians focus for him in the future is expected to be at third base. He reportedly has been promoted to Lake County today, though this is unconfirmed.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley left-hander Harold Guerrero has been okay so far where in 9 appearances (6 starts) he is 2-1 with a 4.76 ERA (34.0 IP, 30 H, 16 BB, 24 K). As with so many pitchers at his level he is working through fastball command issues, something which has really shown in his five outings (16.1 IP, 14 BB). He is not afraid to be aggressive and go right after hitters, gets his fastball up to 93 MPH, and with his height he gets good downhill plane on his pitches, so he can be a tough lefty to hit.

Short season Single-A infielder KC Serna has already shown his versatility where just 25 games into his pro career he has played 7 games at second base, 7 games at third base, 5 games at shortstop, and 1 game in the outfield (5 games as DH). Being that he is not a higher level prospect, his versatility and the ability to perform will be a key for him going forward in creating value to the organization. He has been a reliable bat so far for Mahoning Valley where in 25 games he is hitting .264 with 0 HR, 7 RBI and a .668 OPS.

Rookie level Arizona outfielder Luigi Rodriguez was promoted to Low-A Lake County today. The 18-year old outfielder leaves Arizona hitting .383 with 3 HR, 13 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and a .995 OPS in 24 games. His plate discipline still needs work (4 BB, 19 K), but the Indians feel he is ready for a challenge at a much higher level in Low-A. Coming into the season he was my top Latin prospect making his stateside debut, and so far he has not disappointed.

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

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Minor Happenings: Pomeranz's days numbered in Kinston

Drew Pomeranz (Photo: MiLB.com)

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

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

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

Onto the Happenings....

Pomeranz likely on the move

Drew Pomeranz

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

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

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

Miller continues to pitch well

Adam Miller

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

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

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

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

Forward Head-ing?

Jerad Head

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

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

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

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

Forgotten Man

Matt McBride

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

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

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

Popham ready for another challenge

Marty Popham

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

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

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

Iron Man

Roberto Perez

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

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

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

Reichenbach to the rescue

J.D. Reichenbach

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

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

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

Remember us?

Jordan Brown

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

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

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

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

Stephen Head

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

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

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

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

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Goodyear Notebook: 3/14

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Wallace ready for career change

Dave Wallace is making the permanent transition from player to coach.

Wallace, 31, retired as a player after the 2008 season.  He spent the first six years of his pro career in the Cleveland organization reaching as high as Triple-A Buffalo in 2007 before being traded to Washington in 2008.  All told, he hit .223 with 45 HR, 180 RBI and a .693 OPS in 486 career games from 2002 to 2008.

Wallace spent the past two years as the bullpen catcher in Cleveland.  In the offseason he was hired by the Indians’ Player Development staff to be the manager at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley and also serve as the organization’s catching coordinator.

This is Wallace’s fist foray into coaching, and while he is still adjusting to the role and has a lot to learn, he likes the career change so far.

“I like it a lot,” said Wallace.  “I thought I would miss the other side of it a little bit more [with playing], but I have the opportunity now to possibly make an impact on these guys.”

Wallace is not too far removed as a player, and his recent playing experience in the minors should help him relate to his players better and understand what they are going through.

“I think that is really one of the most important things for a guy who is in a coaching position is to not forget what it was like as a player and how hard it actually is,” said Wallace.  “I still remember what an 0-for-4 feels like because I had enough of them.  It’s a great opportunity for me to help these guys understand not only what pro ball is about, but just how to grow up as a man in and outside of the game.”

When camp breaks this spring Wallace will hang around in extended spring training to get a crash course on managing and prepare him for his season at Mahoning Valley which starts up in mid-June.  He will also mix in some visits to several of the affiliates to take a look at his catchers.

“In April and May I will spend about the half the time here and half the time going to see our catchers at the affiliates,” said Wallace.  “As important as it is to see the catchers, I need to be here [in extended spring training] coaching third base and managing games because I haven’t done that yet.  I’m looking forward to it.  It will be good to start off here where it is very low key and no pressure.”

When it comes to the what if game, Wallace has no second thoughts on his pro career.  Having spent the past two years at the big league level as the bullpen catcher he was able to compare his talents to that of other big league catchers and understands there was no way he could have ever played in the big leagues.  While making it to the big leagues as a player may not have been in the cards, maybe making it as a coach will be his ticket to the show some day.

“It never really came together for me offensively,” recalled Wallace about his playing days.  “I think defensively I was at a point where I could catch at that level, but after watching in the big leagues everyday the last two years there was no way I could have hit at that level consistently.  Do I miss it?  Absolutely.  But I don’t regret it at all that I moved on.  I am lucky that this gig fires me up as much as it does.  I look forward to coming to the park everyday and the relationships with the guys on the staff and with the players.  Nothing is as good as playing, but this is a pretty close second.”

Wallace’s return to Mahoning Valley will bring him back to where he broke into the pro ranks back in 2002.  He has fond memories there and is excited about the opportunity to go back there, this time as a manager.

“It will be fun to go back there,” said Wallace.  “That’s where it all started for me as far as my professional career goes. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

Coaches Corner: Dave Wallace

Wallace provided some early camp comments on some of his young catchers:

On Alex Lavisky:  “I have been impressed with him.  I don’t think people realize the jump of going to professional ball right out of high school.  A lot of how you adjust has to do with your maturity level and knowledge of the game and not thinking that you already know it all, which a guy taken high like him will think they have it all figured out.  But he is a humble kid, down to earth, willing to learn and willing to work.  I have not only been impressed with him physically and his ability to receive, throw and block, but he is mature beyond his years.  He is a lot more mature than I was coming out of high school that’s for sure.  I am not saying a lot to the guys this first week because I want them to get comfortable.  I just want to let them settle in and you will see their natural abilities come out as they become more comfortable.  Obviously there are some things we can work on, and for Alex it is going to just be about understanding the process of putting in the work every single day and not trying to make it all happen at once because that is what a lot of guys do when they get in here as they try to do too much at once.  I think he has a good head on his shoulders and I think he is going to do a good job staying focused on the process.”

On Roberto Perez:  “He looks outstanding and is fun to watch with what he does behind the dish.  He is great with working with pitchers and he understands what the role of the catcher is as it is not just about throwing out runners.  He is confident back there and you can tell that he is in charge of the game, and that is what I want out of our catchers.  They are the quarterback out on the field and an extension of the manager.  He has all the talent in the world.  For him it is just going to be to continue to develop it and to never be satisfied with where he is at.  Talent-wise he is beyond a lot of guys.  He throws better than a lot of guys in the big leagues, but there is more to it than just catching and throwing.”

On Chun Chen:  “I saw him when I was up at big league camp the first couple of weeks.  His strength right now is his bat, and it is what I heard coming in.  For me I am just learning about a lot of these guys after being removed for a couple of years.  He is impressive offensively, and he really has been more impressive defensively than what I was expecting coming in.  He definitely has development to do.  We were out there throwing the first time [Saturday] and he looked good.”

On Alex Monsalve:  “He is a physically good looking kid and has some tools for sure.  For him it is going to be about getting time behind the dish because the more time he gets behind there the better he is going to get.  He is a natural back there and in time he will get more confident and loose.”

Working rosters

Here are the working rosters in minor league camp.  Note that with so many players to start the year still up in big league camp or just recently sent down and not listed it means that a lot of players who otherwise have no shot to play for Columbus or Akron are filling in for the time being.  This roster listing is not set in stone as to what level these players will play at, but should give an idea at who may goes where when the season starts:

Columbus:

Pitchers: Omar Aguilar, Scott Barnes, Eric Berger, Jason Davis, Kelvin De La Cruz, Paolo Espino, Connor Graham, Brian Grening, Nick Hagadone, Corey Kluber, C.C. Lee, Adam Miller, Matt Packer, Bryan Price, Carlton Smith, Bryce Stowell, Steven Wright, Toru Murata, Rob Bryson, Hector Rondon.

Catchers: Adam Abraham, Juan Aponte, Chun Chen

Infielders: Kyle Bellows, Matt Cusick, Juan Diaz, Wes Hodges, Matt Lawson, Beau Mills, Ron Rivas, Jared Goedert.

Outfielders: John Drennen, Tim Fedroff, Jared Head, Jordan Henry, Matt McBride, Donnie Webb.

Akron:

Pitchers: Austin Adams, Brett Brach, Cory Burns, Joe Gardner, Preston Guilmet, Trey Haley, T.J. House, Chris Jones, Jason Knapp, Kyle Landis, Joey Mahalic, T.J. McFarland, Ryan Morris, Matt Langwell, Marty Popham, Drew Pomeranz, David Roberts, Tyler Sturdevant, Travis Turek.

Catchers: Dwight Childs, Moises Montero, Doug Pickens, Roberto Perez

Infielders: Cristo Arnal, Chase Burnette, Casey Frawley, Argenis Martinez, Preston Mattingly, Karexon Sanchez, Jeremie Tice, Justin Toole

Outfielders: Abner Abreu, Trent Baker, Delvi Cid, Greg Folgia, Bo Greenwell, Jason Smit.

Kinston:

Pitchers: Kyle Blair, Clayton Cook, Cole Cook, Jordan Cooper, Owen Dew, Dale Dickerson, Tony Dischler, Michael Goodnight, Antwonie Hubbard, Francisco Jimenez, Jeremy Johnson, Alex Kaminsky, Nick Kirk, Taka Nakamura, Mike Rayl, Nick Sarianides, Giovanni Soto, Kirk Wetmore, Vidal Nuno, Danny Salazar, Alexander Perez.

Catchers: Ryan Battaglia, Alex Monsalve, Diego Seastrunk.

Infielders: Tyler Cannon, Ben Carlson, Kevin Fontanez, Jorge Martinez, Kyle Smith, Giovanny Urshela

Outfielders: Marcus Bradley, Brian Heere, Tyler Holt, Carlos Moncrief, Kevin Rucker, Aaron Siliga.

Lake County:

Pitchers: Elvis Araujo, Ramon Cespedes, Joseph Colon, Clayton Ehlert, Luis Encarnacion, Ryan Gardner, J.D. Goryl, Casey Gaynor, Harold Guerrero, Daniel Jimenez, Alexander Morales, Kyle Petter, Julio Ramirez, James Reichenbach, Andrew Shive, Matt Speake, Felix Sterling, Nathan Striz, Francisco Valera, Robbie Aviles, Xavier De La Santos, Manny Carmona.

Catchers: Alex Lavisky, Mitchell Nillson, Charlie Valerio

Infielders: Jesus Aguilar, Nick Bartolone, Dan DeGeorge, Aaron Fields, Hunter Jones, Ronny Rodriguez, Juan Romero, Logan Thompson, Tony Wolters.

Outfielders: Mark Brown, Jordan Casas, Henry Dunn, Anthony Gallas, Chia-Ching Lin, Joel Torres, LeVon Washington.

Notebook:

Bryson out:  Right-handed pitcher Rob Bryson has been mysteriously absent from camp, but I learned late in the day on Monday that he suffered an ankle injury shortly before the start of camp which has delayed his arrival.  I am not sure how it happened or how severe it is, but at the moment the Indians are not sure when he will be available to pitch.

Roster cuts: On Monday the Indians sent seven players down to minor league camp: right-handed pitchers Zach Putnam, Zach McAllister, and Alex White, second baseman Jason Kipnis, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder Nick Weglarz, and catcher Juan Apodaca.

Teaching, teaching, and more teaching: Lots of instructions, drills, and live batting practice on Monday in minor league camp.  Games don’t start up until Thursday, so in the meantime the Indians have worked on rundown mechanics, infield drills, pickoff moves, base-running, etc with the players.

Mattingly at first:  Infielder Preston Mattingly has been taking a lot of grounders at first base so far this spring.  To my knowledge he is not working out at any other position at the moment.  He has only played one game at first in his career.

Head in the outfield: Infielder/outfielder Jerad Head is currently working out in the outfield.  He is on the roster bubble this spring, but his versatility may win him a job on the Triple-A Columbus bench.

Who’s on second:  It appears that second base at Double-A Akron will be filled by one of Karexon Sanchez, Matt Cusick, or Matt Lawson.  In fact, two of the three seem likely to make the team.  Cusick and Lawson have been working together with the Columbus group, but obviously Cord Phelps and Jason Kipnis have that spot locked up there, so it seems like one or both of Cusick and Lawson will be in Akron.

Like riding a bike:  Matt McBride has been catching bullpens in the early going of minor league camp.  He says his shoulder feels as good as ever, and while it is likely just the Indians using him out of need this early in camp, they are getting a look at him at catcher to see if he could be an option there on a limited basis at Triple-A Columbus.

Remember Cooper?  For those who remember former Tribe farmhand Jason Cooper, he is still trying to hang onto his pro career.  He is an outfielder who spent a lot of time at Triple-A Buffalo before the Indians moved their Triple-A operations to Columbus two years ago and he left as a free agent after the 2009 season.  He has played independent ball for St. Paul the past two years and is trying to get signed to play affiliate ball this year, but so far he has had no luck and will likely sign on with St. Paul for one more season to see what happens.

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

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