Consistency An Offseason Goal For Edell

The Indians have built up an impressive amount of depth in the pitching ranks at Triple-A and Double-A. While they have only a small handful of truly elite arms with ceilings as potential top of the rotation arms or backend relievers, they have a lot of pitchers who could fill a depth role as a backend of the rotation starter or a middle reliever.

But with so many options at their disposal, sometimes a player or two can slip through the cracks because they don’t have anything in their arsenal which stands out or they lack any eye-popping numbers. A pitcher who was interesting in rookie ball and Single-A can get lost in the shuffle because there is not much that separates him from many other like players in the upper levels of the system.

One of those players who often gets overlooked in the Indians system and sort of lost in a deep sea of average to above average pitching is left-hander Ryan Edell.

Edell is one of those pitchers who by now at age 26 is what he is. That is, a pitcher who won’t blow you away with great stuff and velocity, but instead relies on command, control, intelligence and toughness on the mound. He was an 8th round pick in the 2005 Draft out of The College of Charleston, and in his four and a half seasons since the draft has put together a solid resume from a statistical perspective going 25-25 with a 3.63 ERA in 109 games (82 starts). His career rate stats are pretty solid across the board with a 9.3 H/9, 0.9 HR.9, 2.0 BB/9, 7.6 K/9, and 1.26 WHIP.

While the numbers are very good, he lacks that true dominant pitch or the ability to throw three above average pitches to really be considered an upper-level prospect in the organization. While he is more in the middle pack, he has a good four pitch mix led by a fastball which sits around 90-91 MPH though he reportedly hit a few ticks above that on occasion at Double-A Akron this past season. He also throws a curveball, slider, and changeup, with the curveball considered the best pitch in his arsenal.

Being left-handed, Edell could get some interest in the Rule 5 Draft this Thursday (Dec 10th) and possibly be selected. In 17 games (16 starts) at Akron in 2009, he was 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA and put up an impressive 91 strikeouts to just 19 walks in 89.1 innings pitched. Though he followed that up with a sub par stint at Triple-A Columbus where he was 0-6 with a 6.36 ERA in 15 games (6 starts) and allowed a .338 batting average against.

While the two month stint in Columbus was not up to Edell’s standards, he was satisfied with his season overall and felt he improved on some things over the course of the 2009 season.

"I am pretty much never going to be totally satisfied,” said Edell in a recent interview. “I think the level of play is a lot different between Double-A and Triple-A. I feel like the players are a little bit more disciplined where down [at Double-A] I got a lot more swing and misses outside of the zone which made it easier. Up [in Triple-A] I was forced to pitch more in the zone, and it really was not too bad when I got ahead. But I would struggle when I would fall behind and I would have to rely on my fastball in the zone and that doesn't really work as much up there."

Edell actually book ended his season at Akron with a month stint in Columbus from mid-April to mid-May and then from early August to early September. His first stint at Columbus in the early part of the season he worked strictly out of the bullpen, and then when he came back at the end of the season he finished the in the rotation. However, whether he was starting or relieving, or when he came back a second time, the numbers did not change as he had some trouble with the more disciplined hitters at Triple-A.

"The [second] time I was a starter where last time I was a reliever which I had not really done before,” said Edell. “So it was kind of a transition for me and I struggled a little with that. Just trying to get my routine down because I was so used to a strict routine as a starter so it was kind of hard going to the bullpen and not knowing when I was going to pitch. I think [the Triple-A hitters] know what they can do and that is a really strong asset for them. They know what they are looking for so it is different that way, where down [in Double-A] it is a lot more raw talent. But I feel comfortable where if I was given a little more time as a reliever I could fit into that role better."

When Edell came back to Akron in mid-May after his disappointing four week stay in Columbus, the Indians moved him back into the Akron starting rotation. Back to his familiar role of starting, he took off and his numbers soared. In all but two of his 16 starts he allowed no more than three runs in any outing, and in the two he didn’t he allowed just four runs. Nine times he went at least five innings and allowed no more than two runs.

His mid-season success at Akron was helped by the reemergence of his curveball and his other pitches all improving. He had a very good curveball coming into the 2005 Draft, but it was tabled in 2007 at High-A Kinston to get him to concentrate on throwing and developing a slider. He lost the feel for the curveball, but re-found it this past season and it helped add another weapon to his arsenal.

"It was just that the slider is a little bit sharper and I just kind of lost my curveball and lost how to throw it,” said Edell on why the curveball was dropped from his pitch mix. “But I worked all last offseason on my curveball again and I feel comfortable again throwing it in the zone. It is more of a get ahead pitch now and not a put away pitch. It is just something I like to flip in there, and I feel like it will be a pretty good pitch for me in the future as long as I keep working on it."

Some refined pitching mechanics and improved consistency also helped him put it all together at Akron.

"I think it was just the consistency,” said Edell. “I worked a lot in the offseason with repeating my delivery, and I had a lot better feel for my changeup this year than I ever have. It was probably my second or third pitch this year depending on the day. I [got] a lot of groundballs and pop ups with that. I think those were the things that made the most difference."

Currently, Edell is back home in California working out and getting ready for the 2010 season. He was also scheduled to pitch in winter ball somewhere this offseason, but to date has not made an appearance anywhere. He and the Indians wanted to get some additional work to make up for some of the lost innings when he pitched out of the bullpen the first month and a half of the season. Pitching winter ball would also allow people to get more looks at him scouting-wise.

"I kind of wanted to go somewhere and keep pitching since I [didn’t] have as many innings this year after pitching in the bullpen the first month,” said Edell. “It [would] give me another chance to work on my two-seamer and develop more."

Edell knows he walks a fine line as a pitcher since he does not have the over-powering fastball or wipeout secondary pitch. His success will largely be determined with how well he can control his fastball in the zone and consistently hit his spots. Consistency is the key for him, and it is something he will continue to work on this offseason and into the 2010 season where he should open the season in the Columbus bullpen.

"I pretty much just need to keep consistent because I don't throw 95 MPH, so I need to attack the zone early,” said Edell. “That is something I need to continue to work on. Also, that two-seamer is probably going to help me whatever role I am placed in. I just need to work on getting mis-hits instead of trying to get strikeouts. It seems like I either totally fool someone or they hit the ball hard somewhere. So if I can just get a little bit more movement on my ball I think that will be the key difference for me."

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Minor Happenings: Fedroff Ignites Kinston Offense

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

This is part two of a three part Minor Happenings this week as I get everything up to speed after a one week hiatus from this column and all the trades that went down the past two weeks. If you missed Part 1, it posted on Thursday and recapped the debuts and provided some insight on all the players the Indians received in trades the last two weeks. Part 3 will post tomorrow.

With all the recent trades and young players picked up, I have received a lot of questions on what the Indians Rule 5 status looks like this coming offseason. Here is an unofficial 2009 Rule 5 eligibles listing I put together earlier this week.

Also, Paul and I conducted our weekly radio show Smoke Signals once again this past Thursday night. We touched a little on the players in the trades, but instead focused on the meat of the reason on why the Indians made the deals: Economics. A pretty interesting back and forth discussion we had (or at least I thought) on the financial state of the Indians and the game itself. By the way, this coming Thursday August 13^th we celebrate our one year birthday of Smoke Signals as it originally debuted on Thursday August 14^th last year! Thanks for listening!

I have lots of player articles coming out in the next several weeks on players I have talked to in my many visits over really the last month. Because of all the trade activity and my vacation I have not been able to get them all out as planned, but they will all eventually post! Look for a piece on Clayton Cook and Lonnie Chisenhall this coming week and maybe some more players.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from July 30 through August 5)

Tim Fedroff (Outfielder - Kinston)
.545 AVG (12-for-22), 5 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 BB, 4K

This past week High-A Kinston outfielder Tim Fedroff finally showed the impact he can have at the top of a lineup when healthy as he hit a blazing .545 for the week while also pounding out four extra base hits and knocking in six runs. He is also in the midst of a 27-game on-base streak. His on-base streak currently ranks tied for 2nd longest this season in the Carolina League and is the longest current active streak. During the streak he is hitting .308 (32-for-104) with 16 runs, 8 doubles, 1 homer, 10 RBI, and a .395 on-base percentage. On the season he is hitting .279 with 4 HR, 27 RBI, and a .761 OPS.

Fedroff is a well-rounded player in that he has above average speed, has good range and an average arm in the outfield, makes good contact and has some pop in his bat to pound the ball gap-to-gap. The key to his success is whether or not he can stay in center field as his bat gets lost at the corners because it is not strong enough to be a big league regular bat there. If he can stay in center field he could be an offensive-oriented player there with an average arm and good range.

Not surprisingly, with the return of Fedroff to the lineup everyday the play of the team in general has improved. Prior to his hamstring injury first occurring and him leaving the lineup on May 9th, the Kinston lineup was on fire and the team was a few games over .500. He returned to the lineup full time about two weeks ago and Kinston all of a sudden is starting to put things together again offensively. While he is not 100% yet and will likely play the rest of the season with a nagging hamstring, he is as healthy as he has been since he initially hurt it and is showing why the Indians were willing to pay him over slot with a $725K signing bonus as a 7th round pick last year.

Honorable Mentions:

Chuck Lofgren (LHP - Columbus): 0-0, 1 game, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Carlos Santana (C - Akron): .375 AVG (9-for-24), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 6 K
Carlos Rivero (SS - Akron): .391 AVG (9-for-23), 5 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 3K
Vidal Nuno (LHP - Mahoning Vy): 2-0, 2 games, 0.82 ERA, 11.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Casey Frawley (SS - Mahoning Vy): .375 AVG (9-for-24), 3 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 BB, 1 K
Roberto Perez (C - AZL Indians): .524 AVG (11-for-21), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K

Previous Winners:

07/23 to 07/29: Carlos Santana (C - Akron)
07/16 to 07/22: Nate Recknagel (1B - Lake County)
07/09 to 07/15: Matt McBride (OF - Akron)
07/02 to 07/08: Marty Popham (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
06/25 to 07/01: Andy Marte (3B - Columbus)
06/18 to 06/24: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Directors Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins was in Kinston this past week and had some comments on some of the new players the Indians received in recent trades who have been assigned there:

On Scott Barnes: "He has really been impressive and he stands out immediately. I know we talk a lot about guys who that have confidence and like to compete, and amongst that group of very good competitors he stands out in that group. He is extremely confident with great mound presence, he is very loose, and just has the appearance of someone who has absolutely no fear. He is left-handed with a very athletic delivery and just about everything with his delivery looks very relaxed. He has an average fastball and changeup and his curveball is still developing, and he has the ability to go get a strikeout. His first two outings with us have been everything that we hoped for and then some. He is definitely a solid major league prospect."

On Bryan Price: "He is very athletic. He is a strong kid who is big and physical. His delivery is as you would write it up if you described a delivery and what you wanted it to look like. I think with his intelligence and athleticism it has allowed him to do that, and now it is just about firming up his arm slot and garnering that power that he has because he does have some power. He has sink and a natural slider, and when it is on the plate hitters struggle with it. It is just a matter of getting him consistently on the plate. He really is a nice presence and a great sign and someone we are very excited about. We know there is more fastball in there, and we know that once he gets more settled into the strike zone and can really start to get more aggressive with his arm slot and with his arm speed that there is a potential for a lot of power."

On Lonnie Chisenhall: "He is carrying this team as this team is not having a lot of win-loss success. He is by far the most productive bat in the lineup, and if he doesn't hit the team doesn't hit. He has taken that challenge on and put it on his back and carried it well. He doesn't feel pressure, and if he does he doesn't show it and he handles it very well. As we have talked about before, he has one of the best swings in our system and is a very athletic third baseman who makes all the plays. The interesting thing about Lonnie is he started out the year with 18 errors in a short period of time and I think he has had two in the last two and a half months. I think what he was doing was learning his limits, learning what plays he can make and not forcing plays. Once he realized what the range of third base was, the errors just went away. He has had a very productive year and has certainly earned the right to be considered for the next level."

Miller, Lewis Update

Right-hander Adam Miller had the second of two planned procedures performed on his right long (middle) finger earlier this week in Baltimore, MD. The first surgery occurred over three months ago back on April 29th. Dr. Tom Graham performed the two hour procedure at the Curtis National Hand Center and reconstructed the flexor tendon in the digit. The surgery and recovery went well and Miller started his rehab almost immediately after the surgery in order to prevent the build up of scar tissue in the finger.

If all goes well another surgery would not be required, but the concern is Miller may need surgery in the future to remove scar tissue in the finger since it is such a small, delicate area. In any case, he is at the beginning of what will be a lengthy rehab from now until really next spring as that is the target of when the Indians hope to have him return to pitching. His career is still up in the air, and while the surgeries went well and he is doing well, that was the easy part. Over the course of the next six months how his finger responds to treatment and rehab is going to truly determine his future. He and the Indians are truly in uncharted territory here.

In other rehab news, left-hander Scott Lewis is on the comeback trail again. Since making his first start of the season for the Indians on Opening Day at Progressive Field in early April - which feels like a lifetime ago - he has been on the shelf with a tender elbow. He made a few rehab appearances for Low-A Lake County and Double-A Akron in June, but had to shut it down when some discomfort in the elbow resurfaced.

This past Wednesday night, Lewis once again resurfaced this time for the rookie-level Arizona League Indians (AZL) going 3.0 shutout innings and allowed one hit, no walks, and had five strikeouts. The AZL Indians play at the Indians new spring training facility in Goodyear, AZ, so it offers Lewis some time to get state-of-the-art treatment at the new Player Development Facility and pitch in a competitive environment. No word yet on if he will make another start in Arizona, or if his rehab will progress with a start in Lake County or Akron on Monday. If there are no injury setbacks, he could be back with the Indians when rosters expand in September.

Edell Shuffles Off To Columbus

Left-hander Ryan Edell got a much deserved promotion from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus earlier this week. He had been fantastic in the Akron starting rotation where in 17 games (16 starts) he was 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA. As a parting gift, he was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week this past week for the period of July 27 to August 2. He was very impressive in his final two starts for Akron, first blanking Erie for seven innings last Monday (7/27) and then firing six scoreless frames against Binghamton on Saturday (8/1). The left-hander won both of those starts for his first back-to-back victories of the season, and pushed his 2.32 ERA to 2nd in the league. In the two starts his final line was a 2-0 record with 13.0 shutout innings of work allowing just nine hits, three walks while recording 11 strikeouts.

Edell made his Triple-A starting debut last night and was okay going six innings and allowing four runs on seven hits, no walks, and had five strikeouts. His undoing was the three home runs he allowed which netted all four runs against him. He came out with an aggressive fastball and dominated in the first two innings as he struck out the first three batters he faced and five of the first six, but then from there his performance declined the rest of the way. Now that he is in the Columbus rotation, left-hander Zach Jackson has been moved to the bullpen.

Edell just recently turned 26-years old, so his prospect clock is running out, but he really gave himself a strong foundation to build off of with his excellent performance in Akron from a numbers perspective. He doesn't have great stuff, and is not an impact pitcher by any means, but he has established himself as major league depth and provided he stays healthy he should get a shot to pitch in the big leagues sometime over the next season or two be it with Cleveland or someone else.

Edell is up for roster protection this offseason, and with so many other players likely to be considered over him due to such a high amount of high level players needing protection, it is very likely he will not be rostered and be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft this December. There is a chance he could be taken, which would mean the selecting club would need to keep him on their major league roster all season or have to offer him back to the Indians unless a trade is worked out where the Indians transfer their rights for him to that club. If he doesn't get selected - or if he is rostered - he should be a part of what should be a very strong Triple-A Columbus starting staff next year unless the Indians decide to try and convert him to a reliever again. For those wondering, Edell is not eligible for minor league free agency until after the 2011 season.

Berger Time In Akron

Left-hander Eric Berger got a well deserved callup from High-A Kinston to Double-A Akron on Tuesday. At Kinston in 21 starts he was 7-8 with a 2.45 ERA, and in 110.1 innings allowed 93 hits, 45 walks, and had 100 strikeouts. He ranked 8th in the league in wins (7), 2nd in ERA (2.45), 2nd in games started (21), 8th in innings pitched (110.1), 3rd in strikeouts (100), and 5th in WHIP (1.25). In his second to last start for Kinston on July 25th he struck out a career high 11 batters in six shutout innings of work. For his efforts, he was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the period of July 20 to July 26.

While his numbers in Kinston were impressive, Berger stuck around in Kinston a little longer than fans probably thought he would because of the lack of options to replace him in the rotation there when he left. Due to the youth of the Lake County staff and wanting to watch innings for their young starters there, the Indians did not want to promote anyone else from that staff. When the Indians recently picked up left-hander Scott Barnes and right-hander Bryan Price in trades over the last two weeks, they went right into the Kinston rotation and it allowed the Indians to promote Berger (and Edell from Akron to Triple-A Columbus). He also had remained in Kinston to continue to work on his secondary pitches, and had shown some improvement with his secondary stuff of late, especially his changeup. His improved changeup and confidence in it has allowed him to use it more in fastball counts and get hitters off balance resulting in weaker hit balls.

Berger made his Double-A debut last night for Akron and got a rude welcome as he gave up eight runs (five earned) in 5.2 innings of work allowing 13 hits, one walk, and had three strikeouts. While the numbers were not pretty at all, it should be noted that he wasn't hit really hard as most of the hits were seeing-eye singles through the infield or soft liners to the outfield. With his callup to Akron, he will be a part of their pennant race as they look to lock up a playoff spot. The Indians place a high value on exposing their higher level players to a playoff environment so they can evaluate them in a much higher intensity environment. He should get a chance to make about five to six more starts for Akron in the regular season and another start or two in the postseason depending if Akron makes it and how far they go.

Perez Temporarily Shelved

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Alexander Perez has been temporarily shelved due to what is being called "shoulder soreness". The injury occurred in the first inning of his last start in Myrtle Beach on August 1st and he is currently considered day to day. Perez just turned 20 on July 24th, and is having a breakout season. In 20 combined starts between Low-A Lake County and Kinston he is 6-6 with a 3.04 ERA and in 106.2 innings has allowed 94 hits, 30 walks, and has 96 strikeouts.

Perez's injury is not considered a disabled list situation, and in some ways it almost looks like a "planned" injury so the Indians could shut him down for a little bit in order to limit his innings total which is quickly reaching his threshold of about 130-135 innings. It also provided the Indians some innings in that Saturday game to get right-hander Bryce Stowell some much needed work as well as some of the other relievers due to some recent rainouts. With lefty Scott Barnes and righty Bryan Smith being inserted into the rotation, it also gave the Indians a chance to insert them without throwing off the five-day routine for most of the other pitchers in the rotation.

It is puzzling though - if this were the case - why they would even have him go out and pitch to one batter and remove him and why they instead did not just skip him. Anyway, the good news is that Perez is supposedly fine and he should be back pitching soon, though I am sure there were a lot of nervous followers of the Indians farm system out there when they got news he had to leave his start early.

Brown Out

Timing is everything, and for Triple-A Columbus first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown it appeared that things were finally starting to go his way. In the past two weeks, the Indians cleared out three players in trades that were blocking him at first base and left field in Cleveland when they traded Victor Martinez, Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco. On top of that, he has also been on an absolute tear since the All Star break where in 15 games he is hitting .385 with 2 HR, 13 RBI and a 1.094 OPS.

A callup to Cleveland to fill that left field or first base void seemed imminent, but a sore shoulder has since sidelined him in the past week. He had been battling a sore shoulder for about the past three weeks, which makes his recent surge with the bat even more impressive. In batting practice on Tuesday he took a swing and the pain in his shoulder acted up to the point it was no longer tolerable and he could not play through it. Since then he has been shut down and has not played while the medical staff evaluates what the problem is with his shoulder. He is currently day-to-day.

In 97 games this year for Columbus he is hitting .331 with 12 HR, 58 RBI, and a .902 OPS. Over his last four games he has collected three multi-hit games, giving him 33 on the season. Prior to being sidelined on Tuesday with the injury he had jumped into the league lead in hits (119) and his 32 doubles were ranked 2nd in the league. He's a guy who if healthy can help the Indians lineup the rest of this season and beyond by providing it with a high average, gap-power hitter who has a knack for consistently putting the bat on the ball.

Lofgren Continues To Shine

With a month left in the season, one of the best stories of the year so far continues to be the resurgence of Triple-A Columbus left-hander Chuck Lofgren. In his last start on Monday night he went seven shutout innings holding the opposition to just four hits, one walk and had five strikeouts. It was arguably his finest performance of the season, if not since his excellent 2006 campaign when he won Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors pitching then for High-A Kinston.

The amazing thing is Lofgren pitched that game Monday with a heavy heart as he had learned earlier that morning that his brother-in-law Carlos, 34, had passed away from a three year battle with cancer. While Carlos was related only because he was married to Lofgren's sister Kim, Lofgren always considered Carlos as a brother to him because of all the support through the years he had given him in baseball and in life. By the wishes of his family, Lofgren still made his scheduled start and dedicated his outing to Carlos, and he then went out and pitched one of the best games of his career in honor of him.

Lofgren has really been through the emotional wringer the last few years. His mother had a long battle with breast cancer, persevered, and is now a cancer survivor. His mother's battle for life took a toll on Lofgren as his performance slipped last year so much that many people completely discarded him as a prospect going into this season. To his credit, he regrouped last offseason, came into camp in excellent shape, and has come out pitching like gangbusters the entire season. He has pitched with a bit of a chip on his shoulder this year to prove all those baseball people wrong who kicked him to the curb so fast after his dreadful 2008 campaign when he was 2-6 with a 5.99 ERA for Double-A Akron in 28 appearances.

This year it has been a completely different story as in 12 starts for the Clippers he is 5-6 with a 4.12 ERA, and in 20 starts overall between Akron and Columbus he is 8-7 with a 3.15 ERA (117.0 IP, 88 H, 39 BB, 77 K). He has been very good in his last five outings going 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in those starts. He has proven to be quite the innings eater going six or more innings in nine of his 12 starts at Columbus, and has reestablished himself as a legit major league starting pitching option.

Carrasco Brilliant In Second Outing

Newly acquired right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco was brilliant on Thursday night in his second outing for Triple-A Columbus. His final line is a bit deceiving on how well he really pitched as he went 7.2 innings and allowed five runs on five hits, two walks and had five strikeouts. What he did through the first seven innings was the story of the night, and it was exactly what the Indians wanted to see as through seven innings of work he was dominating and had allowed just one run on two hits.

Carrasco's performance those first seven innings was right on par with his top outings in his career, and he was very strong mixing all four of his pitches for strikes (fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup). He was unhittable and displayed the excellent mound presence and arm strength the Indians loved when they scouted him. His delivery was nice and easy, and he commanded all of his pitches well.

As is often the case with Carrasco, things got away from him in the eighth inning where he allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, but this time it may have more been that he was pushed past his limit and not him caving. He had yet to throw into the eighth inning all year, and Columbus Manager Torey Lovullo decided to push him past seven innings and see what he could do going a little longer. While the results in the eighth inning were hardly positive, it was a learning experience and development opportunity for Carrasco as he looks to pitch deeper into games and better finish his outings.

Forever Young

One of the hottest pitchers of late in the Indians system is High-A left-hander Russell Young. In eight starts since the All-Star break he is 3-2 with a 1.69 ERA, which is of stark contrast to his nine starts before the break where he was 1-3 with a 5.36 ERA. His last three starts in particular have been sensational in that on July 24^th he came within one strike of a rare nine inning complete game at the Single-A level (8.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K), then on July 31^st he threw seven scoreless innings (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K), and then this past Thursday he went 6.1 shutout innings (6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). He is currently in the midst of a 13.1 inning scoreless streak.

Young's near complete game on July 24^th - a game I witnessed firsthand at Grainger Stadium - was very impressive. He ended up throwing 96 pitches, and manager Chris Tremie had to be the bad guy and remove him with one out to go since he had eclipsed his 95-pitch count. There is no discretion with pitch counts as once they have been reached or passed it the Indians' minor league manager has strict orders not to let their pitchers pitch to another batter (at least for the Single-A guys). Had he finished the game, it would have been the first nine-inning complete game by a Kinston pitcher in five years. Right-hander J.D. Martin was the last pitcher to throw a nine-inning complete game for Kinston, doing it on the grandest of stages on September 15, 2004 in the championship clincher for the Carolina League Championship.

To date, in 21 combined appearances (19 starts) at Low-A Lake County and Kinston, Young is now 4-6 with a 3.62 ERA on the season (114.1 IP, 117 H, 21 BB, 73 K). He is having a breakthrough season, though he is still a fringy kind of prospect because his stuff is average across the board. That said, he understands what kind of pitcher he is and understands he will not strikeout a lot of guys and instead relies on a pitch-to-contact approach as a command and control artist. He has a three pitch mix of a fastball, curveball and changeup, and mixes them up and changes speed with all three pitches well. His sinking two-seam fastball only tops out in the high 80s, but he has good command of his changeup and curveball. This is a guy who was considered organizational depth coming into the season, but if he keeps this up through the rest of the season he is going to find himself as a more valued pitcher in the system.

Kipnis Debuts

On Monday, short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrapper fans were treated to the organizational debut of 2009 2^nd round pick outfielder Jason Kipnis. In his debut Kipnis pretty much lived up to his hype going 2-for-2 with a triple, a run scored, and stolen base. He was billed as a stat stuffer when the Indians selected him in the draft, and that is exactly what he did. In three games with Mahoning Valley he is hitting .375 (3-for-8) with 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI and a stolen base. This season at Arizona State he was named the PAC-10 Player of the Year hitting .384 with 16 HR, 71 RBI and 27 stolen bases.

Kipnis had signed with the Indians several weeks ago and was actually with the Mahoning Valley team, but he spent the time rehabbing a minor elbow injury he suffered in the College World Series. He finally was cleared for game action, but the Indians are still easing him back into full game activity as in his debut he only played a scheduled three innings. He sat out the next game on Tuesday, was back in there on Wednesday playing only six innings, and then played the whole game on Thursday as the designated hitter. He sat out the game on Friday, and the next step will be to get him a full game in the outfield, likely tonight (Saturday).

Transactions Rundown

A lot of moves to recap since the last Happenings two weeks ago:

August 6: Mike Gosling outrighted from Cleveland.

August 5: Jess Todd recalled to Cleveland roster; Jose Veras designated for assignment; Ryan Edell transferred to Columbus from Akron; Eric Berger transferred to Akron from Kinston.

August 2: Mickey Hall transferred to Columbus from Akron.

August 1: Jensen Lewis recalled and active on Cleveland roster; Winston Abreu designated for assignment/release; Michael Gosling designated for assignment/release.

July 31: Fausto Carmona recalled and active on Cleveland roster; Trevor Crowe recalled and active on Cleveland roster; Victor Martinez traded to Boston Red Sox; Nick Hagadone acquired via trade and active in Lake County; Bryan Price acquired via trade and active in Kinston; Justin Masterson acquired via trade and active Cleveland roster; Wyatt Toregas recalled and active on Cleveland roster.

July 30: Alex Castillo reinstated from 7-day DL and active in Kinston.

July 29: Cliff Lee traded to Phillies; Ben Francisco traded to Phillies; Carlos Carrasco acquired via trade and active in Columbus; Lou Marson acquired via trade and active in Columbus; Jason Donald acquired via trade and active Columbus; Jason Knapp acquired via trade and active in Lake County.

July 28: Andy Marte contract purchased from Columbus; Jess Todd assigned to Columbus.

July 27: Eric Perlozzo granted unconditional release; Ryan Garko traded to San Francisco Giants for Scott Barnes.

July 26: Jesus Merchan reinstated from DL and transferred to Akron; Jess Todd acquired via trade and optioned to Columbus; Matt Willard transferred to Columbus from Lake County; Michael Tejera transferred to Columbus from Akron.

July 25: Kyle Haines transferred to Kinston from Akron; Jeremy Sowers recalled to Cleveland.

July 24: Andy Cannizaro reinstated from DL and active in Columbus.

July 23: Dwight Childs transferred to Mahoning Valley from Columbus; Connor Graham acquired via trade and assigned to Akron; Rafael Betancourt traded to Colorado.

July 22: Casey Frawley transferred to Mahoning Valley from AZL Indians; Lurvin Basabe transferred to AZL Indians from Mahoning Valley.

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Monday Update

Double-A Akron left-hander Ryan Edell was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week, the league announced today. It is the first Eastern League weekly award in Edell’s career, and the fourth for an Aero this season (Jeanmar Gomez once, Nick Weglarz twice).

Edell was simply magnificent in his two starts this week, first blanking Erie for seven innings last Monday and then firing six scoreless frames against Binghamton Saturday night. The left-hander won both of those starts for his first back-to-back victories of 2009 to improve to 4-1, and now ranks second in the EL with both a 2.32 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, while sitting third with 91 strikeouts. For the week, Edell went 2-0 and did not allow a run in 13.0 innings of work. He gave up just nine hits and three walks while recording 11 strikeouts, and opposing hitters batted just .196 (9-46) against him. He also lowered his ERA by almost a half-run from 2.71 to 2.32 following Saturday’s triumph.

In other news, short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley outfielder Jason Kipnis has been activated. He had been with the team nursing a minor injury the past few weeks and is expected to ease his way back into game action. Also, some good news on High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Alexander Perez as he left his start on Saturday night because of shoulder soreness. He is not expected to go on the disabled list and may not miss his next start.

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Minor Happenings: One Man "Reck"ing Crew

"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.

Short update today due to me being in transit to Kinston yesterday and today. I will be at Grainger Stadium tonight (Friday) in Kinston to see the K-Tribe in action, and then catch them the following weekend in Myrtle Beach.

As a reminder, Paul and I hosted our weekly radio show on Wednesday this week because of my travel situation. Also, I had a few player feature pieces this past week on the likes of Nick Weglarz and Chris Jones.

In case anyone missed it, the Indians on Thursday traded right-handed reliever Rafael Betancourt to the Colorado Rockies for minor league right-handed pitching prospect Connor Graham. I'll have more soon on Graham once I have some time over the weekend to get some comments on him and do some research. Initial take: decent upside power-armed pitcher who has backend bullpen potential. I am not bowled over by the guy, but am satisfied with the trade considering I did not expect much for Betancourt. He's certainly an intriguing prospect, and I will have more on him soon.

Last, in my hurry to post this piece while I am holed up in a hotel room and trying to get some sleep before a long day of travel and a game tomorrow, please excuse any typos in this posting.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from July 16th through July 22)

Nate Recknagel (First Baseman - Lake County)
.550 AVG (11-for-20), 5 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K

Wow, talk about a hot week for Single-A Lake County infielder Nate Recknagel. The former University of Michigan product taken in the 19th round of the 2008 Draft completely tore up South Atlantic League pitching for the week, and now on the season is hitting xx. In just five games he piled up four different multi-RBI games and homered in three different games for the week. He has only played in 55 games for Lake County, but has been very productive as for all players in the league with 40 RBI or more his .82 RBI per game played is tops in the league.

Recknagel is finally getting comfortable at the plate and seeing the ball well, which shows in the numbers of late. That said, he still is a man without a position in the organization. In his short stint at High-A Kinston earlier in the season he did manage to play all 25 of his games at first base. After free agent first baseman Ole Sheldon was signed, Recknagel was moved back to Low-A Lake County and in 55 games there this year has started just 18 games at first base and two games at third base while playing as the designated hitters in the other 35 games. In his defense, Lake County first baseman Chris Nash is an exceptional defensive first baseman so he usually gets precedence at first base.

Recknagel has very good power and strength, and set a Michigan home run record with 23 last year. The Indians worked on him as a catcher in Instructional League last year and spring training earlier this year because he is challenged defensively at first base and considered a below average defender who needs a lot of work there. On the season he is hitting .281 with 11 HR, 53 RBI, and a .823 OPS.

Honorable Mentions:

Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston): 2-0, 2 games, 0.64 ERA, 14.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 14 K
Hector Rondon (RHP - Columbus): 1-0, 1 game, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Matt LaPorta (OF - Columbus): .364 AVG (8-for-22), 4 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Andy Marte (3B - Columbus): .364 AVG (8-for-22), 7 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 4K
Jose Constanza (OF - Akron): .421 AVG (8-for-19), 7 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
Jesus Brito (3B - AZL Indians): .500 AVG (8-for-16), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2K

Previous Winners:

07/09 to 07/15: Matt McBride (OF - Akron)
07/02 to 07/08: Marty Popham (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
06/25 to 07/01: Andy Marte (3B - Columbus)
06/18 to 06/24: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins was in Columbus this past week and upon returning offered up some comments on two of the most important pitchers in the organization and (in my view) who have a strong bearing on how successful this team can be in 2010:

On Fausto Carmona: "I think Fausto was really impressive and in my opinion was better than his line. He got most of his outs on the ground that were not strikeouts. His strikeouts were dominant strikeouts. They were not locating pitches, they were put away pitches that overmatched Triple-A hitters and a couple of hitters with major league experience. It was a very impressive outing overall. Some of the things he is doing is he is staying within his delivery, staying more on line, and using a pre-pitch routine attacking hitters and thinking it through what he wants to do to hitters and not relying on the catcher so much. Being a pitcher so to speak. Some of the finer things we want to see him do and make sure he is doing is repeating the things I mentioned we are asking him to do, holding the ball from the set position, controlling the running game, and making sure the game is at his pace and not at the pace dictated by the outcomes of at bats. So he is doing those things, is aware of them, and talking about them and it is really impressive how he has handled it. I am sure he is anxious and wants to contribute, but he is sticking to the process and staying focused and has been a very big influence on our younger players."

On comparisons of Carmona and Hector Rondon: "They have different fastballs as Hector has a fastball that is late jumping and can get outs at the top of the zone, where Fausto was a sinkerballer in Triple-A and the major leagues and has more natural sink than Hector. They are similar in the confidence in the fastball, and similar in the confidence to put the ball on the plate. Hector is 21 years old and is in Triple-A and has already cruised through two starts. He is not yet all of what he is going to be. There is a slider to come, he flashes a good slider, but he is gonna have a very good slider. His changeup is still too hard. With really just one pitch - his fastball - he is able not only to compete but pitch very well at Triple-A. That's what is similar to Fausto is the success. How they are having the success is a little bit different. It is interesting to see pictures of Fausto when he was at that age and at that level and look at Hector and there are some similarities. But mostly what it comes down to is they both love to compete and put their fastball on the plate."

King Of No-Decisions

Double-A Akron left-handed starting pitcher Ryan Edell is having a very good return trip around the Eastern League this season. He opened the season in Akron, but was quickly reassigned to Triple-A Columbus on April 12th and inserted into the bullpen there. He made just nine appearances and went 0-2 with a 6.91 ERA there, and was returned to Akron on May 12th. Since his return to Akron, he has settled into the starting rotation and has been fantastic where in 14 starts he is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA, and in 74.1 innings as a starter has allowed 72 hits, 15 walks, and has 79 strikeouts. He has not allowed more than four runs in any start and has allowed two runs or less in nine of them. Yet, with such consistent performances and limiting the opposition to so few runs, he has 11 no decisions in those 14 starts.

Edell is a strikethrower with an advanced feel to pitch, as evidenced by his 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio this year. The surprising development with Edell is he is averaging over a strikeout an inning this year (9.43 K/9) in 24 combined appearances between Columbus and Akron (90.2 IP, 95 K). The bump in strikeouts is due to his more aggressive approach this year attacking the zone and his fastball has shown more life compared to last season. He has actually seen a bump in his velocity this year where this season his four-seam fastball has averaged about 87-88 MPH topping out at 91 MPH, which is an improvement over last season's 85-86 MPH average velocity and topping out at 88-89 MPH. Also, his fastball command to the inside part of the plate is better and his changeup has improved and become a good weapon for him giving him a pitch to keep hitters off balance.

Coaches Corner: Tony Arnold

I had a chance to sit down with Single-A Lake County Pitching Coach Tony Arnold before the game on Sunday to talk about some of his pitchers:

On Alexander Perez: "What we saw in spring training, we were excited about the kid. A young kid that had a feel for all three of his pitches and can throw them for a strike whenever he wants to. He left here partly because of his age and partly to try and get him to understand to pitch and get outs with his fastball. Over the course of the season he has started to get better and better at that and has allowed him to get deeper into games. He is another that I watched mature, and when you can throw three pitches for strikes along with his demeanor and the person he is it was fun to have him. We knew we were probably not going to have him for long, but that is what we are here for. You want many of the guys you have to leave, and he was very excited when he got called up and that is what you like to see. Very deservingly so. When you can do what he can with the ball, and as long as you understand hitters and how to attack them and stay with a gameplan, I see him being very successful. He is hitting 90-91 MPH a few times, but when you look at Jeanmar Gomez and Hector Rondon [when they were here two years ago] their bodies blew up. I mean I looked at Rondon in spring training and was like ‘my gosh, that's a man'. I see him being able to gain strength, and that should translate to him gaining a MPH or two. But with his stuff, to be successful he doesn't necessarily need MPH. He just needs the knowledge on how to attack the swing because he can command three pitches. We are hoping it happens for him and if it does maybe you might have a #1 starter, and if it doesn't then you still have a quality starter."

On Anillins Martinez: "He has had ups and downs throughout the year. [Lower Level Pitching Coordinator] Steve Lyons came in and he was pretty generic as far as delivery and his arm action and we wanted to get him to lower his arm action. So we actually got him across himself a little bit to get him a little better lower angle and see if that would help him command the ball down as he was real high and not able to command his stuff as well. Since he has made that adjustment, within each outing he has been more comfortable and it seems like with him dropping his arm slot a little bit it has allowed him to have more deception and he has had some really good innings lately and they are not getting a lot of good swings off of him. He is still battling himself on command with his slider down there, but he is getting more consistent. He throws a fastball-slider mix. He has been 92 MPH tops, but since he has dropped down he been a little lower at 86-90 MPH. He is a strong and durable kid and he just takes the ball and gives you whatever he has got."

On Danny Salazar: "He is coming along. When he first got up here he was up in the zone with his fastball command and he was getting a little bit across himself with his delivery which did not allow himself to leverage the ball down in the zone consistently. His last few outings his stride direction has been much more consistent which has allowed him to command his fastball. Now it is just a matter of getting consistent with his secondary pitches. He has been able to predominantly pitch with his fastball. He has had a couple of rough days where he has elevated and got hurt, but overall he has thrown the ball well."

On Chris Jones: "The one thing he has got is he is a left-hander with a more unconventional delivery, which allows him to have some deception to the plate. When he has come in and commanded his stuff down in the zone, he has thrown the ball really well. I really think he has only had one or two outings where he has not kept us in a ballgame and given us a chance to win since. You can see some maturity in him as the season has progressed. He has done really well. He has the pitches that he needs to attack hitters. He has a good breaking ball, he has a good changeup, and he has a pretty good fastball, it is just a matter of him being able to control his delivery to all him to consistently command the ball down in the zone."

On T.J. McFarland: "He's been solid. Going from last year where once they started getting hits he struggled getting through the inning to this year where he has gone out and been able to manage innings and after having a tough inning being able to pitch deeper into ballgames. He is another one you are seeing mature between the white lines as well as off the field. He is able to retain some of the lessons he has learned by hard knocks and apply them later on down the road which he has been getting pretty consistently deep into games."

On Matt Langwell: "I think it was an adjustment for him to go out there at the start of the year. He worked through some delivery issues himself, but since he has solidified his delivery and feels comfortable with what he is doing he is commanding the bottom of the zone consistently with his fastball each outing. He has his slider and splitter behind that and he pounds the zone and has no fear of the bat. He goes right after them and to his credit he has thrown pretty well."

On Eddie Burns: "In spring training you saw him have a couple good games and then saw him just be okay, and then when he got here he was feeling his way around his first couple of outings. Then he just started locking it in and he has been getting three innings as easy as anybody once Roberts, Frias, and McGuire went up. He kind of fell into an opportunity to get more opportunities to get out there and pitch and he has run with it. Unfortunately, he has had the setback with his arm and hopefully it is nothing major and he can get back in there soon."

Bellows Impresses

Slowly but surely, short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley third baseman Kyle Bellows is getting things going offensively. After dropping to a season low hitting just .188 with a .544 OPS as of July 2nd, in the last 19 games he has hit just under .300 and raised his batting average 62 points to where he is now hitting .250 (28-for-112) with 3 HR, 16 RBI and a .707 OPS.

Bellows is still adjusting to wood bats and playing third base, but his approach at the plate with 15 walks and just 17 strikeouts has been encouraging. He has good power potential, and as he adjusts to the wood bats and develops a more consistent swing it is expected to show. Last weekend he also showed a penchant for coming through in the clutch in back-to-back games with a key late inning two-run home run on Friday and then a game winning two-run single on Saturday night in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Bellows has also shown some very good athleticism be it running the bases (five stolen bases) or moving around at third base. He was drafted as a shortstop in the 4th round of this year's draft out of San Jose State. The transition from shortstop to third base is something Mahoning Valley Manager Travis Fryman is becoming an expert in teaching. He helped prepare top pick Lonnie Chisenhall last year for his eventual move from shortstop to third base, and Bellows is his next student with the early returns very positive largely from the work he has had with Fryman.

Infirmary Report

Low-A left-handed pitcher T.J. House missed a start last week as a precaution after he was hit on his pitching elbow with a line drive. That said, if not for the minor injury he would have likely had his July 17th (or July 22nd) start skipped because with 88.0 innings pitched on the year he is fast approaching what I am told is about a 120-125 innings threshold. He'll be limited more in his last several starts to likely five innings max because right now with the amount of games left he could make about 10-11 starts, but he only has about 32-40 innings left for about 7 more starts. So, he will have a start or two skipped in August as well.

As reported here several weeks back, young Latin left-handed pitching prospect Elvis Araujo was shutdown when he had discomfort in his pitching elbow. He is currently rebuilding his arm strength after his shut down, though is a long way from any game activity. It is likely that he will not pitch again this year until the fall Instructional League.

High-A Kinston outfielder Matt Brown is still working his way back from a left knee patella tendon strain, and is expected to be back sometime in August.

High-A outfielder Tim Fedroff returned to action on Tuesday night for the first time since July 10th when he went on the disabled list because he had reaggravated a nagging hamstring injury.

Transactions Rundown

Here is a quick rundown of some noteworthy transactions in the system from the past week:

July 19: Jeremie Tice reinstated from 7-day DL and placed on rehab assignment in AZL.

July 17: Francisco Jimenez transferred to Lake County from AZL; Masa Kobayashi granted unconditional release; Carlos Santana reinstated from temporary inactive list (Futures' Game); Nick Weglarz reinstated from temporary inactive list (Futures' Game); Jerad Head placed on 7-day DL with right shoulder dislocation.

July 16: Jesus Merchan placed on rehab assignment in AZL; Eddie Burns placed on 7-day DL with right shoulder inflammation.

July 15: Francisco Valera transferred to Lake County from AZL.

July 14: Gregorio Rosario reinstated form 7-day DL and active in AZL.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (43-54, 4^th place, 12.5 GB): On Saturday, left-hander Chuck Lofgren had yet another strong outing for the Clippers going seven innings and allowing three runs on six hits, two walks, and had three strikeouts. He allowed all three runs in the first inning, but after that settled in and was sensational as he notched six shutout innings the rest of the way. It was another very encouraging outing for Lofgren, and he is strongly making a case to be a depth starting option for the Indians in 2010. On the season in 17 combined starts between Double-A Akron and Columbus, he is 7-6 with a 3.40 ERA (98.0 IP, 77 H, 33 BB, 64 K). ... Since his awesome debut on July 8^th where he threw six shutout-hitless innings, right-hander Hector Rondon continues to roll as in his two follow up starts he went six innings in each allowing three runs total. In three starts at Columbus he is now 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA, and sports an incredible two walks and 20 strikeouts in 18.0 total innings. On the season in 18 combined starts between Double-A Akron and Columbus he is 10-5 with a 2.50 ERA (90.0 IP, 76 H, 18 BB, 93 K). ... Third baseman Wes Hodges has been cleared to play third base and will take over regular duties there from Andy Marte. Marte is expected to rotate between third base, first base and designated hitter. Speaking of Marte, he hit two home runs last night and is now hitting .329 with 17 HR, 64 RBI, and a .958 OPS in 78 games. ... Outfielder Trevor Crowe's 18-game hitting streak came to an end last weekend.

Akron Notes (60-39, 1^st place, 4.5 GU): Right-hander Josh Judy has been one of the hotter relief pitchers in the system of late as he has five straight scoreless outings (9.0 innings) and eight of his last nine outings have been scoreless. During those last nine games he has pitched 12.1 innings allowing six hits, three runs, three walks and has 22 strikeouts. In 27 combined appearances between Akron and High-A Kinston he is 4-3 with a 3.35 ERA (37.2 IP, 30 H, 12 BB, 45 K). ... Infielder/outfielder Jerad Head was placed on the disabled list last Friday with a dislocated right shoulder. He was hurt on Thursday night diving for a ball in left field. On the season he is hitting .286 with 4 HR, 26 RBI, and a .773 OPS in 67 games. ... Outfielder Jose Constanza had just 29 walks in his first 78 games, but in his last 11 games he has 14 walks. He is now hitting .289 with 0 HR, 30 RBI and a .718 OPS. He also has 26 stolen bases. ... Outfielder John Drennen is having a solid campaign this year at Akron hitting .286 with 3 HR, 31 RBI and a .778 OPS in 65 games. He has been very hot since returning from High-A Kinston several weeks ago and hit .330 in June and is hitting .324 so far in July.

Kinston Notes (10-17, 4^th place, 6.5 GB): Right-hander Paolo Espino has been very good in his last two starts going a combined 14.0 innings and allowing just one run on six hits, one walk with 14 strikeouts. On the season he is now 5-7 with a 3.74 ERA in 20 combined appearances in Kinston, Single-A Lake County and Double-A Akron. He is someone who could soon be on the move to Akron to fill a starting pitching role there. ... Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall had his season-high 16 game hitting streak come to an end last weekend. The streak lasted from June 26th to July 16^th, and over that stretch he was 20-for-63 (.318) with 2 HR and 10 RBI. It was his third hitting streak of 11 or more games this season, as he had streaks of 11 and 12 games earlier in the campaign. He has not gone more than two straight games without a hit, and has just four back-to-back hitless games this season. On the season he is hitting .281 with 15 HR, 64 RBI and a .850 OPS. ... On Saturday, left-hander Russell Young put up another solid outing 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, a walk and had four strikeouts. In 14 starts with Kinston he is 2-4 with a 4.25 ERA.

Lake County Notes (13-14, 5^th place, 3.5 GB): Right-handed reliever Eddie Burns (2-1, 2.38 ERA) was placed on the disabled list last Thursday with a shoulder injury. His spot on the roster was filled by promising 20-year old Latin left-handed reliever Francisco Jimenez. In seven combined appearances between Lake County and with the rookie-level AZL Indians he is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA (21.1 IP, 15 H, 2 BB, 29 K). ... On Sunday, right-hander Trey Haley struggled with his command lasting just three innings allowing six runs on four hits, six walks and had two strikeouts. He is very much a work in progress and is working on a few adjustments to his delivery on the fly in competitive games, so the struggles are to be expected. This is certainly a growing experience for Haley this year as he learns to compete at the professional level. ... All Star infielder Karexson Sanchez is in a freefall offensively, hitting just .182 in June and only .194 so far in July. He is hitting .236 with 8 HR, 40 RBI and a .722 OPS in 89 games.

Mahoning Valley Notes (20-13, 1^st place, 0.5 GU): On Saturday, 2009 9th round pick out of Arizona right-handed starter Preston Guilmet had his best outing to date in his short time in the Indians organization going seven innings and allowing just one run on four hits, no walks and had two strikeouts. On the season in six starts he is 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA. ... Outfielder Greg Folgia - a 2009 40th round pick out of Missouri - had one of the biggest hits early in his professional career on Sunday when he hit a walkoff game-winning grand slam home run. The highly regarded Folgia is hitting .250 with 2 HR, 15 RBI and a .735 OPS. ... First baseman Ben Carlson has made some adjustments to his swing and since then has shown signs of improvement. He was dropping his hands resulted in a more defined uppercut and him hitting up through the ball, so he has worked on making a more consistent level swing and is starting to come along. He is hitting .227 with 1 HR, 13 RBI, and a .598 OPS in 23 games.

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Three Up, Three Down

In this week's Three Up, Three Down, we take a look at uber-prospect Matt LaPorta, Beau Mills' recent hot hitting, as well as the struggles of Mr. Perfect and Matt Cassell's brother.

Three Up:

• Matt LaPorta has not let his struggles at the major league level effect his mindset in AAA, as he has picked up right where he left off in the middle of the Clippers lineup. LaPorta is hitting .366 (11-30) in his last 8 games, with 2 HR and 7 RBI to boot. Sometimes players who yo-yo between the minors and the Show can fall into a funk when they get sent down; it is good to see LaPorta is not suffering from any such issue. If he keeps hitting (and he will keep hitting), LaPorta will be in Cleveland again this year, possibly as soon as Sizemore returns from the DL and Trevor Crowe's defense in CF is no longer a necessity for the Indians.
  


• Ryan Edell is in the midst of a hot streak on the mound for Akron. In his last 3 starts, Edell has recorded 17 2/3 IP and given up just 5 earned runs while striking out 19 and walking 6. Edell has posted solid numbers since moving into the Akron rotation on May 17, and if the command-and-control lefty can keep this up, he will be in line for an audition in the Cleveland bullpen at some point this year simply because he is left handed and can throw strikes.
  


• Beau Mills is starting to heat up for the Aeros, hitting an even .300 with 2 HR and 3 RBI in his past 10 games. The big lefty is still just 22 and used a strong 2nd half performance in 2008 to propel himself to the Carolina League MVP, so there is no need to fret about his slow start. Mills will hit in his sleep, its just a matter of getting him untracked.
  


• A bonus "up" for this week...congratulations to Chuck Lofgren for recording his first W at AAA Columbus this past Friday. Lofgren threw 7 innings of shutout baseball against the Atlanta Braves AAA affiliate, striking out 3 and not walking a batter. It is great to see Chuck throwing the ball as well as he has this year, and hopefully he is back on track as a top prospect in the Indians system.

Three Down:

• Jeanmar Gomez has struggled since his record-setting perfect game. In his last three starts since the perfecto, he has given up 15 ER and 27 hits in 16 IP. Quite a contrast to his prior 4 starts where, including the perfect game, he threw 29 innings and gave up just 1 run on 9 hits. I have not personally seen Gomez pitch these last three starts, so I could only speculate as to the issues he is having. But if he is healthy, I am confident that this is just a temporary bump in the road, and Gomez will get back to his successful ways sooner rather than later. He should pitch in Akron this Thursday against New Hampshire.
  


• Ron Rivas is scuffling at the plate down in Kinston, hitting just .200/0/1 in his last 10 games. Rivas has been playing every day at SS for the K-Tribe, but just can't seem to string anything together at the dish. Rivas is just 20, but he did hit .291 for Lake County last year, so his season average of .247 is a little disappointing.
  


• Kirk Sarloos/Jack Cassell combine for the final "down" of the week. Both of these journeyman starters have ERA's over 5.50, and WHIP's of over 1.60. They are eating innings in Columbus, but that's about it. If they haven't been called up to Cleveland at this point after the rash of injuries in both the starting rotation and the bullpen...it probably isn't happening. Good to see the younger guys like Lofgren get called up and have their shot at pitching at the AAA level. If and when Rondon, Gomez and others are ready, there is no reason for guys like Sarloos and Cassell to stand in their way.

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Indians Top 100 Prospects: #47 Ryan Edell

47. Ryan Edell - Left-handed Pitcher
Born: 07/06/1983 - Height: 6'1" - Weight: 195 - Bats: Left - Throws: Left

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP
2005	21	Mahoning Vy	A-	3	4	2.95	14	11	0	64.0	65	21	5	18	62	2.5	8.7	1.30
2006	22	Lake County	A-	0	1	3.44	6	6	0	18.1	19	7	2	5	12	2.5	5.9	1.31
2007	23	Kinston	A+	11	6	3.70	31	17	1	121.2	122	50	12	31	109	2.3	8.1	1.26
2008	24	Akron	AA	7	8	3.80	26	26	0	144.1	146	61	14	21	99	1.3	6.2	1.16
		Career		21	19	3.59	77	60	1	348.1	352	139	33	75	282	1.9	7.3	1.23

History: Edell was an 8th round pick in the 2005 Draft out of The College of Charleston. He missed most of the 2006 season with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament pitching in only six games, but was fortunate to avoid Tommy John surgery and came back with a very strong 2007 season at advanced Single-A Kinston.

Strengths & Opportunities: Edell has a three pitch mix of a fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball only sits around 90-91 MPH, but his command of it has been outstanding and he has shown good control and the ability to spot it to get ahead of hitters. His bread and butter pitch used to be a devastating curveball which was rated the best in the 2005 Draft and considered a major league out pitch, but he lost the feel for it upon coming into the Indians organization and stopped throwing it and started throwing a slider instead. This past season did some work to try and add his curveball back into his pitching mix with mixed results. He does not have dominating stuff and is more a grinder in the rotation where he gets the job done without doing anything flashy. He is quiet and soft spoken, and is very much the definition of what a low-key player is all about.

Edell has a very low effort and professional delivery that he repeats well, and drives his fastball into the zone and in on the hands of the batter with ease. He shows very good composure when pitching in tight spots. He is versatile enough where he could remain a starter or move to the bullpen depending on where the Indians need him as his slider can attack lefties and his changeup is good enough to be effective against righties. While he has done a good job as a starter, he probably best profiles as a major league left-handed reliever. He has had limited experience pitching out of the bullpen, with the 2007 season being the first time he had pitched out of the bullpen in his professional career although he had some prior experience in the bullpen pitching in the Alaska Summer League when he came out of college. He is still working on his secondary pitches to get more consistent with them and throw them for strikes, and has gotten a lot better with repeating his delivery. His biggest problem is he gets in trouble at times where he elevates his pitches and they hang over the plate, so he needs to continue working on his mechanics to keep the ball down in the bottom half of the zone.

Outlook: Due to the starting pitching depth in the upper levels of the system, Edell looks to be in line for a move to the bullpen or a swing role in 2009. In any case, he should open the season with Triple-A Columbus.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Indians Invite Eight Prospects To Big League Camp

The Cleveland Indians today invited eight (8) players to Major League camp from their player development system, bringing the total number of non-roster spring invitees to 16 for the 2009 spring:

PITCHERS

EDELL, Ryan LHP

Was 8th round pick by the Indians in 2005 First-Year Player Draft....Spent the 2008 season at AA Akron where he made 26 starts and finished 6th in the organization with a career-high 144.1IP...Was dominant over the last 2 months of the season, going 4-3 w/a 2.28 ERA (71.0IP, 58H, 18ER, 53K, .221AVG, 9HR) over his last 12 starts.

HUFF, David, LHP

Selected by Cleveland in the "Sandwich" round (39th overall) between the 1st/2nd rounds of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of UCLA...Enjoyed a breakout year between Akron and Buffalo, putting together a combined 11-5 record with a 2.52ERA (146.1IP, 112H, 41ER, 13HR, 29BB, 143K, .210 AVG) in 27G/26GS... For the year he led all Indians minor league pitchers in ERA, was T4th in wins and was 2nd in strikeouts and innings pitched...His combined .210 average against between Akron and Buffalo was the 11th lowest mark among ALL full season minor league pitchers...Following the season he was named the 6th best prospect in the International League by Baseball America...Enters 2009 as the 9th best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America.

INFIELDERS

BROWN, Jordan, INF

Selected by Cleveland in the 4th round (124th overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona...Spent the entire season at AAA Buffalo and hit .315 (29-92) with 6 2B, 2HR & 18RBI in the final 24 games...From July 17th on in the 2nd half he hit .311 (41-132) with 10 2B, 3HR & 24 RBI (.848OPS).

HEAD, Stephen, INF/OF

Selected by Cleveland in the 2nd round (62nd overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of Ole Miss...Spent entire 2008 season at Akron where he hit a career-high .290 as he hit over .300 in each of the first 4 months of the season, hitting .311 in July (33-106) with 10 2B, 4HR & 14 RBI in 27 games...First big league camp.

HODGES, Wes, INF

Selected by Cleveland in the 2nd round (69th overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech. Had a great year at AA Akron, earning Rookie of the Year honors in the Eastern League, hitting .290 (146-504) with 29 2B, 18HR & and 97RBI...Finished T1st in the Eastern League and led the Indians organization with 97 RBI...His 18HR were 9th in the league and 2nd among Tribe minor leaguers... Was a mid-season and post-season Eastern League all-star selection...Was ranked as the 16th best prospect in the Eastern League by Baseball America...After the season was named to the Arizona Fall League's 2008 Top Prospects Team...Hit .349 (38-109) with the Surprise Rafters with 8 2B, 6HR & 26 RBI in 25 games (.587SLG, .956OPS).

MILLS, Beau, INF

Ranked #5 prospect in the entire Carolina League and Indians organization for 2009 by Baseball America... Selected by Cleveland in the 1st round (13th overall) of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft...Was named Most Valuable Player of the Carolina League and a CL Post-Season and Mid-Season All-Star in his first full season of professional baseball...Mills batted .293 (141-125; 8th/Carolina League) in 125 games with the A Kinston Indians, finishing T1st in the Carolina League w/an organizational-high 21 home runs, 2nd in RBI (90) and 3rd in CL in slugging percentage (.506) and extra-base hits (58).

OUTFIELDERS

BRANTLEY, Michael, OF

Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers after the season to complete earlier trade...Brantley spent the entire 2008 season at Class AA Huntsville of the Southern League where he posted an on-base percentage of .395 with 80 runs, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs and 40 RBI in 106 games...He also stole 28 bases in 36 attempts and compiled a batting average of .319 (134-420)...He was tied for 6th in Southern League in runs (80) & steals (28), was 7th in batting average (.319) and 12th in on-base % (.395)...He had nearly twice as many walks (50) as strikeouts (27) and ranked second in the entire minor leagues w/a strikeout per plate appearance ratio of 17.7 (27K in 479 PA)... Enters 2009 as the 9th best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America.

LaPORTA, Matt, OF/INF

Named the 2nd best prospect in organization by Baseball America entering 2009 and the 14th overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com...Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in July...Combined on the season between AA Huntsville and Akron he hit .279 (101-362) with 24 2B, 22HR & 74RBI in 101 games (.386OB/.539SLG/.924OPS) and also spent 3 ½ weeks in August in Beijing, China playing in the 2008 Olympics for Team USA...Finished 7th among all Double A hitters in slugging % and T11th in HR (22) in just 362 at bats...After the season was named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Team (all levels) and the Baseball America Double A All-Star Team.

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Edell Quietly Making Some Noise

When people talk about who the Indians top left-handed pitching prospects, the talk usually centers around names like David Huff, Tony Sipp, and Kelvin De La Cruz.

One left-hander in the Indians system who often gets overlooked in those conversations is Akron's Ryan Edell. Edell does not have dominating stuff, and he is more a grinder in the rotation where he gets the job done without doing anything flashy, so it is easy to see how he gets overlooked.

Edell is a quiet guy and soft spoken, so the fact that he does not get much attention from minor league fanboys does not mean much to him. In fact, he probably prefers it. He is very much the definition of what a low-key player is all about, and even takes that approach with his pre-game preparation by sitting quietly in his locker reading a book to put his mind at ease before a game.

But while Edell goes about his business in a quiet manner, he is making a lot noise and establishing himself as a legitimate left-handed pitching prospect in the Indians organization. A quiet guy making noise may in fact be an oxymoron, but his numbers speak volumes.

Edell had a breakout season last year at advanced Single-A Kinston where he went 11-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 31 games (17 starts). He put up good numbers across the board showing good control (2.29 BB/9) and had a penchant for getting strikeouts (8.06 K/9). He used last season as a springboard into this year at Akron where even though he has been inconsistent with his performance from start to start, he has still had a solid year so far going 6-8 with a 3.96 ERA in 25 starts. With all the roster movement and turnover in regard to the Akron pitching staff this year, Edell has been a rock all year and has shown increased command (1.35 BB/9) although he has had a little more trouble missing some bats (6.0 K/9).

Since the All Star break Edell has shined going 1-3 with a 3.12 ERA in seven starts, and since July 1^st he is 3-3 with a 2.58 ERA in ten starts.

"It has been better [of late]," said Edell in a recent interview at Canal Park. "I had kind of been up and down with a couple good outings and a couple bad outings. I feel like I am getting more consistent lately and feel good about that right now."

Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh agrees and likes what he has seen from Edell this year.

"His fastball command has been outstanding, and he has showed good control and the ability to spot it to get ahead of hitters," said Sarbaugh. "He is working on his secondary stuff to get more consistent with it and throw it for strikes, and he has really been making some good adjustments with it and improvements in repeating his delivery. He just has a good ability to attack hitters and make them put balls in play early in counts."

While Edell has done a good job as a starter, he probably best profiles as a major league left-handed reliever. He has had limited experience pitching out of the bullpen, with last season being the first time he had pitched out of the bullpen in his professional career. He had some prior experience in the bullpen pitching in the Alaska Summer League when he came out of college, but other than that he has always been a starter.

Edell has no preference what role he ends up in as long as it helps him get to the big leagues.

"Honestly, I don't really have any preference," said Edell. "I just like pitching and however they can use me is fine with me as I would just like to make it up there in any capacity which would be fine with me."

Edell has a three pitch mix of a fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball only sits around 90-91 MPH, but he piles up strikeouts, pitches effortlessly and is composed when pitching in tight spots. He is versatile enough where he could remain a starter or move to the bullpen depending on where the Indians need him as his slider can attack lefties and his changeup is good enough to be effective against righties. He has a very professional delivery, repeats his delivery well, and drives his fastball into the zone and in on the hands of the batter with ease.

His bread and butter pitch used to be a devastating curveball which was rated the best in the 2005 Draft and is a major league out pitch, but he lost the feel for it upon coming into the Indians organization and stopped throwing it. He recently has done some work to try and add his curveball back into his pitching mix.

"This year I am trying to re-incorporate a curveball," said Edell. "I had a curveball my first year that worked pretty well that I lost feel for and went to a slider which has been going well. So I am trying to get the curveball back and try to be the whole package again."

In addition to his finding his lost curveball, Edell is also working hard with Akron pitching coach Tony Arnold to improve his mechanics so he keeps the ball down.

"I am just really trying to throw in the bottom half of the zone this year," said Edell. "My main problem has been leaving some elevated pitches over the plate that has gotten me hurt some. So that has been my main concern this year."

Edell was taken in the 8th round of the 2005 Draft out of The College of Charleston, but ended up missing most of the 2006 season with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament. At Single-A Lake County that year he pitched in only six games (18.1 innings) and went 0-1 with a 3.44 ERA. As a result of the short work load in 2006, Edell gained some experience in the bullpen late in the year last season to limit his innings and save his arm from overwork.

The UCL sprain was a scary injury for Edell that could have been a lot worse. Had the ligament been torn, he would have had to undergo Tommy John surgery and thus would have had almost two seasons of development wiped out. Instead he ended up missing a few months of the season and was able to come back late in the year and make up some innings in the Arizona Fall League.

"I was just happy it was a sprain and not a tear," said Edell. "I was down for four months instead of a year and a half. I am really focused on my conditioning to make sure that doesn't happen again. It actually opened up the door to pitch in the fall league. I think one of our players went down so that opened up a spot for me since I did not pitch that much that year."

Edell was born in Boston, MA and now resides in Lexington, MA, so he grew up a huge Red Sox fan. He knows there is a conflict of interest with that now that he is a professional baseball player in another organization, and most importantly that Indians fans are not big fans of the big market teams like the Red Sox and Yankees.

When asked if he was still a Red Sox fan, Edell laughed and replied, "I used to be."

Smart man.

Photos courtesy of Ken Carr

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