Diamonds In Single A: Looking Back Part 1

For the first column of the year, I thought it might be fun to revisit the players that this article focused on last year. As the year goes on I also plan to do more in depth revisits of the players to see how they are progressing up the minors, so not only will this space be used to promote lesser known players but will also show the success and failures of these players since they left Single A.

Last year this column ended up doing thirteen player reviews using stats. Of that group some are in A ball still, others have advanced as far as AAA, and yet others are no longer with the Indians organization. Two of the players were consensus top ten prospects and four others were considered by many to be in the top 30. So let’s take a look at all 13 players now, and I will bring up the main strength and weakness of these players' stats in small review.

The first player is Matt McBride, who was tearing the cover off the ball and was quickly promoted to AA. McBride is opening the season at Akron and last year hit 18 homeruns and 34 doubles, showing excellent power potential. His major weakness was his low OBP at .301, which is a major concern because around .380 is considered to be about the equivalent level of a .300 hitter. McBride did show enough power to make people take notice, and if he can transition back to catcher his stock will certainly rise.

Next up is Matt Meyer, who started the year in high A, yet finished it up in AAA. He was lost this off season in the Rule 5 draft during the AAA phase. While it was great to see him rise so far, his stats all took a major hit after he left A ball. His WHIP was over two at both stops, which is frankly atrocious. His strikeout rate also dropped over 1.5 per nine innings. Meyer still has a chance to see the majors with the Cardinals as a lefty specialist, but I don’t think the Indians saw him in their future to leave him unprotected in the AA phase.

Matt Brown was the next prospect this article focused on, and unfortunately he was cut by the Indians this off season. After a very good 2008 where he was one of the few consistent bats in Lake County, he suffered through injury issues last year which led to his being let go. The minors are a place where, unless you are a high prospect, there is always a new set of foreign kids or drafts classes pushing their way up, and if you are a marginal spec and get hurt you will be replaced and that is what happened to Brown.

It seems this article was on a bit of a kiss of death streak as the next player, Ryan Miller, was also released by the Indians. Miller had a phenomenal start to 2008 and looked like a player on the rise. The second half of the year he evened out, and 2009 was a season I am sure he would want to forget. He went from a starter to a pen guy, which seemed like a natural fit, but he struggled and posted a WHIP of 2.2 and just never seemed to find his feel. The Indians acquired a lot of arms via the draft and trades, and Miller was a victim of the numbers game.

Cord Phelps was next, and he broke the string of bad luck and is starting the year in AA. Phelps' biggest strength stat-wise last year was an OBP of .386, which was exceptional for a player at his level. He only hit .261, so he did an excellent job of working a count, making a pitcher work, and getting on base. The negative stat that jumped out was his very high strike out total as he struck out 97 times which came out to a rate of 1 strikeout in every 6 times he came to the plate. This year it will be very interesting to see if he can keep his rates solid as he faces a much harder level of competition. By all accounts he has very good defense, so as long as he continues to work counts and take walks he could be a starter some day.

Eric Berger was the next player and he is currently in Akron after spending a quarter of the season there last year. Berger is a player who is so steady, solid, and not eye popping he might be a bit under-rated. He won’t strike out a ton of batters or light up a radar gun, but he has put up very good numbers the last two years. If you look at traditional stats he won 10 games with an era of 2.50 combined for his two levels, and looking at newer stats his WHIP was 1.22 with a strike out rate of 8.3 per nine. He doesn’t give up the long ball and just seems to always go out and keep you in the game. I don’t think he will ever be a top ten prospect, but he might just end up pitching 10 years in the game as a solid back of the rotation innings eater who always gives you a chance to win the game. It will be interesting to see how he continues to pitch this year and if his stats continue to stay so steady as he progresses.  Thus far it doesn’t seem to matter the level as Berger has been the same pitcher.

Next week we will focus on the other half of the players from last year, and after that the season should have progressed enough to start looking at players this year and giving a solid stat base to try and find out who might be a player in Single-A to watch as they progress up the Indians farm ladder.

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Diamonds in Single A: Ryan Miller

It is once again time for another Diamonds in Single-A. Sorry about the no show last week, but the holiday weekend kept me very busy. This week’s article will focus on pitching with a look at Ryan Miller, starting pitcher for High-A Kinston.

Ryan Miller was the Indians 36th round selection out of Blinn Junior College in Texas in 2006. He was a draft and follow player who the Indians were able to sign away from a commitment to Arkansas. For those who aren’t familiar with a draft and follow, it means you can draft a player and still sign him up to a week before the following year’s draft as long as the player attends a junior college. One of the more infamous draft and follow players was Darryl Kyle. The 2006 Draft was the last year of draft and follow players—this rule was abolished much to the chagrin of many talent evaluators.

Now, to get back to Ryan Miller, he’s a left handed pitcher who has been a starter thus far in his career. There are some who think that, because he is a lefty, his role in the future might switch to that of specialization out of the bullpen.

Year Level WHIP SO/9 BB/9 ERA H/9 HR/9 SO/BB
2007 R/A_SS 1.12 8.6 3.6 3.83 6.4 .4 2.35
2008 Low A 1.57 8.1 5.3 3.72 8.8 .9 1.53
2009 A-/A+ 1.97 9.3 10.7 6.98 7 .5 .87

I want to first point out that Ryan Miller is currently on the disabled list and some of his numbers could be reflective of the injury to his oblique. When I looked at his stats, to me the biggest issue and scariest stats are the SO/BB and BB/9. It shows major command issues. His stuff appears to be good; this is shown by the consistent strike rate even with the command issues. As a pitcher with command trouble gets promoted, typically there is a drop in the strikeout rate as he faces more and more refined hitters; this has not occurred with Ryan. Another positive sign in the data this year is in the drop in his home run rate; this could show an improvement in command as not as many pitches might be left over the plate. Alternatively, it could be that his command has slipped so much it’s hard to hit the ball hard, which could in turn explain the drop in hit rate.

The bigger problem for Miller, though, is he is struggling as others are achieving, causing him to slip in the system. There is a very good chance he will be switched full time to the pen when he recovers in hopes that it will be a positive move for him, as at this point there might be concerns of mental strain. He still has the ability, but his numbers and time itself are against him. The longer he struggles, the sooner guys like Bryce Stowell might move up and replace him.

Miller needs to rebound and show the form that he had at the beginning of last year if he wants to make the majors. The talent is there, but like many young pitchers, his command is holding him back. In my opinion, however, there is still a good chance Miller will be in the Indians pen some day.

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Ryan Miller Promoted to Kinston

The Indians re-assigned left-hander Ryan Miller to advanced Single-A Kinston today and activated left-hander Anillins Martinez. Martinez is a bullpen guy, so another move should be coming down the pipeline soon to add a starter to the Lake County rotation and to remove a reliever. The two most likely choices to fill the open spot in the Lake County rotation are right-hander Danny Salazar or left-hander Chris Jones, both of which are in extended spring training.

With this move, obviously a pitcher has either been promoted or gotten hurt in Kinston, though no word of that at the moment.

Wild guess: right-hander Jeanmar Gomez will be moved up to Double-A Akron and then right-hander Frank Herrmann is moved up to Triple-A Columbus, and then one of Kirk Saarloos or Jack Cassel is released. All this happens in the next couple days due to a lot of moving pieces parts. Again, this is not what is happening and at this point is just my guess.

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Minor Happenings: De La Cruz, Rondon Off To Hot Starts

"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.

The Indians season is already over a week old, and the minor league season is underway, so with that it is time for this year's first edition of Minor Happenings. For those new to this weekly article, it posts every Thursday during the minor league season through the end of September and serves as a lengthy recap of all the important news and developments in the Indians farm from the past week.

Anyway, I was in Lake County last night so I have some things from manager Aaron Holbert on some of his players. Also, in the coming week I will have a few player articles on some of the guys I talked to last night. This weekend I head out to Columbus for the opening of Huntington Park and hope to talk to a few players down there, though it is going to be a media frenzy all weekend so the pickings will be slim. I'm just looking forward to checking out the new park and enjoying some Triple-A baseball in OHIO.

Also, don't forget, Paul Cousineau and I are on the air every Thursday night from 9:30-10:30pm talking Tribe and minor league prospects on Smoke Signals. Tonight we will be talking about the Indians slow start and touch on some of the minor league highlights from the past week. Also, while no minor league guest are scheduled for this week, we have a few e-mails out to some of our journalist friends and will likely have one of them on tonight to talk about the big league team.

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from April 8^th to April 15^th)

Kelvin De La Cruz (Left-handed Pitcher - Kinston)
2-0, 2 games, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 19 K

In a week where there were a lot of good performances in the first week of the Indians minor league season, one player stood out from them all: Kelvin De La Cruz. The 20-year old lefty from the Dominican Republic was sensational in both starts this past week. In advanced Single-A Kinston's season opener last Thursday, De La Cruz went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and had a career high 10 strikeouts. He held lefties in the game hitless (0-for-11) with 4 strikeouts. He followed that up on Tuesday by going 6 shutout innings and allowed 4 hits, no walks, and had 9 strikeouts. His 19 strikeouts lead the Carolina League.

The key to his success in the early going in his return trip to Kinston has been much improved command and a sharpened curveball that has shown more depth. It is a pitch he really worked on in the offseason, and one of the main mechanical adjustments for it was just getting him to be cognizant of not allowing his arm slot to get too high and also finishing the pitch. His preparation has also improved, and it looks like he may be taking a leap forward this year in his already high prospect standing.

De La Cruz has greatness in his future if he can maintain health. He is the complete package as he is left-handed and has a good power fastball that sits at 92-93 MPH with arm strength to add more velocity as he matures. He has a plus-plus curveball that is quickly developing into a weapon and major league out pitch, and also has a developing plus changeup as well. He has excellent makeup, is composed, speaks English, and just loves the game. Right-hander Hector Rondon got all the press in the offseason and spring training, but "De La" should not be overlooked and in fact is much further along than Rondon was at this point last season, not to mention he is almost a year younger than Rondon.

Honorable Mentions:

Michael Aubrey (1B - Columbus): .542 (13-for-24), 3 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K
Matt LaPorta (OF - Columbus): .400 (8-for-20), 6 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K
Carlos Santana (C - Akron): .286 (5-for-19), 4 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 BB, 5 K
Hector Rondon (RHP - Akron): 2-0, 2 games, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 11 K
Matt Brown (OF - Kinston): .500 (11-for-22), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K
Adam Abraham (C - Lake County): .348 (8-for-23), 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K
Joey Mahalic (RHP - Lake County): 0-1, 2 games, 2.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 8 K

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins this week had some comments about left-hander Aaron Laffey's call to Cleveland and the Triple-A Columbus lineup:

On Aaron Laffey: "I think what Aaron brings is his entire body of work. As great as he was in 2007 and the ups and downs of 2008, after you look at everything he has accomplished in his minor league career, he is becoming a professional starting pitcher. He knows what he has to do to make adjustments. What he will have to do to have major league success is continue to make adjustments and continue to work off his strengths which is sinking his fastball on the plate. He is one of the best competitors we have had in our minor league system. He will have to make sure he stays behind the ball and is aggressive and attacks. What we always know that we can count on with him is he loves to compete and he will be aggressive."

On the Columbus lineup: "It has been great. Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley and Luis Valbuena, those are the three guys off to the hottest starts as they are tearing the cover off the ball. Michael Aubrey as well, but every single one of his hits has fallen, while Brantley and LaPorta are getting line drive outs. Torey Lovullo, our Triple-A manager, a couple days ago thought Brantley was 15-for-13 because he felt like he had more hits than at bats. Every time those guys come up it seems like they are in a good position to hit. They are all off to great starts and playing a complete game playing great defense and running the bases well. There are a lot of great things coming out of Columbus, not to mention how young all of those individuals are who have a lot of upside to come."

Battery Mates Power Akron

Akron Right-hander Hector Rondon is off to a spectacular start in his Double-A debut. In the season opener last Wednesday he carried a shutout into the sixth inning before tiring and was taken out of the game. He finished the night by going 5.2 innings and allowed 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk and had 6 strikeouts. He followed that up with an identical start yesterday (Wednesday) going 5.2 innings and allowed just 1 run on 4 hits, 1 walk, and had 5 strikeouts. In two starts, he is now 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and in 11.1 innings has allowed 9 hits, 2 walks and has 11 strikeouts.

Rondon filled out some in the offseason, and just looks like a completely different pitcher on the mound this season and has quickly surged into the upper-echelon of right-handed pitching prospects in baseball. His fastball has more life, he looks more composed on the mound, and his velocity and secondary pitches continue to improve every year. He wowed Indians officials with a sensational spring training, and with his hot start in Akron there is no telling where he could end up this season.

Given the Indians conservative nature of handling prospects, it seems highly unlikely that even if desperate they will not have him pitch any meaningful innings in Cleveland this year. He is only 21-years old, and he still needs some work in Akron refining his delivery and secondary pitches to better ensure that when he gets that call to the bigs he can handle it. However, when you look at the starting pitching situation in Cleveland at the moment, if this continues into June and Rondon is continuing to dominate in Akron and maybe Columbus, why not try him out? He is already on the 40-man roster and an option is already being burned this year anyway, so if a need is there and he is pitching like he is now he should be called up. His power arm and live fastball would be a breath of fresh air to the Indians rotation, and even while the Indians want his breaking ball and changeup to be tightened up a little bit, he has demonstrated already that he may be a guy who you finish off at the big league level.

The other part of this dynamic duo is catcher Carlos Santana who is hitting .263 with 2 HR, 10 RBI and a .986 OPS so far on the young season at Akron, but so far it is in games where Rondon starts where his best is brought out and put on full display. In Rondon's two starts, Santana is 3-for-7 with 2 HR and 8 RBI, and in the four games played when Rondon does not start he is 2-for-12 with 0 HR and 2 RBI. In both starts, Santana has hit a booming home run in the first inning to stake his battery mate to a big lead as he hit a three-run home run on opening day and then yesterday hit a grand slam.

Santana has all the tools offensively, and the Dodgers moved him behind the plate to take advantage of a rocket fueled throwing arm. There have been a lot of comparisons made to him and current Indians catcher Victor Martinez because of their offensive skill set and because they both switch hit and moved from another position to be a catcher. There are some differences though. Santana is a couple inches shorter than the bigger bodied Martinez, and he is also leaner and a little more muscular than Martinez was in the minors. Another big difference is unlike Martinez who lumbers around the bases, Santana is very athletic and runs well. Santana and Martinez are both aggressive hitters, but Santana also has shown a penchant to be able to take more walks.

Santana likely will not fit into the Indians plans this year, nor even at Triple-A Columbus either, as the plan is to really hone in on his defense this season at Akron and have him ready where he could make the jump to Cleveland if needed sometime in 2010. He just needs experience behind the plate.

Coaches Corner: Aaron Holbert

I was at Single-A Lake County last night to watch left-hander T.J. House pitch, and after the game Captains manager Aaron Holbert had some comments on House and a few other players:

On T.J. House: "He is going to go through some growing pains and we are going to go through a few with him being so young. He is very green, so we are going to have to take our time with him and help him with the maturity process a little bit because he is 19 years old. We understand that he is going to go through some adversity as there are more mature players in this league. What he has done in his two starts has been tremendous with no runs the first game and two tonight, and he just reached his pitch limit so we had to get him out of there. I know he paid way too much attention to the guy at first in the third inning. It was throw over, step off, throw over, step off, ball, ball, throw over, ball, that sort of deal and he walked the hitter. He lost his focus on what he was supposed to do to get the batter out. We were up 4-0, and all we need to do is make one pitch. So that is one thing we are going to have to work on and make these young guys understand the importance of each and every out, and when you have a lead the importance of that one base-runner versus the hitters at the plate."

On Abner Abreu: "I believe that the cold weather is a part of [his early struggles]. I know he had a very good year last year in the GCL, but these guys are a little older, a little more mature, and a little wiser and the curveballs, sliders, and splitters are going to get better as he moves up. I think he is really geared up for the fastball and leaving the zone on some pitches, and then is slow on the curveball. If you look at his at bats tonight, he got himself out more than the pitcher did. The strike threes that were called were hanging curveballs, and if he was sitting back and recognizing the pitch he could have probably driven them. Really he got himself out tonight. He is a confident kid, so that is not going to be a concern. It is just a matter of time before it clicks in."

On Alexander Perez: "He looked good the other night. He did a good job establishing his fastball early for strikes, mixing in some changeups, and then in the 4th inning started breaking off that good curveball he has. It was not like in spring training where he was getting himself in trouble throwing it early by going curveball, curveball right off the bat and guys learned they had to look for it right away."

On Kyle Landis: "That closer's role is not the easiest of jobs. Everybody is looking at him to slam the door, so there is some added pressure to that and he has done a fine job. He became the closer in the middle part of the season last year and then was promoted to Kinston, so we know he can handle the role."

Miller Progressing Well

Out in Goodyear, Arizona right-hander Adam Miller is continuing to work his way back from a frustrating injury to the middle finger of his pitching hand. He experienced some discomfort in the finger early in spring training that shut him down, and when he came back from the short layoff he had an issue to where he could not bend the tip of his finger. As a result, because of the issue Miller had two choices: learn how to pitch with it or face career-threatening surgery and the loss of the entire 2009 season.

The Indians shut him down for a few days and worked with him on a new grip where he used his index finger along with his middle finger to release the ball. The results to date have been astounding, as while his release point has been re-worked he is throwing all of his pitches and the command is close to what it was before the change. The next step is getting him into games.

Miller had only been throwing bullpens to keep up with regular work and apply the new changes to his delivery to compensate for the finger issue. But he was scheduled to throw against live hitters for the first time in batting practice this past Monday and then again tomorrow (Friday). No word yet on how the Monday session went, or if he even had it, but this is a big step in his progression back to pitching in real games. He has compensated well with the changes, and even with the increased work and intensity he has continued to be effective.

Assuming all continues to go well, he is still a few weeks away from getting the all clear to start pitching in extended spring games. There is no ETA on when he may be activated and sent to Triple-A Columbus, but his progression so far is great news and he would be a welcomed addition to the Indians bullpen in Cleveland the second half of the season if he can make it all the way back by then.

Lofgren Has Encouraging Start

Left-hander Chuck Lofgren is returning to the Double-A Akron rotation for the third season in a row, but considering what he went through last season emotionally, mentally, and physically on and off the field, returning to Akron is just fine with him. Last year at Akron he went 2-6 with a 5.99 ERA in 28 games (15 starts), and in 85.2 innings allowed 93 hits, 52 walks and had 72 strikeouts. Things got so bad for him, the Indians sent him to extended spring training for a month in June to clear his head, and when he came back he pitched out of the bullpen and had some success in that role.

Coming into this season it was sort of an unknown whether he would stick in the rotation or be moved permanently to the bullpen. But, the Indians are sticking with him as a starter because they like his stuff and feel he fits better in that role. Because of his decline the past two years from a numbers standpoint, many fans are curious to see how things shake out for Lofgren this season. His first start on Monday was a mixed bag, but mostly it was a positive outing for him as he was much closer to the Lofgren of old. He only lasted 4 innings but allowed just 1 run on 4 hits, 4 walks and had 2 strikeouts.

He pitched in tough weather conditions and had to sit out a long rain delay to start the game which affected his pre-game preparation. A steady rain fell while he pitched, and he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second and stranded five runners on base in the first two innings alone limiting Altoona to just a 1-for-6 mark with runners in scoring position. The command may not be all the way back yet, but he battled in some less than ideal conditions and he got the outs when he needed them most, something he did not do last year. An encouraging start for sure, and nice to see.

Gimenez Off To Tough Start

Triple-A Columbus catcher and do-everything player Chris Gimenez had an amazing spring training where he went to big league camp for the first time and turned some heads with his performance up there. He knew he was a longshot to win a spot on the Indians 25-man opening day roster out of camp, but just as important was making a first impression with the big league coaching staff, and that he did. The Indians now view him as a legitimate depth option to use at some point this season if a need arises at a plethora of positions on the field or if they want some more versatility on the bench.

Unfortunately for Gimenez, all that fun has been left out in the Arizona sun. Since leaving Arizona and going to Columbus to start the season, everything that went so well out in spring training is now going so very wrong. Six games into the season he is hitless in 18 at bats with 9 strikeouts, and in addition to his struggles at the plate he was also smashed over the head by the back swing of a bat on Tuesday night. The blow left him bloodied and mostly frustrated to no end, and he left the game for treatment requiring five stitches. So, it is easy to see how his first six games with the Clippers have been nothing short of a disaster.

For any other player, the Indians and the coaching staff would probably worry that one of their prized prospects is pressing after such a miserable start to the season. But not Gimenez. He is so open to instruction and help, is very positive and confident about his abilities, and has such outstanding makeup, it is only a matter of time before he puts it all together and things begin to spark for him. For now, he is temporarily sidelined as the Indians monitor his progress after being hit in the head with the bat and want to be sure he does not have a concussion. He is day-to-day and should be back in soon, and when he does get back in maybe the force of the bat to his head jarred a few hits loose for him so he can get on a roll offensively.

Command Still A Problem For Miller

On Sunday, Single-A Lake County lefty Ryan Miller's 2008 second-half struggles with his command reared its ugly head again. Once again he had trouble with walks because he just was not able to command and locate his pitches consistently. He finished the game going 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 1 hit, 5 walks and had 7 strikeouts. He also hit a batter.

His Jekyll and Hyde routine was on full display again as he was in control and cruised through the first inning and then got into trouble the rest of the game mostly because of his walks and a hit batter. The bottom fell out in the fourth inning when he lost the strike zone and walked four straight batters.

Millers struggles are not from a lack of hard work as he worked as hard as he ever has this past offseason and came into spring training in the best shape of his career. His problems are more mental than physical at this point as the main issue is a lack of confidence to throw his fastball for strikes. For now, Miller will remain in the starting rotation, but with starters in waiting out in Arizona in extended such as Bryce Stowell and Chris Jones, he will only get probably five to seven starts before the Indians may make a move to yank him out of the rotation if he continues to struggle. The general feeling around baseball is he profiles as a big league reliever anyway, so this could just speed up that transition where he could finish the year in the bullpen at Lake County or Kinston.

LaPorta Okay In More Ways Than One

On Saturday night Indians top outfield prospect Matt LaPorta had to be removed in the middle of the second game of a double-header for Triple-A Columbus because of an injury. LaPorta complained of some tightness in his right mid-section and was promptly removed for precautionary reasons because of the cold temperatures. He sat out and did not play on Sunday, but was back in the lineup in the outfield on Monday and suffered no setbacks from the minor injury.

While it is a big sigh of relief that he is okay physically, it is also a big sigh of relief that LaPorta also appears to be back mentally as well. It is well documented how much LaPorta struggled with the Indians after the trade last year, but it is very good to see him come into the 2009 season in control and on a mission. He started things off with a great spring training in big league camp, then in the last week of minor league camp he was awesome playing with Columbus in several minor league spring games. But what is really good to see is that he has come out strong and confident, and the numbers show as in six games he is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with 1 HR, 3 RBI and a 1.255 OPS. Consider that in 17 games with Double-A Akron last year he hit just .233 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, and a .649 OPS. Yes, I'd say he is locked in and may be over his troubles that plagued him last year.

Abreu Settles Into Lake County

Outfielder Abner Abreu is settling into his new surroundings in Lake County. For a lot of Latin American players venturing into their first full season of professional baseball stateside, it can be just as much a continuing process of adjustments learning the American culture as the adjustments needed at the plate each game. Something many people may not know about Abreu is not only was he a baseball junkie growing up in the Dominican Republic, but he was also very smart, especially in math. His mom teaches psychology and his father is a carpenter, and they enrolled him in English classes when he was 11 years old. He is not proficient with the English language, but he continues to improve and is able to communicate and understand his coaches and teammates who speak to him in English.

The Indians signed Abreu as a 16-year back in October 2006 because they loved his raw ability with the bat and his loose, wirey frame. In just a little over two years, Abreu has put himself on the prospect map as he was in the Top 20-30 list for almost every major national publication that ranked Indians prospects. He is now 6'3 and 170 pounds, and looks a lot like his favorite player Alfonso Soriano at the plate. He has excellent power to all fields, and as he matures the Indians feel he could become special from a raw power standpoint. He is a very aggressive hitter, so as a result high strikeout totals will always be a result, but as long as he is pounding the gaps and hitting balls over the fence consistently the Indians will live with it.

Impressive Debuts

There were a lot of very good first week performances from some well established prospects in the system, but there were also some very nice debuts from two of the Indians top picks in the 2008 Draft, left-hander T.J. House and right-hander Zach Putnam.

Putnam was excellent in his Carolina League debut for advanced Single-A Kinston. In 5 innings of work he allowed 1 run on 5 hits, 2 walks and had 5 strikeouts. He was in command all night, poised, and showed the confidence that has many excited about his potential. Putnam is a 5^th round pick out of the University of Michigan, and even though he has been in the system for barely eight months, he is already one of the top pitching prospects in the system. With his athleticism, makeup, mid-90s fastball and assortment of pitches, he has the potential to be a dominant pitcher in the big leagues. It remains to be seen if he ends up a reliever or starter, and it should be noted that had right-hander Bryce Stowell not come up lame in spring training with an injury, Stowell would have opened in the Kinston rotation and Putnam in the Kinston bullpen.

House made two starts on the week, one very good and one that was just okay. In both games he showed off his impressive arsenal of a low 90s fastball, nasty slider and rapidly developing changeup. House was a late signing with the Indians last year, so he never pitched in the Indians system last season. His start last Friday was his Indians debut, and he dominated going 5 innings allowing no runs on 2 hits, 3 walks, and had 4 strikeouts. He was a 16^th round pick out of Picayune Memorial High School (MS), and slid because of signability reasons and because he was pretty committed to attend and play at Tulane University. But, when the coach that recruited him to go to Tulane stepped down and took another job, House rethought his option to start his professional career right away and ended up signing with the Indians.

Disappointing Starts

It's early. But, this is the time of year in baseball where so many people have a tendency to overreact and magnify everything when players and teams under perform the first week of the season. So with that, let's put these first week performances under the microscope, shall we?

Advanced Single-A Kinston right-hander Jeanmar Gomez did not get his return trip to Kinston started off in the right way last Friday. He was able to work his way deep into the game, but the final line was not close to his standards: 6 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 2 home runs. That's not what you expect from a highly touted pitcher in the system making a return to the league he pitched the entire season in the previous year. He followed that up with a solid start on Wednesday night tossing 5 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks, and had 1 strikeout.

Single-A Lake County left-hander T.J. McFarland may have had the worst pitching performance of a prospect in the first week of action in the Indians system. On Monday he was given a 7-2 lead going into the fourth inning, but quickly turned it into a 9-7 deficit as the first seven batters reached base in the top of the fourth inning and he retired no one before he was eventually sent to the showers for a reliever. He finished the game going 3+ innings and allowed 9 runs, 9 hits, 1 walk, and had 2 strikeouts.

On the hitting side, lots of top hitting prospects are off to very slow starts. Here are some notable hitters hitting under .200: Nick Weglarz .105, Jared Goedert .154, John Drennen .143, Chris Gimenez .000, Lucas Montero .167, Cord Phelps .095, and Chris Nash .130.

Release Notes

In addition to the players I mentioned in my Goodyear Notebooks two weeks back when I was out in Arizona for spring training, the following players have also since been released: outfielder Jason Denham, right-hander Juan Diaz, right-hander Jose Jimenez, right-hander Jacob Reust, left-hander Jose Rodriguez, catcher Robbie Alcombrack, right-hander Denny Montero, and catcher Juan Aponte.

Also, former Tribe farmhands Ryan Mulhern (Pirates) and Jake Gautreau (Tampa Bay) were released at the end of spring training by their teams. And, in an interesting note, outfielder Bryan Pritz was released by the Red Sox. Why mention Pritz? Well, he is right-handed pitcher Randy Newsom's partner for Real Sports Interactive.

And to whoever is wondering where in the world right-hander Gregorio Rosario is, he in fact is still in the Indians organization. He is in extended spring training rehabbing from an unknown injury.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (3-4, 2nd place, 3.0 GB): The Clippers home opener is this Saturday at 4:05 pm where the brand new stadium Huntington Park will be officially opened for business. It should make for once heck of a frenzy in downtown Columbus this weekend where it is expected to be in the low 70s and gorgeous all weekend. Not only is the newly completed stadium being unveiled to the public for the first time, but the first home game as an Indians affiliate will be taking place as well, so the place will be a buzz. At the moment, I plan to be down there for the Saturday and Sunday games. ... Lefty David Huff got the call for the season opener last Thursday, and while he got the win, he struggled the entire game with his command and really had to battle to get through five innings. He allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, and had 5 strikeouts, but it was the two home runs he gave up which were the biggest surprise. In his four year career with the Indians, he had never allowed more than one home run in a game up until that game in the opener last Thursday, and had held the opposition homerless in 25 of 42 career games (59.5%). ... In the opener last Thursday, first baseman Michael Aubrey hit the first of four home runs the Clippers hit on the night. In hitting the first home run he will be a part of Clippers trivia forever as the first Cleveland farmhand to hit a home run for Columbus. ... On Monday, left-hander Jeremy Sowers was masterful tossing 5 shutout innings and allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk and had 4 strikeouts. ... Did You Know: On June 1, 2000 right-hander Tomo Ohka tossed the 3rd nine-inning perfect game in International League history back when he was with the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Akron Notes (5-1, 1st place, 1.5 GU): 13 of the 24 players on the 2009 Akron Opening Day roster spent all or part of the 2008 season in Akron. The players who spent all of 2008 in Akron are: left-hander Ryan Edell (since called up to Triple-A Columbus), right-hander Frank Herrmann, left-hander Chuck Lofgren, second baseman Josh Rodriguez, and outfielder Jose Constanza. ... Several of the returning Aeros are coming back in new roles. Edell has been moved to the bullpen, Rodriguez is now getting the bulk of his time at second base, and right-hander Randy Newsom is now pitching in a setup role. ... Even though right-hander Vinnie Pestano is the primary closer for the Aeros this year, Newsom still notched a save on opening night by retiring the final four hitters in order after entering the game with two runners aboard and the potential tying run waiting in the on-deck circle. The save was Newsom's 48th in an Aeros uniform, extending his franchise record to exactly twice as many as second-place Mike Soper. Newsom also set the Akron single-season record for saves last year with 29, breaking Wilmer Montoya's mark of 23 set back in 1996. ... Right-hander Frank Herrmann turned in a nice quality start last Thursday going 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk and had 1 strikeout.. He did an excellent job of keeping the ball down in the strike zone and pitching to contact letting his defenders work behind him. ... Right-hander Josh Tomlin made a very good Akron debut last Friday going 5 innings and allowing just 1 run, 3 hits, no walks and had 2 strikeouts. He worked quickly and showed excellent command, and faced just one over the minimum through the first 3.2 innings before running into trouble with two down in the fourth and ultimately gave up a run on a seeing-eye single past a diving Carlos Rivero at shortstop. ... Frustrated with their slow starts, first baseman Beau Mills and outfielder Nick Weglarz both shaved their heads following Monday's game in an effort to reverse their mojo. Mills was hitting .143 (3-for-21) through five games while Weglarz was hitting just .133 (2-for-15). The results so far have been mixed, as in the next game on Wednesday Mills went 3-for-4 with a double, but Weglarz took home the Golden Sombrero going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts (sorry Nick, you can't put the red hair back!). ... On Tuesday, right-hander Carlton Smith was activated from the disabled list to fill the void in the bullpen left by the departure of Edell to Columbus. Smith spent all of 2008 in Kinston, going 12-6 with a 4.37 ERA and tying for the Carolina League lead in wins. He had been sidelined with a right shoulder impingement.

Kinston Notes (3-4, 2nd place, 0.5 GB): On Friday night, the Kinston Indians celebrated the life of Delmont Miller, the former Grainger Stadium scoreboard operator of 22 years who was a fan favorite because of his off the wall personality and infectious smile. His first year as scoreboard operator in 1987 was also the first year the Indians began their affiliation with Kinston. The 42-year old Miller's passing in the offseason was a shock, and over 1000 people showed up for his funeral at Grainger Stadium last October. ... Kinston has three favorite sons returning to the state in third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, outfielder Tim Fedroff, and left-hander Ryan Morris. ... Fedroff homered in his first Carolina League at-bat last Thursday. He is hitting .200 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and a .757 OPS in six games. ... Right-hander Chen-Chang Lee is making his professional debut this year with the Indians, and so far he has been a little inconsistent. In three games he is 0-0 with a 6.35 ERA and in 5.2 innings has allowed 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, hit 2 batters, and has 6 strikeouts. ... Left-hander Eric Berger made his debut on Saturday night and in 4 innings allowed 2 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks and had 5 strikeouts. He battled with his command all night, which may have been the result of a cut on his finger that he suffered in the third inning that the trainer and manager Chris Tremie had to come out mid-inning to look at. He should be fine for his next start. ... Adam Davis will assume the super utility role for Kinston this year as he will play shortstop, second base, third base, center field and catcher. So far on the young season he has played in two games and is hitless in 5 at bats. ... Right-hander Josh Judy has adapted well to the closer role and in 2 games is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 1 save, and in 2 innings has allowed 2 hits, no runs, no walks, and has 4 strikeouts.

Lake County Notes (2-5, 7th place, 3.0 GB): The Captains are embarking on their final journey up, down and around the South Atlantic League (SAL) this season as they leave the SAL for the Midwest League next year. This is a change that has been a long time coming, and something Lake County and the Indians have been pushing every year since they moved to Eastlake, OH in 2003, and were finally awarded the chance to switch leagues last September. The Midwest League has teams mostly in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan, and the switch makes sense logistically for the Captains. The Captains logged approximately 14,000 miles on the road last year and this season they will log around 11,000 miles, but in the Midwest League their road trips should only total about 7000-8000 miles. ... The Captains first three games of the season all went into extra innings, and while they lost two of the three extra inning battles the Captains won the first one 1-0 on a walkoff hit by shortstop Mark Thompson. ... In their opening four game series of the season, the Captains stranded 44 base runners. ... On Saturday, infielder Karexon Sanchez had a big day going 4-for-5 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, including a game tying single in the 9th to send the game into extra innings. ... Right-hander Alexander Perez was impressive in his full season debut on Saturday going 6 innings and allowing 1 run, 3 hits, 2 walks and had 6 strikeouts. The 19-year old from the Dominican Republic is a pitcher to watch who has loads of potential. ... Right fielder Abner Abreu is still adjusting to the cold weather and higher level of play as in 31 at bats he has already amassed 12 strikeouts.

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2009 Lake County Captains Preview

Minor league opening day is roughly 48 hours away for most teams, and with that I will be providing team previews for all the Indians full-season minor league affiliates through the end of this week. Today, we kick things off with the Single-A Lake County Captains.

Last season the Captains recaptured some of that magic they had in their inaugural season at Lake County in 2003 when they steamrolled their way to the playoffs. While the 2008 Captains did not dominate and win 100 games like their 2003 predecessors, they were just as exciting to watch, particularly with a nice quintet of starting pitchers and a deep bullpen.

The Captains qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2003 by winning the first half division championship. Unfortunately, their season came to an unexpected halt as they lost the opening series of the South Atlantic League playoffs to West Virginia in a best-of-three series. After winning Game One of the series on the road 10-4, the Captains came home and lost both games at Classic Park and managed to score just one run combined in those two games and picked the worst time of the year to put up their worst defensive performance as a team. Their Achilles heel all year was their inconsistent hitting and defense, and it eventually did them in. Even with the quick exit and end of their season, the Captains put the finishing touches on what was their second most successful season since becoming the Single-A affiliate for the Indians in 2003.

This year's team will once again be filled with several young players making their full season debuts, and there will be several veterans returning to Lake County at the outset of the season. It will be a team loaded with some good high upside pitching in the rotation as well some intriguing arms in the bullpen. The lineup will be the weakest link of the team, but there are some exciting bats to follow.

It should be another exciting year on the corner of Route 91 and Vine Street!

Minor League Affiliates

Columbus Clippers (AAA)
Akron Aeros (AA)
Kinston Indians (High A)
Lake County Captains (Low A)
Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Short Season A)
Arizona Indians (Rookie)

Coaching Staff

Manager: Aaron Holbert
2nd season as Lake County manager, 2nd season in Indians organization

Hitting Coach: Jim Rickon
4th season as Lake County coach, 11th season in Indians organization

Pitching Coach: Tony Arnold
1st season as Lake County pitching coach, 17th season in Indians organization

Starting Rotation

T.J. House (LHP), Alexander Perez (RHP), T.J. McFarland (LHP), Joey Mahalic (RHP), Ryan Miller (LHP)

Like in 2008, the starting rotation will be the strength of the team. The Indians have really built up their pitching depth at every level in the system, and the depth is very apparent even in Low-A. While lefty Ryan Miller will certainly be the veteran of the staff, and righty Joey Mahalic is returning for a second year, the most talented and highly touted of the bunch is T.J. House. Young newcomers Alexander Perez and T.J. McFarland are also young pitching prospects with bright futures.

The return of Miller and Mahalic may be a surprise to some, but it is mostly due to the depth in the system above them that has pushed some starting pitching talent back a level, which is what happened to these two. Even though they are returning to the Captains to start the season, both have some work to do before they can get hitters out consistently at the next level.

Miller went 8-7 with a 3.72 ERA in 26 starts for the Captains last year. He throws a good fastball that sits 89-91 MPH and he complements it with a curveball, slider, and changeup. His problem has been his control (5.3 BB/9 in 2008) and staying consistent in the zone, which will create even bigger problems than they already are if he doesn't correct it before going to Kinston. Given his previous experience in Lake County, he should not stick for long as he should get the first promotion. When/if that happens, left-hander Chris Jones should get the call from extended spring training to fill his spot.

Mahalic broke through last year as a 19-year old at Lake County going 7-6 with a 4.19 ERA in 20 starts. His sinking fastball sits around 90-92 MPH and has topped out as high as 94 MPH, and he complements it with a slider and changeup. Due to his youth, he was inconsistent at times last year and like Miller still needs more work with pounding the zone consistently. He is returning to Lake County to get better at keeping his sinker low in the zone and also continue developing his changeup.

House just graduated from high school last year, and though he was not drafted until the 16^th round, he was a top two round talent who slid for signability reasons. The Indians gambled by taking him then signed him, and he now may be on the verge of becoming the best pitcher in the system. That's how good he is from a talent and makeup perspective. He is physically advanced for his age with his size (6'2" 215 lbs), and he throws two plus pitches a low 90s fastball and a good slider. He also is working on developing his changeup, which he has had much success with to this point. Provided he performs well and stays healthy, House should spend almost all of the 2009 season in Lake County.

McFarland was one of the higher profile pitchers the Indians signed out of high school in the 2007 Draft. The now 19-year old pitched for the rookie-level GCL Indians in 2008 going 3-4 with a 5.07 ERA in 12 starts. The lefty throws a fastball that sits at 90-91 MPH though has topped out a few MPH higher, and complements it with a slider and changeup. His main focus this year will be to continue to refine his mechanics and pitches, as well as work on being more consistent in the zone.

Perez is someone almost every Indians fan has never heard about, but like with Kelvin De La Cruz last year, could be someone by season's end who is a household name. The Indians love his potential, and feel that as he grows into his 19-year old frame currently listed at 6'2" 160 pounds, that he will be special. His fastball sits at 90-92 MPH, but he has the arm strength to add more velocity as he matures. What separates him from most other pitchers is how far advanced his secondary pitches are at his age. His changeup and curveball are both potential out pitches at the big league level.

Bullpen

Santo Frias (RHP), Matt Langwell (RHP), Russell Young (LHP), Steve Smith (RHP), Michael McGuire (RHP), Dave Roberts (RHP), Paolo Espino (RHP), Kyle Landis (RHP)

Guys who are stuck in the bullpen in the low levels of the minor leagues really have a tough task ahead of them in proving they belong. Typically, it is the failed starters who later are converted to the bullpen at the Double-A or Triple-A levels who tend to stick as relievers in the upper minors and eventually the majors, but there are always a few exceptions. As we saw last year with the Captains, there are some good relief talents that can be mined from the depths of the farm system, and this year should be the same.

Frias has shown some increased arm strength hitting as high as 94 MPH with his fastball this spring. He is probably the most exciting arm of the bunch because of growth potential and ability to amp the fastball up to the mid-90s. McGuire has the big body and power arm people love in a pitcher, sitting around 91-93 MPH with his fastball. He is a project, and the Indians will continue to work on his command and secondary pitches. Roberts has the highest draft pedigree of the entire pitching staff as he was a 4^th round pick in the 2008 Draft out of Long Beach State. His fastball sits 91-93 MPH and tops out at 95 MPH, and complements it with a good power curveball and a changeup. He struggled at times in 2008 at Mahoning Valley, and needs a bounce back year this season to prove he was not the reach many think he was in last year's draft.

Espino is looking to bounce back from a disastrous 2008 season where he struggled in Kinston early in the year (0-2, 8.49 ERA, 7 games), got hurt, and then returned and finished the last third of the season with the Captains (2-0, 3.16 ERA, 19 games). He sits 90-92 MPH with his fastball, but his best pitch is a nasty curveball and he also throws a changeup. Landis is somewhat of a surprise return to Lake County, and could be the first to move up when a promotion opportunity presents itself. He was 2-0 with a 1.97 ERA (38 appearances) with the Captains last year, and really pounds the zone with his low 90s fastball and complements it with a slider.

Langwell, Smith and Young are all products of the 2008 Draft. Langwell was an 11th round pick out of Rice, and throws a good hard sinking fastball that sits 90-93 MPH. He also throws a slider and changeup, with the slider considered a plus pitch and out pitch at the next level. Young was impressive in his professional debut at Mahoning Valley last year going 6-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 15 starts. He shows good control and keeps the ball down in the zone. Smith sits 88-90 MPH with his fastball and experienced some success last year in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League going 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA and opposing batters hit just .186 off him in 16 games.

Catchers

Adam Abraham (C), Michael Valadez (C)

Abraham hit .214 with 5 HR, 22 RBI and a .696 OPS in 40 games with the GCL Indians in 2008. He is making the conversion to catcher after playing at third base most of his life, so he will be a work in progress behind the plate all year. The Indians like his athleticism, leadership qualities, and unwavering confidence, which is obviously why they chose to try him out behind the plate. He is a line drive hitter who has good pop, and should be the regular catcher to start the season for the Captains.

Valadez is returning to Lake County for the second consecutive season, and hit .251 with 1 HR, 17 RBI and a .620 OPS in 191 combined at bats between Lake County and Mahoning Valley last year. He is a good defensive catcher who handles a pitching staff well and calls a good game, but his limited bat has relegated him to a backup role and status as an organizational player.

Infielders

Mark Thompson (SS), Jeremie Tice (3B), Karexon Sanchez (2B), Chris Nash (1B), Walter Diaz (INF), Nate Recknagel (C/1B)

After hitting just .236 with 5 HR, 46 RBI and a .655 OPS in 416 at bats with the Captains last year, Thompson is returning to Lake County to work on becoming more consistent as a hitter and gain some confidence at the plate. He very well could start at Triple-A or the bigs on his outstanding defense alone, but his offense has been suspect since joining the organization. Sanchez is very versatile and has big league potential as a utility player, but will get the lion's share of playing time at second base with the Captains. He hit .246 with 12 HR, 60 RBI and a .733 OPS in 414 at bats with the Captains last year, and is returning to Lake County to work on further developing his offensive approach. Diaz will be the utility infielder on the team backing up every position in the infield except first base. He has limited ability offensively, but his versatility and defensive abilities will be good coming off the bench as needed.

Tice had a nice debut last year at Mahoning Valley where he hit .274 with 5 HR, 36 RBI, and a .767 OPS in 63 games. He is still growing as a third baseman since he has only been playing there for three years, but has the ability to become at least an average defender there. His offense is his meal ticket, led mainly by his great strength and ability to muscle almost any pitch out of the park. Nash is returning to the Captains after a disappointing 2008 campaign which was sidetracked from the start because of a shoulder injury in spring last year. He ended up hitting .230 with 5 HR, 38 RBI, and a .641 OPS in 74 games at Lake County last year. He has very good power potential and great size, but really needs to work on his plate discipline this year at Lake County in order to move up. Recknagel will mostly split time at first base and designated hitter, and may catch from time to time. He has good pop and should be one of the more consistent offensive performers for the Captains this year given his advanced college bat for the level.

Outfielders

Adam White (OF), Donnie Webb (OF), Abner Abreu (OF), Ryan Blair (OF)

The Indians promoted all of their top hitters from the 2008 Draft up to advanced Single-A Kinston to start the season, but one of their top international free agent signings in the past few seasons - Abner Abreu - will headline the Captains lineup. Last year at 18-years of age in the Gulf Coast League he finished with 31 extra base hits and led the league in doubles (16), home runs (11), total bases (107) and slugging percentage (.538), and was second in RBI (37). He probably has some of the best raw power in the entire organization where even with his wiry frame he has some awesome raw power and the ball just explodes off his bat. He is a very aggressive hitter at the plate so he is prone to high strikeout totals. The Indians are very high on Abreu and feel he has a lot of room for growth physically and as a player, and looks like he could be a star in the making.

Blair and Webb are 2008 draftees, while White is returning to the Captains for a second tour of duty. Blair is a smart and versatile player, and someone who the organization feels is a lot like Matt Brown who could break onto the scene this year like Brown did last year with the Captains. Webb under-whelmed with his performance in Mahoning Valley last year (.218, 1 HR, 17 RBI, .581 OPS), but has some tools to be a good leadoff hitter with his good speed, solid two-strike approach, and ability to drive the ball into the gaps. White really struggled last year offensively with the Captains, particularly in the second half of the season, where he hit .215 with 4 HR, 40 RBI, and a .602 OPS. His speed and defense are both major league quality, but if he can't hit or get on-base it won't matter, so he is back at Lake County to refine his offensive approach and prove he has some value as a fourth outfielder in the organization.

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Goodyear Notebook: 4/1

Huff's Disappointment Should Be Indians Gain

When spring training opened this year, a lot of the attention was on who would end up winning the fifth starter spot in the Indians rotation.  Along with Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Zach Jackson, and Scott Lewis, one of the candidates for that rotation spot was left-hander David Huff.

Lewis eventually won the job, while Huff was shuttled off to minor league camp.  From a talent perspective, Huff may be the best pitcher of the group, and as far as impact potential goes he may lead the pack there as well.  Ultimately, what hurt Huff was the fact that he was not on the 40-man roster (Laffey, Sowers, Lewis and Jackson all were).  He was never in serious consideration to win the job out of camp, though by the end of the season I think some will be questioning the Indians why he wasn't taken a little more seriously.

It was never really a fair fight for Huff to begin with, and it did not help that he came down with some tendonitis which kept him from really getting much work while he was in big league camp.

"I had a little bit of tendonitis that I was battling through, but it wasn't anything serious and I just had to deal with it," said Huff.  "Yesterday (Monday) was actually the first day I threw with no problems.  I feel great, confident and good, and am ready to go."

Huff is very disappointed that he did not make the rotation, and not in a sulking woe-is-me way.  No, he is the type that uses disappointment to his advantage and as a challenge to work even harder.  He did it last year when he reestablished himself as a top pitcher in the organization after elbow issues in 2007, and he likely will do the same again this year when he goes to Triple-A Columbus and uses every start as an audition for the Cleveland thinktank to ponder on when to bring him up.

Indians GM Mark Shapiro always says you need at least 7-8 starting pitchers over the course of a season, and it is very unlikely the Indians starting rotation to start the season will be the same when the season ends in early October.  With that in mind, the Indians will have two veterans in Sowers and Laffey on call at Triple-A Columbus, but Huff will be there battling each time he goes out in the hopes he can win the Indians over so he can get that shot, sort of like Scott Lewis was able to do.  No matter what though, Huff will be ready for the opportunity when it comes.

Abraham Catches On

For Adam Abraham, spring training has just been a continuation of the long days of work he has had since he was drafted by the Indians in the 13^th round of the 2008 Draft out of the University of Michigan.  Upon being drafted and signed, he was sent out to the Gulf Coast League where he endured many long mornings and afternoons of instruction, drills and games at the old Winter Haven complex for the Indians.  He also followed that up with attending the Indians month long Instructional League out at the Goodyear Complex last September through October.

Over the course of these long days, the Indians decided to make a position change for Abraham where they moved him from the position he was drafted at (third base) and converted him to a catcher.  Abraham started work in the new catching role in Instructional League, and while it has been an ongoing adjustment process for him, he feels like he is getting better at it every day.

"It is going really well," said Abraham on Tuesday.  "I worked hard in the offseason to make sure I came into camp so I was comfortable with everything.  I know there will be some difficulties along the way just getting used to the position, but I think for the most part it has gone really well.  I feel comfortable back there now, so that is important."

The move to catcher is an interesting one to say the least as Abraham had never caught prior to making the move, but apparently the Indians like his athleticism behind the plate and his strong arm (touched 92-93 MPH as a pitcher).

"I think it was a little bit of the arm, and it was also that they had some guys at third and first base," said Abraham.  "I think it was just a decision for them where they weren't too thick at catching, so they made the move."

The plan at the moment is to use him primarily as a catcher, though he may figure into a game or two here and there at first and third base when needed.  The hardest thing for him to grasp at this stage of the catching game has been getting used to blocking balls.  He has a good handle at getting down and blocking the curveballs, but he is still learning to get down on the fastball.  This is just one of the many nuances of the position he looks to improve over the course of the upcoming 2009 season.

"I just want to survive the first full season and be consistent throughout the whole season," said Abraham.  "Hopefully I can be at catcher the whole season and really make the strides at the end where I can be a guy for them at the position."

Notebook

Spring Changes Little:  After talking to a lot of players over the course of the past five days, the common theme seems to be that they feel if they have a good camp that it will help with where they are assigned for the season.  They also expressed surprise at some of the players released who they thought were having good camps.  The reality is, though, that very little of what these guys do in camp will change their fortunes very much, if at all.  Where they are going has already for the most part been decided long before camp started, and save for 1-2 roster spots at each level, the Indians know who is going where (and likely who is being released) for the most part as soon as camp starts.  A quote from Farm Director Ross Atkins in an article I wrote over a year ago explains:  We have a very good idea before spring training starts where guys will be heading. The offseason can change that, and certainly games or strides they make in the offseason can change that. But spring training typically does not change that, other than injury. So performance in spring training does not change those things as far as prospects are concerned.

Rosters Coming Soon:  The minor league equipment trucks leave Goodyear on Thursday late morning, and they make their three day journey to Columbus, Akron and Eastlake.  One of the trucks has an even longer journey as it makes the even longer trip to Kinston, NC.  Unlike in year's past where the equipment truck would pretty much leave the same day the players leave, because the Indians are out West and the driving time has doubled, the truck now has to leave two days before camp breaks.  What this means, is come Thursday the players will know what affiliate they have been assigned to for the start of the season.  Hopefully at some point before the end of camp I will have some official rosters for Columbus, Akron, Kinston and Lake County to share. Stay tuned.

Single-A Rotations:  The rosters have not been officially released, but it looks like the rotation will be as follows for Kinston to start the season: Eric Berger, Zach Putnam, Ryan Morris, Kelvin De La Cruz and one of Carlton Smith or Jeanmar Gomez returns to Kinston.  The rotation at Lake County to start the season will be: TJ McFarland, Alexander Perez, Joey Mahalic, Ryan Miller, and TJ House.  There always can be a last minute change, but from what I am hearing this is what the rotations will be at each of the Indians' Single-A levels to start out.

Upset Pitchers:  As mentioned, rosters should be known sometime late morning on Thursday.  Already, though, many players have a very good idea of where they are going.  Just like last year, the Indians infatuation with retread veteran minor league pitchers is going to once again push many of the pitchers in the system down a level in sort of a domino effect.  Right-handers Randy Newsom and Frank Herrmann along with left-hander Ryan Edell are expected to return to Double-A Akron.  Left-hander Matt Meyer is returning to advanced Single-A Kinston for a third straight year, and one the right-handed starters Carlton Smith or Jeanmar Gomez may end up back in Kinston.  Right-hander Joey Mahalic and left-hander Ryan Miller will return to the Single-A Lake County rotation.  And there may be even more pitchers than those listed who end up returning this season to where they spent most of their 2008 season.  Bottom line though, no matter how disappointed these guys are with their assignment to start the season, they need to go back with a positive attitude and do what is expected, and if they do so they should move up quickly.  It happened to the likes of right-handers Erik Stiller and Jeff Stevens last year, and will happen to others again this year.

Stowell Sidelined:  Right-hander Bryce Stowell has been sidelined the last few weeks with bicep tendonitis and has been limited in his pitching.  He will open the season in extended spring training and continue rehabbing the injury, and he will be re-evaluated at the end of April.  If he checks out, he could join either Kinston or Lake County and will slide right into the rotation.  More on him in a future notebook as I had the chance to sit down and talk about the injury as well as others things.

Gimenez To Split at First And Catcher:  Catcher Chris Gimenez is back in minor league camp after enjoying what was really a great spring for him in big league camp.  His play opened some eyes, particularly those of manager Eric Wedge, and he now is considered a viable option by the Indians to fill a role with the club at some point this season when a need arises.  To keep him sharp, Gimenez will catch four days a week and on the other days play first base.  He is not scheduled to play any third base or outfield in Columbus, but he could get in there from time to time when needed.  The interesting thing is how the Indians plan to have him split at catcher and first base only in Columbus, which makes it look like they are considering him as a backup plan if Travis Hafner scuffles or Ryan Garko struggles.

Another First For McBride:  Matt McBride has had an interesting offseason.  He was converted from a catcher to the outfield, and did well in the transition to where he put up a good showing in Instructional League and out in the Hawaii Winter League.  But, shortly after coming to spring training, the Indians dropped another bombshell on him and moved him to first base.  McBride is currently working out as a first baseman, and this is the position he will primarily play when the season opens.  He may get in from time to time if need be at catcher or in the outfield, but the Indians are pretty committed to developing him as a first baseman now.  He will open the season as the regular first baseman for advanced Single-A Kinston.  More on him later in the week as I had a chance to sit down and talk to him about the change.

Baby Steps For Lofgren:  Now that is more like it.  Left-hander Chuck Lofgren put forth his best outing of the spring and maybe in a year yesterday when he went five innings allowing one run on six hits.  What made the outing so impressive was the fact he had zero walks as compared to seven strikeouts, and he also threw first pitch strikes to 12 of the 20 batters he faced.  If Lofgren can re-find the command he was lacking last year, he very well could rebound and get his career back on track this season.

Going Backwards:  Left-hander Ryan Miller's command issues from last season look to have carried over into this season.  His command issues are what prevented him from being called up to advanced Single-A Kinston last year, and those same command issues are what will likely keep him in Single-A Lake County to start the season this year.  In yesterday's spring game, Miller needed 66 pitches just to get through three innings, and he allowed two runs on three hits.  He also walked three and struck out four batters, but the number that pops out the most if he threw first pitch strikes to just five of 16 batters.  That means for 11 of the 16 batters he faced, he was quickly behind 1-0 to them, which is not where you want to be as a pitcher.

Sweet Abreu:  Watching outfielder Abner Abreu take batting practice borders on comical in how effortless he crushes balls, and then watching other players in his group step in and swing with all their mite and the ball does not go nearly as far or get hit as hard.  The ball just sounds different off Abreu's bat, and he shows an innate ability to square up the baseball well.  He is going to be in right-field for Lake County this year, and while he will probably have his fair share of strikeouts, he is going to be the star of the lineup there and fun to watch every time he steps up to the plate.

Pontius On Hold:  Right-handed reliever Mike Pontius is almost but certain to open the season in extended spring training as he is still working his way back from a minor injury.  He could be assigned to Kinston or Lake County rather quickly though, as he is not expected to hang around in Arizona for much time.

Rivero Is Just Fine:  I mentioned last week that shortstop Carlos Rivero suffered a knee injury during one of the spring games.  I got a few e-mails asking to clarify his status, and I may or may not have followed up on it, but he is fine as it was just a minor injury.  He sat out a day or two, but has been back in the lineup the past few days and is 100%.  He played the entire game at shortstop on Tuesday, going 0-for-3 at the plate.

The Next Crowe:  I keep saying it, but second baseman Cord Phelps may very well be the Indians infield version of outfielder Trevor Crowe.  Phelps does it all, as he plays solid defense, hits, is patient at the plate, runs well, and so on.  His defense may be under-rated though, as he made several fine plays in the game on Tuesday, one of which was a Robbie Alomar-esque dive onto the outfield grass in the hole between second and first and he came up with the ball and then quickly fired it to first for the out.

Remembering The 2008 Draft:  Watching Kinston yesterday, I keep saying to myself how unbelievable the 2008 Draft is looking at this point.  The first three hitters Tim Fedroff, Cord Phelps, and Lonnie Chisenhall all have impact potential.  While he battled with a touch of wildness, Eric Berger was electric on the mound.  Zach Putnam was impressive in his start the other day, and while sidelined with an injury Bryce Stowell was having a good camp and likely Kinston bound.  Then over with Lake County, TJ House has been sensational in camp.  And a whole slew of relievers like Marty Popham, Dave Roberts, Eddie Burns, Brian Grening, Mike McGuire, and Steve Smith look promising.  We can only hope the 2009 Draft is half as good!

Lara Returns: The Indians brought back an old familiar face on Tuesday as left-handed pitcher Juan Lara was signed to a minor league contract.  I was in the back of the complex by the minor league player picnic area talking to a few players when I caught a glimpse of Lara.  I did several double-takes to see if in fact it was him as I was not aware of the signing at the time.  In any case, he will open in extended spring training and will be on a return to throw program.  There is no ETA on when he may be activated and go to Triple-A Columbus.  For those who do not remember, Lara was removed from the 40-man roster and did not pitch for the Indians last year due to injuries sustained in a tragic car accident in the Dominican Republic in November 2007.

Kinston Game Notes:  Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall crushed a deep home run to right-center yesterday.  Chisenhall is the very definition of a gamer, and just flat out looks like a baseball player out there. ... Right-hander Michael Finocchi flat out mowed down the opposition in his inning of relief work.  The gun may say otherwise, but hitters were having trouble catching up to his fastball or may have had a hard time picking it up.  He had two strikeouts. ... Left-hander Eric Berger had a good outing.  He labored in the second inning, but cruised through his other innings of work.

Today:  Wednesday is a camp day, so I will be following all four groups.  Due to the length of the notebook today, I will not include any pictures or video, but I will have lots to share in the following day's notebook.

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Goodyear Notebook: 3/31

Lofgren Looking Forward To New Season

Right now, with five days of camp left many players are excited about what the 2009 baseball season has in store for them.  Some are looking to build on a strong campaign in 2008, some are looking to make a name for themselves, and some like left-hander Chuck Lofgren are looking forward to officially closing the door on a disappointing 2008 season.

By now, most fans know the struggles Lofgren endured last year both mentally and physically.  Lofgren was one of the best pitching prospects in the system, but after he finished the season 2-6 with a 5.99 ERA in 28 games (15 starts) to go along with allowing 93 hits and 52 walks in just 85.2 innings, he may be the player who is most excited about the new season which kicks up next Wednesday April 8^th in Akron.

"Things feel great," said Lofgren on Monday.  "I came into camp reaching my goal with my weight.  I am really happy with their plans for me and what they have told me and what they want me to work on.  I am just really excited to get out and play."

When I talked to Lofgren last November, he promised he would work his ass off to get back to the pitcher he knows he can be.  Well, in the span of three months Lofgren worked hard everyday doing flexibility drills in the morning, maintaining healthy eating habits, and running three times a day.  When all was said and done, Lofgren lost 16 pounds and the Indians were very happy with the shape he came to camp at.

With the loss in weight, Lofgren feels like a new man and is ready to re-capture his status as a top left-handed pitching prospect.

"I think it all starts with my core and flexibility," said Lofgren.  "I feel that when I was thinner and in better shape I was able to command my fastball better and able to pitch more on a downhill plane.  With those results I feel I am able to command my ball better and all my pitches are working."

There was some speculation that Lofgren may be moved to the bullpen this season, especially after he finished the 2008 season in the Akron bullpen and had some decent success.  But, based on his workload so far in spring it looks like Lofgren is pegged for the Akron rotation to start the season.

"Yeah, they have built me up the whole time here in spring training as a starter," said Lofgren.  "In my last outing they dictated that they want me to be a starter.  I went four innings and did real well, and I throw five tomorrow (Tuesday) and then get ready for the season in Akron."

With that new season on the horizon in a return trip to Akron, the clean slate is a breath of fresh air for Lofgren.

"[My goals this year are to] stay healthy, make each start, and give my team a chance to win every fifth day," said Lofgren.  "I am not even worried about last year, this is a new year and everything can change."

Popham Adjusting to Professional Game

For pitchers going through their first spring training, there are a lot of new experiences they encounter.  One of the biggest challenges they face right off the bat and have to get used to is the amount of throwing they do.  In college or high school, a pitcher may throw once or twice a week, and on off days do very light throwing, but this is not the case in the professional ranks.

This is something 2008 20^th round draft pick Marty Popham has discovered so far this spring.  The high amount of throwing resulted in a dead arm for him early on, but he is starting to get going again and get used to the high amount of work.

"We were on a totally different throwing program in college," said Popham.  "We would throw eight minutes one day, twelve minutes another, and then do long toss.  Then go out and make our start.  It takes a little bit of getting used to, but that is what the science of baseball has proven you gotta do to survive in the long run."

Popham had a very nice professional debut last year in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League where in 14 appearances covering 23.0 innings he racked up a 1-1 record and 0.78 ERA along with just five walks and 25 strikeouts.  That success has not carried over into this spring, however, as he has had trouble adjusting to the use of a cup which is something he has never worn before this year.  The result is he has had trouble missing up with his fastball early on in camp.

"In our paperwork they send us early on in the offseason they recommend that everybody wear a cup," said Popham.  "I had a couple buddies go down this past season because they were not wearing a cup.  That is always a scary thing because once the ball hits the bat you are the closest person on the field.  I tried wearing a cup and I tried wearing it all preseason trying to get prepared for spring training.  I just was not able to get my leg high enough.  It was causing me to stride out and my arm to lag, so my mechanics needed tweaking.  So I got rid of it and what do you know I was hitting all my spots and I am back to my old ways."

With the start of the season right around the corner, Popham is likely to open the season in the bullpen at Single-A Lake County.  Popham feels his mechanics are now fixed, and will use his success in his debut season as a springboard to hopefully a successful campaign in 2009.

"[My 2008 season] helped me get my feet wet competing at the professional level, but I still have a long way to go," said Popham.  "The pitching here is really good, at each level everybody has great talent.  It is a lot different being a standout kid in college compared to coming up here where everybody is just as good as you are."

Notebook

Crowe Recalled:  The Indians had optioned outfielder Trevor Crowe to Triple-A Columbus just two days ago, but with David Dellucci coming up lame and now on the 15-day disabled list, Crowe was called back to big league camp and will now open the season as the Indians fourth outfielder.  Some people may have rather preferred Crowe open in Columbus where he could play everyday, but as the fourth outfielder he should get a lot of chances to play.  Yes, Mark DeRosa and Jamey Carroll also play the outfield, but they are the fifth and sixth outfield options and will only play out there sparingly.  Since Crowe switch hits, he should spell Choo a game or two a week against a tough lefty, and he could be in a limited platoon with Ben Francisco which allows him to get into a game or two in left field a week.  In all he, could conceivably start at least three games a week, and because of his speed and defensive abilities could get into several other games as a defensive replacement for Francisco or pinch runner.  Congrats to him.

Head Getting Closer:  Outfielder Stephen Head is still working his way back from a knee injury suffered in the third game of the Indians spring schedule.  The injury is to the back of the knee, and he has been playing again this week, most recently getting a start with Columbus in an intrasquad scrimmage on Monday where he was the designated hitter.  He should be fine when the season starts for Columbus next Thursday, and now with Crowe in Cleveland, he should be the starting right-fielder there.  

Miller On The Mend:  I had a chance to talk a little with prized right-hander Adam Miller on Monday.  Miller is upbeat and feels good, and the changes to his delivery, grip, and release point have gone very well so far.  He has no pain and the finger feels good, and his bullpen sessions have gone well.  At this point the Indians and Miller are going to see this new plan through and not opt for surgery.  Miller will remain in Arizona and open the season in extended spring training to continue to get in work to ramp up his pitch count and get stronger since he has missed so much time.  He also will continue working on his new approach to pitching.  If all goes well, he should be activated in Columbus sometime in mid-to-late April.

The Other Miller:  Left-hander Ryan Miller had an amazing first two months for Single-A Lake County last year when he went 7-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his first eight starts.  But the wheels fell off his season after that as he finished his last 18 starts going 1-7 with a 5.08 ERA.  There are some in the organization that believe that the Miller of the last two-thirds of the season is closer to the real Miller, and that this could mean he gets bumped out of a crowded starting rotation situation at advanced Single-A Kinston.  Miller looks like he will open the season in the Kinston bullpen.

Sheriff Of Nottingham Now A Pirate:  On Monday, the Indians traded left-hander Shawn Nottingham to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later.  This is a curious trade as the Indians could have just released Nottingham (who was on the bubble), but apparently the Pirates see something in him they like to go out and secure his rights without having to haggle with 28 other teams if he were a street free agent.  Don't forget that when the Indians acquired Nottingham that now Pirates GM Neal Huntington was at that point the Assistant GM for the Indians and one of Shapiro's right-hand guys.

Breakout Alert:  Right-hander Alexander Perez is someone I am very high on.  I am even more high on him after seeing him pitch on Monday as his fastball was crisp and his secondary pitches looked to be on the money.  Perez has an excellent shot to win a starting rotation spot at Single-A Lake County (I think he is pretty much a lock to win that job).

Big League Thoughts:  I attended the Indians game yesterday against San Diego.  It was the first and only time I will go watch the big league club do anything this spring.  I went to the park about an hour early, checked it out, and after the first inning I left.  I just find big league spring training games very boring and pointless.  At least in the minor league games players are fighting for jobs and a contract.  If it were not for my passion for minor league baseball, I might never go to spring training.  Anyway, it was nice to see many of the players make a concerted effort to sign autographs before the game.  Also, the ballpark is beautiful, though it will be interesting to see how much better the experience is at the stadium next year once there is some development around the stadium.

Player Families:  I've talked to a lot of player families over the course of the last few days either at the ballpark or via e-mail.  I have discovered that a lot of the player families do not realize that they can get a "guest pass" which provides access to the entire player development complex so you can move about freely to watch any games on any field, even in the "authorized only" areas.  This is just an FYI to the families that may still be in town, and also those that plan to make the trip to spring training next year.

Prospect Videos:  On Monday, I concentrated solely on getting video of some of the pitchers in action like Gary Campfield, Jeanmar Gomez, Jonathan Holt, David Huff, Matt Langwell, Joey Mahalic, Alexander Perez, Jose Urena, and Russell Young

Random Notes:  Left-hander Heath Taylor is healthy and his velocity is all the way back.  He looks to be slotted for the Kinston bullpen. ... Venezuelan left-hander Elvis Araujo is listed at 6'4" 175 pounds, but there is no way that is correct.  He is BIG.  Yes, 6'4" sounds right, but I am thinking he is closer to 220-230 pounds at least.  Keep an eye on him this year.  It looks like he will play for the rookie-level Arizona team once short-season leagues kick up in late June. ... No official word on this, but it appears first baseman Brock Simpson has retired.  He is no longer in camp.

Today:  I will be at the morning practices from 9:30-11:30am watching the teams take batting practice and go through drills.  After breaking for lunch, I am staying in Goodyear and will watch Kinston and Lake County play their games starting at 1pm.  My primary focus will be on the Kinston game.

Tomorrow:  I will have writeups on pitchers David Roberts and T.J. House.  Also, I plan to dissect the rosters some since I have a roster sheet (not final) that has the players separated at every level from Columbus to Mahoning Valley.

Photos:  I received a lot of requests yesterday from families wishing to have photos forwarded to them of their son.  I am more than willing to help in this regard, and seeing how my good friend Ken Carr used to do this for years and now no longer is able to attend spring training to photograph the players, I feel I need to pick up where he left off.  I took about 500 pictures, yesterday, of which about 40+ are shown below:

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