Inside the Numbers: Indians lineup could be strong in 2012

Jason Kipnis (Photo: AP)

The Indians acquisition of Casey Kotchman gives an answer (unsatisfactory to some) to the off-season-long question: Who’s on first?

But what does this move spell out for the rest of the roster? Presumably, Kotchman will be given the chance to play 1B on an everyday basis and Matt LaPorta (proud owner of one remaining option) will be asked to compete in Columbus for ABs (Mills and Canzler will be part of that curious logjam, too).

Let’s assume that Casey Kotchman is two things: (A): Good enough to stay at 1B, and (B): Healthy enough to play around 130 games given (A).

Now that we have the disclaimers out of the way, let’s move on to the fun part: what will the Indians roster actually look like? (Note: using wOBA which takes into account both OBP and SLG but doesn’t overweight SLG like OPS and accounts for all offensive actions appropriately (i.e. a 1B is worth more than a walk because runners can advance more than one base, and reaching base on an error does have some offensive value, etc. please go here for a more complete explanation)

POS	Player	2011 wOBA	Career wOBA	*Proj. wOBA
C	Carlos Santana	.349	.357	.366
1B	Casey Kotchman	.351	.321	.326
2B	Jason Kipnis	.371	.371	.350
3B	Jack Hannahan	.320	.302	.305
SS	Asdrubal Cabrera	.345	.334	.342
LF	Michael Brantley	.309	.301	.315
CF	Grady Sizemore	.302	.361	.330
RF	Shin-Soo Choo	.325	.374	.364
DH	Travis Hafner	.353	.380	.346
AVG	STARTERS	.336	.345	.338

*Projections are based on average of ZIPS, Marcel and Bill James projections at www.fangraphs.com

All things considered, this is a pretty darn good lineup. After adjusting for approximately 35% of PA’s going to replacement level players and other back-ups, the team could accumulate a wOBA of around .326. In 2011, this would have placed them 7th overall in MLB (ahead of the Royals, behind the Brewers, Cardinals, Tigers, Yankees, Rangers and Red Sox). Furthermore, when we look at the projections going into 2012, we can be somewhat optimistic of getting close to a repeat aggregate performance.

However, there are a few big things to temper our optimism:

1. Bounce back seasons are being counted on by Sizemore, Choo and Santana.
2. Kotchman and Kipnis are expected to perform at last-year’s levels.
3. Youth: Kipnis, Santana, Brantley are unknowns and could just flat-out struggle, more likely for Kipnis, less so for Santana and Brantley who have longer track records.
4. Old Age/Health: Hafner, Sizemore, Choo and Kotchman are either old or injury-prone or both. It is unlikely all remain healthy and productive for 400-500 PA each. Kotchman had a truly lucky year and is very unlikely to duplicate.

There are a couple reasons to have a positive outlook as well:

1. Prospects: Chisenhall and Brantley could easily outperform their projections (.312 and .315 resepctively).
2. Sizemore is still relatively young (29) and if he actually is healthy, could exceed the projections which naturally hedge for injury and deterioration.

The overall team has some reason for optimism and, as a static unit, the Indians have an outside shot at getting a bunch of breaks (health and prospect maturation) to compete with the Tigers.

Up next, I’ll take a look at possible lineup construction and how an under appreciated player could be a very valuable piece if used correctly.

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Tribe Happenings: New year, but Indians face same issues

Shin-Soo Choo's poor season actually

helps the Indians chances to keep him.

(Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

The “developmental” label

About this time last year amid contract extension talks between the Indians and his client Shin-Soo Choo, super-agent Scott Boras made what was perceived as a slight when he called the Indians a “developmental team”. His belief was that a team in a rebuilding stage was less of a lure to attract new players to play or to keep players from leaving. This was his roundabout way of saying a long term extension for Choo with the Indians was extremely iffy.

Even though the comment may have been of the backhanded variety, what Boras said about the Indians was exactly right. Whether he implied it or not, the Indians and other small to mid-market teams like them are in a way farm systems for the bigger market teams where the smaller markets feed the good players to the big markets once those players reach or near free agency.

The Indians’ front office often gets slammed for some poor decisions they make, and rightfully so, though I think considering the climate they work in they have had done a solid job. The unfortunate reality is in the last few years they have had to make the tough decision to trade their best players because of a ridiculous financial climate where there is no way a team like the Indians can go toe-to-toe with the big boys in free agency to try and retain their players. They learned this lesson the hard way in the past with the likes of Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome.

Because of the way the game works today teams like the Indians will continue to be a developmental team for the bigger market teams. Boras was spot on about that. The Indians will have the true stars for five to seven years before they either leave via free agency or are traded before they become free agents. I hate to say it, but that is likely what will happen down the road with any of the current players such as Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson, and so on.

This flies in the face of what I wrote in a column recently of how I think the Indians need to dig deep and find a way to retain their players. I still stand by that belief in that it is the only way to improve attendance because it would help restore faith in a fan base that distrusts the organization immensely. But having said that, I also understand that the Indians are limited in what they can do until this broken system gets fixed somewhere down the line.

Choo is a prime example of how things can change at a moment’s notice and how suddenly a player fits in well with a “developmental team”. Last offseason Boras and Choo had all the bargaining power coming off two straight very good seasons where he hit .300 or higher, had 20 or more homers, 86 or more RBI, and over 20 stolen bases. But fast forward a year later and now the Indians have the bargaining power after Choo struggled through a forgettable 2011 campaign where he was limited to just 85 games because of a hand injury, hit just .259 with 8 homers, 36 RBI and .733 OPS, and got in trouble off the field with a DUI.

As funny as it may sound, but Choo’s subpar season actually helps the Indians’ chances of retaining him long term. It is still a long shot, but now that some warts have been exposed Choo may no longer merit a big long term deal. He still has time the next two seasons to repair and improve his market value to get that mega contract two offseasons from now, but at the moment his drop in value helps the Indians. As a perennial All Star or one of the top players at his position he would be unsignable, but as just a good player with some question marks he suddenly becomes more retainable for the Indians.

Welcome to the new world of Major League Baseball. A world where for the small to mid-market teams they have to hope a player is good but not THAT good in order to keep them.

Not a PR move

There are a lot of skeptics out there that believe the Indians contract offer to outfielder Carlos Beltran was just a token offer in order to look like they are doing something this offseason. That they never intended to sign him and that they got into the contract discussions as nothing more than a public relations move.

First off, the Indians are not about doing things from a spending standpoint as a public relations move. They are an organization that operates in secrecy where they do not make the moves they are working on behind the scenes known to the public. They do not share much of what they are doing with anyone.

Anytime you see the Indians tied to a rumor on a free agent it is almost always coming from the agent, and if it is a rumor about a trade it is very likely coming from the agent again or the other team they are talking to in the trade. Now, they will respond accordingly when asked about a leaked rumor, though usually in a very vague manner or just deny it.

The Beltran interest was not leaked by the Indians as that was the agent doing it in order to create a market for his client. It is Free Agency 101 where the agents use the rumor mill to create interest in their client and thus get them more money. Had the agent not leaked it we probably would have never known the Indians ever made any attempt to sign Beltran. This is the case for several other free agents the Indians have already talked to this offseason that have already signed with other teams or are still free agents.

There are lots of past and present long term offers the Indians have made to players – some very good players from what I have heard - which have yet to see the light of day and probably never will. If the team wanted to use contract offers as a form of public relations, then why not leak any of those?

So with that, the idea that the Beltran negotiations were merely a public relations stunt by the Indians is a bit farfetched. The offers to Josh Willingham and Beltran were legitimate offers to try and bring them to Cleveland on a deal they thought was fair and fit right into the current blueprint of the team. Nothing else. There was no false interest where they had no intention to sign either of them and simply just wanted to get their name in the papers.

Setting the record straight

A lot of people call Indians owner Larry Dolan cheap and wish he would sell the team. His tenure as owner has certainly been a rocky one with lots of fan favorites being lost in free agency or getting traded, and the team has underperformed on the field.

But the cheap comment is something that I think is taken a bit too far. Dolan owns the top five payrolls in franchise history, and going a bit further owns 10 of the top 13 payrolls in franchise history. During former owner Dick Jacobs’ tenure as owner the team eclipsed the $60 million payroll threshold just once, while under Dolan they have been at $60 million or higher seven times.

Dolan is spending more than Jacobs ever did and doing so with less revenue as he does not have the annual playoff revenue stream to pull from, major corporate backing, no Browns, and most importantly a sold out ballpark every day. It is just a different game today than it was 10-15 years ago. The Indians made $40-50 million in payroll go a lot farther in the 90s because the economic landscape of the game had yet to make a seismic shift.

I’ll dig a little deeper into the free agency aspect and contracts the Indians have had under the regimes of Dolan and Jacobs with a feature piece shortly after the New Year, but in a nutshell, from a spending aspect the Indians have really not been any different now than they were 10-15 years ago. What has changed is everything around the Indians with the local economy and then the rapidly growing financial disparity in the game between the big market teams and everyone else.

Right-handed options

The offseason has now pushed into January and there is less than eight weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. With time running out on the offseason the Indians still have a glaring need for right-handed bats.

They are expected to address that need before the start of the season with a trade or free agent pickup, but at the moment their internal options at first base or as a right-handed bat off the bench are thin with just Shelley Duncan, Matt LaPorta, Jose Lopez, Aaron Cunningham, Thomas Neal and Jared Goedert.

The way things stand right now the Indians would probably have to go with a Duncan and Carlos Santana platoon at first base if the season started today. That may not be a bad thing, but it is not the preferred way to go about it for next season as Santana is still more valuable to the team behind the plate and Duncan is more valuable as a right-handed bat off the bench and not used regularly.

Cunningham is a new player the Indians acquired in a trade a few weeks ago, but his role appears limited as a fourth outfielder. Lopez probably will not make the team unless an injury crops up in spring training, and even so he is not an option to play every day.

LaPorta could still factor into things if injuries occur, but right now the best thing for him is to probably have him spend the first two or three months of the season at Triple-A Columbus to get him on track. Goedert and Neal will also likely start the year in Columbus, though of all the right-handed hitting options listed Neal is probably the only one who could someday be an everyday option.

The Indians are very limited with their internal alternatives to fill not only their right-handed bat need but their first base void as well. All of the alternatives are role players at the moment and they need to find someone they can plug in as a stop gap for at least the 2012 season.

I still say someone like Derrek Lee would be an ideal fit at first base because of the contract he could be signed to and the value he brings in leadership, his defense, and a bat that is in decline but still productive.

Winter ball update

Things are winding down in winter ball as the regular season in Venezuela wrapped up on Friday night. The only regular season action remaining is out in Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Australia, while the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are now into their postseasons.

Fausto Carmona struggled in his second offseason outing out in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday. He pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits, two walks and had two wild pitches. He worked around the seven baserunners and wild pitches by limiting the damage to two runs, but it was a typical Carmona outing. So far this offseason his performance in just two games has been strikingly similar to his inconsistent 2011 season.

Asdrubal Cabrera’s offseason is done after his team was eliminated from the playoffs. He finished up his time in Venezuela hitting .246 with two homers, 10 RBI and .771 OPS in 17 games. He left the game on Thursday in the 4th inning and did not play in his team’s season finale on Friday, so he apparently suffered some kind of injury, though from what I have heard he is okay.

First base prospect Jesus Aguilar’s offseason is also finished. He had a very nice offseason showing where in 38 combined games between the Arizona Fall League and Venezuela he hit .305 with six homers, 23 RBI, .944 OPS. The power is no doubt there, but what really shined for him this offseason was his improved plate discipline where he drew walks at a much higher rate yet his power numbers at the plate were not affected.

Some other performances of note in winter ball this offseason: Ezequiel Carrera (.270, 2 HR, 13 RBI), Jose Lopez (.310, 5 HR, 24 RBI), Felix Pie (.273, 4 HR, 21 RBI).

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

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Tribe Happenings: Talbot may still be in the Indians plans

Talbot's time with the Indians may not be

up just yet (Photo: AP).

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Talbot could still be in the picture

In case you did not know, right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot is still property of the Cleveland Indians. While he was designated for assignment at the end of July, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus. As a first time removal from the 40-man roster and outright to the minors he could not refuse the assignment and had to report to Columbus.

Talbot has battled through some injury issues all season, and when healthy he was ineffective in Cleveland this year as in 11 starts he went 2-6 with a 6.33 ERA and opposing players hit .338 off of him. But instead of sulking because of a demotion to the minors, he has actually gone out and rekindled his value with the Indians.

When Talbot reported to Columbus in early August he initially worked out of the bullpen, but a starting pitching need eventually forced him into the Columbus rotation near the end of August. Since then he has taken off. In five starts – including two postseason starts – he went 5-0 with a 2.06 ERA, and in 35.0 innings allowed 33 hits, five walks, and had 35 strikeouts.

Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla is a big reason for Talbot’s rekindled success. His delivery was not very good this year, so Niebla made some major mechanical adjustments to Talbot’s delivery and also worked with him some on the mental part of pitching. Talbot got into a bad habit of nibbling and getting too opposite arm side with his fastball, so Niebla challenged him to go after hitters more and the results of late speak for themselves.

The Indians still think highly of Talbot because they feel he has good stuff, and he is intriguing to them as a potential bullpen option down the road. The thought is that by maybe limiting his exposure to innings it will control some of the injury issues he has had as when he is healthy he is effective. The initial plan to experiment with him in the bullpen was nixed because of the need for starting pitching in Columbus, but the Indians may still look to bring him back next season as a depth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.

Talbot is no longer on the 40-man roster, so if he is not added shortly after the conclusion of the season he can leave as a minor league free agent and sign with another team. Considering the Indians lost right-hander Carlos Carrasco to Tommy John for all of next season and they need starting pitching depth, there is a good chance that they may choose to add Talbot back to the 40-man roster soon.

Talbot will not even have two years of Major League service time after this season, so if he is on the 40-man roster he will only cost the league minimum of just over $400,000 next year. Considering their opinion of him and their need for starting pitching depth next season, it seems like an obvious move to roster him and to keep him around at least to start the 2012 season.

Repeat champions

It may not be a World Series championship, but the Cleveland Indians Triple-A affiliate the Columbus Clippers wrapped up their second straight International League title on Friday night. They won the league’s Governor’s Cup by winning their best-of-five series three games to one.

This is the second year in a row Columbus has won their league title, and they will now move on to play the champion of the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A National Championship game this coming Tuesday September 20th. The game will be played in Albuquerque, NM and will air on national TV at 8:00 p.m. ET on the Versus (Vs) network.

It was once again another outstanding job by manager Mike Sarbaugh who navigated through a lot of roster moves between Columbus and Cleveland this year. He has now has won five championships in the minors including one in each of the last three years. He won a championship in his first season as a manager in 2004 with short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley, then in 2006 with High-A Kinston, 2009 with Double-A Akron, and the last two years with Columbus.

That is five championships in eight years as a manager for Sarbaugh. In the other three years as a manager in which he did not win a championship his teams lost in the championship series once (Akron 2008), lost in the first round of the playoffs (Kinston 2007), and finished 72-66 but missed the playoffs (Low-A Lake County 2005).

For the Clippers it is their ninth championship in league history, which is the most in the league since Columbus joined the International League in 1977. It is the third time they have repeated as champions as they previously did it with a three-peat from 1979-1981 and were repeat champions in 1991-1992.

Winning in the minor leagues does not necessarily translate over to the big leagues, but hopefully some of the success the Indians’ farm teams have had of late in the upper levels starts to really affect the win-loss column starting next season. Also, hopefully Sarbaugh gets a big league coaching job next season as he is more than deserving.

Chisenhall showing flashes

Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall has struggled with consistency since being called up in late June, nothing of which was unexpected since he is a young 22-year old rookie breaking into the big leagues for the first time. He has struggled at times in the field and mostly at the plate, but of late he has shown some flashes of the potential he has as a hitter.

In his first 47 games from June 27th to September 6th he hit .223 with 3 HR, 8 RBI and a .618 OPS, but in his last ten games he is hitting .317 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, and a .951 OPS. More impressively is his recent hot streak has mostly come against left-handed pitching, which is good to see since his biggest weakness is his ability to hit southpaws.

Chisenhall is laying the foundation this season for what is hoped will be a permanent home he will build at third base for the next half decade or so. He is finishing the season on a good note, which should give the Indians a lot of confidence going into next season to have him as the favorite to be the opening day starter at third base next April. Jack Hannahan will also be in the mix at third base next year, but if Chisenhall is healthy and shows he is ready next spring it is his job to lose.

Crowe returns

With players going down left and right of late with season ending injuries, the Indians had some good news for a change as outfielder Trevor Crowe recently returned from a season long absence. He had shoulder surgery earlier this spring and returned to the lineup for the first time this season on September 7th. In seven games he is 5-for-19 at the plate with 2 RBI.

Crowe, 27, offers the Indians some versatility and depth in the outfield. While the expectations were at one time a lot higher for him as a former first round pick in 2005, he is still viewed as a Major League contributor. He has good speed, plays solid defense, can play all three outfield positions, and with his switch-hitting ability he complements the Indians all left-handed hitting outfield well.

Crowe will probably never be an everyday player and instead just be a role player off the bench, but those guys have value too. Spring training is five months away, but one of the most highly contested battles next spring may be who wins the fourth outfield job between Crowe and Ezequiel Carrera.

Infirmary report

Right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin is currently in the middle of a throwing program to get him back and able to pitch in one of the games in the Indians’ doubleheader on Saturday September 24. He hasn’t pitched in a few weeks because of inflammation in his throwing elbow.

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo re-aggravated his left oblique injury on Thursday and is now officially done for the season. It was definitely a disappointing year for him and the Indians as he managed to play in just 85 games and hit .259 with eight homers, 36 RBI, and a .733 OPS.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan is expected to work his way back into the lineup this week from his strained left calf, likely in one of the games in the doubleheader with the White Sox on Tuesday.

Right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco had reconstructive right elbow surgery earlier in the week in New York City. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Altchek, and the recovery time is expected to last for 12-18 months.

Parting shots

Catcher/first baseman Carlos Santana now has 25 homers on the season, which ties him with Victor Martinez (2007) for most homers in a season by a switch hitter. … Former prized Indians prospect left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz made his Major League debut last Sunday and pitched well. He got the win and threw just 63 pitches in five shutout innings. He followed that up with another solid outing last night going 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, two walks, and had five strikeouts. … Former right-handed pitcher Alex White has now made five starts for the Colorado Rockies and is 2-1 with an 8.46 ERA. He has gone at least five innings in all five starts, but has allowed four runs or more in every start including a whopping 11 home runs.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Carrasco likely out until 2013

Carlos Carrasco will likely not return until

the start of the 2013 season. (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Carrasco to have major surgery

The Indians got some bad news this week as after lots of tests and consultation with doctors it was decided that right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco would undergo ligament transplant surgery – more commonly known as Tommy John surgery – on his right elbow. He will have the surgery this coming Wednesday in New York and it will be performed by Dr. David Altcheck.

Carrasco, 24, has been bothered by the elbow for most of the season. After just five starts to open the season he was placed on the disabled list on April 28th with inflammation on his right elbow. He returned on May 11th and really looked to settle in with a great June going 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA in six starts.

But Carrasco’s struggles with the elbow started to return again in July, and it showed with his performance where in five July starts he went 0-5 with a 9.13 ERA. He made one final start on August 3rd against Boston and actually put forth his best outing since June when he went seven strong innings and allowed three runs, but a few days after the game he was placed on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation again. After he did not respond well to treatment he and the Indians searched for answers and ultimately the decision was made to have the Tommy John surgery.

According to head Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff, the MRI of Carrasco’s elbow showed that he had been pitching with a bad elbow for some time as it showed damage to the elbow from some time ago. Carrasco revealed to the Indians that he has actually hurt the elbow when he was 14 years old, but instead of any rehab or surgery he just stopped throwing for several weeks.

Amazingly, after that injury as a young kid Carrasco went on to get signed as a free agent by the Phillies at 16 years old and never showed signs of the injury while pitching in the minors. In a five year span from 2006 to 2010 he averaged 165 innings pitched a season, which is incredible considering almost all of that time was in the minors.

The injury was only found this season because Carrasco had issues with the elbow and supposedly this is the first time in his career he has ever had an MRI on his elbow. He never had an MRI when he signed with the Phillies and never had an MRI after that, even when he was traded to the Indians. Both the Phillies and Indians never knew of his condition until the problems with the elbow this season started to surface.

The surgery on Carrasco’s elbow this week will keep him out for 12-18 months. Every player responds differently to the surgery and some could be back as soon as 12 months - like Nationals’ right-handed pitcher Steven Strasburg. Others respond slower and some suffer setbacks along the way, so it is why his recovery process could take up to 18 months.

With the twelve month anniversary of the surgery to come next September and near the end of the 2012 season, Carrasco is expected to miss all of next season. If he pitches anywhere it will likely only be in a few rehab games in the minor leagues next September and then in fall or winter league action after the season. The hope is that with a whole offseason next year to continue his rehab that he will be ready to be an option for the starting rotation when spring training opens in 2013.

Lee trade blues

With Carlos Carrasco now undergoing major surgery on his elbow, the Indians have now lost two players to significant injury that they received from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal consummated back in July of 2009. The Indians received Carrasco, right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson and infielder Jason Donald in the trade.

The other player to suffer serious injury setbacks is Knapp who has had two major shoulder surgeries since the trade. He had one surgery in the fall of 2009 and then another this past June after he experienced more discomfort with his shoulder earlier in the year. The Indians are hopeful that Knapp will be 100% and ready to go at the start of next season, but with two shoulder surgeries on his resume his chances to make it to the big leagues are starting to look long.

With Carrasco and Knapp going down with serious injuries, a lot of people have declared the Lee trade a bust. From a results standpoint it is hard to argue against that; however, it does not mean the Indians made the wrong decisions at the time of the trade.

Prior to the injuries – which no team can predict – Carrasco was viewed as a near ready Major League starter who could be a good #2 or #3 starter in the big leagues. He showed that ability this season before succumbing to the injury. Knapp was viewed as the best or second best pitching prospect in the Phillies’ system at the time of the trade, and one of the best in all the minors. Marson has turned into one of the best defensive catchers in the bigs, and Donald is a solid infielder.

So why didn’t the Indians have an MRI on Carrasco or Knapp performed at the time of the trade?

The Indians - or any club in baseball for that matter - cannot perform an MRI on a player when they are acquired in a trade. When a player is signed as a free agent an MRI can be performed, but in a trade it cannot since the player is still the property of the other team. All the Indians or any other club can do in a trade is request all of the medical information the former club has on file, everything from doctor notes, x-rays, or previous MRIs that were done prior to the trade and then take all that information and have their doctors look over the information.

In addition to the information given to them by the other club, the Indians can give the player a thorough physical evaluation. After the physical and review of medical records, the doctors will either clear or not clear the player and based on that finding it is up to the front office to make a decision. In the case of Carrasco and Knapp they were both cleared by team doctors as there were absolutely no red flags, so the Indians okayed the trade.

As a result, the Indians had no idea how damaged Knapp’s shoulder or Carrasco’s elbow were. If the Indians could have had an MRI performed on them, trust me, they would have. It is just an unfortunate outcome for them with the trade, and another example of how there is never a guarantee with any player received in a trade.

Taking the bull by the horns

Much credit goes to the Detroit Tigers as they took matters into their own hands this past week and for all intents and purposes clinched the AL Central by sweeping the White Sox and Indians in back-to-back series’. While both the White Sox and Indians are both still alive mathematically, with a 9.5 game lead with less than three weeks left in the season the division race is over. It is but a matter of counting down the days until the Tigers officially clinch the division.

The amazing thing is going into the play on August 19th the Indians were 1.5 games out of first and tied in the loss column with the Tigers. The Indians and Tigers opened a three game series in Detroit that day and the Tigers swept the Indians right out of Motown and have been blazing hot ever since. Since August 19th the Tigers have gone 17-4 and the Indians have gone 9-13 pushing them from 1.5 games back to 10.0 games back in just three weeks.

The Tigers are a very talented team and look to have finally gotten things together. With Justin Verlander and that lineup coming together they could surely do some damage this offseason and are a team that should be a tough matchup for anyone this postseason.

The Indians on the other hand showed their youth and inexperience down the stretch, and injuries just eventually caught up with them. Even so, it has been a successful season and with a return to full health and a key move or two in the offseason should bring hope to a lot of people they can win the division next year.

Pomeranz and White in the big leagues

Right-handed pitcher Alex White has now made four starts for the Colorado Rockies at the big league level and has really struggled in the early going. In those four starts with the Rockies he is 2-1 with a 8.18 ERA, and in 22.0 innings he has allowed 27 hits (including NINE home runs!), 11 walks, and has 14 strikeouts.

Somehow, someway White has earned a win in each of his last two times out as on September 3rd he went just five innings and allowed four earned runs and then last night went five innings and allowed seven earned runs on five home runs.  He has been bothered with some command issues as he has not been able to consistently command his pitches in the zone which has resulted in a high walk rate (4.5 BB/9) and hit rate (11.1 H/9) and an outrageous home run rate (3.7 HR/9). The sample size is small, but surely the Rockies did not expect this from him in the early going and you really have to wonder how healthy that middle finger is.

Left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz has been called up by the Rockies and is expected to make his big league debut today. It is a surprising reversal of fortune as just last week he was expected to be done for the season after having an emergency appendectomy, but he recovered well and has been able to get back on the mound much sooner than expected.

Pomeranz has only made two appearances in the Rockies’ minor league system since being acquired from the Indians on July 30th (officially on August 15th). In those two outings he has been dominant throwing a combined ten shutout innings allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out seven. He has just five appearances above the Single-A level, so it is interesting to see the Rockies push him up so quickly, especially this late in the season.

Remembering 9/11

Today marks the ten year anniversary since the horrific events that transpired on September 11, 2001. It is a day that no American that was old enough to witness it will ever forget, and today we honor all those who perished that day. Additionally, I’d also like to thank all of those in the military as well as all of the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and so on who continue to put their lives on the line everyday for us.

Parting shots

Designated hitter Travis Hafner has been taking part in a running program as he continues to work his was back from his right foot injury. If he continues to respond well to treatment there is a chance he could be activated sometime this week. … Right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin got the all clear on Wednesday that his right elbow is okay to begin a throwing program. The Indians are hopeful that he will be back to pitch before the end of the season, though with the recent bout of injuries you have to wonder if they are playing with fire here and it best to just shut him down. ... Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is responding well to treatment on his oblique injury and is expected to return to the lineup this week, possibly at the start of the Rangers series on Tuesday.

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

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Tribe Happenings: The new Pronk is still like the old Pronk

Hafner has had a nice season, but has he

really been that much better? (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Is Hafner really that different?

If you polled a lot of Indians fans and asked them their thoughts on designated hitter Travis Hafner this year the overwhelming response would be positive in that he is back to being a productive, feared hitter in the lineup.

If you polled those same people about their thoughts on Hafner the two seasons prior to this one, an overwhelming majority would probably say he was not very good and looked like his career was rapidly fading.

It is amazing how quickly the perception of a player can change with a good start to a season or a handful of big, clutch hits like Hafner has had this year. It is kind of like someone in fantasy sports riding a player or baseball betting on a team because they were so impressive early which can color their opinion of them.

But a look at the following numbers suggests that he is really that much different this year from the two previous years:

(Note: the four numbers in the batting line are from left to right: batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS)

2009: .272/.355/.470/.826, 16 HR, 49 RBI, 41 BB, 67 K in 338 at bats.
2010: .278/.374/.449/.824, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 51 BB, 94 K in 396 at bats.
2011: .293/.375/.465/.839, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 30 BB, 59 K in 256 at bats.

For as good of a season as Hafner appears to be having this year, it is not that much of an improvement over his previous two seasons. His batting average may be up 15 points but his walk rate is down slightly which is why his on-base percentage is almost exactly the same as last season. Also, his slugging percentage is actually less than his 2009 season which shows he really is not hitting with that much more power now than the last two years.

Taking it a step further, if you skip the injury plagued 2008 season when he hit .197/.305/.323/.628 in just 57 games that year, Hafner’s string of numbers from 2009-2011 also match up well with his 2007 numbers:

2007: .266/.385/.451/.837, 24 HR, 100 RBI, 102 BB, 115 K in 545 at bats.

What the numbers suggest is that Hafner really is not much different at all this season and that he has leveled out and become a consistent above average hitter over the last three seasons. It appears to be a safe bet that he is past the shoulder issues and other injuries that plagued his 2008 season, and is still one of the best designated hitter options around.

The Indians need Hafner’s veteran, power bat in the lineup so it looks like barring a major injury that he will be around through the end of his contract in 2013. Yes, that would mean the Indians pick up his 2013 club option for $13 million. It may just be picked up or the two parties may mutually agree to tear it up for a lower amount in exchange for an additional year or two of guaranteed money in 2014 and/or 2015.

Carrasco sidelined

With the fifth starter spot coming back up this weekend, a lot of people took their best guess as to what the Indians would do with Carlos Carrasco. It looked like he would simply just be optioned to Triple-A Columbus, but then come back as soon as rosters expanded on Sept 1st so that an option would not be used (20-day rule).

But then out of nowhere this week the Indians announced that Carrasco had been placed on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation. The injury came out of nowhere considering he made a good start in his last appearance against the Red Sox on August 3rd where he went 7.0 innings and allowed three runs on nine hits, three walks and had five strikeouts. He supposedly felt discomfort in the elbow region after the start, one where he made 112 pitches which is the most he has thrown in any game this season. He has thrown 100 pitchers or more nine times in his 21 starts this year and is 8-9 with a 4.62 ERA.

Carrasco had an incredible June where in six starts he went 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA and really looked to be turning the corner as a pitcher, but he followed that up with a poor July as in five starts he went 0-5 with a 9.13 ERA. His solid outing against the Red Sox was his best outing by far since June and the hope was he may have righted the ship.

This is Carrasco’s second trip to the disabled list this year as he went on it way back on April 29th with right elbow inflammation as well. It is possible the elbow issue from late April returned sometime in July and he tried to pitch through it which would explain the severe drop in performance and why he suddenly went on the disabled list out of nowhere.

This by no means is a “convenient” injury to make room on the roster. In the minor leagues teams can manipulate the roster by giving guys made up injuries like “calf strains” and stuff like that, but in no way do teams ever make up an injury to a pitcher’s elbow, shoulder or anywhere else with their arm. It would hurt the value of the player, and the MLBPA and the player’s agent would throw a fit and never allow it.

So this looks like a legit injury and one that is concerning since it is a recurring one. Hopefully tests come back fine and a greater concern is not found so that Carrasco can get back on the mound soon and help the Indians down the stretch.

Choo’s miraculous return

When outfielder Shin-Soo Choo fractured his left thumb on June 24th and had surgery to repair it a few days later, he said he was a quick healer and would be back sooner than expected.  The proclamation at the time seemed far fetched and the odds were stacked against him on returning sooner rather than later.

Fast forward about six weeks and on Friday the Indians activated Choo from the 15-day disabled list, just a little over six weeks after the injury which is about two weeks ahead of schedule from the eight to ten weeks he was expected to be out. Had anyone been able to take those long odds from an internet sports betting website they'd be a rich person right now.

There is no question that Choo’s return is very much welcomed as even though he is yet another left-handed bat in the Indians lineup, he is an All Star caliber talent who can affect a game not only with his bat but with his arm in the outfield as well. He was only hitting .244 with 5 homers, 28 RBI and a .687 OPS at the time of his injury, but he was starting to come around as a hitter just before he went down and he is a notorious strong finisher as over the last three years from 2008-2010 he has hit a combined .322/.406/.531/.937 in the second half of those seasons.

Choo will hit out of the leadoff spot in the Indians batting order as he initially returns from his injury. The reason for this is because manager Manny Acta wants to get Choo as many opportunities as possible to get his timing back. In addition to that Acta appears to have settled on Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner and Carlos Santana hitting two through five in the lineup, so hitting an on-base, power and speed guy like Choo at the top of the lineup should only help him get better pitches to hit.

So long Kearns

The return of Choo marked the end of outfielder Austin Kearns’ time with the Indians this season. He was designated for assignment to make room on the 25-man roster for Choo, and he leaves the Indians hitting .200 with two homers, seven RBI, and a .589 OPS.

How Kearns was able to stick around on a contending team well into August with those numbers is a mystery that will never be solved. It is clear his value to the team and to the organization was less about his production but more in the intangibles he provided with his leadership, makeup and experience. Also, the lack of any real right-handed hitting alternatives via the waiver wire, trade market, and internally at Triple-A Columbus helped keep him on the roster.

When outfielder/first baseman Shelly Duncan returned last weekend and played well, it sealed Kearns’ fate as Duncan has been a more productive hitter and has had a lot of success this year as a pinch hitter.

With Kearns out of the picture and a 40-man roster spot open, it is possible the Indians may soon fill that spot on the team with a right-handed bat that they are searching for on the trade market. If such a player does not surface in a trade, then you may see the Indians use that open 40-man spot to add Triple-A Columbus outfielder Jerad Head once rosters expand to 40 players in September.

Huff up

In a move that was long expected the Indians will call up left-hander David Huff from Triple-A Columbus today to make the start against the Twins and be the fifth starter for the time being.

Huff, 26, was originally recalled in July and pitched wonderfully in three starts going 1-1 with a 0.51 ERA. But after his last start against the Red Sox on August 2nd he was optioned out to Columbus in order to add newly acquired right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to the roster.

With the Indians having an off day this past Monday they did not need a fifth starter again until this weekend. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco also immediately started serving his six-game suspension after his August 3rd start, but by league rules the Indians were not allowed to replace him on the roster while he served the suspension so had to play with 24 players. With no need for a fifth starter for over ten days and Carrasco’s suspension limiting the roster, the Indians opted to send Huff to the minors. This allowed him to keep pitching and also allowed them to add another player to the roster while Carrasco were unavailable.

Huff made one start in Columbus this past Monday where he pitched 6.2 strong innings and allowed three runs on six hits, two walks and had three strikeouts. It was a tune up for his start today where he will be making his fourth start for the Indians this season. He has been a much different and more effective pitcher since returning this season, so hopefully that continues as the Indians could really use a lefty in the backend of the rotation that competes and keeps them in games.

The Big Kipper

Second baseman Jason Kipnis has been very impressive since his callup in mid-July from Triple-A Columbus. He has been as advertised with the bat as he has made an immediate impact to the lineup, and while he has made a few mistakes defensively he has flashed some great athleticism, headiness, and solid defensive ability at second base.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Heyman made a note shortly after Kipnis was called up that one American League executive compared the impact of his callup to that of a big time July trade acquisition. That comment was spot on as the Indians have had a huge upgrade at second base not only offensively but defensively as well by passing the torch from Orlando Cabrera to Kipnis.

Kipnis has been setting all kinds of records and he has barely been in the big leagues for four weeks. He homered in four straight games from July 31st to August 3rd which is the first time a rookie has ever done that in Major League history within the first two weeks of their debut. Then on Wednesday night against the Tigers he had a memorable 5-for-5 night with a double, homer, three RBI, and four runs scored. That is the first time in team history a rookie has ever had at least five hits, three RBI and four runs scored in a single game.

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

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Choo activated from the disabled list

Shin-Soo Choo

The Indians have activated outfielder Shin-Soo Choo from the 15-day disabled list today. He had been on the disabled list since June 25th after suffering a fractured left thumb after being hit by a pitch the night before in San Francisco. He underwent surgery on the thumb on June 28th in Cleveland by Dr. Thomas Graham.

Choo made a three game rehab assignment at Low-A Lake County this past week where in three games he went 0-for-8. After playing a full game last night without any setbacks, the Indians deemed him ready. In 72 games prior to the injury he was hitting .244 (65-266) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 28 RBI and 11 steals.

To allow room on the 25-man roster the Indians designated outfielder Austin Kearns for assignment. He hit .200 (30-150) in 57 games for the Indians this year after signing a one-year free agent contract with the club in the offseason.

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

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Choo begins rehab assignment in Lake County

Shin-Soo Choo

Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo will begin a minor league rehab assignment tonight with Low-A Lake County. He is expected to play right field, though it is not known for certain if he will play the whole game or if he will be limited to five or seven innings his first time out. He was with the Indians in Boston and took batting practice with them, and then returned to Cleveland over the weekend to have his thumb re-evaluated before sending him on his rehab assignment. If he does not have any setbacks and shows he is ready, there is a decent chance he could be activated this weekend, though the target date still looks to be August 16th when the Indians start a series in Chicago against the White Sox.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Indians have a rotation decision to make

Carlos Carrasco (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Who is #5?

The Indians will go about ten days without a fifth starter. Left-handed pitcher David Huff pitched on Wednesday and then right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco pitched on Thursday, but with newly acquired right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez being added to the rotation on Friday and an off day on Monday the Indians do not need either Huff or Carrasco to pitch again until next Saturday August 13th.

This is why it made sense for the Indians to make the two moves they made this past week by having Carrasco drop his appeal on his six game suspension and optioning Huff to Triple-A Columbus so they could add Jimenez to the 25-man roster.

Earlier in the week Carrasco, 24, was suspended six games by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at the head of the Royals’ Billy Butler last Friday. He had appealed the suspension, but with the Indians not needing a fifth starter for awhile they advised him to drop the appeal and take it now when it won’t hurt the team other than only being able to carry 24 players on the roster for six days. His suspension ends Thursday and he would be eligible to be in uniform on Friday, the day before the Indians would need a fifth starter again.

Huff, 26, has been sensational since being called up in July. In three starts he is 1-1 with a microscopic 0.51 ERA. He has been a completely new pitcher since returning by being more aggressive on the mound, has more life on his fastball, and his secondary offerings and delivery are all improved. Even after an impressive three game showing the Indians optioned him out after the game on Wednesday because they had to add Jimenez to the roster.

Optioning out Huff was not something they wanted to do, but because there would be no need for a fifth starter for ten days until August 13th plus they would already be down one roster spot with Carrasco serving a suspension, it made no sense for them to carry Huff around as an unusable player for so much time. While he was optioned out, he is expected to be right back as after his minimum ten day stay in the minors is complete the first day he would be eligible to return is August 13th, which is when the Indians need a fifth starter again.

This is all not just coincidence as the Indians obviously spent the week thinking all of this through in a way to circumvent some roster issues.

The question now will be which of Huff or Carrasco will make that start on August 13th. Huff has been great since his callup and a lefty in the rotation adds a nice dynamic to it. Carrasco pitched well against the Red Sox on Thursday, but he has really struggled since the end of June. Unless an injury occurs, I would expect Huff to be called back up on August 13th to make that start and for Carrasco to be optioned out.

For all those fretting the Indians using Carrasco’s final option, there is a rule where if a player is optioned out but is called back within 20 days then the option is not used. This same thing happened to former lefty Aaron Laffey in 2007. With the roster expanding to 40 players starting September 1st, the Indians could call Carrasco back up well before the 20 days are up and not lose that last option on him.

Growing concerns with Perez

There are some growing concerns with right-handed closer Chris Perez. He has now blown two straight saves, one on July 19th in Minnesota and another on Friday night in Texas. The three week stretch between closing opportunities shows just how much of a struggle it has been for the Indians to win games consistently of late. Both blown saves were crushing losses for a team starving for victories any way they can get them.

Before anyone suggests a kneejerk reaction has occurred, the concerns with Perez are not just surfacing now after two blown saves. These are concerns many people have brought up since earlier in the year and lots of baseball people have been monitoring all season.

Perez, 26, may be 22-for-25 (88%) in save opportunities, but you have to look much deeper below the surface where lots of warning signs are firing. Almost all of the indicators and rates for him have gone in the wrong direction compared to last year.

Last season when Perez went 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 23 saves, he was dominant as he allowed just 5.7 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, and 4.0 BB/9, and also had a 8.7 K/9 and 2.18 K/BB rate. Those were all very good and it is why so many people were excited to have him as the closer for the foreseeable future.

But this season Perez has taken a noticeable step back in all of his numbers. He is still throwing 93-95 MPH, so the velocity is there, but he is getting hit a lot more and not missing bats this season as he is 2-5 with a 3.40 ERA and has a 7.3 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 4.3 BB/9, and also has just a 5.9 K/9 and 1.37 K/BB. The biggest concern is the jump in his hit rate where he is allowing almost two more hits every nine innings and the drop in his strikeout rate where he is striking out almost three less batters every nine innings.

Perez is a good pitcher and he has the mindset to pitch in late inning situations. Hopefully the drop in his performance this season is just a hiccup and not a sign of more problems to come.

Ubaldo time!

There was a sense of excitement around Indians Nation on Friday as fans awaited the debut of newly acquired right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The Indians paid a steep price for him and he has lots of potential, so fans were very interested in getting their first glimpse of him in a Tribe uniform. When all was said and done on Friday night, fans came away underwhelmed with him, at least for one night.

Jimenez, 27, was surely nervous and as a result his command suffered. He was all over the place the first two innings, but eventually settled in some and started showing signs of the dominant pitcher he is and the Indians hope will be. He consistently threw his fastball in the 96-98 MPH range, and he flashed a good splitter, slider, and changeup. There is no denying the stuff, as it looks like when he is on he can be dominating.

Jimenez finished the night going five innings and allowed five runs on seven hits, three walks, and had seven strikeouts. He left the night after throwing 108 pitches (63 strikes) in the tough Texas heat which at game time was above 100 degrees. Given that it was his first start and there were obvious jitters, he was facing a tough Texas lineup, and the high temperatures, it was an okay debut but one he will surely have to improve upon considerably going forward.

Crushing week

The Indians are in the midst of an absolutely brutal part of their schedule with a seven game road trip to Boston and Texas, and then follow it up with 12 straight games against AL Central rivals Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota, six of which are against the Tigers. The next two weeks are going to make or break the Indians in their quest to stay in contention the rest of the season.

The Indians have played well all week and should have won every game in Boston and the opener with Texas on Friday night, but instead of being 5-0 or 4-1 on the trip they stand at 2-3 heading into play on Saturday. All three of their losses last week were in walkoff fashion as Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox beat them twice in the 9th inning on Tuesday and Wednesday and Chris Perez blew the save on Friday which ultimately ended up in a loss. With time starting to run out on the season, these are games a team in contention simply can not lose.

The Indians are just not getting the big hits or big pitches in key situations right now. The starters continue to pitch well, but the Indians have had a big problem scoring runs late and suddenly their dominant bullpen is showing cracks in the foundation by giving up key runs late.

Youth brings inexperience and inconsistency, and the pressure of a pennant race this late in the season may be starting to wear on the Indians. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back from the Texas defeat and where they ultimately stand after they play the Tigers in Detroit on Sunday August 21st.

Final trade thoughts

Whether you are for or against the Indians’ trade activity of late, I think all Indians fans will agree it is nice that they are in buying mode for a change rather than selling and blowing up the roster. It is very clear that GM Chris Antonetti saw a unique opportunity in acquiring Jimenez from the Rockies as he is a controlled pitcher through at least 2013, which coincidentally is when the control for other key players like shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, and designated hitter Travis Hafner comes to an end.

The Indians have a small window open with their current core of players, and it appears they want to take advantage of it. Obviously the idea is not to have the window close after 2013 as they want to keep it open with the flow of minor league talent and other pickups in trades and free agency, but if they want to win with the current crop of veterans on the team the time is now.

For those fretting the loss of right-handed pitcher Alex White and left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz, you are not alone as both are considerable talents. Both looked to be future linchpins in the Indians’ rotation. However, there are never any guarantees with pitching prospects and injuries can happen at any moment, so the old saying of a bird in the hand (Jimenez) is better than two in the bush (White, Pomeranz) applies perfectly here.

Also, remember that two years ago at this time that White and Pomeranz were not even in the organization. A lot of people have raved about Amateur Scouting Director Brad Grant’s work in the draft the last few years, so if you have trust in him you have to believe he will find another pitcher like Pomeranz or White in next year’s draft or in 2013.

Parting shots

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo continues to push his way back into the lineup as it looks like his return is right around the corner. He is now taking batting practice with the team, and may now go on a rehab assignment in the minors sometime this week before being activated next weekend or just after it. … Right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot and outfielder Travis Buck were both designated for assignment recently to clear space on the 40-man roster for new pickups outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and Jimenez. Both cleared waivers, and as a first time outright Talbot had no choice but to accept the assignment to Triple-A Columbus. As a second time outright Buck had the option of refusing it and becoming a free agent, but accepted the assignment on Friday to Columbus. … Columbus right-handed pitcher Justin Germano - he of the perfect game fame a week ago - has left the Indians and signed a contract with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Not yet time to make change with Santana

Carlos Santana (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

What to do with Santana?

Catcher Carlos Santana has had an interesting sophomore season in the big leagues this year for the Indians. Billed as an impact hitter and defender when he was called up a little over a year ago in June, his impact in either area of the game has yet to materialize.

Santana, 25, has actually had a solid season so far at the plate. Even though he is only hitting .226 he has done a good job of getting on base with a .347 on-base percentage. He also has been productive where he has 15 homers and 47 RBI, and has maintained a good approach at the plate with 68 walks to his 85 strikeouts. While he only ranks 8th among all qualified catchers in baseball in hitting, among catchers he also ranks 2nd in runs (47), 3rd in home runs, 5th in RBI, 3rd in on-base percentage, and 5th in OPS (.763).

Outside of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and designated hitter Travis Hafner, Santana has been the most productive hitter in the Indians lineup. Even more than popular outfielder Michael Brantley. The problem is his performance has not lived up to expectations, so the perception is that he has been very bad when in fact he has been a little above average as a hitter (league average for OPS is .712).

Where Santana has really struggled this year is behind the plate. In the minors he was billed as an above average receiver with a powerful arm that could impact a game defensively.

So far the only impact Santana has made from the behind the plate is helping other teams score runs. His six errors and .986 fielding percentage along with his 21.8% throw out percentage of attempted base stealers are one of the worst in baseball.

Thankfully the Indians have Lou Marson around. For as offensively challenged as Marson is, he only has two errors (.993 fielding%) and has thrown out 47.4% of attempted basestealers which is tops in baseball.

With Matt LaPorta struggling at first base (.238, 10 HR, 39 RBI, .710 OPS) and Marson excelling defensively behind the plate, a lot of people have recommended moving Santana to first base full time. That is probably the right choice in the short term for this season, but long term Santana's best value to the organization is as a catcher.

One thing to remember is Santana is still coming off a frightening knee injury just a year ago, and there may be some confidence issues he is still dealing with. Also, considering he has bounced around back and forth from first base and catcher and has not consistently been behind the plate, it is possible it has affected his throwing and defense overall.

What Santana needs is a full offseason of rest where he does not play, can work out and get stronger, and most importantly get a lot of personal instruction from Sandy Alomar Jr. and other Indians coaches.

These things can't always be done in-season, and before the Indians pull the plug on Santana as a catcher they need to see him through at the position and see what a full offseason of work without rehab taking up all his time can do for him. If he is still struggling at this time next year behind the plate, then the Indians will have to consider the move to first base and giving the full time gig to Marson.

Season low point

With the Indians being no-hit in a 3-1 loss on Wednesday to Ervin Santana of the Angels and then shutout in a 12-0 loss on Friday night to Jeff Francis and the Royals, the Indians hit their lowest point of the season.

Ever since a hot 30-15 start the Indians have been on a steady decline back to the .500 mark where they are stood at 54-53 going into tonight's game. The reason for that 24-38 record since their 30-15 hot start is partly because of some sloppy defensive play, but mostly because of an inept offense.

Sometimes you just tip your cap to a pitcher, which is the case on Wednesday when Santana dominated the Indians. He was on his A-game and just breezed through their lineup to achieve history. But what happened on Friday night is inexcusable. To get shutout by Jeff Francis and get clobbered by the last place Royals is very concerning, and is probably the worst loss of the season for the Indians.

The Indians need to right this ship quickly in order to avoid falling even further as they are in danger of dropping to third place and dipping under .500.

The Indians are still having a very positive season, one that most did not expect. Unfortunately, they are going backwards this year where after starting so hot and creating some excitement, their play of late has created a lot of frustration and apathy when there really should be much more excitement for a young team that is over .500 and back to relevance.

Even so, it is not time to throw up the white flag as even if they are not a serious World Series contender this division is still very winnable. With over 50 games to go in the season there is still a lot that can happen and the fortunes of the team can change at any moment, especially if they get healthy and some players start playing like they are capable of.

Rough July for Carrasco

It is time to start worrying about right-handed starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. Overall he is having a solid season where in 19 starts he is 8-8 with a 4.25 ERA; however, his struggles of late are concerning.

Carrasco, 24, looked to be making significant strides back in June where he made six starts and went 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA. He looked like a staple of the Indians rotation for years to come and was living up to his promise as a former top prospect. Many thought he had arrived, but once the calendar flipped to July everything has changed.

In four starts this month Carrasco is 0-4 with a 7.52 ERA. Suddenly, all that progress he seemingly had made has gone out the window, and in some ways he looks to be regressing to the same fragile-minded pitcher he had come to be known as.

Nothing shows this better than what transpired Friday night when he was pounded for seven runs and three homers in 3.1 innings by the Royals. After serving up a grand slam home run to Melky Cabrera he went headhunting on Billy Butler on the next pitch and was promptly thrown out of the game. It was a bush league move by him, and a sign he still has a ways to go from a maturity standpoint and issues with his toughness are still present.

Carrasco is still a big part of the Indians future. Right now it is important for him to get with pitching coach Tim Belcher and look at the tapes from June and compare them to the tapes in July and see why he was having success and somehow get back to it. If the Indians have any thoughts of staying in the division race this season he will need to get back to competing and putting up quality outings on a much more consistent basis.

Choo is ahead of schedule

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is working his way back from his broken left thumb that he suffered in San Francisco about five weeks ago. With the struggles the Indians have had offensively, this is good news for Indians fans. He is still about a month from returning, but according to Choo he is pushing himself and believes he may be ready to return as soon as the August 16-18 series in Chicago against the White Sox.

Choo has been taking part in a throwing and hitting program where he is throwing the ball at 90 feet and hitting balls off of a tee. He is considered to be ahead of schedule, and was expected to start a soft toss program early this week while he travelled with the team to Boston and Texas. If things continue to go well he will begin taking batting practice with the team possibly by this weekend and could go on a short rehab assignment right after.

Parting shots

Infielder Jason Donald had been splitting time between third base and shortstop at Triple-A Columbus. Indians Infield Coordinator Travis Fryman was in Columbus recently to work on him at third base. In 46 games at Columbus he is hitting .306 with four homers, 15 RBI, and a .836 OPS. … Second baseman Cord Phelps is finally back to playing his normal position of second base every day now that Jason Kipnis has been called up. He had been playing out of position almost exclusively at shortstop all season in Columbus. In 73 games with Columbus he is hitting .291 with eight homers, 47 RBI, and a .837 OPS. … The Indians have not thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981. It is the longest drought between no-hitters for any team in baseball (Mets and Padres have never thrown one).

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

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Tribe Happenings: Deadline deal likely for Indians

Could Ryan Ludwick be an Indian again

soon? (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

Time to make a deal

The Indians are in the thick of a pennant race in the AL Central, a race that by the day seems to add more teams.

In the middle of May the Indians appeared to be running away with the division as the nearest team was 7.5 games out at one point. Then the Indians got cold and the Tigers got hot and that lead evaporated and both have been neck and neck for the better part of two months. During that time the Chicago White Sox have gotten back into the mix, and of late the Minnesota Twins have as well.

With two months left to go still before the end of the season and with all four teams playing each other several times between now and then, the division is up for grabs and there could be a crazy finish.

Teams are already making moves to better themselves, something the Tigers did earlier in the week when they picked up third baseman Wilson Betemit from the Kansas City Royals for two prospects. The Tigers are supposedly not done as they are interesting in starting pitching and are also in the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes, and the White Sox and Twins are also actively seeking help.

Like their counterparts, the Indians are flawed. The Indians need to make a move not only to keep pace with their division rivals, but to also fix some areas on the roster which are now really thin thanks to the injuries to outfielders Grady Sizemore and Shin Soo Choo the past few weeks which will keep both of them out for a significant period of time.

The Indians have looked within for answers this year with starting pitching as starters Mitch Talbot, Fausto Carmona, Alex White, and Carlos Carrasco have all spent time on the disabled list, and for the most part the starters from Triple-A Columbus who have filled in have pitched well. In the few instances they have needed a bullpen arm they have gotten good performances there as well, and they have tons of options available to them sitting in waiting at Columbus.

The lineup is where most of the concern lies.

The Indians have now called up their three best hitting prospects at Columbus by adding third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, second baseman Cord Phelps, and second baseman Jason Kipnis to the roster. Phelps has since been sent back to Columbus, and with the arrival of Kipnis and then Ezequiel Carrera when Sizemore got hurt, the Indians are now out of reinforcements in Columbus other than rehabbing first baseman Nick Johnson.

With really no more options left in Columbus along with two key injuries in the outfield, the Indians will almost surely make a move before the July 31st trade deadline to acquire an outfielder. There are lots of rumors flying around as to who they are after, but do not expect them to be players for the top outfield bats available like Beltran or a perceived to be available like Hunter Pence.

Instead, look for the Indians to pickup one or even two of the mid-level to marginal outfielders on the trade market such as Jeff Francoeur (Royals), Coco Crisp (Athletics), Kosuke Fukodome (Cubs), Ryan Ludwick (Padres), Mike Morse (Nationals), and Josh Willingham (Athletics).

The Indians appear to be making the most headway in a deal with the Padres, possibly for Ludwick. A deal with them may instead be for right-handed pitcher Aaron Harang, or may be a big multi-player deal for both Harang and Ludwick.

No matter what happens over the course of the next week as we reach next Sunday’s July 31st trade deadline, there are sure to be lots of rumors but little action. The Indians will probably be tied to any available outfielder on the market, and when the dust settles they should acquire at least one.

The trading likely will not stop there as teams are expected to continue to be busy well into August making trades. The only difference in August is players that are traded on a 40-man roster must first clear waivers. Expect the Indians to make a move or two then if they are still in contention as more teams will be eliminated from playoff races and thus will be more apt to make a deal, and the teams who held out for the moon in July will probably settle for a lot less.

Sigh of relief

The Indians depth of starting pitching has shown itself of late with three different starters from Triple-A Columbus making starts in July. Right-handers Zach McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez along with left-hander David Huff all have come up and pitched well, and before them right-hander Alex White came up in early May and pitched well before being sidelined with a finger injury.

The Indians also have a lot of bullpen options at their disposal at Columbus, but because of the good health and performance of the bullpen in Cleveland they have not needed to dip into those options except for right-hander Josh Judy a few short stints here and there.

But the Indians have a truckload of bullpen talent waiting to be used in Columbus with the likes of right-hander Zach Putnam, right-hander Chen-Chang Lee, left-hander Nick Hagadone, and the aforementioned Judy. All four have the ability to be impact relievers in the very near future for the Indians.

In addition to the high level guys in Columbus, the Indians also have some very interesting bullpen prospects at Double-A Akron such as right-handers Adam Miller, Bryce Stowell, Rob Bryson, Tyler Sturdevant, Matt Langwell, and Cory Burns. All of them are expected to pitch in the big leagues some day.

That’s an impressive collection of bullpen depth ON TOP of the bullpen options already in Cleveland apart of the “Bullpen Mafia”. With bullpens being so volatile with their performance year to year, having so many options is a good thing and provides great insurance for the Indians going forward as well as excellent trade bait to fill other needs.

The Sizemore Decision

To pick it up or not to pick it up.

That is the question that Indians decision makers will need to make this offseason on whether to pick up the $9 million club option on star center fielder Grady Sizemore.

What seemed like a slam dunk of a decision a few months back to pick it up now is a very questionable decision the Indians have to make. With Sizemore struggling with so many injuries the last three years after being an iron man in the lineup from 2005-2008, his questionable health will surely give the Indians pause in making the decision this offseason. It may depend on how he comes back from his current knee injury.

The latest injury for Sizemore is a knee bruise he suffered last weekend in Baltimore while running the bases and sliding into second base. He had surgery this week for a sports hernia that will keep him out of the lineup for four to six weeks, an injury that came out of nowhere and shows how he has been playing hurt for about the last two months. With the length of time needed to recover from the hernia surgery it will also allow time for his knee to heal. He is expected to be back at the end of August or beginning of September.

With so many injuries of late and a rapidly deteriorating body, Sizemore’s career may be in jeopardy. His chronic knee issues are a huge concern, and his rapid physical descent as a player is very similar to that of outfielder Darren Erstad, another player who had so much promise and was a star but because of his all out play style it took a toll on his body and his career fell apart.

The Indians will likely keep Sizemore next season, but they may opt to decline the option and work out a deal in advance where both parties agree to a one year contract at a smaller amount.

The Untouchables

As the Indians prepare to make a deal to acquire help for their struggling offense and maybe a starting pitcher to round out their rotation, there are four players that are off limits in trade talks: third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, second baseman Jason Kipnis, right-handed pitcher Alex White, and left-hander Drew Pomeranz. Two other pitchers left-hander Scott Barnes and right-hander Jason Knapp are also pretty much untouchable partly because of their value to the team but also because both are injured and their value in a trade is very low.

The foursome of Chisenhall, Kipnis, Pomeranz, and White are untouchable because all four are expected to be building blocks for the immediate future for the Indians. Chisenhall, Kipnis, and White have already reached Cleveland this year and are expected to stay going forward, and Pomeranz could be with the team early next season. They are All Star potential talent, something the team just cannot acquire via free agency or trade.

With those four players out of play in a trade, it will likely force the Indians to look for some of the mid-level bats available in a trade and flip some of their “B” and “C” type prospects. Some examples of players that could be in play in a trade – though just mere speculation – would be players along the lines of right-handed pitcher Austin Adams, left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone, left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto, right-handed pitcher Clayton Cook, and first baseman Jesus Aguilar.

The Indians All Star type players must come from within. The meat of those teams from the 90s that had so much star power that came from the minors rather than in free agency or veteran trades. Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Charlie Nagy, Richie Sexson, and Brian Giles all came from their own farm system, while Sandy Alomar Jr,, Carlos Baerga, and Kenny Lofton came in deals when all were still prospects.

It remains to be seen if any of the Indians current “untouchables” will live up to the star power of their 90s predecessors as all four could turn out to be stars or duds, but the Indians have to take that risk.

Kipnis up

The Indians promoted second baseman Jason Kipnis from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday. He joins third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall as two young players who are not yet finished products but players the Indians feel can help provide a spark to a team desperate for offense.

Just last week I noted that it appeared very unlikely that Kipnis would make it to Cleveland any time soon because of the presence of second baseman Orlando Cabrera on the roster. I am happy to say I was wrong as the Indians threw caution to the wind and promoted Kipnis even though they know that Cabrera will not be happy to see his playing time cut once again. Kudos to the Indians for doing what many thought they would not do after the Cord Phelps call up was such a disaster.

With Kipnis now up in Cleveland he should get the lion’s share of playing time at second base. Since he is a left-handed hitter and Cabrera a right-handed hitter it is likely that some sort of platoon will result with Cabrera facing most of the tough left-handed starters. With no other middle infielder on the roster he will also be the backup at shortstop for Asdrubal Cabrera. Even though he played outfielder in college Kipnis is not expected to play any outfield except in emergency.

Parting shots

There is some talk that the Indians have contacted the Colorado Rockies about the availability of catcher Chris Iannetta. He is under team control through the 2013 season, and if picked up would probably mean Carlos Santana would move to first base and Matt LaPorta to the outfield. … Right-handed pitcher Alex White threw another good bullpen session on Friday and used his entire repertoire of pitches for the first time by throwing some sliders and splitters. He is expected to throw a simulated game on Monday. … On Thursday outfielder Shin-Soo Choo plead guilty to his May 2nd operating a vehicle while impaired charge. He received a $755 fine and has had his license suspended for 180 days. He is still expected to return to the lineup in about four to five weeks from a broken thumb.

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

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Tribe Happenings: Indians are half way home

The Indians have done more high-fiving after games

the first half of the season than expected. (Photo: AP)

Some news, notes, and thoughts from my Indians notebook…

81 down, 81 to go

With the conclusion of Saturday's game with the Reds the Indians stand at 44-37 at the midway point of the season. If they keep up the first half pace and duplicate that in the second half, they will win 88 games this year.

While it is technically the halfway point, the All Star break is often celebrated as the true halfway point even though teams typically have played close to 90 games by then. Even so, with a week to go before the All Star break, who would have thought going into the season that the Indians would be where they are right in first place?

The Indians were a boatload of fun from the start of the season through the middle of May when they got off to a hot 30-15 start. And yes, they have been frustrating to watch since mid-May to today where they are 14-22 since that hot start.

But this team looks to be in it for the long haul so long as they do not continue to be riddled with injuries to the lineup. If they can avoid any more injuries to the lineup and find a veteran bat or two in a July trade, they can make some noise this year.

It all comes down to the pitching, and the Indians have a lot of it. As long as you have good, solid pitching you are always going to be in almost every game. Even with all of the lineup issues the Indians have at the moment, they can draw from their strength which is a solid, young rotation and a dynamite bullpen.

The Indians have three young starters in right-handers Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, and Carlos Carrasco who are proving to be very effective, good starters now and into the future for the organization to build around. If right-hander Fausto Carmona can ever get himself straightened out the Indians have a very formidable four-some to ride the rest of the season and potentially into the playoffs.

Right-hander Mitch Talbot does a solid job as the fifth man in the rotation, but the Indians have lots of options ready to replace him or anyone else who gets hurt with talented starters in waiting at Triple-A Columbus such as lefties Scott Barnes and David Huff and righties Jeanmar Gomez and Zach McAllister. With right-hander Alex White on the shelf, the Indians have a total of ten Major League quality starters at their disposal, something that is simply unheard of.

The bullpen has been simply electric with the likes of Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez shutting down teams late in games. Also Chad Durbin and Frank Herrmann have both been more effective of late in middle relief. On top of that the Indians have several promising bullpen arms waiting in Triple-A Columbus such as right-handers Josh Judy, Zach Putnam, and C.C. Lee as well as left-hander Nick Hagadone.

As we gear up for the second half of the season, the Indians are armed and loaded to make a strong push to the finish.

Credit where credit is due

The re-emergence of the Indians this year and the incredible amount of pitching depth they have built up is a testament to the good work done by former GM Mark Shapiro and current GM Chris Antonetti. The first "plan" under Shapiro worked pretty well as they built a pretty good rotation during their first rebuild which started back in 2002, and it appears they may be building a better, deeper pitching staff during their current rebuild that started in 2008.

Several of those tough moves that Shapiro and Antonetti had to make together over the past few seasons are starting to pay off as trades where they parted with the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Mark DeRosa, and Casey Blake have all produced key contributors to this year's team such as Michael Brantley, Matt LaPorta, Carlos Santana, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, and Lou Marson.

Their draft's and international signings since 2008 are also bearing more fruit as Alex White, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Cord Phelps have all made it to the big leagues this year. Even more players from the 2008 and 2009 drafts and international signings are expected to arrive soon as Zach Putnam, Jason Kipnis and C.C. Lee are expected to arrive soon.

Shapiro and Antonetti often catch the ire of Tribe fans because they traded Sabathia, Lee and others, but they did not trade those players because they wanted to. They did it because they had to. Trust me, if they could have kept them and given them the money those players were seeking they would have done it in a heartbeat. So goes the life as a mid-to-small market general manager.

That having been said, the Indians now have a foundation to build upon where they have a good young nucleus in Cleveland, lots of talent emerging and developing in the minors, and a strong draft philosophy that is producing impact players. From here on out they should be in the thick of things in the AL Central and in the postseason chase for the next several years thanks to the good work the past few years by Shapiro, Antonetti and the rest of the front office.

Loss of Choo could force move

The Indians learned on Tuesday that they are going to be without star right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo for eight to ten weeks as he recovers from surgery to his broken left thumb. The surgery was performed on Tuesday by Dr. Thomas Graham at the Cleveland Clinic where he openly reduced and internally fixated the fracture. The injury occurred when he was hit by a pitch on Friday June 24 in San Francisco.

The loss of Choo for what looks like at least until the beginning of September will be a tough one to overcome for the Indians. He has been in a funk all season hitting just .244 with five homers, 28 RBI, and a .687 OPS in 72 games, but he has a history of consistent performance and the feeling was that he would turn it around in the second half and help lead an offensive charge. Prior to the injury he appeared to be turning things around at the plate and gaining confidence to make that charge.

For now the Indians are going to platoon Travis Buck and Austin Kearns in right field; however, there is no doubt that the club is going to actively seek a short term option on the trade front to fill in for Choo's absence for most of the rest of the season. The Indians could kick the tires on a guy like Jerad Head or Chad Huffman in Triple-A Columbus, but neither option appears like it would make much difference to what the Buck-Kearns duo offer.

Do not expect a blockbuster kind of deal as the Indians do not want to mortgage the future by trading off any of their higher profile prospects, but a more middle of the road deal where they trade a mid-level prospect or two for a veteran outfielder is certainly possible. A trade to consider is something along the lines of what they did back in 2007 when they acquired Kenny Lofton from the Rangers for High-A Kinston catcher Max Ramirez. Ramirez was an interesting prospect, but not one of their top prospects, so we could see something like this again.

One player who immediately comes to mind who the Indians may target is Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The Indians actually had some interest this past offseason in signing him, and his right-handed bat would complement the lineup and outfield well even when Choo returns. He is not an impact player by any means, but he has a cannon in the outfield and has some power from the right side. At the least he would be a significant upgrade over Kearns and make a much more interesting platoon partner with Buck.

The debut of The Chiz

With the Indians desperate for offense and a spark to the club they called up top prospect third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall from Triple-A Columbus on Monday.

At the time of the callup Chisenhall was hitting .265 with 7 homers, 44 RBI, and .779 OPS. Those are not overly impressive numbers, but he had been hot of late where he was named the International League's Player of the Week for the week ending June 26th where in five games he hit .429 with two homers and 14 RBI. He made his Major League debut on Monday going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI, and in three games is 4-for-12 with two doubles and an RBI.

Chisenhall, 22, had been out of the lineup for about 11 days in June because of a concussion he suffered when sliding into third base and banging his head on the field back on June 11th. He had been in a slump up to that point, but the banging of the head seemed to clear the cobwebs and the time off also allowed him evaluate his play and make some adjustments in the cages and it appears to have paid off.

The callup of Chisenhall was made to add some punch to a lineup that has been inconsistent and non-productive since mid-May and was lifeless in their series with San Francisco last weekend. He will not be a savior by any means as he is not a super star caliber player, but he is a smart, solid, and consistent player and should provide much more offense now and in the future at third base than Jack Hannahan has or would.

Chisenhall is still not a finished product defensively, so there will surely be some mistakes made along the way, particularly with his throwing. But his swing is sweet and he should be a solid contributor offensively for a long time. I've often said that he will likely be somewhere between a Casey Blake (floor) and Travis Fryman (ceiling) type player. Time will tell, but for now let the Chiz Era begin!

LaPorta still out

First baseman Matt LaPorta's return to the Indians suffered a minor setback this week when the club cancelled plans to have him join the team in Cincinnati and take some batting practice before the games. He has complained of some soreness with his ankle and was unable to participate in any pre-game activities.

LaPorta is on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle, an injury he sustained back on June 17th. He is eligible to come off the disabled list any day, but before doing so he will need to test it out to ensure he is healthy enough to get back on the field at a 100%.

The plan now is to have LaPorta join the team in Cleveland on Monday when they begin a four game set at home with the Yankees. Acta and his staff will evaluate him in batting practice and if he gets the all clear he could be activated any day after that. There is a chance he could also go on a minor league rehab assignment for two or three games to get him back up to speed before activating him.

Even with the All Star break a week away, it does not appear that the Indians will wait until after it to activate LaPorta. Also, since Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron are both off for the All Star break at the same time, there is no opportunity to send him on a minor league rehab assignment and keep him playing while the Indians are on their break.

No opt out for Johnson

Triple-A Columbus first baseman Nick Johnson's July 1st opt out clause came and went on Friday, and as of now he is still with the Indians. His July 1st opt out clause called for him to be added to the Indians 40-man roster by that date or he could elect free agency, and it appeared that he was heading to a resolution one way or another until an injury setback with his surgically repaired left wrist last weekend.

Last Saturday, Johnson slid into third base awkwardly and landed funny on his wrist which caused it to flare up on him. He sat out Sunday's game and then returned to the lineup on Monday but had to be removed after two at bats because the wrist was bothering him. He has not played since. He took some swings in the batting cage on Friday and could return to the lineup soon.

There is no question the injury setback threw the opt out clause out the window and Johnson will now stick around a little while longer in the organization and in the minor leagues. If I am not mistaken, the opt out clause is a one-time shot and by not choosing it he loses it. If that is indeed the case, then it looks like he will be around awhile longer and through the rest of the season playing in either Columbus or Cleveland. In 14 games with Columbus he is hitting .220 with no homers, one RBI and a .575 OPS.

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

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