Minor Happenings: Not too many Cook’s in the kitchen

Cole Cook (Photo: Lianna Holub)

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

Another season has come and gone….I swear it that just yesterday I was boarding a plane for spring training to get ready to kickoff the 2011 coverage. Wow how this year flew.

And with that so did another season of Minor Happenings. This will be the last installment of Minor Happenings until next April, but things will continue to be busy up until then with lots of stuff to cover from Instructional League, the Arizona Fall League, winter leagues, roster moves, the Rule 5 Draft, and of course the new 2012 Indians prospect rankings. If things work out I may also have one more Minor Happenings late next week with a year end review with Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins. Plus the 2011 Tony Awards will start to be unveiled next week!

I also want to take this time to thank everyone for the continued support with the site and for reading. I also want to give an extra special thanks to everyone for their support back in April when I learned of my cancer diagnosis, and for their continued words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers.

As I alluded to last week some changes are coming to the site….I am getting closer to unveiling those changes. Maybe by next weekend, and certainly in the next two weeks.

As a side note, I will be making my final baseball trip of the season from October 11th to October 15th to catch the end of Instructional League and see a few games in the Arizona Fall League. So be on the lookout for some direct reports from Arizona soon, but in the meantime I will continue to chime in with near-daily updates on the happenings in Instructs and everything else.

Onto the Happenings…

Cook sidelined late in the year

Cole Cook

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Cole Cook was sidelined at the end of July with what was termed as a mild strain of his UCL in his right elbow. He made his last start on July 31st lasting just 4.0 innings and allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits and did not make another appearance after that for the remainder of the season. In 20 starts he went 5-11 with a 4.54 ERA, and in 105.0 innings he allowed 126 hits, 35 walks, and had 68 strikeouts.

This was not the kind of pro debut the Indians probably envisioned from Cook, a player they invested a 5th round pick and paid a handsome bonus to last year. He actually was showing signs of coming around and was pitching better in the second half as even with the blow up in his last game he still managed to go 3-3 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts after the All Star break. But the elbow injury ruined any opportunity for him to try and continue that success into August and the rest of the season.

Cook’s improved performance in the second half was the result of him becoming more comfortable and focused on the mound. Early in the season he was still adjusting to the five day routine as a starter in the pros versus the seven day routine starting pitchers have in college. He was also working through some delivery adjustments to help him be more consistent with repeating his delivery so his fastball command and his secondary pitches would improve.

Cook has a lot of confidence in his fastball and changeup, but in addition to improving his fastball command his slider needs more work to become a more dependable, effective third pitch. He is a pitch-to-contact guy so he will likely never be a high strikeout pitcher, so commanding all of his pitches is vital to his future success. He has some very good work ethic and is very intelligent – some would say sometimes to a fault. He is a tall, skinny pitcher who has a lot of moving parts in his delivery, something that in the past he has described as Ichabod Crane on the mound and a “bowl of spaghetti” coming at you.

Cook recently had some more tests on the elbow, but the results on whether or not the damage is more extensive and whether any surgery will be involved is unknown at this time.  The performance this season and the elbow injury to end it are very concerning, but provided he checks out he is still pretty raw and there is a lot to like about him going forward. With his first season in the books and lots of downtime this offseason to get healthy and prepare for next year, the hope is that next season things start to come together for him.

Cook looks like another Gomez

Clayton Cook

While Cole Cook is looking to get healthy as well as build on his successes and learn from his failures this season, High-A Kinston right-hander Clayton Cook (no relation) had yet another strong season for the Indians. The 21-year old Texan went 9-9 with a 4.56 ERA in 25 starts, and in 122.1 innings allowed 124 hits, 53 walks, and had 106 strikeouts.

Cook’s numbers were not as eye-catching as his previous efforts with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Indians in 2008 (2.52 ERA, .217 BAA), short season Single-A Mahoning Valley in 2009 (2.79 ERA, .224 BAA), and Low-A Lake County in 2010 (3.35 ERA, .244 BAA), but nonetheless it was another solid season. It is interesting to note that he allowed four runs or less in 21 of his 25 starts this year, three runs or less in 19 of his 25 starts, and two runs or less in 17 of his 25 starts.

Cook’s poor numbers are the result of four terrible outings where he allowed 9 runs in 1.0 inning on April 27th, 7 runs in 4.0 innings on July 11th, 6 runs in 2.1 innings on August 21st, and 6 runs in 0.2 innings on September 2nd. He allowed 26 of his 62 earned runs (42%) in those four starts covering 8.0 innings, and without those four outings he would have had a 2.83 ERA on the year.

As Cook mentioned in an article for the IPI two weeks ago he wants to work on his consistency in order to best avoid those big blow ups. He struggled some down the stretch with his command and suffered from a small bout of wildness, but in the end he still finished with another strong season. The Indians often compare him to right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, and for comparison sake when Gomez was in Kinston at the same age back in 2008 he went 5-9 with a 4.55 ERA (138.1 IP, 154 H, 46 BB, 110 K). There are definitely a lot of similarities both in performance but also in stuff and ability.

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins spent a lot of time going back and forth between Triple-A Columbus and High-A Kinston the last two weeks watching them in the playoffs. Here are some recent comments on the teams and players there:

Ross Atkins

On the playoffs: “At this point in the year it is good to see players play in an atmosphere when games really have a lot of significance to them as individuals, to us as an organization, to the team, and to the staff to see how guys handle pressure because the pressure is certainly increased. Having said that, it is not necessarily the best time to give an evaluation. It is the end of the season so we are not really focused on development at all at this point. I think the biggest reason for us to have a front office presence in a playoff series it to let them know we are proud of them, we are happy for them, and we are in support of all the progress they have made and want to be there to hopefully see it through.”

On Clayton Cook, Michael Goodnight, and Mike Rayl: “Those three guys are all solid Major League prospects. They have a long way to go and have a lot of work to do with their consistency that still needs to come, but all three are interesting. Cook has the youth on his side, has a solid three pitch mix, and reminds me a lot of Jeanmar Gomez when he was a young player. Goodnight is a guy who has a really, really strong projectable delivery. Rayl has an incredible feel to pitch and is a left-hander with the ability to get a strikeout. All three have the intangibles to potentially become Major League starters.

On Jared Goedert: “He had a relatively quiet year, but it has been a good, solid year for him. He was in the middle of that lineup and was probably the biggest threat that they had. He made some progress at third base because of the opportunities that were created for him and he took advantage of them. He really had consistent at bats and really a solid year. We are certainly glad to have him on the roster and in the mix as part of this organization.”

On Beau Mills: “Beau is that guy that over the course of the year has not performed quite at the level he would like or we would like, but when the game is on the line there is not a staff member in the organization that would not want him at the plate because of his fight, his confidence, and with him wanting to be the guy. Hopefully that intangible for him can turn into more consistency and become one of the best players in the world because that is what it will take to crack into the big leagues to play first base at the Major League level.”

On Nick Johnson: “He has been an incredible influence on all of those young hitters and all of the guys transitioning now. He has helped the guys transitioning back and those transitioning back up and really been a positive influence. All the while he has been dealing with a very, very frustrating injury. As a hitter to have something going on with your wrist has to be one of the most challenging issues to deal with because hitting is such a fine motor skill and there is such an importance to have a feel for your hands and an awareness of the bat. A wrist is integral in that. He has absolutely powered through it. He is not 100%, but he has not looked back. He doesn’t need to play as he is playing for his love of baseball. He has been an unbelievable professional to our organization this year.”

On Corey Kluber: “He has finished strong. He pitched exceptionally well in August and had a fine Major League debut and he will get another opportunity to show what he can do in the Major Leagues at some point. We are hopeful that the fastball command will come so that he can get to the slider and changeup that are very good Major League weapons.”

On Mitch Talbot: “He is an interesting story. He has found some things that are helping him be more consistent right now. He really is a pitcher that is better than Triple-A. He needs to be more consistent to be a solid Major League pitcher, and he knows that. I think health has had a lot to do with that and his overall durability. We really have had no issues this year with players not handling transitions up and down well. It really is a testament to the job that scouting does and that Chris and baseball operations have done to get in not just quality baseball players but quality people. It certainly makes our lives in player development a lot easier when we are dealing with the consummate professionals, and Mitch has certainly been that.”

Holt shows promise

Tyler Holt

High-A Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt had a very good first full season as a professional hitting .253 with 2 HR, 26 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a .691 OPS in 123 games. Those numbers may not look all that impressive on the surface, but he was right around the Carolina League average for hitting (.250) and OPS (.700). Also, only one hitter in the league (that qualified) hit over .290 and only six players had an .800 or better OPS this year.

Holt, 22, is a tablesetter and he did that this season with a .365 on-base percentage which ranked 2nd best in the league thanks to his league leading 78 walks. When he got on base he created havoc for pitchers by getting in their heads because of his ability to go from first to third or home and his ability to steal bases. His 34 stolen bases ranked 3rd in the league, and he was caught only six times all season (85% success rate).

The Indians worked with Holt earlier in the year to get him to relax his front elbow in his stance to create a better bat angle so he could hit breaking balls better. The subtle change allowed him to see the ball better and have a more consistent swing path through the zone on all pitches. He is an instinctive, aggressive player that works counts well and is not afraid to take pitches and fall behind in the count, so if the consistency with his bat-to-ball and his swing improves he could make a leap forward next season.

Martinez impresses late

Joe Martinez

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Joe Martinez had a strong finish to his season. He made three starts in the postseason and went 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. In 22.0 innings he allowed 18 hits, 5 walks, and had 20 strikeouts. In 35 appearances (16 starts) over the course of the regular season he went 8-9 with a 4.04 ERA (118.0 IP, 136 H, 29 BB, 101 K).

Martinez, 28, pitched in any role needed this season where he pitched in the bullpen, made spot starts, and eventually finished the season as a starter. He also saw a velocity increase this year where coming into the year he was pitching more at 88-91 MPH but by season’s end was consistently at 91-94 MPH all year. The velocity spike was a result of him becoming more comfortable on the mound and working to stay behind the ball and not spinning off so much. He showed good ability to sink the ball to both sides of the plate and has a good feel for his changeup and breaking ball.

Martinez is not much of a prospect anymore but has proven to be good Major League depth pitching at the Triple-A level. He does not have an arsenal that allows him to get away with mistakes, and he has a tendency to flatten out at the top of the zone which is when he really gets hurt. That said he has all the intangibles to be a solid depth arm for a Major League organization. He is a minor league free agent this offseason so will probably look around for better big league opportunities in other organizations, but there is a chance he could return to the Indians next year.

Random Notes

Marty Popham

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham had his season end prematurely when he was struck on the back of his right wrist on August 30th. Up until the injury he had thrown four perfect innings, but he suffered the injury when a screaming liner came back and hit his wrist and he picked up the ball and tossed it to first for the final out of the fourth inning. The Indians treated the injury as a contusion and just shut him down for the playoffs. In 27 combined games (18 starts) between Kinston, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus this year he went 6-3 with a 4.58 ERA (112.0 IP, 117 H, 25 BB, 106 K).

High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Preston Guilmet had an outstanding season closing games this season and for his efforts was named the Carolina League’s Reliever of the Year. He finished 48 of the 52 games he appeared in and went 35-for-36 in save opportunities. He went 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA, and in 58.1 innings allowed 43 hits, 11 walks, and had 60 strikeouts. He does not have dominating stuff, but he comes from a unique straight over the top angle that helps him get great leverage on hitters and he throws strikes. He is also very composed and thrives on pitching in tough situations and just battles when he is on the mound.

Mike Rayl

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl had a nice breakout season as a prospect, which in some ways is very similar to that of lefty Matt Packer last year. In 25 combined starts between Kinston and Low-A Lake County this year he went 6-8 with a 3.42 ERA, and in 123.2 innings allowed 114 this, 26 walks, and had 121 strikeouts. He is an athletic left-handed pitcher that the Indians believe has the stuff to be a starting pitcher in the big leagues.

High-A Kinston first baseman Jesus Aguilar had one of the best seasons offensively in the entire Indians’ minor league system. In 126 combined games between Kinston and Low-A Lake County he hit .284 with 23 HR, 82 RBI, and a .865 OPS. He has a lot of power and the Indians believe that he can also become a very good defender at first base. There is a lot to be excited about with him going into next year where he will likely open the season at High-A Carolina.

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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Around the Farm: September 9--The Columbus clinches edition

Tyler Holt
(photo: Kinston
Indians)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where
the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Tyler Holt: CF, Kinston: 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 2 K:

Have I mention the havoc that Holt can create? Holt had his third consecutive multi-hit game last night, and is now hitting a robust .538 for the series (7-for-13). Last night, Holt got the ball rolling for the K-Tribe by leading off with a single, and moving to second on Bo Greenwell's walk. A three-run homer later, which I'll get into in a second, and Kinston was already up 3-0. In the second inning, with Casey Frawley on third, and the fleet-footed Delvi Cid on first, Holt lined a double down the right-field line, scoring both runners, making the score 5-0. In the sixth inning, with Tyler Cannon on third, and Cid on first, Holt tripled to score both runners, ending the scoring at 7-0. Holt saved his best performance as a professional for the playoffs. Can he top it tonight to help Kinston clinch the series and send them to the championship game?   


Joe Martinez: SP, Columbus: W (1-0), 8 IP, 9 H, 2 R/ER, 4 K:

Talk about starting pitchers stepping up at the right time. Martinez had been a fringe starter for most of the season, and didn't really become a full-time starter until the shuttle started shuffling off the top-end guys like Alex White, David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez to Cleveland. As a reliever, Martinez had been one of their best, going 4-2, with a 2.84 ERA. He wasn't nearly as good as a starter, going 4-7, with a 4.48 ERA, but would manage to throw a solid start in the middle of bad performances. Things began to change on August 15, when Martinez threw six innings of seven-hit, shutout baseball. Then two starts later, he went 7 1/3 innings, giving up only four-hits and one run, and backed that up with a seven inning, two run performance. Last night's start was clearly his best of the season, as Martinez seems to be warming up to the starting role. While he struggled in his last start of the season, last night's series clinching gem gives the righty three quality starts out of his last four outings, and four out of his last six. Perhaps there's something to this kid as a starter, after all.

Nick Johnson: DH, Columbus: 3-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K:

If only the playoff version of Nick Johnson had shown up sometime in July. Johnson absolutely mashed Durham Bulls pitching over the three-game series. Last night's three hits gave Johnson a .556 average for the series, and really showed what the Indians were hoping that he could bring to the table when they signed him prior to the season. Johnson got the scoring going in the second inning last night after he roped a double, plating a run. He later scored on an Argenis Reyes single. In the third, after Durham had scored a run, Johnson singled, driving in Jerad Head for a 3-1 lead. Clinging to a 3-2 lead in the eighth, Johnson hit a two-out double this time. Ben Copeland pinch ran for Johnson, and scored on a Luke Carlin single, giving the ClipShow the insurance that they needed. It was an all-around solid performance for the Clippers' veteran DH.

• Jerad Head: LF, Columbus: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 K: Head made his return to Columbus after clearing waivers from the Indians, and was showed no rust whatsoever with his two-hits. It was clear that Head wasn't a long-term answer for the Tribe, but he absolutely deserved the shot that they gave him. He showed what kind of pro he really is with his two-hit performance last night. 
• Luke Carlin: C, Columbus: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Carlin is really an unsung player with the Clippers. The 31-year old isn't an offensive wunderkind of any kind, hitting .213 on the year, but he is a solid backstop. In this playoff series, Carlin has stepped up his game, going 2-3, with a run and an RBI. He's hitting .375 overall.
• Zach Putnam: Closer, Columbus: S (2), 1 IP, 1 H: With Josh Judy toiling in Cleveland, Putnam has taken over the closer role in Columbus, and is beginning to run with it. In his second save opportunity of the first three games, Putnam shut down Durham, holding them to only one hit. He needed 21 pitches to work through his four batters, but threw 15 strikes.
• Adam Abraham: 3B, Kinston: 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K: Abraham continued with the hot bat, blasting a three-run, first inning homer, to give the K-Tribe an early lead they wouldn't relinquish. Abraham is hitting .429 for the series, and is once again riding an extra-base hit streak.
• Michael Goodnight: SP, Kinston: W (1-0), 5 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K: Goodnight picked up right where he left off after moving up to Kinston and making his start during the September 4th doubleheader. Goodnight got the win then, clinching the second half title for the Indians. Last night he was even better. In his two starts with the K-Tribe, he's gone 11 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits, an earned run and two walks, while striking out 12.
• Chris Jones: RP, Kinston: 2 IP, 1 BB: Jones is having a bit of a renaissance late in the 2011 season, after a dip to start the year off in 2011. Jones had a solid 2010 campaign, and was looking to cement his name into the mind of management with another one in 2011. Things didn't work out all that well with a horrible month of April in which his ERA was a bloated 7.62. Since then, Jones has slowly lowered his ERA back down to 3.36, and he showed why last night with two innings of near perfect baseball.
• Trey Haley: RP, Kinston: 1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K: Haley struggled a bit with control, walking two of the four batters that he faced, but thanks to a strikeout and a double play, Haley managed to get out of his mini-jam to continue his solid performances over the last month.
• Preston Guilmet: Closer, Kinston: 1 IP, 1 BB: In a bit of a strange move, Guilmet came on to pitch the final inning with his club up seven runs. He got through the inning easy enough, but you have to wonder if he'll be available tonight should Kinston need him to help clinch the series. I'm sure Guilmet will go out there, but is pitching your closer three nights in a row the smart move?

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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Around the Farm: September 7--The 'Let the playoffs begin' edition

Zach McAllister
(photo: Columbus
Clippers)

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday's performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday's game.

Zach McAllister: SP, Columbus: W (1-0), 6 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 K:

McAllister has been the model of consistency throughout the entire regular season. He was the perfect pitcher to start the series, and did exactly what he was supposed to do. McAllister gave up only five hits during his six innings, striking out three, and most importantly, got the Clippers off to a 1-0 series lead against a very hot Durham Bulls. The win gives the Clippers a massive advantage, with the final three games in Columbus.

Chad Huffman: LF, Columbus: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI:

Huffman led the way with the bat in last night's big playoff victory for the Columbus Clippers over familiar rival, the Durham Bulls. Huffman provided the insurance with the score 1-0 in the fourth inning, blasting a lead-off solo home run. He followed that up in the sixth inning with a double, scoring Jared Goedert for the final run of the game.

Tyler Holt: CF, Kinston: 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SB (2):

If you have ever seen Tyler Holt play baseball, you get the impression that he was built for the playoffs. Holt's hot temper and high energy seem the perfect mix for a lead-off hitter that can excel with the pressure on, and that's just what Mr. Havoc provided last night for the Kinston Indians. Holt had two of the K-Tribe's six total hits, and was the only player with multiple hits in the game. Holt stole two bases, but could only manage to make it home once, for Kinston's only run.

• Travis Buck: RF, Columbus: 2-5, 1 R: Buck hit second last night, and did his job well, getting on base, and scoring the first of the three Clippers runs in the 3-0 shutout. His first inning run turned out to be the game winner.
• Beau Mills: 1B, 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI: Mills continues to rip the ball out of the clean-up role, roping a double in the first inning, driving in Buck for the first run of the game. Counting the regular season, this is Mills fourth consecutive multi-hit game. During the stretch, he's 10-16, with four runs, four doubles, two homers and three RBI.
• Nick Johnson: DH, Columbus: 2-3: Johnson didn't produce any runs, but after having a horrible regular season, it's good to see the veteran getting on base in the playoffs.
• Juan Diaz: SS, Columbus: 1-4, 1 2B: Diaz made his Triple A debut last night after spending the season in Akron. Diaz came to the Indians in the same trade that brought the Tribe Ezequiel Carrera from the Mariners (for Russell Branyan), and he's been skirting the edge of turning into a solid prospect. At 6'4", Diaz figures to develop some power, and when he does, he could make some waves. He hit a double for his first official Triple A hit.
• Chen Lee: RP, Columbus: 2 IP: Lee came in during the seventh inning, and slammed the door for two innings. He threw 24 pitches, 15 of which were strikes. Talk about efficiency.
• Zach Putnam: Closer?, Columbus: S (1), 1 IP, 3 K: Well, well, well, look who's closing games for the Clippers. Putnam was absolutely devastating, striking out the side on 13 pitches, 10 of which were strikes. Could this be Putnam's future? I don't know, but you have to like a guy who comes in during the playoffs in a new role, and shrugs it off with three K's.
• Adam Abraham: 3B, Kinston: 1-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB: Abraham's third inning single drove home Kinston's only run of the game, but Abraham was thrown out at second on the throw home. He would walk two more times, but there was just no offense behind him to move him along the bases.
• Clayton Cook: SP, Kinston: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 5 K, 1 HR: Cook pitched well in the #1 slot, but as per the season, the Kinston offense couldn't provide him with any support whatsoever. He left the game after the fifth down a run, but deserved better.
• Chris Jones: RP, Kinston: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K: Jones looked like the 2010 version of himself, giving up a hit, but striking out two. He did his job, keeping Kinston in the game in his only inning.
• Kyle Landis: RP, Kinston: Landis was clearly the second best reliever for the K-Tribe during the regular season next to closer Preston Guilmet, but he didn't have it last night. In two innings, he gave up five hits and two runs, while striking out three. Landis missed the entire 2010 season, so you have to wonder if stamina is becoming an issue. 
  

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

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Minor Happenings: Is Goedert back in the Indians plans?

Jared Goedert (Photo: IPI)

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

With less than a week left in the regular season, the minor league season is quickly coming to an end, and thus so is Minor Happenings for the 2011 season. However, as everyone knows, the season does not end with the conclusion of the regular season as there is always tons to talk about in the offseason with Instructional League, the Arizona Fall League, winter ball, the Rule 5 Draft, roster moves, and of course next year’s prospect rankings and scouting reports. So the fun never ends!

I will be venturing out to Woodbridge, VA this weekend to take in High-A Kinston’s final four regular season games from Saturday to Monday. If they miss the playoffs it may well be their final four games as the affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. It will be a bittersweet visit for me that’s for sure as the K-Tribe staff and team has always been first class and they will be missed. The hope here is they make the playoffs and make it to the Mills Cup Finals where they will play either Frederick or Potomac, a series I likely would attend either in Frederick or Potomac.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from August 25th to August 31st)

Jared Goedert (Third baseman - Columbus)
.345 (10-for-29), 5 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 1.049 OPS

Jared Goedert

Someone who has been forgotten about this season who is quietly putting together another good season is Triple-A Columbus third baseman Jared Goedert. In 83 combined games between rookie Arizona (where he rehabbed for eight games) and Columbus he is hitting .272 with 17 HR, 45 RBI, and a .857 OPS.

The extra base hit production is the most interesting as Goedert has 19 doubles and 17 homers in those 83 games, with almost half of his hits (81) going for extra bases (36). The most notable improvement this season though may be his approach as he is walking more and striking out much less. Last year he walked 53 times in 481 at bats (9.1 AB/BB) and this year has walked 37 times in 298 at bats (8.1 AB/BB). Last year he struck out 112 times in 481 at bats (4.3 AB/K) and this year he has struck out 62 times in 298 at bats (4.8 AB/K).

Goedert, 26, was an offseason addition to the 40-man roster last year and looked to be in line for a possible big league job at some point this season as a right-handed bat off the bench. A nasty oblique injury sidelined him in spring training and ruined his chances this year, and he ultimately was removed from the 40-man roster recently. His injury paved the way for a player like Jerad Head to get an opportunity, one which probably would have been his had he been healthy all year.

With Goedert now healthy and once again showing his power stroke, there would seem to be some interest to add him back to the roster. The Indians are desperate for right-handed bats, especially any with power and production ability. There is a chance he could be added back to the roster sometime in September to get a late season look at him, though that remains to be seen. He has split time this season between first base and third base, and also got a lot of work in last offseason and this spring in left field, so he could add some much needed versatility and right-handed power off the bench.

Honorable Mentions:

Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): .360 (9-25), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, .888 OPS
John Drennen (OF – AKR): .368 (7-19), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, .899 OPS
Casey Frawley (SS – KIN): .357 (5-14), 1 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 6 BB, 1 K, 1.050 OPS
Bo Greenwell (OF – AZL/KIN): .600 (7-17), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.293 OPS
Jose Ramirez (INF – AZL): .400 (6-15), 5 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .904 OPS
Joey Mahalic (RHP- LC): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 6 BB, 0 K, 0.42 BAA
Cory Burns (RHP – LC): 0-1, 2 saves, 1.42 ERA, 4 G, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 10 K, .227 BAA
Joe Martinez (RHP – COL): 0-1, 1.88 ERA, 2 G, 14.1 IP, 12 H, 1 BB, 12 K, .222 BAA

Previous Winners:

08/18 to 08/24: Elvis Araujo (LHP – Arizona)
08/11 to 08/17: Francisco Jimenez (LHP – Kinston)
08/04 to 08/10: Paolo Espino (RHP – Akron)
07/28 to 08/03: Jerad Head (OF – Columbus)
07/21 to 07/27: Tony Wolters (SS – Mahoning Valley)
07/14 to 07/20: Beau Mills (1B – Akron)
07/07 to 07/13: Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL Indians)
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President of Player Development Ross Atkins has been out getting in a lot of last minute looks at a lot of his players as the season winds down. Here are some comments he made recently this week on some players and other things:

Cord Phelps

On the Mike Sarbaugh and the Columbus Clippers: “The most important thing to note is that it is not easy to do [getting to the postseason]. A lot of people will tell you that winning a championship is getting hot in the playoffs and really the most significant threshold is winning your division and getting into a playoff format. With the contributions that that team has made to Cleveland this year and then maintaining a winning record with a very young prospect laden team is a great accomplishment that I hope [Mike Sarbaugh] is very proud of. It is significant for a couple of years to have winning records and to go into those playoff chases. It is great for those players for when they get those opportunities in the Major Leagues whether it is their first call or they are going to the playoffs that they have had incremental increases in their challenges and their competition levels, and this is just one more of those. On many fronts a great accomplishment and we are very proud of Mike Sarbaugh and the job he has done there.”

On the Cleveland bullpen: “We have been talking frequently about the accomplishments that Manny and Time Belcher and Scott Radinsky have had with their bullpen. It really has been remarkable in our eyes. We haven’t studied it to the extent that we could say that it is unprecedented, but it is significant to look back over the course of the year and think about how little movement there has been in the bullpen. It pretty much has been the same bullpen for the entire year except for when there have been workload issues. That is incredible. It has got to be one of the most difficult things to manage as a manager, pitching coach and a bullpen coach to keep those guys at the top of their game, performing well, and not overworked. What it does is it allows us to not rush guys and for them to get the most out of Triple-A.”

On Cord Phelps: “Cord has been consistent and hopefully when he comes back this time it won’t be as much of the potential pressure he felt as well as the anxiety of this being his day and his call. Hopefully that will be minimized or mitigated to some extent and he will be able to be the player that he is and not try to be more. Cord is such a driven, motivated, competitive person that we do not have to be hard on him and have to put challenges in front of him as he does it himself. I am hopeful and confident at the same time that he will handle this transition well. He has always put up good at bats and he did it the first time, and I think his defense will be more consistent this time. We are looking forward to him benefitting from all of the hard work that he has put in. Especially with a player of Cord’s intelligence and commitment, he really did benefit from that first call up and time back down to Triple-A to reflect upon what went well and what he could have done differently. Cord is the type of individual that can maximize that.

Nick Hagadone

On Nick Hagadone: “He has gotten much better over the course of the year, and he is finishing pitching as well as his entire time with us. He is 95-97 MPH every time out. His fastball command is improving and his slider is very much a Major League weapon. Hopefully we will see him [back] in the Major Leagues soon.”

On Chen-Chang Lee: “A year ago we did not know if he would really be a solid Major League option for us because of his inconsistency with his fastball command and the variability from outing to outing for him. He has really become a force, and probably is the most dominant reliever in that pen even above Nick Hagadone. The right-on-right is really, really impressive, and he has really improved his ability to get lefties out. He has tightened up his breaking ball. Fastball command is really what separates those younger players from Major League pitchers, and his fastball command has improved as well.”

On Matt Packer: “All year Matt has not walked guys and he has still gotten strikeouts, so we were encouraged that luck would be in his favor toward the end of the year. When I say luck, really it is just him being prepared for opportunity if he continued to go out there and put the ball over the plate that he would get better outcomes. That has really occurred recently and he has really dominated for the last month and been the best starter in that rotation in Akron and has solidified our thoughts that he is a Major League pitcher. He is a great feel to pitch left-hander that has some power and deception to his fastball and when he commands it he can pitch at any level. He will have to have elite command because the power and deception is not over the top. It is not the Justin Masterson-ilk and not that type of fastball, so he is going to have to do a better job of commanding it, but he is showing the ability to do that. We are pleased with the progress, and it is always nice when guys are finishing much stronger than they started.”

On Austin Adams: “We have talked about him and his name comes up a lot with everyone in our organization. I think it is a testament to his commitment and a testament to the Major League staff and Chris Antonetti allowing us to be patient with him and keeping him in that starting role because it would have been easy to envision him in a relief role throwing 100 MPH and helping a Major League team immediately. I think with the Major League bullpen being consistent and not needing someone to experiment with and then Austin’s commitment to making adjustments and making himself a more complete pitcher has solidified in our minds that he is going to be a Major League starter with above average weapons. There is work to be done, but we believe in the person and feel good about the process ahead of him and really feel good about what he has accomplished this year.”

Lindor debuts

Francisco Lindor

The Indians 2011 first round pick shortstop Francisco Lindor made his pro debut at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley on Sunday. In two games he is 1-for-6 at the plate and has scored two runs.

Lindor is still 17-years old and does not turn 18-years old until mid-November, and is the first ever 17-year old player to don a Mahoning Valley uniform. He has actually been working out with the team since August 17th, but due to his age and him not playing all summer the Indians have gradually ramped up his baseball activities. He worked out with the team for almost two weeks before getting into a game on Sunday, and in the two games he has played he did not play the whole game as he was removed after five innings both times. He also has not yet played in back-to-back games.

In team drills and in his first two games Lindor has shown lots of speed and athleticism on the field with good speed on the bases and incredible hands and quickness in the field. He is also a player who looks like he is having fun out there as he always has a smile on his face and is very welcoming as a person, but by the same token is very competitive and loves to win.

Lindor is a native of Puerto Rico, but he and his family moved stateside to Florida four years ago when he was 13-years old to sharpen his baseball skills and improve his English to provide him a better opportunity professionally. That decision by his family paid off as he became a highly sought after prospect this year for the draft and wound up passing on a full scholarship to play collegiately at Florida State when he signed with the Indians for $2.9 million just before the midnight signing deadline in August 15th.

Lindor’s experience in Mahoning Valley is more of an introduction to the minor league life with the daily routines, travel, and everything that goes into being a pro baseball player outside of the white lines. After the season finishes up this weekend he will go home for a short bit and then head out to Instructional League in Arizona which starts up on September 14th. He will get a lot of one-on-one instruction while out there and get some games in there as well before it wraps up on October 14th and everyone goes home for the winter.

Infirmary Report

Bo Greenwell

High-A Kinston outfielder Bo Greenwell returned to Kinston this week after rehabbing from surgery to repair a broken thumb he suffered back in June. Dr. Thomas Graham performed a procedure on him in June where he removed some loose tissue inside the finger and inserted a plate and four screws to stabilize the thumb. After two months of rehab he played in four games in Arizona last week and was assigned to Kinston on Monday. In 63 games this year he is hitting .282 with 4 HR, 26 RBI and a .757 OPS.

High-A right-handed pitcher Marty Popham left his start on Tuesday after the fourth inning when he was hit on his wrist by a line drive. Up until that point he had thrown four perfect innings and had four strikeouts. The severity of the injury is unknown at this time, but he is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

Triple-A Columbus catcher Luke Carlin dislocated his left thumb on Sunday and had to leave the game. He returned and played on Tuesday night going 0-for-3 at the plate. In 61 games this year he is hitting .208 with 5 HR, 27 RBI and a .689 OPS.

Playoff outlook

It is pretty academic at this point with regards to the postseason chances for the Indians’ six stateside affiliates. Triple-A Columbus is the only team so far to clinch a playoff berth. Rookie level Arizona, short season Single-A Mahoning Valley and Low-A Lake County are all eliminated from the playoffs. The only two teams whose postseason fate is undecided right now are High-A Kinston and Double-A Akron.

Akron is 70-67 and is 3.0 games back of the wildcard with five games to go, so they will need a miracle to get in. The two teams ahead of them in the wildcard chase are Richmond and Bowie, and both would essentially have to tank while Akron would seemingly have to win all of their remaining five games for them to get in.

Kinston has a great shot to make the playoffs, and really they control their own destiny. They are 34-29 in the second half and are tied for first with Winston-Salem, though have one less loss and one less win because of two postponements that they have to make up. They have six scheduled games remaining, and one of the postponements from last weekend because of Hurricane Irene has yet to be rescheduled. It looks like that one will only be played – likely on Tuesday - if needed to decide the second half division title.

Random Notes

Paolo Espino

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Paolo Espino has been sensational since being called up to Columbus in mid-August. He has made five appearances (four starts) and gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA (23.1 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 26 K). He has dominated in his last four appearances where he has thrown 17.1 shutout innings and allowed 9 hits and no walks while striking out 20 batters. He often gets glossed over for other more high profile players or pitchers with better stuff, but he just continues to perform. In 33 combined appearances between Double-A Akron and Columbus this year he is 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA (116.1 IP, 97 H, 25 BB, 115 K). He was also named the International League's Pitcher of the Week last week. He could be another Josh Tomlin-like pitcher in the system, though the question is whether or not he will get the chance.

Double-A right-handed pitcher Austin Adams had a very impressive year this season where in 26 starts he went 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA (136.0 IP, 147 H, 63 BB, 131 K). He was recently put on the temporary inactive list in Akron which may signal his season is done, not because he is hurt but because he may have reached his innings threshold of 135-140 innings this season. He has really developed himself into a starting pitching option for the Indians going forward. He has the very good upper 90s fastball and a good power curveball; it is just developing that fastball command and his changeup that will determine if he stays a starter down the road. He has a tendency at time to leave his pitches over the plate middle up, so getting him to more consistently work down in the zone and to both sides of the plate is key for him as well. There is no doubt he is at worst a Major League bullpen option.

Tyler Holt

High-A Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt is putting the finishing touches on his first full pro season. He has played well this year where in 119 games he is hitting .256 with 2 HR, 26 RBI, 34 stolen bases, and a .694 OPS. Those numbers may not look that impressive, but remember this is the Carolina League where offensive numbers suffer. Only one player in the entire league is hitting over .287, and his .256 average ranks 21st in the league. One of the things the Indians liked about him when they drafted him was his ability to get on base and impact a game on the bases, and he is doing that as he is 1st in the league in walks (76), 2nd in on-base percentage (.368), and 3rd in stolen bases (34).

Low-A Lake County right-handed reliever Cody Allen got a well deserved callup to Double-A Akron for the final week of the season. He has been lights out since being drafted this year and making his pro debut with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley. In 21 combined appearances between the two stops he is 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA and in 50.2 innings has allowed 31 hits, 14 walks, and has 70 strikeouts. He was his best at Lake County where he did not allow a run in seven appearances covering 17.1 innings. The call to Akron was more to help them as they lose players the final few days due to workload and promotions as he will likely open the 2012 season at High-A Kinston, but there is no doubt he has quickly opened some eyes and put himself on the radar as a bullpen option for the Indians down the road.

Jordan Smith

Short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley third baseman Jordan Smith continues to do well and in 63 games is hitting .306 with 0 HR, 44 RBI, and a .803 OPS. After a good June (.324/.405/.405) and blazing hot July (.347/.427/.485), he cooled considerably in August (.258/.388/.299). He has struggled of late where in his last 15 games he is hitting just .208 with a .616 OPS, which is probably him just tiring out at the tail end of the season after playing everyday for over two months straight for the first time ever in his career. He has certainly impressed this season with his good eye, approach, and developing power and size at the plate that it makes him an interesting prospect going forward as a corner infielder or outfielder.

Rookie level Arizona third baseman Robel Garcia had a nice season this year where he finished up hitting .284 with 6 HR, 24 RBI and a .915 OPS in 45 games. The 18-year old switch-hitter is still very raw and inexperienced as a player, but made some strides at the plate this season with his approach and showed a lot more power. Last year in Arizona he had a .286 slugging percentage but this year had a .544 slugging percentage. He can run a little bit, has a good arm, and has the tools and versatility to play almost anywhere in the infield, so he is a prospect to keep an eye on next year, and could open the season at Low-A Lake County.

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

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Minor Happenings: Jimenez impresses in emergency role

Francisco Jimenez (Photo: IPI)

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

For the first time in what feels like forever Minor Happenings is back in its normal Thursday slot today. Due to all the trade coverage, the draft, vacation, my health issues, etc the column has often posted on Friday’s this year….but at least for this week it is back in its rightful spot. Hooray!

I’ll be in Lake County this weekend to get a look at promising right-handed pitcher Felix Sterling on Saturday night, and at some point next week plan to go to Akron and Mahoning Valley. I will also be in Woodbridge, VA over Labor Day weekend to see the final three regular season games for Kinston and possible last games as the affiliate of the Cleveland Indians if they miss the playoffs.

In case you missed it, yesterday I wrote a recap of the draft signing deadline with loads of comments from Indians Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant. I also have another post-draft piece in the works with comments from Indians Scouting Director John Mirabelli that I plan to post on Monday or Tuesday next week.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Minor League Player of the Week
(for games from August 11th through August 17th)

Francisco Jimenez (Left-handed pitcher – Kinston)
0-0, 0.96 ERA, 2 G, 9.1 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 12 K, .188 BAA

Francisco Jimenez

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Francisco Jimenez has more than answered the bell with his recent insertion into the K-Tribe starting rotation. With the Indians scrambling for arms to fill in Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus because of trades and promotions to Cleveland, Kinston recently lost starters like right-hander Steven Wright to Akron and Brett Brach to Columbus. Wright was a permanent move as he has settled into the Akron rotation, while Brach was a short term callup to fill a spot starting need in Columbus because of a double-header.

With the Kinston team short on starters Jimenez has stepped in and pitched well. He has made three starts in a row and four overall this season, and as a starter he is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA (16.1 IP, 15 H, 8 BB, 23 K). With Brach back in Kinston and left-hander Giovanni Soto expected to be back soon, Jimenez will likely move back to his customary bullpen spot before his next scheduled start though there is still a chance he could make one more start.

In 29 combined appearances between Low-A Lake County and Kinston this year the 22-year old Jimenez is 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA, and in 70.1 innings has allowed 60 hits, 23 walks, and has 79 strikeouts. He has always been a performer as coming into this season in four minor league seasons he owned a 3.43 ERA, 2.2 BB/9, and 9.2 K/9.

Jimenez is a small framed lefty, which is why he has mostly pitched out of the bullpen. Along with his performance he also is a pretty talented southpaw in that while he is a soft-tosser who gets his fastball to 87-90 MPH and occasionally touches 92 MPH, he has very good command and an advanced feel for pitching. He is an aggressive, confident pitcher that uses his three pitch mix (curveball, changeup) well and creates some good deception with his delivery.

Like most relievers he does not rank well overall in the Indians system because premium position players and starting pitchers always get much higher consideration, but Jimenez is one of the Indians better relief prospects in Single-A and below. In a lot of ways he “looks” like Tony Sipp in size and build, though does not have the fastball and breaking ball of Sipp. He is definitely a reliever to keep an eye, especially with him being a lefty.

Honorable Mentions:

Tim Fedroff (OF – COL): .409 (9-22), 4 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.025 OPS
Jared Goedert (3B – COL): .375 (9-24), 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 1.006 OPS
Jeremie Tice (1B – KIN): .333 (8-24), 6 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, .948 OPS
Ronny Rodriguez (SS – LC): .318 (7-22), 1 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 SB, .991 OPS
Jordan Smith (3B – MV): .500 (6-12), 2 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.147 OPS
Robel Garcia (INF – AZL): .438 (7-16), 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2BB, 1 K, 2 SB, 1.550 OPS
Cody Allen (RHP – LC): 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K, .167 BAA
Clayton Cook – (RHO – KIN): 1-0, 1.46 ERA, 2 G, 12.1 IP, 16 H, 2 BB, 12 K, .314 BAA
Jeanmar Gomez (RHP – COL): 0-2, 2.08 ERA, 2 G, 13.0 IP, 11 H, 6 BB, 7 K, .220 BAA

Previous Winners:

08/04 to 08/10: Paolo Espino (RHP – Akron)
07/28 to 08/03: Jerad Head (OF – Columbus)
07/21 to 07/27: Tony Wolters (SS – Mahoning Valley)
07/14 to 07/20: Beau Mills (1B – Akron)
07/07 to 07/13: Luigi Rodriguez (OF – AZL Indians)
06/30 to 07/06: Elvis Araujo (LHP – AZL Indians)
06/23 to 06/29: Kirk Wetmore (LHP – Mahoning Valley)
06/16 to 06/22: Zach McAllister (RHP - Columbus)
06/09 to 06/15: Scott Barnes (LHP – Columbus)
06/02 to 06/08: Beau Mills (1B - Akron)
05/26 to 06/01: Anthony Gallas (OF - Lake County)
05/19 to 05/25: Tim Fedroff (OF – Akron)
05/12 to 05/18: Steven Wright (RHP – Lake County)
05/05 to 05/11: Cord Phelps (INF – Columbus)
04/28 to 05/04: Chun Chen (C – Akron)
04/21 to 04/27: Chad Huffman (OF – Columbus)
04/14 to 04/20: Alex White (RHP – Columbus)
04/07 to 04/13: Drew Pomeranz (LHP – Kinston)

Director’s Cuts

Indians Vice President and Director of Player Development President Ross Atkins had some things to say recently on several of the Indians prospects in the system:

T.J. McFarland

On T.J. McFarland: “He is a young, athletic left-handed pitcher who has a great ability to put the ball on the ground. Every year his groundball rates are exceptionally high. His strikeouts are a little bit better every year and his slider has developed. He is another guy that we need to push to use his changeup. It is not so much that he doesn’t have a changeup; it is that ability for him to throw it in any count and having the confidence to throw it in any situation so hitters don’t know how to put him into a corner. He is predominantly a sinker-baller, a lot like Aaron Laffey. If the changeup comes he will get a chance in the big leagues. He is a really great athlete and great kid and someone we are very excited about because of his youth, the handedness, and the ability to sink the ball.”

On Cory Burns: “Absolutely there is a chance for him to be a Major League pitcher. He is exceptionally competitive or he would not be so successful in that closer’s role. He has done a great job of finishing games and making sure that he is getting some of the bigger outs in games. He does it with a non-conventional delivery that there is some deception there and he has an above average feel for his offspeed pitches. The challenge or limitation for him will be fastball usage and command of that fastball and being aggressive with it. What happens in the Major Leagues is guys have more information as they are really able to digest what a pitcher is going to do, how they are going to be attacked, and what their arsenal is going to be in different situations much more so than in the minor leagues. He has really got to get better with his fastball. I think when taking a step back and looking at his numbers the saves are the last thing we look at. We do know how competitive he is and know that he is not going to be nervous which is a very good thing, but saves can be a very misleading stat. Often times you can get a save for a really close to easy inning as you start a clean inning and have a three run lead and only have to get three outs and you get a save. Now, it is a little bit awkward to do because you are the last guy standing, but in the grand scheme of things it sometimes is an over-inflated stat. Having said that, there is something to be said for guys who do not mind the pressure, and that is definitely Cory Burns as he does not mind the pressure.”

Tyler Sturdevant

On Tyler Sturdevant: “He really has a big arm, and he has a cutter to go with his big arm. He has been in the mid-to-high 90s almost every single outing as he is 94-97 MPH consistently every time he pitches. He has an 88-89 MPH cutter that at times has been virtually unhittable. We are going to continue to push and hopefully he can continue to do that at Triple-A and beyond. We really feel good about our bullpen options over the past couple of years with how guys have performed in the Major Leagues and what is below them in Triple-A and Double-A and beyond, and just adding to that mix is Tyler Sturdevant.”

On Juan Diaz: “He has been better than his numbers present. He plays great defense, he switch hits, and he can run at an average level. He is the leader and the centerpiece of that team. You look up at the slightly below .700 OPS and maybe don’t get as excited, but the subjective comments about his defense, leadership, his at bats, and his big game at bats are really exciting and encouraging to hear. Especially for someone who was traded into the organization and is from the Dominican Republic and has gone in and is leading the majority of that team being college players. He is the go to person as far as Chris Tremie and the staff is concerned.”

Kluber is getting better

Corey Kluber

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber put forth his best outing of the season on Tuesday night when he threw 6.2 no-hit shutout innings and allowed five walks and had a season high 11 strikeouts. In 24 starts for Columbus this season he is 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA, and in 134.2 innings has allowed 139 hits, 64 walks, and has 126 strikeouts. He ranks 7th in the International League in innings pitched and 3rd in strikeouts.

Kluber, 25, has had what many would call a disappointing season from a statistical perspective. The hit-rate is acceptable and the strikeouts are great, but the ERA and overall performance has suffered mostly because of some poor command for most of the season. Of late, however, his command has been better and as a result his performance has improved where in his last ten starts he has a 4.72 ERA and more importantly has just 26 walks in 61.0 innings and has 65 strikeouts. He has been a workhorse of late throwing over a 100 pitches in four straight outings with a season high 113 pitches on Tuesday, and has eight games in total this season he has thrown 100 pitches or more.

Even with some sub par numbers this season the Indians are very happy with what Kluber has shown this year, especially considering this is his first year in Triple-A and he is a first year 40-man guy. They believe they have the time to continue to develop his strike throwing ability and polish him off and feel he has made strides this season in other areas of his game. He struggled at the outset of the season because he was hit in the head with a line drive, which sidelined him for a few weeks and as a result he spent the better part of the first half of the season catching up and getting back on track.

The Indians have made some adjustments to Kluber’s delivery since spring training to get him into a more comfortable position when he pitches. They believe the pitches are there and that he has some good stuff which is arguably as good as or better than any pitcher on the Columbus staff this season. He shows an ability to strikeout hitters with all three of his pitches and gets swing and miss with his fastball, slider and changeup. In July he started working on a cutter and added it to his pitch mix recently and has had great results with it where it is consistently hitting 88 MPH and showing good depth.

The command has been what has haunted Kluber this year as he has often times walked too many people or the inconsistency with his command has led to him being in a lot of deep counts and pitching from behind. He has also been the victim of the big inning, which is something the Indians feel is more mental and can be worked on. The command is improving of late and the Indians believe that ultimately he has made good strides this season and if he just focuses on the process he will be okay.

Oh Henry!

Jordan Henry

This season probably has not lived up to everything Double-A Akron outfielder Jordan Henry thought it would be when it started. In 104 games for Akron he is hitting .253 with 0 HR, 31 RBI, and a .641 OPS, numbers which are down across the board from last season. Last year the 23-year old hit .312 with 0 HR, 29 RBI, and a .768 OPS in 116 combined games between High-A Kinston and Akron, and 74 of those games came in Akron where he impressed by hitting .300 with 0 HR, 16 RBI, and a .752 OPS.

Henry still gets on base at a good clip (.360 on-base%) and his plate discipline is still top notch as he is drawing walks (65) and limiting strikeouts (66), which is very similar to the walk-strikeout rate he had last year with 76 walks and 86 strikeouts. His stolen base numbers have also increased this year as he has 32 stolen bases this season compared to 29 last season. The biggest difference this year has been the significant drop in his batting average, which appears to be the result of some reduced luck as his batting average for balls in play (BABIP) last year at Akron was .377 and this year is only .305.

Henry has been incorporating the bunt into his game more of late as it is something he has worked a lot on before games. The Indians feel it adds a dynamic to his game that he has not shown much of in the past that could help put more pressure on the defense and maybe open up a few holes. By forcing the third baseman to come in some and respect the bunt it helps create a potential hole to get groundballs through the left side of the infield when he does not bunt.

Henry will probably never be an every day option in the big league because of his complete lack of power, but with his excellent speed and good defense to go along with very good on-base skills he still could be a 4th outfielder down the road in the big leagues.

Infirmary Report

Giovanni Soto

High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto is on the comeback trail as he is pitching for rookie level Arizona on a rehab assignment. He has made two starts and is being progressed back to full time pitching duties. On August 13th he made his first appearance and went 1.0 inning and struck out all three batters he faced. In his second appearance on August 16th he went 2.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits, no walks, and had one strikeout. He will probably get another rehab outing or two before returning to Kinston, possibly by next weekend. In 11 starts for Kinston he is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA (56.2 IP, 49 H, 18 BB, 58 K).

High-A Kinston outfielder Tyler Holt has not played since Saturday because of a sore ankle. He is considered day-to-day and not expected to land on the disabled list. In 108 games he is hitting .259 with 2 HR, 25 RBI, 30 stolen bases and has a .703 OPS. He also has 69 walks and a .370 on-base percentage.

High-A Kinston outfielder Anthony Gallas was placed on the disabled list on Monday with a hand injury that resulted from being hit by a pitch on July 31st. He had not played since that game, but apparently the hand was not getting better and with Kinston needing the roster spot they officially shut him down for now. In 92 combined games between Low-A Lake County and Kinston he is hitting .272 with 8 HR, 42 RBI and a .798 OPS.

Playoff races

We are now less than three weeks away from the end of the regular season. Here is a quick outlook at each of the Indians’ six stateside affiliates and their playoff chances:

Triple-A Columbus: At 79-47 and in 1st place of the International League West Division by 14.0 games, it is only a matter of days until they clinch a playoff berth and look to repeat as league champs. Their magic number to clinch the division is five.

Double-A Akron: At 64-59 they are in 4th place of the Eastern League Western Division and sit 5.0 games out of first. While winning the division may be a tough task right now, they are only 3.0 games behind the second place team. The second place team in the division earns a playoff berth as a wildcard team.

High-A Kinston: With a 28-23 second half record they are in 2nd place in the Carolina League Southern Division but are only 0.5 games in back of first place. First half winner Myrtle Beach has already clinched a playoff berth, now it is really between Kinston and Winston-Salem for the other berth from the Southern Division. Kinston and Winston-Salem to no play each other anymore this season.

Low-A Lake County: With a 20-31 second half record and in last place of the Midwest League Eastern Division and 14.0 games out of first place, the Captains are simply playing out the string on their season.

Short season Single-A Mahoning Valley: With a 33-24 record they are in 2nd place in the NY-Penn League Pinckney Division and 1.0 game out of first place. With three divisions in the league, one wildcard berth is given to the team with the best record that did not win a division and currently they are tied with two other teams with the same record for that wildcard berth. Needless to say, they will be in a dogfight these last few weeks.

Rookie level Arizona: With a 23-23 record they are in 3rd place in the Arizona League Central Division and 5.0 games out of first place. They are also 4.0 games out of the race for the lone wildcard spot, and with only ten games remaining it looks like they are playing out the string.

Scrappers get 2012 All Star game

It was announced this week that Mahoning Valley will host the 2012 NY-Penn League All Star game. The actual date of the contest will not be announced until the NY-Penn League releases the 2012 regular season schedule later this fall, but the game will likely either be on Tuesday August 14th or Tuesday August 21st.

Congratulations to the Mahoning Valley team as this is the first time they will be hosting an All Star game. This is an event which should be a lot of fun next year considering a lot of the top draft picks from the 2011 and 2012 drafts will be there. Also, with the draft signing deadline expected to be moved up into mid-July a lot of the top, elite talent from the 2012 Draft will likely be a part of the game. For the past few years the All Star game lacked the punch of All Star games of the past because of the late signing deadline in August.

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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The K-Tribe Chronicle: Going streaking up through the quad...

(Photo: Kinston Indians)

From the Reservation:

Streaking...not in the Will Ferrell sense, but in the we almost took the first half crown with a mad fury of wins sense...but we'll get to that in a second...

First and foremost, the K-Tribe Chronicle has taken a bit of a break, thanks to the month-long process of streamlining IPI with Tony, as well as a 72-hour jag known as the major league draft.  For all eight of you clamoring for its return, here it is, in all it's baby Tribe glory.  Instead of Mondays, Wednesday's will be it's new harbor, which should align all of the affiliates quite nicely, starting with Columbus on Monday, and ending with Mahoning Valley on Saturday.  Ahh, all is aligned with the world.  The Indians remain in first place..."Chiz" is back and belting hits all over the International League, and Austin Kearns is still with the big league club.  Yes...even I just puked a little in my mouth at that statement. 

What a long...extremely strange trip it has been during the first half of the season for the Kinston Indians.  How can we put it in perspective?  Well, the best hitter for the Indians has been second baseman, Justin Toole.  He's hitting a whopping .282, without a homer, and 19 RBI.  The best pitcher has clearly been Drew Pomeranz.  While his peripheral stats are outstanding, his overall record is still only 2-2.  Somehow, the K-Tribe managed to go on a tremendous tear from mid-May on, and nearly won the first half crown in the Southern division of the Carolina League.

How did it happen?  Was it smoke and mirrors?  Was it fantastic managing?  Was it clutch hitting, and outstanding, out-of-nowhere pitching?  Was there some sort of Kinston Voodoo out past the right field wall...past the giant Indian?  It was likely all of the above...and yes...including the Indians Voodoo...

Enjoy it folks, because the last half of baseball is about to begin in Kinston-ville.

The vacation's over...so let's get driving...

Where We Stand after the first half (week 10):

Overall Record: 38-31 (Second place in the first half, two games behind first half champ, Myrtle Beach)

The Offense:

I'd like to sit here and tell you that this offense is going to turn into something special, but I can't.  I'd like to tell you that there's one guy on this offense that is going to figure things out, and absolutely destroy Carolina League pitching, but I can't do that either.  Don't get me wrong, there are some prospects here, but Kinston is apparently the place where good hitters go to die.

Okay...it's not that bad...is it?

They are still last, or second to last, in nearly every offensive category as a team, and there isn't a soul in the top ten of any major Carolina League individual category either.  So how does this team score runs?  It's truly some sort of mysterious wizardry.  I've never seen a team score as many runs as the Indians have over the last month without a single player having multiple hits.  Seriously...this team is the prototype for the term team.  The come up with two-out hits, and homers out of nowhere unlike any team in the history of baseball.

You have to give Aaron Holbert some credit here for figuring out how to win with this club.  Let's be honest, Kinston hasn't really been able to hit the broad side of a barn since he's taken over, and yet he still manages to win ball games.  True, the Carolina League tends to be a pitcher's haven, but Kinston's offense has taken it to new levels.

There are a couple of guys who have come up from Lake County that are starting to breath a little life with their bats.  Of course, they both are hitting below .240, but for this team, that's challenging .400.

Six players to keep an eye on during the second half...

6. Abner Abreu: Oh, here we go again with this guy.  Every stinkin' year I pick this guy to be the next big thing, and every year, this guy makes me look like a complete idiot.  So, why not throw him up here again.  It's not like it can get any worse, can it?  Abreu has done absolutely nothing to justify this, and I likely am taking up space from another player that's actually going to light things up, but there's just so much natural talent with this guy.  If you've every seen him play, you can see what I'm talking about.  He's a tall, fluid kid, who runs like a gazelle, and has a nice, natural, but loopy swing.  He has that Darryl Strawberry feel to him (in the pre-coked-out-of-his-mind-years) in that he's a big, lanky guy with five-tool potential.  He can play any of the outfield positions, and he has a cannon of an arm.  Then, you watch him in front of the opposition's pitcher, and he starts looking like Miagi trying to catch that fly.  He swings at balls in the dirt...above his head...and yes...if there was a bull...he's swing at the ball that hit the effin' bull.  You can tell that he has no direction at the plate, and it seems to be getting worse.  So, why put him up here?  Optimism folks.  While I bash on him as though he wronged me in a former life (I'm not sure he didn't), I like the kid, and hope he comes through.  So, keep your eye on him in the second half...hopefully we'll see big things.  If not, I'll delete this and put someone else here that actually DID do something...so I look brilliant.

5. Casey Frawley: Frawley, at best, is a marginal overall prospect in the grand scheme of things, and he's not really done much to prove otherwise this season as Kinston's starting shortstop.  Still, he can be fun to watch at the plate.  Here's another kid with a big swing, as he never gets cheated out of an at bat.  Frawley strikes out once every four times he steps to the plate (Abreu nearly once every three times, but I digress), and he's only hitting .213 for the year.  With that said, he's still managed to hit eight homers (second on the team), and drive in 39 runs (first on the team).  Frawley really did kick off the streak that started the K-Tribe on their run in mid-May with walk-off homers and clutch hitting.  He fell back to the norm, but you get the impression that if he every learns how to walk up to the plate with a plan, there could be something more there.  

4: Adam Abraham: Abraham is a slightly better version of hitter than Casey Frawley.  He's equally as clutch, with a big more power.  He does seem to have a plan when he steps up to the plate, and he does walk an awful lot (his 35 walks on the season are tied for second with Roberto Perez).  What I like about Abraham is that while he's only batting .239 on the season, he does have a respectable .353 OBP to go along with his solid power.  His ten homers lead the team, and his 35 RBI are second.  Again, I don't know that Abraham is anything but depth in this system, but it's been fun watching him develop into a decent power hitter.  Hopefully he can continue to warm up as the summer draws, and close out with a big second half.

3. Tyler Holt:  Tyler Holt IS the best player on this team.  When he's on, this kid does everything the Indians drafted him for.  He gets on base, steals bases, and takes advantage of every opportunity.  He's hitting .265 on the year, which is third on the team, and has a line of .265/.383/.372.  He'll never hit for much power, but this kid screams prototypical lead-off hitter.  This is his first full season, and he's come through with a solid campaign so far.  Look for Holt to figure things out in the second half.  He's the type of kid that can let an at bat ruin his day.  When he controls his emotions at the plate, he'll become extremely dangerous.

2. Tyler Cannon: Tyler Cannon was absolutely shredding the ball in Lake County.  Then came the normally joyous news that he was getting called up to help out the offensively inept Kinston Indians, the Bermuda Triangle for hitters.  Cannon had a stretch to start his career at Kinston that had adults in the stands wondering why they couldn't do what he was doing.  The 3-36 stretch (.083) had me wondering if Cannon was going to follow in the footsteps of Jason Smit and retire (Smit had smoked the ball at Lake County, but was batting only .217 when he gave up).  Fortunately, Cannon stuck it out, and he's begun to show signs of returning to form.  Cannon is 7-13 in his last three games, with five runs, two doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBI.  He's walked three times, and only struck out two.  These were the types of numbers he was putting up at Lake County.  Cannon, a 12th rounder in 2010, is a shortstop by trade, but has played all infield positions with Kinston, as well as one game in the outfield.  I firmly believe Cannon may turn out to be the best offensive player on the team.  Unfortunately, it won't take him much.

1. Anthony Gallas: Gallas was an undrafted free agent when he signed with the Tribe last June, and he's turned into one of the better players in the low minors.  At Lake County, Gallas was hitting rockets when he was called up to Kinston, batting .314 with six homers and 21 RBI.  He's only played seven games with Kinston, but he's hit in six of those games, with three doubles and seven RBI.  He's only hitting .240, as all of his games have been of the single-hit variety, but his .400 OBP more than makes up for it.  If he can continue the power output that he showcased at Lake County, there's no reason to think that Gallas can't be extremely productive with Kinston in the second half.  While I don't believe he's got as much upside as Cannon, he may still ride that hot bat to a big second half.  By the way, Lake County has only won one game since his call-up. While there's more at play than Gallas being gone, his consistent bat certainly was missing.

The Pitching:

The strength of this club is certainly their pitching, but this team doesn't even resemble the K-Tribe staff that dominated the Carolina last year.  Top prospects Alex White, Nick Hagadone, T.J. McDonald, Kelvin De La Cruz and Joe Gardner called Kinston home last season, giving Kinston one of the most dominating staffs in the system from beginning to end.  This year, the rotation has been headed by Drew Pomeranz, who may just be the best pitcher in the entire system.  Past that, this rotation has absolutely no similarities to the power pitches of last season.

Kinston is still a tough place to come and hit.  They are second in the league in ERA, have given up the fewest hits and the second fewest runs/earned runs in the league.  They're also the second in the league in K's, which is surprising considering they don't really have an atypical strike-out pitcher in the rotation past Pomeranz.  Most of their starters are of the location variety, and while they are top-50 prospects, it's not because of their howitzer arms.

The bullpen is similar, with projects and wily hurlers, but they are once again anchored by the best closer in the league.  Minus Tyler Sturdevant, who can hit 95 on the gun, the bullpen is laced with guys that are either coming back (Adam Miller initially, Kyle Landis and Steven Wright currently), or trying to find their way (Jose Flores, Francisco Jimenez).

Overall, it's an extremely interesting mix of talent.  Are they legit prospects, or are they destined to call Single A home for the foreseeable future?


Six players to keep an eye on in the second half:

6. Clayton Cook:  Cook has been one of the most consistent K-Tribe starters in 2011.  He's not overpowering, but can pepper the strike zone with a low-90's four-seamer with movement, an real nice curveball that continues to improve, and a changeup.  I'm not sure he's got the stuff to remain a starter as he moves up through the system, but he certainly has done a nice job in Kinston this season.  Since May second, Cook has made eight starts, giving up only 13 earned runs.  If you take away his last outing, he's only given up ten runs in seven starts.  What's been most impressive has been his strike out totals, in particular during his June 4th and 13th starts, in which he whiffed nine batters each.  Cook is a top 40 prospect, and if he continues on this trajectory in the second half, his stock will certainly move up.  The question is...can it translate to Double and Triple A?


5. Marty Popham:  Who the heck is this guy anyways?  Is he a starter?  Is he a reliever?  At 6'6" and 235 pounds, what he is is big.  Like Cook, his fastball isn't blazing, but touches 93 fairly consistently.  With his size, there's no doubt that there's room for improvement with regards to his velocity.  He has a nice slider, and an average changeup to go with it.  Like Cook, he doesn't really have that plus pitch, so this is the issue that keeps Popham bouncing from start to relief.  Here's the thing though...Popham has been absolutely outstanding as a starter.  In his three starts for Kinston this year, he's gone 17 innings, giving up only two runs, without a single walk.  He's struck out 14.  Overall with Kinston, he's only given up nine total runs and struck out 30.  How many walks has he had at High A?  How about a big, fat goose-egg.  While Popham struggled at Columbus and Akron this year, I do believe it was because he was forced into that bullpen role.  If they stick with him in the rotation in the second half, look for big things from another hidden gem.  

4. Preston Guilmet:  Preston Guilmet isn't overpowering, and isn't a HUGE prospect in this system.  Still, like Cory Burns last season, he's become one of the best relievers in the system.  The K-Tribe closer was a ninth-round pick by the Tribe in 2009, and has a low-90's fastball, a nice slider, a change-up and splitter.   While he mostly depends on the fastball/slider combo, he can change things, and can throw the split for outs.  I'm not sure where Guilmet goes as he moves through the system, whether it be as a closer or as a top set-up guy, but either way, he's going to be heard from in the bigs.

3. T.J. House:  There was a time this year when I would have bet the farm that House wasn't ever going to figure things out.  Clearly, House has one of the best arms in the system, and he clearly had moments when you could really see it.  Still, his control issues have been a bit of an issue throughout the year, and his K's have dropped.  Then came the past four games, and things really started to click for the lefty.  He's gone 3-1 during those starts, pitching in 27 total innings.  He's given up a grand total of four runs during that time for a sparkling 1.33 ERA.  This included a complete game shutout.  His stuff, when on, is brilliant.  He has a fastball that sits at 92-94, and touches 96.  He has a plus slider when he's throwing it for strikes, and a changeup that has improved immensely in the past month.  He does have a curve that he throws on occasion, and when he completely figures that out, he could take another step towards ace status.  House is still only 21-years old, and while he's not a household name like Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, he could develop into a pitcher just as good, whether as a starter, or a reliever.  Watch House...not the show...the pitcher.  This could be the year he explodes onto the scene, and did I mention he's a power lefty?

2. Drew Pomeranz:  Okay, Pomeranz may not ever see Kinston again on his way to the big leagues, but just in case the Indians surprise, I'm putting him up here as the number 2 player to watch.  After watching his stuff this season, I can say that it's better than Alex White and Joe Gardner's stuff at the same time last season.  He has a natural, fluid motion, and can just destroy hitters with his fastball that sits in the 92-95 range.  Pomeranz can touch 97, and he really does a nice job working the plate.  His curveball is about as unnerving a pitch for hitters as his aggressive fastball, and may actually be his best pitch.  He throws a changeup a few times a game, but it's not good.  The two games I saw him pitch, he threw three change-ups, and they were all hits.  Still, if he ever figures out that pitch, look out.  I don't think Pomeranz will step field in Kinston in the second half, so we'll have to watch from afar...but...you just never know.  Might the Alex White injury have scared management into not moving him up too fast?

1. Giovanni Soto:  Soto has been outstanding this season, and I'm actually fairly surprised.  While he came to the Indians with a bit of hype in the Peralta deal last season, I can't say that I was impressed with his stuff, at least on paper.  Then I saw him pitch.  At first, you see this kid that looks like he could blow away in the wind.  He's 6'3", and can't be a pound over 150.  When you see him warm up, it's not that impressive.  He barely pops the glove, let alone spike the radar.  Then he faces live batting, and you see why he's so good.  First, his delivery puts batters off-kilter.  He has a slight pause in his delivery, and seemingly brings the ball out of nowhere.  On top of that, he can throw five different pitches, and uses them all, with wonderful speed changes, to keep hitters off balance.  His fastball has a bunch of movement, but rarely hits 90 MPH.  He also can throw a sinker, curve, cutter and a change-up.  He can command all of his pitches, and what's really interesting is that he'll likely put on a few pounds over the coming years.  With that, will he add velocity?  If the kid starts hitting 92-93 MPH, he'll immediately be in discussions with regards to being an ace.  Remember when Carmona threw strikes consistently, with movement?  I do believe that Soto's stuff is better, without the velocity.  With that said, keep an eye on this kid over the next couple of months.  He may just turn into one of the biggest steals in recent memory.  

First Half Awards:

Offensive player of the first half: Adam Abraham

Pitcher of the first half:  Giovanni Soto
Player of the first half: Giovanni Soto

Weekly Awards

Week 1: 3B-Adam Abraham
Week 2: CF-Tyler Holt
Week 3: SP/RP-Toru Murata
Week 4: SP-Clayton Cook
Week 5: SP-Giovanni Soto
Week 6: RP-Adam Miller
Week 7: RP-Tyler Sturdevant
Week 8: TBA
Week 9: TBA
Week 10: TBA
First Half: SP-Giovanni Soto 

Here comes week #11:

June 2011

23 @ Salem, 7:05 PM
24 @ Salem, 7:05 PM
25 @ Salem, 6:05 PM
26 vs. Potomac, 4:30 PM

The Rearviewmirror: Sayonara first half, and as we head back down the mountain, it's hard not to get a bit misty-eyed with regards to Kinston.  The second half will start the goodbye party in one of the best minor league cities in baseball.  Let's hope the K-Tribe can give them one last Carolina League title!


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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