Coach’s Corner: Mickey Callaway

I recently had a chance to sit down with Low-A Lake County pitching coach Mickey Callaway and talk at length about some more of the pitchers on his roster.  The last time we spoke, we concentrated on the starting rotation, so this time the focus was on the bullpen and all the new arms that have recently joined the Lake County staff.

On Preston Guilmet: "He is looking really good. He throws his fastball for strikes and gets ahead with it. He has a slider-forkball that he bounces and they just swing at it. He is real deceptive from way up top and everything goes straight down and there is no side to side. The hitters do not see him well. He came here and was dominant so we are just letting him do what he does. We have talked a little bit about pitch selection as when he first got here he would throw first pitch fastball and then start bouncing stuff and then the hitters would pick that up and stop swinging. So we talked about maybe using the fastball a little bit more and bury the hitters late with his offspeed stuff. He is right at 88-90 MPH."

On Tyler Sturdevant: "He has a fastball in the low to mid 90s and he is really locating opposite arm side down and away. That's been kind of his go to pitch as when he gets in trouble he starts throwing that pitch and really gets a lot of swings and misses and can get ahead with that pitch. He has shown a decent slider, and his velocity kind of makes his slider better. Definitely his fastball is his best pitch, he kind of throws everything off of it and it makes his offspeed pitches better. The main thing we are stressing is keeping the ball down consistently. He has a tendency with the way he throws to elevate the fastball a little bit too much, so we are just kind of stressing to keep the ball down."

On Brett Brach: "He has unorthodox mechanics, so we really have to stay on top of him with finishing the pitch and getting out front with it. When he is pitching and making his pitches he is very effective and throws the ball really well. He has a real loose arm and is a good kid who does everything right with his work ethic. He turns a little bit, not quite as bad as Cory Burns, but he kind of over-rotates a little bit and it kind of adds to his deception. He is just a 90 MPH righty that can pitch, so it adds some deceptiveness to his delivery where if he was more of an ordinary guy who was tall-and-fall he'd be easier to see, so it adds to that deceptiveness which is what you are looking for."

On Vidal Nuno: "His first outing he had some burns on his fingers, so he wasn't too effective. After that he has looked great. He mixes his pitches up and he can really pitch. He has four pitches and throws them all for strikes, and he has good fastball command especially inside to righties and it really helps him out. He is high 80s and can get it up to 91 MPH, and the older he gets he can maybe add a MPH or two. He is still a guy who is always going to have to make pitches as he is never going to be a mid 90s guy. He does have some deceptiveness to his ball as he hides it real well. When I was playing catch with him it was real hard to pick it up out of his hand as he throws it right out off his ear just over the top of his shoulder. So he has some deceptiveness and can throw the ball by some guys some times."

On Jeremy Johnson: "He is another guy who throws 93-94 MPH. he has a decent slider and really attacks the zone. That's the main thing with these guys who have come out of extended as they have really come out and been aggressive and not scared of these hitters. He is a little older and more refined than a 19-year old would be. It is mostly just keeping the ball down and don't throw it thigh high. He has a sneaky fastball and as a shorter guy he creates good leverage for his size."

On Matt Packer: "What happened was when he was in the pen he showed us four good pitches, so he has a chance to start being a lefty and is doing a great job. He can really pitch off his offspeed stuff a curveball, slider and changeup, and has a decent fastball with sink. He has a good arsenal to have as a starter. His changeup really has a lot of deception and depth to it as it really dives. If he can pitch off the changeup which is his main weapon and sneak the fastball in there and mix in the curve and slider he can do a good job. He has been up to 93 MPH, and sitting 90-91 MPH which is pretty good for a lefty. I think he is more of a guy who needs to locate as I don't see a lot of swing and misses because he is throwing a ball by a guy, he gets a lot of swing and misses on his offspeed stuff."

On Francisco Jimenez: “The Latin guys have been around more advanced players when they are growing up, so he has already seen guys that can pitch before. That’s why these Latin guys are so good at a young age because they are around big league guys and play winter ball. They are on a team when they are 16; they don’t get to play but they are around the guys and stuff. So he is a little more advanced pitching-wise. He knows when to use his changeup and when to use his curveball and slider. He can pitch and locates his fastball very well, and when he keeps the fastball down he is very effective. He may touch 90 MPH every now and again, but he is 86-88 MPH. He has a sneaky little fastball.”

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Keeping An Open Mind With First Impressions

I always try to remember that first impressions can be wrong and that you need to keep an open mind. Recently, baseball reminded me of the need to not judge in haste.

On Monday, May 24 left hander Vidal Nuno debuted for the Captains in the top of the fifth inning of a scoreless game against the South Bend Silver Hawks. Nuno, a 22 year old 4th round pick from Baker University in Kansas, replaced starter Austin Adams. Adams pitched a great game going four innings and allowing one hit with four strikeouts and no walks. It was one of the performances that propelled Adams to Midwest Pitcher of the Week honors.

Nuno came and proceeded to - putting it mildly - stink up the joint. He gave up two runs in the fifth inning and four more in the seventh. Before manager Ted Kubiak pulled him with two outs in the 7th, Nuno gave up 6 runs, 9 hits (4 of them doubles) while striking out only one batter. At least he didn’t walk anyone, but he did ruin an outstanding effort by Adams. He ended the game with an ERA of 20.25. 20.25!

I along with many Captains fans was furious. Antwoine Hubbard pitched the remainder of the game, giving up only 1 hit in the remaining inning and a third. The Captains ended up scoring three runs in the bottom of the 7th, so without Mr. Nuno’s performance the Captains would have won instead of losing their second game in a row. The next day Ross Atkins, the Indians Director of Player Development, attended the game against Dayton. I and a few other Captains fans talked about going over to him and asking “What on Earth did you ever see in Vidal Nuno? He’s terrible-that’s one of the worst performances we’ve ever seen!”

Well, I guess there’s a reason Ross Atkins is the Director of Player Development for a major league team and I’m a management consultant who writes for a blog. Nuno started the game in Great Lakes on Saturday May 29. He pitched 4 scoreless and hitless innings, struck out 7, walked none and hit one. Wow, what a difference! His piggyback mate, Austin Adams, combined with Nuno to shutout the Loons 2-0 with Adams getting the win. I thought, 'gee maybe I’m wrong about Nuno' but decided to wait until he pitched another game before I decided that I had made a mistake. You can be too hasty with these things.

Vidal Nuno next appeared in a game on Thursday, June 3 against the Beloit Snappers. Nuno, still piggybacking with Adams, came on in the 5th. Nuno pitched 3 innings and got the win while giving up only a solo homer to Beloit DH Daniel Rams in the 6th. Nuno struck out 6 and walked one. He’s now 1-1 in 3 games, with 9.2 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts (13 in the last two games) and only 1 walk. Let me repeat that. 14 strikeouts and 1 walk! He’s lowered his ERA to 6.52. Quite an improvement.

Indians fans may remember Chris Perez’s debut with the Tribe last year after coming over from St. Louis. Indians fans moan and groaned and some wanted Perez tarred and feathered. Eventually though, Perez settled down to become a pretty decent reliever and possibly the Tribe’s closer of the future. As the saying goes “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”, but that doesn’t mean that with hard work and determination, you can’t change someone’s mind. So, I must say to Vidal Nuno and Ross Atkins, “I was wrong”.

Photo courtesy of Lianna Holub

Terry Evitts, a management consultant and baseball historian, is a life-long resident of Lake County. He follows the Captains for IPI and may be reached at tevitts@indiansprospectinsider.com.

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IPI Inbox: Opening Day Is Here!

The Cleveland Indians 2010 season officially gets underway later today in Chicago at 2:05 PM EST when they face off with the White Sox, and the Indians’ minor league affiliates in Columbus, Akron, Kinston and Lake County are set to open their season on Thursday night. With that in mind, let’s clean out the e-mail inbox from spring training and talk about all the recent roster decisions and more.

As a quick sidenote, rather than give a longwinded prediction as to the success or failures of the 2010 Cleveland Indians, I will just say that I think this team will be better and more exciting than a lot of people think. It will be a rollercoaster of a ride this season, but by the same token I think there will be a lot to get excited about by the end of the season. It is going to be a lot of fun and frustrating at the same time watching this starting rotation and bullpen shake itself out, and in the end I am predicting they make some noise in August before finishing in third place in the division at 78-84. While they could surprise this season given the weak AL Central, no matter what happens I think it will be a good building block of a season for 2011 which I think is when they truly jump back into the contention ring.

Onto the inbox….

Aaron H. wrote: Travis Hafner, Jake Westbrook, Kerry Wood, Russell Branyan and Jhonny Peralta could all be coming off the books soon. Possibly even Carmona after his contract ends in 2011, but it all depends on his success this season and next. With that said, does that money go to Choo, Cabrera and, if there is enough, Grady? I expect Choo and Cabrera to get signed soon, but Grady?

Me: If you look at the Indians payroll situation for the next seven years, you can definitely see that a lot of money is coming off the books after this season. After this season the Indians only have contract commitments of any kind to three players, Travis Hafner ($13M), Grady Sizemore ($7.7M), and Fausto Carmona ($6.3M) which totals about $27 million. For a team that in 2011 will likely operate with a payroll somewhere between $50-60 million, that offers them the potential to add anywhere from $25-35 million in payroll next year. Some of that I am almost positive will come in the form of new long term deals to young players nearing arbitration to carry them through their arbitration years and their first year or two of free agency. I would be very surprised if Asdrubal Cabrera is not locked up in this way, though I think Shin-Soo Choo will be a much more difficult task. In any case you can bet both get long term contract offers sometime this season, the only question will be whether they sign them. If Justin Masterson is doing well by the All Star break, he is another who may get one of those long term offers as well. In any case, these players are going to be with the Indians for at least four more seasons including the upcoming season, so it is not time to panic about them yet.

Even if they do sign Cabrera and Choo to long term deals, they are going to have a lot of flexibility next offseason to add some payroll and bring in free agents on somewhat expensive one year or possibly two year deals. The money saved from the likes of Jake Westbrook, Kerry Wood, Jhonny Peralta, and Russell Branyan coming off the big league payroll next year will really help the Indians in their efforts to add some mid level free agents to fill gaps and to also extend players currently with the team. I don't anticipate Sizemore resigning to any kind of extension as he will likely test out the free agent waters. Because of that, the Indians may attempt to reach an extension with him next year sometime, but that seems like a long shot and it seems that barring something unexpected happening with Sizemore taking a lot less to stay here that he will be traded at some point during the 2012 season.

Frank wrote: Although he didn't pitch last season what is you're feeling on right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner? I looked at his college stats and saw an interesting theme. In almost 90 innings he had 19 hit batters but only gave up 3 home runs. It appears he will bust you inside but not leave the ball in the sweet zone. Might he start in Kinston?

Me: Gardner will open the season in the Low-A Lake County rotation. After he missed the chance to make his professional debut last year for short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley because of a minor injury which lingered, it all but locked him into a Lake County assignment to start this season. He was the Indians 3rd round pick in last year’s draft, so he obviously comes with some value since he was taken so high. He is still kind of raw on the mound so it will be very interesting to follow him this year with his development and performance. He throws a heavy sinking fastball which allows him to keep the ball down and the home runs to a minimum, and he is also not afraid to pitch inside. These two things are very important and something the Indians like to see with their young pitchers, so he is off to a good start at least from that perspective. Now it is just about seeing what he does and how he improves.

Rich S. wrote: Could the injury to Kerry Wood end up being beneficial to the Indians in that it will make it harder to finish enough games to automatically kick in his 2011 option? Wouldn't this make him more tradeable?

Me: I think the injury definitely benefits the Indians at least financially and from a trade perspective. There is now just about no way he will ever finish 55 games this year, and with that the Indians will not be bound to his $11 million option for 2011 which would have automatically vested with 55 or more games finishes this season. This also applies to any team which were to acquire him this year, so it certainly helps make him more attractive to any team in a potential trade knowing they won’t be on the hook for him past this year. A team can pick him up for the stretch run, and if he struggles or they are not impressed with him they can just decline his 2011 option. But, there is also the chance he fits in well and they like what they see, and they could always pick up the 2011 option. If he is healthy come July, I expect him to be highly sought not only because of what he could bring to a contending team’s pitching staff, but he would not cost a lot for three months and that team also would have control over him for 2011.

On the flipside, the injury really hurts the Indians at the moment. Initially I felt the injury actually helped them as it allowed them to get a longer look at right-hander Chris Perez as a closer and potentially some other arms in the pen. But, after thinking about it more, the injury was the worst thing that could happen to the bullpen to start the season. Now not only do you lose your closer, you also lose your setup man as Chris Perez was expected to be that guy. So you are not only finding out about your closer now, but you are also playing musical chairs and trying to find a setup man to start the season. It could be the recipe for a disaster in the bullpen to start the season, and having Wood in there to stabilize the pen and have everyone else fall in line behind him may have helped a lot more at least to start the season.

JeterCP wrote: Wow no one wanted [left-hander Jeremy] Sowers? Has his stock diminished that much? Surely you would think someone would have claimed him.

Me: It is not much of a surprise really to see Sowers clear waivers. First off he is somewhat damaged goods as he has battled shoulder soreness all of spring training. Secondly, he has largely been ineffective for most of his four year big league career. Last, and probably most importantly, other teams are also feeling the roster crunch as they were releasing players too in order to get their 25-man and 40-man rosters set. Had Sowers been designated for assignment in September or October, I think he may have been claimed. It was really just a good time to make a move on Sowers from the Indians point of view, and shows that sometimes contrary to what the fans may think the Indians may know a thing or two about roster manipulation. Plus, as fans, we tend to over value our own players anyway!

Dave wrote: [Right-handers] Dallas Cawiezell and Mike Pontius are surprise [cuts], at least in seeing BOTH of them released. Both have very good arms, and if I recall, Pontius was a highly regarded prospect just a season or two ago. What happened with these guys, Tony?

Me: It was just a numbers game that they didn’t win. After all of the trades the Indians have completed over the past year netted them some nice arms, it pushed a lot of their in-house guys down a notch or two, or in the case of Cawiezell and Pontius out of the organization. Last year Cawiezell was a bubble guy to be released after spring training, so it is not too much of a surprise to see him released, though he had nice size and a good arm in the pen. But I expected it because of the depth of pen arms at AAA/AA. In a different less deep system, he probably gets another year. As for Pontius, his injury last year really killed his prospect standing. He told me he was all the way back this spring, and the velocity was just about there, but in missing all that time it opened the door for a lot more players to jump him on the depth charts. In addition to that I was told he just did not have a very good spring. Injuries can often be a death sentence to a minor leaguer as if you are not playing someone else is getting a chance plus every year 30-50 new players are brought in via the draft or free agency to take their job.

Brock wrote: I thought [left-handed pitcher Kelvin] De La Cruz was going to be in Akron?

Me: De La Cruz was 50/50 for Double-A Akron to start the season, though if healthy he should still spend the majority of the season in Akron this year. You have to remember that he was slated at High-A Kinston to start last year and only made two starts before missing the rest of the season. Even though he pitched in Instructional League in the fall, the Indians consider Kinston the most important level for a player to develop at and with that they probably would like to see him make a few more starts there. They also likely want to see him get his season going, get his feet wet and back in top form, and then probably move up quickly by May/June to Akron.

Jake Taylor wrote: Any reason Vidal Nuno is with Extended Spring Training? The guy was absolutely lights out and isn't even good enough to grab a bullpen spot in Lake County? Is he hurt?

Me: No, Nuno is 100% healthy, at least to my knowledge. He definitely had a very good statistical performance last year, but unfortunately it didn’t change his view very much as a prospect. He is still a guy drafted out of the 48th round who doesn’t have very good stuff, he just competes well and throws strikes. There is still also a question as to whether him being a crafty left-hander and a little older may have helped him dominate hitters at the short-season and rookie ball levels. In any case, it was good to see how he performed last year as it surely put his name on the map, which for a lower level draft pick like him is all he could hope for in the early stages of his career. For now though, there are some other arms the Indians need to see at Lake County first as for one left-hander Chris Jones is in the pen there, but I think Nuno will be in Lake County (or Kinston) at some point fairly quickly. I mean, who do you take out of that Lake County bullpen? The problem at the moment is there are so many starters and several of them are now pitching in the bullpen, and as a result it is pushing some of the relievers back a level or to extended spring training. Injuries and performance issues always crop up the first month or two of the season, so I am sure we will see Nuno at some point in April or May.

Jake Taylor wrote: A bit surprised to see [right-handed pitcher Connor] Graham and [right-handed pitcher Paolo] Espino still starting, but should I assume that those 2, as well as [right-hander Zach] Putnam are likely ticketed for the bullpen in the near future?

Me: Graham is definitely in the starting rotation to start the season, though to be honest I am not 100% that Espino will be, but the way the pitching staff looks he looks like the favorite to hold down the fifth spot in the short term. Yes, all three of Graham, Espino, and Putnam are likely bound for a bullpen role, but the Indians really want to develop Putnam’s secondary stuff and they are really trying to refine Graham’s command of his fastball. The best place to do that is in the starting rotation where these guys can work on stuff for five to six innings an outing and at the same time develop a routine throwing every five days with a 30-40 pitch throwing session mixed in there on one of their off days. Espino is just keeping the rotation spot warm until Kelvin De La Cruz is eventually called up in May, and once that occurs he will probably go to the Akron bullpen.

Dave G. wrote: What does it mean when a pitcher is placed in extended spring training?

Me: Extended spring training runs from April to June. It's in Goodyear, the same place as regular spring training, and is where all the extra guys who don’t make full season teams continue to develop and work on things and play games to get ready for short season leagues which start up in June. I have an article on it that I will update and re-post next week.

Josh wrote: Is Jordan Brown back at first base?

Me: With the Indians need at first base, they are definitely keeping him in mind as a first baseman. Not an everyday guy, but someone who at best could platoon there at the big league level if a need arises. The Indians are thin at first base as they only really have Matt LaPorta available to play there everyday at the big league level, and it can be argued it is the weakest position in the system as far as true depth options go. Beau Mills is returning to Double-A Akron to continue his development, and if he has a better season this year than last he could enter into the everyday first base discussion at the big league level by the end of the season. But as for Brown, his best chance as an everyday player is left field, though when he makes the Indians’ roster he will likely rotate between left field, first base and designated hitter.

Brian wrote: It may be very difficult to whittle down that Akron bullpen from 10 to 7. Any ideas as to who gets sent down to EST?

Me: As for the ten relievers in Akron at the moment, the roster has not yet been finalized so some last minute changes can occur. Also, a pitcher or two could open on the disabled list, and if I had to guess right-hander Vinnie Pestano and left-hander Heath Taylor will at least to start the season since they are coming off severe arm injuries from last year. They have pitched well in spring training and are supposedly healthy, so I am just guessing with that as it is entirely possible they open the season in the bullpen. We will know one way or another in the next 48 hours. Remember that last year right-hander Carlton Smith opened the year in Akron as an extra bullpen guy and was not activated until late April, so three of the arms could just hang around the team for a short while before being activated. As we know, the bullpen situation in Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus will be in flux all year, and some big changes could occur within the first month of the season, so the extra arms on reserve in Akron may help.

Follow me on Twitter @tlastoria.

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Hunting Down Late Round Gems

Editor's Note:  This is a debut piece from Benedetto, an Indians fan out in Italy!  He has been a big fan of this site since day one and is an avid follower of the Indians from the other side of the pond.  Language can always be a barrier in sports, but stats never are, and he takes a quick look at some of the numbers the Indians late round picks from the 2009 Draft put up last year and singles out anything that may be interesting to note from those numbers.

In this new IPI feature I’d like to take a closer look at the players taken in late rounds of the MLB draft. Players selected, and signed, by the Indians from the 10th round and on. Usually they are players that get little attention, but I felt they deserved to be known and looked at closer.

I am not by any means a scout, so I’ll just take a look at their numbers and see who did well just through the cold numbers. For me, and hopefully for you, it’s just a way to track down those players that might fly under the radar and be bound for a breakout season. Here they are and please always consider the very small sample size.

ROUND 11: Kirk Wetmore - Left-handed Pitcher
Bellevue CC - 6’2 - 205 - L/L - Born 3/17/89 (20)
Resides in Maple Valley, WA - Scout: Uhey

AZL Indians (R): 11 Games (7 starts), 43 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9 H/9, 9.4 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.22 FIP with .388 BABIP.

Analysis: Solid numbers, nice BB/K ratio.

ROUND 12: Joseph Colon - Right-handed Pitcher
No School - 6’0 - 167 - R/R - Born 2/18/90 (19)
Resides in Caguas, PR - Scout: Soper

AZL Indians (R): 11 Games (7 starts), 32 IP, 5.63 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 12 H/9, 7.3 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, 3.86 FIP

Analysis: Ugly numbers not helped by a very high BABIP. Horrible K/BB ratio. Not a good start.

ROUND 13: Jeremy Johnson - Right-handed Pitcher
Washington State - 5’11 - 186 - R/R - Born 1/7/87 (22)
Resides in Centralia, WA - Scout: Uhey

Mahoning Vally (A-): 19 Games (all in relief), 37 IP, 1.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 9 H/9, 7 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 3.23 FIP with a .317 BABIP

Analysis: Former college reliever continued to work in the pen, showed very good control, low K number but a fine 60% of groundballs . Good control and high groundball rates are usually good signs for a reliever.

ROUND 14: Kyle Smith - Shortstop
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo - 6’1 - 190 - R/R - Born 12/25/87 (21)
Resides in Visalia, CA - Scout: Sagisi

Mahoning Valley (A-): 51 Games, 190 AB, .242 AVG, .332 OBP, .279 SLG, .611 OPS, .037 ISO, .307 BABIP, 18% LD%, 9.5% BB%, 18 K%, 8 SB and 7 Errors.

Analysis:  So and so debut, showed no power but nice plate discipline. Monthly splits suggest that he got better as time went on.

ROUND 15: Mike Rayl - Left-handed Pitcher
Palm Beach CC - 6’3 - 185 - L/L - Born 11/1/88 (20)
Resides in Lake Worth, FL - Scout: Soper

AZL Indians (R): 10 Games (8 starts), 33.2 IP, 3.74 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.6 H/9, 11 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 2.90 FIP with a .388 BABIP.

Analysis: Nice K/9, good K/BB ratio, high H/9, very good FIP considering the high BABIP.

ROUND 16: Dale Dickerson - Right-handed Pitcher
Nicholls State - 6’2 - 210 - R/R - Born 9/11/86 (22)
Resides in Calhoon, LA - Scout: Pajari

AZL Indians (R): 21 Games (all in relief), 25.1 IP, 3.91 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 6.8 H/9, 8.5 K/9, 5.7 BB/9

Analysis: Not a very good start but still put up better number than in college. Bad K/BB ratio.

ROUND 17: Casey Frawley - Infielder
Stetson - 5’11 - 170 - R/R - Born 9/17/87 (21)
Resides in New Haven, CT - Scout: Soper

AZL Indians (R): 43 AB, .882 OPS but .422 BABIP
Mahoning Valley (A-): 150 AB, 293 AVG, 344 OBP, 387 SLG, 743 OPS, 0.94 ISOP, 350 BABIP, 18% LD%, 6% BB%, 18.7 K%.

Analysis:  Played mostly second base, nice debut, good plate discipline but not a lot of power. Good OBP but 8 errors in 51 games played.

ROUND 18: Dwight Childs - Catcher
Arizona - 6’1 - 170 - R/R - Born 7/23/88 (20)
Resides in Elk Grove, CA - Scout: Ewing

Mahoning Valley (A-): 43 AB, 093 AVG, 200 OBP, 163 SLG, 363 OPS, 070 ISO, 097 BABIP, 9% LD%, 6% BB%, 25 K%.

Analysis:  Numbers do look horrible, but 0.97 BABIP and extremely low LD% suggest a very unlucky stint; still too many K.

ROUND 19: Nick Kirk - Left-handed Pitcher
Northern Iowa - 6’1 - 200 - L/L - Born 12/16/86 (22)
Resides in Dubuque, IA - Scout: Abney

Mahoning Valley (A-): 21 Games (all in relief), 34.2 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 8.6 H/9, 10.6 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 3.17 FIP, 57% GB%

Analysis:  Good K/9 and GB%, groundball pitcher, FIP suggest that he should get better as defence behind him gets better.

ROUND 20: Kyle Smith - Right-handed Pitcher
Kent State - 6’6 - 220 - R/R - Born 9/5/87 (21)
Resides in Louisville, OH - Scout: Melendez

Mahoning Valley (A-): 6 Games (all in relief), 18 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 9.5 H/9, 6 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, 4.74 FIP

Analysis:  Too few innings, but too many BB.

ROUND 23: Daniel Jimenez - Left-handed Pitcher
John A. Logan College - 6’3 - 215 - L/L - Born 9/23/89 (19)
Resides in Park Ridge, IL - Scout: Armstrong

AZL Indians (R): 11 Games (1 start), 36.2 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8.1 H/9, 6.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, FIP 4.13

Analysis:  Too many hits and not a lot of Ks.

ROUND 26: Antwonie Hubbard - Right-handed PitcherOklahoma - 6’3 - 250 - R/R - Born 7/30/88 (20)
Resides in Hooks, TX - Scout: Cullen

Mahoning Valley (A-): 13 Games (all in relief), 27.1 IP, 2.05 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 5.5 H/9, 9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 2.48 FIP with a .249 BABIP.

Analysis:  Very good numbers in Mahoning Valley, no HR allowed, batting average against of .177. Nice debut. WHIP under 1. He’s ready for a breakout season.

ROUND 27: Tyler Sturdevant - Right-handed Pitcher
New Mexico State - 6’1 - 170 - L/R - Born 12/20/85 (23)
Resides in Littleton, CO - Scout: Ewing

Mahoning Valley (A-): 19 Games (all in relief), 36 IP, 2.75 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 10.5 K/9, 3.25 BB/9, 2.48 FIP with a .357 BABIP.

Analysis:  Put up very good numbers in Mahoning Valley but 23 year old. He’s ready for some more advanced ball, next year will be crucial.

ROUND 28: Nick Sarianides - Right-handed Pitcher
Chattahoochee Valley CC - 6’1 - 200 - R/R - Born 8/29/89 (19)
Resides in Fortson, GA - Scout: Bartlett

AZL Indians (R): 14 Games (all in relief), 27 IP, 2.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 10.5 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, FIP 2.48, 55% GB
Lake County (A): 4 games (all in relief), 5.2 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 6.4 K/9, 3.2 BB, FIP 3.38

Analysis:  Very good debut in AZ league and then promoted to Lake County at the age of 19 and did not miss a beat. Considering the age if he cuts down the BB might be bound for a breakout season.

ROUND 32: Matt Packer - Left-handed Pitcher
Virginia - 6’0 - 200 - L/L - Born 8/27/87 (21)
Resides in Germantown, TN - Scout: Mayer

Mahoning Valley (A-): 5 Games (all in relief), 11.1 IP, 2.38 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 6.4 H/9, 10.3 K/9, 0.8 BB/9, 2.32 FIP

Analysis:  Small sample size, but showed excellent control with 1 BB in 11 IP.

ROUND 33: Chris Kersten - Third BasemanLouisiana Tech - 6’3 - 220 - R/R - Born 12/28/85 (23)
Resides in Kiowa, KS - Scout: Cullen

AZL Indians (R): 180 AB, 328 AVG, 393 OBP, 528 SLG, .921 OPS, ISO 200, BABIP 430, BB% 6%, K% 26.7%

Analysis:  Played mostly 1B, lot of Ks. Numbers have been helped by a very high BABIP but power is there.

ROUND 40: Greg Folgia - Utility
Missouri - 5’11 - 190 - R/R - Born 3/31/88 (21)
Resides in North Wales, PA - Scout: Abney

Tony already broke him down

I can add: ISO 137, BB% 11.8, K% 17.6, GB% 28%, LD% 17% suggest a solid player.

ROUND 48: Vidal Nuno - Left-handed Pitcher
Baker U - 5’11 - 195 - L/L - Born 7/26/87 (21)
Resides in National City, CA - Scout: Abney

AZL Indians (R): 4 Games (all in relief), 7 IP, 5.14 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 12.9 H/9, 14.5 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, FIP 1,77 BABIP .534
Mahoning Valley (A-): 13 games (8 starts), 57 IP, 2.05 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 6.8 H/9, 7.6 K/9, 2.2 BB, FIP 3.04, BABIP .262

Analysis:  Sleeper alert!  Ugly “classic” number in Rookie league due to a very high BABIP, like the very good numbers in Mahoning Valley reflect a quite low BABIP. Anyway command is a strength and the wonderful K/BB ratio make him look like a very, very good pick up for a 48th rounder.

I thought that this was a nice way to follow the guys that get selected in the late rounds and see how they progress and who might be a real steal and be headed for a solid career.  My plan is to follow them through their first complete year and then leave them in Tony’s hands, and next year look at the new ones coming in the 2010 draft.

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Minor Happenings: McBride To Catch In AFL

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

First off, for those wondering, Paul Cousineau and I had a last minute change of plans this week so our weekly on-line radio show Smoke Signals was cancelled this past Thursday. We'll be back on the air this coming week and carry the show weekly until the end of the season where we will host a wrapup show on October 8^th. From there, we'll be taking a little bit of a breather until after the Holidays, though expect to air a handful of shows intermittently over the course of November and December.

Also, I am having a closeout sale on the 2009 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More book. I have some inventory leftover of the book I published at the beginning of the year and have reduced the price by 50%. This is ONLY through me and not Amazon or anywhere else. If anyone is interested in picking up a copy for $9.99 total out the door (including shipping/handling) and signed by me as well, you can send a payment via check or credit card via PayPal to my e-mail address of tlastoria@gmail.com . Just be sure to include your full address and any special instructions when ordering. If you would like to email me with any questions or to verify anything before ordering, please feel free to do so.

I'll be make last minute visits this week to Lake County (Sun), Akron (Mon), Mahoning Valley (Fri) and Columbus (next Sun), so there should be lots of material and information to share well into the offseason.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from August 20 through August 26)

Mark Thompson (Shortstop - Lake County)
.477 AVG (10-for-21), 10 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K

Low-A Lake County middle infielder Mark Thompson may come in a small package at 5'9" 165-pounds, but this past week he packed some thunder and is having a fine season in his second go-around with Lake County. His offensive performance has improved in his return to Lake County as in 121 games last year he hit .236 with 5 HR, 46 RBI, and a .655 OPS. This year in just 95 games he is hitting .257 with 11 HR, 48 RBI and a .766 OPS. His numbers have been helped by an August surge where he is hitting the best he ever has as a professional hitting .312 with 3 HR, 16 RBI and a .898 OPS in 25 games.

Thompson has now played two complete seasons in a row at Lake County, which is not always a good sign for a player to repeat a level and stick there all another whole year. Still, he has shown to have some value to the organization and would certainly seem to be destined for High-A Kinston next year where he will play second base or shortstop. His glove is his most valuable tool as he is one of the better defenders in the Indians organization, and if the bat continues to come along perhaps he can be groomed as a future utility player. He turns 25 in November, so the clock is definitely ticking on his career.

Honorable Mentions:

Carlos Carrasco (RHP - Columbus): 1-1, 2 games, 2.63 ERA, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston): 2-0, 2 games, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 12 K
Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County): .360 AVG (9-for-25), 3 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Jason Kipnis (OF - Mahoning Vy): .394 AVG (13-for-33), 7 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
Casey Frawley (INF - Mahoning Vy): .382 (13-for-34), 7 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K
Jordan Henry (OF - Mahoning Vy): .467 AVG (14-for-30), 8 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K

Previous Winners:

08/13 to 08/19: Eric Berger (LHP - Akron)
08/06 to 08/12: Clayton Cook (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
07/30 to 08/05: Tim Fedroff (OF - Kinston)
07/23 to 07/29: Carlos Santana (C - Akron)
07/16 to 07/22: Nate Recknagel (1B - Lake County)
07/09 to 07/15: Matt McBride (OF - Akron)
07/02 to 07/08: Marty Popham (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
06/25 to 07/01: Andy Marte (3B - Columbus)
06/18 to 06/24: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins had this to say about some of the players received in the recent trades or who are close to joining the team (or already have) as a September callup:

On Matt LaPorta: "Matt's experienced a ton the last year and a half, from the trade, to the Olympics, to major league spring training, then onto the major league team and back to the minor leagues, positional changes, etc. What we have told Matt all along is that is our respect for you and your ability, maturity, and athleticism to handle all of this and he has handled it exceptionally well. I think we do have a core major league player in Matt, and his maturity is something that has been impressive really on many fronts. He has handled much more than most young minor league players transitioning to the major leagues have to. I think he is going to be a special player for a long time."

On Michael Brantley: "He really is [progressing]. A lot jumps out about him that you have to go and watch. Some of the stats show up like the stolen bases, but defense is hard to evaluate on paper though I think they do a better job of it these days. It is very easy for him to make an average play, to make exceptional plays, and he throws well. I don't think he has been caught stealing all year off a right-handed pitcher. He is the truest sense of a baseball player that as a young baseball player you grew up loving to watch play and being a big fan of. The ability to hit is there, and he is going to produce."

On Carlos Carrasco: "Really impressive. Carlos as we have talked about is extremely young and extremely talented. A ten punchout outing (August 11^th) in Triple-A for a 22-year old walking none is a very good day. I think what Carlos brings to the table are well above average weapons in three pitches, and that is rare. Guys will sometimes have one or two pitches that are above average, but he has a chance to really have three major league above average pitches. He has a good delivery and good head on his shoulders and a lot of "up" left to go."

On Carrasco's big league readiness: "He is as close as anyone we have that is not here. He definitely has the weapons to compete here, and now it is just making the ideal transition."

On Jason Knapp: "Similar upside to Carlos. Not quite as polished with a changeup as Carlos is, but flashes an above average breaking ball. Has been up in the high 90s and has already shown us mid-90s. He is powerful, very aggressive pitcher with a big delivery. A big physical, strong, young pitching prospect."

On Nick Hagadone: "All three of these guys are very physical individuals. He may be the most physical of the three. Also he is one of the hardest working individuals. He has already made a very good impression with his maturity, his pitches, his work ethic and what he brings to the table for the Indians."

On Scott Barnes: "He stands out. You watch him pitch, and what stands out about him is his mound presence and competiveness. All of these guys have that, so when you do stand out in that realm you are really doing something special from a confidence and competitive standpoint. You see him throw one inning and you know he is coming after you and that he almost has a boxer's mentality. Amongst a group of professionals he takes it to another level with his competitiveness. He has an average fastball and mixes in two other pitches with a good feel for the strike zone."

On Connor Graham: "He is another mid-90s fastball with a ton of work ethic. A very, very positive, smart young man. He is touching mid-90s and having some success in the mid-minor leagues. Connor is a local guy we are excited about adding into this neighborhood."

AFL Participants Announced, McBride To Catch

Earlier this week it was announced that the Indians will be sending eight players to the Arizona Fall League (AFL): RHP Connor Graham, RHP Josh Judy, RHP Zach Putnam, RHP Carlton Smith, INF Josh Rodriguez, 1B/OF/C Matt McBride, INF Carlos Rivero, and OF Nick Weglarz.

They will play for the Peoria Saguaros who will be managed by former Indian David Bell, and Low-A Lake County Hitting Coach Jim Rickon will assist Bell. The Indians have the option to send one player from below Double-A, and that is still yet to be determined on who that will be, if they even send anyone. There is still a possibility that 2009 1st round pick RHP Alex White could be sent to the AFL at some point. The season begins October 13th and ends on November 21st.

There are no real surprises among the group going to the AFL as all either need more work against top competition, are up for roster protection, or need games to make up for lost time this season because of injury. The only bit of unexpected news is McBride will play some catcher while out in the AFL. His throwing arm feels a lot better, and the Indians want to use it as an opportunity to see if he can potentially move back to catcher full time next season. What his exact workload will be is not known at this time, but he is expected to catch one or two games a week. That's the plan at the moment, though it is subject to change if he has any issues during preparation for catching games in the AFL.

This is surely an interesting development because if McBride can catch it largely increases his value to the Indians (and other teams), and by playing in the AFL it will provide an opportunity to test his arm strength and see if he may be able to handle a more permanent switch back to catcher next year. Catcher is of course a position of need in the system as below Carlos Santana - who will be in Triple-A next year- there is not much catching depth at all at the moment set to play at Akron or High-A Kinston. If he were to move back to catcher, he surely would be the everyday guy there at Akron next year.

Also, as an FYI, the Hawaii Winter League officially closed up shop last year since MLB pulled out because they no longer would back a winter league there. I am hearing they instead have started a new "parallel" league that will coincide with the AFL and be more of a league to complement it. It will run around the same time as the AFL and at one of the spring training sites in Arizona. The players involved will be more of the variety that spent a bulk of the season at some level in Single-A or need to makeup innings/games due to injury, sorta like how the Hawaii Winter League was set up.

Indians Pickup Another Pitcher

On Friday the Indians acquired right-handed pitcher Yohan Pino from the Minnesota Twins to complete the August 7th trade that sent right-hander Carl Pavano to them for a player to be named later. The 25-year old has split the 2009 season between Double-A and Triple-A where in 40 games (12 starts) he is a combined 7-3 with a 3.03 ERA (113.0 IP, 98 H, 38 ER, 27 BB, 108 K). His 3.03 ERA was the 6th lowest in the Twins system.

Since being sent to Triple-A Rochester on July 20^th, Pino has really been on a roll. He was inserted into the rotation full time and in eight starts is 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA (51.0 IP, 37 H, 11 BB, 44 K). Since the Pavano trade on August 7^th, he has made four starts and gone eight innings in three of them going 1-1 with a 1.21 ERA in those four starts (29.2 IP, 18 H, 4 BB, 27 K). Clearly the Indians were impressed with his performance since they were scouting him during that recent stretch of spectacular performances.

The Indians may have got more than originally thought for Pavano. While Pino is hardly an impact prospect, he is a quality pitcher who provides much needed depth to the Indians upper level pitching ranks. His fastball sits at 88-91 MPH with good sink, and he relies on his ability to change speed and command and control his three pitch mix of fastball-curveball-slider. His fastball has good movement, and he has a good feel for both of his secondary offerings with his curveball considered a plus pitch. His versatility to pitch in the bullpen or start and his exceptional command of all three of his offerings are two of his biggest strengths. His biggest asset may be his durable arm which has shown to be quite resilient and able to handle a heavy workload be it working back-to-back nights or throwing multiple innings several relief appearances in a row. He is not currently on the 40-man roster, but he is up for roster protection this offseason.

Mud Hens A Nightmare For Lofgren

It is safe to say that no Mud Hen hitter is on Triple-A Columbus left-hander Chuck Lofgren's Christmas card list in the offseason. In his last two outings, both against Toledo, he was bombed for 17 earned runs in just ten innings of work. In fact, earlier in the year in his other start against Toledo on July 1st he allowed eight runs in five innings of work. In three starts against Toledo he is 0-3 with a 15.00 ERA and allowed a whopping seven home runs (15.0 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 9 K).

Sometimes a certain team just has your number, and that seems to be the case with Lofgren's struggles with Toledo this year. As an extreme fly ball pitcher, he doesn't matchup well with that lineup that is full of big fly hitters, namely Mike Hessman who has been in Toledo seemingly forever. On the season Lofgren is 5-9 with a 5.50 ERA in 15 starts for Columbus, but if you take out those three disastrous outings against Toledo he is 5-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 12 starts. Over half his runs that he has given up in 15 starts at Columbus have come in those three starts against Toledo.

Lofgren's recent struggles at the hands (bats) of Toledo should not put a damper on what has been a very solid Triple-A campaign for him this year, and a very nice comeback season overall when you include his first two months at Double-A Akron (3-1, 1.48 ERA, 8 starts). He has proven himself to be a big league depth starting pitching option, and while he likely will not see that dream of making it to the big leagues realized this year he likely will get a chance at some point next year. He is up for roster protection this offseason, and it looks like he could be in line to be put on the Indians 40-man roster, though these things can change over the course of the offseason as it gets closer to the mid-November roster deadline. If he is not rostered, he would look to stand a great chance of being picked up by another team in the Rule 5 Draft on December 11th.

Espino The Stopper

Right-hander Paolo Espino has been sensational this year in a return trip to High-A Kinston. He opened last season in the Kinston rotation, but struggled from the outset due to a shoulder injury and eventually finished the year in Lake County. In 26 overall appearances (21 starts) between Low-A Lake County, Kinston, and Double-A Akron he is 9-8 with a 3.03 ERA this season (124.2 IP, 103 H, 31 BB, 106 K), but where he has really shined is in Kinston where in 20 starts he is now 7-6 with a Carolina League leading 2.58 ERA.

This year he has really stepped it up and filled a big need in the Kinston rotation due to injuries to the likes of Kelvin De La Cruz, Joey Mahalic, Ryan Morris, as well as performance issues with other pitchers. He has pitched like an ace of the staff since joining Kinston and really been their stopper as four of his seven wins have come after a Kinston loss the previous game.

Espino recently added a slider to his fastball-curveball-changeup three pitch mix. His curveball is considered his best pitch and a major league offering, and the addition of the slider should give him a breaking pitch that is thrown a little harder with sharper break. He started off throwing three to five sliders an outing, but it has come along so well and his confidence has grown throwing it in any count that he now throws about eight to ten a game. The addition of the slider to his repertoire has seen him pitch his best as since July 4th he is 6-1 with a 1.37 ERA in ten starts (59.0 IP, 38 H, 12 BB, 51 K).

Graham Cracker

Recent pickup Double-A Akron right-hander Connor Graham has shown flashes of brilliance combined with lots of inconsistency, which was the book on him when the Indians acquired him since his is still pretty raw as a pitcher. In six games (five starts) for Akron he is now 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA having allowed 16 hits, 17 walks, with 28 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.

When he has everything working like he did last Friday August 21st, he can be lethal. In that outing he went seven innings allowing just one run on five hits, walked no one, and had six strikeouts. He set the tone immediately in the game by setting down the first ten batters of the game in order. He worked around a pair of singles in the fourth and erased a leadoff knock in the fifth by inducing a double play, but it was in the seventh inning where he really shined. With one down and the bases empty, he got two strikes on the batter and thought that he struck him out with a pitch at the knees. The ball was ruled low, and the hitter eventually homered on a full-count offering. Graham was visibly agitated as the batter rounded the bases; however, a visit from second baseman Cristo Arnal and catcher Carlos Santana calmed him down and he responded by striking out the next hitter swinging on three straight fastballs registering 92 MPH, 94 MPH, and 93 MPH in order. The next hitter grounded out to short to end the inning.

What happened in the seventh inning of that start was a character building moment for him, and a true development opportunity. Instead of becoming unraveled like so many young pitchers do when a call does not go their way and ultimately comes back to bite them, he collected himself and got the next two batters out in quick, dominating fashion. If he can harness his control and combine it with an improved mental approach, the Indians may have something.

Hagadone Cruising

Since joining the Indians organization Low-A Lake County left-hander Nick Hagadone is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts having allowed eight hits, five walks, and piling up 21 strikeouts in 14.2 innings. He is on a three inning or 50 pitch count every outing - whichever comes first - and this restriction will carry through until the end of the season. On Monday, the South Atlantic League tabbed him as their Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 17th through August 23rd. For the week the 23-year old right hander out of Boney Lake, WA was 0-0 with an ERA of 0.00 in two starts. In those two starts he threw a total of six scoreless innings and allowed just one hit, walked one while striking out ten batters.

Even in limited duty in each outing Hagadone has shown what made him so highly sought by the Indians in the Victor Martinez trade. He is still rusty and working his way back from Tommy John surgery, but the velocity is about all the way back and he has been for the most part dominating except for one slip up in the second inning of his second start with Lake County. He is 23-years old, so given his advanced pitching ability and age he is probably feasting some on Low-A hitters. If not for the end of the season just a few days away and him on a specific throwing plan coming back from Tommy John surgery he would certainly be in High-A Kinston or even Double-A Akron right now being challenged by better hitters, but the focus is still on his health at the moment and not about challenging him at a higher level. If he is healthy next year, expect him to likely open in Kinston but potentially move rapidly to Akron.

Nuno Mania

Nuno-mania is spreading. With each outing, the Indians 48^th round pick this year out of Baker College (KS) continues to impress and at least from a numbers perspective is forcing people to take notice. In 12 appearances (7 starts) with short-season Single-A Mahoning the left-hander is now 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA having allowed 37 hits and 13 walks while striking out 43 in 51.2 innings pitched.

Nuno, 22, actually began his professional career with the Indians rookie-level team in Arizona and in four appearances there was 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA (7.0 IP, 10 H, 1 BB, 11 K). Upon arriving in Mahoning Valley he pitched out of the bullpen in his first five appearances going 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA (13.2 IP, 11 H, 6 BB, 15 K), but moved into the rotation initially in a spot start but pitched so well he stayed in there and has now made seven starts going 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA (38.0 IP, 26 H, 7 BB, 28 K).

Since moving into the rotation Nuno has been making a name for himself and has made the most of the opportunity. He has been Mahoning Valley's most consistent starter since mid-July and has really rounded out and finished off what is a very nice five-man rotation there. He doesn't throw very hard, so his numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt as sometimes finesse lefties can give young college hitters and inexperienced Latin players or recently signed high school players fits at that level. That said, anytime you get this kind of consistent, dominating performance from a late round pick you have to tip your cap to the scouting department for potentially finding a late round gem.

Jones Movin' On Up

Like George Jefferson, left-handed starting pitcher Chris Jones is "movin' on up" in the Indians system. After spending the first two months of the season in extended spring training because of a crowded Low-A Lake County rotation at the outset of the season, he later joined the team in early June and in 12 games (7 starts) he went 5-3 with a 4.07 ERA (55.1 IP, 60 H, 19 BB, 50 K). He was called up to High-A Kinston a little under two weeks ago and has pitched even better as in two starts he is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA (10.0 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 15 K).

Jones, 20, was awesome in his Carolina League debut for Kinston on August 19th facing just two batters over the minimum in six shutout innings of work where he allowed just three hits, one walk and had seven strikeouts. It was arguably his best game yet as a professional, a career that started in 2007 when the Indians selected him out of high school (Tampa, FL) with their 15th round pick. On the night his fastball consistently sat at 90-91 MPH and touched 93 MPH, and he mixed his curveball and changeup in effectively to keep hitters off balance. In his follow up start on August 24th he was much more mortal going just four innings and allowing three runs on four hits, four walks, while striking out eight batters.

Jones is yet more pitching depth in the Indians system. He's not viewed as an upper-echelon guy, but he is very talented and as he continues to mature and grow he could someday vault into that category of pitching prospects in a suddenly loaded Indians system.

Davis, Pickens Lead Kinston Charge

High-A Kinston's recent surge this month has come off the heels of the promotion of their best pitcher left-hander Eric Berger and their best hitter third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. Everything has come together as they are pitching well, playing good defense, and getting timely hits. But, the biggest boost has been from a few of their other players who have stepped up and produced in the lineup after Chisenhall left, namely super utility man Adam Davis and catcher Doug Pickens.

With the departure of Chisenhall on August 8th, Davis has had a chance to settle into a normal position on the field and play everyday at third base. Over the course of the season Davis has bounced around between second base, shortstop, third base and outfield, and is the club's emergency catcher, but given a chance to play one position he has continued to swing a hot bat of late. In the 17 games since taking over for Chisenhall he is hitting a solid .271 (16-for-59) and has made just one error. He may not be much of a prospect and the utility role probably fits him best, but it is good to see him get a shot to play everyday at one position. On the season he is hitting .225 with 8 HR, 35 RBI and a .659 OPS in 105 games.

Pickens is enjoying the best string of performance in his minor league career. A 50th round pick by the Indians out of the University of Michigan in 2007, he has made his mark as a good organizational player and as catching depth. He was in Triple-A Columbus for most of the first half of the season as an emergency catcher, though did not play or was active on their roster. He later went to Low-A Lake County for a short time before joining Kinston in late June where he has blossomed into one of the team leaders and recently one of their most potent bats. In 43 games with Kinston he is hitting .297 with 4 HR, 23 RBI and a .746 OPS. He had his first career four-hit night this past Thursday, and in his past ten games is hitting .410 (16-for-39) with 0 HR and 7 RBI.

Playoff Update

Triple-A Columbus is out of the playoffs and their season will end on September 7th. Rookie-level Arizona is also out of the playoffs and their season ended last night (8/28). Low-A Lake County is mathematically still alive, but seven games out with 11 games to go their season is pretty much over and it will end on September 7th.

The situation is much different for the other three Indians affiliates. Double-A Akron has already clinched a spot and their magic number for the Eastern League Southern Division title is just two. Assuming they win the division, they will open at home for Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs on Wednesday September 9th and Thursday September 10th.

Short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley has all but wrapped up a playoff berth. Their magic number for the NY-Penn League's Pinckney Division is down to two games with nine games to play. Their playoffs would start with a best-of-three first round series on September 8th at a yet to be determined location.

Last, the only team in a heated playoff race is High-A Kinston. With nine games remaining they hold a half game lead over Salem for the wildcard and are only one game behind Winston-Salem in the Carolina League's Southern Division.

Transactions Rundown

Here is a quick recap of all the noteworthy transactions in the Indians system in the past two weeks:

August 26: Matt Meyer placed on the disabled list with a strained right calf (retro to 8/24); Jeanmar Gomez reinstated from the DL and active in Akron.

August 25: Bobby Livingston transferred to Akron from Columbus.

August 22: Michael Pontius sent on rehab assignment to AZL; Matt Brown sent on rehab assignment to AZL; Jordan Brown reinstated from 7-day DL and active in Columbus; Ryan Blair transferred to Kinston from Columbus; Bobby Livingston reinstated from Temporary Inactive List and transferred to Akron from Columbus.

August 21: Gary Campfield placed on 7-day DL with left calf strain.

August 20: Jason Donald placed on 7-day DL with lower back strain.

August 19: Chris Jones transferred to Kinston from Lake County; Matt LaPorta recalled from Columbus and active on ML roster; Ryan Blair transferred to Columbus from Kinston; Jeanmar Gomez placed on 7-day DL with left hamstring tightness.

August 18: Josh Rodriguez reinstated from 7-day DL and active in Akron; Kelvin De La Cruz placed on rehab assignment in AZL; Nick Weglarz placed on 7-day DL with shin contusion.

August 16: Bobby Livingston placed on temporary inactive list; Scott Lewis recalled from his minor league rehab assignment, re-instated from the 60-day disabled list and optioned to AAA Columbus.

August 15: Gary Campfield activated in Kinston; Michael Tejera placed on 7-day DL with left hand contusion.

August 14: Michael McGuire placed on 7-day DL with right shoulder strain.

August 13: Andy Cannizaro outright trade to CWS for cash considerations; Roberto Perez transferred to Lake County from AZL; Bobby Livingston transferred to Columbus from Akron; Michael Valadez transferred to AZL from Lake County; Matt Langwell placed on 7-day DL with right shoulder strain.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (53-79, 4^th place, 24.0 GB): Last Saturday outfielder Michael Brantley and first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown returned to the lineup after being out injured. Brown was on the disabled list for two weeks with an inflamed shoulder and Brantley was active but did not play for about a week because of a sore right ankle. Outfielder Ryan Blair was sent back to High-A Kinston to make room for them. ... Brown is 2^nd in the International League in hitting (.335) and is one point behind the league leader. On the season he is hitting .335 with 12 HR, 59 RBI, and an .899 OPS in 103 games. ... Brantley is second in the league with 43 stolen bases and has been caught stealing only 5 times. On the season he is hitting .267 with 5 HR, 36 RBI and a .707 OPS. ...Infielder Josh Barfield has five multi-hit games over his last nine game going 13-for-40 (.325) with 3 2B, 2 HR and 5 RBI. ...Third baseman Wes Hodges has five multi-hit games in his last six games played and is hitting .369 (15-for-41) over his last nine games. ... Right-hander Carlos Carrasco leads the league in strikeouts with 148 and is now 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six games for Columbus (42.1IP, 31H, 15ER).

Akron Notes (80-52, 1^st place, 10.0 GU): Right-handed reliever Erik Stiller has been nothing short of dominant since returning to the bullpen on a full-time basis. Dating back to May 26^th, in the last three months he has gone 6-0 with a 1.11 ERA in 26 appearances racking up 45 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, and has limited opposing batters to a .168 batting average while not allowing a home run. ... Catcher Carlos Santana's great season became historic in game one of the doubleheader on Wednesday night as he drew his 83rd walk of the season to break Ken Ramos' franchise record of 82 which was set back in 1992. He needs just one RBI to become the third player in franchise history with 90 or more RBI in a season. On the season he is hitting .285 with 21 HR, 89 RBI and a .933 OPS in 121 games. ... Akron made history on Thursday night by reaching the 80-win plateau for the fifth straight season making them the first team in the 86-year history of the Eastern League to ever win at least 80 games in five consecutive years. ... Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall hit his 4th home run with Akron on Thursday and in his last eight games, six of his last eight hits have gone for extra bases (3 2B, 3 HR). In 116 combined games with High-A Kinston and Akron the 20-year old is hitting .263 with 22 HR, 90 RBI, and a .818 OPS. Outfielder Jose Constanza is second in the league with 38 stolen bases and now third with 84 runs scored. ... Right-handed reliever Josh Judy has converted his last 6 save opportunities and on the year is 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 37 appearances (50.0 IP, 38 H, 18 BB, 64 K).

Kinston Notes (29-32, 2^nd place, 1.0 GB): Through Monday second baseman Cord Phelps led all second basemen in the Carolina League with a .992 fielding percentage, having committed just four errors in 104 games his season (505 chances). He also has been a big contributor at the plate with 30 multi-hit games and 49 RBI, the most on the team. He also leads the league in walks with 83, which is also the seventh most in all of Minor League Baseball. His .377 on-base percentage is the fourth in the league. ... Outfielder Tim Fedroff is third in the league with a .378 on-base percentage. ... First baseman Ole Sheldon has hit all ten of his home runs since the All-Star break to go along with 36 RBI ... Catcher Doug Pickens is hitting .352 (25-for-71) at home and only .228 (18-for-79) when on the road ... Left-hander Russell Young is 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA (37.2 IP, 8 ER) over his last six starts for Kinston ... Right-hander Paolo Espino has allowed seven earned runs in his last nine outings, and is now 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in five August starts (31.0IP, 19H, 3ER, 29K). ... Right-hander David Roberts is 0-1 in ten home games but has allowed just three earned runs in 17.2 innings (1.53ERA) ... Since the All-Star break, right-hander Chen Lee is 2-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 18 games (33.2 IP, 23 H, 10 R/9ER, 39 K).

Lake County Notes (33-26, 3^rd place, 7.5 GB): Right-hander Jason Knapp has been placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder. His season is over, though he is expected to be back for Instructional League which kicks up in mid-September. He is having an MRI done on the shoulder to see why he is still experiencing pain when he throws. ... In the last ten games, shortstop Mark Thompson is hitting .414 (12-for-29) with 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, and 10 runs scored. ... Outfielder Donnie Webb leads the league with 12 triples and is 5th in the league with 34 stolen bases. In the last 22 games, he has hit safely in 17 games hitting .419 (36-for-86) with 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, and 16 runs scored. ... Outfielder John Allman is batting .368 (28-for-76) with 7 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored in August (21 games) and he has hit safely in the last 13-of-16 games. He is hitting .317 (46-for-145) versus righties and .170 (8-for-47) against lefties. ... Left-hander Francisco Jimenez has gone scoreless in eight-of-11 outings and has a 6-0 record with one save. He has a 2.10 ERA while striking out 28 in 25.2 innings. ... Right-hander Brian Grening hasn't allowed a run in 13-of-16 appearances, covering a span of 25.1 innings. He has a 1.78 ERA and has 31 strikeouts. ... Right-handed closer Steve Smith has converted in 24-of-26 save opportunities this year throwing in 51.0 innings while striking out 59. ... Right-handed starter Danny Salazar has gone at least 5.0 innings in 16-of-19 appearances. Since the break, he is 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA yielding 60.2 innings and allowing 55 H, 21 ER, 22 BB with 36 K.

Mahoning Valley Notes (44-23, 1^st place, 8.0 GU): In his first 19 games outfielder Jason Kipnis has hit safely in 16-of-19 games and is hitting .351 (27-for-77) with 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 8 BB, 1 SB, and 18 runs scored. He has hit two or more hits in 10-of-19 games, and has hit safely in the last nine games batting .390 (16-for-41) with 5 2B, 7 RBI, and 9 runs scored. ... Outfielder Jordan Henry has hit safely in 17-of-20 games hitting .333 (28-for-84) with 3 2B, 9 RBI, 11 BB, 7 SB and 18 runs scored. He is 2nd in the league with 44 runs scored and leads the league in walks (43) and OBP (.419). ... Since the All-Star break infielder Casey Frawley is hitting .390 (16-for-41) with 2 2B, 4 RBI and 9 runs scored. ... Since joining Mahoning Valley third baseman Jesus Brito has hit safely in 13-of-16 games hitting .322 (19-for-59) with 4 2B, 12 RBI, 12 BB and 11 runs scored. ... Right-handed reliever Cory Burns has received a decision in nine straight outings going 1-1 with seven saves. He has gone 14.1 innings and allowing 6 hits, 2 earned runs with 15 strikeouts. ... Right-handed reliever Nick Kirk hasn't allowed an earned run in the last eight appearances going 10.2 innings allowing 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB with 13 K. ... Left-hander Vidal Nuno has allowed one or no earned runs in 11-of-12 games with Mahoning Valley.

Arizona League Indians (11-16, 4^th place, 5.0 GB): The AZL Indians season ended on Friday night (8/28). ... Infielder Giovanny Urshela hit safely in 17-of-19 games hitting .282 (20-for-71) with 2 2B, 8 RBI, 7 BB with 8 runs scored ... Outfielder Kevin Rucker hit safely in his last 15-of-19 games hitting .343 (24-for-70) with 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored. He is hitting .353 (24-for-68) at home opposed to a .226 (19-for-84) average on the road. ... Infielder Justin Toole hit safely in his last 10-of-13 games hitting .340 (16-for-47) with 2 2B, 7 RBI, 2 BB with 9 runs scored. He has scored or knocked in a run in 10-of-13 games. ... Left-hander Daniel Jimenez is 4-1 in 11 appearances with a 3.68 ERA (36.2 IP, 33 H, 15 ER, 25 K). He has won four straight decisions. ... Right-hander Gregorio Rosario has gone scoreless in six of his eight outings and allowed just two hits and an earned run in his last seven outings.

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Minor Happenings: Several Affiliates In Payoff Hunt

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

In case you missed the abbreviated part one to Happenings this week, it posted yesterday and can be found by clicking here. In it I provided a smorgasbord of updates from Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins.

Also, for those interested, here is a quick programming note for this week. I will be on the Kendall Lewis (The BSK) radio show on Monday afternoon on SportsTalkCleveland.com. No idea on the time yet, but sometime between 4:00-6:00pm. I will also be on SportsTime Ohio this Tuesday appearing on the "Minor League Magazine" show for a segment talking about some of the prospects and my recent trips to see them. I also plan to attend the game in Akron this Tuesday or Wednesday night.

Onto the Happenings...

Coaches Corner: Chris Tremie

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk to High-A Kinston Manager Chris Tremie about a few players on his roster, and here is what he had to say:

On Lonnie Chisenhall: "He has gotten better as the year has gone on. His approach at the plate offensively is very good, especially for a kid at his age and his developmental experience. He is well on his way to a good career. Defensively he shows good range at third base, and has really adapted well moving over from shortstop to third base and gotten better as the season has gone on. His hands and everything have always been good. I would say there are two things that contributed to [his early errors]. One, with the position change early, and also the angles in which he had to play probably produced a few more errors. But the fact that he gets to a lot more balls than some guys don't get to, which played a part early on. He has just been solid since that first month."

On Tim Fedroff: "He has done a good job of dealing with some issues with the hamstring and learning to play everyday and been hampered a little bit by it. He has still been able to get things done and get better at the same time even though he has missed quite a few games. His progress is good. He is just battling through that hamstring and looks to be healthy again now and hopefully can finish out the year playing everyday and getting a lot of at bats."

On Ole Sheldon: "He is a big first baseman, and has some power. He has come in here and actually done well helping out with the guys in the clubhouse as he has a little more experience than these guys have. He swings the bat well. He has a little bit of an unorthodox style, but it seems to be working for him."

On Cord Phelps: "I think he has a good idea of the strike zone. He obviously has drawn quite a few walks, so his on-base percentage is very good. I know he would like for his average to be higher, and I think that will come as he continues to play. He will also I think start to produce more power numbers. It is just a transition he is making, and he is going to continue to get better. Right now his on-base percentage is good, and I think he can only get better in every other category because of his ability."

On Matt Brown: "He started off swinging the bat very well. He started to come down a little bit, but from .480 you are going to come down some. He ended up getting a little bit of an injury issue which affected his hitting a little bit and his overall game, and tried to play through it for awhile and eventually he just couldn't do it anymore. So that is where he is at right now, getting back healthy. I would think once he is healthy again we would expect him to produce and play well again."

Coaches Corner: Aaron Holbert

This past week I was in Lake County to see left-hander Nick Hagadone pitch. Prior to his start I had a chance to sit down for a few minutes with manager Aaron Holbert to talk about Hagadone as well as a few other players.

On Jason Knapp's return coming back from injury: "We just want to start off slow with Jason to make sure as he had not pitched in a while competitively. He was just three innings or 50 pitches [in his Tuesday start]. His next start he will be five innings or something like 60 to 75 pitches, and then hopefully get him to the point he is set at 85 pitches [his next start after that]. So it is just a progression for him to take it slow and just to make sure he is going to stay healthy and not break down. I know it is an important and exciting time in his life, so you hate to hurt him going out there to try and impress us. It is important for the kid and the fans to understand that the most important thing is his career. It is not smart of us to run him out there to try and throw 75-90 pitches when he has not thrown in two weeks or so. That is taking a chance of injury, and that is the last thing we want. It is just important that he is healthy throughout this whole experience, he comes in and gets familiar with the organization, and we have a chance to get familiar with him. So just to take him slow is the most important thing."

First impressions of Knapp: "Jason is a very confident kid, and he commanded his fastball extremely well. I know he only went 46 or 48 pitches and two innings, but he came out aggressive. He is a competitor and he thrives on the competition and the excitement of being out on the mound. Everything I saw was positive, and it was refreshing to see him go out there and have the confidence he had and compete the way he did. Unfortunately, we could only get that much out of him, but when we get to the end of the season hopefully he will be out there for the seven innings and dominating. That's what we are hoping for."

On Nick Hagadone's plan returning from injury and first impression: "His plan coming off of Tommy John, the Red Sox had him at three innings or 50 pitches and we are going to leave him there for the rest of the season. So we will have somebody that will constantly piggyback him. He has looked good. He is a strong kid with a good live arm. He commanded the strike zone, threw his fastball for strikes, and put the guys away with a nice slider down and away to left-handed hitters. He got out there and was very confident and sure of himself and had a nice downhill plane to his fastball."

On Francisco Jimenez: "The most important thing is he is not scared. He came in one ball game in Lakewood recently with the bases loaded and nobody out and faced the first batter and struck him out with three pitches, the next guy in three pitches, and the next guy with I think five pitches. For me he does not get intimidated. I know he is a young pitcher and just over to the states this year, and you would never know it by his demeanor on the mound and his confidence out there. He mixes up a slurvy curveball with some changeups, but really he is coming after guys with his fastball. His fastball jumps a little bit, but it is actually high 80s to low 90s, it is not like he is overpowering but the swings that are being taken it looks like there is some deception in there. He is basically saying 'if you can hit, hit it' and I like his enthusiasm and confidence out there. It is paying off for him not being tentative or afraid of getting hit and afraid of contact."

Nuno Pitching Like Numero Uno

Just about every year at least one late round pick sparkles in his professional debut and starts to open some eyes. This year that player may be short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuno. The Indians took him in the 48th round of the draft this year out of Baker Univserity (KS). The 5'11" 195-pounder is now 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in nine appearances (four starts) for Mahoning Valley, and in 13 combined appearances between Mahoning Valley and rookie-level Arizona he is 3-0 with a 1.94 ERA (41.2 IP, 33 H, 10 BB, 41 K).

In Nuno's last two seasons at Baker he piled up 15 wins and a 1.98 ERA and was named the HAAC Pitcher of the Year this past season. While his college resume was impressive, it was also at a minor college program. That all said, to date he has shown to be one of those late round picks the Indians seem to specialize in finding. His emergence has come as a starter, which really was not planned as he filled in for his first start and pitched so well that the Indians kept him in the role. As a starter he is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA (21.0 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 15 K) and he recently had a string of 15.2 consecutive scoreless innings come to an end. The Indians feel that down the road his true value will be as a lefty in the bullpen, but for now he will continue to fill a role in the Mahoning Valley starting rotation.

Nuno isn't a power pitcher by any means as he is a command and control left-handed pitcher who has a very advanced ability to throw strikes. He has a four pitch mix led by an average fastball and a curveball, changeup and splitter. His fastball has some sinking action and he has shown the ability to pile up groundball outs in college and now professionally. He repeats his delivery and changes speeds well which helps him create deception with all of his pitches and makes his fastball much more effective. His curveball is sharp with good tilt and 11/5 action, he has a good feel for his changeup with good late fade, and his splitter has good downward action. He is a fearless competitor with outstanding work ethic with pitchability and plus makeup. He has the ability to handle any role, and that versatility has already been put to the test this year and will likely continue to be tested in the years to come with the Indians.

Brown Not Down For Long

Last Saturday, Triple-A first baseman/outfielder Jordan Brown was placed on the seven-day disabled list with inflammation of his right shoulder. The shoulder had been bothering him for several weeks, though you would never know it with his performance, but he finally landed on the disabled list after he tweaked it pretty good taking batting practice before a recent game.

Brown's injury is not considered to be a serious injury at this time and is more a nagging thing as it only hurts when he extends his swing, so with rest it is expected to get better. He and the Indians would rather not push it and potentially make it worse which would end up being an injury he would carry into what will be a huge offseason for him. On Thursday he took some dry swings in batting practice and shagged fly balls, hit balls off a tee yesterday, and is expected to take live batting practice soon (maybe today). If all goes well, he could return within the week.

Brown's injury puts a damper on his chances for a callup to Cleveland in September. Had he not gotten hurt, there was a good chance that when Columbus' season ended that he and outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta would be promoted and called up to Cleveland together, but now it may just be LaPorta. Regardless, he is virtually certain to find his way onto a major league roster this offseason, be it the Indians rostering him, the Indians trading him to a team who rosters him, or another team plucking him in the Rule 5 Draft if he is not rostered. Unlike last year where there were some questions about his health and dip in performance going into the Rule 5 Draft, he'd seem to be a sure-fire selection this year if left exposed.

Brown is also in the mix for the International League batting title as of those qualified he leads everyone with a .331 batting average. If something were to happen where he did not play the rest of the year, he has enough plate appearances to qualify regardless and would likely finish with the batting title unless someone below him got ridiculously hot the final three weeks of the season. On the year he is hitting .331 with 12 HR, 58 RBI and a .902 OPS.

Judy In, Pestano Out

Double-A Akron right-handed closer Josh Judy has had a quick jump up the Indians minor league ladder, both in the level he is playing at and in his standing within the organization. As a 34th round pick in the 2007 Draft out of Indiana Institute of Technology, he came into the organization with very little fanfare but has since put up a couple of strong seasons and paved the way for him to be included among the Indians top relief prospects.

Judy opened the season in High-A Kinston as the closer and in five appearances was 0-0 with three saves and 0.00 ERA (4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K). But his stay in Kinston was short as he was called up to Akron on April 24th, a mere two weeks into the season. Upon joining Akron he pitched mostly in middle relief and performed well, but he struggled some in June as he battled through a sore bicep where in eight appearances he was 3-2 with a 5.25 ERA (12.0 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 9 K).

Judy has since taken over the closer duties from right-hander Vinnie Pestano, and he has done a great job in the new role. In seven July games he was 1-0 with two saves and a 1.59 ERA with 20 strikeouts and just two walks in 11.1 innings, and so far in four August games he is 0-0 with two saves and a 1.80 ERA. He is still adapting to the higher level of play and gaining more confidence on the mound, but his recent run of success is a result of him keeping the ball down in the zone at a good angle. He also has avoided a tendency he has at times to get under his pitches, and the results have been more groundball outs.

Judy moved into the closer's role because Pestano was sidelined just before the All Star break with an elbow injury. Pestano hung around in Akron for about a month rehabbing his elbow and getting additional tests on the arm. Finally, a recent MRI concluded that he needed to be shutdown and that his season was over, and he left the team earlier this month to go out to the new Arizona complex to rehab and continue to get treatment on the elbow.

Pestano had a league leading 24 saves before the All Star break and was named to the Eastern League All Star team, and in 34 appearances was 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA (34.2 IP, 30 H, 13 BB, 31 K). He looked primed to smash former right-handed closer Randy Newsom's club record of 29 saves in a season he set just last year, but that will obviously not happen now. There is no word at this time if any surgery will be needed, but having just had Tommy John surgery in 2006, it will be interesting to see what comes of his career going forward.

Signing Deadline Nears

The 2009 signing deadline for players taken in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft is this Monday night August 17th. Earlier this week, the Indians inked one of their summer draft-and-follows to a deal, signing 32nd round pick Matt Packer, a left-handed pitcher they selected out of the University of Virginia. As a sophomore two years ago he led the NCAA with a 1.14 ERA, and as a junior this past season he went 3-5 with a 4.13 ERA (61.0 IP, 59 H, 28 ER, 59 K). The Indians observed his performance in the Cape Cod League this summer and he pitched very well for Orleans (2-0, 1.90 ERA, 11 G, 23.2 IP, 16 H, 5 ER, 29 K). With this signing the Indians have now signed 27 of their 50 picks.

The Indians may slip in another signing or two from the later rounds of the draft before the signing deadline, but it seems unlikely. All resources will likely be used to ink 1st round pick right-hander Alex White out of the University of North Carolina. As has been mentioned all along, his signing like so many other first round picks this year is expected to go right down to the wire. That said, it is my understanding that both parties want to reach a deal and that come 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning he should be an Indian.

Fedroff An On-Base Machine

High-A Kinston outfielder Tim Fedroff is still in the midst of a month long hot streak and been one of the major catalysts to Kinston's recent late season surge. Last night he extended his league high on-base streak to 33 games with a 2-for-5 effort at the plate, and during the streak he is hitting .328 (42-128) with 1 HR, 15 RBI and a .419 on-base percentage. His current on-base streak is the longest by a Kinston player since first baseman Stephen Head put together a 37-game streak in 2006. He also has a 13-game hitting streak going, and to date is hitting .291 with 4 HR, 32 RBI, and a .789 OPS.

Fedroff had struggled through most of the first four months of the season with a nagging hamstring injury. He missed about a week and a half of time in mid-July because of the injury, but since returning to action on July 21st he has been on fire at the plate getting hits in 17 of the 19 games he has played and is hitting 30-for-72 (.417) since his return. With his recent tear his batting average has increased by 41 points from the .250 it was on July 21st to the .291 it is currently. He currently ranks 3rd in the Carolina League in hitting (.291) and on-base percentage (.387).

For the most part, nothing has really changed for Fedroff other than him being a little more patient swinging at better pitches, his swing path being much better, and just some better luck as he is starting to find some holes. He generally sprays the ball to the opposite field, but in batting sessions with Kinston Hitting Coach Rouglas Odor the one thing he has changed is working on using his top hand to better pull pitches that are on the inner half of the plate that he should pull.

Fedroff splits his time in left field and center field, though he may be better suited in left field defensively because of his average arm. That said, he is a reliable defender in center field using a lot of hustle, instincts and a hardnosed, fearless approach to play up his range. With limited pop in his bat and that average arm, he will need to continue to show he can play center field in order to be classified as a potential big league starting outfielder or at least a fourth outfielder. The Indians have been very encouraged with his play this year, especially his first full season in professional baseball, and he more than likely will be the opening day starting center fielder for Double-A Akron next season.

Davis Toughs It Out

High-A Kinston super utility man Adam Davis can thank his lucky stars for his versatility. His ability to play virtually everywhere on the diamond, be it in the outfield, anywhere in the infield, and even at catcher is what has saved him this season in the organization. As a third round pick out of Florida in the 2006 Draft, the Indians obviously will give Davis enough rope to prove himself, but earlier this season it looked like they had given him enough rope to hang himself and end his days in the organization as through June 1st he was hitting a paltry .125 with 0 HR, 5 RBI and a .389 OPS in 28 games.

But Davis was able to hang on long enough to get things going in a much more positive direction offensively. With outfielder Tim Fedroff being in and out of the lineup throughout June and July he filled in as the center fielder. He also filled in much more regularly at second base, shortstop and third base. Currently, with third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall being promoted to Double-A Akron, Davis is now considered the regular third baseman. In all, he has played in 64 games since June 1st and the increased playing time has been a big part of his resurgence where he is now hitting .231 with 8 HR, 33 RBI and a .688 OPS in 92 total games this season.

Of course, the overall numbers don't tell the true story. Since June 1st he has raised his batting average 106 points and his OPS 299 points. Since June 2nd he has hit safely in 42 of 64 games. For the month of June he hit .289, in July he struggled again and hit .208, and in August so far he is hitting .357. In the first half he hit .196 with a .587 OPS, and in the second half he is hitting .261 with a much more healthy .774 OPS. His eight home runs to date are a new career high for him, eclipsing the six he hit in 2007 at Low-A Lake County. At this point Davis is very much an organizational player, but it's good to see him play better down the stretch.

Scrappers Honored

Earlier this week short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley right-handed pitcher Preston Guilmet was named the New York Penn League Pitcher of the Week for the period of August 3rd to August 9th. For the week, Guilmet made two starts going 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and in 10.0 innings allowed seven hits, one earned run, one walk, and had 13 strikeouts. Last Saturday, he struck out a career high ten batter in just five innings of work. To date, in ten starts he is 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and in 49.2 innings has allowed 39 hits, 12 walks, and has 45 strikeouts. He is holding opposing hitters to a .212 batting average. He was the Indians 9th round pick this year out of the University of Arizona.

Several other Mahoning Valley players were honored this week as they were named to the New York Penn League All Star Game. Five Scrappers in all were selected, and they were: shortstop Kyle Smith, outfielder Jordan Henry, right-handed reliever Cory Burns, right-handed starter Marty Popham, and right-handed starter Clayton Cook. Guilmet was a surprising no show on the list, though with two Scrappers starting pitchers on the list it just shows how strong their rotation has been all year. The game will be played this coming Tuesday night on August 18th at the State College Spikes ballpark located on the campus of Penn State University.

Playoff Outlook

While Triple-A Columbus has no shot of making the playoffs, every other Indians affiliate has a decent to great chance to make it. Here is where each affiliates stands in their league playoff races with just over three weeks to go:

Akron (73-46, 1st place, 9.0 GU): Akron has all but clinched the division, holding nine game lead with three weeks left in the season. With 23 games remaining, their magic number to clinch is 16.

Kinston (21-26, 3rd place, 1.5 GB): Because current first place team Winston-Salem won the first half title, the second place finisher in the Carolina League Southern Division will be awarded the second half title. Kinston is 1.5 games in back of Salem, of which they opened up a huge three game series with last night. The won game one of the series last night, and wins over the next two days would put them in "first" and in control of their playoff destiny.

Lake County (26-21, 3rd place, 2.5 GB): Lake County has the tough task of not only catching one team, but two. They don't play first place Kannapolis or second place West Virginia the rest of the season so they will need to rely on a ton of help from others to catch them.

Mahoning Valley (34-21, 1st place, 2.0 GU): After a week things remain somewhat unchanged as the Scrappers still hold a two game lead in the division. They only have one two-game set left with second place Williamsport later this month, which could be what ultimately determines the division winner.

Arizona Indians (8-8, 2nd place, 1.5 GU): Because first place Seattle won the first half title, the second place winner of the Arizona League's West Division will be awarded the title. Currently the Indians sit in that spot, holding a tenuous 1.5 game lead with 12 games to play.

Transactions Rundown

Here is a quick recap of the noteworthy transactions for the past week in the Indians minor league system:

August 13: Andy Cannizaro traded to Chicago White Sox.

August 12: RJ Swindle claimed on outright waivers from Tampa Bay and optioned to Columbus.

August 11: Outrighted Josh Barfield off the 40-man roster to AAA Columbus roster; Outrighted Jose Veras to AAA Columbus (DFA'd on 8/5); Bobby Livingston transferred to Columbus from Akron; Scott Barnes transferred to Akron from Kinston.

August 8: Matt Willard transferred to Kinston from Mahoning Valley; Lonnie Chisenhall transferred to Akron from Kinston; Jesus Merchan transferred to Columbus from Akron; Adam White transferred to Kinston from Lake County.

August 7: Rafael Perez recalled from Columbus active on ML roster; Ryan Edell transferred to Columbus from Akron.

August 6: Justin Toole transferred to AZL from Mahoning Valley; Jordan Brown placed on 7-day DL with right shoulder inflammation.

August 5: Eric Berger transferred to Akron from Kinston; Jess Todd recalled and active on ML roster; Michael Gosling outright to Columbus; Scott Lewis placed on rehab assignment in AZL.

Random Updates

No notebook this week because playoff outlooks for each team are provided above. With that, here is a rundown of news and notes for a bunch of players in the system:

- Last night, Triple-A left-hander Chuck Lofgren missed a start due to an injury for the first time in his five year professional career. Last Sunday he sprained his left thumb while fielding a ball in the third inning and had to be taken out of the game. He tried long tossing earlier in the week but had to quickly stop because he was still experiencing discomfort in the thumb when he threw. However, he had a good bullpen session yesterday and is slated to start on Monday. The injury puts a slight damper on things, but it is good that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It also doesn't take away from his very good season to date where in 21 combined starts between Double-A Akron and Columbus he was 8-8 with a 3.24 ERA (119.1 IP, 93 H, 40 BB, 79 K).

- Low-A Lake County left-handed starter Nick Hagadone continues to progress well in his return from Tommy John surgery. In two outings so far with Lake County the 6'5" 230-pounder is 0-0 with a 4.76 ERA having thrown just 5.2 innings allowing four hits, two walks and striking out eight. Several of the Indians top brass were in attendance to see him pitch on Wednesday, and overall they were very pleased with what they saw. He was dominant in the first inning, but struggled with his command in the second inning, before coming back out and dominating in the third before reaching his pitch count and having to be removed with two outs.

- Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall has had a rough first week at Double-A Akron. He was called up from High-A Kinston last Saturday, and in six games for Akron is hitting .125 (3-for-24) with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and a .484 OPS. The Indians want to get his feet wet at Double-A this season and also expose him to the playoff environment Akron will be in for the last month of the season. It has been a quick rise up the minor league ladder for him as at this time last year he was in his debut season playing for short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley. He will likely start the season next year at Akron as the regular third baseman and the focal point of the lineup, and could figure into the plans at third base in Cleveland by the end of the season.

- On Tuesday night, Double-A Akron catcher Carlos Santana went 3-for-5 and fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle. He is now hitting .294 with 20 HR, 84 RBI and a .961 OPS in 108 games this year. He is on pace to shatter the club record for RBI in a season, set just last year when third baseman Wes Hodges had 97 RBI. He has been red hot since the All Star break hitting .366 with 6 HR, 26 RBI and a 1.187 OPS in 25 games.

- Triple-A outfielder/first baseman Matt LaPorta has been battling a minor hamstring injury the past week or so. It has resulted in him sitting out a game here and there, which when he sits has lead to rampant speculation by Indians fans he is on the verge of being called up. Even though he is banged up, he is still hitting well and in 89 games for Columbus this year is hitting .306 with 17 HR, 60 RBI, and a .931 OPS.

- Left-handed starter Scott Barnes was removed from his start early last Saturday because he was on a strict pitch count as it was learned shortly before the game he would be promoted to Double-A Akron after the game. He made his Double-A debut in Akron on Wednesday night and went five innings allowing two runs on four hits, no walks, and had six strikeouts. In 22 combined starts between High-A San Jose, Kinston and Akron he is now 13-3 with a 2.80 ERA (115.2 IP, 100 H, 35 BB, 115 K).

- Double-A Akron left-hander Eric Berger looked much more comfortable in his second start for Akron on Thursday night. He went six innings and allowed two runs on two hits, three walks, and had four strikeouts. It was his first quality start for Akron, and after a rocky start he settled down and did not allow a hit to the final 21 batters he faced, and retired 13 of his final 14 hitters. It was a far cry from his Akron debut last Saturday in which he was roughed up for eight runs (five earned) and 13 hits in 5.2 innings.

- Triple-A third baseman Wes Hodges has had a season to forget as he missed much of it with a hand and shoulder injury. He has struggled at the plate hitting .262 with 5 HR, 30 RBI and a .715 OPS in 63 games for Columbus this year. While he has struggled at the plate, he has shown some progress defensively at third base this year.

- Double-A Akron outfielder Jose Constanza has a good chance to break the club record for stolen bases in a season, set previously by Eider Torres who swiped 41 bases in 2006. To date he has 33 stolen bases, good for 2nd in the Eastern League, and is hitting .281 with 0 HR, 38 RBI, and a .709 OPS.

- Triple-A Columbus outfielder Michael Brantley sat out last night's game with a sore ankle. He banged the ankle up when sliding into third base earlier in the week. The injury is not considered serious, and he should be back in the lineup over the weekend. He is hitting .260 with 5 HR, 32 RBI, 39 stolen bases and a .685 OPS.

- Triple-A Columbus Shortstop Jason Donald has also been in and out of the lineup because of a serious bout with the flu. He is hitting .257 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and a .750 OPS in ten games with Columbus.

- Low-A Lake County left-hander T.J. McFarland was outstanding on Thursday night tossing six shutout innings allowing only three hits, one walk and had two strikeouts. The 6'3" 190-pounder used all of his pitches well, threw a lot of strikes, and as usual was a groundball machine recording 11 outs on groundballs (five fly ball outs, two strikeouts). On the season, in 21 games (19 starts) he is now 7-4 with a 3.75 ERA (100.2 IP, 109 H, 35 BB, 65 K).

- Low-A Lake County catcher Michael Valadez is being converted into a pitcher. He hit just .207 with 4 HR, 24 RBI and a .543 OPS in 52 games this year in his second go around with Lake County. He is off to Arizona at the Indians new Player Development Complex to get started with the conversion, and is something that will take place mostly during Instructional League this September/October. Catcher Roberto Perez was summoned from rookie-level Arizona to replace him on the roster.

- High-A Kinston catcher Doug Pickens has been hot of late. In his last six games he has four multi-hit games and is 9-for-23 with a home run and nine RBI. On the season he is now hitting .279 with 4 HR, 16 RBI and a .745 OPS in 30 games with Kinston.

- Right-hander Jose Veras and newly acquired left-hander R.J. Swindle (waivers) are expected to be activated this weekend at Triple-A Columbus. No word on what the two roster moves may be to remove a player from the active roster. Another reliever right-hander Vinnie Chulk threw a bullpen earlier in the week to test his sprained ankle, but is not expected to be activated anytime soon.

- Low-A Lake County right-handed reliever Eddie Burns' season is over. He was put on the disabled list since on July 8th and recently learned he will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. In 16 appearances he was 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA (34.0 IP, 36 H, 7 BB, 44 K).

- Triple-A Columbus' new home Huntington Park was honored as Ballpark of the Year by BaseballParks.com earlier this week. Huntington Park was one of 11 new or renovated ballparks reviewed by the site, three of which were major league ballparks for the Yankees, Royals and Mets. Joe Mock, webmaster of the site, visited Huntington Park in April and said "it had innovative designs that I had never seen before" and said the "park is perfect". I very much agree with Joe, and highly recommend all Indians or even just baseball fans go check out Huntington Park. You will not be disappointed.

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