2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 20th

By Tony Lastoria

March 21, 2014

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The Indians minor league teams faced off against the Athletics affiliates on Thursday. Here is the recap of how all of the Indians hitters and pitchers did on the day, with some notes on some of the performances below each game.

Also, some more players appeared in their first games. I have some updates on the whereabouts on the missing below, though will have a more detailed update on others including some shocking surprises in my notebook piece later today or early on Saturday. Here are the players missing in action: Dylan Baker, Trey Haley, Nick Pasquale, Luis Morel, Matt Whitehouse, Anthony Santander, Jeff Johnson, Jimmy Stokes and Adam Abraham.

Clippers 2, Sacramento 2

BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (DH) - 2-4, 1 R
Tyler Naquin (CF) - 2-4, 1 R
Francisco Lindor (SS) - 0-2
Ronny Rodriguez (SS) - 0-2, 1 K
Jesus Aguilar (1B) - 1-2
Chun Chen (1B) - 0-2
Carlos Moncrief (RF) - 0-1, 1 K, Additional Plate Appearance
Jordan Smith (RF) - 0-2, 1 K
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 3-4, 1 RBI
Joey Wendle (2B) - 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Tim Fedroff (LF) - 0-2
Ollie Linton (LF) - 0-2, 1 K
Roberto Perez (C) - 0-1, 1 BB, 1 K
Alex Lavisky (C)- 0-2
Charlie Valerio (DH) - 0-2, 1 K
Jake Lowery (DH) -0-1, Additional Plate Appearance

PITCHERS
Trevor Bauer - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 8 K
Mike Zagurski - 1 IP, 1 H
Nick Hgadone - 1 IP, 2 K
Scott Barnes - 1 IP, 1 K
Jacob Lee - 1 IP, 1 H

Notes: Lindor and Rodriguez split time at shortstop, but what is more interesting is where the two may end up this season. Lindor probably needs more time at Double-A and Rodriguez is probably not ready for the bump up to Triple-A, and the Indians picked up Justin Sellers to play shortstop at Triple-A or be a utility guy. So, it is going to be interesting to see how the Indians fit Rodriguez into the mix at Akron if he sticks around there at the outset of the season. ... Aguilar and Chen split time at first base and Moncrief and Smith split time at right field, but these positions are very defined as Aguilar will be the regular first baseman at Columbus and Chen probably more a DH while Moncrief will be the right fielder and Smith will be the right fielder in Akron. ... Ollie Linton? He was recently signed and looks like he is in line to be a reserve outfielder with Columbus to start the season - which may mean that non-roster invites in big league camp such as Nyjer Morgan and Jeff Francoeur probably have to make the Cleveland roster or they won't be retained. ... Bauer was electric with eight strikeouts to just one walk in five innings covering 80 pitches. Bottle that up. ... Zagurski, Hagadone and Barnes should all be in the Columbus bullpen to start the season, a bullpen which may boast as many as four lefty relievers - though Barnes and Colt Hynes are in danger of being DFAed and if they are they may be picked up by someone.

RubberDucks 9, Midland 2

BATTERS
Todd Hankins (2B) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Logan Vick (CF) - 0-4, 1 R, 3 K, Additional Plate Appearance
Joe Sever (3B/DH) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 CS, 1 E
Anthony Gallas (RF) - 0-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
Jerrud Sabourin (1B) - 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Eric Haase (C) - 1-3
Alex Monsalve (C) - 0-1
James Roberts (SS) - 2-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Paddy Matera (DH) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, Additonal Plate Appearance (possibly a Sac Fly)
Brian Ruiz (LF) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 E
Bryson Myles (LF) - 0-2, 1 K
Yandy Diaz (3B/DH) - 1-1, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB

PITCHERS
Tyler Cloyd - 4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB. 2 K
Kyle Crockett - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned)
Francisco Valera - 1+ IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 4 BB, 1 K
Austin Adams - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Daniel Carela - 1 IP, 1 H,1 BB, 1 K

Notes: Diaz played some third base in this one and has been playing second base, so we may see him split time at third base and second base this season as the Indians attempt to find a position for him. He's one of the most interesting guys in camp simply because of how much of an unknown he is but is a guy the Indians believe has some upside and a guy to keep an eye on. ... Valera appeared in his first minor league game of the spring - though had pitched in a big league game - and really struggled with the command. The arm strength is interesting, but the Indians have some tough decisions on some guys looming because the bullpen is pretty crowded at Akron and he could be one of those tough decisions. ... Cloyd was efficient as he needed just 49 pitches to get through four innings and is building himself up for a starting role that he is expected to fill at Columbus.

Stockton 7, Mudcats 3

BATTERS
Erik Gonzalez (SS) - 0-2, 1 K
Zach MacPhee (SS) - 2-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 E
Yhoxian Medina (2B) - 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 E
Jeremy Lucas (C) - 0-2
Richard Stock (C) - 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 K
Grant Fink (1B) - 0-4, 2 K
Cody Ferrell (CF) - 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Josh McAdams (LF) - 1-1, 1 2B
Victor Cabral (LF) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K
Robel Garcia (3B) - 0-1, 1 K
Paul Hendrix (3B) - 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E
Jorge Martinez (RF) - 1-1
Juan Romero (RF) - 0-2, 1 K
Leonardo Castillo (DH) - 1-3, 1 R

PITCHERS
Kyle Davies - 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R (all earned), 3 K
John Axford - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Mark Rzepczynski - 1.1 IP, 2 H,1 R (earned), 4 K
Josh Outman - 1.1 IP, 1 K
Rob Nixon - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 1 K
Elvis Araujo - 1 iP, 1 K

Notes: Fink looks all but certain to open the season at Lake County where he will be the backup first baseman, play a little third and also DH. ... Three bullpen arms from Cleveland got work in this one as Axford, Rzepczynski, and Outman all worked 1.1 innings apiece, though they worked the extra third of an inning to get the required number of pitches in a game rather than have to finish them in a bullpen. Oh the beauty of minor league spring games where you can play with four or five outs in an inning or cut an inning short with less than three outs based on whether the pitcher has had enough or not enough work! ... Nixon labored through his one inning needing 27 pitches to get out of it. He is on the roster bubble and needs to pitch much better than this to make a team. ... Araujo is settling into the bullpen nicely as he had a clean inning with a strikeout. The Indians are committing to him as a bullpen arm this season - though they have not given up on him as a starting option in the future.

Beloit 6, Captains 4

BATTERS
Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-2
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 0-1, 1 R, 1 SB,1 E, Additional Plate Appearance (possibly a Hit By Pitch)
LeVon Washington (LF) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 3B
Nick Hamilton (LF) - 1-2, 1 RBI
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, 1 E
Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 0-4, 2 K
Yonathan Mendoza (3B) - 1-2
Jordan Smith (3B) - 0-2, 1 K
Shane Rowland (C) - 1-2
Juan De La Cruz (C) - 0-1, Additional Plate Appearance
Francisco Mejia (DH) - 0-2
Gerald Bautista (DH) - 0-1
D'Vone McClure (RF) - 0-3, 2 K
Joel Mejia (CF) - 1-3, 1 R
Claudio Bautista (DH) - 1-2
Willi Castro (DH) - 0-1

PITCHERS
Michael Peoples - 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 1 K
Luis Lugo - 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 4 K
Alexis Paredes - 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 2 K
K.D. Doane - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 2 K

Notes: Nice to see Washington out playing and in the field. He tore a ball up that he drove on a line off the middle of the right center field wall and coasted into third with a standup triple. It will be interesting to see what he does this season if he is able to avoid injury. If his defense comes around and his speed hasn't been sapped, then he still has a chance to make an impact in the higher levels and potentially the big leagues. ... Chang is one of my new favorite players. I first saw him in Instructs and came away very impressed with his offensive abilities, and I am even moreso now. He smoked that home run over the left center field wall. He is one of the Indians best prospects in the lower levels and missed the Top 50 listing because of my eligibility requirement where the player had to play stateside in affiliated ball the previous season. ... Francisco Mejia saw his first game action of the spring. He had missed some time because of some tenderness in his throwing elbow, but should be back behind the plate in games soon. ... Gerald Bautista has been converted to a catcher though will probably not play in games back there until extended spring training games kick up.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 Goodyear Notebook: March 20th

By Tony Lastoria

March 21, 2014

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It’s good to be back. Another season of watching future Tribe hopefuls kicked off for me on Thursday as I was (finally) in Indians camp and had a chance to take in practice and games for the first time this season.

This of course officially kicks off the 2014 minor league coverage here at the IBI as we will be following and reporting on Indians prospects in great detail over the course of the next seven months and well into the offseason. The prospect countdown is over so now it is time to see who solidifies their standing, rises or falls over the next six to seven months.

As always, the first day is much about saying hello to people for the first time in months. Familiar faces be it fans, parents, players, coaches or front office personnel that I have not seen since maybe last August or September. I always like to spend a lot of time the first few days following and watching a lot of the younger players, and got a heavy dose of it on Thursday as I watched them practice in the morning and then took in the High-A Carolina and Low-A Lake County games in the afternoon at the complex.

With the first day you tend to take a head count to see who is missing which is only natural. With that in mind I found out some details on several of those “missing in action”, some of it encouraging news and some of it not so good news. So with that here are some news, notes, and observations I jotted down in my first notebook of the season…

Directors Cuts

I sat down with Assistant Director of Player Development Carter Hawkins for a little bit on Thursday to talk about a few players and other topics:


On Elvis Araujo: “We are looking for him to fill a [bullpen role] and build upon that. He profiles as a guy that can be a starter for sure with his stuff, but with his velocity and breaking ball he is a guy who is hard to hit and can get outs in the bullpen as well. I think that not stretching him out will ideally help keep him healthier over the course of the season. We don’t want to rule out him being a starter in the future, but for right now we will focus on a bullpen role and see where it takes us.”

On Adam Plutko: “We really haven’t seen him other than his time in UCLA [because he was hurt last year]. So we are just getting to know him and he worked really hard in strength camp in the offseason and came out here and showed he prepared very well in the offseason on his own and has put himself in a good situation. All the things our scouts talked about with his work ethic and mindset and his routines are definitely as advertised. With the experiences he has had in high level competition and playing a lot more baseball than a lot of guys coming into pro baseball for the first year, his focus is a little more mature than a younger player. He is still focusing on one or two things, but he is looking at more of the finer points of the game.”

On Yu-Cheng Chang: “Being a player coming from Taiwan, that is a tough transition to come in with the confidence he has played with every single day and to play like he belongs right out of the gate. That is not easy to do no matter what your skill level is. That is what has impressed us the most. Certainly on the field he has played extremely well but that is the player we thought we were getting from a skill standpoint and he has just been able to play into those skills which has been impressive in such a difficult environment for a first year player from another country. There is not one glaring area that sticks out more than the other at this point other than he plays with a lot of confidence and plays beyond his years for a young player. He has a strong arm, good feet, pop in the bat and is a pretty impressive package for a young player.”

On Francisco Mejia missing time early on: "I think it is just standard spring training soreness. We feel really good about him right now and will get him back progressing into games and he should be full service here pretty soon. He has had a strong spring so far and he is just maturing as a player and that is what we are most focused on at this point in his career. Both his arm and bat [are impressive]. At his age to do what he did in the Arizona Summer League shows some talent there, and we are really just trying to tap into that with doing the important things like learning English and getting a better feel for the game to expedite his development.”

On if they take anything out of the statistics in the Arizona Summer League: “The earlier in the career it is the less we pay attention to things from a statistic standpoint. For one, it is a small sample size, and secondly there is just so much growth a player has over the course of their career. Especially at that lower level we are more focused on just getting a solid routine and getting a solid foundation developmentally. Stats can be an indicator for us in a particular area of the game we might want to focus on, but from an evaluation standpoint and predicting success it couldn’t be further from the truth. Look at a guy like Erik Gonzalez. His stats on paper at Mahoning Valley were not very good, but all of our coaches felt like he was the type of player who had a chance to be an impactful Major Leaguer.”

On Gerald Bautista: “He is catching. It is something he was interested in out in the Dominican [Instructional League], and we felt like it was a good opportunity to increase his versatility. It was a win-win across the board as the more at bats you can get the more opportunities you get to improve.”

Random Notes

Shocking retirements: Probably the most shocking news of camp is the sudden retirements of right-handed pitchers Dillon Howard and Jake Sisco before spring training started. They were the Indians 2nd and 3rd round picks in the 2011 Draft and they invested a lot of money to sign them - $1.85 million for Howard and $325K for Sisco - which is why it is such big news. Both pitchers were not progressing well through the system as Sisco really underwhelmed in his first two pro seasons and Howard missed all of last season after being suspended for 50 games because he violated MLB’s minor league drug program. Sisco recently got married and probably saw the writing on the wall, though it is still surprising to see him bolt so quickly since he was still considered a priority arm for the Indians. I have learned a few bits and pieces behind the Howard situation, though it is a sensitive subject and one that for now all I can say is it goes beyond simple retirement.

Frazier suffers setback: Top outfield prospect Clint Frazier has been limited the past few days thanks to a tweaked hamstring. The injury is considered very minor and he says he would have played through it had it been the regular season. The plan at the moment is for him to continue to rehab it the next several days and if he has no setbacks is slated to play in games once again starting on March 27th. He would play in three innings and be built up from there. He is all but certain to open the season in extended spring training because the Indians are being overly cautious and will not rush him back.

Mejia slowed: Top catching prospect Francisco Mejia has been absent from games up until Thursday because he was temporarily slowed this spring with a tender right elbow. The soreness in his elbow came about early in camp while he was starting up his throwing program. He should be back in games behind the plate before the end of camp, so it does not appear that the start of his season will be delayed – though the Indians may err on the side of caution and have him stick around in Arizona for a week or two to ensure health since Lake County will play in a lot of cold weather the first few weeks of the season.

Haley sidelined: Right-handed pitcher Trey Haley is currently not with the organization and is back home in Texas rehabbing his right shoulder. His right shoulder began barking on him last fall while he was pitching in the Arizona Fall League, which forced him out of the league . He came to camp this spring and just did not feel right so the Indians shut him down and sent him home. There is no ETA on when he might return to action or move his rehab to the Goodyear complex.

Abraham slips up: Versatile corner utility man Adam Abraham has been out of action this spring because he is rehabbing from a broken right forearm. He suffered the injury back in January when he slipped at his home, and has a long scar up the inside of his arm because they had to insert a plate. He is not participating in any drills yet, but is hopeful to get into extended spring games my mid-to-late April and then maybe be an option at an affiliate sometime in May or June.

Plutko shines: A guy who could really move quick is right-handed pitcher Adam Plutko. He is pitching for the first time in front of the entire organization as he did not pitch for them at all last season because of a shoulder blade issue when he signed that prevented him pitching. He came out of the draft as a low upside but polished starting pitcher with nothing in his arsenal that really stood out, but he is showing a good fastball this spring which has caught many by surprise. He was 88-91 MPH for a lot of last season at UCLA and in the final game of the College World Series he was at 84 MPH with his fastball which shows he was either tired or pitching hurt, yet in his last outing earlier this week he was 92-94 MPH consistently with his fastball. If he is indeed pitching consistently at 92-93 MPH with his fastball, then it changes a lot with him as that is 3-4 MPH different in average velocity and might be a separator for him.

A-R-A-U-J-O spells relief: In a move I have long hoped for the Indians have decided to move lefty Elvis Araujo out of the starting rotation and into a relief role. They are still open-minded about his return to the rotation in the future, but the feeling is that his stuff, command and health will all play up in shorter stints in the bullpen. He had a lot of success coming out of the bullpen in winter ball pitching in the Venezuela Winter League as he appeared in 16 games and had a 2.40 ERA with a .225 batting average against and nine walks in 30 innings. The Indians were turned on by that showing and are trying him out in the role as a result.

Bautista catching on: The only position change this spring is that of Gerald Bautista as he will move from the corner infield to behind the plate. He is pretty enthusiastic about the move and he has a good frame, some athleticism and a solid bat which makes him an interesting guy as a catcher. The Indians have a lot of catchers in the lower levels, so it will be interesting to see how he figures into things – though he is all but certain to stick in Arizona all year and play in extended spring training games and in the Arizona Summer League as well.

Up next: Today is a camp day so all four minor league full season teams will be at the complex on the backfields working out and then play a five to seven inning intrasquad game. I will continue to post game reports each day and will return with a notebook on Monday afternoon.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 21st

By Tony Lastoria

March 22, 2014

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The Indians had a camp day on Friday as Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron faced off with one another on on field and High-A Carolina and Low-A Lake County faced off against one another on an adjacent field. Here is the recap of how all of the Indians hitters and pitchers did on the day, with some notes on some of the performances below each game.

Also, some more players appeared in their first games. Here are the players who are still missing in action: Dylan Baker, Trey Haley, Nick Pasquale, Luis Morel, Jeff Johnson, Jimmy Stokes and Adam Abraham. Abraham (broken arm), Haley (shoulder) and Baker (arm soreness) are all accounted for, and Baker should be in line to get on the mound very soon.

Clippers 9, RubberDucks 4

CLIPPERS BATTERS
Tyler Naquin (DH) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 K
Francisco Lindor (SS) - 0-2, 1 K
Audy Ciriaco (SS) - 0-2
Chun Chen (1B) - 0-2, 1 R
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 1-1, 1 2B (may have played 1B)
Carlos Moncrief (CF) - 1-3, 1 R
Jordan Smith (RF) - 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
David Adams (3B) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1K
Ronny Rodriguez (2B) - 1-3, 1 RBI
Tyler Holt (LF) - 0-2, 1 K
Tim Fedroff (LF) - 0-1, 1 K
Roberto Perez (C) - 1-1, 1 BB
Jake Lowery (C) - 0-1, 1 K
Alex Lavisky (DH) - 1-3, 1 K
Charlie Valerio (DH) - 1-1

CLIPPERS PITCHERS
Vinnie Pestano - 1 IP, 1 K
Scott Atchison - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Gabriel Arias - 2 IP, 3 H
Cody Penny - 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 K
Giovanni Soto - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 BB, 1 K
Carlos Melo - 1 IP, 1 H

Notes: David Adams socked one out for the Clippers and looks like he will be their regular third baseman to open the season - assuming Jose Ramirez is at second base and either Justin Sellers or Francisco Lindor are at shortstop. ... Vinnie Pestano came down from big league camp and got some work in and breezed through the three batters he faced in his clean inning of work. He really looks like he is going to nab one of the available pen spots in Cleveland at the outset of the season. ... It was nice to see Giovanni Soto back on the mound. He is coming back from a back injury that pretty much wiped out his entire season last year. ... Carlos Melo is not a household name, but when he took the mound it created a buzz as people scurried to watch the radar guns. He typically gets into the mid-90s and has been up to 100 MPH in the past, though in this one was only up to 94 MPH.

RUBBERDUCKS BATTERS
Justin Toole (2B) - 1-2
Todd Hankins (2B) - 0-2, 1 E
Erik Gonzalez (SS) - 0-4, 2 K, 1 E
Tony Wolters (C) - 1-2, 1 2B
Eric Haase (C) - 1-2, 1 2B
Yandy Diaz (3B) - 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB
Anthony Gallas (RF) - 0-2, 1 BB
Joe Sever (DH) - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Paddy Matera (DH) - 1-1
Jerrud Sabourin (1B) - 1-3, 1 RBI
Brian Ruiz (LF) - 1-3
Ollie Linton (CF) - 0-2

RUBBERDUCKS PITCHERS
Aaron Harang - 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 earmed), 1 BB, 5 K
Colt Hynes - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 K
Preston Guilmet - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 K
Martin Alcantara - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 K

Notes: Justin Toole finally found his way into a game. He's a veteran of the system, so it is going to be interesting to see how he fares as the final cutdowns occur over the next few days. ... I give Paddy Matera all the credit in the world. The guy doesn't look the part and was picked up last season out of independent ball, so his future is very bleak with the organization. But the guy just continues to hit. The question now is, will it be enough? ... Aaron Harang had traffic on the basepaths all afternoon and was fortunate to escape having given up just the six runs. He threw 93 pitches and even threw a few more in the bullpen once his day was finished.

Mudcats 5, Captains 2

MUDCATS BATTERS
Dorssys Paulino (DH) - 0-1, 1 BB
Zach MacPhee (DH) - 1-2, 1 K, 1 SB
Ivan Castillo (2B) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
Cody Ferrell (CF) - 2-2, 1 R, 1 CS
Josn McAdams (CF) - 0-1, 1 BB
Grant Fink (1B) - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
Richard Stock (C) - 0-4, 2 K
Paul Hendrix (3B) - 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB
Robel Garcia (3B) - 0-2, 1 K
Jorge Martinez (RF) - 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
Victor Cabral (LF) - 0-3, 2 K
Yhoxian Medina (SS) - 1-3, 1 R
Nick Hamilton (DH) - 0-1

MUDCATS PITCHERS
Matt Whitehouse - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 K
Kieran Lovegrove - 0.0 IP, 2 BB
Geoffrey Davenport - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB. 1 K
Louis Head - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Justin Brantley - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Leandro Linares - 0.2 IP, 1 R (earned), 3 BB

Notes: Matt Whitehouse made his spring debut with a solid one inning of work. He's a guy that is in the mix as a potential starter at Low-A Lake County or High-A Carolina to start the season, and may end up in a piggyback situation. ... Kieran Lovegrove threw eight pitches and all were balls before he was removed from the game as a precautionary measure. His first two pitches sailed beyond the catcher's reach to the backstop and he continued to miss big with his pitches and was only up to 88 MPH with his fastball. Let's hope it was just a bad day and not a sign of something physically wrong with him. ... Leandro Linares made his unofficial pro debut and looked a bit nervous out on the mound as he walked the first two batters he faced before he got a double play ball, but he allowed another walk after that and sent a run home on a wild pitch.

CAPTAINS BATTERS
Joel Mejia (CF) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 K, 2 SB
Claudio Bautista (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 1-1, 1 SB, Additional Plate Appearance
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 K
Yonathan Mendoza (SS) - 0-1
Anthony Santander (DH) - 1-3, 1 2B, 2 K
Juan Romero (RF) - 0-2, 1 K
Juan De La Cruz (C) - 0-2
Shane Rowland (C) - 1-1
D'Vone McClure (LF) - 0-3
Gerald Bautista (1B) - 0-3, 1 K
Francisco Mejia (DH) - 2-2. 1 R, 1 BB
Ordomar Valdez (3B0 - 0-1
Garrett Smith (3B) - 0-0, 2 BB

CAPTAINS PITCHERS
Jordan Milbrath - 3 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Tom Pannone - 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 2 K
Wander Beras - 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 BB, 3 K
Trevor Frank - 1 IP, 2 K
Luis DeJesus - 1 IP, 1 K
Luis Gomez - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned0, 1 BB, 1 K

Notes: Anthony Santander was in action for the first time this spring as he DHed and looked solid at the plate. He's another guy who had a small hiccup with his health early in camp and the organization was overly cautious and shut him down for some time in order to ensure 100% recovery. ... Francisco Mejia was back for his second day in a row and DHed, and looked solid as always at the plate reaching in all three plate appearances. He is such a confident player - almost to the point of cockiness. ... Jordan Milbrath is a sleeper to keep an eye on. He might very well make the Lake County opening day rotation as he is being built up to start or at least pitch in a piggyback role, and he was very good in this outing needing just 41 pitches in his three innings of work and was 91-94 MPH with his fastball.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Six hitting prospects who can help in Cleveland in 2014

Ramirez ready to contribute now while Aguilar and Moncrief could make waves midseason

By Jim Piascik

March 22, 2014

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Ready to help now

Jose Ramirez, INF

Ramirez, either you like him or you love him. He is a tiny guy, listed at 5'9", 165 pounds, but that has never held the 21-year-old back. He posted a .354/.403/.462 line as a 19-year-old in Low-A, skipped High-A to hold his own in Double-A Akron, and played a key bench role down the stretch for the major league team. Sure, Ramirez is set to start the season in the minors due to the presence of ace bench bat Mike Aviles, but if needed, Ramirez could help right now.

Given his .077 ISO and 25 extra base hits in 533 Double-A plate appearances, there is an argument that Ramirez needs to get stronger before he can fully impact at the major league level. But while Ramirez tackles that problem (which should happen, considering how he has figured everything else out in his short career really quickly), his severe aversion to strikeouts, speed, and strong defense will let him augment the team in Cleveland. He still needs refinement to his game (and polish at shortstop and third base if he is going to play there extensively), but no matter what, expect to see Ramirez wreaking havoc this year, whether he is in Columbus or Cleveland.

Ready to help midseason

Jesus Aguilar, 1B

Alright, let's talk about Aguilar without mentioning his RBI count in 2013… Wait… Oops.

More importantly than his RBI, Aguilar's adjustments to his swing mechanics that came about in early June set the first baseman on the course for the majors at some point this season. He posted a .292/.366/.462 line after June 4 and launched 22 home runs in 68 games in the winter league. Add Aguilar's now consistent hitting ability and power to his solid defense at first base and you have a player capable of being in the neighborhood of league-average.

League-average does not sound all that sexy, but if, say, Nick Swisher goes out with an injury, Cleveland will need someone reliable to fill in at first base/designated hitter (depending on how players like Carlos Santana slot in to the holes). Aguilar does not project to hit on the level of a Miguel Cabrera or Joey Votto -- the current gold standard of first basemen -- but teams do not win with only star-level players. Having someone like Aguilar post something in the range of 2.0 WAR goes a long way and the first baseman should be ready to do that midseason after a little time in Triple-A to start the year.

Tyler Holt, OF

Of every position player on this list, Holt is the only one not ranked in the top-10 (coming in at a cool #46). But while Holt does not profile to be an impact talent at the major league level, his contributions are also quite valuable in their own right.

In the field, few in the organization can rival his defensive prowess. Holt plays a great center field and started honing his skills in the corners late last year. His future is likely tied to an ability to backup each spot in the outfield and the early returns looked good. The bat is not quite there (he posted a .267/.338/.359 line in 133 games in Double-A Akron last year), but with his defense, he does not need to hit like Mike Trout to be valuable.

Cleveland is deep in outfielders right now and have higher profile players who would fill in better for long stretches (like the next guy on the list). But if the team is more in need of someone to fill in briefly and be a presence on defense, I could see someone like Holt getting the call.

Carlos Moncrief, OF

Given the rate at which Moncrief adapted to being an outfielder, maybe he could help the big league club today. In the four years since Moncrief converted from pitching, the outfielder has maintained a strong walk rate, limited his strikeouts, shown real plus power (he hit a home run off Orioles top prospect Kevin Gausman over the 60-foot batter's eye in Canal Park), solid range in the outfielder and an insanely big arm. Sure, the 25-year-old could use more seasoning in Triple-A, but given the way he's conquered everything put in front of him, he could probably help now if needed.

There is not an immediate need in the major league outfield thanks to the signing of David Murphy this offseason, but if any outfielders stumble (or if Bourn's injury proves to be more significant than a minor setback), Moncrief could come up and fill that hole. He is still about as raw as they come for a 25-year-old, but in the end, what he offers is the best outfield impact talent for 2014 Cleveland's minor league system has to offer. He has the tools, and with another year of putting them together, Moncrief could make waves midseason.

Long shots for late in the season

Francisco Lindor, SS

The calls for Lindor to replace Asdrubal Cabrera as the starting shortstop for the major league team continue to grow. But in all actuality, Lindor is not ready for that jump just yet. He only has 21 games under his belt at Double-A and is coming off of a season cut short due to back problems. Lindor has the tools to be a top tier shortstop in the majors and to reach that ceiling soon, but just regarding 2014, I am not convinced he will be up on Cleveland for anything other than a late-season callup (like Xander Bogaerts with Boston last year).

Though, used in that role, Lindor could be a benefit to the team. At the very least Lindor would offer good defense at shortstop (and feasibly at least competent defense at second and third base if needed in a utility role) and not embarrass himself at the plate. He may not be ready to take over full time on opening day, but Lindor could offer a shot in the arm late in the season if the team is in contention.

Tyler Naquin, OF

The perception of Naquin really suffers because Michael Wacha was selected four picks later. It is not Naquin's fault that Wacha's career took off immediately and unfairly raised the expectations of many regarding the soon-to-be-23-year-old outfielder.

In his first full professional season, Naquin posted an above-average .277/.345/.424 line in the High-A Carolina League, a notorious pitcher's league. The advanced college swing did show up in his .354 BABIP, a mark that probably does not need to be regressed back to league-average given Naquin's line drive tendencies. Sure the strikeouts came in bunches (22.5 percent in High-A), but overall, the results are encouraging one full season into Naquin's professional career.

His defense in center field is improving, and if he continues to progress through the year at Double-A, he may be able to add something off of the bench in September. Naquin feasibly could take a big step forward heading into 2014 knowing what to expect out of a professional season this time around. He knows how to hit, and if that ability translates into a little more contact and fewer strikeouts, his bat could help like a higher profile Matt Carson last year.

If you want to follow Jim on Twitter, he’s @JimPiascik. If you want to e-mail him, you can do so at jpiasci1@kent.edu

2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 22nd

By Tony Lastoria

March 23, 2014

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The Indians were in action against the Dodgers on Saturday as Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron were in Goodyear and High-A Carolina and Low-A Lake County traveled to Glendale. Here is the recap of how all of the Indians hitters and pitchers did on the day, with some notes on some of the performances below each game.

Also, some more players appeared in their first games. Here are the players who are still missing in action: Trey Haley, Nick Pasquale, Luis Morel, Jeff Johnson, Jimmy Stokes, Adam Abraham, and Adam Miller. Abraham, Haley and Johnson are all accounted for as they are injured, and Pasquale and Morel appear to be hurt as well though I have not confirmed so (they are not dressed and doing any throwing). Stokes and Miller threw a pen on Saturday so could both be in line to make their first appearances soon.

Clippers 2, Albuquerque 2

BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (2B) - 0-2
Joey Wendle (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Francsisco Lindor (SS) - 0-2
Ronny Rodriguez (SS) - 1-2, 1 R
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 1-3, Additional Plate Appearance
Jesus Aguilar (1B) - 0-4, 1 K
Chun Chen (DH)- 0-3, 1 K
Carlos Moncrief (RF) - 1-2
Ollie Linton (RF) - 1-1, 1 SB
Tim Fedroff (CF) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 K,1 SB
Jordan Smith (LF) - 0-2, 1 BB
Roberto Perez (C) - 0-2
Charlie Valerio (C) - 0-0, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Alex Lavisky (DH) - 0-3, 1 K

PITCHERS
Shaun Marcum - 1 IP, 1 H,1 R (earned), 1 K
Travis Banwart - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 4 K
Frank Herrmann - 1 IP, 1 H
Kyle Crockett - 1 IP, 1 K
Shawn Armstrong - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Austin Adams - 1 IP, 1 H

Notes: Between big league games and now the minor league games, Jesus Aguilar has had a forgettable showing this spring. Hopefully when the season starts he turns it on. He actually could have had a double in his final at bat as he smoked a ball to the wall in left field, but the left fielder made a great diving play to his right. ... Travis Banwart went out to four innings and 69 pitches and was good on the day. He was not very efficient with his pitches, but he was effective and looks to be in line for a starting rotation spot at Columbus. ... Austin Adams looks to be in midseason form already as he was 95-98 MPH with his fastball and showed a nice power curveball.

Chattanooga 13, RubberDucks 4

BATTERS
LeVon Washington (LF) - 2-3, Additional Plate Appearance
Brian Ruiz (LF) - 0-1,1 RBI
Erik Gonzalez (SS) - 0-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Bryson Myles (CF) - 0-3, 2 K
Yandy Diaz (3B) - 0-2
James Roberts (3B) - 0-1, 1 K, 2 E, Additional Plate Appearance
Tony Wolters (DH) - 0-4, 3 K
Joe Sever (1B) - 1-2
Jerrud Sabourin (1B) - 0-1, Additional Plate Appearance
Alex Monsalve (C) - 1-2, 1 E
Eric Haase (C) - 0-1, 1 BB
Logan Vick (RF) - 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K
Justin Toole (2B) - 1-2, 1 R
Zach MacPhee (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Anthony Gallas (DH) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI

PITCHERS
Cody Anderson - 3.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 earned), 6 K
Elvis Araujo - 1.1 IP, 1, H,1 R (unearned), 1 BB, 3 K
Grant Sides - 1+ IP, 5 H, 6 R (5 earned), 1 BB
J.D. Reichenbach - 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 K
Enosil Tejeda - 1 IP

Notes: LeVon Washington is having a nice camp and looks confident at the plate. I don't think there is any question he can impact with his bat and legs, the question is whether he can stay healthy and develop his defense. We will see, but a nice start to the year for him. ... Diaz may have had the toughest 0-for-2 day I have seen. He absolutely smoked both of his balls but was robbed on nice running catches by the center fielder. This guy can hit and is going to be exciting to see develop and what happens to him. A nice early season pickup by the Indians. ... Vick turned a ball nicely and drove it down the right field line in his final at bat in the ninth inning for a double. ... Gallas smashed a ball to right center for a two-RBI triple in the ninth. The game may have been over, but he's a guy who is making the most of every at bat and really put a good swing on the ball not just in that at bat but he previous at bat (a long fly out to left). ... Anderson struggled to consistently find the zone and battled his way through three-plus innings before having to be removed because he hit his 65 pitch limit in his last inning of work. Mark Shapiro was on hand to watch him and then promptly left when he came out. ... Sides and Reichenbach really struggled and may have sealed their fates as guys who don't make a full season roster. I still think Reichenbach is a guy because of his versatility that the Indians may keep around as a utility pitcher.

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Mudcats 2

BATTERS
Dorssys Paulino (SS) - 0-2
Yhoxian Medina (SS) - 0-2, 1 K
Leonardo Castillo (2B) - 0-4, 2 K
Jeremy Lucas (C) - 1-4, 1 2B
Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 0-3, 1 K
Grant Fink (DH) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Nick Hamilton (DH) - 0-1
Josh McAdams (CF) - 1-2, 1 K
Cody Ferrell (CF) - 0-0, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 E
Robel Garcia (3B) - 0-2, 1 K
Paul Hendrix (3B) - 0-1, 1 E
Jorge Martinez (LF) - 0-2, 1 K
Victor Cabral (LF) - 0-1
Juan Romero (RF) - 0-3, 2 K
Richard Stock (DH) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

PITCHERS
Ryan Merritt - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 2 K
Cole Sulser - 3 IP, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 3 K
Benny Suarez - 1 IP, 1 K
Alexis Paredes - 1 IP, 1 BB

Notes: Fink with another good game and a guy who has put up some good at bats this spring. The home runs have been few and far inbetween for Indians players this spring, so when one goes out it is noteworthy. ... McAdams was in center field which is interesting since he doesn't really profile there, but the Indians may just be taking notes to see if he has the versatility in the outfield to play there a few times in order to get him on the Lake County roster. ... Stock hit a bomb and is in the mix to make the Carolina roster as a DH-type bat that plays first and catches. The roster is pretty stuffed with catchers, but I don't see why with his solid bat he can't make the roster and play a mixture of first, catcher and DH (mostly DH). ... Merritt was his typical self as he was efficient with 50 pitches in his four innings of work and danced around some traffic, and Sulser just continues to get results though needed 49 pitches to get through his three innings.

Great Lakes 3, Captains 2

BATTERS
Joel Mejia (RF) - 0-4, 1 K
Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 K
Yu-Cheng Chang (DH) - 1-3, 1 R,1 BB
Anthony Santander (DH) - 1-4, 1 2B,1 RBI, 1 K
Yonathan Mendoza (3B) - 0-2
Grofi Cruz (3B) - 0-0, 1 RBI, Additional Plate Appearance (likely a Sac Fly)
Shane Rowland (DH) - 0-3, 2 K
Junior Soto (CF) - 0-2, 1 BB
Francisco Mejia (C) - 1-1, 1 2B
Juan De La Cruz (C) - 0-2
Garrett Smith (LF) - 1-3, 1 K, 1 SB
Gerald Bautista (1B) - 0-2
Emmanuel Tapia (1B) - 0-1, 1 K

PITCHERS
Dylan Baker - 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K
Robbie Aviles - 2 IP, 2 K
Ramon Rodriguez - 1 IP, 1 H
Casey Shane - 1 IP, 1 R (earned), 3 BB
Kenny Matthews - 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 K
Cortland Cox - 1 IP, 2 H
Ben Heller - 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K

Notes: Have I mentioned before how much I like Chang? This kid is just a baseball player and one of the Indians best young prospects probably no one has heard of (yet). He's impressed so much this spring and played so much that it leads me to believe the Indians are strongly considering an assignment to Lake County to open the season - although that would be interesting to see if they did that because Paulino is expected to be there unless they push him to Carolina. ... Cruz is another name to keep an eye on. He was a high profile Latin signing in 2012 and looks to be in line for his stateside debut this season at rookie level Arizona. He along with Tapia, and Soto are interesting bats to keep an eye on in Arizona this summer. ... Mejia was back behind the plate for the first time and he looks to be on track to open the season with Lake County. ... Baker made his first appearance of the spring and is about two weeks behind all of the other starters, so he may have to stay behind for 2-3 weeks and pitch in simulated games or extended spring games to properly build him up before assigning him to Carolina.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 IBI Positional Rankings: The First Basemen

By Tony Lastoria

March 23, 2014

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Last week we wrapped up the 2014 Top 50 prospect countdown, and today we unveil the beginning of our 2014 Positional Rankings by kicking off things with the first basemen in the Indians system.

First base is a position where the Indians have some strength in the upper levels with Nick Swisher manning it in Cleveland and then Jesus Aguilar next in line at Triple-A Columbus, but beyond that it is a position of great uncertainty and one of the weaker positions in the organization. Previous top billed prospects like Matt LaPorta and Beau Mills never lived up to the hype and it has been a position the Indians have had trouble finding an everyday solution at the Major League level, but hopefully that is changing with the emergence of Aguilar and Nellie Rodriguez last season.

Over the next two weeks leading into the season I will be posting these positional rankings, and will pretty much talk about every Indians prospect that played stateside somewhere last season. Much more detailed write-ups were already posted for players in the Top 50 and will also be provided for all players in the upcoming prospect book.

Today, we kick things off with a look at the first basemen:


1. Jesus Aguilar

Age: 23 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 250 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (In Akron): 130 G, .275/.349/.427 line, 16 HR, 105 RBI, 0 SB

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Venezuela in November of 2007, Aguilar has steadily ascended up the minor league ladder and is not on the cusp of making it to the Major Leagues. He is a large sized first baseman who is an intimidating, hulking menace when he steps into the batter’s box. With his strong upper body and strength in his lower half he has well above average power potential, and has a solid approach that has really been refined and made considerable progress over the last few seasons. He was originally signed as a third baseman but moved to first base as a pro. He moves well around the bag, has some athleticism and agility, and is sure-handed, and made enough strides where he is a near ready average defensive Major League first baseman. For a guy his size he does play a little small since his power has yet to fully show itself, some it a byproduct from the work he has done at developing his approach at the plate, so showing more consistent power is one of his last areas of development to make him Major League ready. He has a good shot to make it to the big leagues as at least a complementary player and someone of the Gaby Sanchez ilk (his good years) who can be a serviceable, productive first baseman. For a more detailed report, view his full scouting report here.


2. Nellie Rodriguez

Age: 19 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 225 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (Between Mahoning Valley & Lake County): 120 G, .252/.342/.378 line, 10 HR, 50 RBI, 0 SB

Rodriguez was selected in the 15th round of the 2012 Draft out of George Washington High School (NY), the same high school the Indians drafted outfielder Manny Ramirez out of in the 1991 Draft. He has intimidating size with a very strong lower half, and as he matures he is only expected to continue to get bigger and stronger. He does not hit for a high average and strikes out a lot, but has the makings of a good, mature approach where he is patient enough to work for a good pitch to hit and will draw a good amount of walks. His best tool is some very good raw power to all fields, something that has impressed the Indians player development department and they are working with him to try and get him to tap into it more consistently. He was drafted by the Indians as a catcher, but was quickly converted to a first baseman. At the moment he is a below average defender but has the upside to become an average defender, and shows some good athleticism around the bag, moves surprisingly well in the field, and has some good natural actions. The biggest concerns among scouts with Rodriguez lie within his approach, ability to make consistent contact, and some limitations defensively that bring up a lot of questions about his Major League future. He is still very raw and has a lot of development to come, but his youth, size, and potential with the bat still makes him a very interesting prospect for the Indians. For a more detailed report, view his full scouting report here.


3. Chun-Hsiu Chen

Age: 25 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 210 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (Between Akron & Columbus): 132 G, .253/.339/.405 line, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 13 SB

Chen was signed as a free agent in September of 2007 out of Taiwan. He was a third baseman and pitcher in Taiwan, but was converted to a catcher when he joined the organization. He is an offensive-oriented player who has a solid approach and a quick, professional swing and puts up consistent at bats where he uses the middle of the field well. He has average power and solid bat-to-ball ability, and shows an ability to control the outer half of the plate well where he is not afraid to drive balls to the opposite field. He moved out from behind the plate in 2012 to first base and has made solid progress in his transition to first base displaying soft hands, decent movement and a little athleticism, but is still a below average defender with the upside to potentially be an average defender. The main question with him is where he plays defensively as he is not a Major League defender at first base and would only be an option there on a limited basis, and with catching only an emergency alternative he is more or less just an option at designated hitter right now and hindered his progress. He is kind of in the same vein of player as Russ Canzler and Jared Goedert who were solid minor league performers but lacked the skills defensively to play at the Major League level. He could get a cup of coffee at the Major League level, but doesn’t look like a player who will stick unless he performs at an above average level with the bat.


4. Joe Sever

Age: 23 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (Between Lake County & Carolina): 122 G, .279/.339/.396 line, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 4 SB

Sever was selected by the Indians in the 21st round of the 2012 Draft out of Pepperdine University (CA) and is the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and is the son of Elway’s twin sister. He has a good, solid frame with some upside as an offensive player. While he does not have a plus attribute, he brings an aggressive yet professional approach to the plate where he has enough patience to take a walk, the ability to consistently put the bat on the ball and limit strikeouts, and has good bat speed with surprising power from the right side to drive the ball to all fields. He is a guy that the Indians have felt since the day they drafted him has some untapped power in his bat – something he started to show a little more consistently late last season. He shows good actions in the field with his hands and a quick release, and is a very versatile player where he can play anywhere in the infield and could possibly even play some outfield if needed. His aggressiveness can get the best of him as he takes a very strong hack at each pitch and is not afraid to let loose, so he is working to be more selective at the plate and temper his swing down to be more disciplined in his approach. His versatility, leadership abilities, solid power from the right side, makeup and lunch pail mentality are very similar traits to that of Adam Abraham, a player who has made a living in the Indians system as a guy who has plugged in where needed and played multiple positions and made it all the way to Triple-A.
5. Jerrud Sabourin

Age: 24 – Height: 6’2” – Weight: 210 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Stats (In Carolina): 121 G, .260/.345/.339 line, 3 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB

Sabourin was signed as an undrafted free agent in June of 2011 out of Indiana University. He has proven to be a steady offensive player who brings good defense and a lot of leadership. He is a smart hitter who puts up a professional at bat each time he steps up to the plate and does not give away an at bat. He has a good swing and approach with good hand-eye coordination that has given him the ability to put the ball in play on a consistent basis, and he limits strikeouts because he does not chase a lot of pitches. He may not have the power usually expected from a first baseman, but he is a very good defender. He is a true professional, high character player who has natural leadership skills, and has a good makeup and work ethic. He has done an incredible job to stick around considering his low prospect pedigree coming out of college, but his lack of upside limits his chances beyond being upper level organizational depth at first base because the demands of the position require either an elite bat with plus defense or a big run producing bat. The defense is good, but the bat is not advanced enough and his no pop approach really diminishes his chances. That said, it is not hard to root for a player like him as he continues to battle the odds with little margin for error and keeps progressing along and continues to get opportunities.


6. David Cooper

Age: 27 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 200 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Stats (Between AZL & Columbus): 13 G, .314/.364/.373 line, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB

Cooper was signed by the Indians as a minor league free agent in December of 2013, and was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 1st round of the 2008 Draft out of the University of California. He was released by the Blue Jays in March of 2013 after issues with a mid-back injury persisted and after his release he had surgery to correct the problem. After rehabbing from surgery he signed with the Indians in August last year and played in 13 combined games between rookie level Arizona (6 games) and Triple-A Columbus (7 games). He opted out of his contract with the Indians in September only to resign later in the winter. He handles the bat well and has a good approach where he is patient to take a walk and limits strikeouts. He has little power because of average bat speed and his approach where he does not pull a lot of balls and instead looks to hit the ball to the opposite field. He lacks much athleticism, is a below average runner, and is an average defender at first base. He is a depth option expected to open the season at Triple-A Columbus and if he proves healthy and is performing could be in the mix for a bench spot in Cleveland later in the season.

7. Grant Fink

Age: 23 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 215 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (Between AZL & Mahoning Valley): 51 G, .281/.366/.455 line, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB

Fink was selected in the 23rd round of the 2013 Draft out of Missouri Western State College and was named the Division II Player of the Year last season. He has some upside with the bat where he uses the middle of the field well and there is some power in it. He has some nice size and is a little more developed in terms of his professional approach than most of the players at rookie level Arizona last season just with his experience. He has primarily played first base as a pro, but can handle third base and has enough arm strength to play there. While the Indians have not experimented with it yet, there is a chance he could also play some corner outfield in the future as well, so he might make a good corner utility type which creates value for him in the future. The bat is interesting, but for it to play in full season leagues and as he moves up the minor league ladder his approach and plate discipline need refinement. As a lower drafted player it brings lower priority so he is going to have to take his opportunities when he gets them, work hard, and showcase what he can do to increase that priority. Right now he looks like a corner utility player in the making and should continue that role in the lower levels of the minors this season.


8. Adam Abraham

Age: 27 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 228 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

Stats (Between Akron & Columbus): 51 G, .247/.317/.330 line, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB

Abraham was selected in the 13th round of the 2008 Draft out of the University of Michigan. He has a solid frame with a stocky lower half and brings a lot of versatility. He has a solid line drive swing with some solid-average power, and displays a mature, disciplined approach at the plate where he puts up good, consistent at bats. He is a below average defender but has an above average throwing arm and has the versatility to move around the diamond where he can handle third base, first base, catcher and even left field. He is a slow footed defender and gets slow reads off the bat, so his quickness and range at any infield or outfield corner position is limited. He is the quintessential gamer that plays the game the right way and leaves everything he has on the field. He is one of the most respected and toughest players in the organization as he plays through bumps and bruises, has great makeup, and is a leader in the clubhouse. He kind of is what he is as a prospect as he is 27 years old and last season saw a significant decrease in his playing time because he is viewed as more of an organizational player to fill in where needed in the upper levels. Even still, he is a valuable player in his own right and his versatility and makeup will continue to create opportunities for him.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 23rd

By Tony Lastoria

March 24, 2014

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It was another camp day at the Goodyear complex, which typically means more roster decisions were made later in the afternoon on Sunday. Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron squared off against one another and High-A Carolina and Low-A Lake County faced each other as well. There was also a separate game to get some other pitchers some work. Here is the recap of how all of the Indians hitters and pitchers did on the day, with some notes on some of the performances below each game.

Some more cuts could be coming down the pipe on Monday morning. After camp day on Friday the trio of Felix Sterling, Martin Alcantara and Cody Penny were informed of their release on Saturday morning. The Indians have a lot of pitchers in camp, and they will need to continue to cut that list down with spring training just five days from wrapping up.

Clippers 4, RubberDucks 1

CLIPPERS BATTERS
Jose Ramirez (DH) - 0-3, 1 K
Jorge Martinez (DH) - 0-3, 2 K
Francisco Lindor (SS) - 0-3
Anthony Santander (DH) - 0-0, 1 R, 3 Additional Plate Appearances
Giovanny Urshela (3B) - 1-3, 1 2B
Audy Ciriaco (3B) - 0-1
Chun Chen (1B) - 0-3, 1 K
Jesus Aguilar (1B) - 0-1, 1 K
Tyler Naquin (CF) - 0-3, 1 K
Carlos Moncrief (RF) - 1-2, 1 R
Tim Fedroff (LF) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B
Tyler Holt (LF) - Defensive Replacement Only, Did Not Bat
Joey Wendle (2B) - 1-2, 1 2B, 1 K
Roberto Perez (C) - 0-1
Jake Lowery (C) - 0-1
Alex Lavisky (C) - Defensive Replacement Only, Did Not Bat
Charlie Valerio (DH) - 1-2

CLIPPERS PITCHERS
Bryan Shaw - 1 IP, 1 K
Josh Martin - 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
K.D. Doane - 2 IP, 2 H
Jordan Cooper - 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 1 K
Anderson Polanco - 1 IP, 1 BB, 3 K

Notes: The Columbus hitters did not do much on the day totaling just four hits, but the pitching was very good as they allowed just one run in the eight-inning game. … Most impressive was Anderson Polanco who is a lower level lefty with some upside and a guy the Indians feel good about. He was 88-92 MPH with his fastball with an 83-84 MPH changeup that had some good late fade and really fooled hitters. Keep this guy on your radar if he is not already. … Josh Martin had a nice outing with two scoreless innings and showed an 88-91 MPH fastball with a 76-78 MPH sweeping curveball.

RUBBERDUCKS BATTERS
LeVon Washington (DH) - 0-4, 1 K
Logan Vick (CF) - 0-2
Zach MacPhee (CF) - 0-1, 1 BB,1 K
Bryson Myles (LF) - 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
Yandy Diaz (3B) - 1-2
Paddy Matera (3B) - 0-1
Eric Haase (C) - 1-3
James Roberts (SS) - 1-3
Jerrud Sabouyrin (1B) - 1-3, 1 R
Brian Ruiz (RF) - 1-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Tood Hankins (2B) - 0-2, 1 K
Justin Toole (2B) - 0-2
Erik Gonzalez (DH) - 1-3, 1 2B, 2 K

RUBBERDUCKS PITCHERS
Marc Rzepczynski - 1 IP, 2 K
T.J. House - 5 IP, 7 H, 4 R (all earned), 1 BB, 4 K
Scott Barnes - 1 IP
Nick Hagadone - 1 IP, 2 K

Notes: The only notable hit in this game between Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron came from the most unlikely of sources as Brian Ruiz smoked a ball to the opposite field gap in right center for a triple. He has shown some surprising pop this spring where he is hitting balls with more authority, so maybe he is starting to come around as a prospect. … TJ House did not have the greatest line, but this was all about him just getting his work in as he threw 75 pitches over his five innings. He was 90-92 MPH with his fastball and showed an 86-87 MPH slider and an 80-81 MPH changeup. … Scott Barnes and Nick Hagadone looked as good as they have in a year as they combined to throw two perfect innings. Barnes was 90-92 MPH and Hagadone was 92-95 MPH.

Captains 2, Mudcats 1

MUDCATS BATTERS
Ivan Castillo (2B) - 0-4, 1 K
Yhoxian Medina (SS) - 0-3, 1 K
Grant Fink (1B) - 1-3, 2 K
Nelson Rodriguez (DH) - 0-3, 1 K
Richard Stock (C) - 0-2
Jeremy Lucas (C) - 0-1, 1 K
Josh McAdams (CF) - 0-3, 1 R, 1 K, 2 SB
Paul Hendrix (3B) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 SB
Victor Cabral (RF) - 1-3, 1 K
Nick Hamilton (LF) - 0-2, 1 BB, 2 K

MUDCATS PITCHERS
Mitch Brown - 3+ IP, 4 H, 2 R (both earned), 4 BB, 3 K
Shawn Morimando - 4 IP, 1 H, 5 K
D.J. Brown - 1 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Notes: One interesting note about the pitching lines in spring training is when pitchers get up to a certain number of pitches, the inning is “flipped”. This saves pitchers from overexposure and in some ways saves them from more damage to their pitching line. An example of this was Mitch Brown who got into some trouble in one of his innings but the inning was called because his pitch count got up there, and in the end his line probably looks better than it really would have if it were a real game. He struggled with his command as he had four walks and threw 64 pitches in three-plus innings, though looked strong with his stuff as he was consistently at 92-93 MPH with his fastball. … Shawn Morimando has been impressive this spring and looks like a guy who has taken the next step physically with his body and is really beginning to look like a pitcher. He was 89-93 MPH with his fastball and really showed some good offspeed stuff that the hitters had a hard time timing up and making contact.

CAPTAINS BATTERS
Ordomar Valdez (DH) - 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 CS
Juan De La Cruz (DH) - 1-1, 1 2B
Joel Mejia (RF) - 0-4, 3 K
Claudio Bautista (2B) - 0-0, 2 BB
Takuya Tsuchida (2B) - 0-1, 1 K
Francisco Mejia (C) - 1-1, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Shane Rowland (C) - 1-1, 1 2B
Ollie Linton (LF) - 1-3, 2 K
Yonathan Mendoza (3B) - 0-2
Grofi Cruz (3B) - 0-1
Willi Castro (SS) - 0-2
Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 0-1
Garrett Smith (DH) - 0-3, 1 K
Emmanuel Tapia (1B) - 1-2,1 HR, 1 RBI
Gerald Bautista (1B) - 0-1, 1 K
Junior Soto (CF) - 1-3, 1 2B, 1 K

CAPTAINS PITCHERS
Joseph Colon - 4 IP, 2 H, 3 K
Adam Plutko - 4 IP, 1 R (unearned), 2 BB, 7 K

Notes: Emmanuel Tapia has started to mix into some games as he gets ready for his extended spring training season, and showed why he is an interesting lower level sleeper prospect to keep an eye on with a nice solo shot late in the game. … Joe Colon only needed 45 pitches to get through his four innings of work and was near perfect with three strikeouts and just two baserunners allowed. He was 89-93 MPH with his fastball and really looked strong on the mound. He’s a guy that you hope can stay healthy so he can show what he can do over a full season. … This was my first opportunity to see Adam Plutko in action and while he struggled some with his command and needed 68 pitches to get through four innings, he showed some swing and miss stuff with an 88-91 MPH fastball that snuck up on some hitters and a crisp 85-86 MPH slider and slow breaking 72-74 MPH curveball.

Extra Game (extra work for pitchers)

BATTING STATISTICS NOT PROVIDED

PITCHERS
Caleb Hamrick - 4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Sean Brady - 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 2 K
Toru Murata - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R (both earned), 1 BB, 4 K
Shao- Ching Chiang - 2 IP, 2 IP, 2 BB, 1 K

Notes: I did not see much of this game as it was off in another area, but Caleb Hamrick is having a nice camp and had another strong outing. … Brady is pushing the envelope to get a rotation spot at Low-A Lake County to open the season, and you have to wonder with the way he is being built up if that in fact is not where he ends up. … Toru Murata probably won’t be in the starting rotation anywhere, but he is being built up in case there is an injury the final week of camp or if a last minute need is needed in the rotation at Triple-A Columbus or Double-A Akron which he could fill at a moment’s notice. … Shao-Ching Chiang is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery but could factor into things in the rotation at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley or even Lake County later in the year.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

2014 Goodyear Notebook: March 23rd

By Tony Lastoria

March 24, 2014

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It is hard to believe that in less than a week players will be reporting to one of the Indians four full season affiliates. At this time next week players will have traded in the warm sun in Arizona for the cold of Ohio and (hopeful) warmth of Carolina. Low-A Lake County and Double-A Akron will square off in an exhibition game on April 1st and media day for most of the Indians affiliates will be a week from today on the 31st.

Between now and then there are a lot of decisions to be made and roster spots to be secured. Also, several more players should be released. It all shapes up for a wild and crazy final few days of camp before rosters are unveiled to the players on Thursday or Friday (I hope to have the rosters on Saturday or Sunday).

Morel calls it a day: Right-handed pitcher Luis Morel is another pitcher who has retired, which explains his absence this spring. He joins Dillon Howard and Jake Sisco as pitchers who surprisingly retired in the offseason, which brings the total to four when you also factor in Cole Cook who retired as well. Morel was an interesting arm and one that the Indians liked and they wanted to continue to develop as a starter, but his exit opens the door for another pitcher to slot into the rotation at High-A Carolina – in fact, Morel’s and Sisco’s retirement have cleared up the starting situation up there very much. I heard that Sisco and Morel were just not up for the competition – something that some players don’t realize when they sign as there are so many players in the organization and so many competing for limited spots. Some players don’t react to that competition well, and Morel was one of them. I had Morel at #73 in my Top 100 this year, so he will obviously be removed (one of the perks of not releasing the book and list until after spring training this year).

Johnson to miss the season: The Indians have had several blows to the pitching front this spring with the unexpected retirements of several players, and also one of their top relief prospects right-handed pitcher Jeff Johnson who will miss the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He actually had the surgery four months ago and the injury came about during his time in the Arizona Fall League – and is a reason for his premature shutdown after just a few outings there. He is in the early stages of his rehab and is still a ways away from getting up off a mound, though may be able to return to the mound and pitch in a few games this fall in Instructional League.

Anderson is a bulldog: Right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson has all of the makings of a good Major League starter. As to how good he can be and if he can stay in the big leagues depends on health and how he develops and becomes a pitcher, but he no doubt has the strength and mindset to be a workhorse who battles when he takes the mound. The Indians are cautiously excited about his potential, though understand that he has limited time above the Double-A level and he is still very raw and needs a lot more seasoning before he is ready to help them in Cleveland. The velocity was not there in his outing on Saturday (he was 90-92 MPH with his fastball), but he was still overpowering and effective. Team President Mark Shapiro conveniently watched from behind home plate, and conveniently departed once Anderson’s day was done, so make of that what you will.

Baker on the mend: Right-handed pitcher Dylan Baker was slowed early in camp because of some general arm soreness, which explains why he was missing in some of the early box scores this spring. It was nothing serious and he was shut down a few days as normal protocol and has since returned. He threw an inning on Saturday and should get into another game in the next day or so. He is about two weeks behind so it remains to be seen if he will still open the season with an affiliate and just have to make his first two starts on a severely limited pitch count or if the Indians just keep him in Arizona in extended spring training for two to three weeks to get him properly built up before throwing him to the wolves.

Diaz worth noting: Newly signed infielder Yandy Diaz is probably the most impressive player for me to follow this spring, not because he is the best player in camp but because he is the most intriguing in camp since he is such an unknown. He is muscular, athletic and very strong and the ball just explodes off the bat. The Indians really like the potential he has with the bat and believe it plays, though won’t know for sure until they send him out to play a full season of affiliate ball. The other thing they need to find out is what position to play him at, so he may bounce around between third base, second base and maybe even some outfield this season before they settle on a position. He looks primed to open the season at High-A Carolina.

Lovegrove battling personal demons: Right-hander Kieran Lovegrove was very good his first time out this spring as he was up to 97 MPH with his fastball though he struggled with the walks as he had three of them in his 1.2 innings of work. His second time out on Friday you could tell that things were weighing on him and that he is thinking too much, so much so that his velocity was down considerably to 88-90 MPH and he threw four or five balls completely past the catcher and to the backstop. He threw a total of eight pitches (all balls) and was promptly removed in order to not let things get worse for him and put him in a spot to get hurt. He is working his way through some mental issues and has kind of developed the Rube Baker syndrome – which for those who don’t know he is the catcher in Major League II who has trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher because he thinks about it too much. That’s not to make fun of Lovegrove at all as it is something he is going to have to find a way to get over as these kinds of things have their way of sticking with pitchers. Just ask Rick Ankiel. I have to think he is going to open the season in extended spring training so he can work through this issue and then hopefully be good to go to pitch with short season Single-A Mahoning Valley when their season starts in June.

Morimando impressing: This could be the year left-handed pitcher Shawn Morimando puts it all together. There is no doubt he has the stuff and has some interesting athleticism and upside, now he has the body to go along with it as he really looks like he worked hard in the offseason to get stronger. Some of his physical gains were natural as he really has filled out his frame nicely, particularly his lower half, and now it is just a question of whether he can consistently throw strikes or not. Indians personnel at camp on Sunday raved about his stuff on the mound during his outing and said that it is all there. He doesn’t throw very hard, but hitters just don’t see him well which leads to a lot of late swings and balls to the opposite field. It remains to be seen whether he will be aggressively pushed to Double-A Akron to start the season or if he opens at High-A Carolina in order to focus in on that command before a push to Akron.

Miller Time: I had a chance to sit down and talk with right-handed pitcher Adam Miller at length on Saturday, and will have a piece up on him at IBI or Fox Sports Ohio sometime this week. His story is amazing and it is even more amazing to think that he is 29 years old now. It seems like yesterday he was plucked out of high school at 18 years of age and was one of the top five pitching prospects in all of baseball. He is working through some mechanical changes in order to help his slider and other offspeed offerings be more consistent. The finger issue has not really affected his fastball much, it has been the secondary stuff which has been negatively impacted – most notably his slider which pre-injury was arguably the best slider in the minors. He should stick around in extended spring training to get built up and then if the Indians like what they see he could potentially see time at Double-A Akron or even Triple-A Columbus.

Battaglia still out: Catcher Ryan Battaglia has been in his home country of Australia playing with Team Australia as they played a few exhibition games with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks on Thursday and Friday. He is expected to rejoin minor league camp soon. With his absence one would have to think that his chances of opening the season on a full season roster appears remote, so he may start in extended spring training and then be a reserve option to fill a need in the lower levels if an injury comes up.

Releases: Three more releases were announced on Saturday as right-handed pitchers Felix Sterling, Cody Penny and Martin Alcantara were released. Sterling is a mild surprise considering just two years ago he was one of the Indians best young pitching prospects, but he just never put it together as he couldn’t find the zone consistently enough and had some conditioning and work ethic issues. With a camp day on Sunday, more releases could be coming today as decisions are typically made after a camp day. For a full listing of releases to date, go here.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Thanks for all those posts, Joe. Glad to see that Santander is now in the lineup. The word on Dillon Howard is not totally surprising but once again the Indians made a disastorous choice with a No. 2 pick and wasted a very large sum of their rather budget on this talented but poorly behaved teenager. [I wonder if Tony lauded his "makeup" at the time of the drafting? BA noted at the time that other teams questioned Howard's choice.]

Shocking retirements: Probably the most shocking news of camp is the sudden retirements of right-handed pitchers Dillon Howard ...before spring training started. [He was] the Indians 2nd and 3rd round picks in the 2011 Draft and they invested a lot of money to sign [him] - $1.85 million Howard missed all of last season after being suspended for 50 games because he violated MLB’s minor league drug program. . . . I have learned a few bits and pieces behind the Howard situation, though it is a sensitive subject and one that for now all I can say is it goes beyond simple retirement.

BA's 2011 predraft report:

Howard established himself as the top prospect in Arkansas early on, earning all-state honors as a sophomore, and has maintained that through his senior season. He has a strong track record in showcases and summer ball. He hasn't had a boffo senior season but has maintained his status as a potential late first-round or sandwich pick. At his best, Howard throws a fastball with above-average life and velocity. It can sit 92-94 and at times has heavy sink. Command can be an issue, but he's a solid athlete whose arm works well, so scouts can project average big league fastball command. He's played catcher, shortstop and third base in high school and is a baseball rat who has passion for the game. His secondary pitches, a curveball and changeup, have their moments but have been inconsistent this season. He has more feel for his secondary offerings than many prep pitchers, which has some scouts surprised that he hasn't had a more dominant season. Some have raised concerns about his mound demeanor and energy level, but it's unlikely he falls far enough for his Arkansas commitment to come into play.

Shocking retirements: Probably the most shocking news of camp is the sudden retirements of right-handed pitchers Dillon Howard and Jake Sisco before spring training started. They were the Indians 2nd and 3rd round picks in the 2011 Draft and they invested a lot of money to sign them - $1.85 million for Howard and $325K for Sisco - which is why it is such big news. Both pitchers were not progressing well through the system as Sisco really underwhelmed in his first two pro seasons and Howard missed all of last season after being suspended for 50 games because he violated MLB’s minor league drug program. Sisco recently got married and probably saw the writing on the wall, though it is still surprising to see him bolt so quickly since he was still considered a priority arm for the Indians. I have learned a few bits and pieces behind the Howard situation, though it is a sensitive subject and one that for now all I can say is it goes beyond simple retirement.


Great work by the brain trust there. Of course toni knows more about this situation but heaven forbid he ever say anything critical or controversial. Does he work for Shapiro?

IN terms of picking players couldnt someone with a list of names that he got the day of the draft do just as well as the Indians have over the last 30 years. Of course they dumped the guy who found Manny but who needed him anyway?

Sisco cost 1/4 of Howard's price and at least he stayed in shape and off drugs. He just wasn't very good. Howard came to camp way out of shape in 2012 and suspended for drug use in 2013. He didn't wait to be released; he just took his $1.85 million and ran. Since that's what many people earn in a lifetime, if he's not stupid (but pretty apparently he is) he could get by fine without ever pitching again.

civ ollilavad wrote:Sisco cost 1/4 of Howard's price and at least he stayed in shape and off drugs. He just wasn't very good. Howard came to camp way out of shape in 2012 and suspended for drug use in 2013. He didn't wait to be released; he just took his $1.85 million and ran. Since that's what many people earn in a lifetime, if he's not stupid (but pretty apparently he is) he could get by fine without ever pitching again.

Howard sounds like the kind of guy who will be flipping burgers in 5 years. Maybe the scout who picked him should be flipping burgers now.

Spoken by guys that have never made a mistake. No team has ever had a high draft pick with a drug problem. Stupid to think it was a scouting error. Scouts are paid to calculate current and future major league potential. Executives decide the risk factor in drafting odd personalities and citizenship.

I remember making a mistake, actually several. Never cost me or my employer $1.85 million. General consensus at the time was that Howard was overdrafted due to what Tony likes to call character issues. I think Indians are more to blame for this bad pick than for someone who got hurt. And we would all give them more of a pass if there were not such a recent history of draft choice failure.