Forgot that smiley face Civ

Clippers with a big 11-1 behind Bauer's 6 2/3 innings. Ducks lose 4-3. Captains once again, they're now 5-13, 6-1 losers.

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20140422

Caleb Hamrick took a beating as Lake County starter, 4 innings, 6 runs on 8 hits. ERA now 9.56. But two higher rated starters are doing worse: Lugo at 9.58 and Kime 11.30. The second of the piggyback starters, Jordan Milbrath, worked the final 4 innings and pitched shutout ball, fanning 6, walking 1 and allowed 1 hit. His ERA is 1.86, which is bested by Robbie Aviles at 0.79. Also doing well is Adam Plutko at 2.84. OKish are Kenny Matthes 4.00, Matt Whitehouse 4.91, Matt Brown 5.40. I assume at some point some of these guys will be stretched out as more than 4 inning starters and others will be moved in shorter bullpen rolls.
No one's hitting at Lake County now. Paulino 0-4 drops back to 200. Nellie Rodriguez 0-4 is at 259. Clint Frazier went 0-4 and struck out 3 times.

Carolina was off.

Akron had a good start from Joe Colon, 6 innings, 1 run on 7 hits. But relievers Valera and Armstrong let it get away.
Naquin with 2 triples, and 2K, avg up to 219. Lindor a hit, a walk, a K, is at 239. Surprising team leader Gio Urshela with his 4th homer and a single, is at 306 -- still not walking enough though, 4 bb vs 13 k for the year. Ronny Rodriguez with another 0-4 drops to .135.

Austin Adams finished what Bauer started with 3 9th inning strikeouts. He's been inconsistent with a 9+ ERA.
Another surprising hitter stays hot: Roberto Perez who gets one hit every game he's started, and occasionally 2, with his 2nd homer and a walk. AVG is 375. OBA 474. SLG 625. He's known for his strong arm and defensive skills in general. And like some such strong-armed catchers he's not constantly throwing balls into the outfield.

Forgot to add the big day by Bryan LaHair, 2 doubles, roughly doubles his season avg to 114.

Ryan Merritt (Photo: IBI)

Minor Happenings: Merritt is in complete control

By Tony Lastoria

April 23, 2014

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"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.

Today in Minor Happenings, I take a look at the impressive showing Ryan Merritt has had to date and how his value continues to increase. I also provide several comments from the front office on players at High-A Carolina such as Erik Gonzalez, Torsten Boss, Jeremy Lucas, Louis Head and others, look at the slow start by Cody Anderson and why it is not a big deal, review Josh Tomlin’s performance to date, and provide insight and analysis on players like T.J. House, Enosil Tejeda, Michael Peoples, and more!

Also, if you missed it, be sure to check out our first episode of “IBI on Site” which posted on Tuesday. This is a weekly minor league TV show that I am producing and should be up on the site every Tuesday or Wednesday this season. We will go to all of the local affiliates and talk to players, coaches, executives and more, and of course run down the latest news and developments in the system. This week we are taping a show in Akron.

Onto the Happenings….

IBI Minor League Pitcher of the Week

(for games from April 15th through April 21st)
Ryan Merritt (Left-handed Pitcher – Carolina)
2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 HR, 3 BB, 10 K, .143 BAA

High-A Carolina left-handed pitcher Ryan Merritt had about as dominant an showing as one can have over the week as he threw 5.2 shutout innings on Wednesday April 16th and then followed that up on Sunday with 7.0 strong innings where he allowed just a lone unearned run.

Merritt, 22, is off to an exceptional start as he has now made four starts this season for Carolina and is 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA, and in 24.1 innings has allowed 14 hits, no homers, 6 walks and has 18 strikeouts. The numbers are a nice carryover from last season where he broke through as a prospect after a nice showing at Low-A Lake County where he went 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 24 starts.

Merritt has been helped by some good defense behind him, but the biggest key is how well he has commanded the strike zone and thrown all of his pitches for strikes. He is not beating himself and has really limited opposing hitters by inducing weak contact – which is key for a pitcher like him who gets by more on command and control than pure stuff. His fastball command and the way he consistently pitches in the zone is arguably the best in the system. He is as cool as the come on the mound as his heart beat and tempo remain the same whether no one is on base or the bases are loaded and he needs to get a key out.

The hot start for Merritt is very encouraging as while the focus is always on development first you still would like to see performance whenever possible. Right now he is combining both development and performance to make himself a guy that is finally starting to gain the attention of casual observers. He won’t wow with his stuff as he is 88-91 MPH with his fastball and has a solid average changeup and good curveball. What makes him so interesting is the deception he creates in his delivery which helps his stuff play up, his command of the zone with all three pitches, his ability to repeat his delivery and his overall confidence on the mound.

That said, it would be wise not to get too caught up in his eye-popping numbers in the early going. His .209 BABIP (batted balls in play) is well below normal. League average BABIP in the minors is typically around 320-.330, so as this number starts to normalize his performance is going to drop some. Also, he has stranded an incredible 90% of the runners he has allowed to reach base, a number that is going to come back some over the course of the year (he stranded 68.2% of runners last season at Lake County).

In the end, the hope is that Merritt continues to perform and raise his stock. If he can maintain consistency even as his numbers even out a little, it will go a long way at proving him worthy or not of a promotion to Double-A Akron. Both he and Shawn Morimando are looking like early season candidates for a push to Akron, and with the likes of Kyle Davies and Gabriel Arias in the rotation at Akron the Indians could easily slip either one of Morimando or Merritt into the rotation there if they deemed them ready for a better challenge.

Honorable Mentions:

Trevor Bauer (RHP, COL): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, .227 BAA
T.J. House (LHP, COL): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, .176 BAA
Gabriel Arias (RHP, AKR): 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K, .238 BAA
Joseph Colon (RHP, AKR): 0-1, 1.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 4 K, .263 BAA
Will Roberts (RHP, AKR): 1-0, 2.57 ERA, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 3 K, .240 BAA
D.J. Brown (RHP, CAR): 0-0, 1.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 3 K, .182 BAA
Shawn Morimando (LHP, CAR): 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 5 K, .250 BAA
Matt Whitehouse (LHP, LC): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 6 K, .077 BAA

Previous Winners:

Duke von Schamann (RHP, AKR): 04/03/14 to 04/14/14

Director’s Cuts

Here are some comments from Indians Assistant Director of Player Development Carter Hawkins on some players at High-A Carolina:
On Erik Gonzalez: “His ability to play shortstop is definitely well above average. He is right up there with all of our shortstops in our system in terms of guys who we feel like can defend at the Major League level. That has been there and continues to be there. [Manager] Scooter Tucker and [hitting coach] Tony Mansolino talk about how it is hard to find adjectives to describe the plays he makes day in and day out. He has been outstanding out there. Offensively, he has put together a lot of really good at bats, stayed consistent, and controlled the strike zone for the most part and had some results there as well. To have a guy in the middle of the infield that can pick it like he can and put up consistent at bats, that is pretty exciting organizationally just to have that type of depth. It is a nice time to be looking down at the guys we have at shortstop, second base, catcher and right up the middle in the infield. We feel good about the depth we have. Now we just have to continue to get these guys better and see where it takes us. It is a nice problem to have to try and get all of these guys in the middle infield some at bats.”

On Jeremy Lucas: “He has swung the bat very well over the course of his career. He controls the strike zone and has some pop with some gap power. He is a guy you know that you can stick in the lineup and know that he is going to give you a quality at bat and drive in some runs. That in and of itself is great to have and he continues to improve each year within that, and then the fact he can play behind the dish and run a game from back there just really opens up the possibilities to provide value for us down the line. Moving around to first base is just a matter of getting some more at bats and getting some of the other catchers around him more at bats, but we want to have him in the lineup as much as we can. He is a mature player who knows how to take care of business on and off the field and really sets a great example for guys around him.”

On Torsten Boss: “He is a player that our scouts really liked the bat and felt he had the potential to be an impact type bat down the line. He plays multiple positions. He mostly plays second base but plays some third. He got some time in the outfield in Instructional League last year so that is something we will continue to look at in Carolina. He is a player with a little bit of pop and had a little bit of a down year last year, but we hope to get him back on track this year and give him some opportunities and at bats and see the direction that goes.”

On Ryan Merritt: “He has an outstanding feel to pitch and has some deception from the left side. There is a lot of room to dream on him as you continue to see him get stronger every year. You try to project out the gains he has made and you see him as a guy who is going to continue to gain velocity and gain bite to his pitches. He already has a great feel for his changeup and his curveball is an out pitch already, and they are all just getting better every time he goes out there. He is a guy who puts the work in, has some projection from a physical standpoint, already has a feel from a pitching standpoint and is willing to learn. That is a player development dream. He is fun to watch and fun to see get better over the course of the season. I think that is the reason why so many guys [in the organization] have taken a liking to him, but it is easy to like a guy who is willing to put the work in and lets guys around him be resources for him.”

On Louis Head: “I think he understands that as a power-armed reliever that you can’t pick around the strike zone. You have to go after guys when you are throwing 97 MPH and be aggressive down in the zone and up in the zone when necessary and know that you are there to challenge guys and not to give them anything and make them earn it. He has really taken to that mindset and because of that and because he has been around the zone and has such good stuff that he is missing some bats as well. That is encouraging to see someone at his level of development understand his role to that extent and understand the control he has on the mound. He is the one that has the ball and is going to make the guys in the box earn their money if they get a hit off him. He has outstanding stuff and goes right after guys and is aggressive, and has shown some early season success as a result.”
Anderson’s slow start not unexpected

Double-A Akron right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson is off to a bit of a sluggish start this season. In four starts he is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, and in 20.0 innings he has allowed 22 hits, 2 homers, 6 walks and has 10 strikeouts.

Anderson, 23, is finding things a little more difficult at the Double-A level, something he experienced last season in a late season callup to Akron when he went 0-0 with a 5.68 ERA in three starts (12.2 IP, 16 H, 2 HR, 9 BB, 10 K). This of course is not unexpected as if you have been reading anything from me over the last year and read this year’s scouting report you know he is an impressive physical specimen with some power to his stuff and a nice mix of pitches, but a guy who is still somewhat raw and learning to develop a true feel for pitching and needs a lot more mound experience. This is why he is likely to remain in Akron all season and is not really in the big league plans this season. Things can always change if everything suddenly comes together for him or the Indians are desperate for starting pitching, but from what I have heard he is not in the mix at all to get to Cleveland this year.

That’s just fine because Anderson can surely use this season at Akron to get that much needed mound experience so that he is on track to be an option at some point next season. It will also help take some of the pressure off of him, something that I think in the early going his more high profile prospect status to start the season may be forcing him to be something he is not where he is trying to prove his prospect ranking rather than pitch to his strengths. The command has been there for him in the early going, but where he has seen a noticeable decline in the early going is the swing and miss he is getting on his fastball and cutter. Some of it could be because of a dip in velocity the first month of the season, though most of it probably stems from the fact he has not been consistently finishing his pitches.

But the lack of strikeouts is something to watch as the season progresses as it was something that pushed Anderson over the top last season. After a pedestrian showing with the strikeout rate in 2011 at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley (5.4 K/9) and a solid improvement in 2012 at Low-A Lake County (6.6 K/9), he saw a notable spike last season at High-A Carolina (8.2 K/9). With all of the intangibles to start thanks to his size, solid delivery, durability and some good stuff, it was that ability to get a strikeout that really pushed him up the prospect rankings. This season he has a 4.5 K/9 through four outings, something I don’t believe anyone thinks will remain that low and should improve. But the question is whether it normalizes to around the 8.2 K/9 he had last year or the 6.6 K/9 at Lake County the year before because that will have an impact on his outlook going forward.

For now, the Indians just want Anderson to continue to work on finishing his pitches, work down in the zone and establish his fastball a little more so that he can get into a better rhythm. With his talent, work ethic and stuff, things can click at any time and he could get on a roll.
Tomlin steady as he goes

Triple-A Columbus right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin has had a solid overall showing in the early going. In three starts he is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA, and in 18.0 innings he has allowed 13 hits, 3 homers, 9 walks and has 12 strikeouts. Aside from the high amount of walks, those numbers are very Tomlin-like.

Tomlin is a guy who is not going to dominate, but is going to compete and keep his team in the game – something he has done in all three outings going six innings each time and giving up no more than four runs in an outing. He may not be as sexy as Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar when it comes to stuff, but right now he might be a better fit in the starting rotation in Cleveland simply because of his consistency and his ability to give innings.

Tomlin is working to fine tune some command issues, but the Indians have been pleased with his performance to date. This is his first real chance to pitch since his Tommy John surgery in August of 2012, and he looks strong, is throwing the ball well, and his curveball and cutter have looked good. At this point he is just kind of in limbo in Columbus waiting for the Indians to make a change to the rotation.
Random Thoughts

Triple-A Columbus left-handed pitcher T.J. House is a guy that I have been saying since August of last season is someone who could find his way into the starting rotation in Cleveland. Right now both Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer are ahead of him in the pecking order, but he’s given the organization a ton of confidence to use him if need be as a spot starter for a doubleheader or to slide into the rotation if injuries and performance forces them to look for alternatives beyond Bauer and Tomlin. In two starts this season he is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA, and in 11.0 innings he has allowed 8 hits, no homers, 2 walks and has 9 strikeouts. His performance is a continuation of the strong finish he had last season at Columbus where he went 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA in the second half. His turnaround the last two seasons all starts with the commitment he made to his body and to his craft, and it has really come together for him quite well since. He has really bought into the importance of a routine and made a ton of progress and looks to be a depth starting option – if not more – that the Indians will have on standby at Columbus the next two seasons. Hopefully, when he gets that opportunity to start in Cleveland, he takes full advantage of it because he probably won’t be afforded as long a leash as some of the other guys.

Double-A Akron right-handed reliever Enosil Tejeda is off to another good start statistically. In five appearances he is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA with 2 saves, and in 5.0 innings has allowed 6 hits, no homers, no walks and has 5 strikeouts. He entered the season with a 1.74 ERA, 2.8 BB/9, 10.4 K/9 and 1.02 WHIP in his 113 game minor league career, and he is once again performing and getting results. He is simply a guy that does not beat himself as he does not walk batters and does not give up home runs – just two allowed in his career, both coming in his rookie campaign in 2010 in the Dominican Summer League. Over his career he has proven to be very reliable coming out of the bullpen, and has been especially tough when coming into games with runners on base as he has stranded a large percentage of inherited baserunners. It is his calm demeanor on the mound and the ability to throw all three of his pitches for strikes that makes him so tough on hitters. He is just not rattled by any situation, attacks hitters and has a pretty good curveball which gives hitters fits. He routinely sits in the upper 80s with his fastball, but his lower arm slot and a late release creates some deception where batters have a tough time seeing the ball out of his hand which in turn allows it to get on hitters quickly. It is that late release where he is releasing the ball about 54 feet from home plate which helps his stuff play up. He might very well be the top relief prospect in the Akron bullpen and if he continues to perform should align himself as one of the first relievers to get a promotion to Triple-A Columbus.
High-A Carolina right-handed pitcher Michael Peoples really struggled in his last outing on Monday night when he went 3.0 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, 2 walks and had 2 strikeouts. The outing pushed his season totals to an 0-1 record and 5.14 ERA in three starts, and in 14.0 innings he has allowed 14 hits, 5 walks and has 11 strikeouts. He really struggled with his command from the outset of his outing and had a lot of trouble keeping the ball down in the zone. His last start before Monday was on April 10th, so he had not pitched in 11 days because the Indians skipped him in the rotation to give him some rest. He may have not been as sharp because of the layoff, but you have to wonder if something is going on from a health standpoint. While no one has said anything about an injury and I am merely speculating, the fact that the Indians skipped his last start and he is suddenly having command issues is a big red flag to me. He has missed time in each of the last two seasons because of a right shoulder injury, so hopefully it is not flaring up on him again.

Low-A Lake County right-handed pitcher Mitch Brown has been a little slow out of the gates. In three starts he is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA, and in 11.2 innings has allowed 13 hits, no homers, 8 walks and has 8 strikeouts. He is still finding his way on the mound, but the problem for him continues to be fastball command and inconsistencies with his secondary offerings. The velocity has been there this spring, so unlike some of the other pitchers that has not been an issue for him. It just boils down to him getting better at repeating his delivery and simplifying things on the mound in order to not only reduce the walks but also get hitters to expand the zone and get more swing and miss. He is also working on his pitch sequencing in order to keep hitters off balance and is making some strides with holding runners and controlling the running game. There are a lot of pieces that are still coming together for him, but that is what the minor leagues are for. The hope is that once those pieces start to come together that the consistency with his outings will improve and he will take off.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Sailing with the Clippers: 4/16/2014 - 4/22/2014

By Adrienne Robbins

April 23, 2014

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It has been a rocky start to the season to say the least for the Columbus Clippers. At 7-10 the Clippers just recently rose above Toledo in the International League West standings to get out of last place. Although the team has struggled to get to the .500 mark, there's been a glimmer of hope from many players.

Catching Wind:

Jose Ramirez, INF
17 G, .318 BA, .360 OBP, 9 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 6 K, 6 BB, 5 SB

Ramirez has reached base in all 17 games the Clippers have played. Ramirez also has the second most homers on the team, after leading off two innings with big flys on Monday. The second baseman has not only been productive in the batter's box, but also on the field making some impressive highlight reel plays rather effortlessly.

Trevor Bauer, RHP
3 G, 2-0, 18.2 IP, .96 ERA, 13 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 21 K, 6 BB

Bauer became the first starter with two wins for the Clippers, notching his third straight quality start Tuesday night (6.2IP, 1ER). Bauer seems to have cracked the code this season, starting the year with consistency we had yet to see from the righty. Bauer previously lacked control on the mound, but so far has not shown any problems in 2014.

Stranded at Sea:

Tyler Cloyd, RHP
3 G, 1-2, 16.2 IP, 7.56 ERA, 24 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 14 K, 2 BB

Cloyd has shown his worst and best all in his first three starts. After going 8.0 innings in his second start with no runs, Cloyd was raked over the coals by Toledo last Saturday. Cloyd gave up eight runs (all earned) in five innings of work before being pulled from the game. It's a guessing game right now of what Cloyd you'll see when he starts.

Important Numbers:

5: There are five Columbus Clippers batting over .300.

18: Josh Tomlin has pitched 18 innings, while Bauer has pitched 18.2. Both with three starts.

Fishing for Mudcats: 4/16/14 - 4/22/14

By Zachary Francis

April 23, 2014

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This past week, the Carolina Mudcats have played a lot of baseball competing in two doubleheaders and an extra inning game. The Mudcats were able to win four out of seven games, sweeping the Salem Red Sox in a doubleheader last Wednesday and taking two out of four against the Frederick Keys.

Carolina currently posts a 10-8 record and will be on the road all week, traveling to Wilmington, DE to face the Blue Rocks for the first time in 2014 before moving on to Frederick to play a second four game set in as many weeks.

Star of the Week

Ryan Merritt (LHP): 2 GS, 2-0, 12.2 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 10 K, 3 BB

Merritt was easily the star of the week for Carolina, collecting a win in both of his starts while allowing only one unearned run. In the second game of the doubleheader against Frederick, Merritt pitched a complete, seven inning game, and allowed only four hits with four strikeouts while not walking a single batter. By not allowing an earned run on the week Merritt lowered his season ERA to 0.37.

Swimming Pretty

Erik Gonzalez (SS): 10-for-26, 6 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 1 HR

Gonzalez collected a hit in every game this past week, in extending his hitting streak to 14 games at week's end. In collecting 10 hits on the week, six were for extra bases, including his first round tripper of the season in Friday’s 11-inning loss to Frederick. Gonzalez also scored a team high six runs on the week including the game winning run in the second game of Monday’s doubleheader.

Logan Vick (OF): 4-for-19, 1 R, 2 SB, 4 BB, 5 K

While Vick is still marred in an early season slump, he has begun to show signs of breaking free collecting four hits on the week and also walking four times. The speedy outfielder also had only one multiple strikeout game while playing spectacular defense in center field at Five County Stadium.

Jeremy Lucas (C/1B): 6-for-20, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB, 4 K

Lucas had a solid week at the plate collecting six hits and driving in three runs. No hit or RBI was bigger than his RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning in game two of Monday’s doubleheader that drove in Gonzalez for the winning run.

Grant Sides (RHP): 2 G, 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K

After being re-activated early in the week, Sides made two relief appearances, lasting longer than two innings both times. Sides did a good job keeping opposing batters off the base paths allowing only four all week, and did not allow a runner to cross the plate.

On the Hook

Torsten Boss (2B): 1-for-13, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Boss is still attempting to get adjusted to new surroundings after being traded from the Orioles organization, but is still marred in early season struggles. On the season, Boss is hitting only .088, which is still better than his week’s average of .077. Boss seems lost at the plate, but if there is a positive, he is consistently making contact, striking out only three times on the week.

Michael Peoples (RHP): 1 GS, 0-1, 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 2 K, 2 BB

After skipping his last scheduled start, Peoples took the mound in game one of Monday’s doubleheader, and you knew it was going to be a rough start from the first pitch, which was ripped off the left field wall for a leadoff triple. Peoples struggled mightily with his command, having trouble locating both his fastball and his secondary pitches. The three innings pitched was the shortest outing by a Mudcats starter this season.

Alex Monsalve (C): 2-for-23, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K

Monsalve had trouble just making the barrel meet the ball this week, collecting only two hits and going hitless in six of seven games. While he did drive in three runs, Monsalve had a great deal of trouble getting on base, doing so just three times all week.

Fish Swimming Around

Right handed pitcher Grant Sides was re-activated from the "reserve" list at Mahoning Valley on Wednesday and pitched 4.1 innings for the Mudcats this week. Outfielder Luigi Rodriguez was activated from the disabled list on Thursday and has played in three games for the Mudcats.

Fish on the Line

Right hand pitcher Dylan Baker and outfielder LeVon Washington were both placed on the disabled list this week. Baker has a right ankle fracture with no immediate time table for his return. Washington has a strained left oblique and should not miss a considerable length of time with the injury.

Erik Gonzalez could be a stud in the making----

On Torsten Boss: “He is a player that our scouts really liked the bat and felt he had the potential to be an impact type bat down the line.

Off to a monster start, reached .100 with a hit yesterday, half way to the famous Mendoza line.

Yeseterday's boxes:

http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.js ... d=20140423

Good night for leadoff hitters:

Jose Ramirez 3 hits, one a double; Tyler Naquin 3 hits; Clint Frazier 2 hits; also Erik Gonzales 2 hits, one a double; same for Dorsyss Paulino.

T J House 6 1/3 1 run. Scott Barnes 0 innings, 2 runs.
Adam Plutko fanned 10 in 4 2/3 but also allowed 4 runs on 6 hits. Kyle Crockett with his standard perfect inning. Releiver Louis Head 1 1/3 no one on base, 2 strikeouts.

At the moment only 4 players are worth watching in the minors: Agular, Rameriz, Bauer and the lefty RP in AA Cooker? Those are the players who might seem time in Cleveland this year and should be in the big leagues for good next year. Lindor maybe we'll see how he does in the 2nd half this year at AA or AAA....

Spelling is not your forte Frank!

Ramirez
Aguillar
Bauer
Crockett

are the names you note and I agree that there's no one else likely to be with the Tribe this year, although Roberto Perez is proving worthy of being a backup or replacement catcher if one is needed.
But it hardly seems worthless to follow players who are more remote from Cleveland while their careers develop such as Nquin, Andreson, Frasser, Poolino, Ploutko, Gonazlez, or some others who I could misspell, too.

Speaking of some of whom here are lines noted by BA from Wednesday:

CLE AA Naquin, Tyler CF 4 0 3 0 .250 BB (6), CS (1)
CLE AA Wendle, Joe 2B 5 2 2 2 .203 HR (2)
CLE AAA Moncrief, Carlos RF 3 0 1 0 .217 BB (5)
CLE AAA Ramirez, Jose 2B 5 1 3 0 .338 2B (3), 3 SB (8)
CLE HiA Gonzalez, Erik SS 5 0 2 0 .346 2B (5)
CLE LoA Frazier, Clint CF 4 1 2 0 .261 BB (4)
CLE LoA Paulino, Dorssys SS 5 1 2 0 .229 2B (4)
CLE AA Crockett, Kyle 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
CLE AAA Barnes, Scott 0 2 2 2 1 0 5.00 L (1-1)
CLE LoA Plutko, Adam 4.2 6 4 4 2 10 4.15

Minor Happenings: Is Jose Ramirez trade bait?

By Tony Lastoria

April 24, 2014

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"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansBaseballInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.

In today’s second part of our bi-weekly Minor Happenings piece, I take a deep look into Triple-A Columbus second baseman Jose Ramirez’s performance, his usage, how he fits onto the Major League roster and how he is being showcased as a potential trade chip. In addition to that I provide several comments from the front office on some players at Low-A Lake County such as Nellie Rodriguez, Jordan Milbrath and others, and provide insight and information on players such as Jesus Aguilar, Francisco Lindor, James Roberts, Claudio Bautista and more!

Also, in case you missed yesterday’s first edition of Minor Happenings, be sure to check it out as it features High-A Carolina lefty Ryan Merritt and lots of pitchers (I typically focus on pitchers the first piece and the position players in the second piece). And, one final reminded, be sure to tune in and watch our minor league TV show “IBI on Site”. We aired our first episode on Tuesday and will be in Akron this weekend taping our second episode to air next week.

Onto the Happenings…

IBI Minor League Hitter of the Week

For games from April 17th through April 23rd
Jose Ramirez (Second Baseman - Columbus)
.481 AVG (13-for-27), 7 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 0 K, 5 SB, 1.368 OPS

Triple-A Columbus infielder Jose Ramirez is hitting on all cylinders and looks to be 100% recovered from offseason thumb surgery. In 18 games he is hitting a blistering .338 with 3 HR, 11 RBI and .882 OPS, and has also chipped in 8 stolen bases and has a nice 6-6 walk to strikeout ratio.

Ramirez, 21, is showing his top of the lineup skills as a guy who is a tough out and consistently puts the ball in play, can put pressure on the defense with his speed, and has a little pop in his bat to drive the gaps and keep defenses honest. He’s also showing a little bit of power, though that is something that is probably just an early season abnormality as his size and swing make him more of a singles and doubles guy. Remember, Tim Fedroff cranked nine homers in 69 games with Columbus in 2012. Power in that ballpark can be much more artificial than natural.

One of the more interesting things is the way Ramirez has been used in the field. He has only played second base this season save for the few games he was at shortstop while Justin Sellers was away in Cleveland. Second base is the only position he currently projects at as an everyday Major League player, which with Jason Kipnis entrenched at that position will make it extremely difficult for him to play in such a role in Cleveland unless Kipnis is injured. The Indians know that he is capable of moving around the diamond and can play shortstop and third base on an as-needed basis, but have been wise to primarily play him at his best position in order to maximize his value to other teams. Yes, there is a distinct possibility that with the amount of up the middle depth the Indians have that Ramirez could be a significant trade chip for the Indians over the summer.

Ramirez has already impressed Indians personnel and scouts for other teams this season with the amount of range he has at second base, especially with his good lateral movement, quick first step to his left and exceptionally quick way he receives and throws a ball on a double play. Right now he’s a nice insurance policy for Kipnis, but his long term impact on the Cleveland roster looks to be as the eventual replacement to Mike Aviles as the team’s top utility infielder. That is a role he could settle into well for a long time with the Indians and be a nice handcuff for Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis if either are injured or see their performance decline. And who knows, maybe he surprises as an everyday shortstop or third baseman if given the opportunity.

It is important to note that Ramirez has played just 60 games at shortstop professionally. His lack of experience at the position along with the Indians not showing any interest in developing him as an everyday guy there pretty much hammers it home that his future with the team is as a starting second baseman or a utility infielder. They had a prime opportunity to have him start and develop at shortstop this season at Columbus, but they instead opted to trade for Justin Sellers and give him the primary shortstop duties and keep Ramirez at second base.

There are a lot of reasons for this line of thinking, but most of it has to do with having a clear path ready for Francisco Lindor when he is ready for a promotion from Double-A Akron. Though if Ramirez were playing shortstop in Columbus the Indians could then just slide him to second base in that case. Actions speak louder than words, and the usage shows exactly how the Indians want to integrate him onto their Major League roster.

For me, I actually think Ramirez helps the Indians right now more than Aviles. The Indians prefer to have a veteran utility guy instead of a rookie in that role, but Ramirez has a better approach, more speed and switch hits so he matches up well on the Indians roster. Aviles is under control for another season after this one as they hold a club option on him for 2015, and while they probably will pick it up in order to have a veteran in tow while Lindor is the starter, Ramirez is a wildcard in all of this and could change that line of thinking if he were to get to Cleveland this season and get a good amount of at bats for the Indians to be comfortable with him in a utility role to start next season.

Some may also wonder why Ramirez is not already in Cleveland and on the roster instead of Elliot Johnson. There is no doubt that Ramirez is a better player than Johnson, but this just boils down to not putting a prospect in such a limited role where he rots on the bench in Cleveland. Johnson has not played since April 11th and the low amount of playing time is not conducive to development for a young player. Plus, that extra spot that Johnson is currently holding will probably go to an eighth pen arm at some point or be where Carlos Carrasco slides to if he is moved out of the rotation (Trevor Bauer or Josh Tomlin up).

In any case, if Ramirez keeps performing and the Indians continue to struggle with the bats in Cleveland – especially against left-handed pitching, then he could (should) factor into things very quickly. He’s an exciting player to keep tabs on right now in Columbus.

Honorable Mentions:

Jesus Aguilar (1B, COL): .320 AVG (8-for-25), 3 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, .993 OPS
Giovanny Urshela (3B, AKR): .333 AVG (8-for-24), 7 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 SB, .985 OPS
Charlie Valerio (C, CAR): .333 AVG (5-for-15), 1 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .878 OPS
Erik Gonzalez (SS, CAR): .292 AVG (7-for-24), 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 7 K, .875 OPS
James Roberts (3B, CAR): .389 AVG (7-for-18), 1 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, .839 OPS
Paul Hendrix (INF, LC): .429 AVG (6-for-14), 2 R, 2 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1.101 OPS
Cody Ferrell (OF, LC): .353 AVG (6-for-17), 1 R, 3 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 1.006 OPS
Claudio Bautista (2B, LC): .389 AVG (7-for-18), 4 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, .976 OPS

Previous Winner:

Jesus Aguilar (1B, Columbus): 04/03/14 to 04/16/14
Director’s Cuts

Here are some comments from Indians Assistant Director of Player Development Carter Hawkins on some players at Low-A Lake County:

On Nellie Rodriguez: “I am thinking his comfort level really has helped him after taking that step back to Mahoning Valley last year to re-gather himself and understand what is going to work for him. It is just really controlling the strike zone and knowing he does not have to do too much. He is a big strong kid who when he hits the ball it is going to go a long way, so he has to let the ball come to him and be comfortable and not try to force things. He understood that at Mahoning Valley and saw some great results because of it and then has just continued that throughout this year so far. He had a really good offseason. He went to Goodyear and worked out and is really taking care of his body. He is kind of taking care of all the things that he can control from a career standpoint to put the best results on the field when he gets in the box. It has been very encouraging to see him kind of understand that, and I think all of the preparation he has put in over the past couple of months has probably eased his mind a little bit and put him in a situation to succeed.”

On Grant Fink: “Physically he looks like a Major Leaguer and has that build. He has swung the bat extremely well thus far and that is something that Steve Abney and our scouts identified and felt like he could be a guy who could carry a lineup and he has really helped out at Lake County. He has been playing third which is something he did not play a ton of in college so he is still getting used to that a little bit, but he is working hard and he has a lot of potential over there. We are going to continue to give him opportunities to get better and he has taken advantage of them. He is just a solid piece to that lineup in Lake County and hopefully is a solid piece to our lineup in Cleveland down the road.”

On Cody Ferrell: “He is an older player and has the college experience. He has a good feel for his game, he has a little bit of power, he has some defense, some speed and is going to make some things happen. He is an aggressive player and is not going to back down from anything and will take advantage of opportunities. He has done that thus far in Lake County and provided some offense there and helped stabilize that lineup. We just like to stick a guy like that in the lineup around some guys who might be younger than him and provide a mature presence in the lineup to help the guys around them and ultimately to help themselves. He has made the most of the opportunities he has had so far and we will continue to give them to him.”

On Anthony Santander: “Obviously he is a guy we love in the organization. He has a physical presence, is a switch-hitter, and at that age you just don’t find guys who can attack the baseball from both sides of the plate the way he can. We definitely want to continue to give him at bats and opportunities. The first few games have not been great, but if those games had happened in July no one would be saying anything. We are certainly encouraged by the player he is and will become as long as he continues to put the work in and continues to take advantage of some of the natural gifts he has by just working through the process and understanding he doesn’t need to be a guy who hits the ball 500 feet. If he can hit it 400 feet it is going to be just fine as well, so it is just about toning things down a little bit, controlling the strike zone a little better and putting in the work to make that happen is a key for him. Having a guy like that at 19 years old, a switch hitter and with that physical presence is pretty exciting to see and a player we will continue to exhaust all opportunities with. We feel like the DH spot is the best spot for him to get at bats right now and we don’t want to exacerbate anything just coming off of that injury (bicep).”

On Jordan Milbrath: “He might be raw from a background standpoint not playing as much baseball as guys from California or Florida might have, but from a maturity standpoint and feel for his craft standpoint he is kind of ahead of the curve. He has made some adjustments over the course of the past year just from a delivery standpoint as he is using his body a little more efficiently and is using some of the strength that he has better. He has a strong arm with a fastball into the mid-90s, he has great command, he has some downhill plane and he continues to develop the secondary stuff. The results have been really encouraging so far in Lake County, but what we are most encouraged about is the work he has put in to get to this point. It just makes us very excited about the gains he will continue to make because of the type of player and person he is. He is the type of guy who has caught some attention from people in the organization.”
Random Notes

Triple-A Columbus first baseman Jesus Aguilar continues to tear up the International League and is hitting .369 with 5 HR, 13 RBI and 1.115 OPS in 18 games. He currently ranks 3rd in the league in hitting, 3rd in home runs, 7th in RBI, 5th in total bases (44), 5th in on-base percentage (.438), 3rd in slugging percentage (.677) and 4th in OPS. He’s showing a slightly improved approach as he is walking a little more and striking out a little less, though what is most impressive is as he has worked hard at improving his approach his power is starting to assert itself more (.308 isolated power). He has a very high .404 BABIP, so the batting average and performance will obviously take a dip at some point since he has been very fortunate at the plate, but as long as he keeps making consistent, hard contact and maintains his approach he could be in line for a big season at Columbus. The Indians want to see more discipline and professional quality at bats, and with their needs for right-handed power in Cleveland, if he maintains that discipline and approach for another few weeks well into May then he could be an option the Indians consider in Cleveland any time after the middle of May. Interestingly, as reported here first last week, the Indians are going to experiment with him some at third base in games about once a week. They are also considering playing him some in left field as they flat out told him to go get an outfielder’s glove.

Double-A Akron shortstop Francisco Lindor is off to a slow start hitting just .239 with 2 HR, 9 RBI and .693 OPS in 17 games. Even though it is early, his numbers and performance show some good and bad trends developing. First off, he is showing more power as his .134 isolated power is a 30 point improvement to date over his .104 ISO from last season. On the flip side, his dip in his approach and discipline is a concern as his walk rate is down going from a 10.1% walk-rate last season to just 6.6% in the early going this season and his strikeout rate last season was 9.9% but has skyrocketed to 17.3% this year. The strikeouts are not yet a concern, but are something to keep an eye on going forward. What will also help his performance is his .269 BABIP going up to normal levels, and that along with an uptick in his approach to date should bring his batting average and OPS in line with his career numbers coming into the season. He’s also working on managing his workload so he can stay strong all season. He is a tireless worker and it is believed that he overworked himself last season which led to his late season back injury.
High-A Carolina infielder James Roberts is doing a very nice job replacing the injured Yandy Diaz at third base hitting .364 with 0 HR, 7 RBI and .819 OPS in 17 games. This is a strong showing from him and what you like to see when a player takes advantage of an opportunity and goes out and performs well. While the batting average is impressive it does come with a .435 BABIP which will be impossible to sustain over the course of the season as that is over 100 points above the norm in the minors. A regression should come with his batting average simply because of the great amount of luck he has had to date, but also because he is not really hitting a lot of balls hard. Just one of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases, and even that was not squarely hit, so as the hits stop falling in or finding holes it will be interesting to see where his performance levels out at. Needless to say, he is proving to be a nice prospect with some versatility to move around the diamond who can also hit a little, which creates value for him and will provide him more opportunities in the future.

Low-A Lake County infielder Claudio Bautista is starting to heat up. After a slow start to his season, he has been better over the past week and is now hitting .258 with 1 HR, 6 RBI and .753 OPS in 17 games. He’s an infield prospect that is a middle tier prospect in the organization who has some upside to become a higher level prospect for the Indians. He is a smaller player but the offense is what is exciting about him as he has the potential to be a solid offensive player thanks to his feel for the strike zone and some good power to the gaps. He also has some versatility as while he is a solid defender at second base and it is his best position, he can also play third base and even shortstop in a pinch. He is just a good all-around player and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the course of the season at Lake County. He is already showing a solid approach in the early going with a 7-10 walk to strikeout ratio in 62 at bats, so if he keeps up those rates and maintains his performance for the remaining 120 games of the season he’s a guy who is going to make a significant climb up the prospect rankings.

Follow Tony and the Indians Baseball Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Getting rid of Jose Ramirez would break my heart. There weren't/aren't many players I've grown attached to over the past 10 or so years, but Ramirez is one of them. He's excelled at every level he's played at including the tough Dominican Republic winter league. He's been by far the youngest player in all of those leagues. He's been terrific on both sides of the ball. Not many players have had the minor league successes that Ramirez has had since the good old days back in the 90's.

Ramirez has outplayed Lindor on offense and defense. Ramirez was an undrafted free agent while Lindor was a highly touted first round pick but its been Ramirez that has enjoyed the most success between the two. Ramirez is off to a very good start at Columbus while Lindor has been struggling in Akron. In fact, they gave Lindor the night off Wednesday as he's been mired in a pretty bad slump.
On defense, Lindor and Ramirez are pretty much equals. Both are excellent defenders and both can put up some nice highlight reel plays.

Just say it ain't so!