Re: Minor Matters

5328
Lots of nice games last night by guys I like.

Allen was 1-2 with a dbl and a run.

Papi was 1-2 with a dbl & a walk.

Frazier was 2-3 w/ a walk.

F.Mejia was 2-4 with a dbl.

Young pitchers continue to look good too, all the way down the system. Anderson pitched 5 scoreless, 2 H and 3 K.

Plutko thru his first two starts has thrown 5 scoreless too, 2 H and 7 K.

Kaminsky first 2 starts ... 5 IP 2 H 1 ER 1 BB 5 SO 1.80 ERA

Sheffield first 2 ... 5 IP 2 H 0 ER 1 BB 8 SO

Ronny Rodriguez so far is hitting 333 w/ 2 dbl and 6 ribbie

Zimmer is hitting 417 with 2 dbl, a homer and a couple steals. (and 4 walks. love this guy)

And Papi, who I refuse to give up on, is hitting 357 this spring. One of my favorite calibers. A dbl a homer and a couple walks.

Re: Minor Matters

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Here's one of my longtime but still pretty young and still pretty raw favorites.
Summarizing the following: he's starting to take advantage of his size and throw harder, but his fast ball is straight and leaves it up too high too often. Developing offspeed stuff. And of course he has great work ethic and is very coachable.

25. Luis Lugo – Left-handed Pitcher

Born: 03/05/1994 – Height: 6’5” – Weight: 200 – Bats: Left – Throws: Left

Lugo was signed by the Indians in February of 2011 out of Venezuela for $415,000. Last season he pitched in the Carolina League with a record of 8-10, ERA 4.15, 25 games started, IP 125.2, hits allowed 129), home runs allowed (11), tied for 7th in walks (52), 3rd in strikeouts (119)

He features a solid average fastball that sits at 89-92 MPH and has touched 93-94 MPH. Thanks to some added weight and strength the last few seasons his fastball has more regularly sat at 91-92 MPH and there is still some upside for his average velocity to tick up as he continues to fill out and becomes more consistent with the mechanics His fastball does not get much movement has some good late life with it and also gets a good amount of swing and miss because of the deception he creates with his delivery. His plus changeup is his best secondary offering . He throws a slow sweeping below average curveball that lacks consistency because it is too soft and big, He added a slider in 2013 which is still developing but has the potential to be an out pitch for him.

He displays a strong focus with a fearless mentality and unwavering confidence where he keeps his poise and does not let the game speed up on him in higher leverage situations. He has a strong work ethic and attention to detail in his work, is very coachable and has the aptitude to make quick adjustments.

. He misses too much up in the zone which results in a lot of home runs or well hit balls, so he needs to get more consistent with his command and to locate to the bottom of the zone.

His outings were inconsistent, yet he continues to show great promise as a starting pitching prospect with the way he is growing into his body and how his stuff is starting to take shape. Don’t let the high ERA’s from the last two seasons fool you; he’s been dominant on the mound getting strikeouts from the left side and had some really strong outings. He had a little bit of a setback in the first half of the season, but he came on strong in the second half of the season with some adjustments and body changes. He still profiles to have a fastball that can generate a lot of swing and miss and his changeup is still a Major League pitch. The Indians are still putting him together and helping him grow into the pitcher they think he can be – which is an innings eating middle of the rotation starter in the big leagues. Moving forward, it is all about consistency for him. He should get that chance to really solidify himself by opening the season with a repeat showing at High-A Lynchburg and should finish the season at Double-A Akron as long as he is healthy and pitches well.

Re: Minor Matters

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Tony rates Greg Allen at No. 24. BA leaves him off their top 30 altogether.

Extracts from Tony:


24. Greg Allen – Outfielder

Born: 03/15/1993 – Height: 6’0” – Weight: 175 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right

Facts & Info: Allen was selected by the Indians in the 6th round of the 2014 Draft out of San Diego State University and signed for $200,000. Last season he finished 1st in the Midwest League in runs scored (83), 11th in hits (131), 11th in doubles (27), 11th in total bases (183), 11th in walks (53), 2nd in stolen bases (43), 7th in on-base percentage (.368), 15th in OPS (.750) and was 3rd in lowest total plate appearances per strikeout ratio (9.89). He also finished 1st in the organization in stolen bases.

Allen’s defense is arguably his best skill as he is an above average defender in center field with the chance to be elite, and has the versatility to play all three outfield positions if needed. He combines plus instincts, plus speed, athleticism and an exceptional first step to really cover a lot of ground ranging to balls to his left and right as well as going back and coming in on balls. He has a calmness to his defensive play where he glides to even the hardest balls in the gaps and catches them with ease. The arm is solid average and he has enough to keep runners honest.

Allen is one of the most dynamic players in the organization because he can help his team win in every facet of the game. His numbers from last season may look ordinary on the surface, but remember that he is a leadoff hitter and his job is to work counts, limit strikeouts, get on base, steal bases and score runs – all of which he did at an above average to exceptional level last year. His near 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio over his two year pro career and the last two years of his college career is something that carries a lot of weight for a player who can run and play defense the way he can and increases his value exponentially. He got a late season taste of the Carolina League with High-A Lynchburg last season and should be where he starts this season – a level which should provide a good challenge for him and really solidify his prospect status.

Re: Minor Matters

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the following players were released on Thursday morning:

RHP Jordan Carter never heard of him
RHP Duke von Schamann served a suspension last year.
RHP Jose Rodriguez don't know him either
RHP Caleb Hamrick briefly promising 3 or 4 years ago
RHP Edward Estrella good luck to all in the future

Re: Minor Matters

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last couple days' minor league game reports, a couple interesting items:

Bobby Bradley with a 3 run homer
Greg Allen a 2-3 day with a steal
Gabriel Mejia a couple hitless days

Juan Hillman 2 innings, no marks on his line
Casey Shane 3 IP 2 H 3K no runs
Josh Tomlin 5 IP 5R 7H
Ryan Merritt 2 1/3 IP 7R 8H
Luis Lugo 3 IP 5R 8H 2BB

With the Indians yesterday Zimmer doubled; Frazier fanned

Re: Minor Matters

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BA on Sheffield's previous outing, on Sunday:


On the other side of the matchup with Medeiros was Cleveland lefty Justus Sheffield, the No. 4 prospect in their system. He was selected in the supplemental first round of the 2014 draft and given a $1.6 million bonus.

On Sunday, it was easy to see why.

Sheffield fanned four over three hitless innings, including whiffs of shortstop Gilbert Lara and outfielder Demi Orimoloye, the Nos. 5 and 13 prospects in Milwaukee’s system.

Sheffield used a whip-quick arm to run his fastball up to 95 mph. More impressively, he was aggressive inside with the pitch, which showed easily noticeable explosiveness. He coupled the pitch with a curveball and changeup which each got swings and misses as he cut through the Milwaukee lineup with ease and efficiency.

Re: Minor Matters

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BA analysis of our international signings:


Top signing: 3B Henry Pujols, Dominican Republic, $600,000.

Total signings:24.


Once president Mark Shapiro left for Toronto last year in August and vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins went to join him as general manager, the Indians decided to take their international program in a new direction. Last year was their final July 2 under the watch of Ramon Pena, who is no longer in the organization. Koby Perez, who had been an Indians international crosschecker the prior two years and before that worked in international scouting for the Phillies, is now in charge as the team’s Latin American scouting director.



Dominican shortstop Jose Fermin separated himself for his bat control and ability to stay at the position, prompting the Indians to sign him for $500,000 on July 2. Fermin, 16, is 5-foot-11, 160 pounds with a mature hitting approach and good contact skills. He routinely finds a way to barrel the ball and goes with where the pitch is thrown, taking pitches on the outer third to the opposite field with a line-drive approach. Fermin lacks strength, so he’s mostly a singles hitter now with occasional pop to the gaps, but he should be able to do more damage once he gets stronger. Fermin isn’t a flashy defender, but he’s steady at the position with solid instincts. His speed and arm strength are both average to slightly above-average tools. Fermin’s game skills were among the more advanced of last year’s July 2 signings and already speaks English fairly well, though because he’s still lacking strength, he might start the year in the Dominican Summer League. Fermin played in the International Prospect League and trained with Pablo Lantigua.

Henry Pujols, signed on July 2 for $600,000, fits a similar profile to many 16-year-old Dominican third basemen. He’s a heavy-bodied 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, standing out for his righthanded power potential, separating himself to the Indians for his ability to show his power in game situations. Pujols is an offensive-oriented player who will have to watch his body to avoid a move to the outfield or first base. Pujols also played in the IPL and trained with Laurentino Genao.

Under Pena, the Indians’ spending had been heavily focused in the Dominican Republic. Their biggest signing last year out of Venezuela was righthander Luis Oviedo for $375,000, which could end up one of the better values of the 2015-16 signing period. Oviedo’s projection arrows are all pointing in the right direction: He’s 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, still 16 with a good delivery, a quick arm and a fastball that sits 86-90 mph and can reach 91-92. Once he adds weight to his lanky frame, he should be throwing in the mid-90s. Oviedo’s changeup is advanced for his age and is ahead of his fringe-average breaking ball, giving him a chance for three average to plus pitches. Oviedo comes from Jose Montero’s program, which also produced Carlos Carrasco, and there are similarities between the two pitchers at the same age.

Carlos Venturais a 17-year-old outfielder born in Miami who went to high school in Florida, but the year before he signed he moved to the Dominican Republic. That enabled him to sign as an international free agent with the Indians for $350,000 on July 2. At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Ventura is a corner outfielder who’s likely limited to left field, so the Indians were banking on his lefthanded bat, though that has been inconsistent. Ventura is the grandson of Johnny Ventura, a famous merengue and salsa singer in the Dominican Republic who also served as mayor of Santo Domingo from 1998-2002.

International bonus pool space is use it or lose it in the year it’s allotted, so back in June a few days before the 2014-15 signing period closed, the Indians paid $300,000 for Dominican righthander Luis Valdez. He’s a 19-year-old with a 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame and a fastball that sits in the low-90s and can reach 95-96 mph. His secondary stuff will need to come along, but he has big arm strength and could eventually come along as a bullpen arm. He trained with Alberto Barjan.

Another 2014-15 signing was corner outfielder Luis de la Rosa, who got $150,000 in May. At 16, de la Rosa is 6-foot-4, 170 pounds and is more a physical projection than anything else. He trained with Wason Brazoban, a Dominican singer whose pop single “En Un Solo Dia” appeared on Billboard magazine’s Hot Latin Songs chart at No. 47. He also trained Oscar Gonzalez, an outfielder the Indians signed for $300,000 in 2014 and hit .203/.262/.324 in 70 DSL games last year.

Read more at http://www.baseballamerica.com/internat ... wXI6HaS.99

Re: Minor Matters

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for historical purposes, 2013 signing summary:


Top signing: RHP Leandro Linares, Cuba, $950,000.

Six-figure signings: SS Willi Castro (Dominican Republic), OF Junior Soto (Dominican Republic), IF/OF Yu-Cheng Chang (Taiwan), OF Juan Garcia (Dominican Republic), SS Yandy Diaz (Cuba), RHP Gabby Vizcaino (Dominican Republic).

Linares has been pretty bad, but Castro, Chang and Diaz are part of our good IF depth

Re: Minor Matters

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2011:

Cleveland Indians
Top signing: SS Dorssys Paulino, Dominican Republic, $1.1 million.
July 2 eligible six-figure signings: OF Anthony Santander (Venezuela), OF Omar Sanchez (Venezuela), OF Francisco Miguel (Dominican Republic), Edgar Pineda (Venezuela).
Other six-figure signings: LHP Luis Lugo (Venezuela), Shao-Ching Chiang (Taiwan), RHP Juan Marte (Dominican Republic).


Slow progress by Paulino, Santander and Lugo.