Cleveland Indians return could have been different for Trevor Bauer: The week in baseball
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com | Posted August 11, 2019 at 05:05 AM | Updated August 11, 2019 at 09:31 AM
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Yasiel Puig. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press)


INDIANS TURNED TREVOR BAUER TRADE INTO THREE-TEAMER
MINNEAPOLIS – If the Indians weren’t situated where they are today, their return in Trevor Bauer deal may have looked a lot different than it does right now.

The deal was originally a two-team trade between the Indians and Reds. The Indians sent Bauer to the Reds on July 31 for Yasiel Puig, outfielder Taylor Trammell and left-hander Scott Moss.

If the Indians were rebuilding, if they were taking a step back, they may have kept Trammell, the Reds' No.1 pick in 2016. But they were three games behind the AL Central-leading Twins and the front office felt they were still very much in the race.

In the days leading up to the trade deadline, however, they’d had numerous discussions with the Padres about Bauer. San Diego really liked Bauer, but common ground couldn’t be found to make a deal happen. In discussing numerous players inside and outside their organizations, the Indians learned that the Padres liked Trammell.

After that it was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

The Indians sent Bauer to the Reds for Puig, Moss and Trammell. Then they sent Trammell to the Padres for outfielder Franmil Reyes, left-hander Logan Allen and infielder Victor Nova.

From the Indians' point of view, they felt they were not only helping the big-league club with the addition of sluggers Puig and Reyes, who added a combined 49 homers and 107 RBI to the Tribe lineup. But they felt Allen could possibly help them in the rotation later this season or next year. Allen was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts, for the Padres earlier this season.

Allen was sent to Class AAA, Moss to Class AA and Nova moved to the Tribe’s entry in the Arizona Rookie League. Allen has struggled in two starts at Columbus, posting a 8.53 ERA. He’s allowed six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The Padres sent Trammell to Class AA Amarillo where he’s hitting .171 (6-for-35) with one homer.


Right-hander Danny Salazar. (Phil Long, Associated Press)


WILL DANNY SALAZAR PITCH FOR THE INDIANS AGAIN?
If Danny Salazar had told Indians trainers that he tweaked his right groin muscle while warming up in the bullpen before his Aug. 1 start against the Astros, maybe things would have worked out differently than they did.

But now he’s rehabbing his injury in Tampa away from the organization. Whether or not he makes it back to the big leagues with the Tribe is questionable.

During his rehab assignment, the Indians watched Salazar throw between 92 and 93 mph. But in his Aug. 1 start, his first in the big leagues since Sept. 27, 2017, he never threw harder than 88 mph. His average velocity for the 66 pitches he threw was 81 mph.

Salazar didn’t say anything about his injury until a couple of innings into his start. If he had said something earlier, maybe the trainers could have treated the injury with a wrap or tape and given him a chance to perform better.

As it was, he returned to the injured list and is hanging onto the last rung on the Tribe’s rehab ladder. The Indians are busy rehabbing pitchers such as Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Jefry Rodriguez, pitchers who have a chance to help them down the stretch. Salazar is a long way from being included in that conversation.


Manager Terry Francona. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)



THEY SAID IT
* "I’m trying to figure that out right now ... if I had fun or not because I couldn’t even breathe. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. That’s probably an odd description. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I was almost nauseous,” Tribe manager Terry Francona after Thursday’s 7-5 win over the Twins.



* “Yeah, it’s kind of boring. Just trying to stay loose, staying focused. You don’t have anything to do,” right-hander Zack Greinke, on watching Houston score 11 runs during his first win with his new team.



* “Why is everyone so excited to see an opener? It wouldn’t be effective for us. That’s why we haven’t done it. We’re not fools. If we thought it would be beneficial for us, we’d do it,” Royals manager Ned Yost to mlb.com on not using the opener.


Yankee third baseman Gio Urshela. (Frank Franklin II, AP)


THREE UP, THREE DOWN
Baseball is a game of threes. Three strikes in an out. Three outs in a half inning. Here are two more sets of three to consider.

Three up

1. Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich and Mike Trout all homered on Tuesday. It’s the third time they’ve done that this year. (Elias).

2. Bo Bichette became the first Toronto player to open his career with an 11-game hitting streak. The streak ended Friday.

3. The Yankees finished their season series at Camden Yards. They went 10-0 and hit 43 homers on the Orioles' home ground.

Three down

1. Yankee third baseman Gio Urshela, on Aug. 4 against Boston, hit foul balls off his left and right legs.

2. In their last appearances against the Yankees, Red Sox aces Chris Sale and David Price posted a combined 21.32 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs and 18 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

3. It’s been 10 days since the Indians traded Trevor Bauer to the Reds and he still leads the AL with 14 hit batsmen and 63 walks.

Interesting, thanks Rusty.

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From the Indians' point of view, they felt they were not only helping the big-league club with the addition of sluggers Puig and Reyes, who added a combined 49 homers and 107 RBI to the Tribe lineup. But they felt Allen could possibly help them in the rotation later this season or next year. Allen was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts, for the Padres earlier this season.

Allen was sent to Class AAA, Moss to Class AA and Nova moved to the Tribe’s entry in the Arizona Rookie League. Allen has struggled in two starts at Columbus, posting a 8.53 ERA. He’s allowed six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

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What wasn’t mentioned is that Scott Moss, the other lefty we got in the deal, has pitched 10 innings in his 2 starts in Akron, allowed 3 hits, no earned runs, and struck out 13.

Franmil Reyes Deep Dive: What Should We Expect?
Aug 10, 2019 , by Mike Kurland
This is an exciting time for Franmil Reyes. Reyes has finally been freed from that mess in San Diego when he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He was one of the biggest winners of this deal. Reyes went from a part-time player to having what appears to be a full-time spot in a solid lineup. This is a very exciting change for Reyes and with a full-time role, it is time to see what type of player he truly is or can be. Will he flourish or could he possibly be exploited?
That has yet to be determined. But I am going to take a deeper look to see what type of player he can be and what we can expect with this newfound opportunity.


Current Production

This season has been interesting, to say the least. Franmil Reyes has mostly been a part-time player up until roughly the final month prior to getting traded. The 24-year-old has still managed 24 home runs with a triple slash of .241/.297/.503. Sure, you’d prefer the BA and OBP to be higher, but they are hurt a tad by the .254 BABIP. This is the lowest BA, OBP, and BABIP he’s had since 2013. This was in low A Ball just for reference.
What is also surprising is how he has managed only 48 RBI when he has all those home runs. Alright, alright, enough with the basics, let’s move onto the fun stuff.

Advanced Stats
The first thing I notice is the WRC+ of 103. This is basically league average. That’s not bad considering some the stats we just discussed. The walk rate of 7.8% and K-rate of 26.8% are basically in line with 2018.

Batted Ball Data
Well, here are some nice developments. Franmil Reyes has increased his fly ball rate (or FB%) from 29.8% in 2018 to 35.9% in 2019. This coincides with the drop in ground ball rate (or GB%). In 2018, the GB% was 49.2% and it now sits at 43% even. These are the type of changes you love to see in a power hitters profile.

Reyes has also begun to pull the ball more as he has raised his pull% by 5.1 percentage points. It currently sits at 37.8%. More fly balls, plus big-time power, equals big-time home run potential. This is exactly what he’s offered up to this point. It’s definitely nice to see it in the profile.

Plate Discipline
Unfortunately, not everything is looking as promising in the plate discipline. Reyes appears to have taken a step backward in his plate approach.
He has become more aggressive. This isn’t always a bad thing for a hitter, but for Reyes, it unfortunately has been. It’s actually a surprise his K-rate has not increased on the season as his swinging strike rate (or SwStr) has shot up from 14% in 2018 to 18.1% this season.

This is due partially to chasing more pitches this year. Reyes is actually swinging at more pitches outside as well as pitches inside the zone. He is swinging more all-around while dropping contact rates on pitches outside and inside the zone. This would definitely explain the added swing and miss to his game on the year.

Notable Struggles
As you can see, Franmil Reyes has had issues with offspeed and breaking ball offerings this season. This appears to be in part due to some bad luck as a whole on pitches this year. Reyes’s expected BA (or xBA) is higher than his actual batting average on every pitch type.

There are also notable issues with pitches low and away.
As you can see, opposing pitchers attack him low and away. Unfortunately for Reyes, the results suggest it won’t stop anytime soon.
His highest whiff rate, as well as k-rate, come from that zone.
Not to mention, the launch angle is -7 low and away. That is absolutely terrible and it would definitely explain part of the reasoning behind throwing him there. Not to mention the ground ball rate that comes from that zone.
Inducing ground balls is always a plus for a pitcher and if you’re going to do it, you need to aim low in the zone for Reyes. Not only is inducing ground balls part of the plan but if you can induce soft contact as well you’re in business.
Well, they’re able to induce that soft contact. Low and away has the lowest exit velocity of any zone. It is okay to have a weakness, but it’s on Reyes to adapt to this, show some patience and make pitchers give him pitches where he can do some damage.

Statcast Data
Well, well, well, what do we have here?

Franmil Reyes is in the 96th percentile in exit velocity, 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate, 92nd percentile in xSLG (or expected slugging percentage) and 83rd percentile for xwOBA. These metrics are absolutely amazing. We always knew the power was real but it’s nice to see it in the numbers as well.
The overall numbers suggest he’s slightly under-producing and maybe Reyes is due for positive regression. The BA of .241 is 22 points lower than the xBA of .263 he currently holds. This would lineup up with the BABIP woes of earlier. If the BABIP improves as it should, this would help towards the correction in BA.

The SLG of 503 is already really good, yet he’s actually expected to have a higher one. The xSLG is 25 points higher at .528.

Not only are the BA and SLG coming up short so far, but so is the wOBA. His wOBA sitting at .332 is 31 points lower than his xwOBA of .363. There just appears to be positive regression at every turn for Franmil Reyes.

Another couple of notable stats are his hard-hit rate and launch angle. The hard-hit rate is in line with last year and is still among the top 8% of the league. There’s a tangible change in Reyes’s launch angle, however.
It has increased from 6.8 degrees in 2018 to 9.8 degrees in 2019. This would likely explain the increase in FB% and decrease in GB%.

Lastly, it is worth noting he is in the top 8% of the league in barrel rate. This currently sits at 13.9% and has improved from last year as well. The quality of contact likely makes up for the increased swing and miss we’ve seen he’s added to his profile this season.

Overall Outlook

Franmil Reyes stock is now on the rise. He is in a weak division on one of the two good teams so he should be able to take advantage of the pitching within the division. He has also fallen into a full-time opportunity. No more is playing the platoon game should allow him to flourish and actually gain momentum once he gets rolling. I believe he has a Khris Davis type of upside as far as power goes but actually offers a .250-.260 upside in batting average.

Hillbilly wrote:Interesting, thanks Rusty.

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From the Indians' point of view, they felt they were not only helping the big-league club with the addition of sluggers Puig and Reyes, who added a combined 49 homers and 107 RBI to the Tribe lineup. But they felt Allen could possibly help them in the rotation later this season or next year. Allen was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts, for the Padres earlier this season.

Allen was sent to Class AAA, Moss to Class AA and Nova moved to the Tribe’s entry in the Arizona Rookie League. Allen has struggled in two starts at Columbus, posting a 8.53 ERA. He’s allowed six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

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What wasn’t mentioned is that Scott Moss, the other lefty we got in the deal, has pitched 10 innings in his 2 starts in Akron, allowed 3 hits, no earned runs, and struck out 13.

I think we all remember the CC deal, with Brantley ultimately unexpectedly becoming the prize piece! So you never know.

I think Khris Davis is an interesting comparison there in the Franmil article.

If we got Khris Davis' career in this trade I'd sign up for that. Not HB's kind of guy but you surround him with other types.

It's kinda scary similar up to this point, this is Khris Davis:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... kh01.shtml

Minnesota mission accomplished: How the Indians tied the Twins atop the AL Central

Zack Meisel 7h ago 38
MINNEAPOLIS — The instant the baseball disappeared beyond the green fence, Francisco Lindor leaped in the air, both arms raised toward the blue sky. He stared at the Indians’ dugout and pumped his fists his entire journey to the plate, releasing one final burst of energy to cap an exhausting, triumphant weekend in the Twin Cities.

Carlos Santana’s mighty swing swung the series in the Indians’ favor, and the club boarded its charter back to Cleveland as co-owner of the top spot in the AL Central.

“We wanted to come in and get at least three,” Jason Kipnis said, “and we did that.”

How did they pull out a critical victory Sunday? A flawless relay perfected in February, a rare, beneficial bunt and a season-defining slam.

How did they stroll into Minneapolis and erase the last bit of the deficit that stood at 11.5 games a mere two months ago? An endless supply of energy from Yasiel Puig, some timely hitting and the theme responsible for rescuing the Indians’ season: starting pitching development.

The new aces
Mike Clevinger sprawled out on the clubhouse floor Sunday morning, twisting his body into pretzel-like shapes as music blared from his locker. Shane Bieber sat on the arm of a nearby couch, watching Clevinger and nodding his head to the techno beat.

These are the new anchors of the Indians’ staff, two hurlers who have held together a rotation that is absent Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco and has bid farewell to Trevor Bauer. And in the most significant games of the season to date, Clevinger and Bieber delivered ace-like performances.

Clevinger tossed a career-high 117 pitches to steer the Tribe toward a Thursday triumph. How did he feel Friday?

“Like I fell off a motorcycle,” he said.

But nothing to worry; Clevinger still lifted weights, threw weighted balls and completed a cardio workout Friday. Clevinger logged 200 innings last season, reaching the plateau for the first time. Since he missed two months with an injury this year, he should have plenty in the tank down the stretch. He has limited the opposition to a .195/.267/.323 slash line this season, with 89 strikeouts in 62 innings.

Bieber, meanwhile, ranks fourth among AL starters in WAR, seventh in ERA, fourth in FIP, seventh in strikeout rate and second in walk rate. Those numbers could garner him some Cy Young ballot consideration. Bieber never had the chance to pitch in the postseason in 2018, since the Indians failed to force a Game 4 against the Astros in the ALDS. So, his outing Friday night might have resembled a playoff start more than any other start in his career. He excelled in the spotlight.

“There were a lot of frustrations early, obviously,” Bieber said, “but I think in the back of our minds, everybody trusted that we were going to get here as long as we played our brand of baseball. We picked it up as soon as we could. We wanted to give ourselves a good chance to climb back. Obviously, the job is not done yet. We’re trying to take the lead and build on that.”

The reticent rookie
Aaron Civale won’t take the bait. Ask him how he has amassed a 1.00 ERA in his first three big-league starts or what traits prepared him to pitch with such poise or if he ever emotes. Each response is succinct and barely audible. He doesn’t waste words or vocal cord fuel.

In that way, he gives off a Corey Kluber-like vibe. And, come to think of it, he does the same on the mound. That’s not to say Civale will blossom into a two-time Cy Young winner, but he, too, relies on a mix of sinkers and sliders and cutters, and Terry Francona marvels at his maturity on the mound.

Civale topped out at 94.9 mph Sunday, and he averaged 92.9 mph with his sinker, compared with 91.9 mph in his first two major-league starts. Could that be a result of some extra adrenaline stemming from such a significant game?

“These are games you want to pitch in,” Civale said.

The Indians don’t mind seeing Civale in those games. Consider his three big-league efforts:

1. 6 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs
2. 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 run
3. 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run

The Indians covet a certain profile in the draft — a college pitcher who flashes elite command and makeup. They trust their player development staff to take it from there (with plenty of responsibility falling on the pitcher’s shoulders, of course). That’s how the Indians landed Civale, Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac over the course of 36 hours in 2016, a snapshot in time that has perhaps saved the Indians’ 2019 season.
(Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)
The game-saving relay
The moment Tyler Naquin released the baseball, he knew Ehire Adrianza stood no chance of scoring. Everything had to be perfect, though: Naquin’s barehanded snag, Francisco Lindor’s immediate twist and heave and Kevin Plawecki’s plunge.

“I wasn’t letting him get to home plate,” Plawecki said. “I knew that if we made the relay, he was going to be dead to rights.”

Here’s how Naquin described the crucial conversion in the bottom of the ninth:

“The way the ball was hit, I knew it was either in the air off the wall or at least the warning track, so I have to put myself in a good position and just be able to barehand it off the wall and then put everything I’ve got into it and get it to Frankie’s chest and let Frankie do the rest. We work on that in spring training quite a bit and, obviously, through the year. It’s something that Frankie and I take pride in whenever we’re able to link up, or Kipnis and I, whatever side of the infield we’re on. It’s something that we take pride in. I mean, it saves games and it just saved a game right there.

“We’ve been doing it so long. I’ve got a feel for it, but I like when the cutoff guy has his hands up just whenever I can peek, I might even be mid-arm swing, but I can still pick him up. He always has his hands up for me. I think he does it for everybody, but he and I make sure we communicate really well. It makes those plays, I wouldn’t say easy, but you’ve got a lot of confidence going into the play.

“When I let it go, I was pretty confident we had him. Frankie, he puts it in a good spot 99 percent of the time. Once it left my hand, I felt pretty confident about it.”

And that spurred the Indians toward a rebound in the 10th.

“Right when the ninth finished,” Kipnis said, “I think we were saying in the dugout, ‘We’re not leaving here without a win.’ There’s no time to shake your head or hang it down. I think everyone was just like, ‘Hey, this happens. Let’s get over it real fast.’”

The clubhouse dynamic
How long did it take Puig to contribute to the Indians’ clubhouse chemistry?

On Friday night, he shouted so loud while teasing Franmil Reyes and Roberto Pérez, it startled reporters and shook Bieber from his train of thought during his postgame interview. On Sunday, he placed Clevinger’s fedora atop his bright red mohawk before teammates reminded Clevinger that Puig had yet to take his postgame shower. Naquin also hovered over Puig’s right shoulder and watched him consume his postgame meal after Puig shot him funny faces during his interview with reporters. When Puig left behind a plate and two water bottles, Naquin and Reyes crafted a note to the clubhouse staff to notify them of the identity of the messy perpetrator.

There has certainly been an uptick in clubhouse energy, and winning surely fuels that chemistry. The relievers play the card game Monopoly Deal each afternoon. Then, they head to the outfield grass to kick around the soccer ball before they play catch. The starting pitchers have continued their daily regimen of monitoring each other’s bullpen sessions and honoring the best outing of each series with the crimson “King of the Hill” crown.

The entire team still places bets on certain feats, too. Kipnis stuffed a wad of cash in his locker Thursday night, his earnings for notching a timely two-run double. Clevinger chimed in that the cash would’ve been his had he tallied a 10th strikeout.

They’re having fun. Puig became the first player to advance from first to third on a play without ever looking at third base since he was busy waving to the Twins’ fielders. Pérez caught playful flak for acting as if he was going to scamper 90 feet on a ball that barely squirted away from Twins catcher Jason Castro. He caught some more from a grinning Kluber when the catcher didn’t immediately say “Good morning” to his batterymate Sunday.

When Santana approached the plate in the 10th on Sunday, his teammates all stood on the top step of the dugout, many feeling as though the All-Star was due to deposit one over the fence.

“As soon as he connected,” Kipnis said, “we were all jumping up onto the railing. What a big hit that was.”

The team that, a few months ago, employed Eric Stamets and Max Moroff and Brad Miller and Hanley Ramírez and Carlos Gonzalez and Leonys Martín and slogged to a 29-30 start now owns a 71-47 record, with a deep, balanced lineup, a young, thriving rotation and a bullpen that boasts the league’s best ERA. They have a ton of work ahead of them, but they passed their most important test thus far: four games in a hostile environment against the team they have spent months chasing.

And now, with seven weeks remaining on the regular-season slate, it’s a brand new race in the AL Central.

“It’s a little different vibe,” Kipnis said. “There’s big team camaraderie here right now.”

Meisel’s Musings: Carlos Santana’s rise up the Indians’ home run ranks
By Zack Meisel 4h ago 9
CLEVELAND — Jim Thome’s standing is probably safe, but the spots belonging to Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez sure seem vulnerable.

Carlos Santana climbed into sole possession of eighth place on the Indians’ all-time home run list with his shot to center field off southpaw Chris Sale on Tuesday night.

Here’s the franchise’s top 10:

1. Jim Thome, 337
2. Albert Belle, 242
3. Manny Ramirez, 236
4. Earl Averill, 226
5. Hal Trosky, 216
6. Larry Doby, 215
7. Andre Thornton, 214
8. Carlos Santana, 201
9. Travis Hafner, 200
10. Al Rosen, 192

For what it’s worth, Ramirez is the only one of the seven players ahead of Santana on the list not to be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame.

Santana is signed through 2020, with a club option for 2021. He could certainly threaten Belle’s hold on second place by the time his second Cleveland stint reaches its conclusion. He also stands just seven homers shy of matching his career high of 34, set in 2016. Following another two-hit performance on Tuesday, Santana’s slash line stands at .288/.409/.538. He has 86 walks and 76 strikeouts, and he ranks second in the American League in on-base percentage.

On Monday, Santana became the first Tribe player since Belle (Aug. 30-31, 1995) to club a game-winning home run in the ninth inning or later in consecutive games.

“All year,” Terry Francona said, “he has come up so big for us and has been so consistent.”

A risky endeavor
Before he reached second base, Francisco Lindor twice leaped in the air and raised his arms to pump up the crowd. Once he stood on the bag, he pointed to the home dugout and punched the air. The energy was palpable, as Lindor’s RBI double tied the score in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday.

Moments later, however, Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon nabbed Lindor as he attempted to swipe third base. It was Lindor’s decision, though Francona said the shortstop had the green light.

“I messed up,” Lindor said. “It’s a rookie mistake. … I got ahead of myself. Live and learn from it.”

Of course, the Indians never would have stormed back from a 6-1 deficit without Lindor.

“I felt good,” he said. “When I took off, I felt like I was gonna make it. Just getting ahead of myself. That was my bad. That’s on me. This one’s on me.”
(David Richard / USA Today)
Invest in a parka
The 2020 Indians season will be brought to you by Burlington Coat Factory. Here are the locations of the Indians’ first nine series on next year’s schedule:

1. Cleveland, vs. the Tigers
2. Cleveland, vs. the White Sox
3. Detroit, vs. the Tigers
4. Minneapolis, vs. the Twins
5. Cleveland, vs. the Rays
6. Cleveland, vs. the Tigers
7. Boston, vs. the Red Sox
8. Cleveland, vs. the Athletics
9. New York, vs. the Yankees

Finally, after 30 games in cold-weather cities — New York is the southernmost destination — the Indians will trek to Tampa. This has developed into an annual gripe, but each year, the league office plays Pin The Tail On The Calendar and flirts with a slew of snow-outs. The Indians haven’t started a season at home since 2016, and that opener was postponed because of frigid temperatures. Prior to that, their previous season opener in Cleveland, in 2012, was played in 44-degree temperatures with a stiff wind. That game lasted 16 innings.

Quotes to note
“He’s a fashion guy. He looks good.” — Carlos Santana on Franmil Reyes, who exited the Indians’ clubhouse on Monday night wearing skin-tight jean shorts that fell a couple inches shy of his knees

“I’ve never been in New York for a week. Pretty much a guarantee that a lot of guys come home with no money.” – Terry Francona, on the Indians’ upcoming trip to face the Yankees and the Mets

Final Thoughts

1. It’s a safe bet that Corey Kluber will need at least one more minor-league rehab start, but his return to the Indians’ rotation is nearing. For Class AA Akron on Tuesday, Kluber tossed 60 pitches over four innings. He allowed one run and two hits and he tallied six strikeouts. His velocity reportedly clocked in in the low 90s.

2. Oscar Mercado has collected just five hits in his past 40 at-bats. He owns a .367 OPS during that stretch. It’ll be interesting to see if he maintains the No. 2 spot in Francona’s order when Yasiel Puig returns from his suspension.

Greg Allen, meanwhile, has produced a .316/.375/.516 slash line since May 28. It’s an admittedly arbitrary endpoint, but that’s sometimes necessary when evaluating a player who has bounced between Triple-A and the big leagues like a pinball this season. Given his ability to play all three outfield spots and switch-hit, he should be a valuable commodity moving forward.

3. Prior to his two-run double to knock Sale out of Tuesday’s game and his ninth-inning double to knot the score, Lindor had posted a .183/.303/.282 slash line in 90 plate appearances with runners in scoring position.

4. José Ramírez released his Mario Kart power rankings on Tuesday afternoon.

1. Himself
2. Tyler Clippard
3. Adam Cimber
4. Shane Bieber
5. Brad Hand

Bieber took exception to his placement, and Ramírez replied: “OK, maybe third.”

Ramírez — wearing his shorts inside out, with the pockets hanging out — proceeded to defeat Clippard, turn around and place his fingers to his lips to shush his teammates, even though they weren’t paying attention.

‘I love this game, so why not?’ Indians’ Oliver Pérez has no plans to stop pitching
By Zack Meisel 3h ago 4
NEW YORK — Every winter, even as his hair and beard gray and his children sprout another few inches, Oliver Pérez makes a handful of appearances for the winter ball team in his native Culiacan, Mexico.

Pérez can’t get enough. He simply loves pitching.

Take last season, for example. The Yankees signed him at the end of spring training, but only if he agreed to the long, miserable bus rides and other inconveniences associated with minor-league ball. Why commit to that lifestyle 16 years into a big-league career?

“I love this game,” Pérez said.

Four Mexican players have lasted 17 years in the majors: Pérez, Fernando Valenzuela, Juan Castro and Aurelio Rodríguez. If Pérez makes five more appearances this season, his vesting option for 2020 will be guaranteed. Then, Pérez would stand alone atop that leaderboard with no plans to stop pitching.

It helps that he remains effective. The lefty with a different delivery every pitch has posted a 2.10 ERA in 101 outings since joining the Indians last summer. He debuted with the Padres in 2002, a hard-throwing 20-year-old starter, and he struck out Ichiro Suzuki in his first big-league encounter.

Pérez, who turns 38 on Thursday, chatted with The Athletic about his career and how and why he has kept pitching for such a long time.

What was your mindset while grinding away at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season before you knew the Indians wanted you?

I was the old guy and I knew my situation. I understood with the Yankees, everybody was pitching great. For me, in my mind, I just had to get better every day, get my velocity and my consistency right and find my ways to get lefties out, because that’s been my role the last couple years, and just be ready for everything. Be healthy, because that’s most important. Normally, in the minor leagues, if you go on the IL, (that can hurt your chances). For me, that was a short time. It was only two months. When I signed with them and I knew I was going to Triple A, I knew it would be tough. You have to ride the bus. You know the minor leagues are way different than being in the big leagues. I was prepared for that. My family stayed in Phoenix. That was probably the toughest part. I have my kids. Now I have to go to a city where I didn’t know anybody, a new team. I was going to be alone. I was prepared for that, and I think I did great. I prepared every single day. I took the ball when they gave me the ball, and for me, that was a tough time, but at the same time, that was good for me, because I did everything I could and the Yankees gave me the opportunity to try with another team and the Indians got me. I loved it, because I got the opportunity and I did everything I can and here I am.

You’ve played for such a long time, accomplished a lot, made a ton of money — why stick it out like that?

I love this game. I have a passion for this game. That’s my job. What else can I do? I love baseball. I have the ability to play baseball. I still think I can be in the big leagues. The big leagues are a tough level. I think I can still play and have a good time and enjoy it, enjoy the moment. So why not? Right now, I feel like every single day I come here it’s like my first day or it could be my last day. So I try to enjoy it and do my best. We don’t know what’s going to happen. You just have to do your best.

So you just want to keep pitching until you can’t anymore?

Oh yeah. I have a passion. I love this game. It’s why I find time to play winter ball. I love this game, so why not, if you have a chance to do it?

When you reached the big leagues at 20, did you think you would still be pitching in the big leagues at 38?

I don’t think so. The time goes fast. You spend a lot of time with your teammates away from home. It’s kind of strange, but at the same time, it’s fun, because you know you have an opportunity to go to different cities. You get to know a lot of people. You have the support from your family. I think that’s great. You can ask any single guy how tough it is to be away from family. Now I’m a father. I have four kids. Now I understand how my parents felt when I left when I was 16. For me, I’m doing this because I can give thanks to my father for letting me go and try to find my dream. And now I made my dream, so now I want to keep doing that to teach my kids and other people that if you want something, just go get it and do your best to find your dream.

At any point during your time in Scranton, did you ask yourself if it was worth it?

I think if you have a couple bad outings, all the negativity can come. But at the same time, you have to know yourself. You have to decide when it’s time to quit or retire or just go home. It’s one of those things — I understand one of these days, I might have to make that decision, but I said, “Not yet.” I still can play in the big leagues and I know I have the ability to play here every year. That’s why I have to enjoy it and do my best.

How critical is the family support, given you and your wife have four children?

Yeah, (we FaceTime) every day. You see your kids and say, “Wow, I would love to stay there.” Sometimes you would love to take your kids to school or help your wife change diapers, be a father. Being a father is a great experience and for me, there are those moments where you’re like, “Aw, I’d love to stay home.” But at the same time, I do my job and I still care for them and I think it’s very important, my wife and I, we’re on the same page to make everything easier. It’s tough being away from home, but at the same time, it’s great. We all enjoy these moments and right now we’re having fun and just enjoying the ride.

With five more appearances, you’ll reach 55, the magic number that will guarantee your option for 2020. How much do you covet that security at this stage in your career?

When a season starts for me, I prepare my mind to pitch in 90 games, counting the playoffs. Normally in the playoffs, you can play, what, 20 more games? My first goal is to be healthy and help my team the most I can. Incentives, when you have stuff like that, for me, it’s more personal. I’m a team guy. I prefer to just help my team, and if something good is going to happen next year, it’s going to happen. My goal is not to pitch 55 games or 60 games. I would love to, but at the same time, I just want to win and my goal is to throw in 90 games.

How much pride do you take in Terry Francona being able to rely on you so often, even with 17 seasons under your belt?

We’ve all been fighting all season to get to this point. If you ask anybody, nobody is 100 percent. Some guys are tired or sore. It’s almost September, so everybody is tired. But at the same time, we’re getting close to making something special, so that’s when you keep pushing and keep pushing. It’s all about making the last push and just enjoying the moment. It’s been a long season. We’ve had a bunch of stuff — people got hurt, we had Cookie (Carrasco’s illness). But a lot of good things have happened this year. We’re doing great, but we’re not done yet. So we just have to keep playing the same way and we may see something great later on.

Are you ever amazed at how your arm still feels? You still hit 94 mph on occasion and you’ve had a couple of instances in which you’ve pitched three days in a row.

When you get older, you understand how to take care of your body. Sometimes you have to rest. Sometimes you have to work out. The more you understand your body, the more consistent you can be. I think later on, the more rest you can take, the better, because when you get to September, that’s when you have your last push.

(Photo: Ron Vesely / Getty Images)

‘Always chill’: Gio Urshela, Francisco Lindor and the friendship that keyed a breakout

By Rustin Dodd 58m ago 1

NEW YORK — It was a Friday last May, not long after his baseball life veered adrift, and Gio Urshela saw a familiar name pop up on his phone. It was not weird that Francisco Lindor was texting. The two are best friends. The relationship dates back to the Cleveland Indians’ instructional league in 2011, when Lindor was a smiley 17-year-old from Puerto Rico and Urshela was a quiet 20-year-old from Colombia and the only thing that mattered were the long hangs in a connecting room inside a short-term housing unit in Arizona.

Urshela gravitated toward Lindor because he was competitive and kind. Lindor likes Urshela because he was genuine and low-key. The bond was instant and tight. “I liked the way he see the world,” Urshela said.

Seven years later, they were still texting most days. Yet when Urshela saw Lindor’s name appear last summer, he already knew the reason. It was May 4, 2018. The Indians were in New York to face the Yankees. Urshela, a 26-year-old backup infielder, had been designated for assignment. Lindor sought to lift his friend’s spirits.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Lindor remembers texting. “It’s time to go show the world what you’re all about.”

The path from that moment to this weekend in the Bronx was not linear nor smooth. There was a trade to Toronto, an unsuccessful stint with the Blue Jays, another DFA; there was doubt and patience and resilience, and finally, a quiet deal to the New York Yankees. On Aug. 4, Urshela collected his belongings and switched clubhouses at PNC Field in Moosic, Pa. Twelve months later, he is among the best hitters in baseball, a revelation in the middle of the Yankees lineup, a darkhorse contender for the batting title, a pivotal figure heading into October, and Lindor is adamant that he saw this coming.

“Everybody knows who he is,” Lindor said, sitting inside the visitors clubhouse on Friday afternoon.

Inside the gates of Yankee Stadium, it’s hard to argue. Urshela, 27, entered Friday batting .337 with a 18 homers and a .964 OPS. His OPS-plus ranked tied for seventh with George Springer and Fernando Tatis Jr. If he had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title — and he should in three to four weeks — he would have ranked second, just behind teammate DJ Lemahieu, who was batting .338. Then he finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single in a 3-2 victory over the Indians Friday, raising his batting average to .342 as the Yankees (82-42) remained tied with the Dodgers for the best record in baseball.

For any player, such production would warrant praise and headlines. For a light-hitting infielder who entered this year with eight homers and a career OPS-plus of just 57 in 167 games, who only saw regular playing time after an injury to Miguel Andújar, the numbers have inspired amazement, both inside his own clubhouse and his old one.

“He couldn’t hit for shit with us,” Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis said. “I’m just kidding — I’m friends with him.”

“He got an opportunity and, my goodness, you talk about taking advantage of it — holy shit,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “That’s phenomenal.”

In the moments after a victory over the Blue Jays in mid-July, Aaron Judge declared that “we wouldn’t be in first place without him.” Across 28 games in the month since, Urshela has been even better, batting .417 with 11 homers and a 1.309 OPS, carrying an offense that has lost Luke Voit and Edwin Encarnación (and dealt with a slumping Judge).

“He’s a guy that thrives under pressure,” Lindor said.

Kipnis, the veteran Indians second baseman, recalls Urshela showcasing decent pop down the lines in batting practice during his limited stints with the Indians. He did not see this coming. “I got to be honest,” Kipnis said, “I didn’t really see any of the stuff that he’s putting out there now.”

In that sense, the Indians can feel some measure of comfort in the decision to jettison Urshela last season. The club is fighting for another division title in the AL Central. José Ramírez is once again raking at third base with Kipnis back at second. Urshela was out of options last May when the club chose to keep utility man Erik González instead.

The Indians also never saw traces of this Urshela. Signed out of Colombia more than a decade ago, he offered premium defense at a corner position and solid bat speed. Yet after debuting in 2015, he could not find consistency at the plate. He posted a .608 OPS as a rookie. When he returned to the major leagues two years later, he struck little fear in opposing pitchers.

“He always had a quick bat, but he swung at everything,” Francona said. “Somebody corralled him … and confidence plays a big part in this game. We talk about it all the time. Shit, man, he’s done a hell of a job.”

Urshela credits his work last summer with Triple-A hitting coach Phil Plantier, who emphasized the need to use his legs and hips to generate power. In the past, Urshela said, he was regularly jammed on inside pitches because he did not allow his hips to work. This year, he has opened his stance and focused on staying “in his legs.”

“I knew I had power,” he said. “In BP, I can drive the ball. But in the games, I don’t know how to use it. So I was hitting the ball in the air with no legs or anything.”

The changes have resulted in a hitter with a similar approach, according to advanced plate discipline statistics, but a better knack for barreling pitches and driving the ball over in the gap and over the wall. Urshela, for instance, is swinging at the same percentage of pitches outside of the strike zone (41.2 percent) as he did during his days in Cleveland. He’s also offering at the same percentage of pitches overall. Yet his hard-hit percentage has jumped to 45.8 percent — nearly double his previous career average — and he’s making soft contact just 11.6 percent of the time, the 11th best mark in baseball. As Yankees manager Aaron Boone put it earlier this month, “We talk about his loud barrel a lot.”

For Urshela, the surge in home runs has not been a major surprise. He never viewed home runs as a measure of strength, he said, but rather an indicator that a hitter is seeing the ball well and choosing the right pitches to swing at.

“You don’t have to be that strong to hit homers,” Urshela said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a little guy or a big guy — if you hit the ball in the zone, on the barrel, the ball is going to be gone.”

In Cleveland, Urshela had two smallish models to follow in Lindor and Ramírez, two of the more diminutive power hitters in baseball. Both stand shorter than 6 feet and each hit more than 35 homers in 2018. Yet in the last year, Urshela said, he made another adjustment to his plan. He used to pore over video of other hitters, studying the mechanics of players he admired. He broke down the swing of Miguel Cabrera and tried to incorporate elements into his own game. The philosophy didn’t work. Nowadays, Urshela said, he’s watching more video of his own swing. He is less worried about mimicking others. He simply wants to be the best version of himself.

“This year,” he said, “it’s more confidence.”

This is not to say that Urshela has stopped leaning on Lindor. They remain close as ever. They spend offseasons in Florida. They vacation together. They explore the local restaurant scene and share meals and old stories. They also share an affinity for genuine people who bring out the best in others.


“He always tries to be better every day, the way he works,” Urshela said. “He always try to help people to try to get better.”

When Lindor met Urshela in 2011, he viewed him as a quiet soul who did not like to bring attention to himself. But over the years, his opinion came to change — but only slightly. Earlier this season, when Encarnación joined the Yankees and brought his trademark “parrot walk” home run trot to New York, Urshela bought a stuffed parrot to parade around the dugout and clubhouse. When Encarnación was hit by a pitch and broke his wrist, the bird ended up with cast. It was, Lindor said, a good example of Urshela’s subtle sense of humor.

“He’s always been like that,” Lindor said. “He’s always under the radar. He’s always chill. That’s one of the reasons why I like him.”

(Top photo: Rob Tringali / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

They carry each other: How teammates and pitching have aided Carlos Carrasco during his battle with leukemia
Zack Meisel 3h ago 3

NEW YORK — Nick Goody and Jon Edwards were cruising along I-71 en route to Cleveland in early June. They discussed the gravity of Carlos Carrasco’s leukemia diagnosis, how baseball suddenly seemed so trivial.

Edwards detailed his own battle with testicular cancer five years ago, and he posed a question that he couldn’t shake after learning of his condition.

What kind of legacy do you leave if this is it?

Goody, the one behind the wheel, wasn’t prepared for such a profound prompt.

“I’m just driving on the way to the field, like, ‘God,’” Goody said. “You don’t think about that stuff until it happens. What kind of person do you want to be? A baseball player? A phenomenal human being?”

Early on, there was some fear. Carrasco sought guidance and reassurance from teammates, including Jason Kipnis, to fully understand what he was dealing with and how he could persevere.

There were days and weeks of sluggishness, from treatment, from the abrupt adjustment to a non-baseball regimen, from the overall shock of the situation.

But before long, the same guy resurfaced, the goofball nicknamed Cookie, sending those familiar off-the-wall videos to the team text thread, shouting Justin Bieber lyrics at his rotation mate with the same surname, sneaking his face into the camera shot during others’ interviews. For Carrasco, the sense of normalcy that the baseball routine offered — teasing teammates, playing catch in the outfield, high-fiving in the dugout after a home run — preserved his spirits.

“He hasn’t missed a beat at all,” Kipnis said. “He’s still messing around all the time.”

A week ago, Carrasco approached the Indians’ training staff and asked if he could throw a bullpen session. They reminded him his schedule instead included a Tuesday appointment at Progressive Field. But Carrasco could hardly wait.

“It’s really nice to have that feeling,” he said.

Carrasco insisted from the moment he was diagnosed that he wanted to pitch again this season. Health, obviously, remains the top priority, but his dream of returning to the mound has served as a helpful distraction.

“I’m on the right track now,” he said. “I want to start pitching.”

He’ll throw an inning for Class AA Akron on Monday night, and then continue on a reliever’s program. The potential buildup to a starting role seemed a bit daunting. But this role?

“His eyes kind of lit up when we talked about that,” Terry Francona said. “This is something he can latch onto and be a part of our team and really help us and it doesn’t seem so far away.”

Carrasco seems thinner, and Francona noted that he has likely “lost some muscle and some weight, for sure.” His fastball, though, clocked in at 90-93 mph during a sim game against hitters at Class A Lake County on Saturday, which impressed pitching coach Carl Willis.

“If it actually comes to fruition and he pitches,” Kipnis said, “it’s hard to really care what numbers he puts up. It would just be awesome to see.”

The Indians’ text thread usually serves as a platform for players to poke fun at each other. Along the way, it has contributed to clubhouse chemistry and permitted those sidelined by injury to remain connected.

Carrasco continues to send his favorite videos.

“Ones that make you queasy or try to scare you,” Mike Clevinger said.

When the Indians are on the road, he wishes them good luck before games. After wins, he sends congratulatory messages.

“Every day. Before the game, after the game. Right now, I’m texting them,” he said last week, from his locker, even though his teammates were scattered throughout the room.

After the club’s 19-5 rout of the Yankees in the Bronx on Thursday night, he texted “Great game” and sparked debate about the game’s MVP. (That’s a difficult choice when each starter tallies two or more hits for the first time in 113 years.)

“Cookie can brighten up a room whether he’s sick or he’s healthy. He’s always done that,” Adam Plutko said. “He was definitely pretty rundown for a couple weeks, but right now, he’s joking, laughing around, doing all the stupid stuff that he always does, and I mean that in the most endearing way I possibly could say it. It’s been fun to have that energetic side of him back.”

As the summer has unfolded, Carrasco has spent more time around the home ballpark, joining his teammates for pregame work on the field and in the dugout during games. He’ll break moments of silence with his exaggerated version of the “Whoooaaaaooooaaaa” sound from Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” Shane Bieber can’t help but laugh, even if surrounded by TV cameras.

When Kipnis socked a home run earlier this month, Carrasco volunteered to partner with Clevinger to carry the second baseman through the crowded dugout, an old ritual that has been revived in recent weeks.

“If you’re having self-pity or feeling down on yourself and you see him jumping around, making jokes or laughing in the clubhouse, it certainly puts things in perspective,” Mike Freeman said. “It’s not easy to go through what he’s doing with the attitude that he has. For all of us who are healthy and getting to play this game at a high level, it certainly puts things in perspective and allows us to appreciate where we’re at and appreciate being teammates with Carlos.

“He’s one of those guys who’s larger than life. He breaks the barriers of Latin and American. There’s no one on this team who doesn’t appreciate who he is.”

And that’s the sort of answer Goody settled on when considering Edwards’ question on that June day. If there’s one example to follow for how to tackle such adversity, it’s Carrasco.

“He’s a fighter,” Goody said. “In baseball, battling leukemia — he gives it everything he can. He’s a role model for being a good human.”

There’s mutual admiration. Carrasco will certainly never forget the Stand Up To Cancer ceremony during the All-Star Game, when he joined his teammates on the field and received a touching ovation from the capacity crowd.

Now, he wants to join them on the field again. There are hurdles to clear before that can transpire, but he’s inching closer.

“It would be incredible, just an incredible comeback story,” Clevinger said. “If anyone has it in them to do it, that man has the heart and the passion to get through anything.”

Meisel’s Musings: What Corey Kluber’s setback means for the Indians’ pitching plans for the stretch run
By Zack Meisel 19m ago 1
NEW YORK — Corey Kluber was on the precipice of a return to the Indians’ rotation. And now his season is in jeopardy.

Kluber exited what might have been his final tuneup on Sunday because of a left oblique strain. The Indians have shut him down from throwing, and he’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks. He visited with one doctor on Monday in Cleveland and another one on Tuesday, all in an effort to unearth some method of rapid healing.

This is a race against the calendar, but a player’s muscles operate on their own schedule.

The regular season for Class AAA Columbus ends on Sept. 2, which could also serve as Kluber’s two-week checkup date. Now, if healthy, Kluber could pitch in a minor-league playoff game. (The Clippers are well-positioned to win their division.) But the clock is ticking.

Kluber was slated to toss 70-80 pitches on Sunday, his third rehab outing. The rehab assignment followed weeks of ramping up with bullpen sessions and long toss.

There are an abundance of questions …

If he can resume throwing in two weeks, will he have enough time to build back up and knock off the rust accumulated during the past four months? Would he have time to instead pursue a relief role? Would he be effective in a relief role?

… that likely won’t be answered until early September. (Kluber has a $17.5 million club option for next season, but that’s a conversation for later.)

Every injury and every athlete is different. But if we’re searching for a comparison: In September 2013, Justin Masterson suffered an oblique injury. He returned about three weeks later, albeit out of the bullpen. Now, one critical discrepancy: Masterson wasn’t also attempting to return from a broken arm.

When they dealt Trevor Bauer last month, the Indians knew it would require some patchwork to survive the regular season on the pitching side. They have leaned heavily on rookies and others short on experience and ambitious innings totals. But they also figured they would receive some form of contribution from Kluber.

September roster expansion should help Cleveland’s cause. With a bolstered bullpen, they won’t need Zach Plesac to last seven innings, or Adam Plutko to complete a third trip around the opponent’s order.

Who could the team add to its bullpen to ease the burden on both the starters and the relievers?

Dan Otero is nearing a return; he logged two scoreless innings for Columbus on Tuesday. Tyler Olson, still dealing with shingles, was pulled from his rehab assignment.
Jefry Rodriguez threw 18 pitches in an outing for Class AA Akron on Tuesday, his second rehab appearance since landing on the injured list with a shoulder strain.
James Karinchak has racked up strikeouts at a ridiculous rate all season, but his numbers since his return to Columbus following an injury leave something to be desired: 8 IP, 7 H, 9 R (8 ER), 12 BB, 20 K.
Cam Hill, who boasts a 1.84 ERA this season (mostly at Columbus), might deserve a look.
Logan Allen and Jon Edwards could return to chew up some innings.
And then there’s Carlos Carrasco.

His fastball clocked in at 90-93 mph during a sim game against Class A Lake County hitters last week. He recorded his first actual game action on Monday night in nearly three months. And he repeatedly registered 96 and 97 mph on the radar gun. That certainly changes the outlook on his potential to contribute out of the bullpen during the stretch run.

“I think it surprised everybody,” Terry Francona said. “His first pitch was 97. That was exciting. It was exciting to hear him through a text be that excited.”

Carrasco will pitch again for Akron on Thursday.
(Wendell Cruz / USA Today)
Quotes to note
“I don’t watch baseball. I prefer to watch different sports than baseball. I only play baseball. I can’t watch it. Any sport but baseball. (Not boxing, because) people (are) throwing one punch and running and running like chickens. I like to watch soccer, basketball, American football, tennis. I can’t watch a baseball game.” — Yasiel Puig, on whether the watched the Indians’ games during his suspension last week

“I was hoping that he was gonna get up. I didn’t realize what he was doing right away until someone said the Little League (example). I didn’t really get it at first. Then I did. I didn’t know if he was trying to work a walk. … I’m kind of glad he didn’t (run it by me first).” — Francona, on Puig’s mid-at-bat crouch

“I thought I had a chance, but he reached over and didn’t really give me a chance. I guess we’ll never know. … He just started yelling in my face, so then I just looked at him and kind of started laughing, and when he got ejected — it’s pretty funny to me. But I guess they had the last laugh.” — Oscar Mercado, on waving goodbye to the Mets fan who was ejected from the ballpark after reaching over the railing to snag a fly ball to left on Tuesday

Final thoughts
1. First, the numbers.

Brad Hand’s last four outings: 10 hits allowed, four walks, 10.38 ERA, 1.192 OPS against.

Now, the manager’s evaluation.

“From my side of it, I have to be more consistent in when he’s used,” Francona said. “The last month he’s been used a ton and then he’ll go six days without pitching. That’s a hard thing to do, but I think that’s where maybe how I can help.”

So what’s ailing Hand? If it’s fatigue, it isn’t apparent in his fastball velocity, as illustrated below.
Hand has fallen behind in more counts lately, and he said he’s struggled to make the one pitch necessary to finish off a hitter. So, it could be his slider that’s troubling him at the moment. It moves a lot, so it’s not easy to throw for strikes if his command isn’t sharp, and if he’s behind in the count and hitters can sit on his fastball, well, that’s not ideal.

There’s also this:

Opponents vs. Hand’s slider

April: .143 average, .238 slugging percentage
May: .133 average, .333 slugging percentage
June: .167 average, .267 slugging percentage
July: .167 average, .333 slugging percentage
Aug.: .333 average, .400 slugging percentage

“We’ve got to get him back on track,” Francona said.

2. Prior to this series, the Indians last played the Mets in New York in mid-June 2004. The Indians’ lineup from the final meeting of a three-game series at Shea Stadium:

LF Matt Lawton
SS Omar Vizquel
1B Travis Hafner
C Victor Martinez
3B Casey Blake
RF Jody Great
2B Ronnie Belliard
CF Coco Crisp
P Scott Elarton

That Indians team finished 80-82, but sent five players to the All-Star Game: Lawton, Belliard, Martinez, CC Sabathia and Jake Westbrook.

3. Francona spent his off-day in Pennsylvania, participating in the Tito Francona Charity Golf Classic, an annual event in his hometown of Beaver Creek since 1989. Francona played with fellow coaches Brad Mills and Mike Sarbaugh and said he couldn’t believe how well he swung his clubs given he hadn’t stepped foot on a golf course since January.

4. Even with Trevor Bauer now pitching in the opposite corner of Ohio, the Indians’ starting pitchers have preserved the King of the Hill tradition. Mike Clevinger reclaimed the crown after he submitted five scoreless innings in the club’s win against the Yankees on Sunday. One issue: Plesac lost the original crown, which had a layer of maroon felt beneath the gold shell. The new one looks like something that would come with a Burger King kids meal.

5. Paul Sidoti – a native Clevelander, longtime musician, close friend of Omar Vizquel and drummer for Taylor Swift’s band — took in Indians batting practice from in front of the visitors dugout at Citi Field on Tuesday. Swift is scheduled to perform on Good Morning America in Central Park on Thursday. Sidoti, of course, developed friendships with many of the late-’90s Indians, who would trek to his parents’ home in Strongsville to play music after day games. He handed Jason Kipnis a couple of Swift guitar picks, and Kipnis promptly recorded an upper-deck home run and an RBI single in his first two at-bats.

Guitar riffs and KISS wigs: Inside the bond between Vizquel and Sidoti

When Cleveland rocked: The tale of Tribe Jam, the ‘fun train wreck’ of player rock concerts

(Top photo: Mark Brown / Getty Images)

For José Ramírez, it is the best of times, it was the worst of times

Zack Meisel Aug 20, 2019 18
NEW YORK — Chance Adams buried a 3-0 fastball in the dirt, most likely a wise endeavor. José Ramírez rested his bat between his knees and removed his body armor before trotting to first base.

Ramírez’s first two visits to the batter’s box on Thursday night resulted in a grand slam and a two-run homer, so delicately placing four pitches out of his reach certainly seemed like a prudent decision.

No longer is Ramírez an automatic out, a mysterious case of a star who fell from grace during what should be the start of his prime. Pitchers ought to be careful. The guy who couldn’t escape the downward spiral for nearly a calendar year has solved the hitting riddle.

On June 13, Ramírez owned a .198/.294/.292 slash line (.586 OPS). He was, statistically, the fourth-worst hitter in the majors, with a 52 wRC+ (100 is league average). Only Rougned Odor, Starlin Castro and Kevin Pillar produced less at the plate.

Ramírez’s healthy walk rate kept him from the bottom of the list, as he registered the lowest slugging percentage in baseball, among qualified hitters. The guy who clubbed 39 home runs last season and finished third in AL MVP balloting for the second consecutive year? He totaled four homers in his first 66 games in 2019, and five homers through 82 games.

Essentially, for two and a half months, Ramírez batted …

… slightly better than former Indians bullpen coach and current Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, whose career numbers — as part of a Terry Francona-fueled prank — are plastered on the scoreboard anytime the Rays visit Cleveland. Cash posted a .183/.248/.278 slash line in 714 plate appearances spanning parts of eight seasons.

… slightly better than former Indians utility man Michael Martinez, who logged a .194/.243/.261 in 621 plate appearances across parts of seven seasons. And yet, somehow, Martinez found himself with a bat in his hands, standing at home plate, with Game 7 of the 2016 World Series hanging in the balance.

… a lot like John McDonald, the longtime Indians backup infielder who recorded a .233/.273/.323 slash line during his 16 seasons in the majors.

… a bit better than Mario Mendoza, whose flirtation with a .200 batting average earned that number the nickname “The Mendoza Line.” Mendoza produced a .215/.245/.262 slash line (with a 38 wRC+) in parts of nine seasons.

Earlier in the year, while pitching at Class AAA Columbus, Adam Plutko exchanged texts with teammates and others around the team about Ramírez’s slumber.

“Our broadcasters are freaking out, like, ‘What is wrong with this guy?’” Plutko said. “I said, ‘Everybody relax. We all know how good this guy is and he’s going to show it.’ My goodness is it fun to play on his team when he is showing it.”

Ramírez said it was “flattering” to hear his teammates believed his bat could catch fire at any moment. He rewarded their faith.

Fast forward two months. Ramírez now totes a .253/.325/.462 slash line, and a 99 wRC+. In simple terms, he has been about a league-average hitter in 2019, despite being a league-basement hitter for much of the season.

First 82 games: five home runs, 21 extra-base hits, .322 slugging percentage
Last 39 games: 15 home runs, 33 extra-base hits, .735 slugging percentage

Francona preached patience, stressing that, eventually, Ramírez would turn a corner, even though it was admittedly taking longer than anticipated. The club’s hitting coaches continued to compare video of Ramírez’s swing mechanics to those from past seasons. They figured with a few good games, a confident Ramírez would go on a tear and revert to that familiar, MVP-caliber form.

Ramírez’s last 48 games: .328/.373/.688 slash line

Since July 4, Ramírez ranks second in the majors in WAR (2.4) and fourth in slugging percentage.

But there was doubt — at least, regarding when this resurgence would appear. How could there not be? His funk persisted from mid-August until mid-June. Twenty-six year-old MVP candidates don’t typically fall off a statistical cliff, but they don’t typically endure such extended slumps, either.

“He sucked for the first two months,” Kipnis said, grinning. “Tons of doubt. But you keep pushing him. You keep hoping that he figures it out, because we know that when he gets on a tear, it’s one of the crazier things in the entire league to watch. He really just doesn’t miss, and when he does, it’s usually just a home run foul. He’s on every pitch: off speed, fastball. And he really becomes, literally, just one of the better all-around hitters and players in the game.”
José Ramírez’s monthly slugging percentage vs. fastballs the last two seasons. (Baseball Savant)
Ramírez’s slugging percentage against fastballs, by month:

April 2018: .610
May 2018: .942
June 2018: .651
July 2018: .719
Aug. 2018: .600
Sept. 2018: .365
April 2019: .282
May 2019: .439
June 2019: .340
July 2019: .785
Aug. 2019: .857

The difference in the Indians’ lineup is obvious. The post-Carlos Santana part of the order was perhaps the team’s greatest pitfall the first few months of the season. Now, with Yasiel Puig onboard and Ramírez flourishing, Francona can deploy a lengthened, balanced attack each night.

“When he gets hot, he’s something incredible to watch,” Greg Allen said. “We’ve all been fortunate to be around it these past few years. You just watch him go on these tears. It’s impressive. Having a guy like that in the middle part of your lineup, you can really lean on him, especially down the stretch, especially getting into the last month, month-and-a-half where we’re going to need big games from all around.”

Ramírez has returned to his comfortable self in the clubhouse, too. He’ll slap the back of every bald head, teammate or reporter. He’ll challenge teammates to a Mario Kart bout and he’ll devote more focus to his trash talk than to his joystick. He’ll chirp at Santana and Puig and Oscar Mercado, who just rolls his eyes at José being José.

He’s back, all right.

“He’s such a phenomenal player. It’s life. It’s the game of baseball,” Allen said. “It’s very, very tough to be consistent, especially in a game like this, especially when you’re competing against some of the best in the world. I think you understand, both as a player and as a person, that you might have times when you may not be feeling your best or doing your best, but especially a talent l like him, he’s gonna come around.”

That article with graphs and stats on Reyes displays a remarkable dedication of time and resources to a really kind of silly subject. Baseball is fun to follow and hard work to play. AndI am what used to pass for a stat head. But the kind of stuff that people apparently get paid for analyzing on baseball is amazing to me. Maybe after I finally retire I'll try to read one of those monster analytical pieces, but I hope I never quite that bored.

‘You want to keep getting out there’: The Indians won’t run away from Brad Hand
Zack Meisel 4h ago 4

CLEVELAND — The Indians’ charter touched down in Cleveland at 4 a.m. on Friday. Players and coaches exited the aircraft and commenced the race to shut their eyes before sunrise.

Terry Francona arrived at his downtown apartment about 5:30 a.m. He rode his scooter to the ballpark shortly thereafter.

“That’s the one advantage of waking up every morning and feeling shitty,” Francona quipped. “It’s the same.”

Players filed into Progressive Field at various times throughout the afternoon. The Indians didn’t take batting practice. Tyler Clippard claimed the leather couch in the center of the clubhouse (until José Ramírez beckoned for a “Mario Kart” battle). Carlos Carrasco met with Francona and Chris Antonetti to map out the pitcher’s schedule for the next week (three minor-league rehab appearances, including a two-inning assignment Sunday for Class AAA Columbus). Players posed for individual photo shoots in their all-black Players Weekend uniforms.

It was as laid-back a pregame setting as a team could promote.

It’s a bit different for a scuffling closer. No one wanted to arrive at the ballpark sooner than Brad Hand. No one was more eager to hear that pesky alarm clock, a signal that first pitch — and a chance at redemption — were approaching.

“When you blow a few in a row, you want to keep getting out there,” Hand said, “keep getting opportunities and right the ship.”

Francona made it clear in New York that he wouldn’t reassign Hand’s ninth-inning responsibilities. Any change would have sparked a ripple effect.

Who would replace Hand? Nick Goody? Tyler Clippard? Oliver Pérez? Nick Wittgren? James Karinchak? Alexi Ogando? Are any of those pitchers sure things in the ninth? How long of a leash would the new guy receive? Who would replace the new guy’s old role?

How would Hand be used instead? In mop-up duty? Would such a contrast in leverage really help him? In the middle innings of a close game? What’s the difference, if the game is still hanging in the balance? And at what point would he regain trust and his closer role?

That’s a lot to sort out, especially in late August during a postseason chase.

Carrasco could eventually surface as an intriguing late-inning option. Francona even told him Friday he wished he could toss him into the bullpen mix “yesterday,” since “he has the chance to do some special things.” But Francona cautioned that Carrasco has pitched only twice since missing nearly three months following his leukemia diagnosis.

So, it’s Hand’s web to untangle.

“It’s a tough thing to do,” Hand said. “When you blow a game it’s all on you. You’re the person who cost the team a win. You’ve just got to play 162 games. It’s a long season. It’s going to happen. This is probably my worst stretch of outings I’ve had in a long time, which makes it a little tougher. You’ve just got to believe in yourself and keep going out there and grind. Hopefully, things will start clicking and going the right way.”

Well, Francona stuck to his word and trotted Hand to the mound with the Indians clutching a three-run lead against the Royals on Friday night. And Alex Gordon greeted him with a softly struck single up the middle, which, according to Baseball Savant, carried an expected batting average of .110.

Not the sort of confidence boost a hurler in Hand’s position is seeking.

“To start the inning, I didn’t want to see that one get through there,” Hand said. “(But) it’s not like I’m thinking, ‘Oh, here we go again.’ I’m still bearing down, still trying to make pitches, trying to finish that one off.”

And he did, thanks to a well-timed and (unlike Wednesday night) simply executed double play. He became the eighth pitcher in franchise history to record a 30-save season, joining Cody Allen, Jose Mesa, Joe Borowski, Chris Perez, Doug Jones, Bob Wickman and Mike Jackson.

“I was happy for him, everybody was,” Francona said. “He’s had a tough go. We need him and it was nice to see.”

He could have reached that mark a bit sooner had he not slogged through such an uncharacteristic stretch. Hand failed to convert his previous three save opportunities. Over his five previous outings, he surrendered seven runs on 13 hits and five walks in five innings. Opponents posted a 1.286 OPS against him.

That’s a small sample size. And while some might desire to stretch the arbitrary endpoints to late June, when he suffered his first blown save of the season, that’s a bit unfair. Hand was otherworldly for three months before he slipped up for the first time. That happens. He had a couple of other minor missteps in July, but nothing that sounded an alarm. Sure, he allowed three runs in his first five innings after the All-Star break. He also tallied 12 strikeouts in that span without walking a batter.

This recent stretch is far different. He has been far less effective. He isn’t fooling anyone.

What’s ailing Brad Hand (and other musings)

Hand said he pinpointed a small but necessary tweak in his delivery. Despite the results — not aided by the team’s double-play defense — Hand actually felt his stuff was a bit better against the Mets on Wednesday.

One issue is, it’s challenging for a reliever to work out the kinks on the fly. A starter has four days between outings to pore over video, work with coaches and throw side sessions. A reliever rarely has the luxury of time, especially when he needs to stay sharp.

“You don’t want to go out there and throw bullpen after bullpen, because you’re going to wear yourself out that way,” Hand said. “You’ve just got to really focus in on your catch game and when you get up in the game and get ready, bear down. Once you get out in the game, you don’t really think about anything mechanically. You’re just going out there trying to get outs and finish the game.”

Francona often exhibits patience with players who have scripted impressive track records, and Hand, an All-Star the last three seasons, fits that mold. Perhaps his outing Friday was the first necessary step forward.

The Indians still own the league’s best bullpen ERA. If they are to chase down the Twins in the AL Central, they’ll need the anchor of that unit to return to form.

There’s no resting until Hand figures things out.

“To keep giving me the ball in the ninth inning is huge,” he said. “Obviously, I haven’t done well and I’ve cost us a few wins these last few outings. But to have (Francona’s) trust, it for sure helps.”

Cleveland Indians: Inside the franchise-changing 2016 draft that delivered Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale — Terry Pluto
Today 8:03 AM


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — There were 1,216 players selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

That’s 1,216 players in 40 rounds, and 635 of them were pitchers, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

On average, about 82 percent of them will not reach the Majors, according to research from Baseball America.


So, the odds are against them. That especially was true for the MVP of the 2019 All-Star game, the Tribe’s Shane Bieber. He was the 122nd selection in the 2016 draft. By the time his name was called in the fourth round, 61 other pitchers had been picked.

None has come close to matching Bieber, who has a career 23-11 record and a 3.78 ERA in the Majors. The second-best starter is Hudson Dakota, the 34th overall pick who has a 16-7 record and 3.46 ERA career mark with St. Louis.

Dakota was the 17th pitcher selected.

“The draft is very hard,” said Tribe assistant general manager Carter Hawkins. “You work at it. You get as much information as possible. Then you look at the results years later, and it’s humbling.”

Those words come from a man whose team appears to have had a great draft in 2016.

Three pitchers from that class have started for the Tribe this season: Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale and Bieber. They are a combined 20-13 with a 3.19 ERA this season.

Tribe president Chris Antonetti said the rise of starters from the 2016 draft allowed the team to trade Trevor Bauer last month for hitting help.

But let’s think about the 2016 trio, each of whom is a 24-year-old right-hander:

1. Civale attended Northeastern University in Boston. He told me the main reason was its academics. He was a mechanical engineering student. Between academics and athletics, Northeastern “gave me the best (financial) package. I’m from Connecticut, so it was close to home.” He was a third-round pick.


2. Bieber had no significant Division I scholarship offers despite being an All-Orange County (California) pitcher at Laguna Hills high school. He was an honor student. He walked on at California-Santa Barbara. He was a fourth-round pick.

3. Plesac went to Ball State, also for the combination of academic and athletic aid. He is from Crown Point, Indiana, so the Muncie campus was not far from his home. He was a 12th-round pick.

The Indians are putting more emphasis on college pitchers who overachieve. They look for players who have the aptitude and attitude to adapt to coaching and the the team’s physical training at the minor league level.

Consider the following:

1. The Tribe used the 92nd pick on Civale. MLB.com had him at 136, Baseball America at 204.

2. The Tribe used the 122nd pick on Bieber. Heading into the draft, MLB.com rated the right-hander at No. 151. Baseball America ranked him at 184.


3. Because he had major elbow surgery before the draft, it’s hard to find any rankings for Plesac.

The point is the Indians didn’t follow the norm with their draft board, and it paid off for them.

BEATING THE ODDS

None of the three pitchers went to top college baseball programs. None was drafted very high. According to Baseball America, only 40 percent of third-rounders reach the Majors. It drops to about 30 percent for fourth-rounders.

As for Plesac in the 12th round, the typical success rate is 5-to-8 percent.

“There is a ton of value in finding pitchers who can throw 180 innings a year,” said Hawkins. “They are rare because they need to have at least three pitches. They need self-discipline, work ethic, and they need to stay healthy.”

So many things can go wrong.

It starts with injuries. According to Fangraphs.com, 26 percent of all Major League pitchers who appeared in a game in 2017 had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. But a lot of pitchers have it in the minors and never reach the big leagues. Not everyone fully recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Then there is the need to have what Hawkins calls “dedication to routine," sticking to a workout program between starts. Tribe manager Terry Francona often compares Bieber to two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber because of Bieber’s routine and strong character.


THE NEW APPROACH

It was five hours before the Indians were playing a game at Progressive Field. I met Brad Grant, sitting alone in the Tribe dugout.

It matched my image of the lonely scout looking for “the diamond in the rough.”

It’s a cliche, but “diamonds in the rough” is how Civale characterized the Indians picking Bieber, Plesac and himself in the same draft.

Grant was the director of amateur scouting when the Indians put together a remarkable amateur draft in 2016.

“About that time, we changed some things about our draft process,” said Grant. “We became more collaborative. We got away from ‘the loudest voice in the room wins’ type thinking.”

Analytics were a part of it, but the Indians have been using various stats for years to evaluate prospects.

But Grant said they tried not to be moved or blinded by fastballs that light up the night on radar guns – especially if that pitcher had control problems.

“We put more emphasis on strike-throwing,” said Grant. “We pushed our scouts to dig even deeper into the backgrounds of the players. Get to know them.”

Grant stressed how he wanted to hear more from the scouts about various prospects.

“It’s not only one person making the (draft) decisions,” said Grant. “That can lead to making a bad decision in the moment.”


Grant has been with the Tribe for 26 years. He was scouting director for 10 years, an unusually long tenure, and was promoted to vice president of baseball operations, strategy and administration in 2017. His former assistant, Scott Barnsby, replaced Grant as scouting director.

NOTHING ROUTINE ABOUT IT

Part of it goes back to “routine.”

Mike Kanen is the scout who signed Civale. He not only interviewed the pitcher’s high school and college coaches, “I talked to his academic advisor,'' he said.

Kanen said Civale’s college major of mechanical engineering indicated the pitcher had a disciplined mental approach. He was an All-Academic choice in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“We had him fill out an in-depth questionnaire and then had long interviews with him,” said Kanen. “His approach to pitch selection, his routine and his recall (of game situations) was some of the best we’d seen in a long time.”

Kanen first saw Civale when he was a reliever during his first two years at Northeastern. He had a combined 3.22 ERA in those seasons.

“Then I saw him in the Cape Cod League and he was starting to throw a little harder with that great control,” said Kanen. “He was still in the bullpen.”


In that summer wood-bat league facing some top college players, Civale allowed only one run in 25 innings, striking out 29. That moved up Civale on Kanen’s list. He then saw Civale’s first college start. “He beat Oklahoma, a top-20 team. That made a statement,'' Kanen said.

The 6-foot-2 Civale was 9-3 with a 1.75 ERA as a junior, rising on the draft boards of several teams despite it being his first year as a college starter.



WHO KNEW?

Tribe scout Junie Melendez first saw Bieber when the 6-foot-3 pitcher was a freshman at California-Santa Barbara facing the University of Kentucky.

“He was a skinny kid, all arms and legs,” said Melendez, who grew up in Lorain. “He had great control, but he was throwing 85 to 88 miles per hour. I wasn’t there to scout him.”

Melendez was watching Ka’ai Tom, an outfielder for Kentucky. The Indians eventually drafted Tom in 2015 and he’s batting .292 with 19 home runs splitting the season between Class AA and AAA.

Bieber improved each year in college:

3-4 with a 3.76 ERA as freshman
8-4 with a 2.24 ERA as a sophomore
12-4 with a 2.74 ERA as a junior.
He walked only 16 in 18 starts covering 134 innings, striking out 109, a sign of things to come.

“He was a premium strike thrower,” said Hawkins. “Our scouts saw he had a slow heartbeat, meaning he had poise. Civale had the same thing – premium strike thrower, slow heartbeat. They don’t get scared.”


In 2016, Bieber led the Gauchos to their only College World Series appearance. Scouts from every team saw him on college baseball’s biggest stage. He allowed one run, throwing a complete game against powerhouse Oklahoma State.

That should have impressed scouts, but many were stuck on his so-so radar gun readings with a fastball in the 90-mph range, what Grant called “fringe-average.''

“His control was elite and he had a very good changeup,” said Grant. “We could see how he could improve his breaking ball. His attitude also was elite.”

The Indians believe if a pitcher has the right attitude and routine and a relatively clean delivery, he can improve his velocity in the minors. That happened with Bieber and Civale, both of whom are throwing 92-95 now.

The same with Adam Plutko, who caught the Tribe’s attention by pitching UCLA to the 2013 College World Series. He was an 11th-round pick (no. 321 overall) in the 2013 draft despite going 10-3 with a 2.75 ERA being named MVP of the 2013 College World Series.

He signed for $300,000. That bonus was high for his slot because the Tribe didn’t want him to return to school for his senior season. They thought they had a bargain in the 11th round.

Plutko still doesn’t throw very hard. But he is now the Indians’ fifth starter. He is 5-3 with a 4.54 ERA this season. The Indians are 9-4 in games he’s started.


Indians starter Zach Plesac had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery before the 2016 draft and dropped to the 12th round. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indians starter Zach Plesac had Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery before the 2016 draft and dropped to the 12th round. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

DRAFTING AN INJURED PITCHER

Plesac told me that he expected to be picked in the first three rounds of the 2016 draft until he suffered an arm injury at Ball State.

“I saw him over a few years,” said Melendez. “The football coaches at Ball State wanted him to play. So we are talking about a good athlete."

Plesac didn’t play football at Ball State, but he was a .276 hitter (.789 OPS) in 125 at bats as a designated hitter. As a pitcher, he was 20-9 with a 3.05 ERA.

“I was at the game where he got hurt,” said Melendez. “His velocity dropped. He left the game. Not long after that, he had Tommy John surgery.”

Melendez spent a lot of time getting to know Plesac. He believed Plesac had the determination to come back from the injury.

“And he’s such a good all-around athlete,” said Melendez. “He wanted to sign. We thought if we could get him in a lower round, he was worth the risk.”

Grant recalled how the Indians drafted Vinnie Pestano in the 20th round (no. 611 overall) in 2006. He had been a star at California-Fullerton, but hurt his arm and had Tommy John surgery. The Indians signed him for $100,000. Pestano pitched five years for the Indians and was traded to the Angels for Mike Clevinger.


Many teams thought Plesac would return to school for his senior season. The Indians believed he would sign, and he did – for $100,000 – after being picked in the 12th round.

“It’s incredible how he recovered and moved up so quickly,” said Melendez. “It’s a testimony to the kind of person he is.”

But drafting an injured pitcher doesn’t always work.

In the 2017 draft, the Indians took Brady Aiken in the first round. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He signed for $2.5 million and has not regained his arm strength. He is working out at the Tribe’s training complex in Goodyear. He pitched only one game this season at Class A Lake County.

THE TOP PICKS

So who were the Indians’ top draft picks, ahead of Bieber and Civale, and where are they now?

High school outfielder Will Benson was drafted 14th overall in the first round. He is hitting .230 (.808 OPS) with 22 home runs and 74 RBI in Class A. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder is a power hitter with speed and strength, and he strikes out a lot.

“We knew we’d have to patient, but there is so much upside,'' Grant said. "He had the talent to be a Division I basketball player. We knew he’d have to make adjustments, but you have to like his attitude and elite power.”


High school shortstop Nolan Jones was picked in the second round, 55th overall. The 21-year-old Jones is hitting .270 (.833 OPS) with 12 HR and 56 RBI splitting the season between Class A and AA. He played in the MLB’s Future’s Game during the All-Star break.

“We had a high first-round grade on him,” said Kanen. “You could see his ability as a hitter.”

Oregon State’s Logan Ice was drafted 77th overall and was considered a superb defensive catcher. But the 24-year-old Ice is batting only .183 (.548 OPS) with 4 HR and 21 RBI in 253 plate appearances for Class AA Akron. He has thrown out 40 percent of runners attempting to steal.

Will he even reach the Majors and stay for a while? Not unless he improves his hitting.

The next two picks were college pitchers Civale and Bieber.

“I look at these pitchers we bring up from the minors and they have such poise,” said Clevinger, the veteran right-hander. “I was so nervous when I came up (in 2016). They fit right in. We have created a culture in the minors for these guys to succeed.”

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