278 Jordan Smith 3B St. Cloud State (Minn.) Minn.

Third baseman Jordan Smith has hit .420/.480/.722 in two seasons at St. Cloud State, an NCAA Division II program. He has a big league body (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and plenty of strength in his lefthanded stroke, though scouts think his swing is long and wonder if he'll catch up to good velocity. After a good summer in the Northwoods League in 2010, he'll try to prove himself against even tougher competition in the Cape Cod League this year. An outfielder as a freshman, Smith moved to third base this spring but may lack the first-step quickness to play there in pro ball. He has solid arm strength and instincts, but below-average speed. He's a draft-eligible sophomore.


Apparently he decided to skip Cape Cod for summer in Niles, Ohio, or perhaps Goodyear, Arizona.

Are any of our draftees playing in the Cape Cod league this summer? I will be up there for a couple weeks. Don't usually go to the games, but if I could see a future Tribe star, I might...

The Indians have signed 11th round draft pick Luis DeJesus-RHP Angelo College (JC), TX.

unimpressive enough not to rate any writeup by BA in their Draft Database

Not sure if this is the Taylor Sparks we drafted in the 24th round, supposed to be a tough sign with 3rd or 4th round talent. If this is the right guy, looks like he has some other options besides the Tribe

http://people.seas.harvard.edu/~sparks/

John Sickels draft summary

2011 MLB Draft: Cleveland Indians Review
by John Sickels on Jun 11, 2011 10:00 AM EDT


2 COMMENTS EMAIL PRINT

Mark Duncan - APMore photos »
Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta and general manager Chris Antonetti discuss which son of a Star Fleet officer to draft: Jake Sisco, Willard Decker, or David Marcus. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
2011 MLB Draft: Cleveland Indians Review

This class won't be cheap to sign, but it has a good mixture of upside and polish and looks solid to me.



1) Francisco Lindor, SS, Florida HS: Excellent defense, good speed, should hit for average and has a chance for a touch of power eventually. Fine choice.

2) Dillon Howard, RHP, Arkansas HS: First-round talent fell to the second due to expected bonus demands and strong Arkansas commitment. Impressive sinker and both his curve and change are highly promising. Won't be cheap, but if they sign him he is the equivalent of another first round pick.

3) Jake Sisco, RHP, Merced Junior College: Excellent junior college pitcher, 90-95 MPH fastball, curve, slider and changeup are all potentially above average, good body, good feel for pitching. Could be a giant bargain if he doesn't get kidnapped by wormhole aliens.

4) Jake Lowery, C, James Madison: Left-handed power and a strong arm stand out; another solid value pick.

5) Will Roberts, RHP, Virginia: Excellent performance this spring for a top program, works with slightly above average stuff. Possible fourth starter or reliever.

6) Bryson Myles, OF, Stephen F. Austin State: Kirby Puckett-style body, hit .411/.484/.581 with 53 steals this year. Scouts say his swing has holes, but his performance was superb.

7) Eric Haase, C, Michigan HS: Cold-weather high school catcher was late-riser up draft boards; some scouts consider him a huge sleeper who could have gone as high as the second round if he was a bit more polished. Strong Ohio State commitment.

8) Stephen Tarpley, LHP, Arizona HS: Slightly above average velocity, throws strikes, curve and changeup are promising. Big price tag to pass up Southern Cal but could be worth it.

9) Jordan Smith, 3B, St. Cloud State University: Left-handed power dominated small-college competition, has sleeper potential but strikes me as a slight overdraft.

10) Jeff Johnson, RHP, Cal Poly: Can hit 95, strong splitter, could be a fine closer. Would have gone six rounds higher if not for a sore arm this spring.

OTHERS OF NOTE: 2B Zach MacPhee (13th round, Arizona State) lacks plus tools but is a baseball rat with strong skills. LHP Dillion Peters (20th round, Indiana HS) has third round talent but a strong commitment to the University of Texas. He gives them another option should Howard prove difficult to sign. RHP Cody Allen (23rd round, High Point) has an average fastball, a good curve, and a fine performance record, plus he went to college at the same place as my wife's friend Heather. LHP Michael Roth (31st round, South Carolina) has very mediocre velocity but seems to thrive on a big stage.

SUMMARY: I like this class. Aside from Lindor and Howard at the top, Sisco, Lowery, Roberts, and Miles are all great values in their spots, while Haase and Tarpley provide high school upside. This will be an expensive class to sign but it should be worth it.

RHP Cody Allen (23rd round, High Point) has an average fastball, a good curve, and a fine performance record, plus he went to college at the same place as my wife's friend Heather.

His wife's friend Heather schoolmate was perfect last night retiring 11 hits in a row, fanning 6.

From Tony

Indians have signed 10th round pick Jeff Johnson. Also signed UDFA RHP Matt Curtis out of Central Missouri. Johnson is expected to go to MV and Curtis to AZL.

This article was posted by someone on IPI.......sounds like good news for the Tribe

Summer a balancing act for Van HornJune 27, 2011 | by Matt Jones
FAYETTEVILLE – While Dave Van Horn assists the USA Collegiate National Team this summer, the Razorbacks baseball coach is keeping close tabs on what is going on back home with a bevy of drafted signees in a prized recruiting class.

Arkansas had 13 players who are either signed or committed drafted during the MLB Draft earlier this month, including four players taken in the first five rounds. Balancing who will be on campus and who won’t is a full-time headache.

“I’ll just say this: I wouldn’t want to be around me right now,” Van Horn said. “Between Coach (Dave) Jorn, Coach (Todd) Butler and I, it’s always on our mind and we’re always trying to figure it out. If you’ve got kids that aren’t being upfront with you, it’s almost like they’re holding you hostage. We’ve got to to take care of the program, so we’ve got to make some tough decisions.”

Van Horn said he expects first round picks Brandon Nimmo (Mets) and Michael Fulmer (Mets), and second round pick Dillon Howard (Indians) to sign professional contracts and forgo their college eligibility.

Arkansas coaches were optimistic Howard, who was projected as a first round pick, might come to school if the Indians didn’t match his desired offer sheet.

“We’re still hopeful, but just hearing things through the grapevine I think he’ll probably end up getting the money he wants,” Van Horn said. “I don’t think Cleveland will let him get away.”

Van Horn said infielders Greg Bird (5th round, Yankees) and Joe Serrano (12th round, Reds) are “50-50″ on whether they will go pro or go to school.

“We’re trying to do as much of our homework on this as we can and get our roster squared away,” Van Horn said. “There might be another guy or two out there that might be able to come in this year. We’re also looking at the 2012 guys.

“It can really hurt you if you let this go on and on, and on without trying to figure it out. In some cases you’ve got to ask, ‘Are you coming or not?’, and if they’re still not sure, you’ve got to move on and tell them, ‘If you can’t tell me, we’re going to have to go out and get somebody.’”

That is especially the case with mid-round picks, such as Conor Costello (16th round, Reds) and Brian Anderson (20th round, Twins), whose offers could increase from franchises if higher round draft picks opt for school. That was the case last season as Arkansas lost 12th round pick Robbie Ray and 23rd round pick Jared Lakind in the final week before the signing deadline.

Ray, a pitcher, signed for $799,000, while Lakind, an infielder, signed for $425,000.

“It all kind of varies day-to-day and week-to-week,” Van Horn said. “We talk to them individually, we try to talk to parents, we talk to advisers, we talk to the pro teams just to find out everything we can. We don’t want to be holding the bag when kids are telling us they’re going to come and then they don’t.

“Last year we got hit hard in the last week when kids told us they were coming and then they didn’t.”

Arkansas will also lose at least four players off its roster from last season. Outfielders Collin Kuhn (White Sox), Kyle Robinson (White Sox) and Jarrod McKinney (Astros) have already signed, while catcher James McCann (Tigers, 2nd round) is expected to sign close to the Aug. 15 deadline.

A pair of pitchers, Trent Daniel (Tigers, 23rd round) and Geoffrey Davenport (Indians, 43rd round), have yet to decide on their futures.

Van Horn said he expects Davenport, who required Tommy John Surgery in March, to sign.

“I think he knows he’s got a tough route to get on the field next year,” Van Horn said. “He’s got to get healthy enough to pitch and we’ve got some good pitchers returning. If the Indians want to give him enough money and take over his rehab, and get him ready, that might be the best route.

“I think they’ll make a good run at him before it’s over with.”

Daniel, a reliever last season, could return to school with a chance to be a weekend starter as a redshirt junior in 2012.

“You never know what’s going to happen with negotiations,” said Daniel, one of four Razorbacks playing in the Cape Cod League this summer. “If some things go the way I want them to or is necessary, there’s nothing keeping me from signing going to play because I definitely want to play pro ball. But then again, I could come back next year and I’d only be a junior. We’ll just kind of see how it works out.”

While he waits on those decisions, Van Horn will be able to kill some time with the national team, which is 3-1 following a 3-2 loss to the New England Baseball Collegiate Baseball League All-Stars at Fenway Park in Boston on Monday.

Arkansas leads the way with three players – pitchers DJ Baxendale and Ryne Stanek, and infielder Dominic Ficociello – on the national team roster.

“I think Coach Butler and Coach Jorn have done a great job recruiting some of the best players in the country and getting them to commit,” Van Horn said. “As long as we play good baseball and win, I think we’ll continue to get those types of kids.”

Of course getting the top players could lead to more stress-filled summers like the last two.

“It’s just the nature of our job,” Van Horn said.

We've had good success recently in signing hard to sign high school players away from good college programs. Need the kids to show they're worth the money. Levon Washington not having an especially good first year for Lake County (230); Lavisky is hitting about 200. Let's hope they don't all turn out to be Micah Schillings again, but they've got plenty of time.

Yeah, Wolters is another h.s. player whom the Indians went well over slot to sign. I really like this new approach. I'd much rather go after these kids, than say.....give a Kerry Woods $10 mill. per.

From Tony......39th pick John Barr has signed for $2500 and will report to MV on Thursday.

I suggest that John Barr set up an IRA with that bonus money and prepare for his retirement.

I didn't know that signing bonuses were ever that low any more.

I think there's a very limited amount that can be put into an IRA for a young kid. And that amount has to be based on earned income in each year.