Cleveland Sports Forum

Near capacity crowd.

Braves Futures Roster

Catchers 2012 Club

Christian Bethancourt Mississippi
Evan Gattis Lynchburg

Infielders 2012 Club

Nick Ahmed Lynchburg
William Beckwith Rome
Brandon Drury Rome
Phil Gosselin Mississippi
Tommy La Stella Lynchburg
Elmer Reyes Rome
Edward Salcedo Lynchburg
Joey Terdoslavich Gwinnett

Outfielders 2012 Club

Todd Cunningham Mississippi
Matt Lipka Lynchburg
Adam Milligan Mississippi
David Rohm Lynchburg

Right-handed Pitchers 2012 Club

Jaye Chapman Gwinnett
J.R. Graham Lynchburg
David Hale Mississippi
J.J. Hoover Gwinnett
Mark Lamm Mississippi
Gus Schlosser Lynchburg

Left-handed Pitchers 2012 Club

Luis Avilan Mississippi
Ryan Buchter Mississippi
Matt Chaffee Lynchburg
Sean Gilmartin Mississippi
Ronan Pacheco Lynchburg

Manager - Bobby Cox

A Tweet

Braves Game was banged. Braves win 4-3 over Futures. Attendance was a Coolray record 10,568. a sell-out. Talk afterward of doing it again next yr.

Braves starters played 5+ innings. The Futures Braves looked very good. Some nice, young ballplayers.

BA has just posted its' top prospects from the DR and VZ 2011 summer leagues. I don't recall seeing such a list from 2010, but I found it archived and Luigi Rodriguez was one of their Top 20. He had a good US debut, made it to Lake County and is now one of our Top Half Dozen prospects. We score one name again this season. A big young lefty:

LUIS LUGO
Age: 18. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 200. Signed: Venezuela, 2011.

Lugo was one of the top pitchers signed in 2011, though he had been eligible to sign since July 2 the previous year. Lugo, who trained with Jose Montero and signed for $415,000 last year in February, pitched well in the DSL, then made a few appearances toward the end of the year in the Arizona League. Lugo has an enormous frame and a fastball that he's run up to 92 mph. There's more projection left given his size and the way his arm works, so he could be throwing in the mid-90s eventually. For his size and age, he has enough athleticism to repeat his delivery, but he still needs to get better there to be able to throw more strikes. He throws a curveball and a changeup that both need work.

More from BA on our Latin/Asian players. Paulino and Santander are interesting. The latter is a classic 5 tool player!! [Like Jose Moreno, Bryan Wright, lots of others who have gone nowhere, but maybe this time....]

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

Among players who project to stay in the infield, two of the better hitters in Latin America were a pair of Dominican shortstops from Bani. One was Dawel Lugo, who signed with the Blue Jays for $1.3 million. The other was Dorssys Paulino, who signed with the Indians on July 2 for $1.1 million. Paulino, a 17-year-old who trained at La Academia, is the son of Jesus Sanchez, a lefty who pitched for the Marlins, Cubs, Rockies and Reds from 1998-2004. At 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Paulino has a knack for putting the bat to the ball with his righthanded swing. He has quick hands, good bat speed, has hit in games and knows how to use the whole field. He has a good approach at the plate for his age, showing the ability to recognize pitches and lay off balls outside the strike zone. He's strong and should have average power, perhaps more, though he's a hit-first, power-second guy. Paulino is athletic and his pure speed grades out as plus. He has a good arm too, but he's really an offensive-oriented player who many scouts believe fits better at second or third base because of his body type and the strides he needs to make with his defensive actions and instincts. He's expected to debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League this summer.

Lefthander Luis Lugo signed with the Indians for $415,000 out of Venezuela last year February, pitched well in the Dominican Summer League then made it to the AZL by the end of the season. Lugo, 18, struck out 36 batters in 29 DSL innings, finishing with a 3.38 ERA and 16 walks. Lugo, who trained with Jose Montero and is from the Valencia area, has an extra-large 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame and an average fastball that has touched 92 mph. With his size and the way his arm works, he should become a power arm. His control still needs work, but he's a decent athlete and repeats his delivery relatively well for someone with his size and lack of experience. He throws a curveball and a changeup, but he'll need to bring up both of those offerings.

Felix Olivo represented Anthony Santander, a Venezuelan outfielder from Agua Blanca who signed with the Indians for $385,000 on July 2. A 17-year-old switch-hitter, Santander has a projectable 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame with broad shoulders and a strong lower half. He's a good athlete who was well-trained, as he showed better tools and conditioning as July 2 approached. Santander began switch-hitting about a year before he signed, so his swing is more advanced from the right side than the left, though neither one is a pure stroke. His game hitting has been inconsistent, but his average power improved and could be above-average in the future. Santander also improved his speed, running the 60-yard dash in 7.4 seconds last winter to 7.0 in the spring and was consistently clocked around 6.7-6.8 seconds before July 2. Santander will begin his career as a center fielder, though he figures to outgrow it and slide to a corner. His arm has improved to the point where he may fit in right field. Santander is in Arizona for spring training now and has a chance to stay there for the AZL, though he may end up going to the DSL.

Omar Sanchez is another Venezuelan outfielder the Indians added on July 2. Sanchez, a 16-year-old from the Caracas area, signed for $250,000 and trained with Dennys Suarez. Sanchez stands out for his athleticism and his speed. He has run the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds and should be the center fielder for the DSL Indians this summer. At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds he has a thick lower half, so scouts wonder whether he'll retain his speed. Sanchez is still raw at the plate, but he has a flat, line-drive stroke with gap power from the right side.

Taiwan isn't a major source of talent relative to the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, but the Indians have done well scouting the country, where they signed righthander Chen Lee (their No. 4 prospect) and catcher Chun Chen (their No. 25 prospect). Cleveland added another Taiwanese prospect last year in September when they scooped up righthander Shao-Ching Chiang (video) for $250,000, tied for the highest amateur bonus out of Taiwan last year with Pirates catcher Jin-De Jhang. Chiang, 18, played for the Taiwan junior national team at the 18U Asian Baseball Championship in August in Japan. Chiang didn't pitch at the tournament, though, and only served as Taiwan's DH. While he's an athletic kid who's played some outfield in the past, his future is on the mound. Chiang has a thin 6-foot-1, 175-pound build and his athleticism should help his transition to pitching full-time. It's already evident in his sound, conventional delivery from a high three-quarters arm slot. Chiang has a loose arm with good arm action and has thrown 85-90 mph, peaking at 91. He's started to show the makings of a solid slider, which is ahead of his nascent changeup.

Dominican righthander Juan Marte, 17, signed for $200,000 in May, then went to the DSL and was wild in a handful of appearances. Marte is a raw arm who's still learning to find the strike zone and a reliable secondary pitch between his slider and changeup, but he has good size at a skinny 6-foot-4, 185 pounds with a strong arm that's been up to 95 mph.

Dominican right fielder Francisco Miguel, who like Paulino trained at La Academia, signed on July 2 for $200,000. A 16-year-old from La Romana, Miguel has good size and strength at a wiry 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, good athleticism (though he's not a great runner) and an arm that grades anywhere from average to above-average. He has a chance to have above-average raw power, though for now his bat remains raw.

One of the most intriguing players in Venezuela last year was Edgar Pineda, a little lefthander who earns comparisons to Tim Collins for his size and stuff. Pineda is 5-foot-9 when he stands on his toes, but he throws 87-92 mph with a plus curveball that compares favorable to any pitcher last year out of Latin America. Pineda, who is from Caracas and trained with Renan Ramos, still needs to throw more strikes and may end up in a bullpen role because of his size, but scouts laud his aggressiveness and competitiveness on the mound.

Written by one of Tony's associates. I have not read it but here it is FWIW


2012 Columbus Clippers preview
By Kevin Dean
April 4, 2012 ShareThis

Coming off of two consecutive championships, the 2012 Clippers figure to be an experienced team, but one that lacks a wealth of impact prospects.

The pitching staff as a whole is seasoned and deep. Besides who you will see hurling for the Clippers out of the gate, there are also a number of prospects in Akron that are going to eventually make their way through. Both catchers are defense-first players, but calling good games and controlling runners is just as important as hitting to this team. They will make up the offense elsewhere. The infield is a versatile bunch, as most of them are interchangeable around the diamond, and a pair even play corner outfield positions. The outfield will feature a nice blend of speed and power.

Staff

Mike Sarbaugh - manager
Ruben Niebla - pitching coach
Phil Clark - hitting coach

Starters

Scott Barnes, David Huff, Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister, Chris Seddon, Kevin Slowey

Barnes' 2011 came to an unfortunate end due to an ACL tear in July. Eight months later, he was one of the most impressive pitchers in spring training. Before the injury, he was having a fine season, showing the ability to punch out hitters (90 in 88.0 innings) with an improved fastball and a consistent changeup. He appears to be recovered and should find himself at the front-end of the Clippers' rotation.

Huff is going to start the season on the disabled list because of a hamstring injury suffered in spring training, but will ultimately begin in Columbus. Prior to last season his previous two seasons in 2009-2010 as an Indian and even a Clipper left plenty to be desired, but 2011 was an important year for him as he improved on both levels (3.90 combined ERA in 29 starts). He started throwing a cutter and commanded his fastball much better, leading to more success. The injury is an unfortunate setback for him, having taken a step in the right direction last year, but he should be back relatively soon if he isn't rushed and the hamstring problems linger.

Kluber, a former fourth-round pick, was a nice get in return for Jake Westbrook. Unfortunately, he hasn't had much success in the organization. He has shown the ability to to make batters miss, but otherwise, he struggled getting outs last season. In 150.2 innings, he allowed 153 hits, 70 walks and 19 home runs. His pedigree will give him more time to prove himself, but the leash is going to be short if his 2011 carries over.

After a rough 2010 with the Yankees organization, McAllister rebounded well last year, forming a nice one-two punch at the top of the Clippers' rotation with Jeanmar Gomez and leading the team in wins and innings pitched. This was much needed with the injury to Scott Barnes and the poor season from Corey Kluber. He struggled in four starts with the Indians, but is still a young, projectable starting pitcher.

Seddon is a starter coming from a long stint in the Mariners organization that likely would have been relegated to the bullpen if not for Huff's injury. It wouldn't be his first time relieving, but 254 of his 287 professional games have been starts. His minor league career has been up and down, and he is mostly just a depth option.

Slowey is a Major League veteran who was beat out by Jeanmar Gomez for the final spot in the Indians' rotation. It was thought that the $1.5 million the team owes him would give him the job outright, but Gomez pitched too well this spring to overlook him. Slowey will be at the front of the line for a promotion should Gomez struggle or an injury occur, but for now he will use this stint in Columbus to bounce back from a rough 2011.

Relievers

Jeremy Accardo, Hector Ambriz, Nick Hagadone, Frank Herrmann, Chen Lee, Chris Ray, Chris Seddon, Robinson Tejeda

Accardo pitched so well this spring that Manny Acta told him he should have made the team, but forces outside of his control (an optionless Jairo Asencio being acquired) made the club go in a different direction for now. He is an adequate depth option on either level, and could be the first reliever promoted because of his experience and strong spring.

Ambriz pitched for both the Indians and Clippers in 2010, but missed all of last season because of a torn UCL and the accompanying Tommy John surgery. He appeared in six spring training games and will report directly to Columbus, fully recovered, instead of extended spring training.

After dominating with Akron early last season, Hagadone received his first promotion to Triple-A. While the success was not quite as plentiful on this level, he still had a fine campaign with the Clippers. For a large majority of the season, he was the only left-handed option coming out of the bullpen. A former starter, he showed that he isn't just a matchup guy, but at the same time, has backend velocity and stuff. He got a nice taste of Major League Baseball late in the year, and while he has had trouble, he profiles as a key part of the Indians' Bullpen Mafia in coming years. After a strong spring, only service time issues kept him from opening in Cleveland.

Herrmann was very much in the running for a Major League pen job, but will find himself back with the Clippers for now. He has pitched on the Triple-A level in four different seasons, accumulating an earned run average of 2.45. Because of the year-round carousel that pitching seems to be, he is still in the Indians' immediate plans and would be one of the first pen call-ups because of his experience with the team.

Promoted to Columbus in late June, Lee hit the ground running. He showed the ability to pitch multiple innings, force balls to be hit on the ground, and strike out batters. He is yet another late-inning bullpen candidate for the parent club going forward, and his first taste of the bigs should come sooner than later. He has little left to prove in the minors.

Ray hasn't spent a significant amount of time in the minors since 2005, and it is probably safe to assume that he won't this year either. At his best, he's been a really good reliever at the Major League level and has almost always been at least serviceable. He will most likely either be called up relatively quickly, or released/traded to pursue a Major League job elsewhere.

Tejeda is yet another new face on this Clippers team with a good deal of Major League experience. Like Seddon, he has also spent time starting, but is seen as a reliever now. He has been quite good in the minors, though has only experienced moderate success in the big leagues. He has an outside chance of spending time with the Indians this season, but there is a long list of options ahead of him in the pecking order.

Catchers

Luke Carlin and Matt Pagnozzi

Carlin is the veteran leader of this Clippers team, and is the kind of catcher that pitchers can trust. He's not much of a hitter, but is a stabilizing force behind home plate. With no catcher at Double-A Akron ready to push up to Columbus probably at any point this season, he should be able to dig in as the regular catcher for the Clippers all season.

Pagnozzi, a minor league signing this winter, is similar to Carlin. He is a solid defender with an inconsistent bat, and is strictly a depth option.

Infielders

Russ Canzler, Lonnie Chisenhall, Matt LaPorta, Andy LaRoche, Beau Mills, Gregorio Petit, Cord Phelps

Canzler was acquired in a trade over the winter and was expected to compete for a starting job before the Indians signed Casey Kotchman. Instead, he will begin his stint with the organization in Columbus. The Clippers are familiar with him, as last season he terrorized International League pitching and was named the league's Most Valuable Player while playing with Tampa's Durham affiliate. His versatility where he can play all four corner positions will be an asset to the Clippers, and if he produces his right-handed bat should fit well in Cleveland.

Many viewed 2011 as a disappointing campaign for the highly-touted Chisenhall, but he did plenty to keep fans excited, including driving in 14 runs in a week. Struggles against left-handed pitching were evident, but he excelled in clutch situations. He suffered a concussion that kept him down for over a week, but returned to have that incredible stretch and was immediately promoted. A pure hitter with a fluid line-drive swing, he will be able to do everything in the box. Plate discipline is what held him back from making the Opening Day Major League roster, so he will receive everyday at-bats in Columbus instead of coming off the bench in Cleveland. It should be a fairly short stay.

When the Indians traded C.C. Sabathia for a package headlined by LaPorta, they certainly never expected him to be starting 2012 in the minors. The unfortunate reality is that he is as his failure to produce at a high enough level and the signing of Kotchman has pushed him back to Columbus. His future with the Indians is cloudy at this point, but all he can do now is continue hitting at Triple-A (79 runs batted in and a .953 OPS in 113 career games) and hope something translates if/when he gets another chance.

Much like LaPorta, LaRoche was once an elite prospect that hasn't been able to meet Major League expectations. He comes to the Indians organization on a minor league deal, and despite a strong spring, was not able to crack the Opening Day roster as a utility infielder (mostly a third baseman, but can stand in everywhere). He should be yet another strong option for Columbus.

After spending two full seasons in Akron, a strong start in his third tour there last season earned Mills his first taste at the highest minor league level. As a former first-round pick, his progress last season was a very welcomed sight. He only played 35 regular season games with the team last year, but clubbed seven home runs and posted an .822 on-base plus slugging. As a lot of key bats were in Cleveland during the tail-end of the minor league regular season and into the postseason, Mills was vital to the lineup, and he hit very well down the stretch. He will begin a season in Triple-A for the first time, and building on his late-season success is a must for his progression.

Petit is a newcomer to the organization who will probably play a utility infield role for the Clippers. He is a defensive specialist that has never hit particularly well at any stop in the minors above the low-A Midwest League.

It may have been hard to believe that Phelps was the first Clippers infielder to make a trip to Cleveland last season, but he was deemed more ready than (albeit not as talented as) Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis at the time. In Columbus, he was a major contributor, leading the team in OPS and driving in the third-most runs. He profiles in some role as a utility player going forward, and with Jason Donald being a stronger option in a similar role, will remain in Columbus.

Outfielders

Ezequiel Carrera, Trevor Crowe, Chad Huffman, Thomas Neal, Ryan Spilborghs

The ultimate table-setter for the 2011 Clippers, Carrera's game-changing speed was huge for a team that didn't have much of it, offensively (35 steals) and in center. He is the prototypical minor league leadoff hitter/fourth Major League outfielder, and showed the ability to do both. With questions surrounding the Indians' outfield, and his strengths of speed and defense filling team weaknesses, he should be an option again soon. For now, he will be back atop the lineup in Columbus.

As hard as it is to imagine, this will be Crowe's eighth year in the organization. As a first-round pick, his tenure in the Majors has been a mostly disappointing one. He missed most of last season because of a shoulder injury and was almost traded last week, so this could be the last chance for him to prove his worth with the Indians. Like Carrera, the opportunity could present itself for a return to the bigs, but his health could provide him with a tougher challenge.

Huffman made a solid debut in the organization in Columbus last season, but he doesn't expect to be a Major League option going forward even though he should continue a strong minor league career.

2011 was surely a tough year for Neal. Between a few nagging injuries and being traded, he was never able to settle in and establish a rhythm. He was a highly regarded prospect with the Giants, and will look to get back to putting up the kind of numbers he did with them now that he has better adjusted to a new organization. His right-handed bat could make him a corner outfield option for the Indians sometime this season.

The casualty of another down-to-the-wire spring decision that was made because the other candidate had no minor league options left, Spilborghs should begin 2012 in the minors. He has had major success in the minors during his career, and figures to be one of the better hitters in the International League for as long as he's there. He has had the luxury of playing all of his Major League home games in Coors Field, but the away splits leave plenty to be desired. Still, he could be the first in line if the Indians' left field conundrum isn't solved.

Lengthy writeup on what should be a very bad Aeros team in 2012; nearly devoid of prospects, especially in the field


2012 Akron Aeros Preview

Photo: Akron AerosBy Jim Piascik
April 3, 2012 ShareThis

Considering the amount of turnover and adversity the 2011 Akron Aeros went through, it is amazing that they managed to get to a 73-69 record. That team lost top players Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Alex White to promotion and lost Drew Pomeranz, Joe Gardner, and Matt McBride to the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. On top of that, the Aeros had to deal with injuries ruining Nick Weglarz’s effectiveness, the suspension of John Drennen for performance enhancing drugs midseason, Matt Lawson sudden retirement, and players like Jordan Henry and Kelvin De La Cruz not living up to their expectations.

Despite these problems and obstacles, there were plenty of good things to come out of 2011 for the Aeros. The emergence of Austin Adams, Tim Fedroff, Cory Burns, Chen-Chang Lee, Juan Diaz, and even Beau Mills to an extent were bright spots for fans and the organization. These players were a big part of what success the Aeros had last year and will look to continue improving in 2012. Unluckily for some of these players (but luckily for those of us who follow the Aeros), they will return to Akron in 2012 – at least for the start of the season. If they continue to improve this year, however, they will get their tickets to Columbus and Cleveland soon enough.

The 2012 Aeros will likely be more of the same mediocrity that the 2011 team offered, but they may impress as the season goes on. The big issue with this Akron team is the lack of top talent on the roster. With Austin Adams starting on the DL, the Aeros will not have any of IPI’s top 20 prospects on their Opening Day roster. Most of the Tribe’s best talent is still down in the lower levels of the minors, meaning the majority of the Aeros’ roster consists of uninspiring, low-ceiling prospects or non-prospects. The Aeros will be a solid team, but without top-end talent, it is hard to see them competing at a high level.

2012 will see the return of manager Chris Tremie for his second year at the helm of the Aeros, and he will be joined by pitching coach Tony Arnold and hitting coach Rouglas Odor. Let’s break down each position of the Akron Aeros’ roster and see what Tremie and company have to work with in 2012. (Each prospect’s ranking in IPI’s top 100 is in parenthesis after their name).

Starting Rotation

LHP T.J. McFarland (#23), LHP Giovanni Soto (#39), RHP Paolo Espino (#62), LHP Eric Berger (#64), RHP Steven Wright (#82)

With RHP Austin Adams (#8) and LHP Matt Packer (#21) starting the year on the DL, the Aeros’ rotation is not all that impressive. Personally, I love watching Espino and Berger pitch, but they are slated to return to the bullpen when Adams and Packer return. They are only in the rotation because they have started recently and have their arms stretched out. Along with Wright – who is trying to resurrect his career with a knuckleball – most of the Aeros’ rotation is filled with players unlikely to make much of a name for themselves in the big leagues.

The other two pitchers in the rotation, McFarland and Soto, show real promise though. McFarland isn’t an overpowering strikeout pitcher, but he gets tons of groundballs and eats innings well. With a little more improvement, he will be a serviceable back-of-the-rotation starter. Teams can never have enough of those guys – see how the Indians had injury scares with Derek Lowe, David Huff, and Jeanmar Gomez over the span of two days. The Indians have been blessed with good rotation depth (Huff, Gomez, Kevin Slowey, and Scott Barnes to start) and McFarland is close to adding to that depth. Soto, on the other hand, is more of a strikeout pitcher with some upside. He has had injury problems to this point in his career and may end up in the bullpen down the road, but for now, he will try to stick as a starter. At best, it seems like Soto will be another back-of-the-rotation starter, but if he can refine his mechanics and solidify his curveball and changeup to pair with his great cutter, he could be more. While unlikely, if he can find a way to maintain his 8.5 SO/9, 3.1 BB/9, 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP he owns to this point in his minor league career while remaining a starter, the Indians will be very happy.

With McFarland and Soto already in the rotation and Adams and Packer likely to join before too long, the Aeros have the makings of an intriguing, if not exciting rotation. Those four will likely help the Aeros win quite a few ballgames in 2012 and they all should help the Indians at the big league level before too long.

Bullpen

RHP Bryce Stowell (#31), RHP Rob Bryson (#33), RHP Bryan Price (#53), RHP Matt Langwell (#58), RHP Preston Guilmet (#67), RHP Toru Murata (#84), RHP Kyle Landis (#86), RHP Jose De La Torre (Unranked)

Last year, the Aeros’ bullpen was full of up-and-comers and impressive performances. From Cory Burns to Tyler Sturdevant to Chen-Chang Lee to Nick Hagadone, the Aeros saw many high performers come out of the bullpen in 2011. As a reward for those performances, these players have now moved up the minor league ladder from Akron (except Burns, who was traded in the offseason for OF Aaron Cunningham) and a less impressive stock of relievers will hang out behind the right-center wall of Canal Park this season.

The most striking thing about the 2012 Aeros’ bullpen is the lack of a left-handed pitcher. Some of that is circumstance, since LHP Eric Berger should end up in the bullpen before too long, but it is still surprising. Most of these players have some sort of flaw – which is why they have ended up in the bullpen in the first place – but the Aeros will need at least a few of these guys to step up their game and impress in 2012 for Akron to compete in the Eastern League.

The pitchers to keep an eye on in the Aeros bullpen in 2012 will be Stowell, Bryson, Price, Langwell, and Guilmet. They all have their flaws, but of these five, I would expect two or three to take the same steps that Lee, Hagadone, and Sturdevant took last year. Stowell was IPI’s #12 prospect going into the 2011 season, but his lack of control (4.8 BB/9 in his minor league career) ruins his excellent strikeout rate (12.1 K/9). Bryson and Price have all the makings of a good bullpen prospect (Stowell: 11.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 3.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP in his minor league career; Price: 8.3 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 3.92 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), but they have not been able to stay healthy. Langwell has overachieved since being drafted 2008, but his lack of a plus pitch in his arsenal hurts his chances. Guilmet, like 2011 Aeros’ closer Cory Burns, may not succeed in the long run because he uses an unorthodox delivery to make up for less-than-stellar stuff. Guilmet has proven that he has the proper mental capacity to handle pitching in the 9th inning, however (35 saves in 2011 at Kinston).

With the relatively few innings that relievers pitch, it is next to impossible to know who will seize their limited opportunity and who will have a bad outing or two sidetrack their stock. Without a top-30 prospect, the 2012 Aeros’ bullpen will be all about who rises up to the challenge and succeeds and who will struggle and blow leads left and right.

Catchers

Chun Chen (#22), Roberto Perez (#70), Michel Hernandez (Unranked)

2011 certainly could have been kinder to Chun Chen. Despite having high expectations coming off of his .320/.442/.523 slash line in 52 games at Kinston in 2010, Chen came back down to Earth in 2011. While a .262/.330/.451 slash line is nothing to sneeze at, Chen’s 122 strikeouts in 113 games is a real problem. Chen also took a step back on defense, raising real questions as to whether or not he can stick as a catcher. His bat will not play at first base, so Chen will need to work very hard on his defense and plate discipline if he wants to ever make it above the AA-level. This will truly be a make or break year for Chen.

On the other side of things is Roberto Perez. No one will mistake Perez (.225/.365/.310 slash line at Kinston last year) for Mike Piazza or Mike Napoli, but he draws a lot of walks (79:62 SO:BB ratio last year in 94 games) and is very good behind the plate. Perez will likely see a lot of time at catcher with Akron this year (with Chen playing more DH), but if he does not start hitting, he will find himself on the bench more and more. There are plenty of players out there who are good on defense who never make it to the Majors because of their bat (see one of my favorite Aeros of all time, Cristo Arnal). Perez will need to learn to hit this year if he wants to avoid having that end up as his fate.

The other catcher on the roster, Michel Hernandez, will likely see a decent amount of playing time because of his pedigree (he has 127 plate appearances at the big league level), but he is past his prime now and just organizational depth. He has found more power and pop recently, but it likely will not be enough to get him to Cleveland. 2012 will be a big year for the other two catchers in Akron, Chen and Perez, and will likely decide their fates as major league ballplayers. It will certainly be exciting to see what those two do with their opportunity.

Infielders

SS Juan Diaz (#50), 1B/3B/OF Jared Goedert (#60), 3B Kyle Bellows (#61), 1B/3B Adam Abraham (#81), 2B/SS Dave Stoneburner (Acquired this spring in the Kelvin De La Cruz trade), SS/3B Ryan Rohlinger (Unranked)

Here is where the 2012 Akron Aeros are going to run into problems. The lack of upper-level talent slated to start the season in Akron is terrifying, especially if the Cleveland or Columbus rosters suffer injuries that force these players to get called up. Juan Diaz will be the starting shortstop, and while he has good defensive ability, was named to the Eastern League All-Star team last year and was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, his offense (.255/.310/.368 slash line, 116 strikeouts in 133 games) and consistency (20 errors last year) leave much to be desired. Dave Stoneburner will be the starting second baseman, but he entering his age-27 season and is a low ceiling prospect that should not be counted on for much.

The corners of the Aeros’ infield promise to be crowed and will separate the men from the boys as the season goes along. For now, Kyle Bellows will be the starting third baseman and Adam Abraham will start at first base, but both will be on a short leash. Bellows has all the defensive ability in the world, but as long as he posts .229/.295/.310 slash lines (a .605 OPS from your third baseman will never cut it), his future is limited. Abraham took a step forward as a hitter in Kinston last year (.252/.360/.432 slash line, 70 walks in 130 games), but he still strikes out too much (114 strikeouts in 130 games) and does not profile defensively at any position. Jared Goedert will likely spell Bellows and Abraham and also spend some time in the outfield, but he is headed into his age-27 season, also is a below-average defender, has had health issues, and is probably nearing the end of his prospect road.

The good news for the Aeros is that Jesus Aguilar, IPI’s 14th best prospect, should be promoted to Akron if he can hit in High-A Carolina like he did in Lake County last year (.292/.370/.544 slash line, 19 home runs in 95 games). There is not much upside going on in Akron’s infield at the moment, so all Aeros’ fans will be waiting on the edge of their seats for Aguilar to get the call.

Outfielders

RF Nick Weglarz (#32), CF Tim Fedroff (#44), LF Ben Copeland (Unranked)

For now, the Aeros only have three pure outfielders on their roster. With the injury-prone Nick Weglarz currently slated to start in right field, it may not be long before the Aeros will need outfield help. It was only last year that Weglarz was ranked 5th in IPI’s prospect rankings and seemed ready to make his major league debut. After posting a .286/.392/.497 slash line and hitting 6 home runs in 50 games at Columbus in 2010, 2011 should have been Weglarz’s final year in the minors before he established himself as a major league player. Instead, Weglarz battled through numerous injuries in 2011 that sapped his power and left him with an ugly .179/.360/.306 slash line and 3 home runs in only 41 games. Luckily, Weglarz’s plate discipline remained (43:36 SO:BB ratio), and if he can stay healthy (and what a big if that is), he should still be able to re-establish himself as a prospect.

One of the best stories out of Akron last year was the emergence of Tim Fedroff, who will come back to Akron in 2012. Fedroff stormed out of the gates in 2011 with a .338/.399/.447 slash line in 70 games in Akron before earning a call-up to Columbus. Fedroff cooled off after his promotion, however, only hitting .272/.370/.362 the rest of the way. The biggest issue with Fedroff is that he is a jack-of-all-trades master-of-none type of player. He has good plate discipline (74:62 SO:BB ratio last year), but next to no power (only 11 home runs in 372 career minor league games) and is average at best in center field. His bat does not profile well in the corners, so it seems like he is yet another Indians’ outfielder with a 4th outfielder ceiling. He will likely help the Aeros win some games this year, but his long-term outlook does not look great.

The final Aeros’ outfielder is Ben Copeland, whom the Indians signed as a minor league free agent midway through last season. He is a former top pick by the Giants, but he is already 28 years old and was decent offensively (.257/.317.422 slash line in Akron last year), but not great. He is another 4th outfielder type that fills some depth here in Akron easily, but is another guy that likely will not make it to Cleveland. The Aeros’ outfield is not very impressive, but players like LeVon Washington and Luigi Rodriguez working their way up through the system, it is not going to be long before Akron’s outfield will be electric and eye-catching.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's a very fair evaluation of the Aeros. Surprised that Fedroff will be demoted to start 2011. That proves the Indians have no plans for him. Akron could lose more than the Tribe, despite 22 fewer opportunities to do so. They could be interesting in 2014.

The Akron Aeros announced their 2012 Opening Day roster, highlighted by 17 returning players from 2011. Catcher Chun Chen (no. 29) and shortstop Juan Diaz (no. 13) will begin the season at Double-A Akron. Chen spent the entire 2011 season at Double-A Akron leading the Aeros in home runs (16) and RBIs (70). Diaz played in 133 games with Akron last season, hitting nine home runs and finishing second on the team with 60 RBIs.

Nick Weglarz (no. 33), the Indians’ third round draft pick in 2005, played in only 41 games last season due to a hamstring injury. In limited action, Weglarz hit .179 (24-for-134) with three home runs and 12 RBIs at Akron.

Highlighting the Aeros 2012 position players roster is third baseman Kyle Bellows (no. 9), infielder Adam Abraham (no. 30) and outfielder Tim Fedroff (no. 16). Bellows hit .229 with three home runs and 43 RBIs in 123 games last season for Akron. Abraham led the 2011 Kinston Indians in home runs (17) and RBIs (72). He also ranked fourth in the Carolina League in walks with 70 last season. Fedroff split time between Akron and Triple-A Columbus in 2011, combining for a .308 batting average, three home runs and 63 RBIs in 132 games.

The pitching staff features Bryan Price (no. 15), acquired in the 2009 Victor Martinez trade, and Giovanni Soto (no. 35), sent over from the Detroit Tigers organization in exchange for Jhonny Peralta in 2010. Last season with the Aeros, Price appeared in 28 games, including one start, posting a 2-3 record with a 2.79 ERA in 51.2 innings. Two seasons ago, Soto led the Midwest League in shutouts (two), was tied for first in complete games (two) and ranked fourth in ERA (2.93).

Roster Breakdown:

Pitchers: Eric Berger, Rob Bryson, Jose De La Torre[?], Paolo Espino, Preston Guilmet, Kyle Landis, Matt Langwell, TJ McFarland, Toru Murata, Bryan Price, Giovanni Soto, Bryce Stowell, Steven Wright

Catchers: Michel Hernandez, Roberto Perez

Infielders: Adam Abraham, Kyle Bellows, Chun Chen, Juan Diaz, Jared Goedert, Ryan Rohlinger, Davis Stoneburner

Outfielders: Ben Copeland, Tim Fedroff, Nick Weglarz

Civ comments: Chen is listed as IF. Trying him at 1st base perhaps? Very few promotions, most interesting is Soto who was young for Carolina League and is young for AA. Won't be 21 until May and missed half of 2011. Indians must like him but doesn't make Top 30 prospect list at BA, but what do they know. Jared Goedert must have bought a house in Akron, he's here for what seems like the 4th season - in fact it is, he's 26 now and perhaps ready to be a player-coach, he's certainly not going to play in the majors.

1st Round Pick Lindor on Captains Opening Day Roster
04/02/2012 9:25 AM ETComments Tweet Facebook Print Email (Eastlake, OH) -

The Lake County Captains, the Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, have announced their 2012 Opening Day roster and it will include six players who have been selected in the top five rounds of the draft in previous years. The highest draft pick is Francisco Lindor who was the Tribe's 1st round pick last year (8th overall). The Captains open the 2012 season at Fort Wayne, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres, on Thursday at 7:05 PM.


The Captains will carry a thirteen man pitching staff which is comprised of six pitchers who pitched for the Captains at some point last season. The starting rotations will include former Captains RHP Felix Sterling (2-3, 4.14), RHP Kyle Blair (3-5, 5.02), and Joe Colon and they will be joined by RHP Elvis Araujo who was (9-1, 2.86) with the AZL Indians and Will Roberts who was (1-3, 3.27) The Mahoning Valley Scappers.
[For Low A not an especially young corps; one each at age 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. Blair was promsing last year and flopped. He's 23 and needs to start well and earn a promotion.]

The bullpen will be consist of RHP Cody Anderson RHP (0-0, 1.80) who made three appearances for Mahoning Valley last season. Former Captains RHP Cole Cook (5-11, 4.54), RHP Jordan Cooper (2-9, 4.73) and LHP Kyle Petter (2-5, 2.70) with two saves will also be joined in the bullpen by RHP Shawn Armstrong (0-0, 0.00), Mason Radeke (2-0, 4.53) who both pitched for the Scrappers last year and RHP Xavier De Los Santos (3-1, 4.40) and Francisco Valera (0-0, 2.25) from the AZL Indians.


The Captains will have two familiar faces at catcher this season as Lakewood product and St. Edward graduate Alex Lavisky will return to the Captains along with Alex Monsalve. Lavisky cracked 13 home runs and drove in 52 runs while hitting a little over .200 between Lake County and Mahoning Valley. Monsalve hit .264, 5 HR, 44 RBI's and made the Midwest League Mid Season All Star Team.
[I thought Monsalve would move up, but I guess Lowrey gets the Kinston job.]

The Captains infield will be comprised of first baseman Jerrud Sabourin (.225, 0 HR, 27 RBI) at Mahoning Valley. Robel Garcia (.284, 6HR, 24 RBI) will play second base. Lindor, (.316, 0 HR, 2 RBI) will be the shortstop. Third base will be handled by Leonardo Castillo (.303, 4 HR, 30 RBI). Todd Hankins (.246, 4 HR, 43 RBI) and former Captains Nick Bartolone (.219, 0 HR, 26 RBI) will also see time in the infield. Lindor, Sabourin and Hankins all played at Mahoning Valley last season while Castillo and Garcia were with the AZL Indians. [Wolters must have earned a ticket to Kinston based on his impressive spring. Garcia mostly played 3rd in AZ; he is supposed to be my breakout player but not sure I want to jump on the bandwagon for a 2nd baseman. Urshela must have earned a promotion despite his weak bat in 2011 but has great glove work


The outfield will see former Captains LeVon Washington (.218, 4HR, 20 RBI) and Luigi Rodriguez (.250, 0 HR, 5 RBI) back on the club. Bryson Miles (.302, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 20 SB) and Jordan Smith (.300, 0 HR, 47) will patrol the outfield as well. Both played at Mahoning Valley last year. [[i]This group is pretty promising. We sure need them to develop.[/i]

David Wallace will manage the team replacing Ted Kubiak who had been with the club the last two seasons. Wallace was the Captains All Star catcher in the inaugural 2003 season Last season was his first as a manager as he guided the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (NY - Penn League) to a 41-34 record. He also assumed the role of Catching Coordinator in the Indians Player Development System. This will mark his fourth season as a coach or instructor in the Indians organization. He spent 2009 and 2010 as an Assistant to the Major League coaching staff.


Pitching coach Jeff Harris begins his fourth year in the Indians organization and his second in Lake County. Prior to coming to the Captains, he spent two seasons as the pitching coach for the AZL Indians. Harris was drafted in the 28th round of the 1995 draft and played professionally for 14 years with stops in the Minnesota, Seattle and Cleveland organizations.


Jim Rickon, a Cleveland area native and resident, will return to the Captains hitting coach. This will be Rickon's sixth year overall with the team as he had the same position with the Captains in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. The 2012 season will mark Rickon's 14th season as a member of the Indians organization.

Folks who run the new Carolina Mudcats aren't so swift; no story posted on the roster but the roster is available at http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... e&sid=t249

Lowrey C
Aguillar 1B
Wolters 2B
Ronnie Rodrigiez SS
Urshela 3B
Lots of prospect attention to that group
but not the OF: Cid, Holt and one of my favorites Moncrief

P: Staters probably will be Clay Cook (21), Michael Goodnight (22), TJ House (22 and spending a long time at this level), Mike Rayl (23) and Danny Salazar (22). Scott Barnes is for some reason listed here, too.

Clippers roster is posted: http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.js ... e&sid=t445

Starters are Kluber, McAllister, Slowey, Mitch Talbot is back?? Rondon and Matt Packer are listed here but I think both are on DL.

The roster is incomplete; doesn't show Spilborgs, or Pagnozzi, or some other recent demotions.

Civ,

Any news on Andrew Campbell ?!?!? I chose him as my position player this year.

He has not been assigned to a roster. I think you've chosen a pretty long shot there Joe. I think Campbell is 20 and only played in AZ last year. Skinny 6-0 155 he compiled an OPS of 655 while playing LF. My man, Robel Garcia, is a year younger and put on a pretty good offensive show in the desert last summer OPS 915 while playing 2nd and 3rd. Of course guys I pick almost always flame out quickly; sometimes flame out a little later.