Cleveland Sports Forum

Oliver (Boston): Joe Wendle got some high praise for his all-around game from Lindor. What kind of power should we expect from him? Utilityman or starter?


Josh Leventhal: A very consistent hitter whose offense is ahead of his defense. He was praised around the league for his approach to hitting--very disciplined, uses the whole field with some power. He could be an offensive second baseman in the big leagues.

[But he didn't make the Top 20? At least he should be a nice addition to the Aeros lineup in 2014]

Edwin Rodriguez & Francisco Lindor (Photo: Jim Piascik)

Breaking down the 2013 Aeros' hitters with Edwin Rodriguez

Aeros hitters show improvements in 2013, need to work on strength going forward

By Jim Piascik

October 7, 2013

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The Akron Aeros did not defend their Eastern League championship in 2013, ultimately finishing the season 68-73, but the Aeros served a greater purpose over the course of the season. The development and improvement of the next wave of Cleveland players took precedence in 2013 as fans who came out to see the Akron Aeros saw the names who will soon play at Progressive Field.

Despite the disappointment of a losing season, Aeros manager Edwin Rodriguez and his staff did a great job working with the young players that populated the Akron roster this year. Before the final home game of the season I spoke with him at length, breaking down positives and the negatives of the key members of the 2013 Aeros.

In part one today we will break down the hitters. In part two, we will take a look at the pitchers.

One player who obviously came up was infielder Jose Ramirez, who made his major league debut during September callups this year. Ramirez did not have the most impressive stats in Akron -- only posting a .272/.325/.349 line in 533 plate appearances -- but minor league stats are always about context. At the start of the 2012 season Ramirez was in extended spring training, yet by the beginning of 2013, the switch-hitter had made his mark by finishing out the 2012 season in Low-A Lake County, playing winter ball at a high level, and skipping High-A Carolina and landing in Akron.

Given that Ramirez was 20 years old at the start of the season and only had 67 games with Lake County under his belt, any struggles would have been acceptable. Yet Ramirez held his own and proved worthy of a callup.

"He has that versatility," Rodriguez said of what Ramirez can offer the big league club. "He's able to play different positions. He brings speed, a real threat to steal. He will put up solid at-bats at any level, even the big leagues. But right now, I think the main value of Ramirez is his versatility, that he's able to play a premium position like shortstop."

Ramirez stole 38 bases in Akron and he brought that speed with him to Cleveland. The signature moment of Ramirez's time in Cleveland was certainly in his first major league start when he used his speed to score from first on a groundout to third. That kind of game breaking speed cannot be taught and is one of the things that makes Ramirez valuable.

The knock on Ramirez is his size. The switch-hitter is listed at 5'9", 165 pounds and only posted a .077 ISO in Akron, implying that he needs more power to stick as a major leaguer. The strength is something Rodriguez sees as developing in the future, however.

"I think that [95 percent of the players] at this level needs to put on a little bit more muscle," Rodriguez said. "It's a matter of getting more mature physically. Yeah, if you're asking for Ramirez, yeah, and he will. He's pretty strong right now… He will be fine. If they knock him down he will get up and keep playing. He's a tough guy."

The idea of players needing to develop more strength was a recurring one from Rodriguez, as evidenced in his quote above. Rodriguez only feels that five percent of players in Double-A are physically mature and that the vast majority of these players have work to do on their bodies.

Another player Rodriguez mentioned needed to get stronger was outfielder Tyler Holt. Like with Ramirez, Holt's .267/.338/.359 line is lacking in power, something that could begin to be remedied with some more strength.

"With a stronger body, he will be able to [hit for more power]," Rodriguez said of Holt. "He makes contact and hard contact consistently. If he put on some muscle, then those line drives will be able to get out of the field."

Part of Holt's development is tied up in the changes he made to his swing. The outfielder is one of the best defenders in the organization -- Rodriguez believes he could play all three outfield positions in the major leagues now -- but his offense has held him back since he was drafted out of Florida State in 2010. Typically we think of college hitters as polished, but ever since he turned pro, Holt worked on fixing his swing.

Rodriguez managed Holt for the first three months of 2012 in Carolina, so he has seen the progression Holt made at the plate.

"I had him for the first time last year and he had some kind of uppercut swing," Rodriguez said. "They told me the year before it was even worse. So [the goal] was getting better, getting his hands straight to the ball. He's been more consistent with his swing, and I think he's going to keep getting better. I think that, eventually, he will be able to hit with more power."

Holt seems likely to move up to Triple-A in 2014 to continue rounding out his game, but someone who will probably stay in Akron at the outset of next year is third baseman Giovanny Urshela. Urshela debuted in Double-A last year as a 21-year-old and showed off his hand-eye coordination by posting a .270 batting average and 10.3 percent strikeout rate. The problem with Urshela was being selective with that hand-eye coordination at the plate.

Urshela has the ability to hit most pitches a pitcher throws, but the third baseman still needs to learn how to only swing at the pitches he can do something with. As it is right now, Urshela finished with a .292 on-base percentage and a 3.0 percent walk rate because he made too many weak outs from expanding the zone too much and being too aggressive.

The third baseman is working on this in instructs right now, but in addition to his eye at the plate, Rodriguez believes Urshela needs to add strength.

"I think the main thing with Giovanny Urshela is like [with] Tyler Holt: they need to get stronger," Rodriguez said. "As soon as they get stronger physically, their swing is going to be much better, they're going to develop some bat speed, and they're going to be able to endure more of the season. I think right now, if you take Giovanny Urshela on any particular day, and you try to break down his swing, it's a pretty good swing… But being able to do that for five months on an every-day basis, that's his struggle. So he needs to get stronger physically to be able to maintain that."

Rodriguez rested Urshela down the stretch -- only playing him in 44 of 58 games -- as the manager believed Urshela needed a breather. He still has the kind of defense that could contend for Gold Gloves, but the bat is currently holding Urshela back.

"Right now, defensively… let me put it this way," Rodriguez said. "He could be a major leaguer for one day, right now. But then after that, I don't know [laughs]."

If Urshela had been called up in September, the glove would have played. Opposing pitchers would have figured him out quickly, however, which is why Rodriguez feels Urshela could only be a major leaguer for one day.

As players move up in the minor leagues, the pitchers get smarter and smarter at exploiting hitters' holes. What worked for someone in High-A might not work in Double-A, and so on. First baseman Jesus Aguilar learned that after his August 2012 callup to Akron. Through June 4 this year, Aguilar only owned a .247/.323/.374 with a 45:23 SO:BB, seven doubles, and six home runs in 223 plate appearances and looked like his stock was going to drop precipitously.

Aguilar worked with hitting coach Jim Rickon to make the necessary adjustments, however, fixing the positioning of his hands in order to let him go straight to the ball. Rodriguez noted that Aguilar's upper and lower body were fine, it was just the first baseman's hands that were holding him back.

"When he started the season, the first two months, there were a lot of holes in his swing," Rodriguez said. "Then, I would say… first week of June. That's when he developed that very strong, consistent approach and that's when he took off. I mean, he's consistently taking good at bats. He's been taking very good at bats consistently for the last three months. That swing he has right now, that swing will play in the big leagues."

After June 4, Aguilar owned a .292/.366/.462 line with a 62:33 SO:BB, 21 doubles, and 10 home runs in 344 plate appearances. San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt had similar stats this year (.289/.360/.481 line) and was worth 4.0 fWAR. It is a jump to say this new Aguilar can keep this up through an entire major league season, but if he does continue hitting like this, he will be pretty good.

The other knock on Aguilar is his defense, though Tony described it as underrated in the IBI prospect book before the season. Aguilar is a big guy, listed at 6'3", 250 pounds, yet Rodriguez does not think it holds him back in terms of his range.

"[His] range is limited like 95 percent of first basemen in the big leagues," Rodriguez said. "But sure hands, he has sure hands. Everything that he gets, he's going to catch it. People keep talking about his defense, [that] he doesn't have any range; it's not range in the big leagues. First baseman, other than Joey Votto maybe, have maybe an average range. There aren't too many first basemen that have a lot of range, but he has sure hands. Everything he gets, it's a sure out."

Rodriguez even went as far as to say Aguilar is presently a major league-caliber defensive first baseman.

"Oh yeah. Today," Rodriguez said. "Better than a lot of first baseman in the big leagues right now."

While that feels a little bit too much to me, the point still remains that Aguilar has established himself as a major league option in the near future with his play in 2013. Another player who can say that is right fielder Carlos Moncrief, who put everything together over the past season.

Moncrief was drafted in 2008 as a pitcher, but he was converted to an outfielder before the 2010 season. That late conversion left Moncrief raw at the plate, as was evidenced by his 28.6 percent strikeout rate in 2011 in Low-A and his 31.0 percent strikeout rate in 2012 in High-A.

Seeing a player's strikeout rate jump moving up a level is not surprising, especially when the player is as raw as Moncrief. Yet a strange thing happened in 2013. Despite making the hardest jump in the minors -- going from High-A to Double-A -- Moncrief's strikeout rate dropped from 31.0 percent to 17.8 percent. Moncrief's ability to make consistent contact allowed his power to come out and for the right fielder to post a .284/.354/.470 line with 26 doubles, seven triples, and 17 home runs in 552 plate appearances.

Despite still showing some roughness around the edges due to his lack of experience as a position player, Rodriguez remains impressed with what Moncrief brings to the table.

"He needs to learn the game, overall game situation," Rodriguez said. "He just keeps getting better every year… I'm sure there are a lot of teams, there's a lot of attention on him, because [where his] ability is, he could be a five-tool player. Power, speed, defense, arm. All he needs to do is keep playing and showing that he can do that on an everyday basis consistently. All he needs is experience, being exposed to better pitching and I'm sure he will be able to make adjustments."

The one knock on Moncrief is that he is a little older than a typical Double-A prospect. Since he started his career as a pitcher -- and had to go all the way back to the bottom of the minors in order to switch to hitting -- Moncrief turns 25 years old this November. Rodriguez is far from worried about Moncrief's age, though.

"People talk about ages and all that," Rodriguez said. "A prospect is a prospect. If you get to the big leagues when you're 28, you get to the big leagues when you're 28. When you get to the big leagues, they don't ask for your age. They just ask how you can help us win games. So if he's going to be able to help us win games when you're 28, we're going to get you there when you're 28."

While Moncrief's delay in reaching the major leagues might limit how long his peak lasts or how many years of production he can offer a major league team, it looks like he can offer Cleveland some outfield help in the near future. Moncrief still needs some work on honing his overall game, but the right fielder is someone I think could fill in on the major league team at some point next year.

This year proved to be the one where Moncrief put everything together, but that was not the case for infielder Ronny Rodriguez. Even accounting for the difficulty of moving up to Double-A, Rodriguez's .265/.291/.376 line in 498 plate appearances was a little disappointing. Add in Rodriguez's continued issues in the field -- he made 24 errors in 2013 -- and it is easy to be down on Rodriguez.

In spite of that doom and gloom, E. Rodriguez is not all that concerned about R. Rodriguez. E. Rodriguez just thinks that R. Rodriguez is not far away and just needs to continue focusing and improving.

"He already showed that he has the power last year," E. Rodriguez said. "He's showed this year [in June]… that he's able to drive the ball opposite field, that he's able to hit for average. But then consistency on his approach, that's where he needs to work, like any young player.

"He hit 19 home runs in High-A. There's not too many players who have done that and he's already showed that, for the month of June, he was able to hit for average. It's a matter of putting everything together. And defensively, shortstop, second base, it's a matter of him playing either one more consistently."

While the idea of a manager saying that a player needs to focus more mentally seems quite negative and is slamming the player's makeup, that is not the case with E. Rodriguez. When he says that R. Rodriguez needs to get more consistent mentally, E. Rodriguez means that as something all minor league players need to work on.

"I think it's more a mental approach," E. Rodriguez said of R. Rodriguez's struggles. "He hasn't been able to be consistent on taking [a good] approach on a daily basis for a full season. You're going to see that in a lot of young players, most of the young players won't be able to do that."

R. Rodriguez's 2013 season was like a three-act play. From the beginning of the season to May 13, Rodriguez posted a .220/.240/.312 line in 149 plate appearances. In mid-May, Rodriguez began to churn his hands less at the plate before the pitch, quieting his swing. Following that adjustment, Rodriguez posted a .370/.387/.563 line in 143 plate appearances from May 14-June 22.

That adjustment worked fine for Rodriguez until he missed a week and a half with hamstring soreness. After returning on July 2, Rodriguez struggled to a .224/.260/.292 line in his final 206 plate appearances.

E. Rodriguez does believe that R. Rodriguez's hamstring issue really threw off his timing for the last part of the year.

"He was in the middle of a very good stretch and that's when he got hurt," E. Rodriguez said. "Getting back to where he was, it was hard on him."

Whereas R. Rodriguez is looking to put everything offensively and defensively together in 2014, catcher Jake Lowery is already halfway there. Lowery's calling card is his bat, and after stumbling in his first full professional season in 2012, the catcher caught fire in 2013. Despite only spending 71 games in High-A, Lowery made the jump to Double-A with a .275/.363/.449 line in 270 plate appearances.

Lowery's line was inflated by a .358 BABIP -- which is likely unsustainable -- but his bat is still solid without that help. What will make or break Lowery is his defense at the most important position on the field.

"I think offensively there's no doubt," E. Rodriguez said. "His bat will carry him. He needs to work on his defense. But it's a matter of playing and him being able to make the adjustments defensively. He needs to improve his calling the game, blocking balls, throwing to the bases. But I think that, being his second full season, that he's making big strides in that direction."

Coming into 2013, Lowery was IBI's fifth-ranked catcher, behind Alex Monsalve, Eric Haase, Yan Gomes, and Alex Lavisky. With Gomes graduating to the big leagues and Lowery's development, personally, I think he has a claim to become #1. Lowery will get a chance to show his improvement in the Arizona Fall League, though his ultimate fate will still come down to how he progresses behind the plate.

"I think he needs to focus on that," Rodriguez said of Lowery's defense. "But in time, he will show his defensive ability. Because there's no question that he's going to hit. He needs to focus on his defense."

The surprise emergence of Lowery made for an exciting story, but the most-hyped debut of the 2013 Akron Aeros season was that of shortstop Francisco Lindor. Lindor, the organization's top prospect and one of the best in all of baseball, tore it up immediately upon being promoted.

In only 91 plate appearances Lindor caused quite a stir, posting a .289/.407/.395 line with a 7:14 SO:BB. This debut got many people calling for the trade of Asdrubal Cabrera -- thus freeing the spot for Lindor in 2014 -- and why wouldn't they listening to Rodriguez's praise of the shortstop?

Rodriguez hesitated to comment on Lindor, as he did not see much of Lindor first-hand, but Rodriguez was impressed with what he did see.

"What I have seen, he had a very good strike zone knowledge," Rodriguez said. "Pitch recognition is above-average. I think that eventually he will be able to hit with more power. Offensively, I think he's ready to go. Defensively, from what I've seen, he has very good action at shortstop [and he] knows the game. Makeup-wise, he's off the roof. He's a complete baseball player. I think that he's going to be able, eventually, spend 12-15 years in the major leagues at shortstop."

So why is Lindor not a lock for Cleveland in 2014? Injuries. Lindor did not finish the regular season healthy as a sore back knocked him out for the final month of the season. Rodriguez was not overly concerned with the injury, however, and explained how he thought it came about.

"When he came here he already kind of had a sore back, a tight back," Rodriguez said. "I think it will be fine. He's young, he's strong. I don't think that the back is a concern right now. He's just tired. People only see the regular season; he started playing, I think it was early February when he was in spring training already playing. So we're talking about seven months. So it's been a very, very long season for him."

That spring training action was important to highlight for Rodriguez. Even though he had no chance of making the major leagues, Rodriguez felt like Lindor pushed hard in major league spring training to impress the organization.

"I think that the regular season was easier for him than the spring training," Rodriguez said of Lindor's season. "It's been a very long, hard season for him."

Staying healthy in 2013 will be a key for Lindor, and if he does that, he will be in the discussion for a major league spot quickly. Lindor's made an impression; now he just needs to stay on the field and keep impressing.

Up next: The 2013 Akron Aeros pitchers

If you want to follow Jim on Twitter, he’s @JimPiascik. If you want to e-mail him, you can do so at jpiasci1@kent.edu

Tyler Sturdevant

Around the Farm: Instructs October 5, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

October 6, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

Game 8: October 5 at Goodyear

Indians beat the Reds, 5-4

Tyler Sturdevant (SP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. This is great to see. Sturdevant missed the entire 2013 season because of offseason shoulder surgery last year. Instructs are a nice way to get injured guys back on the mound in a low pressure environment and to serve as a spring board going into the next season, and this could be the case for him. He threw 17 pitches in his inning of work and threw first pitch strikes to three of the five batters he faced.

Eric Haase (C): 1-for-2, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB. Haase really had a nice season at Low-A Lake County this year hitting .250 with 14 HR, 47 RBI and .761 OPS. The 117 strikeouts are a concern, but as he showed in this game in Instructs the power in the bat and the athleticism behind the plate are both very intriguing. I'm very interested to see how he does next season and the growth he shows at the plate - likely at High-A Carolina.

Yoiber Marquina (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. This is interesting as Marquina looks to be making the move from catcher to the mound after just one year in the organization - which says a lot since he was one of the Indians best rated Latin prospects coming into the season. The arm is special, and maybe they are looking to take advantage of that since his bat is very suspect.

•Willi Castro (SS): 2-for-3, K. Another very good showing for Castro. He's part of a promising 2013 Latin American class that the Indians really like.

•Ivan Castillo (SS): 0-for-1. Castillo's playing time will likely be limited the final week of Instructs so some of the new, young Latin players can get some playing time.

•James Roberts (3B): 1-for-3, K. It really looks like the Indians have Roberts pegged for third base and/or a utility role at Lake County next year.

•Grant Fink (3B): 0-for-1, K. Fink is going to have to put together a strong offseason and spring training to make a full season roster next year - and even that might not be enough.

•Shane Rowland (C): 0-for-1, K. Rowland filled the backup catcher role, a role he is likely to fill in the Indians system for a lot of years - sort of like Dwight Childs did for a good amount of time.

•Emmanuel Tapia (1B): 0-for-2, 2 K. Tapia is a good sized 17-year old at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds who is very raw. He played in the DSL this year and hit .223 with 2 HR, 13 RBI and .615 OPS.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B): 0-for-1, BB. Rodriguez is getting his work in by focusing in on improving his defense at first base and fine tuning his approach at the plate.

•Hector Caro (RF): 0-for-2. Caro was the headliner of the 2012 Latin class but had a rough first season hitting .249 with 0 HR, 24 RBI and .620 OPS in the DSL.

•Francisco Miguel (RF): 0-for-2, K. Miguel looks to finally be getting a shot to come stateside next year. He's spent the past two seasons in the DSL and showed incremental improvement but is still extremely raw and lacks consistency.

•Francisco Mejia (DH): 2-for-3, 2 R. Mejia made a major jump in prospect standing his first year in the Indians organization with a fantastic showing in the Arizona League and has been sensational so far in Instructs.

•Paul Hendrix (2B): 1-for-1, R, BB. Hendrix is a possibility at second base for Low-A Lake County next year, but the position should be strongly contested and he might open the season in extended spring training.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B): 1-for-1. Like with Castillo, Valdez will probably move aside and be limited with his playing time this final week of Instructs so some of the new Latin players can get some work in games.

•Junior Soto (CF): 1-for-2, K. Soto is an exciting young prospect that the Indians signed in July of this year and who is having a good showing in the early going in Instructs.

•Clint Frazier (CF): 0-for-0, BB. Frazier's playing time looks to be winding down, which is not good for me since I am hoping to see him in action on Wednesday when I get out to Arizona.

•Silento Sayles (LF): 1-for-2, R. Without seeing him yet, Sayles sounds like another Delvi Cid kind of player for the Indians. Tons of speed but extremely raw in all other phases of his game.

•D'Vone McClure (LF): 0-for-1, K. McClure is still having trouble with the strikeouts. Developing some consistency with his plate discipline and approach is his number one focus right now.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (DH): 1-for-2, 2 RBI. The Indians have a ton of shortstop options throughout the system, and suddenly have a lot of guys to sift through in the lower levels. It is going to be interesting to see who opens the season as the shortstop at Low-A Lake County and Chang could be that guy.

•Juan Garcia (DH): 0-for-1. Garcia spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons in the DSL for the Indians as a pitcher, but appears to be making the transition from the mound to a position player role.

•Francisco Lopez (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. I know it is hard to keep track of all of these Latin guys, but Lopez is interesting. He had a nice pro debut this year in the DSL going 0-3 with a 1.83 ERA in 12 games (8 starts) and should be in the rotation at Arizona next year.

•Dace Kime (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. The mound time is not what is important this fall for Kime as the Indians are using the time to make a few adjustments and get him primed for his offseason plan in the hopes of a big 2014 season.

•Kenny Mathews (RP): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 2 K. A tough outing for Mathews as he threw 34 pitches in his 1.2 innings of work and was 5-for-9 on first pitch strikes.

•Ben Heller (RP): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. Heller needed 18 pitches for his 1.1 innings of work and was 3-for-5 on first pitch strikes.

•Sean Brady (RP): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K. Brady had a very efficient outing as he needed just 24 pitches to complete 2.0 innings of work and was 5-for-8 on first pitch strikes. It looks like the defense let him down, but he still found a way to limit the damage and keep his pitch count low.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

AFL Spotlight: 2013 Arizona Fall League preview

By Tony Lastoria

October 8, 2013

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The “AFL Spotlight” is a weekly feature piece on a player from the Cleveland Indians farm system that is participating in the Arizona Fall League. Today’s piece is not a feature on a player but instead an overview on all of the Indians players participating. The league starts today October 8th and runs through November 16th.

The 22nd season of the Arizona Fall League (AFL) gets underway today. The offseason league is a hot bed for some of the top prospects and potential near future Major League players from every organization who get a chance to hone their skills against some of the top competition in the minors. Most importantly, it gives every player a chance to show off their abilities to tons of baseball executives and scouts from every organization over a six week period of games.

The AFL originally started back in 1992 as an alternative to some of the offseason leagues in the Caribbean. MLB teams created the AFL to provide a more easily accessible offseason league so teams could better monitor their minor league players and give the players an option to continue playing baseball stateside in the offseason.

By having a league that is governed and monitored by MLB it helps ensure players are used appropriately and that any injuries to players are handled correctly. MLB teams provide all of the managers, coaches and training staff in order to help ensure players get the best care and instruction. The creation of the AFL also helped reduce costs for teams with regard to travel for offseason leagues and provide better scouting opportunities.

The AFL is not just for the players as it is also a great development opportunity for coaches and managers with big league aspirations, and it allows umpires in the Umpire Development Program to get more experience as well. But in the end it is still almost all about the players.

Five MLB organizations make up each of the six AFL teams, and each MLB team sends seven players to their AFL team for a total of 35 players per team. This year the Indians are partnered up with the Brewers, Orioles, Rangers and Red Sox to make up the Surprise Saguaros roster. While each team has 35 players, only 30 players are active. The other five players are deemed “taxi-squad” players, which are players that are only eligible to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

As to who is selected to go, Major League teams hold a position draft in August to determine who goes and who the priority players will be at each position on each team. Most of the players that are sent are considered near Major League ready options or players that a team wants to see play in a more competitive environment.

There are some specific rules that apply in regard to who a team can send to the AFL, though at times there are exceptions made to these rules. The rules are as follows:

•All Triple-A and Double-A players are eligible, provided the players are on at least a Double-A level roster no later than August 1st.

•Only one player below the Double-A level is allowed per Major League team.

•One foreign player is allowed as long as the player does not reside in a country that participates in winter ball, as part of the Caribbean Confederation or the Australian Winter League.

•No players with more than one year of credited major league service as of August 31st are eligible; except a team may select one player picked in the most recently concluded Major League Rule 5 Draft.

•To be eligible, players on minor league disabled lists must be activated at least 45 days before the conclusion of their respective seasons.

The seven players that the Indians are sending to the AFL this year are right-handed pitchers Shawn Armstrong, Trey Haley, Jeff Johnson and Will Roberts along with catcher/infielder Tony Wolters, second baseman Joey Wendle, and outfielder Tyler Naquin. An eighth player, catcher Jake Lowery, is expected to participate but is not on the current active roster and will probably serve as an extra catcher and be activated later in the AFL season with one of the relievers being deactivated.

Here is a quick capsule on each of the eight players the Indians are set to send to the AFL. Please note, I am not yet sure which Indians’ payer will be on the taxi-squad, but my guess is Lowery will be on it if and when he is activated. Also, additional players may be sent over the course of the AFL season due to injuries, etc.

Shawn Armstrong (RHP): Armstrong, 23, had a disappointing season because of injuries and put up a 4.14 ERA in just 33 appearances, and in 37.0 innings he allowed 35 hits, 3 homers, 21 walks and had 48 strikeouts. He actually pitched in the AFL last year so his return is somewhat of a surprise, but much needed in order to make up for some lost time this year because of a hand injury. As mentioned above, it makes sense to have him pitch stateside where the Indians and MLB can more closely monitor and control his workload. His fastball this season was not as explosive as it was in 2012 when he touched 99 MPH in his last outing in Arizona, so he will continue to work through some adjustments with his delivery to get that consistent high velocity back and also command his fastball and secondary pitches much better.

Trey Haley (RHP): Haley, 23, is another power armed reliever that had a disappointing year because of injury and inconsistency. He put up a 4.70 ERA in 39 appearances at Double-A Akron, and in 44.0 innings allowed 37 hits, 0 homers, 39 walks, and had 46 strikeouts. He is another returnee from the 2012 AFL team who once again missed time off and on this past season because of various injuries and it really affected his consistency. There is a ton to like about him because he can hit triple digits on the radar gun, limits hits and home runs, and gets strikeouts, but the walks continue to plague him. This fall it will be all about getting his work in, staying healthy, and getting more consistent with his delivery to set him up for an important 2014 campaign and hopefully get him on the right track.

Jeff Johnson (RHP): Johnson, 23, is an up-and-comer in the pen who continues to put up great numbers to go along with some interesting stuff. In 46 combined appearances this season at High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron he went 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA, and in 48.0 innings allowed 40 hits, 2 homers, 15 walks and had 50 strikeouts. That ability to limit hits and walks and get swing and miss has him squarely on the Indians radar as a possible pen option in the near future and the AFL will be a great test for him. He has a nice fastball that gets up to 95-96 MPH with good movement and a very good out-pitch splitter. He will continue to refine his arsenal and delivery in the AFL and probably look to fine tune his inconsistent slider.

Will Roberts (RHP): Roberts, 23, had one of the more underrated seasons for an Indians prospect this past season. Overall, he went 8-12 with a 4.77 ERA in 27 starts between High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron, and in 154.2 innings he allowed 173 hits, 17 homers, 36 walks and had 107 strikeouts. Each of the five teams on the AFL roster has one pitcher that is a designated starter, and Roberts should be that guy for the Indians. The numbers were not overly impressive this season but he showed durability, the ability to eat innings, and can really command the baseball. He also pitched much better at Double-A than at Single-A the last two years. He’s looking like a Matt Packer-like prospect from the right side that is pretty polished and has a big opportunity this fall to show what he can do.

Tony Wolters (C/INF): Wolters, 21, is the young pup of the group and might be the most exciting prospect of the bunch. He made the transition from middle infield to catcher at the tail end of spring training this year so his playing time was limited, but even with such a huge conversion he managed to have a nice season offensively hitting .277 with 3 HR, 33 RBI and .722 OPS in 80 games at High-A Carolina. The Indians are very excited about his potential behind the plate and he solidified his standing as a legit prospect at catcher this season with some amazing strides in just six months at the position. The AFL will present the opportunity for him to face more experienced baserunners and work with more experienced pitchers, which will help him in his continued development behind the dish. He may also get some time at shortstop or second base.

Jake Lowery (C): Lowery, 23, had a nice bounce back season from a tough 2012 campaign as he hit .264 with 7 HR, 33 RBI and .796 OPS in 82 combined games between High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron. He came into the season in the best shape of his career and it no doubt helped drive his performance and the consistency of it all year. The Indians absolutely love everything about him from a makeup, character and leadership perspective, so now it is about getting much more consistent with his approach at the plate, tapping into his power more, and taking a big step forward in his receiving skills behind the plate. The AFL probably won’t provide him with a lot of playing time, but the experience being around so many good catching prospects and coaches could still really help even if he is not playing.

Joey Wendle (2B): Wendle, 23, had an extraordinary first full season and really put himself on the map with his performance as he hit .295 with 16 HR, 64 RBI and .885 OPS in just 107 games for High-A Carolina this season. He has a knack for hitting and has a very good approach as he will take a walk and limits strikeouts, but the most impressive thing with him is the raw power. He has such a nice, quick swing and a lot of strength in his wrists and forearms that he could be a 20+ homer a year player down the road if he maintains health and his approach does not erode. The big question marks are his age since he dominated High-A at 23 years old and also his defense which the opinions vary on but the general consensus is that he is an average at best defender. The AFL will be a big stage for him to showcase his talents and be considered a lot more seriously as a prospect going forward.

Tyler Naquin (OF): Naquin, 22, had a solid first full season as a pro and hit a combined .269 with 10 HR, 48 RBI, 15 stolen bases and .739 OPS in 126 games between High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron. He was much better at Carolina (108 G, .277 AVG, .769 OPS) and really struggled in his short stint at Akron (18 G, .225 AVG, .571 OPS), and while the power numbers were a surprise the bigger surprise was the lack of discipline at the plate as he struck out 134 times. He made huge strides as a defender in center field and should get everyday opportunities in the AFL to continue to fine tune his skills defensively. He also really needs to hone in on his approach and discipline at the plate so that his good bat-to-ball ability and good base-running skills can show more.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Elvis Araujo

Around The Farm: Instructs October 7, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

October 8, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

Note, unlike in past updates, the comments will be brief today and focus more on their stats to date.

Game 9: October 7 at Goodyear

Indians and Dodgers tie 2-2

Elvis Araujo (SP): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Araujo had another exceptional outing, something he has done every time out this fall. In five appearances he has now thrown 6.2 innings and allowed 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk and has 11 strikeouts. He struggled with a shoulder injury this year, but based on his showing so far he looks to be all the way back. This is great to see and could be a hint at a possible big rebound season for him next season.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B): 0-for-1, BB. Valdez is now 8-for-17 with 2 walks this fall. This is a nice showing and could help inspire confidence to have him open at Low-A Lake County next season.

•Paul Hendrix (2B): 0-for-1. Hendrix has now played in 3 games this fall and is 2-for-4 with a walk in limited playing time as a late game sub.

•D'Vone McClure (LF): 0-for-2, K. McClure is now 3-for-13 with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in eight games this fall and has mostly played left field.

•Hector Caro (LF): 1-for-2, RBI. Caro was just activated this weekend and he recorded his first hit of the fall. He is now 1-for-6 in 3 games.

•Clint Frazier (CF): 0-for-1, BB. Frazier's playing time has diminished in the past week, but he's having a great fall going 6-for-16 with 2 triples, 3 RBI, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts.

•Junior Soto (CF): 0-for-1, BB, K. Soto is another player just activated over the weekend and who is 1-for-5 with a walk in 3 games.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B): 0-for-2, 2 K. Rodriguez has played in every game this fall going 4-for-17 at the plate with 1 double, 3 RBI, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts.

•Emmanual Tapia (1B): 0-for-2, K. Yet another new guy added this weekend and who is now 1-for-6 with 3 strikeouts in 3 games.

•James Roberts (DH): 0-for-2. Roberts has played every games this fall and is 3-for-16 with 2 RBI, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.

•Eric Haase (DH): 0-for-1. Haase is another guy who has participated in every game this fall and is 3-for-12 at the plate with a triple, homer, 4 RBI, 4 walks and 2 strikeouts.

•Francisco Mejia (C): 0-for-2. Mejia has been one of the brightest stars this fall as he is 6-for-15 with 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB and has not struck out.

•Shane Rowland (C): 0-for-1. Rowland was added to the roster over the weekend and is 0-for-4 in 3 games so far.

•Grant Fink (3B): 0-for-3. Fink is another new guy to the roster and is now 0-for-6 in 3 games with 2 strikeouts.

•Juan Garcia (RF): 0-for-1, K. Another new roster addition (do you sense a pattern?) this past weekend who is now 1-for-4 with 2 strikeouts in 3 games.

•Francisco Miguel (RF): 0-for-2, R, K, E. Yet another new player to the roster who is 0-for-5 with 2 strikeouts in 3 games played.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (SS): 0-for-1. Chang has been a regular this fall and is 2-for-11 at the plate with 2 RBI, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.

•Willi Castro (SS): 1-for-2, R. One of the few new roster additions from the past weekend off to a good start going 3-for-6 at the plate so far with 3 strikeouts.

•Silento Sayles (DH): 0-for-1. Another new roster addition who is 2-for-6 with a strikeout in 3 games played.

•Ivan Castillo (DH): 1-for-1, 2B, RBI, BB. Castillo has played all fall and done well. This was one of his more impressive games as he reached base both time and chipped in with the only extra base hit of the day for the Indians.

•Jordan Milbrath (RP): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Milbrath with his second perfect outing, this time with 2 strikeouts. A good start to his short Instructs campaign.

•Daniel Carela (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K. This was his debut in Instructs. This is nothing more than a look at a guy who was releaded by the Phillies at the end of July.

•Mitch Brown (RP): 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K. This was Brown's third outing and he has now totaled 3.2 innings and allowed 4 hits, 1 unearned run, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. He had to be removed before the end of the inning due to pitch count.

•Johan Puello (RP): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 K. This was Puello's second outing of Instructs and he has now totaled 2.1 innings, 3 hits, 2 unearned runs, no walks and 2 strikeouts.

•Jacob Lee (RP): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. This was Lee's fourth rehab appearance this fall and he has now piled up 5.0 innings and allowed 5 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 5 walks and 6 strikeouts.

•Justin Garcia (RP): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Another good outing for Garcia his second time around this fall. He has pitched 2.1 innings and allowed 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk and has 2 strikeouts.

•Trevor Frank (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Frank rebounded from his rough fall debut a few days ago and was much better his second time out. In two appearances he has thrown 1.2 innings and allowed 5 hits, 6 runs (all earned), 2 walks and has 1 strikeout.


Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Tyler Naquin

Around the Farm: October 8, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

October 9, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Welcome to the first ATF of the offseason covering the exploits of the Indians players in the various offseason leagues. Note, the Instructs ATF will continue to be separate and premium pieces, though there are only a handful left as Instructs wraps up on Monday.

Arizona Fall League

•Tyler Naquin (CF): 1-for-5, R, K. Naquin actually hit the ball much better than his line suggests. He singled on a groundball to right field his first time up then lined out sharply to second based his next time up. In his final at bat in the 8th inning he lined out to center field. If the Indians were keeping track that was three hard hits in five at bats for a 60% hard hit percentage which is very good (hard hit percentage is a stat they keep internally which carries a lot of weight).

•Joe Wendle (2B): 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K, E. An interesting day for Wendle as he did not put the ball in play in four plate appearances thanks to the 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Of more concern is the fielding error as his defense is something that gets varying reviews from many in the scouting industry.

•Shawn Armstrong (RP): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K. Armstrong struck out the first batter he faced in the 8th inning but then the aforementioned error by Wendle opened the flood gates as he allowed three straight singles with a caught stealing in the middle of it all before a strikeout ended the inning.

•Trey Haley (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Haley came on in the 9th for the one-run save and allowed a single to the first batter he faced and then the batter stole second during the next at bat. With the tying run on second with no outs he buckled down and set the next three batters down in order with a strikeout, groundout to second base and flyout to center.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Around the Farm: October 9, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

October 10, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

I arrived in sunny (and windy) Arizona very early on Wednesday morning and ventured over to the Instructional League game against the Royals. Unfortunately, the AFL game was happening at the same time and I was unable to attend it, but I will be there for the two night games on Thursday and Friday. Note, the Instructs ATF will continue to be separate and premium pieces, with the final one posting on Tuesday.

Arizona Fall League

Jake Lowery (C): 1-for-3, 2 RBI, K. It should be noted that Lowery was not playing for Surprise.....but instead is playing for Peoria. I figured something was up as I wondered why he was not on the Surprise roster when I knew he was playing, well, that's because he is on another team. This is a first for me as I don't recall ever seeing a team have a player on a separate team than the one team all of their players are assigned to. Maybe the Indians made a deal so that they could get Lowery some work at catcher, who knows. I'll be sure to ask about this one. In any event, he is on the taxi-squad which means he is only eligible to play on Wednesday's and Saturday's....so we won't see his name in the box score all too often this fall.

Tony Wolters (C): 0-for-4, K, PB. A tough first day at the plate for Wolters, but aside from the passed ball the reports I got were that he played well and looked comfortable and showed the ability behind the plate. He moved well, showed the athleticism and the arm is there. It is all about picking up the nuances to the position and developing his game calling, receiving, and blocking skills. Remember, this guy was not even a catcher seven months ago.

Jeff Johnson (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Armstrong and Haley went on Tuesday, which left the only other Indians pen guy to go on Wednesday. Johnson really labored in this outing and maybe showed some first game jitters as he threw 20 pitches in his one inning of work and threw 12 balls and 8 strikes. He managed to limit the damage as he struck out two and yielded just one run on a hit and walk, but one thing of note was his velocity was noticeably down as he was only at 88-91 MPH the whole time....and averaged about 89 MPH. That's not the Jeff Johnson we know as that's about 2-3 MPH below his normal range and average.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Clint Frazier

Around the Farm: Instructs October 9, 2013

By Tony Lastoria

October 10, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

This was the final game against another MLB organization. All three remaining game are against the NC Dinos (Changwon) of Korea Professional Baseball. The Indians closed out MLB play in the FIL with a 12-2 win over the Royals.

Game 10: October 9 at Surprise

Indians beat the Royals, 12-2

Clint Frazier (CF) - 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, HBP. Some good and some bad in this one as he just absolutely smoked the home run to dead center off the top of the wall. To his credit he was busting out of the box so when the ball took a funny carem off the wall he was able to easily round third for an inside the park home run. This was my first glimpse at him....and in his first at bat he did that. If that is not an omen of things to come I don't know what is. On the flip side, he struck out twice which is not good, though in his defense, both of the strikeouts were very questionable third strike calls. It is clearly an area he needs some work and the high strikeout totals in the Arizona League are something he knows full well about but is confident he will overcome them.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 1-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 SB. Valdez is batting .450 in 10 instructs games thus far this fall. Hopefully, this carries over to Eastlake or Niles next season.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (DH) - 0-2. Chang is taking some time to adjust to North American pro ball as he is 2-for-13 in Instructs this fall. This was my first look at him though he was limited to DH duty, so hopefully I get to see him in the field on Friday.

•Paul Hendrix (DH-2B) - 1-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 K. Hendrix made the most of his only hit with a 2 RBI triple that got over the center fielder's head going toward right-center. It was also his first significant playing time of the fall as he played the entire game.

•Eric Haase (C) - 1-2, 1 R, 1 K. Haase just continues to perform well even though he and the other catchers continue to split playing time in these Instructional League games.

•Shane Rowland (C) - 1-2, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 BB - Rowland picked up his first hit of 2013 instructs in grand fashion with a two-run double. From first impressions he looks like a gamer type that is coachable and who understands his role.

•Emmanuel Tapia (1B) - 1-2. Tapia has impressive size and is someone I am interested to learn a little more about this week. His hit got him over the Mendoza Line for instructs as he is now 2-for-8 on the fall.

•Francisco Mejia (DH) - 1-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K - Mejia is one of the best prospects the Indians have playing in Instructs. He reminds me so much of Carlos Santana with his compact and smaller size but the same way of loading up and attacking the baseball when he swings. His triple was a lazer over the outfielders head and he showed some athleticism scooting around the bases and getting to third.

•Nelson Rodriguez (DH-1B) - 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI - N-Rod had a breakout day at the plate as his batting average on the instructs season nears .300. His first hit he threw his bat out on an outside pitch and lightly hooked it over the shortstop's head for a two-RBI single. The next time up he crushed a three-run homer to deep left that was over the fence by a good 60-75 feet. No doubter indeed.

•Grant Fink (3B) - 0-4, 1 K - Fink remains hitless through four games. He is a guy that will continue to get opportunities at both corner spots.

•James Roberts (SS) - 0-2 - Roberts drops to a .167 batting average on the fall season. He is very big for a shortstop and in a lot of ways his size and frame reminds me of Juan Diaz.

•Willi Castro (SS) - 2-2, 1 R - The international signing is making a quick adjustment to North American pro ball going 5-for-8 thus far in his first experience as a pro. He is another middle infielder to keep an eye on and will surely be in my Top 20 International Prospect listing this offseason.

•D'Vone McClure (LF) - 0-1, 1 K - McClure had just one at bat and was out of the game. Talking to him briefly he knows next season is a big year for him and that he has to hone in on the strikeouts. He feels he is getting there.

•Luigi Rodriguez (LF) - 2-3, 1 R. Good to see Luigi back on the field after a shoulder injury sidelined him for the last few months of the season. He was really flat footed and upright with his swing with little load and drive, perhaps because he's still getting back into the swing of things.

•Hector Caro (RF) - 1-2 - Caro posted his second straight 1-for-2 day at the plate. This was my first look at him. I see a guy with some very impressive size but there is no doubt that the swing is still raw and will need some time to come around to where he can consistently impact a lineup.

•Junior Soto (RF) - 1-2, 1 2B, 2 RBI - Soto continues to adjust to pro ball in the states as he posts his best day yet in instructs. He is tall and all legs with minimal strength at the moment, so it will be interesting to see how his body matures over the next few seasons. But boy can he turn on a ball as he smashed a rope over the third baseman for a stand up double.

•Tom Pannone (SP) - 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 3 K - Pannone is still far from a polished pitcher and a guy that the Indians are really working on developing so that he can more consistently tap into his skills on the mound. He flashed some dominant stuff from the left side.

•Francisco Lopez (RP) - 1 IP, 1 BB - Lopez continues his strong form from the Dominican Summer League campaign. He doesn't throw very hard but is a guy the Indians like and is in Instructs to see what he can do in preparation for next year.

•Matt Whitehouse (RP) - 2 IP, perfect, 1 K. Whitehouse looked like a veteran out there as he located well and was efficient needing just 27 pitches to complete two innings. His fastball was 86-90 MPH but he changed eye levels and speeds well with a 82-84 MPH slider and 75-77 MPH changeup.

•Daniel Gomez (RP) - 1 IP, perfect, 1 K - A second perect one-inning outing for Gomez in his first two appearances in the US of A. He threw a 90-91 MPH fastball and mixed in an 84 MPH slider and threw a 76-78 MPH changeup I believe.

•Yoiber Marquina (RP) - 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 3 K. He is a project this fall as he is indeed moving from behind the plate to the mound. The Indians love his arm and he showcased it hitting 95 MPH on the gun routinely. He also showed the makings of a nice curveball.

•Sean Brady (RP) - 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K - Brady remains efficient as he only needed 15 pitches to get through the inning. He was only at 86-89 MPH in the outing but boy does he have some interesting secondary stuff at such a young age.

•Kyle Crockett (RP) - 1 IP, perfect, 2 K - Crockett posted his best outing of the fall season, needing only 10 pitches to throw this perfect inning. He flat out overmatched the hitters with a 90-92 MPH fastball and an unhittable slider. That pitch is so effective because of the way he takes some off it and adds some to it and can move it around the zone.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Around the Farm: Instructs October 11, 2013
Nellie Rodriguez

By Tony Lastoria

October 12, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall over the next three weeks. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

This game was the first of three against the NC Dinos (Changwon) of Korea Professional Baseball. They are a developmental team for their Korean pro baseball team and they beat up on the Indians 8-1 on this day. The low arm slot by the Korean pitchers gave Indians hitters fits all day, something they are not accustomed to facing and for some players they had never faced such unique pitchers before.

Note, the comments below will be very brief since I had a travel day this evening.

Game 11 at Goodyear vs. NC Dinos

NC Dinos beat the Indians, 8-1.

•Silento Sayles (CF) - 0-2, 1 K. Sayles had an even rougher day in the field as he dropped two fly balls by my count, one which was easily catchable and one he had to run toward the wall to his right but that should have been caught.

•Junior Soto (CF) - 1-2. This is a guy that really intrigues me and is something that has caught the attention of some player development folk in his time in Instructs. He is tall, lanky and all legs, but there are some definite tools.

•Paul Hendrix (2B) - 0-2. He had a costly error which I believe led to the first or second run for the Dinos.

•Ordomar Valdez (2B) - 0-1, 1 BB. I was disappointed by what I saw from Valdez in Instructs. In team drills he showed a lack of much of an arm and just looked a clear step below most of the other infielders.

•Clint Frazier (DH) - 1-4, 2 K - Frazier did not even get the bat off his shoulder in his first at bat as he watched three strikes go by, but to his credit he made the adjustment the second time around to some pitching he had never faced before and laced a single the other way. That was an impressive adjustment.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B) - 0-0, 2 BB. Rodriguez did not get many pitches to hit but to his credit he did not force the issue and took the base the Korean pitchers were willing to give him.

•Emmanuel Tapia (1B) - 1-2, 1 2B. He hit the only extra-base hit of the day and has some impressive size. I'm intrigued to see what he does next spring and how he does over the course of 2014.

•Luigi Rodriguez (DH) - 0-3, 1 K, 1 SB. Rodriguez continues to get some work in as he prepares to play some winter ball. He wants to play, but is unsure he will be able to latch onto a team and get enough playing time.

•D'Vone McClure (DH) - 0-1. McClure ripped a ball right at the third baseman who was on the line. It was actually a good at bat and one that is nice to see from him.

•Francisco Miguel (RF) - 1-2. He made the mistake of being thrown out at third advancing on a ball with nobody out.

•Hector Caro (RF) - 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB. Another Latin player with some impressive size but who is noticeably "soft". I caught myself doing double takes every time I saw him because I could have sworn he was Felix Sterling.

•Shane Rowland (C) - 2-2. He had the only multi-hit performance of the day. I will give him credit, he is one of the more confident players I have seen and he likes to talk a lot.

•Francisco Mejia (C) - 1-1. One of the better swings in the lower levels of the system and is a name people are going to hear a ton about this offseason in prospect lists. He's the real deal. What an arm!

•Grant Fink (3B) - 1-3, 1 RBI. The only RBI on a light-hitting day for the Indians. He played a solid third base and laced a single up the middle to score the lone run for the Tribe.

•Ivan Castillo (SS) - 0-1, 1 K. Just one at bat and limited time as he split the game at shortstop with Chang.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (SS) - 0-2. He really looked sharp for a player that just turned 18. He is easily one of the best prospects out in Arizona playing in Instructs and has a bat that I can't wait to see develop.

•Juan Garcia (LF) - 0-3, 2 K. My first look at him and probably the least impressive of all the new Latin players I got to see.

•Tyler Sturdevant (SP) - 0.2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K. He went into the game where he would throw 1 inning or 20 pitches, whichever came first. The 20 pitches came first. He's still very rusty and the velocity is only at 87-92 MPH, but it is nice to see him out there.

•Justin Garcia (RP) - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB, 2 K. My first look at the guy that did not pitch this year because the Indians signed him to a 2014 contract. He has an interesting over-rotation in his delivery but is a soft-tosser throwing his fastball at 84-87 MPH.

•Matt Whitehouse (RP) - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 1 BB. He needed only 13 pitches to get through his inning, but allowed two baserunners and the run should have actually been unearned.

•Daniel Carela (RP) - 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (all earned), 1 K - Not a good showing for a player in only his second outing with the organization; however, there is some interesting stuff as he throws 92-95 MPH and has the makings of a good curveball. He looks very strong in the lower half.

•Johan Puello (RP) - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Another new arm that I got to see for the first time. He will probably pitch in the bullpen next year. He's a two-pitch pitcher with a 91-93 MPH fastball and what looked like a developing curveball.

•Kenny Mathews (RP) - 1 IP, perfect. He needed only 13 pitches, though only threw one first-pitch strike. Though he is only in the upper 80s he looks strong and poised on the mound.

•Trevor Frank (RP) - 1 IP, perfect, 2 K. He threw first-pitch strikes to all three batters he faced. He is an arm stength guy with some good late life to his fastball.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Around the Farm: Instructs October 12, 2013
Sean Brady

By Tony Lastoria

October 14, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects throughout the organization. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

This is a special Instructional League version of ATF that recaps each of the Instructional League games the Indians minor leaguers will play this fall. All players that played in the game are included in each report. Please note, there is no advanced Instructional League this season.

This game was the second of three against the NC Dinos (Changwon) of Korea Professional Baseball. They are a developmental team for their Korean pro baseball team and Indians hitters had fits against their pitchers once again as they were shutout and limited to one hit. Most of the Korean pitchers throw from a low arm slot which is something the young, inexperienced high school and Latin hitters for the Indians have little to no experience hitting against.

Game 12 at Glendale vs. NC Dinos

Indians lost to the NC Dinos, 4-0

Sean Brady (RP): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Brady threw 17 pitches and was 2 of 4 on first pitch strikes, and had a nice finish to his first pro season. You can’t be anything but impressed with the year he had and hopeful about his upside – though the road ahead will only get tougher. I have to think he opens in the rotation at Lake County next year or at worst sticks behind in extended for a month before joining Lake County in May (like Shawn Morimando did last year).

•Ordomar Valdez (2B): 1-for-2. Valdez racked up the only hit on the day for the Indians. I wasn’t very impressed with what I saw from him defensively, and the bat has limited upside.

•Paul Hendrix (2B): 0-for-1. He has played a lot of second base this fall but looks to be in line for a possible utility role next season at Lake County or Mahoning Valley.

•James Roberts (3B): 0-for-2, K. He’s played some shortstop and third base, and might split between the two spots next year depending on whether Dorsyss Paulino moves up to Carolina or not.

•Ivan Castillo (3B): 0-for-1. Another guy probably set for a utility role next year though likely at Mahoning Valley – although there is a decent chance he could start out as the everyday shortstop.

•Francisco Mejia (C): 0-for-3, K. The Indians know this guy can hit and are excited about him as any player in their organization because of his ability to hit and throw. I would be surprised if he is not the starting catcher at Lake County next season.

•Eric Haase (C, DH): 0-for-3, 2 K. While watching the catchers work I was mostly impressed by what I saw from Haase. He just looks so natural, he is so soft when blocking balls, his athleticism leads to smooth actions behind the plate, and the arm is pretty good.

•Emmanuel Tapia (1B): 0-for-1, BB, K. This guy is my dark horse, a new guy to the system this year but one that the Indians will continue to develop at first base as they like the size and the upside with the power.

•Nelson Rodriguez (1B): 0-for-1, K. Rodriguez is just getting his work in this fall to continue to develop and adhere to his approach and get prepared for an important 2014 campaign, likely with a return to Lake County.

•Hector Caro (RF): 0-for-2, K. The Indians have him stateside for the first time and like his size, arm and bat as a prototypical corner outfield prospect.

•D’Vone McClure (RF): 0-for-1, K. McClure is a freak athletically, but that does not always translate well to the baseball diamond. He had a tough first full season as a pro, but the Indians are committed to him and I still believe in time the game will begin to come more naturally to him at the plate and in the field.

•Luigi Rodriguez (LF): 0-for-2, K. Now that the 40-man issues have been taken care of in the winter leagues, Rodriguez should soon find out his fate about whether or not he gets on a Dominican roster because he really wants to play.

•Silento Sayles (LF): 0-for-1. Sayles was in left field, a position he is probably going to find himself in more often down the road if he doesn’t start making some strides defensively in center.

•Junior Soto (CF): 0-for-1, K. Another guy who caught my attention in Instructs who is one of the most exciting prospects coming out of Latin America. He can hit, run and throw. He has a legs to rest of body ratio along the lines of Dave Winfield.

•Clint Frazier (CF): 0-for-2, 2 K. The strikeouts continue to be a concern, but I have to give a mulligan for any strikeouts from these past two games as Frazier has simply been overmatched by a level and style of pitching he has never seen before.

•Yu-Cheng Chang (SS): 0-for-1. Chang is another guy to keep tabs on. He just turned 18 and has some versatility where he can really end up at any position on the diamond but for now the Indians want to look at him at shortstop.

•Willi Castro (SS); 0-for-1. Castro was one of the Indians biggest Latin signings this year and might be the Latin player they are most excited about this fall. He has ML pedigree as his father played in the big leagues and is a coach.

•Francisco Miguel (DH): 0-for-1, K. Miguel is a high profile bat the Indians nabbed two years ago in the Latin market but who has been slow to come along spending the past few seasons in the DSL. He is expected to see time in the Arizona League next year.

•Grant Fink (DH): 0-for-1, K. Hitting at the bottom of the order, splitting the game, and having your team get one hit is the recipe for a one at bat game. In any case, he has a decent shot to open next season at Lake County as a corner utility guy.

•Jacob Lee (SP): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K. Lee finished off his Instructs campaign with a very nice outing throwing 2 scoreless innings and needing just 20 pitches to get through them. This is great to see.

•Elvis Araujo (RP): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K. In contrast, Araujo needed 44 pitches to get through his 2 innings of work and had a lot of traffic and high stress pitches he had to throw. Even still, he finished off his Instructs campaign positive overall….now he needs to stay healthy next season.

•Daniel Gomez (RP): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K. Gomez had the worst outing of the day needing 43 pitches to get through his outing though he was 6 of 10 on first pitch strikes.

•Francisco Lopez (RP): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Lopez came in relief for Gomez and recorded the final out and threw 19 pitches overall and was 2 of 5 on first pitch strikes.

Around the Farm: October 14, 2013
Tony Wolters

By Michael Hattery

October 15, 2013

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Around the Farm (ATF) takes a quick look at some of the daily performances by Indians prospects. This is a special fall and winter ball version of ATF that recaps all the offseason action by Indians players in the Arizona Fall League and the Caribbean Leagues. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in the game.

Note: There was no action in the Venezuelan Winter League

Arizona Fall League

Tony Wolters (Surprise Saguaros SS): 1-3, BB K: A fairly ho-hum line for Wolters. It appears that Wolters is playing shortstop in order to get at bats and maintain his positional versatility. Wolters has solid plate discipline. The one piece to monitor is Wolters’ power. Not in terms of home run power but just in terms of extra base hits. We saw Wolters take a step back in that regard this year, but whether that was tied to the rigors of catching a full season for the first time or just offensive regression, only time will tell.

Tyler Naquin (Surprise Saguaros, CF): 1-5, R, Outfield Assist: At first glance this line is relatively empty. Of course it is not anything to be particularly proud of; however, two positives can be taken away. The first is that in five at bats Naquin did not strike out. Development in his plate discipline is essential for him moving forward. Second, Naquin showed off his plus arm by vanquishing another runner. Another plus is his injury scare with his knee on Thursday appears to be behind him.

Joe Wendle (Surprise Saguaros DH): 0-3, 2 K: Talk about ugly. Not the sort of line we are used to from Wendle. Alas he has plenty more games to prove himself.

Jeff Johnson (Surprise Saguaros RP): IP, H, R(ER), BB: A bad outing, simple as that. Johnson has a solid fastball and the AFL offers him an opportunity to make a step forward amongst the many relief arms in the system.

Interact with Michael by email at michael.hattery@gmail.com and on Twitter @MichaelHattery

2013 Instructional League Notebook: Part 1
Yoiber Marquina (Photo: IBI)

By Tony Lastoria

October 17, 2013

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Another year of the Fall Instructional League came to pass on Monday as the Indians put the wraps on the 2013 development season with an eye toward a busy offseason in anticipation for 2014.

In some ways Instructional league is not considered the end of the season, but rather the beginning of the next one as players work on things and coaches help them in order to put them in the best position to develop and have success.

As I do every year, last week I ventured out to Arizona for the Fall Instructional League (FIL) and Arizona Fall League (AFL) for a few days to see some players for the first time, see how others are progressing, and in some cases see how others are mending from injuries.

As always, the FIL team is constructed of mostly first and second year players from the last two drafts or players that were recent Latin signings or played in the Dominican Summer League and are expected to play stateside next season. The AFL players are the select few sent to the prestigious Arizona Fall League that showcases some of the best talent in the upper levels of the minors that is on the cusp of making it to the big leagues.

Most of my attention was obviously paid toward the FIL team as there were so many new players there this year I had not yet seen and there were close to 50 players in total there. I did spend time in the AFL and interviewed and talked to all seven Indians players on the Surprise team, so I will have a spotlight piece up on all of them over the coming weeks and a notebook sometime next week.

Like last year I have decided to break my notebook into three parts. Part 1 is on the FIL pitchers and also an infirmary report, Part 2 is on the FIL position players and also quotes from the front office, and Part 3 will be on the AFL players.

So without further ado here is Part 1 with a focus on the pitchers in Instructs…

- Keep an eye on right-handed pitcher Carlos Melo. He is 22-years old and was actually released by the Rangers earlier in the year, but the Indians snatched him up and really like his ability to throw the baseball with some power. He sits 97-99 MPH with his fastball so that velocity is impressive, but the fastball command and the consistency of his delivery and breaking ball obviously need some work. He’s a lottery ticket because of that powerful arm, but from what I heard he made some impressive strides over the course of the season and really shined in Instructional League.

- Two other pitchers who impressed the coaching staff this year in Instructional League were right-hander Jordan Milbrath and left-hander Kyle Crockett. Crockett is a no-brainer as he’s done nothing but impress since the day he signed. Watching him pitch in Instructional League you can clearly see what separates him from most pitchers and that is the ability to command the baseball and a very effective slider. He can locate his slider to both sides of the plate, up and down, and really do anything he wants with it in changing location and eye levels – something rarely seen in a lefty reliever and why he could be on the fast track to Cleveland. Milbrath has some nice size and strength and already has a powerful fastball that I saw consistently sit at 92-94 MPH. He is very inexperienced so the Indians are just working with teaching him the finer points of pitching with attacking the zone, reading swings and learning to trust his stuff. But the like the size, delivery and stuff a lot.

- Right-handed pitcher Yoiber Marquina made the transition from catcher to the mound late this season. The Indians have always been impressed with his arm strength and defensive abilities behind the plate, but the bat was a giant question mark. Well, after a tough year at the plate in the DSL the Indians made the decision to move him to the mound and he showed some interesting stuff with a 91-95 MPH fastball and a developing breaking ball and changeup. He’s a project but there is some definite upside to him on the mound and he should pitch for one of the short season teams next season.

- Left-hander Kenny Mathews does not throw very hard but what really impressed me was how cool and collected he looks on the mound for his age and with such limited experience. He shows the makings of three solid average pitches, can command the baseball, and has a good feel for pitching - and might be a left-handed version of Josh Tomlin in that sense. It will be interesting to see how he fares next season pitching in the rotation for a full year, but you can bet that barring injury that he should open the season in the starting rotation at Low-A Lake County.

- Lefty Matt Whitehouse is similar in stuff and ability as Mathews with the one big difference being size. Whitehouse can still get a little bigger and stronger, but his body is close to maxed out compared to Mathews who has so much more room for growth. I see a lot of Matt Packer in Whitehouse as a guy who knows how to pitch, commands all of his pitches well, and could be both versatile and durable for the Indians. There are other starters with more priority that are ahead of him in the pecking order at Low-A Lake County, but he should at least start there as a reliever/swing guy. With the new pitching philosophy of piggybacking more starters in order not to limit them or give up on them as starters, he could find himself in such a piggyback situation with another pitcher at Lake County.

Quick notes

- Lefty Elvis Araujo had a nice showing in Instructional League and showed he was healthy after a bout with some shoulder soreness the second half of the season. But he’s been in Instructional League now for the last five or six years and it is time for him to take a much needed step forward next year. One person jokingly dubbed him the “King of Instructs” because he is there every year. He looks like he will return to High-A Carolina to start next season.

- Left-hander Sean Brady looks calm and composed on the mound, and while he was only 86-89 MPH with his fastball there is some arm strength there and he commands the ball well for his age. His 77-78 MPH curveball is nice and a pitch that the Indians are excited about. Due to his advanced pitching ability he should pitch a majority of next season at Low-A Lake County – though could open in extended spring training to monitor his workload on the front end.

- Right-hander Trevor Frank has a nice 92-95 MPH fastball that has some good late life and an interesting slider. He’s an older pen arm that throws strikes. If you want to peg a lower valued guy from this year’s draft that could come out of nowhere and fly through the system next year a la Cody Allen, then Frank is a great candidate. He looks all but certain to open at Low-A Lake County – though has an outside shot at High-A Carolina.

- I got my first look at right-hander Justin Garcia, a late round pick who did not pitch this season because he signed a 2014 contract. The stuff is pretty average across the board as he was 84-88 MPH with his fastball and showed the makings of a solid 77-80 MPH curveball. He’s a projection guy right now that the Indians want to see how he develops. He should pitch in Arizona next season in extended spring training and then in rookie ball and then see where he goes from there.

Infirmary report

As usual there were several players rehabbing from injuries and/or recent surgeries. Here are some quick updates:

- Right-hander Tyler Sturdevant made his return to the mound after a tough year rehabbing from shoulder surgery last December. He missed the entire season and spent all year in Arizona rehabbing and working his way back, and it paid off with a chance to get on the mound a few times in Instructional League games. The velocity is not there yet as he was throwing 87-92 MPH, but that is not a concern at the moment as the Indians just wanted to see him get up on a mound and throw live in a game. There is also a chance he could pitch some winter ball somewhere this offseason if the Indians can find a spot for him (he wants to pitch). He should be good to go in spring training though I expect the Indians to be cautious with his workload in the early going so he might even begin the year in extended spring training.

- Right-hander Clayton Cook missed the entire season after having offseason shoulder surgery last year, but he is getting close to a return to the mound and has been working out extensively in the weight room and rehabbing his arm and shoulder. He was playing catch from about 120 or so feet so a bullpen session could be coming very soon. Provided he has no setbacks this offseason he should be good to go for spring training though his workload will likely be limited next season since he missed a year and is coming off injury.

- Outfielder Luigi Rodriguez had his season cut prematurely short in late June when he came down with a shoulder injury. The pain lingered and the Indians sent him to New York to see a specialist and the recommendation he ended up following was to not have surgery and just let it heal naturally. After some rest and time off he got back to rehabbing in Arizona and late in Instructional League he was given the okay to play in some games. He says he feels good and that he hopes to play some winter ball this offseason somewhere.

- Right-handed pitcher Ping-Hsueh Chen was a notable signing out of Taiwan a year ago in June of 2012 but came in with some arm trouble the Indians knew about. He recovered from that and was set to pitch this season at rookie level Arizona when he ended up fracturing his right elbow throwing in an extended spring training game. The injury is similar to the elbow fracture that Hector Rondon and Geoff Davenport had in recent years. He has since had surgery to repair it and has been rehabbing his arm and working on his strength and conditioning. He is not yet throwing.

- Right-hander Mason Radeke struggled with elbow pain in spring training and the Indians shut him down for six weeks, but when he returned and got back on a mound and even out to an affiliate the pain never went away. He had his arm checked out and he says while there was no tear in any ligaments, he still opted to have Tommy John surgery because he felt like it was inevitable. He had the surgery in August, so he is hopeful to return to the mound by July or August of next season.

- Right-hander Jacob Lee went on the disabled list in June with a right forearm strain. He was shut down for some time in order to let the injury heal and was built up late in the season so he could throw some Instructional League games. He appears to be fine as he pitched in several games and was 90-92 MPH with his fastball. He should be in the mix in spring training for a bullpen or starting spot at High-A Carolina next year.

- Left-handed pitcher Mike Rayl had his season cut short because of a left elbow injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery in July. He is hopeful to be back by June or July next year and pitching in rehab games out in Arizona.

- Right-hander Jordan Cooper had arthroscopic surgery on his arm in September and is in the process of recovering and was doing several exercises but I did not see him throw.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

All those AA guys I read about this a.m. will be pushing for spots on the 40 man roster. Ramirez is already on the roster and Lindor doesn't need to be. That leaves Aguillar, Moncrief, Ronnie Rodriguez and Urshala as candidates. Should be room for them all. I wouldn't bother with Trevor Holt.

Draft Report Cards from Baseball America

Position players

QUICK TAKE
Cleveland took the draft’s first high school position player, Frazier, a potential impact hitter with a well-rounded tool set. The organization then focused on the mound, as its next eight picks were pitchers.
Bonus Spending: $5.92 million

Best pure hitter: OF Clint Frazier (1) had the best bat speed in the 2013 draft class, with tremendous strength in his forearms and wrists and an aggressive approach. Grant Fink (23), who hit .263/.355/.425 this summer, has a strong hit tool for a late-round pick. »

Best power hitter: Frazier uses his bat speed to produce well above-average raw power from a 6-foot, 190-pound frame. The Indians believe he can hit 25-30 home runs a year at the major league level. »

Fastest runner:
OF Silento Sayles (14) stole 103 bases this spring, which is believed to be a national high school record, thanks to speed that grades a legitimate 80 on the 20-80 scale. »

Best defensive player: James Roberts (15) saw time at shortstop and third base and has an above-average arm, good actions and steady hands. He could also play second base or the outfield as well because of his speed. He’ll need to improve his reads off the bat.

Pitchers

Best fastball: RHP Ben Heller (22) sat 92-95 mph and touched 96 after signing. RHPs Jordan Milbrath (35) and Trevor Frank (8) can touch 95. RHP Casey Shane (6) has pitched at 90-94 mph with great sink but was more in the upper 80s this spring. »

Best secondary pitch: LHP Kyle Crockett (4) has a plus slider. RHP Dace Kime (3) has a plus curveball. LHP Sean Brady (5) has advanced feel, and both his curveball and changeup have plus potential.

Odds and Ends

Best pro debut: Frazier was the top prospect in the Rookie-level Arizona League after batting .297/.362/.506 with 21 extra-base hits in 44 games. Brady had a 5-1 strikeout-walk ratio and 1.97 ERA in 32 AZL innings. A trio of college arms carved up the New York-Penn League: Frank, who had a 2.83 ERA with 39 SO/2 BB in 35 IP; LHP Matt Whitehouse (19), who had a 0.72 ERA with 29 SO/4 BB in 37 IP; and RHP Cole Sulser (25), who had a 1.83 ERA with 60K/9 BB in 54 IP. Crockett posted a 0.36 ERA in 25 innings across three levels. »

Best athlete: Frazier and Sayles have loud tools and athleticism. LHP Thomas Pannone (9), who has a fastball up to 93 mph, was drafted last year as an outfielder. »

Most intriguing background: C Sicnarf Loopstok (13), who grew up in Aruba and moved to Pennsylvania during high school, speaks seven languages. His first name comes from spelling his father’s name backward. »

Closest to the majors: Crockett reached Double-A, and has the command, fastball and breaking ball to be a tough left-on-left reliever. »

Best late-round pick: Cleveland spent $300,000 on RHP Adam Plutko (11) who has feel for pitching, control and solid-average stuff. Sayles showed a surprisingly advanced offensive approach and made strides defensively this summer. »

The one who got away: 2B Ross Kivett (10) was an offensive force for Kansas State and decided to return to Manhattan for his senior season. The Indians made a late run at RHP Paul Young (21), but he’s at Mississippi.

2013 Instructional League Notebook: Part 2
Junior Soto (Photo: IBI)

By Tony Lastoria

October 22, 2013

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Late last week I posted part one of my Instructional League notebook and focused solely on the pitchers and gave an update on several injured and rehabbing players. In part two I focus on the position players and boy were there some impressive players.

As I do every year, I recently ventured out to Arizona for the Fall Instructional League (FIL) and Arizona Fall League (AFL) for a few days to see some players for the first time, see how others are progressing, and in some cases see how others are mending from injuries. I saw a lot of games and practices during my time there and these notebooks are chock-full of information gathered firsthand from myself, coaches, players, front office personnel and scouts.

As a quick note, I did send some time in the AFL and interviewed and talked to all seven Indians players on the Surprise team. I will begin coverage on that next week with some player profiles and potentially a notebook as well. Also, at the end of this week I will have a radar report up with all sorts of radar readings from Instructional League and the Arizona Fall League.

Anyway, onto the notebook…

- Outfielder Clint Frazier has some special power there is no doubt about that. Anything you read about his bat speed and power does it no justice until you see it live. If you have an opportunity to see him play next season – likely at Low-A Lake County – do yourself a favor and go see him play many times. The gift to hit balls hard and far is quite real, especially since he is not an overly big guy nor does he work out much. In fact, he says he has not lifted weights in a few years. It is just natural strength and ability thanks to some strong forearms and hands to go along with some unbelievable bat speed. And it goes beyond the bat as the makeup is exceptional as I don’t recall meeting and talking to a player more committed to the game than him. He literally eats, sleeps and breathes baseball so much so that he doesn’t even have a girlfriend and half-jokingly says he doesn’t want one because he is “married to the game”. That’s some dedication.

- Frazier puts on an impressive display in batting practice launching majestic home runs to all parts of the field. He and the coaches often made bets on what he can aim and hit over the fence from pole to pole and also how far he can hit them. They had fun with it and he surprisingly came close to calling his shot and hitting it every time. The batter’s eye in center field is about 30-35 feet high, maybe higher, and stands about 10 feet or so behind the fence, yet he continually hit balls off the very top of it or over it. Legends have been made of players who have hit the scoreboard in right center field at Lake County, and while it would be an opposite field shot for him I believe he will hit it next season.

- What I really came away impressed with from Frazier is his overall strong game. I was impressed with how hard he plays and the nonstop hustle and focus he has on the game. He hit a long towering ball to deep center in one game, yet instead of standing there posing believing it was a home run, he put his head down and ran. The ball ended up going off the top of the wall and took a funny carom away from the center fielder, and because Frazier was burning around the bases he made it to home easily and standing up for an inside the park home run. He is also constantly studying the pitchers to get a feel for what they are doing and how they are attacking him. In one game he faced a submarine style pitcher for the first time in his amateur and pro career and watched three strikes go by without swinging the bat, but the next time up he stayed back and drove a ball to right field for a well hit line drive single. The strikeouts are no doubt a concern, but just looking at his approach and the way he studies the game and is so committed to it, I believe that as he matures and adapts more to the pro game that the strikeouts will drop. They probably will always be part of his game, but as a power hitter teams can live with a guy with around 100 strikeouts in a season if they are hitting 30-40 balls over the fence.

- Catcher Francisco Mejia is going to shoot up the prospect rankings this offseason. He wasn’t in my Top 100 last season simply because he just signed and had yet to play for the Indians, but I had all kinds of glowing reports on him from inside and outside the organization so ranked him as my #2 prospect in my International rankings which features top Indians players coming stateside for the first time (this ranking is only available in my book). When I got my first glimpse of him at spring training I knew he was going to be a star. He just has that presence about him, not to mention some exciting characteristics from a 17-year old which make you salivate when you watch him. The arm is special, the defense is coming, and he is just so smooth and fearless at the plate. It is a long projection at this point, but he really reminds me of a young Carlos Santana with his body type, switch-hitting ability, approach and power, and strong arm. He obviously has to come a long way to get to that point, but he has the makings of an elite catching prospect if he stays healthy, works hard, and develops as hoped.

- Catcher Eric Haase was the most impressive of all the catchers in Instructional League with the way he worked and moved behind the plate. He is really coming into his own as a defender and has made notable strides with his blocking. Few can match his athleticism behind the plate and the raw power at it, so this is exciting to see from him. Now, he just needs to work on that plate discipline and his prospect standing could soar.

- Third baseman Grant Fink got a lot of time at the hot corner in Instructional League, something he did not do in the Arizona League as he primarily played first base out of need. As a lower drafted player comes lower priority, so he is going to have to take his opportunities where he gets them, work hard, and then when he gets a chance to play showcase what he can do to increase that priority. He has some nice size and the bat is interesting, but he will need to really work in the weight room and with his training to get bigger and stronger to allow him to hold up to the rigors of a long seven month season and add some more strength to the bat. Right now he looks like a corner utility guy in the making and should continue that role in the lower levels of the minors next season either at Low-A Lake County or short season Single-A Mahoning Valley.

- Second baseman Paul Hendrix is another utility guy in the making, although unlike Fink he can play almost anywhere on the diamond. There is a lot of value when you can play any of the four infield positions and some outfield if needed, and that looks to be the role that Hendrix is going to fill in the early going of his pro career. He didn’t wow with the bat, but I saw a solid approach and a willingness to work the other way and a guy not afraid to work behind in the count. The defense was a little shaky at times, particularly at second base, so he will need to work on being more consistent in order to remain a utility option or perhaps a starting option in the upper levels. He should be in the mix as a role player for Low-A Lake County to start next season.

- Infielder James Roberts got a lot of work at third base and even played some first base in morning infield drills. He was the primary shortstop at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley this season, but his future looks to be at the corners. He is very big for a shortstop and reminds me a little of Juan Diaz there. With the Indians having so many young priority shortstop options in the lower levels of the system he might be moved off the position; though it really depends on what they do at Low-A Lake County next season with Dorssys Paulino possibly returning there. He could get the Kyle Bellows treatment at some point as a guy who came in as a shortstop and eventually is moved to third base, and I believe that will happen with Roberts at some point – possibly as soon as next spring. He works the middle of the field well with his bat and he displays some solid plate discipline skills, so with some versatility to play really anywhere in the infield he is another potentially valuable utility player.

- It was good to see first baseman Nellie Rodriguez continue to work and get additional time and instruction this offseason. He is such a young, raw player that has so much potential for plus-plus power - something he showed at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley this season with a torrid July - that if he can just continue to develop and refine his approach so he knows which pitches to be aggressive on the power will show itself more frequently. There is no question he can destroy a baseball and hit them far. He’s shown it in batting practice and even showed it in one of the final Instructional League games when he crushed a pitch against the Royals that easily cleared the left field fence by 50-60 feet. He’s actually making some strides with his defense too, though he’s still considered a below average defender there at the moment with the possibility to become an average one. I see him returning to Low-A Lake County next season and if he does it will be a big test to see how much he has come along since his struggles there early this season.

- First baseman Emmanuel Tapia is a new guy that I got my first glimpse of and while I was not blown away with his bat or defense, I can see some things that excite the Indians enough to consider playing him in Arizona next season. First off, he has nice size for a first baseman at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds yet is still only 17-years old. That is a nice, powerful frame from which to work with. He definitely stands out when you look at him. The defense is a work in progress and the Indians like the potential with the bat, and it ultimately will come down to the development of his bat.

- Outfielder Hector Caro is a guy that the industry gave the Indians a hard time about last year when they signed him for over $1 million. There are a lot of varying opinions on his future and how good the bat can be, but from my first look at him he looks like a solid prospect at this point. At first glance I thought he was Felix Sterling as he looks a lot like him in the face and with his body type, and that “soft” look might be why so many were down on him when the Indians signed him last year. He showed good power to the opposite field gaps and an ability to make consistent contact, but there is no doubt he needs to work harder on his strength and conditioning to get a little leaner and stronger. He will be one of the top prospects worth following that play on the AZL Indians next year.

- Outfielder D’Vone McClure is at a crossroads as a prospect, and he knows it. He did not have a very good first full season as he struggled with his approach at the plate and did not make very much hard contact all year from spring training all the way through Instructional League. His play in the outfield has improved, but what is going to make or break him is the ability to hit and that has been something which has been a process for him in his first year and a half in the organization. To his credit, he has worked hard and I noticed some notable improvement in his approach and swing since I last saw him in spring training. While the results are still not there, perhaps with a long five months of work in the offseason he will come into next season a little stronger so he can drive balls more consistently. Next season is a big year for him and he is deeply committed to working hard this offseason to come into spring training next year ready to make an impact.

- Outfielder Junior Soto is yet another new guy that I had a chance to see for the first time. What you immediately see is a guy with a thin, wiry frame that is all legs and listed 6-foot-3 and 172 pounds. He is a 16-year old with lots of room for growth and tons of tools. He already turns on balls well and drives them with authority and he moves pretty well in the outfield and on the bases. This is a guy I am intrigued to see more of next spring and also learn more about within the scouting community. He is someone who will no doubt rank high in my Top 20 International prospect listing for the Indians next year.

- Infielder Ordomar Valdez disappointed me some. He’s not a high end prospect by any means, but has been an interesting guy I have been keeping tabs on since my first introduction to him in Instructional League last year. He is a smaller sized player that is versatile, plays defense, has some speed and can handle the bat some; however, I don’t know if he is working through a shoulder issue or just tired but his arm strength looked poor. Several times during cutoff drills where he had to catch the ball a few feet into the outfield and fire home his ball would just die and two or three hop the catcher. Hopefully it is an injury or fatigue because with that kind of arm it is hard to play him anywhere but second base at a full season affiliate.

- By contrast, 16-year old shortstop and recent international signing Willi Castro was sensational with his arm. He consistently threw laser strikes on a line from shallow left field or center to home plate and had good carry on his throws. There is a lot to like with his tools both defensively and offensively, and he could very well find his way stateside next season where he is pushed aggressively into the rookie level Arizona lineup and skips the Dominican Summer League entirely.

- Outfielder Silento Sayles might be as raw as they come as a defender. He has such good speed, but he showed trouble ranging to balls in the gaps and particularly had the most trouble going back on balls. The speed component is very tantalizing, but he is so raw as a baseball player that it is going to take some time and development for him to more effectively use that speed in the outfield and get a chance to use it on the basepaths once he shores up his approach.

- Right now the Indians are underway with their Dominican Instructional League which started up last Monday and will run until the middle of December at their complex in the Dominican. It is a two month program to give a lot of their young Latin American players and even some recent drafted players more game experience. They play five days a week and do not practice or play games on the weekends and is very important for the development of a lot of their young Latin American players. One player who will finally get to play is Leandro Linares who I guess had visa issues and was unable to attend Instructional League in the states.

Director’s cuts

I had a chance to sit down with Indians Director of Scouting John Mirabelli who was on hand in Arizona watching the players and he offered up some comments on several of the new players in the system:

On Clint Frazier: “He just has a lot of passion for the game. He eats, sleeps and drinks it. He is fun to be around. At times you have to slow him down, but it is better than having to speed him up. I think [this season] has been about what we expected. He has had some ups and downs, but he shows you his tools and pretty substantial ability and upside. But he also like any young kid shows he has a lot of growth left and nuances to the game and small parts of the game he needs to work on to be a complete big leaguer. He is not overmatched by any means and he seems to be very coachable and you see incremental improvement every time you see him.”

On Yu-Cheng Chang: “When we first signed him I wasn’t quite sure what his true position was and I am still really not sure. I knew he was a good athlete, I knew he had some bat and some power potential, and I knew that he could throw and that he could run a little bit, so I wasn’t sure if he would stay at shortstop, or go to second or third or to center. But he has been pretty impressive with the way he can slow the game down with his glove and right now I feel pretty good about him staying in the middle of the diamond – particularly at shortstop. We will see. The game did not speed up on him at all. He hadn’t played since June and when you bring a guy like that into his first professional experience right into Instructional League where there is a lot of talent and it is a very competitive environment - he more than held his own. He has some ceiling and is in a good spot right now, and I like the raw assets we have to work with.”

On Willi Castro: “You are talking about a kid who just turned 16 and has a lot of potential and ceiling to his body and his strength and his physical assets. He is a long way to being finished. You have a baseball player as he is a guy who has been around the game his entire life as his father Juan Castro has been a player and minor league coach. He grew up in the game and played in the states and in Puerto Rico, so he has a little more feel for the game than most of the 15-16 year old Dominican kids. We are pretty excited about him. I am not going to pound the table and make a big deal and bring all these expectations out there, but in the back of my mind I think we have a pretty good player with potential.”

On Junior Soto: “He runs, throws and has athleticism. He needs strength and physical maturity. That is what you look for down there [in Latin America] is the raw tools. He has that as we like the athleticism, he is an above average runner, and he has an above average arm. He can stay in center field but we just have to see how physical he gets. There is bat to ball now, so it is just a matter of getting some strength and getting a lot stronger. He is one of those guys we will see what happens and we like what we have to work with.”

On Emmanuel Tapia: “He signed last year and he played this year in the DSL. He has some bat potential and is probably our best bat, best hitter and best power in the Dominican. He is strong, physical and is a mature body guy, but he needs to work with the glove. He is a first baseman only so he needs to tighten that up, but offensively he probably is the most advanced in terms of our bats down there for sure.”

On Juan Garcia: “He is a new guy as we just signed him in the last month or two. He is an outfielder who we like his bat potential. He wasn’t a high profile guy and kind of came onto the scene down there late. We held him in our complex for a while and we like the bat and he is a good athlete who is interesting. He came over here and held his own and competed well, though in all likelihood he goes to the DSL next year. The coaches were excited about him too and like his power potential. He is going to be a corner guy when it is all said and done and he put on a pretty good show here.”

On Francisco Miguel: “He is a corner outfielder with power. He came on at the end of the Dominican Summer League. He is raw. He is kind of physical with some bat potential. He really has come on and I think he has a shot to be in Arizona next year. He played pretty good here and there is some crudeness to the secondary parts of his game just because he is raw and has not played a lot. But we like his bat and the power came on.”

On Hector Caro: “He is another guy we felt came on pretty good as the year went on and who made some strides. He is a pretty physical kid with power who is a corner guy. He has such a good arm as it is above average, so I think he could stick as a corner outfielder.”

On Francisco Mejia: “Oh yeah, he can hit and he can throw. We sent him here for a reason as we knew he can hit. He has a well above average arm. He just needs a lot of work in the game management, receiving, and the intangible part of the game behind the plate. He is a good athlete and his bat stood out from the day we signed him.”

On Yoiber Marquina: “I just think the bat was struggling and he actually pitched some as an amateur [so we made the move from catcher to pitcher]. We started to look at opportunities and we saw the arm and said why go any further and just give him a shot [on the mound]. He has a pretty good breaking ball but they don’t want him to throw it so that he can work on his fastball command. He actually has a decent slurvy slider that is surprising for a guy who has not pitched much. It is a big arm and we are going to see where it goes.”

On Carlos Melo: “I saw 99 MPH here. It is a big arm, but he has got to throw strikes. The velocity gets your attention really quick. I think there is a chance for a hard slider off his fastball, but that is pretty inconsistent right now. But the arm is ridiculous.”

On Johan Puello: “He was in the Dominican this year and we kind of like him. We like a lot of his stuff. We have seen him up to 95 MPH. He is a guy with a good arm and the breaking ball is a little inconsistent, but we like his arm strength and he throws strikes.”

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIBI. Also, his new book the 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale