Cleveland Sports Forum

Winter leagues prospect roundup

O's Tavarez, taken in Rule 5 Draft, headlines winter league performers

Aneury Tavarez put himself on the map with a breakout campaign in 2016, when he finished second in the Eastern League batting race with a .335 average in 106 games for Double-A Portland. He also established career highs in on-base percentage (.379) and slugging (.506) while tallying 39 extra-base hits and 18 stolen bases. That success has followed the 24-year-old outfielder into the Dominican Winter League, and it's a big reason that the Orioles selected Tavarez -- the club's new No. 30 prospect -- in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. In 35 games for Estrellas Orientales this offseason, Tavarez has produced a .302/.359/.405 batting line in 35 games, with six extra-base hits, 16 runs scored and five steals.
While his above-average speed and defense should help Tavarez stick on the Orioles' big league roster this year, his progress at the plate in the past year suggests there might be more there than simply a reserve corner outfielder.

Here's a look at some of the top prospects currently making waves in offseason leagues.

Australia

• Ronald Acuna, OF, Braves' No. 17 -- Thumb surgery limited Acuna to just 40 games at Class A Rome last season, although he still managed to post an impressive .311/.387/.432 batting line, with eight extra-base hits and 14 steals in that span. Now making up for lost time by playing in the ABL, Acuna, 18, owns a .333/.358/.510 battling line, with two home runs, nine steals and 11 RBIs in his first 13 games for the Melbourne Aces.

Dominican Republic

• Chesny Young, 2B/3B, Cubs' No. 28 -- Young has done nothing but hit to begin his career, winning the Carolina League batting title (.321 average) in 2015 and then hitting .303 this past season in his first taste of Double-A. Unsurprisingly, Young is currently raking in the Dominican, where he's opened his offseason with a 10-game hitting streak and a .457/.537/.486 slash line for Leones del Escogido.

• Matt Koch, RHP, D-backs' No. 16 -- Acquired from the Mets in the August 2015 trade that sent Addison Reed to New York, Koch went 1-1 with one save across seven appearances (two starts) for Arizona as a September callup. More significant, he allowed nine hits in 18 innings in that span (.145 BAA) en route to a 2.00 ERA. Koch has been even tougher on opposing hitters this offseason with Tigres del Licey, for whom he's yielded just 10 hits in 22 2/3 innings (.128 BAA) to go along with a 1.19 ERA in five outings (four starts).

Mexico

• Brian Goodwin, OF, Nats' No. 29 -- After falling off the prospect radar from 2013-15, Goodwin resuscitated his career and ultimately reached the Major Leagues for the first time in '16, hitting .286 with five extra-base hits over parts of 22 games with the Nationals. Goodwin has continued to swing the bat well in Mexico, producing a .324 average in his first nine games as he prepares to compete for a bench spot on Washington's Opening Day roster.

Puerto Rico

• Corey Black, RHP, Cubs' No. 27 -- Control problems plagued Black once again in 2016 as he issued 36 free passes against 62 strikeouts in 53 innings (48 appearances) between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs were hopeful that Black might get back on track this offseason in Puerto Rico, and, so far, the 25-year-old right-hander has done just that, posting a 0.45 ERA with a league-leading 12 saves in 20 innings (19 appearances) for Cangrejeros de Santurce.

• Jorge Lopez, RHP, Brewers' No. 14 -- Lopez managed to end his otherwise disappointing 2016 campaign on a high note, posting a 2.49 ERA with 24 strikeouts and five walks over his final four starts in the Southern League. He's built on that success this offseason in Puerto Rico, where he's allowed just three earned runs on nine hits, with 23 strikeouts and eight walks, in six starts (25 2/3 innings) for Indios de Mayaguez. He's been particularly dominant in his last two turns, too, scattering just two hits and striking out eight across seven scoreless frames. Overall, Lopez is pacing the circuit in WHIP (0.66) and ranks third in ERA (1.05).

Venezuela

• Yandy Diaz, 3B/OF, Indians' No. 10 -- Diaz turned in another strong campaign in the high Minors in 2016, hitting .318/.408/.446 with 35 extra-base hits and a 71-86 walk-to-strikeout rate in 121 games between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. The 25-year-old third baseman/outfielder has been one of the top hitters this offseason in Venezuela, where he owns a .357 average (fourth in the league) with 10 extra-base hits in 29 games for Leones del Caracas.

• Raudel Lazo, LHP, Marlins' No. 28 -- Lazo recorded a 2.68 ERA in 42 appearances across three Minor League levels only to be designated for assignment when rosters expanded on Sept. 1. However, the 27-year-old lefty has made a strong case for a roster spot this offseason, as he has yet to allow an earned run while holding opposing hitters to a .173 average across his 16 appearances for Tigres de Aragua.

• Renato Nunez, 3B/1B, A's No. 5 -- After getting his first taste of the big leagues in September, Nunez ranks third in the league with 10 home runs -- a total he's amassed in just 30 games for Tigres de Aragua. While the 22-year-old has gone deep just twice in his past 10 games, he's still managed to hit .308/.413/.513 in that span, with nearly as many walks (six) as strikeouts (eight). Overall, Nunez is hitting .330/.414/.626 with 21 runs scored, 25 RBIs and a 15-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio through 30 games.

Yandy Diaz sitting out this evening's game against Margarita, hopefully for precautionary reasons only.

All games are must win situations for Leones if they expect to rise from the basement to a playoff spot. The Leones are 4 games behind Margarita who owns the fourth and final playoff spot with three weeks left to go in the regular season. Leones trails first place Lara Cardenales by 6.5 games. Zulia and Giovanny Urshela in second place trail the Cardenales by .5 game.

12/9/16
2B: Urshela (16, Molina, N)
RBI: Aguilar (13)
2-out RBI: Aguilar

12/9/16

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE (LVBP)

Giovanny Urshela (Aguilas del Zulia, starting 3B) - 1-2, 1 2B - Urshela now has a three-game hitting streak and hits in seven of his last eight and eight of his last 10 games, but is only batting .278/.300/.333 in his last 10 compared to .344/.359/.503 in 40 games this season. The discrepancy is due in large part to a lot of one-hit games recently (five of his last six and six of his last eight). His one-hit performance last night, however, comes with the caveat that he was pinch hit for by Carlos Colmenares in the seventh inning and thus only came to the plate two times.

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, 1B) - 1-4, 1 R,1 RBI, 1 BB - The RBI Machine drove in his first run in almost two weeks (and 13th of the season in 27 games) yesterday. Aguilar's last 10 games slash line (.235/.316/.441) is also lagging behind his season numbers (.283/.394/.500) due to a large number of one-hit games (five of his last eight, with the two games prior being hitless).

Yhoxian Medina (Leones del Caracas, PR) - no plate appearances - Medina pinch ran in the eighth inning for pinch hitter Alex Gonzalez (who replaced starting C Ramon Cabrera) and was replaced by backup C Anderson De La Rosa. I'm not sure Medina's sparse playing time (two at-bats in his last eight appearances) is helping him any, especially compared to the risk of injury that could keep him out for spring training and possibly the start of the North American regular season.

Guillermo Quiroz (Tigres de Aragua, C) - 1-3, 1 K - Quiroz continues his rough start to the Venezuelan campaign (.171/.292/.171 in 15 games), but has been hitting a little better in his last 10 games (.233/.324/.233). This is due to the fact that all seven of his hits have come in his nine most recent games.

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE (LIDOM)

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, starting SS) - 1-4, 2 K - Gonzalez's batting average slipped to .286 as he continues a five-game stretch of alternating games with one (or more) hits with hitless efforts.

Michael Martinez (Estrellas Orientales, PR) - no plate appearances, 1 R - Unlike most pinch running appearances chronicled here in ATF, this one was anything but ho-hum. He pinch ran for starting CF Willy Garcia (a Pirates farmhand who played in the summer for Triple-A Indianapolis) and scored the winning run.

Venezuelan baseball

Fight for Qualification red hot

Saturday 10

César Sequera Ramos || @ CSequera11

With the latest results in the LVBP , the race for qualifying positions has become dramatic, emotional and with the possibility of having a very close finish. The focus is on the Caracas Lions, Tigers of Aragua and the Navegantes del Magallanes in their fight to stay in sixth place, but the other teams have lost advantages in recent days.
Both Tiburones de La Guaira and the Braves Margarita , have lost 6 of their last 10 games, their classification no longer looks so simple as in the past. Their advantage over the Lions dropped three games and 3.5 for Magallanes which now occupies the last place.

Both team are battling back and forth for classification, however, must not detract from several games against teams that are above and can not fail. La Guaira plays Magallanes five times while Margarita must still face Leones three times.
The hairy whole has taken more advantage of these results, and thanks to your feedback, have not only left the basement of the table, but have climbed several positions. "We are very good, the team is reacting , " said Jhoulys Chacin has been quality starts and has worked for the collective effectiveness of Lions improves.

The Leones have 15 games left to play, three are against the Tigres, a direct enemy in their plans for classification in January. Something that should also be kept in mind, Aragua has 4 other games against the La Guaira Sharks, a team that has lost several games recently further complicating the classification results.

Los Caribes de Anzoátegui have taken advantage with 7 wins in their last 10 games, results that have given them the advantage for the final playoff spot. However, with 4 games remaining against the Margarita Bravos and 5 against the Zulia Aguilas, they need to keep winning to pass into the playoffs .

While the Navegantes del Magallanes still being inconsistent, but after the arrival of Omar Malave have gotten back on track with a couple of wins brings back hope. The positive point for the Navigators, is that they still have 15 games left, mostly against rivals so a positive streak could lead to a promising ship to port.

Watch This Dominican Baseball Cheerleader
Perform Some World-Class Twerking

https://youtu.be/c_8qU6MpQ-k

LEONES NOTICES OF THE DAY FOR FRIDAY

file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/El%20Rugido%20de%20Hoy%2009-12-2016%20vs.%20Bravos%20(1).pdf

YANDY DIAZ

Furthermore, the cuban Yandy Diaz also extended to 29 games his streak of games getting on base (and in 25 of these games has connected for at least one hit).

The outfielder had to leave the game in the fourth inning by an injury in his left wrist. Today, the medical staff of the team will re-evaluate and produce X-rays to measure the extent of the injury.

Indians add lefty Milner in Rule 5 Draft

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | December 8th, 2016 + 13 COMMENTS

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. --

The Indians know they have one of the best left-handed relievers in the game in Andrew Miller. What Cleveland would like to do this offseason is improve the level of lefty depth behind Miller in the team's talented bullpen.

The Indians took a step in that direction on Thursday, when the club wrapped up the Winter Meetings by taking lefty Hoby Milner with the 15th pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Cleveland grabbed Milner off the Triple-A roster of the Phillies and will bring the reliever to Spring Training with a chance to win a job in the Tribe's Opening Day bullpen. "He's one of those guys who we felt was worth taking a shot on," said Indians assistant general manager Carter Hawkins, who oversees the farm system. "His makeup checked out and it certainly seemed like a guy that potentially could help us out in the Major Leagues. So, we're interested to get a better look at him."

The Indians, who now have one vacancy on their 40-man roster, spent $100,000 to select Milner, who must remain on Cleveland's active roster all season. If the Indians want to remove the left-hander from the roster at any point, they must first offer him back to the Phillies for a cost of $50,000. Miller held left-handed batters to a .181 average (.523 OPS) last season, while the rest of the lefties who cycled on and off the Indians' pitching staff combined to allow a .280 average (.714 OPS) to left-handed batters. That group included Crockett, Merritt, Morimando, Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny and TJ House. Cleveland's 28 1/3 left-on-left innings were the fewest in the Majors last year.

"We're definitely exploring opportunities to continue to improve our team," said Indians GM Mike Chernoff, when asked about the team's hunt for left-handed depth. "That's an area where, especially behind Miller, we have a few internal options, but clearly we could try to upgrade there also." Milner, 25, posted a 2.49 ERA in 49 games between Double-A and Triple-A in Philadelphia's system last season. Over 65 innings, the lefty struck out 76, walked 15 and limited lefty batters to a .559 OPS. Hawkins said that Milner's work as a starting pitcher early in his career can be beneficial for facing right-handers. The assistant GM also noted that Milner lowered his arm slot toward the end of last year and had strong results. "We feel like has a chance to be that situational-type guy," Hawkins said. "He had a lot of success as he dropped his slot."

Winter Ball Hoby Milner Lara Cardenales Venezuela

Asdrubal Cabrera will report in the coming days to Caracas / AVS Photo

VENEZUELAN BASEBALL

Overcrowding in Leones infield

The management and coaching staff of the Lions of Caracas are waiting for the next arrival of a major leaguer of the coming week New York Mets Asdrubal Cabrera . The inclusion on the roster of the shortstop generates one of those "nice problems" for all managers, it will feature several pieces of value for few positions in the lineup.

In recent meetings, the manager of the team, Alfredo Pedrique , used in his infield Henry "The Chicken" Rodriguez at third, Wilfredo Tovar at shortstop, Gregorio Petit in second, Jesus Aguilar at first and designated hitter Jesus Guzman .

On the other hand, Pedrique does not have available veteran Alex Gonzalez due to injury and has placed on the bench players who have not performed well such as Harold Castro and Javier Betancourt .

By having Asdrubal Cabrera the question arises: where is he going to play?

"This is part of baseball. The players have to understand that someone has to sacrifice , "the manager said. "In baseball there is something called hierarchy. We all go through that as players and someone has to sacrifice. "

According to management it is very likely that Cabrera will start the season as a designated hitter, so the most affected in this regard could be Guzman .

When the Met's major leaguer announced he would be ready to play, Tovar or Petit are the players most effected. The explosive offense of "The Chicken" guarantees that he will be in the lineup for Pedrique .

Gonzalez , who is in his retirement year, will play depending on the progress of the injury suffered in his left shoulder.

" It is important to include players of this level," said Pedrique . "These are players with experience who know what it is like to play with a lot of pressure and at critical moments. That's what will help us in those moments. "

Santana hopes to return with Magellan / Photo Archive

VENEZUELAN BASEBALL

Santana advances in recovery and
hopes to play for Magallanes

He does not yet have a date for his debut, but Johan Santana continues to make progress in his recovery with the Navegantes del Magallanes . This was stated by Edwin Hurtado, in charge of working with the "Gocho" and praised his progress. However, these developments do not put a date on his activation. "We have no program, we're just seeing how he feels as he rehabilitates". The last time Santana pitched for Magallanes was in the semifinals of the 2014-2015 season. At that time, the "Gocho" had some discomfort in his shoulder as he only worked two innings. Although the expectation of the fans is to see the two - time Cy Young award winner pitch are huge, Edwin Hurtado is not saying whether or not Santana will see action this season. "There is nothing concrete , " he repeated. "It would take bullpen sessions and work programs before reactivation to see how he feels after each job , " he concluded.

12/10/16 2B: Gonzalez, E (2, Zielinski)
HR: Gonzalez, E (1, 8th inning off Dimock, 2 on, 2 out)
RBI: Gonzalez, E 4 (6)
2-out RBI: Gonzalez, E 3
SF: Gonzalez, E
SB: Gonzalez, E (1, 3rd base off Zielinski/Wynns)

Erik Gonzalez homer gives the Lions 5-3 win against the Bulls

SANTO DOMINGO

Shortstop Erik Gonzalez fired a thrilling three-run homer to allow the Toros del Esteto to beat the Lions of Leones 5- 3 in a Saturday game at the Quisqueya stadium Juan Marichal.

With the Lions losing by a run, Gonzalez turned the score board after two outs in the bottom of the eighth connecting off of the pitches of Michael Dimock. The Puerto Rican had also scored the game's first run in the third and then scored the second in the sixth to finish the day with four runs batted in and two runs scored.

With the victory, the Lions snapped a three game losing streak and climbed to fifth in the standings with 17 wins and 21 defeats. While the Bulls (17-22) dropped down into the basement a half-game behind the Lions.

The Lions dominated the game 2-0 until the eighth inning, thanks to the extraordinary work of opener Chris Leroux, who sailed through 7.0 shutout innings with just two hits allowed, a walk and two strikeouts but left the game without a decision.

The victory went to Kevin McCarthy (1-0) with two innings of one hit relief work. Dimock (2-1) took the loss by giving up the trio of runs in one inning.

For the Lions: Erik Gonzalez 2-3 double and homer, four RBIs and two runs scored; Ronny Paulino 2-3, a walk; and Wilkin Castillo 2-3, an RBI.

As for the Bulls, Cristhian Adames and Abraham Almonte 1-4 and an RBI each.

12/10/16

Gonzalez homers, drives in four

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

Erik Gonzalez (Leones del Escogido, SS-3B): 2-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI – Gonzalez’s three-run home run in the eighth inning was a big one. Not only was it his first homer of the offseason, but with his team down 3-2 in the late innings, it was the game winner. The infielder is now hitting .323 in nine offseason games.

Abraham Almonte (Toros del Este, DH): 1-4, R, 2B, RBI – Almonte has been hitting the ball well in the Dominican Winter League this offseason as he is now batting .362 (17-for-47) with seven RBI in 11 games. He’s only struck out five times and has three walks.

Jordan Smith (Toros del Este, RF): 1-3, K, HBP – Smith now has just four hits in 23 at-bats this offseason and ended a two-game hitless streak on Sunday. He’s collected two RBI, struck out eight times, walked three times and stolen two bases.

Ronny Rodriguez (Aguilas Cibaenas, PH-2B): 0-2 – Despite going hitless in his two at-bats on Saturday, Rodriguez is still hitting .394 in his last 10 games and .336 in 34 games overall. He’s added three home runs, 12 RBI, seven walks and 24 strikeouts.

VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

Jesus Aguilar (Leones del Caracas, 1B): 2-4, R, K – Aguilar now has five hits in his last three games covering his last 12 at-bats. He’s driven in one, walked once and struck out three times during that stretch. For the year, he’s hitting .292 in 28 games with the Leones del Caracas.

Morals and Baseball

By Jose Alberto Ortiz

SANTO DOMINGO .-

Sport is a reflection of society. Sport, both good and bad, impacts the society. The winter baseball season is the main sporting event in the country and is celebrated every year and it is a mirror of a social phenomena that has developed in this part of the island

A few years ago, we warned of the turn of events that was being given to the championship season through the promotion of sensuality, a phenomenon that was occurring in society at the level of advertising. This situation originated from the 1993-94 season, when the "eternal rivals" Licey Tigers and Escogido Lions, not only competed on the field but on the roofs of the dugouts as well.

Some time later, the Cibaenas Aguilas were added to the fight with their "Aguichicas" and almost twenty years later, the six teams in the league have bodies of "cheerleaders". Last season, the battle climbed several rungs when the new owners of the Escogido Lions imported Venezuelan dancers and a season later, the Tigres and Aguilas, not wanting to fall behind, hired Colombian and Brazilian dancers. Media reports say that the wages of the dancers are more than half that of the players in the league.

In 2005, the previous owners of the Escodigo Lions placed on the backs of the team uniforms an allusive ad to a sexual stimulant, domestically manufactured, and certainly, lacking in integrity, since the formula of production is a carbon copy of the discovery by a multinational organization. When questioned about it, the then majority shareholder of the Lions brashly said that "this product pays us a few million pesos because of the advertising on the backs of our uniforms. These days money is what counts."

Simultaneously, a popular "contraceptive" product, which was actually a "morning after pill", made its entrance to advertising during the championship season. Proved inconceivable, the permissiveness of the Dominican Baseball League, especially that in regards to abortion, is criminalized in the Dominican Republic.

In recent years, the phenomenon has been popularized in stadiums promoting free distribution of sexual stimulants and "morning-after pills, and introducing voluptuous dancers, ". This distribution is disrespecting the nature of baseball as a family pastime and exposes thousands of children and adolescents attending stadiums to unnecessary and dangerous sensuality to their age and development.

The start of the new season marks a bitter war between the two major beer brands in the country, which has flooded Quisqueya Stadium in advertising. We can say that both massively impact their consumers and increased alcohol consumption, major accidents, major crimes and further deterioration of the family. Outcome: progression of society towards self-destruction.

This increased penetration of alcohol advertising in sports contrasts with what is happening in the European Union, where the European Commission is limiting the allusive publicity vices like alcohol and cigarettes at sporting events. The Scandinavian countries have gone beyond resolutions and European authorities have excluded from their sports championships allusive ads for alcoholic beverages. An opposite direction we have taken in the Dominican Republic.

You may ask: how we got here. The answer is simple: the problem is in the heart of man and currents of thought that we have allowed to be inserted in society.

Our political, business and religious leaders have taught us that pragmatism is the dominant ideology. Dominican Republic has become a pragmatic society where the prevailing slogan is "the end justifies the means." In today's world, the sport can not survive without advertising and to ensure the permanence of the baseball seasons, have gone all moral filters and it matters little that has been done away with the traditional concept of family pastime that has accompanied baseball from its creation.

Ideas have consequences and the adoption of pragmatism and ideology of our leadership will produce, as baseball is concerned, the estrangement of families from the stadiums. You say we're crazy, because the stadiums are still full, but we wonder, full of what or whom: lustful fans, drunkards, adulterers, fornicators, rude fans and women attending games looking to hunt the opportunity of her life, tied to the portfolio of a baseball player finding a person who boasts his fortunes made in money laundering, tax evasion and other illegal activities that the loss of the sense of wonder is legitimizing in our country .

That's why the call grows for our country to adopt a moral revolution. This should start from the top down. Dreaming does not cost anything and so we dream of a national championship season back to the times of winter baseball where the game was what mattered.

It's difficult but not impossible. While there are voices like ours, committed to the absolute truths taught in the Word of God, we are always advocating the return of baseball to the purity of other times, when the game was not associated with immoral practices that corrupt society.

We are faithful believers that you can organize a successful championship season, with no dancing on dugouts, alcohol and sexual stimulants flooding the commercials. Just be creative and let pragmatism aside. Thank society and especially families, which are the basis of society, not turn away from the stadiums, thus ensuring the continuity of monitoring our national pastime.

Lions Concerned With Condition Of Yandy Diaz

Sunday 11 | 24:15

Naranjo Diego Cevallos || @ Diegonaranjo16

Since his arrival on the team, the Cuban baseball player Yandy Diaz has been the most consistant player in the lineup of the Lions of Caracas . However, the outfielder's left hand was injured for the second time this season making a swing.

"I do not know how the decision will affect Cleveland, I do not know if I will be sent Cleveland to seek further evaluation there "

"He's day to day" , said team manager, Alfredo Pedrique . The medical staff of the Caracas Leones performed an MRI on the affected area of Diaz's hand to determine the seriousness of the injury. "We are now waiting an answer from Cleveland. The Caracas medical staff already sent the report to Cleveland. "

Diaz is one of the most important talents of the organization of the Cleveland Indians being named the Rookie of the Year this season at triple A Columbus the 2016 Team of the Cleveland organization.

"We're a little worried because Diaz is a player who was included on 40 man roster at Cleveland, "said Pedrique . "I do not know how the decision will affect Cleveland, do not know if he will be sent there to Cleveland to seek further evaluation or leave him here."

It is a lesion that is repetitive. This is the second time this season and raises concern for the manager on the possible decision of the Indians to stop Diaz. "It is the second time the same wrist is injured" , Pedrique said. "Surely they have (Cleveland) a little concern. And Diaz said this morning (Saturday) that he felt better. "

Yandy Diaz has hitting .357 on the season, third best in the league, and an OPS of .924 with two homers, 14 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

[ Caracas has an off day on Sunday.....Another day of rest for Diaz ]