With Lindor on board for many successful years ahead the solid crop of SS we are developing are all on the way to shifting off the position or being important trade counters. Erik Gonzalez [age 24, AAA], Yu-Cheng Chang [20, High A], Tyler Kreiger [22, somewhere in A], Willi Castro [18, low A], Luke Wakamatsu [19, also low A] all are graded "50" talent level by Baseball America. That translates as "solid average major league regular" with varying degrees of likelihood at reaching that level eventually.

The only minor leaguers rated at higher ceilings are: Aiken, 65; Zimmer and Frazier and Sheffield, 60; Bradley and McKenzie 55.

Other "50" level ratings go to: Naquin, Clevinger, Kaminsky, Fr. Mejia, Hillman, Mathias, Diaz, N.Rodriguez, Papi

Some notes from the BA prospect handbook.

Besides the 2014 and 2015 draftees, other starting pitchers who are noted are:

No. 7 Mike Clevinger RH age 25 hit AAA for the 2015 playoffs Grade 50 Columbus this year
No. 9 Rob Kaminsky LH age 21 High A, received from St. L for Moss, and then sat out with minor injury. Grade 50 Akron
No. 14 Adam Plutko RH age 24 AA 2.86 ERA not overpowering but good offspeed, control and "makeup" Grade 45 Columbus
No. 17 Shawn Morimando age 23 LH solid 3 pitch mix, control questionable Grade 45 Columbus
No. 22 Ryan Merritt age 24 next week LH upper 80s fastball Grade 40 Columbus
No. 24 Dylan Baker age 23 RH limited to 58 IP in last 2 years Grade 45 Lynchburg once again
No. 25 Luis Lugo age 22 during ST big LH [in contrast to Morimando and Merritt] durable, high ceiling, erratic Grade 45, Akron
No. 30 Mitch Brown age 21 RH Good stuff but very inconsistent Grade 45, back to Lynchburg

Other starters on the depth chart:
Lefites: Sean Brady followed by Sam Hentges
Righties: in ranked order-- Jonas Wyatt, Grant Hockin, Justin Garza, Micah Miniard and perpetual short-season flop Kieran Lovegrove

BAseball America is going primetime with an announcement show for their Top 50 minor league prospects. The second 50 are posted online and three Indians' teenagers are slotted:

No. 71 Brady Aiken. Hasn't thrown a pitch as a pro and probably will only be in short season ball this year. LH
No. 81 Justus Sheffield. sub-6 foot lefty will be in Lynchburg as a 19-year-old
No. 93 Bobby Bradley Got a couple weeks in Lynchburg last season, will return and try to develop his defense and cut down on his Ks

Obviously Zimmer and Frazier are in the upper 50. Zimmer probably in the 20s, Frazier toward the bottom.

70. Alexis Pantoja – Shortstop

Born: 01/18/1996 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 150 – Bats: Switch – Throws: Right
Facts & Info: Pantoja was selected by the Indians in the 9th round of the 2014 Draft out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. He was a 2014 Perfect Game 2nd Team All-American and an All Region 1st Teamer (Canada/PR).
Offense: Pantoja is all about projection at the plate as he is very small in size and his body is still maturing for the pro game. He has some good now skills with a good approach and nice eye that he can continue to build on and provide a good foundation for him to hit from. He has a developing swing with some good, quick hands that allow him to get to any pitch. He really has a good feel for what he is doing at the plate and is in tune to the different fundamentals needed depending on the game situation. He is a smart hitter who is going to need to rely on his intelligence, approach and fundamentals since he has well below average power.
Defense: Pantoja was considered one of the best defenders in the 2014 Draft and in many places was the top player from Puerto Rico available in the draft. He is already a plus defender and has the potential to be elite because of his exceptional hands, very quick first step and high baseball IQ. His actions with the glove are smooth and he shows a strong arm that is capable of making all the throws from the infield. He can no doubt play shortstop, but he is also very versatile where he can play anywhere in the infield, and that flexibility creates a lot of value for him in getting him into the lineup regularly right now and also as a possible utility option if needed down the road.
Speed & Intangibles: Pantoja is quick though is not a burner. As he gains experience and learns how to read pitchers and get better jumps he could become someone who regularly sits in the teens with stolen bases each year. He is a baseball rat and a hard worker.
Focus: Because of Pantoja's prowess with the glove at such a young age, most of the focus right now is on developing his offense and improving his strength. While he handles the bat well, the hit tool needs some work and the power is poor. He is not yet strong enough to really handle the bat like he can, so the big thing with him is putting a little weight on him and getting him a little stronger, and when that happens the Indians believe he will be a much more confident hitter and see a jump in his offensive production. He will never hit for much power, but the added strength could help with getting more hits to fall, pound the gaps a little more and also give him the strength and endurance to stay durable and last a full season.
Future: Pantoja is one of the best defensive players in the entire organization; there is little doubt about that. He's young and has some projection left in the bat where there is the potential for a solid Major League shortstop or second baseman, or even a utility player. He should continue to get a lot of looks at shortstop in the lower levels of the system while mixing in a little at other positions to see where the bat takes him. He will probably lag a little behind his draft class because he is not as far along with the bat as some of his peers, which is not a problem right now considering he is still so young. He has a chance to open the season at Low-A Lake County though may stay in extended spring training to get some more work before sending him to Short-A Mahoning Valley in June or even Lake County around that time.

1 CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS STORY

Tony Lastoria at his finest:

He's right that Pantoja has since the day he was drafted rated a very good defensive player with limited offensive skills.
And he's Tony when he notes the high baseball IQ and the good chance that Pantoja will develop well beyond his current statute. We have lots of SS who have more varied skills, offensive along with defense, in Willi Castro and Luke Wakamatsu who are both crowding into the SS position in Lake County; Krieger drafted last year but sat out with injury; and then of course Erik Gonzalez a couple steps ahead and all behind the best defensive SS who hit far beyond expectations in his big league debut.

what does this sentence mean: He is not yet strong enough to really handle the bat like he can,

"Like he can"? How about "like Indians hope maybe someday he can or he'll never amount to much"

Here's a pitcher who Tony ranks high for aptitude, demeanor, mental toughness, and a desire to win. What else does it take?

69. Matt Esparza - Right-handed Pitcher

Delivery & Intangibles: Esparza has a projectable frame, he shows a good aptitude to make adjustments, is a good athlete and has a very good delivery and clean arm action. Those are all things that the Indians believe will help him down the road as he makes adjustments which will help him improve the command of all of his pitches and also add a tick or two of velocity to his fastball. He has a good approach to pitching, shows a good demeanor on the mound, is mentally tough and doesn't allow the game to speed up on him and is very competitive with a strong desire to win.

In their preseason Top 100 prospect listing, BA ranks Zimmer No. 31 and Clint Frazier No. 44. Not quite Franchise Players, but good major leaguers.

Q&A:

Mike (NY): is Bobby Bradley a top 50 guy next year

J.J. Cooper: Absolutely could be. One of the higher risk, higher reward players in this year’s Top 100. Bradley dominated the AZL in 2014 and put together a nearly equally impressive 2015 season in the Midwest League. You can’t help but love the power and Bradley has shown he can hit for average at times as well, but the strikeouts are scary as well. If Bradley goes to high Class A, hits for power again and shows some improvement in his contact rate, than he could climb into the Top 50 next year.

Brian (Ohio): I'm having trouble figuring why Austin Meadows keeps appearing above Bradley Zimmer on prospect lists. Please enlighten me. Zimmer seems to have better tools with the exception of the hit tool, and I think they are much closer there than you guys projected (70-55). 70 hit just seems unrealistic to me.

John Manuel: Meadows is a good 2.5 years younger than Zimmer, and I do believe he’s the better hitter by a grade. Zimmer struck out 128 times last year, 23.9 percent of ABs. Meadows’ K rate was 14.4. Zimmer did reach Double-A but he’s older as I said and didn’t do that well in Double-A. Lastly, our scouting reports are more bullish on Meadows’ swing—his balance, his time in the hitting zone, his pitch recognition. I like Zimmer; frankly I think we’re pretty bullish to have him as high as we do. I really like Meadows and prefer him, but looking at the ballots, we all had them very close.

Scout.com ratings are a bit lower for Zimmer: No. 38. Frazier at No. 47

Question for Civ (or anyone else who wants to answer.

Does the Tribe maybe have a higher opinion of Zimmer than we suspect? I know he has excellent plate discipline, a huge sign that he is a mature hitter.

The reason I bring it up is because I can't understand why they wouldn't sign Murphy/Raburn for dirt cheap deals - is it possible they like Zimmer that much that he may contribute more THIS year at the big league level than we think?

Everyone thinks highly of Zimmer, and he came from college & is 23 so as he is ready he'll move along. Problem is he hit very well at high A Lynchburg last year but when they moved him up to AA Akron for a couple hundred at bats he didn't hit anything. (.219)

Don't see how you could count on him this year.

2016 IBI Top 75 Prospects: #64 Claudio Bautista
Tony Lastoria
TONY LASTORIA
8:20 AM
The countdown continues with a second base prospect who brings some pop and versatility to the infield plus still has some upside...

64. Claudio Bautista – Infielder

Born: 11/29/1993 – Height: 5’11” – Weight: 170 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right
Facts & Info: Bautista signed as a minor league free agent out of the Dominican Republic in May of 2011. An interesting stat for his career is his surprising success against right-handed pitchers and struggles against left-handed pitchers, which is usually the opposite for a right-handed hitter. For his career he is a .269 hitter against righties but owns a .169 isolated power percentage (ISO) whereas against lefties he is a career .236 hitter with a .082 ISO.
Offense: Bautista is a smaller sized, athletic infielder who is more of an offensive-oriented player and packs some surprising punch in his small frame. His natural power is deceiving for his size thanks to his good overall strength to go along with some good bat speed, fast twitch muscles and strong, quick wrists that give him average power. He has a very aggressive swing and really attacks the baseball where he really gets the bat head out, and when he squares balls up can really do some damage by pounding the gaps and can hit the ball out to any part of the ballpark. He can swing the bat and shows a good feel for the strike zone, and when he is at his best his strength is to right center. He has some natural hand-eye coordination and an approach that is conducive to driving the ball gap to gap and using the entire field.
Defense: Bautista is an average defender with an average arm who profiles best as an everyday player at second base because of his limited range. While he is a solid defender at second base and it is his best position, he has some versatility where he has some experience at third base and shortstop and could even play some first base or outfield in a pinch. That versatility is something that will probably work in his favor as he matures and his career becomes more defined.
Speed & Intangibles: Bautista is an average runner with some athleticism who has the ability to steal a few bases and take the extra base. He maximizes his abilities by playing hard and giving 100% effort. He is a very passionate and emotional player who plays the game carefree and with no fear.
Focus: Developing an approach and improving the mechanics in his swing are two things the Indians and Bautista have really honed in on as a focal point in his development plan the last few years. He lacks much patience as he doesn't walk very much, gets himself out a lot by chasing or over-swinging and is very inconsistent where he has too many peaks and valleys in his performance. He is so good to the opposite gap that the Indians would like to see him execute his whole field approach more consistently because he has a tendency to pull off balls and open his front side too quick which leaves him susceptible to chase and weak contact on pitches on the outer half of the plate. A more consistent approach to the middle of the field and off gap will help keep him physically connected to the plate and allow him to compete against multiple pitches. He over-swings which takes himself out of his approach and he loses control of the mechanics in his swing, so the Indians are working to get him to dial his swing down to cut down some of the effort in it. That aggressiveness is a catch 22 for him as that aggression is what helps his power play up, so the Indians made an adjustment last year where they quieted down his body and synced up the mechanical movements with his hand load, lower half load and his shift in order to put him on time more and quiet down his swing and put him on time so that he is not trying to do too much. In the end, it is about him maintaining that aggressiveness at the plate but controlling it a little more, recognizing spin better, being a little more patient in finding pitches he can drive and keeping his bat path in the hitting zone longer so he can be better with his middle of the field approach. He has shown incremental improvement as a defender but he is still limited with his range and has some trouble with the accuracy of some of his throws, and he is working to slow the game down so his emotions do not get the best of him when he makes a mistake in the field or has a poor outcome with an at bat.
Future: Bautista has been a fringy type of prospect over the last few years where despite the smaller size there has been upside with the bat because of the surprising pop he possesses. His development path is long because of the issues with the approach he is working through and the limitations with his defense, so he probably projects best as a utility player down the road; however, he has the natural skills where he could still turn into a solid Major League option at second base. Now that he is in his age 23 season he really needs to take a step forward in his development and show more consistent performance this year or risk falling by the wayside to other infield options in the lower levels who could pass him up on the priority list. Everything came together for him last season at Low-A Lake County where he combined more contact with a more controlled swing and feel for the strike zone to put up his best numbers to date, but then really struggled when he was promoted to High-A Lynchburg midseason. He took off last year when he repeated at Lake County so the hope is the same thing happens when he opens the season by returning to Lynchburg.

1 CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS STORY

Zimmer had a stress fracture soon after his promotion to Akron so that probably explained his offensive falloff. Don't know if the front office values him better than the 30th best prospect in baseball but I have not seen anything that suggests he will be ready for the majors in 2016 unless perhaps when rosters expand in September. He sounds like he has very good skills at all "five tools" but not great at any. Sort of a poor man's Trout perhaps. Of course, since Trout on some metrics is off to the best career debut in major league history a poor man's version could still be pretty helpful.
I think Frazier seems to have more star potential because of his power possibilities. Younger by a couple years so his development will come along more slowly. One or the other if not both should be very capable athletic offensive and defensively productive, but not yet.

I agree with Civ. Hoping the injury is what slowed him down, and hoping he progresses nicely for a September call up. But no way you should count on him this year.

I actually like Zimmer, a lot. More than Frazier. Just saying don't "count on him" yet.

Frazier continues to cut down on his K's and walk more and I'll continue hopping on board that wagon. He started winning me over late last season.

Don't ask me to quote the exact numbers off the top of my head, but I will point out that Zimmer has around the same amount of at bats in the minor leagues now as he had in his entire college career. And he currently has more homers in the minors than he had in the same at bats in college. 22 homers for Tribe compared to 14 in college if I remember correctly. So the power is developing nicely.

Nellie sent out a couple Tweets that looks like he's excited about something...

Nellie Rodriquez @RealNRod25
Things happen for a reason!

Nellie Rodriguez @RealNRod25
Just got the best news!! Being patient is very important! Wow