Cleveland Sports Forum

AFL Players on the Rise, include:

Yu Chang, 3B, Glendale (Indians) — Scouts and AFL coaches agreed that Chang’s bat is ready for a move to the major leagues, except that he’s blocked in Cleveland by Jose Ramirez. The Taiwan native consistently took good at-bats with doubles power to the gap, drawing a comparison to veteran big leaguer Martin Prado. Chang spent time at third base, shortstop and second base during his regular season with Triple-A Columbus, so he could get his first chance with the Indians in a utility role. replacement for Gonzalez in 2019?

Dumping Kipnis solves a lot of problems.

I almost forget about him when I'm thinking about 2019. He'd be a left fielder if anything; there's really no other spot for him. or a "super sub" but that's not the role for a 32 year old long time regular.

The Indians have a history of fast-tracking college relievers to the big leagues, when appropriate.

They drafted Cody Allen out of High Point in the 23rd round in 2011, and when the Indians called him up in 2012, he became the second player from his draft class to reach the majors.

In the fourth round of the 2013 draft, they took Virginia lefthander Kyle Crockett, and when he made his major league debut the following May he was the first player from his draft class to reach the majors.

The next college reliever to make an early arrival at Progressive Field could be righthander Nick Sandlin, who galloped through four levels of the minors in 2018 and could become a bullpen option in Cleveland in 2019.

The Indians drafted Sandlin in the second round in 2018 out of Southern Mississippi, where he was a closer in his first two years before moving into the rotation as a junior.

The Indians signed him for $750,000, and Sandlin wasted no time in hop-scotching his way through the minor league system. He touched down in the Rookie-level Arizona League and followed that with assignments to low Class A Lake County, high Class A Lynchburg and Double-A Akron.

Sandlin uses a low arm slot to deliver a low-90s fastball and nasty slider. In a combined 25 appearances during his pro debut he recorded a 3.00 ERA. He averaged 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings while walking just three batters and allowing opponents to hit .233.

"Sandlin is a competitor who had versatility as a starter and reliever in college,” farm director James Harris said. "He provides a different look with his sidearm slot out of the pen, and he competes with a fastball and slider that are tough on righthanded hitters.”

Indians officials are going to let Sandlin’s ability dictate how soon he reaches the majors, but with the big league bullpen in a state of flux because of the expected departures of free agents Allen and Andrew Miller, there will be opportunities available.

The Indians love Sandlin’s makeup.

"We like his ability to compete and his drive to improve, along with his dedication to his teammates," Harris said. "Any time you have that combination, the sky is the limit."

BA on the guys we got from the Nationals:

INDIANS ACQUIRE:

Daniel Johnson, OF
Age: 23

Johnson can run, play all three outfield positions and has a cannon for an arm, but no one is sure how much he'll hit. He ranked as the Nationals' No. 8 prospect entering the year but hit just .267 with six home runs in 89 games at Double-A Harrisburg and missed time with a broken hamate bone. He followed up by hitting .145 in the Arizona Fall League. At his best, Johnson has a contact bat that drives balls the opposite way into the left-center gap. Even though his offense is far from a sure thing, he still was set to rank in the Nationals' Top 10 Prospects for 2019 on the strength of his other tools.
[IMPRESSIVE TALENT!]

Jefry Rodriguez, RHP
Age: 25

Rodriguez ranked as the Nationals' No. 24 prospect entering last season and went 3-3, 5.71 in 14 appearances (eight starts) as a rookie. Rodriguez has power stuff with a 95 mph fastball and a hammer power curveball, but he’s still learning to control it. He had nearly as many walks (37) as strikeouts (39) in 52 innings in his MLB debut. Rodriguez has a chance to remain a starter, but most see his future as a power reliever due to his unreliable control.

Johnson and Will Benson and Quentin Holmes could make a very talented trio of athletes who could play great defense and not hit anything.

I'm hoping for a solid PTBNL.

Rule 5 draft results as usual not very significant.

In major league phase, we lost Kyle Dowdy a RHP we got along with Martin from the Tigers last summer for Willi Castro. 25 year old, 5.15 1.48 whip at Akron

in Minor league phase, where you don't get the player back regardless of where the new team places him, we lost:

Matt Esparza 24 year old RHP who looked good in past years but was hurt and pitched 8 2/3 innings at Lynchburg in 18.
Anthony Miller 24 year old IB who has not yet reached AA. Big guy 6-4 240, hit 264 in his best season to date in 18 at Lynchburg. 8 homeruns
Hector Figueroa 24 year RHP who never got past the Arizona league.

We acquired in the minor league phase:

Yapson Gomez little bitty LHP 5-10 160 25 years old never been out of A ball. 3.28 1.24 whip last summer
Wilson Garcia pint size 1B to replace Miller I guess, 24 year old 5-11 160 hit 23 HR in Carolina League in 2018. 295/328/521. That sounds good, I guess he'll be the 1B for the Rubber Ducks next year.

There is actually some Tribe minor league people who don't like it that we lost Dowdy. After the Indians got him and our pitching coaches got to working with him his velocity actually got up to 99. At the end of the season he was dominating, and Akron folks thought his arrow was going up. His final start he struck out 9 in 6 shutout innings.

they didn't like him enough to hold a roster spot for him. They had room for one more.

Promoted

Tribeinsider
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@tribeinsider
3h3 hours ago

The Indians today completed the Nov. 30 trade with the @Nationals, acquiring INF Andruw Monasterio. The 21-year old native of VZ recorded a .363 on-base pct. in the Carolina League in 2018.

OMG. The 2nd coming Chico Salmon.

Andruw Monasterio is a 21 year old 2nd baseman that has spent his minor league career so far in A ball. High on base guy, some speed, no power.

The Nationals had just acquired Monasterio from the Cubs in August in the Daniel Murphy deal. The 21-year-old hit .267/.363/.338 in high-A ball last season. The lack of power is an issue that's not going away, so he's probably a future utilityman at best.

not just does he have a total of 6 homers in 4 seasons, he has only 40 doubles and 10 triples in 1425 plate appearances. Plus he's not much of a basestealer. Sounds like he'll be a major contributor.

If there is an possibility of a Kluber to Reds trade, here's the updated BA prospect writeups for the Reds top 3: Senzel, Trammell and Green

TRACK RECORD: From the day he arrived at Tennessee, Senzel showed he was special. He batted cleanup for the Volunteers from his first game as a freshman, starred for three years there and in the Cape Cod League and became the highest drafted player in school history. Senzel’s fast track to the big leagues has been slowed by position switches and ailments. Vertigo ended his 2017 season early. With Eugenio Suarez signed to an extension, the Reds tried Senzel at shortstop and second base in spring training 2018 before junking the shortstop plan when he reported to Triple-A Louisville. A further bout of vertigo cost Senzel much of May. A torn ligament in his throwing hand ended his season in late June. Elbow surgery for bone spurs ruined plans to send him to the Arizona Fall League.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Reds have moved Senzel around the field because they know his bat should play anywhere and he has the kind of easy athleticism that allows him to handle various defensive challenges. He features quick hands and a disciplined knowledge of the strike zone. A plus hitter, Senzel stays balanced with ease and stays short to the ball, allowing him to get the barrel on pitches in all areas of the strike zone. He makes consistent contact and has plus power that would profile at his natural position of third base. Senzel’s approach is aimed toward making hard contact to all fields. He is an above-average runner who runs the bases well. His good instincts and plus arm will be suited to play third base long term, but with that position manned by Suarez in Cincinnati, Senzel could pursue second base, center field or left field in the big leagues. He showed he can be at least an above-average defensive second baseman. Senzel tried both outfield spots at instructional league. His athleticism and understanding of the game should help him grow to be a solid defender at multiple positions.
THE FUTURE: While the Reds will play it safe with Senzel and his injury-riddled past, he should be playing in Cincinnati before long. His maturity and advanced approach both offensively and defensively should allow him to have an immediate impact on the big league club. When the Reds non-tendered Billy Hamilton, Senzel’s path to an outfield job in 2019 cleared, but second base is a logical landing spot once Scooter Gennett’s contract expired after the 2019 season.

2. Hunter Greene | RHP

Born: Aug 6, 1999
Bats: R Throws: R
Ht.: 6'4" Wt.: 215
Signed By: Rick Ingalls.
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TRACK RECORD: The second pick in the 2017 draft, Greene had a rough introduction to low Class A Dayton. He posted a 14.63 ERA in four April starts but turned around his season by throwing more strikes and getting better luck on balls in play. He had to be shut down in late July because of a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He resumed throwing off a mound in mid-December and is expected to be full speed for spring training.
SCOUTING REPORT: Greene topped out at 103 mph in the Futures Game and regularly sat 97-100 in 2018. The righthander throws both a heavy two-seam fastball as well as a four-seamer. Evaluators have worried that Greene’s clean delivery and straight fastball make it too easy for opponents to pick up the ball out of his hand. His mid-80s slider has three-quarters break that features good plane and downward bite. It projects as a plus pitch. Greene has the arm action to be able to throw a future average changeup, but it’s generally his worst pitch and explains in part why lefties hit .298/.397/.567.
THE FUTURE: The Reds will be cautious with Greene, but if he shows he’s fully healthy in spring training, he’s ready for high Class A.

3. Taylor Trammell | OF

Born: Sep 13, 1997
Bats: L Throws: L
Ht.: 6'2" Wt.: 195
Signed By: Jon Poloni.
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TRACK RECORD: A star running back in high school, Trammell has made a smooth transition to pro ball. He has hit at every level and he starred on the big stage in 2018, earning MVP honors at the Futures Game with a 2-for-2 game with a triple and a 438-foot home run. He ranked among the Florida State League leaders in on-base percentage and stolen bases.
SCOUTING REPORT: Trammell’s athleticism has helped him to be an impact player on both sides of the ball. He is a plus hitter. There will always be swing-and-miss to his game, but he gets to his power even with a simple setup that allows him to stay balanced at the plate. Trammell doesn’t try to do too much, making the most of his skill set while understanding game situations. A strong upper body and quick hands will develop into above-average power in the future. Trammell is a plus runner who is aggressive on the basepaths while also showing plus range in center field. He has improved his defensive play but has a below-average arm.
THE FUTURE: Trammell’s bat and athleticism should help him to be an offensive-minded, first-division outfielder before too long. He fits best in center field, but his bat could profile in left field if needed.