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256.   Name="annotation subject"/>
257.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
258.   Name="No List"/>
259.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
260.   Name="Outline List 1"/>
261.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
262.   Name="Outline List 2"/>
263.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
264.   Name="Outline List 3"/>
265.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
266.   Name="Table Simple 1"/>
267.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
268.   Name="Table Simple 2"/>
269.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
270.   Name="Table Simple 3"/>
271.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
272.   Name="Table Classic 1"/>
273.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
274.   Name="Table Classic 2"/>
275.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
276.   Name="Table Classic 3"/>
277.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
278.   Name="Table Classic 4"/>
279.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
280.   Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
281.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
282.   Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
283.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
284.   Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
285.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
286.   Name="Table Columns 1"/>
287.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
288.   Name="Table Columns 2"/>
289.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
290.   Name="Table Columns 3"/>
291.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
292.   Name="Table Columns 4"/>
293.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
294.   Name="Table Columns 5"/>
295.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
296.   Name="Table Grid 1"/>
297.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
298.   Name="Table Grid 2"/>
299.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
300.   Name="Table Grid 3"/>
301.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
302.   Name="Table Grid 4"/>
303.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
304.   Name="Table Grid 5"/>
305.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
306.   Name="Table Grid 6"/>
307.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
308.   Name="Table Grid 7"/>
309.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
310.   Name="Table Grid 8"/>
311.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
312.   Name="Table List 1"/>
313.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
314.   Name="Table List 2"/>
315.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
316.   Name="Table List 3"/>
317.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
318.   Name="Table List 4"/>
319.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
320.   Name="Table List 5"/>
321.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
322.   Name="Table List 6"/>
323.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
324.   Name="Table List 7"/>
325.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
326.   Name="Table List 8"/>
327.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
328.   Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
329.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
330.   Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
331.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
332.   Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
333.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
334.   Name="Table Contemporary"/>
335.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
336.   Name="Table Elegant"/>
337.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
338.   Name="Table Professional"/>
339.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
340.   Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
341.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
342.   Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
343.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
344.   Name="Table Web 1"/>
345.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
346.   Name="Table Web 2"/>
347.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
348.   Name="Table Web 3"/>
349.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
350.   Name="Balloon Text"/>
351.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
352.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
353.   Name="Table Theme"/>
354.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
355.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
356.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
357.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
358.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
359.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
360.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
361.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
362.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
363.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
364.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
365.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
366.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
367.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
368.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
369.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
370.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
371.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
372.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
373.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
374.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
375.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
376.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
377.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
378.   Name="List Paragraph"/>
379.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
380.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
381.   Name="Intense Quote"/>
382.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
383.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
384.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
385.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
386.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
387.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
388.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
389.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
390.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
391.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
392.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
393.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
394.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
395.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
396.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
397.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
398.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
399.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
400.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
401.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
402.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
403.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
404.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
405.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
406.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
407.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
408.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
409.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
410.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
411.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
412.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
413.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
414.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
415.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
416.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
417.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
418.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
419.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
420.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
421.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
422.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
423.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
424.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
425.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
426.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
427.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
428.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
429.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
430.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
431.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
432.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
433.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
434.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
435.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
436.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
437.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
438.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
439.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
440.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
441.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
442.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
443.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
444.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
445.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
446.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
447.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
448.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
449.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
450.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
451.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
452.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
453.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
454.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
455.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
456.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
457.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
458.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
459.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
460.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
461.   Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
462.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
463.   Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
464.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
465.   Name="Subtle Reference"/>
466.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
467.   Name="Intense Reference"/>
468.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
469.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
470.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
471.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
472.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
473.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
474.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
475.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
476.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
477.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
478.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
479.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
480.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
481.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
482.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
483.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
484.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
485.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
486.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
487.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
488.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
489.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
490.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
491.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
492.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
493.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
494.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
495.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
496.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
497.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
498.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
499.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
500.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
501.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
502.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
503.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
504.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
505.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
506.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
507.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
508.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
509.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
510.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
511.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
512.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
513.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
514.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
515.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
516.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
517.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
518.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
519.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
520.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
521.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
522.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
523.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
524.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
525.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
526.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
527.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
528.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
529.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
530.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
531.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
532.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
533.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
534.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
535.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
536.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
537.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
538.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
539.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
540.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
541.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
542.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
543.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
544.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
545.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
546.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
547.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
548.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
549.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
550.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
551.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
552.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
553.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
554.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
555.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
556.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
557.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
558.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
559.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
560.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
561.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
562.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
563.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
564.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
565.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
566.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
567.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
568.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
569.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
570.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
571.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
572.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
573.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
574.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
575.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
576.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
577.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
578.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
579.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
580.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
581.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
582.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
583.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
584.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
585.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
586.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
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648. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtj6dX4yMMmogHinh8hGVhY6ZhiOSHtboraXfmhYGV271PH9p4TY0d6cI4N6rjcHXTJS4PkmwLn8tvo5jGiuh3x4Z97wpV1koasjQTtqMSOJi7PVEq43Vw-Ve8HAyshCIrA1c/s1600/nl-baseball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtj6dX4yMMmogHinh8hGVhY6ZhiOSHtboraXfmhYGV271PH9p4TY0d6cI4N6rjcHXTJS4PkmwLn8tvo5jGiuh3x4Z97wpV1koasjQTtqMSOJi7PVEq43Vw-Ve8HAyshCIrA1c/s400/nl-baseball.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
649. <div class="MsoNormal">
650. The lighting lit up the sky to the west of Cleveland as I
651. drove away from the greatest baseball game I had ever witnessed, a seesaw
652. affair that left my head dazed and my legs sore.</div>
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654. <br /></div>
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656. The wind whipped the leaves off the trees and
657. the rain began falling somewhere around Edgewater Park as traffic moved along
658. the Shoreway away from downtown.</div>
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660. <br /></div>
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662. The storm that was coming would end the glorious weather on
663. the North Coast that accompanied Games 6 and 7, the violence and suddenness of
664. it jarring to take in as I drove on.  The first tendrils of the storm had
665. caused the rain delay that may or may not have affected Game 7, but now it was
666. coming with its full fury.  Barely able to see out of my windshield, cars
667. pulled over with their hazards on, and – as I drove on – all I could think was
668. that this was finally and officially the end of our Indian Summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
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673. Really, that’s what this all was for the Cleveland Indians
674. of 2016 – an Indian Summer, an unexpected extension of sunshine and happiness
675. until the harsh reality of winter comes around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
676. </span>Against all odds, the Indians persevered to extend our Indian Summer for
677. one more inning, one more game, one more series until the storm clouds were
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682. And ultimately, that’s what happened early on Thursday
683. morning after the Tribe inexplicably came back and came back and came back
684. against an unquestionably loaded Cubs team that had been coronated by the
685. national media throughout the series.  The Indians pushed and pushed until
686. they had nothing left to give, no more strength to push, no more bullets in the
687. chamber. They came up on the short end of an Instant Classic, with plays that
688. will live in Cleveland lore…even if the result of the game left us all sad and
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693. Arriving home, I went upstairs to find The DiaBride still
694. awake, talked about how my boys watched it with her (and for this I apologize
695. to their teachers) all the way to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
696. </span>How she and the boys lived and died with every peak and valley the game
697. had to offer…and <a href="http://waitingfornextyear.com/2016/11/wfny-world-series-game-7-live-blog/" target="_blank">there were a lot</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We
698. talked about the game, about how much fun it was, and how it was a perfect
699. night in more ways than one…up until that final out.</div>
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986.   Name="Table Columns 2"/>
987.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
988.   Name="Table Columns 3"/>
989.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
990.   Name="Table Columns 4"/>
991.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
992.   Name="Table Columns 5"/>
993.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
994.   Name="Table Grid 1"/>
995.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
996.   Name="Table Grid 2"/>
997.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
998.   Name="Table Grid 3"/>
999.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1000.   Name="Table Grid 4"/>
1001.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1002.   Name="Table Grid 5"/>
1003.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1004.   Name="Table Grid 6"/>
1005.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1006.   Name="Table Grid 7"/>
1007.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1008.   Name="Table Grid 8"/>
1009.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1010.   Name="Table List 1"/>
1011.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1012.   Name="Table List 2"/>
1013.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1014.   Name="Table List 3"/>
1015.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1016.   Name="Table List 4"/>
1017.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1018.   Name="Table List 5"/>
1019.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1020.   Name="Table List 6"/>
1021.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1022.   Name="Table List 7"/>
1023.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1024.   Name="Table List 8"/>
1025.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1026.   Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
1027.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1028.   Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
1029.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1030.   Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
1031.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1032.   Name="Table Contemporary"/>
1033.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1034.   Name="Table Elegant"/>
1035.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1036.   Name="Table Professional"/>
1037.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1038.   Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
1039.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1040.   Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
1041.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1042.   Name="Table Web 1"/>
1043.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1044.   Name="Table Web 2"/>
1045.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1046.   Name="Table Web 3"/>
1047.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1048.   Name="Balloon Text"/>
1049.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
1050.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1051.   Name="Table Theme"/>
1052.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
1053.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
1054.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
1055.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
1056.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
1057.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
1058.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
1059.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
1060.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
1061.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
1062.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
1063.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
1064.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
1065.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
1066.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
1067.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
1068.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
1069.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
1070.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
1071.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
1072.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
1073.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
1074.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
1075.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
1076.   Name="List Paragraph"/>
1077.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
1078.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
1079.   Name="Intense Quote"/>
1080.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
1081.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
1082.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
1083.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
1084.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
1085.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
1086.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
1087.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
1088.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
1089.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
1090.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
1091.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
1092.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
1093.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
1094.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
1095.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
1096.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
1097.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
1098.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
1099.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
1100.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
1101.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
1102.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
1103.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
1104.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
1105.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
1106.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
1107.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
1108.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
1109.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
1110.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
1111.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
1112.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
1113.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
1114.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
1115.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
1116.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
1117.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
1118.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
1119.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
1120.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
1121.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
1122.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
1123.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
1124.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
1125.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
1126.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
1127.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
1128.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
1129.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
1130.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
1131.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
1132.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
1133.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
1134.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
1135.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
1136.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
1137.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
1138.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
1139.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
1140.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
1141.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
1142.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
1143.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
1144.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
1145.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
1146.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
1147.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
1148.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
1149.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
1150.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
1151.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
1152.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
1153.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
1154.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
1155.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
1156.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
1157.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
1158.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
1159.   Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
1160.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
1161.   Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
1162.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
1163.   Name="Subtle Reference"/>
1164.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
1165.   Name="Intense Reference"/>
1166.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
1167.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
1168.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
1169.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
1170.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
1171.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
1172.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
1173.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
1174.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
1175.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
1176.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
1177.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
1178.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
1179.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
1180.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
1181.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
1182.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
1183.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
1184.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1185.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
1186.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
1187.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
1188.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
1189.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
1190.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1191.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1192.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1193.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1194.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1195.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
1196.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
1197.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
1198.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
1199.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
1200.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1201.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1202.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1203.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1204.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1205.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
1206.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
1207.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
1208.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
1209.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
1210.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1211.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1212.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1213.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1214.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1215.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
1216.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
1217.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
1218.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
1219.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
1220.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1221.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1222.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1223.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1224.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1225.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
1226.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
1227.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
1228.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
1229.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
1230.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1231.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1232.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1233.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1234.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1235.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
1236.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
1237.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
1238.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
1239.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
1240.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1241.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1242.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1243.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1244.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
1245.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
1246.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
1247.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
1248.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
1249.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
1250.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
1251.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1252.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
1253.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
1254.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
1255.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
1256.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
1257.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1258.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1259.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1260.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1261.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1262.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
1263.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
1264.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
1265.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
1266.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
1267.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1268.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1269.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1270.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1271.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1272.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
1273.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
1274.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
1275.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
1276.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
1277.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1278.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1279.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1280.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1281.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1282.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
1283.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
1284.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
1285.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
1286.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
1287.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1288.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1289.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1290.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1291.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1292.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
1293.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
1294.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
1295.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
1296.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
1297.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1298.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1299.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1300.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1301.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1302.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
1303.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
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1342. <![endif]-->When the alarm went off not too much later than we went to
1343. bed (though at the same time it always does) on Thursday, we all roused
1344. ourselves and went about our morning routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
1345. </span>While walking into the kids’ bathroom, I came upon my 9-year-old son (who was once referred to here as the
1346. DiaperTribe…if that passage of time can be believed), slowly brushing his teeth
1347. – head buried in his elbow.
1348.  
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1353. Walking over, I gave him a hug – seeing too much of my own
1354. fandom and my own self in his sad posture – and asked him what was the
1355. matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He winced out, “I’m just having
1356. the worst morning.”</div>
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1358. Heart in my throat, I held him a little tighter and said,
1359. “we all are buddy…we all are.”</div>
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1361. <br /></div>
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1363. At that moment, I realized that’s what this is all about –
1364. fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, family and a shared love of baseball, riding the roller
1365. coaster that is a baseball season and, hopefully and much more acutely, the
1366. baseball playoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Sure, there are ups
1367. and downs…but in the end, you want to ride it again because of the
1368. experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>While most Clevelanders
1369. still think it’s all about the destination, it’s the journey that makes it
1370. enjoyable and worthwhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></div>
1371. <div class="MsoNormal">
1372. <br /></div>
1373. <div class="MsoNormal">
1374. As Jonah Keri pointed out, this final game, this season,
1375. this Indians’ team <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/absurd-cubs-indians-world-series-game-7-was-everything-we-love-about-baseball/" target="_blank">is why we love baseball</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
1376. </span></div>
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1378. No, the Indians didn’t win the World Series, but they just
1379. kept plowing through every roadblock put in front of them, overcoming an absurd
1380. amount of injuries, suspensions, a rejected trade from an All-Star catcher, and
1381. an apathetic fan base to get where they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
1382. </span>As Joel Sherman put it very simply (and you should read this), <a href="http://nypost.com/2016/10/31/the-cubs-cant-take-this-one-thing-from-indians/" target="_blank">“the Indians are a marvel”</a>.</div>
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1696.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1697.   Name="Table List 1"/>
1698.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1699.   Name="Table List 2"/>
1700.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1701.   Name="Table List 3"/>
1702.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1703.   Name="Table List 4"/>
1704.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1705.   Name="Table List 5"/>
1706.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1707.   Name="Table List 6"/>
1708.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1709.   Name="Table List 7"/>
1710.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1711.   Name="Table List 8"/>
1712.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1713.   Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
1714.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1715.   Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
1716.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1717.   Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
1718.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1719.   Name="Table Contemporary"/>
1720.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1721.   Name="Table Elegant"/>
1722.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1723.   Name="Table Professional"/>
1724.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1725.   Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
1726.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1727.   Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
1728.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1729.   Name="Table Web 1"/>
1730.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1731.   Name="Table Web 2"/>
1732.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1733.   Name="Table Web 3"/>
1734.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1735.   Name="Balloon Text"/>
1736.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
1737.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1738.   Name="Table Theme"/>
1739.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
1740.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
1741.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
1742.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
1743.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
1744.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
1745.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
1746.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
1747.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
1748.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
1749.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
1750.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
1751.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
1752.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
1753.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
1754.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
1755.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
1756.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
1757.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
1758.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
1759.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
1760.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
1761.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
1762.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
1763.   Name="List Paragraph"/>
1764.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
1765.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
1766.   Name="Intense Quote"/>
1767.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
1768.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
1769.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
1770.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
1771.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
1772.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
1773.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
1774.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
1775.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
1776.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
1777.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
1778.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
1779.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
1780.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
1781.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
1782.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
1783.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
1784.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
1785.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
1786.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
1787.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
1788.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
1789.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
1790.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
1791.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
1792.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
1793.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
1794.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
1795.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
1796.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
1797.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
1798.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
1799.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
1800.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
1801.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
1802.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
1803.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
1804.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
1805.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
1806.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
1807.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
1808.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
1809.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
1810.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
1811.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
1812.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
1813.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
1814.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
1815.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
1816.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
1817.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
1818.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
1819.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
1820.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
1821.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
1822.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
1823.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
1824.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
1825.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
1826.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
1827.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
1828.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
1829.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
1830.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
1831.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
1832.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
1833.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
1834.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
1835.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
1836.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
1837.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
1838.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
1839.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
1840.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
1841.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
1842.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
1843.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
1844.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
1845.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
1846.   Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
1847.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
1848.   Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
1849.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
1850.   Name="Subtle Reference"/>
1851.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
1852.   Name="Intense Reference"/>
1853.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
1854.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
1855.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
1856.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
1857.   UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
1858.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
1859.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
1860.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
1861.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
1862.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
1863.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
1864.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
1865.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
1866.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
1867.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
1868.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
1869.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
1870.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
1871.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1872.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
1873.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
1874.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
1875.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
1876.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
1877.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1878.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1879.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1880.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1881.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1882.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
1883.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
1884.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
1885.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
1886.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
1887.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1888.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1889.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1890.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1891.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1892.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
1893.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
1894.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
1895.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
1896.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
1897.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1898.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1899.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1900.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1901.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1902.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
1903.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
1904.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
1905.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
1906.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
1907.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1908.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1909.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1910.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1911.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1912.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
1913.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
1914.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
1915.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
1916.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
1917.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1918.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1919.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1920.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1921.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1922.   Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
1923.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
1924.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
1925.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
1926.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
1927.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1928.   Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1929.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1930.   Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1931.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
1932.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
1933.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
1934.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
1935.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
1936.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
1937.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
1938.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1939.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
1940.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
1941.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
1942.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
1943.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
1944.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1945.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1946.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1947.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
1948.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1949.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
1950.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
1951.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
1952.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
1953.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
1954.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1955.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1956.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1957.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
1958.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1959.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
1960.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
1961.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
1962.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
1963.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
1964.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1965.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1966.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1967.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
1968.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1969.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
1970.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
1971.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
1972.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
1973.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
1974.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1975.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1976.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1977.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
1978.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1979.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
1980.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
1981.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
1982.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
1983.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
1984.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1985.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1986.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1987.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
1988.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
1989.   Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
1990.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
1991.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
1992.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
1993.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
1994.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
1995.   Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1996.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
1997.   Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
1998.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
1999.   Name="Mention"/>
2000.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
2001.   Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
2002.  <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
2003.   Name="Hashtag"/>
2004. </w:LatentStyles>
2005. </xml><![endif]-->And they are and there’s plenty of time to wonder who will be patrolling CF next year (hopefully someone that can catch, throw,
2006. and hit), or whether Danny Salazar’s “injuries” are in his elbow or in his head
2007. (and <a href="http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/around-the-diamonds/rumors-rumblings-rivera-hoffman-marvel-world-series-relievers/" target="_blank">after reading this…gulp</a>), if Brantley’s injury can stop reminding me of
2008. the one that turned the monster once known as “Pronk” back into the mere mortal
2009. known as “Travis Hafner”, who will be the starting catcher next year, or even
2010. if Chief Wahoo will be returning in 2017. </div>
2011. <div class="MsoNormal">
2012. <br /></div>
2013. <div class="MsoNormal">
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2053. </xml><![endif]-->For now, we saw Frankie Lindor emerge as a legitimate
2054. Halley’s Comet…
2055.  
2056. </div>
2057. <div class="MsoNormal">
2058. We saw Kipnis and Kluber write their name in ink among
2059. Indians’ greats…<br />
2060. We saw Jose Ramirez become some combination of Chone
2061. Figgins’ defensive versatility, Jose Altuve’s bat-to-ball ability, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhtLTDK9yWA" target="_blank">George Jefferson’s swagger</a>…</div>
2062. <div class="MsoNormal">
2063. We saw Francona manage circles around the rest of the league
2064. and redefine how bullpens are implemented, not by how long he used these guys
2065. but WHEN he used these guys – using his best relievers in the highest leverage
2066. situations, regardless of inning or labels and roles…</div>
2067. <div class="MsoNormal">
2068. Night after night, we saw magic...<br />
2069. <br /></div>
2070. <div class="MsoNormal">
2071. And yes, this <a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/208065784/indians-roster-to-remain-mostly-intact-for-17/" target="_blank">team remains largely intact</a> and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/clevelands-path-to-the-2017-playoffs/" target="_blank">the path to the playoffs can be laid out pretty clearly</a>, giving us that other aspect of
2072. fandom – hope.</div>
2073. <div class="MsoNormal">
2074. </div>
2075. <br />
2076. <div class="MsoNormal">
2077. That said, it is more than possible that they don’t go back for a while – or even with
2078. this group – as the pain and the lessons of 2008 still loom large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But this team still feels special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Their resiliency, their determination, their
2079. next-man-up mentality was impossible to ignore and contagious to everyone that
2080. ever loved the Indians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Friends of mine
2081. still bitter about that day that Victor sat crying in front of his locker, who
2082. pushed the Indians away from their hearts for fear of being hurt again,
2083. couldn’t help but be pulled in, to the point they they would fly in from all over the country to be back in their hometown for this World Series.
2084.  
2085. </div>
2086. <div class="MsoNormal">
2087. <br /></div>
2088. <div class="MsoNormal">
2089. Once we were all pulled in, the fun lasted all summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Right until that final out, when Michael
2090. Martinez (MICHAEL MARTINEZ!?!) hit a soft dribbler to end the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Never has there been a more apropos end, as the
2091. Indians (who had long passed the point of being “short-handed”) had nothing left to go to than a player that was claimed off waivers in
2092. mid-August of THIS year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They had literally exhausted all their options until their last hope rested on a 34-year-old
2093. journeyman because…well, because baseball.</div>
2094. <div class="MsoNormal">
2095. <br /></div>
2096. <div class="MsoNormal">
2097. And nobody faulted them for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Because they did all that any fan could have
2098. asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They went down fighting with
2099. everything they could have possibly fought with against teams they were given
2100. NO chance to beat throughout the season and right through the playoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>They gave us a level of excitement that I’ve
2101. never experienced in my life as a baseball fan.</div>
2102. <div class="MsoNormal">
2103. They gave us phenomenal memories and moments of exasperation
2104. and left us feeling exhausted.</div>
2105. <div class="MsoNormal">
2106. They gave us something to share with our families – with our
2107. mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters – all
2108. while prodding each other on, all while giving us hope in the face of
2109. everything to the contrary that said that they shouldn’t have even been there.</div>
2110. <div class="MsoNormal">
2111. And isn’t that what this is all about anyways?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></div>
2112. <br />
2113. But this is more than just my story, or your story, or <a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/208133074/anthony-castrovince-thanks-late-son/" target="_blank">a story so personal and heartbreaking</a> that you cannot help but wipe the tears from your cheeks. <br />
2114. <br />
2115. This is our story, our shared experience - one of hugs and high-fives with complete strangers, one of nervous nauseousness that seemed to last a month, and one of meaningful embraces with loved ones - both in ecstasy and agony.  Our story that gave us almost everything we wanted…right until the very end.<br />
2116. This was our Indian Summer.  The one we will never forget.<br />
2117. <div class="MsoNormal">
2118. </div>
2119. <div class="MsoNormal">
2120. </div>
2121. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/3053570379371254388/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=3053570379371254388&amp;isPopup=true' title='10 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3053570379371254388'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3053570379371254388'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/goodbye-to-our-indian-summer-on-lazy.html' title='Goodbye to Our Indian Summer on A Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Paul Cousineau</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/03490622970961409253</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ym1DMDXDqB2HbpMWxMy-8BWosx5iKYe6-GimmzqMAohTF7OZJsFoJZ44MIOS3k45pK9WsaJu1-1LDkzoTEeMcjHGLTIuNOUhJwx4Ih8-titykVn3GHjBoaWPD3oVVB4/s220/nick_cage.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtj6dX4yMMmogHinh8hGVhY6ZhiOSHtboraXfmhYGV271PH9p4TY0d6cI4N6rjcHXTJS4PkmwLn8tvo5jGiuh3x4Z97wpV1koasjQTtqMSOJi7PVEq43Vw-Ve8HAyshCIrA1c/s72-c/nl-baseball.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>10</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-5011596206181224274</id><published>2016-11-06T08:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2016-11-06T08:00:00.723-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Coming to Grips on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
2122. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqHhyJAYvCYs0o2EFPDubL9tkn_9HYAHyR6rwGJuO6K7ywCbe9f0RllEg3wNpcR90tU2CQfR8hNg2x4pbTwf9KQlDSopN61op_UnjoQ6UfLTC-5itar-JPE4cCVwFfBvslhOB/s1600/high+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqHhyJAYvCYs0o2EFPDubL9tkn_9HYAHyR6rwGJuO6K7ywCbe9f0RllEg3wNpcR90tU2CQfR8hNg2x4pbTwf9KQlDSopN61op_UnjoQ6UfLTC-5itar-JPE4cCVwFfBvslhOB/s400/high+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2123. <div class="MsoNormal">
2124. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I…I still can’t believe it’s over. As I sit down and
2125. put virtual pen to paper for the first time in far too long, I just can’t come
2126. to grips with the fact that this team’s magical run through the playoffs has
2127. actually come to an end. I’m still firmly in the “denial” stage of dealing with
2128. the events of November 2, and keep expecting that game 7 will resume after a
2129. rain delay or something. I’ve read a few tweets, responded to a few text
2130. messages asking if I’m ok (I’m not) and managed to drag myself into work (late),
2131. but I’m not really “here.” Not after last night. Not after Dexter Fowler’s
2132. leadoff HR. Not after Kluber and Miller, gassed from giving all they had to
2133. give and seeing a team for the 3<sup>rd</sup> time in 7 games, were just human
2134. enough for the Cubs to stake themselves out to a lead. Not after Kipnis’
2135. improbable scramble home from 2<sup>nd</sup> on a wild pitch, stirring the
2136. echoes of the 1995 Indians juggernaut (that also fell painfully short at the
2137. end). Not after Rajai Davis…RAJAI FREAKING DAVIS hit a game-tying HR, making up
2138. for the run that the Cubs scored off of his throwing arm earlier in the game.
2139. And not after the rain delay, after which the Cubs would rally in the 10<sup>th</sup>
2140. to finally put the Indians season to bed once and for all. It was an incredible
2141. game at the end of an </span></div>
2142. <div class="MsoNormal">
2143. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">incredible season, and the Cubs were the best team in
2144. baseball in 2016. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2145. <div class="MsoNormal">
2146. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2147. <div class="MsoNormal">
2148. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Indians trials and tribulations were well
2149. documented throughout this postseason, but indulge me if you would while I
2150. rehash some of the more noteworthy obstacles overcome by this club in 2016:</span></div>
2151. <div class="MsoNormal">
2152. </div>
2153. <ul>
2154. <li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Michael Brantley, arguably the Indians
2155. best hitter and inarguably their best outfielder, missed all but 11 games this
2156. season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. If Brantley is healthy
2157. for the playoffs, Michael Martinez isn’t even sniffing the playoff roster.</span></li>
2158. <li>Starting catcher Yan Gomes is limited to
2159. just 74 games after dealing with a multitude of injures, including breaking a
2160. bone in his hand during a rehab appearance juuuuuust prior to rejoining the
2161. club in September.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></li>
2162. <li><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Due to the Gomes injury, backup catcher
2163. Roberto Perez is rushed back from his own injury without a proper rehab
2164. assignment, struggling at the plate to the tune of a .096/.244/.137 line in his
2165. first 30 games this season. Perez would hit .263/.326/.438 in his final 31
2166. games, all the while providing excellent defense and handling the pitching
2167. staff to rave reviews.</span></li>
2168. <li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">All-Star and #3 starter Danny Salazar
2169. battled arm issues throughout the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the season and was
2170. unable to make a start in the playoffs. After a blistering 1<sup>st</sup> half
2171. that saw him post a 10-3 record with a 2.75 ERA and 118 K in 104 IP, Salazar
2172. made just 8 starts in the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the season, going 1-3 with a
2173. 7.44 ERA in 32 2/3 IP.</span></li>
2174. <li>With Salazar’s availability for the
2175. playoffs already in doubt, #2 starter Cookie Carrasco suffered a broken finger
2176. on Sept. 17 in a start against the Tigers, putting him on the shelf for the
2177. rest of the season. Carrasco was 11-8 with a 3.32 ERA in 146 1/3 IP, striking
2178. out 150 hitters. This was the injury that prompted <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2016/09/sept_17_the_day_cleveland_indi.html" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“the
2179. column”</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> from Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes.</span></li>
2180. <li>With the season winding down, ace Corey
2181. Kluber left his last start with a “minor” groin/quad injury. Kluber would be
2182. ok, but unable to start game one of the ALDS against Boston. The Indians turned
2183. to Trevor Bauer who would go on to beat the Red Sox with a little help from his
2184. bullpen friends.</li>
2185. <li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Speaking of Trevor Bauer, the guy who
2186. began the season in the bullpen but who was our #2 starter in the playoffs (not
2187. because he’d pitched his way up but because of the attrition in front of him),
2188. we were all introduced to the surprise danger of drone repair. That’s because
2189. Bauer injured his pinky finger in a drone repair mishap during the ALCS. It was
2190. almost funny at first, but the Indians had to move Bauer back to game 3 of the
2191. ALCS, and in that game Bauer was unable to work out of the first inning due to
2192. the blood flow from the injured finger. Naturally, the Indians bullpen would
2193. come in and shut down the Blue Jays to stake the Tribe to a 3-0 lead in the
2194. series.</span></li>
2195. </ul>
2196. <br />
2197. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2198. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u1NiyBd1x3XWMHtPF7eGkx6gYi1S9hbPcH-6LqJUZAFol-ZGM8nJ322ghwDFzxMxQ3wOBuo84ehQcm5l-odBWPsv_rgw3aELk3hJAg1T9w8qJiFQn-q9c5uqN7Q0TyVlqQJ0/s1600/carrasco+finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-u1NiyBd1x3XWMHtPF7eGkx6gYi1S9hbPcH-6LqJUZAFol-ZGM8nJ322ghwDFzxMxQ3wOBuo84ehQcm5l-odBWPsv_rgw3aELk3hJAg1T9w8qJiFQn-q9c5uqN7Q0TyVlqQJ0/s400/carrasco+finger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2199. <div class="MsoNormal">
2200. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That list is provided not to make excuses as much as
2201. to give you an opportunity to lean back in your chair and think to yourself
2202. about how much this team managed to overcome just to get to last night. They
2203. swept the mighty Red Sox (opening day payroll $198 million), then took out the
2204. powerful Blue Jays (opening day payroll $137 million) just to have an
2205. opportunity to face off against THE BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL, the 103-win NL
2206. Champion Chicago Cubs (opening day payroll $171 million). I’ve added the
2207. payroll figures here for context, and remind you that your Cleveland Indians
2208. clocked in with a $96 million payroll on opening day of the 2016 season. The
2209. Indians were <i>already</i> the underdogs as
2210. far back as April. Suffering through the bumps and bruises of a 162-game season
2211. is never easy, but it’s a lot easier to weather the storm when your #4 starter
2212. makes $13 million (looking at you, Clay Buchholz). I’m not typically a “silver
2213. lining/moral victory” type of guy, but to not appreciate what this team did
2214. with the players in that locker room is doing them a disservice. </span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2016/11/3/13506800/cubs-world-series-champions-results"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ll
2215. direct you to the always-fantastic Grant Brisbee of SB Nation for some context:</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
2216. <i><br /></i>
2217. <i>Stop for a moment and think about what
2218. the Indians were trying to do. They had one super starter. They had one super
2219. reliever and one super-super reliever. They had some exciting hitters, but
2220. fewer than you might expect from a team about to win the World Series. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2221. <i><br /></i>
2222. <i>The Indians were hoping no one would
2223. figure out that they shouldn’t be there, that their magic rotation was hurt,
2224. and that almost every reason they expected to win the pennant back in March was
2225. turned upside down. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2226. <i><br /></i>
2227. <i>What if Michael Brantley were playing
2228. in Game 6? Don’t know if he would have been in left or center, but if he were
2229. in center, could he have fielded just a touch better than Tyler Naquin? And
2230. what if Carlo Carrasco were healthy, if he didn’t get hit in the damned hand by
2231. a one-in-a-million shot up the middle? What if Danny Salazar were tuned up and
2232. ready to be one of the tri-aces he was supposed to be when the Indians were AL
2233. Central favorites in spring training. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2234. <i><br /></i>
2235. <i>What if, what if, what if. The Indians
2236. had more what-ifs than any other team. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2237. <div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
2238. <i><span style="letter-spacing: 3.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
2239. <div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
2240. <i><span style="letter-spacing: 3.0pt;">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2241. <i><br /></i>
2242. <i>And the Cubs had the fewest. Forget
2243. the payroll disparity (which was </i><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">massive</span></em><i>) or the talent disparity (also substantial). Just look at the injury
2244. disparity. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2245. <i><br /></i>
2246. <i>Pitchers get hurt. Pitchers tire.
2247. Pitchers are Ferraris driven through sand dunes and dropped off at the
2248. mechanics when they, huh, that’s odd, don’t work anymore. And yet the Cubs had
2249. everyone healthy. Every danged pitcher. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2250. <i><br /></i>
2251. <i>Look at the lineup. All healthy. They
2252. won the division without Kyle Schwarber, and that was a nifty trick, but then
2253. they reached into the top hat, and there was a beefy rabbit surprise. Schwarber
2254. was healthy, against all odds. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2255. <i><br /></i>
2256. <i>In the first inning, Schwarber beat
2257. out an infield hit and then stole a base before the catcher got the ball. Yep,
2258. he seems fine. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2259. <i><br /></i>
2260. <i>That was the Cubs. They had the best
2261. IR list of any postseason team I’ve ever seen, and even then, they got their
2262. secret weapon back at just the right time. <o:p></o:p></i><br />
2263. <div class="MsoNormal">
2264. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2265. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2266. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7gW9rF0cnw-VF8NR-cHr198u40za7vCeKaMbEDxnQy0MphX4W7WZVNbZxFYc847sbgdZChyphenhyphenNqehLy8OOAyN4lSEs8aT_vTo-nqVR-jglbnPNVCzlXAOcURn5EZnW7xuGA-8L/s1600/Kulber+WS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7gW9rF0cnw-VF8NR-cHr198u40za7vCeKaMbEDxnQy0MphX4W7WZVNbZxFYc847sbgdZChyphenhyphenNqehLy8OOAyN4lSEs8aT_vTo-nqVR-jglbnPNVCzlXAOcURn5EZnW7xuGA-8L/s400/Kulber+WS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2267. <div class="MsoNormal">
2268. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Seemingly lost in all of this 3-1 series lead hubbub
2269. (memes) is the fact that the Cubs are really, really good. Following the Civil
2270. War, Gen. George Pickett was frequently asked why the South lost the Battle of
2271. Gettysburg. His response was generally recorded as <i>“I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it.”</i> The
2272. Indians scratched and clawed and fought against the best team in baseball,
2273. undermanned and outgunned. They built a 3-1 series lead primarily off the backs
2274. of some timely hitting, a strong bullpen, Corey Kluber and the magic of Terry
2275. Francona. What was their reward for that 3-1 lead? The right to face three
2276. straight Cy Young caliber starters from Chicago in the form of Jake Arrieta
2277. (2015 NL Cy Young), Jon Lester (top-4 in Cy Young voting in 2010 and 2014) and
2278. Kyle Hendricks (odds-on favorite for the 2016 NL Cy Young). All rested and
2279. ready to go. And who did they have to oppose this troika of arms? Trevor Bauer
2280. on short rest with a bad finger on his pitching hand (wasn’t in rotation at the
2281. beginning of the season), Josh Tomlin on short rest (#5 starter out of Spring
2282. Training) and Corey Kluber on short rest after pitching on short rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2283. <div class="MsoNormal">
2284. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We hear that “short rest” thing a lot, but really
2285. don’t have an appreciation for how difficult it is for a pitcher. Not only is
2286. he getting one fewer day for his arm to rest and recuperate, it completely
2287. throws off his between-starts side sessions. Baseball players are creatures of
2288. habit and routine, pitchers even more so than position players. </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2016/10/05/the-case-against-pitching-on-short-rest-in-mlb-playoffs/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Neil
2289. Greenberg of the Washington Post took a look at pitchers starting on short rest
2290. in the playoffs, and the results of his study are telling:</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
2291. <div class="MsoNormal">
2292. <i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2293. <div class="MsoNormal">
2294. <i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since
2295. 1995, the first year the wild-card format was used in the playoffs, 77 pitchers
2296. have started 121 playoff games on three days or fewer of rest, resulting in a
2297. combined 35-40 record with a 4.35 ERA. Considering teams usually use their ace
2298. in this way during the postseason, those results are not very encouraging.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2299. <div class="MsoNormal">
2300. <i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2301. <div class="MsoNormal">
2302. <i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
2303. overall performance is just as bad when these pitchers are asked to go on short
2304. rest in elimination games: 9-18 with a 4.34 ERA. Only 20 of these 45
2305. performances ended in a quality start and just nine pitchers went more than
2306. seven innings. The latest to do so was Clayton Kershaw in 2015, but before that
2307. it had been 10 years since the last seven-inning performance by a player
2308. pitching on no more than three days’ rest (Tim Hudson in 2005).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2309. <div class="MsoNormal">
2310. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2311. <div class="MsoNormal">
2312. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s a reason starting pitchers throw every 5<sup>th</sup>
2313. day. Looking a little further at those numbers, there has been an average of
2314. 3.85 starts on short rest in every playoff season since 1995. The Indians were
2315. starting more than that on short rest in the World Series alone. I’m struggling
2316. to find a way to say this that makes sense, but the Indians were starting more
2317. pitchers on short rest in the World Series than the yearly average of every
2318. team in every playoff series from 1995-2015. That’s just insane. I couldn’t
2319. find numbers from pitchers throwing back-to-back off of short rest who also
2320. pitched off of short rest the series prior. I’m either not that good as a
2321. researcher, or it’s never happened before. There was no ALCS/NLCS until 1969,
2322. and it was a 5-game series until 1985, so don’t come at me with the “Old Hoss
2323. Radbourn” arguments. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2324. <div class="MsoNormal">
2325. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2326. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2327. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5G9pWQzPhzjVoX5LXeRJHZLEOEGs3wLG3R2Om0HXI0VGd2jCBbnQ7gt8LUGd0fAob7kH4cLUHc6PhwQ-cuqnaI2erCnoDxsHcxIcpbY9H28MEDTPzW3NlE6HROrCm5O8yLn5/s1600/cubs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5G9pWQzPhzjVoX5LXeRJHZLEOEGs3wLG3R2Om0HXI0VGd2jCBbnQ7gt8LUGd0fAob7kH4cLUHc6PhwQ-cuqnaI2erCnoDxsHcxIcpbY9H28MEDTPzW3NlE6HROrCm5O8yLn5/s320/cubs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2328. <div class="MsoNormal">
2329. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With all of that being said, this loss hurt me more
2330. than 1995, or even 1997. I was 16 in 1997, and had the benefit of the innocence
2331. of youth on my side for that heartbreaking loss. I still remember exactly where
2332. I was when Edgar Renteria singled just past the glove of Charlie Nagy into CF.
2333. I remember the looks on my friends faces, but I also remember thinking that
2334. they’d be back. The mid-90’s Indians were a juggernaut. Power hitting, power
2335. pitching, come at me bro attitude on the field combining with sellouts in the
2336. Jake every night providing the biggest home field advantage in baseball. Surely
2337. they’d be back in the World Series soon enough, right? They even went out and
2338. re-signed Kenny Lofton before the 1998 season! But baseball, particularly
2339. playoff baseball, is a fickle mistress. The ’98 Indians ran into the 114-win
2340. Yankees in the ALCS. The ’99 Indians collapsed against the Red Sox when Dave
2341. Burba went down in game 3 of the ALDS. The 2000 iteration won 90 games but fell
2342. one painful game short of the playoffs, which was our first hint that this run
2343. might not last forever. In 2001, they pushed the 116-win Mariners to the brink
2344. of elimination in the ALDS but fell agonizingly short. And just like that, it
2345. was over. The rebuilding process began in 2002 in earnest, and the 8-year run
2346. of sustained success that many Tribe fans grew up on was done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
2347. <div class="MsoNormal">
2348. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
2349. <div class="MsoNormal">
2350. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Indians would not play on baseball’s biggest
2351. stage again until 2016, where they met a Cubs team that hadn’t been there since
2352. Truman’s first year in office. These Indians are a solid ballclub with
2353. outstanding starting pitching and are in excellent position to contend for the
2354. pennant in 2017 and beyond. But this is baseball. Nothing is guaranteed.
2355. Injuries and unexpected slumps can and will occur. They could be right back in
2356. the World Series next year, or they could miss the playoffs entirely. Being old
2357. and jaded as I am, I recognize that it’s entirely possible that the Indians
2358. could go another decade or more without playing a World Series contest, let
2359. alone one where they enter the bottom of the 9</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> in game 7 with a
2360. better than 50-50 chance to win it all. That’s why this one hurts so badly,
2361. despite the wonderful ride and sense of pride I feel for cheering for this
2362. club. I’ll never forget the 2016 Indians. The 14-game winning streak, Kluber’s
2363. dominance, the Andrew Miller (and almost Lucroy) trade, the emergence of
2364. Francisco Lindor as a bona fide superstar, Kipnis scoring from 2</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">
2365. in game 7, Rajai’s HR, JRam the Goat, Naquin's walk-off inside the park HR, Uribe’s cup, #PartyAtNapolis…it was a special
2366. season, that’s for sure. That it came up one run short in the end stings right
2367. now, but that will fade in time and we’ll be left with the good memories down
2368. the road. So I’ll suck it up and figure out a way to progress through all the
2369. stages of grief in the near term, and look forward to the levers that Chris
2370. Antonetti and company decide to pull this offseason as they prepare to defend
2371. the American League Pennant in 2017.</span></div>
2372. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/5011596206181224274/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=5011596206181224274&amp;isPopup=true' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/5011596206181224274'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/5011596206181224274'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/coming-to-grips-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Coming to Grips on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqHhyJAYvCYs0o2EFPDubL9tkn_9HYAHyR6rwGJuO6K7ywCbe9f0RllEg3wNpcR90tU2CQfR8hNg2x4pbTwf9KQlDSopN61op_UnjoQ6UfLTC-5itar-JPE4cCVwFfBvslhOB/s72-c/high+5.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-4610488994802656806</id><published>2016-04-03T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2016-04-07T15:07:03.437-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Ready for Baseball on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
2373. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnajRZAqGZjh4g7LtE5DEiNpAlr-1PYr-0jotG8iY81Ght__HpOwo_Xi4n8SHRO47-I4WZpolimrRLz0CGptusXQp8E5w7zK3tUGqRnibBeK8Um_xQLQLlo4CaRKgP5KvRoWi/s1600/opening+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnajRZAqGZjh4g7LtE5DEiNpAlr-1PYr-0jotG8iY81Ght__HpOwo_Xi4n8SHRO47-I4WZpolimrRLz0CGptusXQp8E5w7zK3tUGqRnibBeK8Um_xQLQLlo4CaRKgP5KvRoWi/s400/opening+day.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2374. <div class="MsoNormal">
2375. Back again for the second week in a row here on a Lazy
2376. Sunday! I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for reading and for the
2377. (universally positive) feedback I received after finally posting an article
2378. last week. You guys and gals are the reason I’m writing again this week.
2379. Knowing I’m doing a small part to fill what appears to be a void in otherwise
2380. excellent Indians coverage feels good, and the fact that people are reading and
2381. appreciating it makes it all worthwhile. Well, that and the fact that opening
2382. day is tomorrow(!) This offseason has somehow managed to both drag on and fly
2383. by. It feels like last week that I was watching the Mets fall to the Royals,
2384. and yet it feels like 10 years ago that the Indians last took the field in a
2385. meaningful contest. A lot has happened since then, both on and off the field,
2386. and I cannot wait for real, actual baseball at the corner of Carnegie and
2387. Ontario again. Through an unfortunate quirk in scheduling, I’ll actually be in
2388. Cincy on a work trip for Opening Day tomorrow, but I’ll also be in Cleveland
2389. for game two on Wednesday. If you think I’m not going to be at the stadium for
2390. that game, well, you really don’t know me very well. If anyone wants to meet up
2391. for a cold one at the Corner, I’ll be around Wednesday night. First round is on
2392. me. I should mention that I’ll be there with local television celebrity Jeff
2393. Nomina (among others), so if that makes you want to stay away, I don’t blame
2394. you. Let’s just hope it’s not raining (or snowing). <o:p></o:p></div>
2395. <div class="MsoNormal">
2396. <br /></div>
2397. <div class="MsoNormal">
2398. I’m eschewing the traditional “season preview” article
2399. because, well, you can find that pretty much anywhere. But I wanted to take a look
2400. at what I believe will be some of the keys to this season, a few things that
2401. will help determine whether the Indians are on the baseball diamond in October
2402. or setting up their tee times. Symmetrical lists are lazy and unoriginal, but I
2403. think it’s instructive to break down these keys into potential strengths and
2404. weaknesses. Since symmetry is bad, I’m going to look at four things that I’m
2405. excited about, and three that give me pause heading into 2016.<o:p></o:p></div>
2406. <div class="MsoNormal">
2407. <br /></div>
2408. <div class="MsoNormal">
2409. The first key to the season that I’m downright giddy about
2410. is Francisco Lindor. When Lindor was called up to the Indians last season, it
2411. stabilized both the infield defense (expected) and the top of the lineup
2412. (didn’t see that coming). Lindor debuted as a pinch hitter on June 14 in an 8-1
2413. loss to the Detroit Tigers. He collected his first major league hit, tripped
2414. over 1B, and the Indians fell to 29-33. They went 52-47 the rest of the season
2415. to finish at 81-80, and Lindor is a huge reason for that improvement. If you
2416. want to play the “completely arbitrary endpoints game” (it’s fun! play along!),
2417. the Indians were a full 10 games over .500 at 36-26 from July 29 through the
2418. end of the season, a stretch during which the defensive wizard Lindor hit a
2419. robust .350/.391/.554 with 8 HR and 36 RBI. When you combine that with Gold
2420. Glove-level defense, it’s easy to see why people are so excited about Francisco
2421. Lindor’s sophomore campaign. He’s also already a leader in the clubhouse by
2422. virtue of his makeup and incredible work ethic. 
2423. His smile could power a small country. I could go on, but I’ve waxed
2424. poetic about Lindor for many years in this space, and will likely continue to
2425. do so for many years to come. Suffice to say, the 22-year old shortstop is one
2426. of the primary reasons I’m excited about this team’s chances for contention in
2427. 2016 and beyond. <o:p></o:p></div>
2428. <div class="MsoNormal">
2429. <br /></div>
2430. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2431. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvU1VGTj21lrDP5LY2JoxYtdY3eRM7iRFgunWh3HfquYq3D_o1MW2vddjfuRt_W-EB9sBTJcXBrophe_NRTLY7NUgRICj3Ww9ZvLghlXobzb84wHfIpE6q1X84sZNXnBjvJl_/s1600/gomes+walkoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvU1VGTj21lrDP5LY2JoxYtdY3eRM7iRFgunWh3HfquYq3D_o1MW2vddjfuRt_W-EB9sBTJcXBrophe_NRTLY7NUgRICj3Ww9ZvLghlXobzb84wHfIpE6q1X84sZNXnBjvJl_/s400/gomes+walkoff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2432. <div class="MsoNormal">
2433. I’m also really excited that we get a healthy and
2434. (hopefully) productive Yan Gomes back. Gomes was the 2<sup>nd</sup> most
2435. valuable position player on the 2014 Indians if you go by WAR (not a perfect
2436. statistic, but a nice consistent measuring stick for our purposes here). Gomes
2437. was worth 4.2 wins, behind only Michael Brantley’s 6.8. Brantley, you’ll
2438. recall, finished 3<sup>rd</sup> in the AL MVP race in 2014. Gomes was injured in
2439. April last year and missed 38 games rehabbing his knee. Knees, as you’d imagine,
2440. are somewhat important to a catcher. Gomes jumped right back into the lineup on
2441. May 24 but was never quite able to get untracked at the plate. He finished with
2442. just a .659 OPS (down from .785 in 2014) and popping a dozen HR (down from 21
2443. in 2014). <o:p></o:p></div>
2444. <div class="MsoNormal">
2445. <br /></div>
2446. <div class="MsoNormal">
2447. Gomes struggled behind the dish last year as well. After
2448. assisting Indians pitching to the tune of 9.8 runs with his framing and 2.4
2449. runs with his throwing in 2014, Gomes actually cost his staff 2.6 runs by his
2450. poor framing and 0.2 runs with his throwing last year. Again, knees are
2451. important to catchers, as is the relationship with his pitching staff. Both of
2452. those suffered with the April injury, and both Gomes and the Indians scuffled
2453. as a result. Gomes finished 2015 with just 0.8 WAR, a full 3.4 wins fewer than
2454. in 2014. If you’ll permit me to round that figure up to 4 (it’s my site now, I
2455. do what I want) and look at the final standings, adding those 4 wins that Gomes
2456. could’ve delivered to the Indians final total shows they would’ve finished with
2457. an 85-76 record. The mathematicians out there are no doubt wondering why that
2458. number adds up to 161, and the answer is because of the unfinished game against
2459. the Tigers that was never made up because it didn’t affect the final standings.
2460. That game would now need to be made up, because the AL Wild Card winning
2461. Houston Astros finished with a record of 86-76. In my fantasy world, the
2462. Indians beat the Tigers in that game, take down the Astros in the 1-game
2463. playoff for the 2<sup>nd</sup> Wild Card, beat the Yankees in a dramatic 1-game
2464. Wild Card showdown in the Bronx and go on to…well, you get the idea. Is it possible
2465. that a healthy Yan Gomes is all the Indians need to push themselves over the
2466. hump and back into the playoffs for the first time since way back in…2013
2467. (editor’s note; that’s not that long ago)? Maybe. Either way, I sure hope we
2468. get to find out. As we were reminded last week with his sub-1.9 pop times
2469. throwing to 2nd, Yan is an awful lot of fun to watch behind the dish. <o:p></o:p></div>
2470. <div class="MsoNormal">
2471. <br /></div>
2472. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2473. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATAIsJYi24kO-5Bvx9RnCkV07zO26xW-pnvionAnM8nmeIUq1ST8emLdivynbiYW5UMfEejclknI2g_LSRt0G7uhScK2mTM8aBuOUkkzHsaPKBpbEOsRODzp1MXWWWT7711CQ/s1600/cookie+clapping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATAIsJYi24kO-5Bvx9RnCkV07zO26xW-pnvionAnM8nmeIUq1ST8emLdivynbiYW5UMfEejclknI2g_LSRt0G7uhScK2mTM8aBuOUkkzHsaPKBpbEOsRODzp1MXWWWT7711CQ/s320/cookie+clapping.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2474. <div class="MsoNormal">
2475. Sometimes sports fans take expected excellence for granted.
2476. The Indians 2016 rotation might be an example of that excellence turning into
2477. complacency. The rotation is led by two players who are AL Cy Young Candidates
2478. in Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco. The #3 starter, Danny Salazar, is a
2479. 26-year old who has more career strikeouts (380) than innings pitched (347).
2480. Sliding into the #4 slot in the rotation is a 25-year old righty who exceeded
2481. all expectations in his debut last season, going 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 15
2482. starts and winning AL Pitcher of the Month in September. Anderson is
2483. also…seriously…in “the best shape of his life” and is a groundball machine on
2484. the mound. Being a groundball inducing SP at the beginning of 2015 would be a
2485. red flag in front of an Indians defense that was…well, really bad, but 2016
2486. will open with defensive improvements at 3 of the 4 INF positions, so that’s
2487. now a positive rather than a concern with Anderson. The #5 starter is a bit of
2488. a surprise, but Josh Tomlin is what he is; an athletic strike-thrower who is
2489. prone to the longball, but they’re usually solo shots because he rarely walks
2490. anyone. He struck out 19 hitters in 17 1/3 spring IP, including 10 in his final
2491. tune-up against Seattle. That leaves Trevor Bauer headed to the bullpen to open
2492. the season. Bauer had a better spring than either Anderson or Tomlin, lowering
2493. his walk rate and picking up a tick on his already plus fastball. Personally,
2494. I’d have put Bauer in the rotation and moved Tomlin to the bullpen, but that
2495. option can always be exercised later in the season if it becomes necessary. Add
2496. to that group guys like Mike Clevinger and T.J. House, and the Indians go
2497. 8-deep when it comes to legitimate SP options. It’s a talented group that is
2498. arguably the best starting corps in the American League, and could rival the
2499. Mets group of flamethrowers for best in baseball before the 2016 season is
2500. over. The Mets made the World Series on the strength of their starting pitching
2501. last season (with help from an insane hot streak by Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel
2502. Murphy doing a Reggie Jackson impression in October), and it’s not a stretch to
2503. think that the Indians could do the same this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
2504. <div class="MsoNormal">
2505. <br /></div>
2506. <div class="MsoNormal">
2507. The last thing I’m going to cover in this section is
2508. something I’ve alluded to a few times above already; the vast improvement in
2509. the club’s defense from 2015 to 2016. <a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-cleveland-indians-historic-defensive-turnaround/">Jonah
2510. Keri wrote a fantastic article last year chronicling the Indians rise from the
2511. worst defensive team in baseball last April/May to one of the best by the end
2512. of the season</a>. Not coincidentally, that defensive rise coincided with the
2513. promotions of Francisco Lindor and Gio Urshela from AAA. Lindor will be around
2514. for a full season this year (God willing) and while Urshela is ticketed to
2515. begin the season in Columbus, he’s just a phone call away. Juan Uribe will
2516. start at the hot corner, and he should be at least a league-average defender
2517. this year. Lonnie Chisenhall went from a negative at 3B to an almost
2518. unbelievably effective defender in RF (although he’ll begin 2016 on the DL).
2519. Mike Napoli has saved 20 runs as a 1B, a pretty big step up from Carlos
2520. Santana’s -9. How a 1B can give away that many runs is beyond me, and speaks to
2521. Santana’s utter indifference as a defender. Tyler Naquin is going to start in
2522. CF; he’s fast and has an absolute cannon for an arm, despite lacking major
2523. league experience. Michael Bourn was a former Gold Glover with experience for
2524. days last year, but was neither fast nor had the ability to throw a baseball
2525. through a glass window. By the end of the season, I think that the Indians will
2526. be improved defensively at no fewer than 6 positions this year (CF, RF, 3B, SS,
2527. 1B and C). If they managed merely league-average defense for the entirety of
2528. 2015, the Indians may have made the playoffs. League-average is the floor for
2529. this year’s defense, and that bodes well for the prospect of playoff baseball
2530. on the North Shore.<o:p></o:p></div>
2531. <div class="MsoNormal">
2532. <br /></div>
2533. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2534. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7k7ZD0yV0jadZMhzijDTs-btl3rY4aeX9PMYEmC_JXcBRx3YgmJZE1fioi1rYE5BRX1L40uBDRKDsByX0VBDwt-phrCeKVo5GqYB6WLA4FWcs_1YDSqvKc1rh21CKG6iutiR/s1600/Lindor+smile+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7k7ZD0yV0jadZMhzijDTs-btl3rY4aeX9PMYEmC_JXcBRx3YgmJZE1fioi1rYE5BRX1L40uBDRKDsByX0VBDwt-phrCeKVo5GqYB6WLA4FWcs_1YDSqvKc1rh21CKG6iutiR/s320/Lindor+smile+fb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2535. <div class="MsoNormal">
2536. Now that we have the sunshine and roses out of the way,
2537. let’s look at three things that concern me heading into 2016. The first,
2538. ironically, is Francisco Lindor. I’ll forgive your confusion, as you’ve seen me
2539. wax poetic about Lindor for the past several years now, including in this very
2540. article a few paragraphs above. What concerns me about Lindor are the sky-high
2541. expectations surrounding his hitting in 2016. I fully believe that no matter
2542. what happens, he’ll be a valuable member of the team by virtue of his glove
2543. alone. But Lindor hit better last year than at any stop along the way in his
2544. minor league career. He never hit more than 11 HR in any minor league season,
2545. then popped 12 in 99 MLB games. He never hit higher than .303 in the minors,
2546. but wound up with a .313 AVG in The Show. His highest MiLB OPS over a full
2547. season was .787, and he far outpaced that with an .835 mark in Cleveland. You
2548. get the idea. It’s possible that this is the new normal for Lindor; after all
2549. he’s only 22 and has added strength and size as he’s made his way up the
2550. organizational ladder. But this is Cleveland, so we’re generally expecting
2551. something to go wrong at any moment. Lindor’s BABIP (batting average on balls
2552. in play) was a robust .348 last year, a mark that’s higher than league average
2553. but not an insane outlier. That number will probably come down as luck evens
2554. out. He did strike out 69 times against just 27 walks, showing some (expected
2555. and totally understandable) struggles against major league breaking balls. <o:p></o:p></div>
2556. <div class="MsoNormal">
2557. <br /></div>
2558. <div class="MsoNormal">
2559. All this isn’t to say that I expect Lindor to be a weakness
2560. on the 2016 team; far from it. I just wouldn’t be shocked if his 2015 batting
2561. line didn’t carry over into 2016. If the 2015 Lindor we saw at the plate is for
2562. real, he’s going to be a legitimate MVP candidate down the road. Voters are
2563. predisposed to offense and tend to ignore defensive value when voting for
2564. awards (even the Gold Glove awards to a degree), which is probably why Carlos
2565. Correa and his 22 HR won the AL Rookie of the Year Award over Lindor despite
2566. Lindor’s higher WAR (4.6 to 4.1). So even if Lindor’s bat does regress in 2016,
2567. he’s still going to be a very important and valuable player to the Indians. I
2568. just think we should be prepared for that possibility, that the 22 year old
2569. defensive wizard isn’t ready to carry a major league lineup at this point in
2570. his career. <o:p></o:p></div>
2571. <div class="MsoNormal">
2572. <br /></div>
2573. <div class="MsoNormal">
2574. My second concern heading into 2016 also focuses on the
2575. offense, particularly the offense supplied by left fielder Michael Brantley.
2576. Brantley was one of the best players in the AL in 2014, posting an .890 OPS,
2577. compiling 6.8 WAR and finishing 3<sup>rd</sup> in the AL MVP voting. He was
2578. well on his way to another excellent season in 2015 before suffering a shoulder
2579. injury, and still managed to lead the league in doubles despite playing in just
2580. 137 games. He’s been their most consistent and valuable position player over
2581. the past two seasons, and when he’s in the 3-hole in the lineup, the Indians
2582. are a solid offensive team. Unfortunately, Brantley isn’t going to start the
2583. season in the lineup as he’s dealing with the lingering effects from offseason
2584. shoulder surgery. Brantley was injured diving for a ball on September 22, and
2585. after initially trying to strengthen the shoulder through rest and rehab, went
2586. under the knife in early November. Prior to the shoulder injury, Brantley had
2587. been battling back soreness throughout the season, so it’s almost remarkable he
2588. was able to put up the numbers that he did.<o:p></o:p></div>
2589. <div class="MsoNormal">
2590. <br /></div>
2591. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2592. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbgVSBHWKYa01Caxd44jrBUJ6FT8KStX3EZ5Q7YMmTSQnPd-4H6vln-DNJsaB9wmASG7-nBJuOt4J4R8PwHgZenRQjYVpR66St0ChOwE0fAD_j9OkhERYxRUdL-yXX90PI1ay/s1600/brantley+goofy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbgVSBHWKYa01Caxd44jrBUJ6FT8KStX3EZ5Q7YMmTSQnPd-4H6vln-DNJsaB9wmASG7-nBJuOt4J4R8PwHgZenRQjYVpR66St0ChOwE0fAD_j9OkhERYxRUdL-yXX90PI1ay/s320/brantley+goofy.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
2593. <div class="MsoNormal">
2594. Brantley had a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. As
2595. someone who has had surgery to repair a torn labrum, I can tell you firsthand
2596. that the surgery and recovery are no joke. Shoulder injuries have sapped the
2597. power and effectiveness from Indians hitters in the past. Travis Hafner’s torn
2598. labrum accelerated his decline, and Jason Kipnis dealt with a shoulder injury
2599. that derailed his 2014 season before it could even get untracked. While it was
2600. understood at the time of the surgery that Brantley was not expected back in
2601. the lineup for opening day, he teased Tribe fans earlier this month by playing
2602. (and homering!) in a Cactus League game. That had fans and teammates
2603. understandably excited, but Brantley felt discomfort in the shoulder after
2604. playing, so the Indians shut him down for the remainder of the spring. It’s
2605. tempting to call that a setback for Brantley and many did, but when you
2606. remember back in November that Brantley wasn’t expected to resume baseball
2607. activities for 4-5 months, you realize that he’s not so much behind schedule
2608. now as he was ahead of schedule when he appeared in a big league game last week.
2609. I was always afraid that Brantley would rush back too quickly and either
2610. re-injure himself or be ineffective in the lineup the way Kipnis was in 2014.
2611. Hopefully that little “setback” that he endured last week was more of a reality
2612. check than anything, and Brantley will continue to strengthen his shoulder and
2613. come back when he’s ready to perform at a high level again. Even if that’s not
2614. until mid-April or even May, I’d much rather have 130 games of 2014 Brantley
2615. than 155 games of 2014 Kipnis-type performance. If the Indians are going to
2616. contend for a championship in 2016, they’re going to need a healthy and
2617. productive Michael Brantley in LF. <o:p></o:p></div>
2618. <div class="MsoNormal">
2619. <br /></div>
2620. <div class="MsoNormal">
2621. The third and final area of the team I’m concerned with
2622. heading into 2016 is the bullpen. Cody Allen is more than solid in the back of
2623. the pen, coming off of a season where he saved 34 games, struck out 99 and
2624. posting a 2.99 ERA in 69 1/3 IP. Before that though, there’s a significant
2625. amount of uncertainty. Jeff Manship was otherworldly last year, allowing a
2626. miniscule 0.92 ERA in 39 1/3 IP (469 ERA+!!!), but prior to last year he was
2627. nothing short of awful as a major league reliever. His ERA in 139 1/3 IP prior
2628. to last season was a robust 6.46. I sure hope he’s the guy we saw last year,
2629. but to count on that seems silly. Bryan Shaw was solid last year with a 2.95
2630. ERA in 64 IP, but he’s made 224 appearances over the last three seasons and the
2631. 28-year old’s right arm might actually fall off this year if he is called on to
2632. make another 70+. No one really knows what to expect out of Joba Chamberlain,
2633. but he finished last year with a 4.88 ERA (and a 5.37 FIP) in 27 IP last year.
2634. Zach McAllister has the potential to be a weapon in the back end of the
2635. bullpen, and was solid there last season with 84 K and a 3.00 ERA in 69 IP. The
2636. only lefty in the bullpen is Ross Detwiler, and he has a 5.56 ERA in the last
2637. two seasons since becoming a reliever. As much as Tito Francona loves pulling
2638. his RP levers in the late innings of games, I’m a little surprised that the
2639. Indians are breaking camp with just a single southpaw. I fully expect to see
2640. Kyle Crockett in Cleveland at some point in 2016, especially if Detwiler
2641. struggles early on. <o:p></o:p></div>
2642. <div class="MsoNormal">
2643. <br /></div>
2644. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2645. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiDdgz4cVNHoFsU_eJxH9_sdM_yyxS1dh8aZNA1bP3V-8_CQnRrJ2D8YJX3uSuo6y0r7pNaX5beffFnPqSmoJLxRtbxGElM5mQzyT8mKT_-N-k4Qp5sw2oE5J-12KFTJsWYfg/s1600/manship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiDdgz4cVNHoFsU_eJxH9_sdM_yyxS1dh8aZNA1bP3V-8_CQnRrJ2D8YJX3uSuo6y0r7pNaX5beffFnPqSmoJLxRtbxGElM5mQzyT8mKT_-N-k4Qp5sw2oE5J-12KFTJsWYfg/s320/manship.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2646. <div class="MsoNormal">
2647. Manship, Shaw, Detwiler, McAllister, Chamberlain and Dan
2648. Otero might pitch effectively in 2016. But that’s not something I’m comfortable
2649. counting on. I like McAllister a lot in the bullpen and think his stuff plays
2650. up there, and it sure seems like Shaw is able to bounce back year after year
2651. despite his heavy workload. But the rest of the bullpen has me a little
2652. worried, and the fact that there’s only one lefty out there can’t leave Terry
2653. Francona feeling too comfortable. The wildcard in all this is Trevor Bauer,
2654. who’s slated to start the season in the bullpen after losing out to Cody
2655. Anderson and Josh Tomlin for a slot in the rotation. There’s been some
2656. speculation that Bauer or another starter could be flipped for a bullpen arm
2657. but that seems silly as starters are much more valuable than relievers by
2658. virtue of their work rates if nothing else. Can Bauer, with his complicated and
2659. intricate warmup routine and control issues, pitch effectively out of the
2660. bullpen? How long of a leash will Tomlin (who’s pitched out of the bullpen in
2661. the past) and Anderson have with Bauer waiting in the wings? It’ll be
2662. interesting to see, and something to keep tabs on early on this season.</div>
2663. <br />
2664. <div class="MsoNormal">
2665. This is the final Lazy Sunday of the offseason, and
2666. depending on what time you’re reading this, there could be less than 24 hours
2667. until Corey Kluber toes the rubber at The Jake and takes on David Price and the
2668. Boston Red Sox. Opening Day is always full of excitement and wonder about the
2669. season to come, but the season will quickly settle into the day in and day out
2670. routine of the Indians doing what they can to win as many baseball games as
2671. possible. If they can stay healthy (always a big IF), I think they can make the
2672. playoffs in what should be a competitive AL Central. And if they can get into
2673. the playoffs, their rotation gives them a chance to compete against anyone.
2674. I’ll take Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar against any top 3 in baseball, even the Mets
2675. 3-headed monster of Harvey/Thor/DeGrom. Getting to the playoffs is going to be
2676. hard enough as it is, so hopefully the Indians can avoid another slow April
2677. start like the ones that have plagued them for years now. The 2012 Indians were
2678. 11-9, the last time the club finished over .500 in the seasons’ first month.
2679. There’s an old saying that you can’t clinch a playoff spot in April, but you
2680. can lose one, and while that’s not exactly true it sure doesn’t help to dig a
2681. hole that you spend the rest of the season trying to dig out of. So while you
2682. shouldn’t get too wrapped around the axle about one game, and try not to let
2683. the small sample sizes early in the season convince you that a player is a
2684. bum/all-star, these games do count in the standings. Here’s hoping the Indians
2685. get off on the right foot with a few wins, the fans come out to support the
2686. team, and there’s sunshine and warm weather on the North Coast this April. <o:p></o:p></div>
2687. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/4610488994802656806/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=4610488994802656806&amp;isPopup=true' title='8 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4610488994802656806'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4610488994802656806'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/ready-for-baseball-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Ready for Baseball on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnajRZAqGZjh4g7LtE5DEiNpAlr-1PYr-0jotG8iY81Ght__HpOwo_Xi4n8SHRO47-I4WZpolimrRLz0CGptusXQp8E5w7zK3tUGqRnibBeK8Um_xQLQLlo4CaRKgP5KvRoWi/s72-c/opening+day.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>8</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-1513212235941047469</id><published>2016-03-27T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2016-03-27T07:00:09.689-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Back in Action on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
2688. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDPFJfknUQsokH1BGsamlufFaaM64ivIIxByWrLNbZ0CUIy4DkrRSK6YDjt6G4o86ds9OuM-krEyV61feP6KuaYywtXYRZhZjb-6u1iX7GRusEeyWh2-OunO0U-YBOZO67NUc/s1600/back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDPFJfknUQsokH1BGsamlufFaaM64ivIIxByWrLNbZ0CUIy4DkrRSK6YDjt6G4o86ds9OuM-krEyV61feP6KuaYywtXYRZhZjb-6u1iX7GRusEeyWh2-OunO0U-YBOZO67NUc/s400/back.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2689. <div class="MsoNormal">
2690. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hi. Remember me? I used to write stuff about Indians
2691. baseball. People read it and everything, it was really great. Unfortunately,
2692. the last time I wrote anything about Indians baseball was…June of 2015. Wow,
2693. that’s embarrassing to actually see in print. When Paul Cousineau stepped away
2694. from the interwebs (for good, it turns out) in September of 2012, the one thing
2695. I wanted to do with this site is to carry on his legacy and keep the DiaTribe
2696. alive in a form that he’d be proud of. Paul hasn’t said anything to me about
2697. it, but I can’t help but feel like he’s disappointed with where the site is
2698. today. Without boring everyone with the details of my personal life, I’ve
2699. welcomed a DiaBaby of my own to the world this past November, and being a
2700. first-time parent is every bit as challenging as my wife and I expected, and
2701. more. He’s healthy and (usually) happy, and we’re incredibly blessed in that
2702. sense. I can’t imagine how parents deal with a legitimately sick child, as
2703. every time he sneezes my wife and I hold our breath, worrying that there’s
2704. something wrong (the veteran parents out there are no doubt chuckling to
2705. themselves right now). Adding the kid to a work schedule that has involved both
2706. a promotion and more travel than I ever expected makes writing at the level worthy
2707. of this site a difficult proposition at best. I already struggle to replicate
2708. the quality that you became accustomed to with the great Pauly C. in the best
2709. of circumstances. Writing with an increasingly hectic work and personal life
2710. became a difficult proposition, and whenever I did finally put virtual pen to
2711. paper, I was never satisfied that the result was worth publishing on this site.
2712. The DiaTribe has always been high quality, long form journalism. That high
2713. standard handed down by the Godfather isn’t easy to live up to, but it’s something
2714. at which I’ve always made a legitimate effort. For those that are still
2715. reading, I’d love to hear from you via e-mail, twitter or in the comments
2716. section as to whether that’s something that you still value in this day and
2717. age, or if you’re more attracted to shorter, more frequent pieces. Articles of
2718. more than a couple of pages are rare these days, and if the demand isn’t there
2719. for that, then I’ll quit worrying about satisfying the (non-existent) desire
2720. for more long-form stuff. This is all a very long-winded way for me to do three
2721. things; 1) apologize to those who frequented the site and didn’t want it to go
2722. away 2) tell you that I’m going to make a better effort to write more this
2723. season and 3) try to determine the appetite for articles on this site. Look
2724. forward to your feedback, and hopefully spending many a Lazy Sunday with you
2725. this year and in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2726. <div class="MsoNormal">
2727. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2728. <div class="MsoNormal">
2729. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I didn’t feel comfortable writing a prospect
2730. countdown this year because I just haven’t seen the guys throughout the org the
2731. way I have in years past, so I’d primarily be regurgitating others opinions on
2732. players. If you’re looking for original prospect coverage right now, check out </span><a href="http://www.scout.com/mlb/indians/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">IBI</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">,
2733. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Baseball
2734. Prospectus</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> and the new </span><a href="http://2080baseball.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2080 Baseball</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
2735. I’ll get back out and start checking out the affiliates this year, but missing
2736. out on spring training makes it tough to see the new guys and also to get a
2737. read on the improvements made by the veteran players in the org. But I do want
2738. to talk about one guy that I’m really excited about this year, a guy that has
2739. flown under the radar over the past year or two due to his age and injury
2740. history. Mike Clevinger was originally a 4<sup>th</sup> round pick by the Los
2741. Angeles Angels back in 2011, and was dealt to the Indians in 2014 for Vinnie
2742. Pestano. Clevinger had thrown just 5 2/3 innings in 2013 coming off Tommy John
2743. surgery, and was getting knocked around the Cal League with high-A Inland
2744. Empire (5.37 ERA in 55 1/3 IP). But the Indians focused on his peripherals (58
2745. K) and projection, and figured he was worth a flier. Clevinger responded with a
2746. legitimate breakout as a 24-year old in Akron last year, going 9-8 with a 2.73
2747. ERA, 145 K and 40 BB in 158 IP for the Rubberducks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2748. <div class="MsoNormal">
2749. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2750. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2751. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgodQcIyiI1xfl63dJOl20XTg33tbNlo_MKOmS2jOX-VodHSUmWrMYMQ4ZGtZ-jg_eC3ZgR1noQtCrq_cnDXDu8gazsE3WVCHoI55cbs0-4NjL39SjXRu3M2DlogjCw_ea119e/s1600/Clevinger+columbus+pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgodQcIyiI1xfl63dJOl20XTg33tbNlo_MKOmS2jOX-VodHSUmWrMYMQ4ZGtZ-jg_eC3ZgR1noQtCrq_cnDXDu8gazsE3WVCHoI55cbs0-4NjL39SjXRu3M2DlogjCw_ea119e/s320/Clevinger+columbus+pie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2752. <div class="MsoNormal">
2753. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Clevinger has a starter’s body and repertoire,
2754. throwing four pitches that project to be at least average at the major league
2755. level. His fastball sits comfortably in the mid-90s, and he compliments the
2756. fastball with a slider, curveball and split-change a-la Danny Salazar.
2757. Clevinger’s split-change is of course not in Salazar’s class just yet, but I’d
2758. be shocked if the two weren’t exchanging notes on the pitch throughout
2759. Clevinger’s time in big-league camp this spring. </span><a href="https://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=28681"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adam
2760. McInturff of Baseball Prospectus saw Clevinger in action earlier this month and
2761. came away impressed:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
2762. <div class="MsoNormal">
2763. <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2764. <div class="MsoNormal">
2765. <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“Clevinger’s fastball ranged between 93-97 mph, sitting
2766. consistently at 94-95. It’s a straight four-seamer, but he consistently showed
2767. the ability to power the ball past hitters and get swings and misses. He showed
2768. progressively better feel for a slider at 82-85 that flashed solid-average (if
2769. not a tick better) at its best, and looked like a reliable second pitch. His
2770. third pitch was a hard splitter at 87-90, though it was too firm (almost
2771. looking like a two-seam fastball) at the higher end of velocity band. Clevinger
2772. rattled off some better splitters during his second inning of work, though,
2773. flashing a </span></i></div>
2774. <div class="MsoNormal">
2775. <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">handful with pretty nasty life bottoming out and running away from
2776. left-handers.”</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2777. <div class="MsoNormal">
2778. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2779. <div class="MsoNormal">
2780. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s still early, but if Clevinger becomes even a
2781. serviceable back of the rotation SP, the Pestano-Clevinger deal will become
2782. another in a long line of under the radar steals by the Indians front office.
2783. If he becomes a solid #3 or even #2 (which seems possible based on his frame
2784. and stuff), it’ll fall into “Yan Gomes for Esmil Rodgers” territory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2785. <div class="MsoNormal">
2786. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2787. <div class="MsoNormal">
2788. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Moving on to players who have already been
2789. contributing to the major league roster; it’s no secret that Francisco Lindor
2790. was a force in his rookie season last year. Lindor played the sparkling defense
2791. that we all expected from him upon getting the call to Cleveland, but his bat
2792. produced at a higher level than anyone expected. A career .279/.354/.384 hitter
2793. across 5 minor league seasons, Lindor hit .313/.353/.482 with 12 HR, 51 RBI and
2794. 12 SB in 99 games at the major league level last year. That’s a big leap for a
2795. 21 year old in his first exposure to major league pitching. Ken Rosenthal of
2796. Fox Sports wrote a really nice piece on Lindor, and I’d like to focus on a
2797. couple of Ken’s points, if I may;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
2798. <div class="MsoNormal">
2799. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2800. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2801. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguC3fdVqTecnExTVU3MKpI1Xb57-NrorhfSX0IGqGyrQ-LDdPsoQI8OwUK4fiZ5-QQUFh0SHwWW5EE6YbPel37YuAOQ8islT6_BUZdTs1XBFkr0Yz2u8PDX4_hqdtulgIFwjUK/s1600/lindor+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguC3fdVqTecnExTVU3MKpI1Xb57-NrorhfSX0IGqGyrQ-LDdPsoQI8OwUK4fiZ5-QQUFh0SHwWW5EE6YbPel37YuAOQ8islT6_BUZdTs1XBFkr0Yz2u8PDX4_hqdtulgIFwjUK/s400/lindor+smile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2802. <div class="MsoNormal">
2803. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“…</span></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">consider
2804. that Lindor immediately established himself as an elite defender — and that he
2805. batted .205 with a .492 OPS in his first 90 plate appearances with the Indians,
2806. .342 with a .927 OPS in his next 348.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2807. <div class="MsoNormal">
2808. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2809. <div class="MsoNormal">
2810. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">~snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2811. <div class="MsoNormal">
2812. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2813. <div class="MsoNormal">
2814. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Indians
2815. hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo mentioned to the team's front office that Lindor's
2816. at-bats actually looked good, even if the results indicated otherwise. The
2817. front office, after examining Lindor's exit velocities, determined that he
2818. indeed was hitting into poor luck, general manager Chris Antonetti says.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2819. <div class="MsoNormal">
2820. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div>
2821. <div class="MsoNormal">
2822. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Van
2823. Burkleo relayed that information to Lindor, who appreciated that the coach did
2824. not try to alter his mechanics.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2825. <div class="MsoNormal">
2826. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2827. <div class="MsoNormal">
2828. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">~snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2829. <div class="MsoNormal">
2830. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2831. <div class="MsoNormal">
2832. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">He decided that he would bunt more out of the No. 2 spot,
2833. putting runners in scoring position for No. 3 hitter Michael Brantley. Francona
2834. didn't necessarily like the idea. But he, too, declined to suggest anything
2835. different to Lindor.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2836. <div class="MsoNormal">
2837. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2838. <div class="MsoNormal">
2839. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"I was getting caught in between," Francona
2840. says. "I was like, 'The kid is trying to do what he thinks is right.' But
2841. he's such a good hitter, I didn't want him to give himself up.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2842. <div class="MsoNormal">
2843. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"I never really said anything to him. I thought,
2844. 'You know what? Let's see where it goes.' Sometimes you've got to just let 'em
2845. play a little bit."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2846. <div class="MsoNormal">
2847. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2848. <div class="MsoNormal">
2849. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">All these months later, Lindor believes that bunting was
2850. pivotal to his later success. He would track the ball, follow its progress to
2851. his bat. In subsequent plate appearances, he would see the ball better and
2852. swing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2853. <div class="MsoNormal">
2854. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
2855. <div class="MsoNormal">
2856. <i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">His batting average rose. His confidence followed.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
2857. <div class="MsoNormal">
2858. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2859. <div class="MsoNormal">
2860. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading the entire article (which you should’ve done
2861. by now anyway), you can’t help but come away even more impressed with Lindor
2862. than before (which I thought was impossible, but there you go). The fact that a
2863. 21-year old could come up, struggle, be trusted by the coaching staff and
2864. organization to make his own adjustments then come out and have a borderline
2865. historic half season tells you so much about Lindor’s talent, maturity,
2866. leadership and makeup. And you really have to hand it to the Indians as well;
2867. trusting Lindor to work his way through his own struggles was absolutely the right
2868. decision. Too often a hitting coach can artificially tinker with a young player
2869. and wind up creating bad habits where none existed to begin with. The Indians
2870. know what they have with Lindor, and they (correctly) trust him to get the most
2871. out of his considerable talent. This does not mean that Lindor is infallible
2872. and will never need coaching, of course. But knowing when to coach up a player
2873. and when to leave him alone is important, and it’s a difficult line to draw
2874. when working with a 21-year old rookie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2875. <div class="MsoNormal">
2876. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2877. <div class="MsoNormal">
2878. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The player who moved aside to make room for the
2879. 21-year old Lindor has been making waves this spring, as Jose Ramirez has been
2880. impressive both at the plate and at various stops around the diamond
2881. defensively. Ramirez was handed the SS job out of spring training last year,
2882. and stumbled to a .180/.247/.240 line in 46 games before being sent down to AAA
2883. Columbus. Ramirez was clearly pressing and looking over his shoulder, knowing
2884. uber-prospect Lindor lurked just behind him and that he may be getting just one
2885. shot at the SS job in Cleveland. Ramirez was recalled to Cleveland on August 3,
2886. and from then on to the end of the season he served as a super-utilityman,
2887. playing all over the diamond and producing much more effectively at the plate.
2888. He didn’t set the world on fire, but he put up a .259/.337/.438 line with 5 HR
2889. in 50 games. More importantly, he walked (19) more times than he struck out
2890. (15) over those final plate appearances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
2891. <div class="MsoNormal">
2892. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2893. <div class="MsoNormal">
2894. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ramirez was never going to be a 1<sup>st</sup>-division
2895. everyday SS in the major leagues. He’s not a great defender at SS, and was
2896. never going to out-hit his defensive deficiencies enough to play the position
2897. at a high level. What he can be however is a Mike Aviles type utilityman,
2898. playing SS, 3B, 2B and even OF as needed. He’s a switch hitter, so he can give
2899. Kipnis a break against tough lefties, play 3B when there’s a good RHP on the
2900. mound, plus he can pinch hit and pinch run as necessary late in games when he
2901. doesn’t get the start. Ramirez can still be an incredibly valuable part of a
2902. major league roster, despite failing to prove he can handle SS. He’s still just
2903. 23 years old and is under club control for at least four more seasons. Take
2904. these with an enormous grain of salt, but as of Friday he was hitting .390/.422/.780
2905. with 4 HR in spring training. If he can ride that wave into the regular season
2906. in a clearly defined utility role, Ramirez can be one of the most important
2907. position players on the roster this season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
2908. <div class="MsoNormal">
2909. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2910. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2911. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8Z0ZD8yFyx9D4HG_oFDEN5HCl5ISLi2w9giJNe8B51lDmhpLdh2kZaNp5m4V7chcHj4A1cE9iaSJheRmqTx8O57hXDBw0p0v71W1m7gazJbPN2c7R-d3Go0od_arAG7rgjqS/s1600/naquin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8Z0ZD8yFyx9D4HG_oFDEN5HCl5ISLi2w9giJNe8B51lDmhpLdh2kZaNp5m4V7chcHj4A1cE9iaSJheRmqTx8O57hXDBw0p0v71W1m7gazJbPN2c7R-d3Go0od_arAG7rgjqS/s320/naquin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2912. <div class="MsoNormal">
2913. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another player who opened some eyes in camp this
2914. spring is CF Tyler Naquin. Naquin was thrust into the competition for the
2915. opening day CF job when the Abraham Almonte suspension was announced, and he’s
2916. responded with his best stretch of production as a professional hitter. With
2917. our spring training and small sample size alarms blaring, I’ll just note that
2918. Naquin is hitting a robust .447/.500/.842 with 2 HR, 3 3B and 3 2B in 15 games
2919. (38 AB). In addition to the solid performance at the plate, Naquin is the best
2920. defensive CF on the roster right now, and will offer more defensively than his
2921. competitors for the role. Naquin has good speed and takes good routes to the
2922. ball in CF. Add to that a plus-plus arm that’s among the best in all of
2923. baseball, and you have an above average defensive CF, a guy that’s going to add
2924. value to the lineup even if he doesn’t hit. I certainly don’t expect Naquin to
2925. carry over his spring production if he does get the nod to start the season in
2926. Cleveland, but his bat won’t be completely empty. He’s not going to hit for
2927. much power, but he’ll put the bat on the ball, take a walk and (yes) he can
2928. bunt if the situation calls for it. He hit a combined .300/.381/.446 between
2929. Akron and Columbus last year, and has a career minor league OPS of .777. If I
2930. had to pick someone on the current Indians roster to start the season as the
2931. everyday CF, it’d be Naquin. The Indians have already announced that Naquin
2932. will make the opening day roster, and I doubt they’re taking him north just to
2933. sit. I expect him to be patrolling CF on April 4 when Tom Hamilton finally
2934. announces that we are UNDERway at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2935. <div class="MsoNormal">
2936. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2937. <div class="MsoNormal">
2938. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This offseason, the Indians finally signed a pair of
2939. veterans who it feels like they’ve flirted with for a decade now. This site has
2940. advocated for the Indians to go out and get Juan Uribe and/or Marlon Byrd since
2941. Paul Cousineau himself was writing the articles. Uribe and Byrd were cheap,
2942. low-risk signings that serve to improve on areas of the team that were…let’s
2943. just say poor last season. Gio Urshela came up and showcased a fantastic glove
2944. at the hot corner, but the then-23 year old hit just .225/.279/.330, not enough
2945. to lock down the position for 2016. Uribe meanwhile has posted OPS+’s of over
2946. 100 in each of the past three seasons in the National League (116, 120, 105),
2947. meaning he was better than league average at the plate. He’s also 37 years old
2948. and very much on the downside of his career, but signed to a 1-year, $4 million
2949. contract there is really no risk here to the Indians. If it turns out he’s lost
2950. it at the plate and in the field, they release him and give Urshela another
2951. shot. If he can produce at a level even commensurate with 2015, then it’s a big
2952. step forward in filling a void at 3B. He’s a popular guy in the clubhouse and
2953. will help provide veteran leadership to a young infield. It’s a solid signing,
2954. even if it would’ve been better three years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
2955. <div class="MsoNormal">
2956. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2957. <div class="MsoNormal">
2958. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The other vet flying his way to the North Shore is
2959. outfielder Marlon Byrd. Byrd is even older than Uribe at 38, but has probably
2960. been more productive over the past few years. The right handed hitting Byrd has
2961. hit 24, 25 and 23 HR over the past three seasons, respectively. He’s posted a
2962. combined .268/.313/.469 line with a 116 OPS+ since 2013, pretty solid numbers
2963. for a guy closer to 30 than 40. Signed to a minor league deal to augment an
2964. uncertain outfield corps, Byrd carries even less risk than Uribe, and even more
2965. upside. Here’s a list of Indians players who hit more HR than Byrd last season;
2966. N/A. That’s right, Carlos Santana led the club with 19 dingers. Santana’s 27 in
2967. 2014 would’ve been more than Byrd that season, but no one else hit more than
2968. his 25. Not to belabor the point, but Byrd also would’ve led the AL Wild Card
2969. winning 2013 Indians with his 24 HR (2 more than Nick Swisher’s 22). Power has
2970. been in short supply at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario for the past few
2971. years, and especially with Brantley’s injury concerns, there’s no one in the
2972. Indians outfield that projects to hit more than 15 or so HR this year. Adding
2973. Byrd to the mix on a minor league deal could end up being a significant move.
2974. It’s entirely possible that the Indians just signed the guy who’s going to lead
2975. the 2016 club in HR, and they did it in mid-March. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2976. <div class="MsoNormal">
2977. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
2978. <br />
2979. <div class="MsoNormal">
2980. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sincere thanks for those of you who are still reading,
2981. and hopefully you’ll stick with me through another year of what will likely be
2982. somewhat inconsistent posts. It’s good to be back, and I really think this
2983. could be a special season for Indians baseball. The pitching staff (which we
2984. really didn’t even talk about this week) is one of the best in all of baseball,
2985. and the lineup and defense are going to be better than they were last year. Is
2986. that going to be enough to propel the club to meaningful October baseball? Time
2987. will tell, but I think they’re built to contend this year, and potentially make
2988. a run deep into the playoffs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
2989. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/1513212235941047469/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=1513212235941047469&amp;isPopup=true' title='17 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1513212235941047469'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1513212235941047469'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/back-in-action-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Back in Action on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDPFJfknUQsokH1BGsamlufFaaM64ivIIxByWrLNbZ0CUIy4DkrRSK6YDjt6G4o86ds9OuM-krEyV61feP6KuaYywtXYRZhZjb-6u1iX7GRusEeyWh2-OunO0U-YBOZO67NUc/s72-c/back.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>17</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-4606574776125464286</id><published>2015-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-06-14T07:00:06.226-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Talent Infusion on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
2990. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVFTSP8evExGPZwSRCNYujLEkmoeOmoP1O1YNEqT1Pfd8U39Rr3yye6sAx0Y15m0Qlp9c_BUY6WwDpPNg-uNe2jpR9Q-I2trsMy1bEAzVGZv8Lk9Btmuv7rnWLJgHzfNehFdq/s1600/Ryan-Raburn-Cleveland-Indians2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVFTSP8evExGPZwSRCNYujLEkmoeOmoP1O1YNEqT1Pfd8U39Rr3yye6sAx0Y15m0Qlp9c_BUY6WwDpPNg-uNe2jpR9Q-I2trsMy1bEAzVGZv8Lk9Btmuv7rnWLJgHzfNehFdq/s400/Ryan-Raburn-Cleveland-Indians2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2991. <div class="MsoNormal">
2992. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two steps forward, one step back. One step forward,
2993. two steps back. That’s what the Indians season has felt like lately. Every time
2994. they seem poised to break out and cross the .500 Rubicon and go on an extended
2995. winning streak, the offense disappears for a couple of games. Or Trevor Bauer
2996. has his worst start of the year. Or both occur in the same series. So here we
2997. sit in mid-June, and the Indians still haven’t been over .500 since they took 2
2998. out of 3 from the Astros in the seasons’ opening series back in April. Stop me
2999. if you’ve heard this before, but the main culprit continues to be the Indians
3000. subpar defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3001. <div class="MsoNormal">
3002. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3003. <div class="MsoNormal">
3004. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To help illustrate just how bad the defense has been
3005. (and how good the starting pitching has been), I’m going to enlist some
3006. assistance from the good folks over at Beyond the Boxscore. </span><a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/6/8/8571111/cleveland-indians-tragically-unlucky-starting-rotation-era-fip-babip?utm_campaign=beyondtheboxscore&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ryan
3007. Roman of BtB penned a helpful piece this week explaining how the Indians
3008. starting pitchers might be the unluckiest group of souls in the history of
3009. baseball.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> If that sounds like hyperbole to you, I don’t
3010. really blame you, but bear with me for a second and you’ll see why that is
3011. Roman’s hypothesis. As of Friday, Indians pitchers have struck out 9.96 hitters
3012. per 9 IP. That’s a remarkable number, over a full strikeout higher than the 2<sup>nd</sup>
3013. place Cubs 8.92 K/9 mark. The league leaders in 2014 were these very same
3014. Indians, who posted an 8.92 K/9 ratio over a full season, a number that they’re
3015. on pace to far surpass this year. They also lead the league in another category;
3016. BABIP against. The Indians pitchers have been victimized by a .329 BABIP, well
3017. above the league average. That isn’t just luck (although luck does have
3018. something to do with it); it’s reflective of very poor defense. If both of
3019. those numbers hold up for the rest of the season, the Indians will be the first
3020. team since William McKinley’s (an Ohioan!) election to “achieve” that feat. The
3021. 2014 Indians were close, but they had “only” the 2<sup>nd</sup>-worst BABIP
3022. against in MLB. So for the last season and a half, the Indians have been
3023. historically good at missing bats, while simultaneously historically bad (and/or
3024. unlucky) at ranging to balls hit in play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3025. <div class="MsoNormal">
3026. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3027. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3028. </div>
3029. <div class="MsoNormal">
3030. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3031. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnkhNOvI-feP0S7vo9SOpFU8-NlfxBpu14S47TuATf1EzgCdYC9v-J7UFYJGJ390xf6sWdDiibwogzGqUUkWcDSq6eqAFlEB88eQdhshUW1T0N-Pz9C1LKM3UugrYaei2rA9t/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnkhNOvI-feP0S7vo9SOpFU8-NlfxBpu14S47TuATf1EzgCdYC9v-J7UFYJGJ390xf6sWdDiibwogzGqUUkWcDSq6eqAFlEB88eQdhshUW1T0N-Pz9C1LKM3UugrYaei2rA9t/s320/IMG_5003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
3032. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These numbers almost can’t remain consistent, except
3033. for the fact that they have. With over 220 games of data in our sample, we’re past
3034. the point where #SSS is an issue, and we’re starting to eliminate bad luck as
3035. the primary culprit. The Indians just don’t have the range to field baseballs
3036. that other teams do at this point. Fortunately, the Indians have made one move
3037. to correct this issue, bringing up slick-fielding 3B Gio Urshela from Columbus.
3038. Urshela should have at least a playable bat (his HR that cut through the
3039. Cleveland wind on Thursday was particularly impressive) but more importantly,
3040. should have an above-average glove right away. He’s being asked to replace
3041. Lonnie Chisenhall’s poor glove and .585 OPS, so it’s not as though he has an
3042. insurmountable bar to clear. The Urshela promotion is the first move that the
3043. Indians can make to shore up their infield defense and help some of that batted
3044. ball “luck” normalize for their outstanding pitching staff. The second move is
3045. of course promoting SS Francisco Lindor (hitting .400/.429/.600 in June!), but
3046. I’m not going to beat on that dead horse this week. Let’s just enjoy the
3047. Urshela experience for what it is, and know that there are further defensive
3048. reinforcements on the horizon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3049. <div class="MsoNormal">
3050. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3051. <div class="MsoNormal">
3052. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jason Kipnis put the finishing touches on an
3053. incredible month of May a couple of weeks ago, but can we really expect that
3054. sort of production from him over a full season? Well, no. He’s not going to hit
3055. .429, and probably won’t post an OPS north of 1.200. But now that he’s back
3056. healthy, Kipnis is again an all-star caliber 2B, and we can expect him to
3057. produce like one moving forward. <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/6/6/8733569/jason-kipnis-indians-healthy-good-may">I’ll
3058. again refer you to Beyond the Box Score, where Murphy Powell took a deep dive
3059. into batted ball numbers to show the difference between Kip v.2014 and this
3060. year.</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3061. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 459.0pt;">
3062. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3063. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 459.0pt;">
3064. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You
3065. may know that Kipnis lost a bit of last season with a strained right oblique.
3066. And because those often linger for a while, I’m perfectly content in finding
3067. that the May version of Kipnis was just a healthy version of Kipnis. Really,
3068. that seems like a pretty reasonable conclusion, given his batted ball
3069. distances. In 2013, his average distance was nearly 193 feet, good for 72nd in
3070. the league. There was a pretty sizable drop in 2014, however, when Kipnis saw
3071. his average batted ball distance sink to 177 feet following his oblique injury
3072. in May of that year. That average put him deep in the lower third of the
3073. league, ranking 230th out of 300 listed players on Baseball Heat Maps. Now that
3074. Kipnis is (presumably) healthy again, that number has hopped back up to 191
3075. feet.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
3076. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3077. <div class="MsoNormal">
3078. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The 2014 Kipnis was hitting more fly balls and
3079. hitting them shorter than at any point in his career. He was pulling the ball
3080. more, hitting fewer line drives, and in general just struggling to drive the
3081. ball with any kind of authority. That all goes back to the strained oblique,
3082. and how difficult of an injury that is to recover from in mid-season. Kipnis
3083. admits that he felt pressure to live up to the big contract that he signed
3084. prior to the 2014 season, and as such he didn’t want to take enough time off to
3085. allow the injury to fully heal. Now that he’s back healthy, we can expect him
3086. to remain in all-star form for the foreseeable future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3087. <div class="MsoNormal">
3088. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3089. <div class="MsoNormal">
3090. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3091. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUk2kK4OvADeVQSGwGC4Y6i18v1tl1UqifEa1a1ds_LlidkdZ_o75ECtquZxQEnBRqeFmEuHvpv4GSZ9XOyXlRLWMIQqbQa_py87LYku9nGHQPAcAuo0gO_LvQzzqRL2aidFv/s1600/Aiken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUk2kK4OvADeVQSGwGC4Y6i18v1tl1UqifEa1a1ds_LlidkdZ_o75ECtquZxQEnBRqeFmEuHvpv4GSZ9XOyXlRLWMIQqbQa_py87LYku9nGHQPAcAuo0gO_LvQzzqRL2aidFv/s400/Aiken.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
3092. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Leaving the big league club for now, the Indians
3093. made even more headlines that one would expect with their 1<sup>st</sup> round
3094. pick last week, selecting an injured and rehabbing prep lefty by the name of
3095. Brady Aiken. Aiken was the 1<sup>st</sup> overall pick of last June’s draft by
3096. the Houston Astros, but did not sign with the Astros after a downright bizarre
3097. series of events following his selection. If you’re not familiar with the
3098. Aiken/Astros story (or just need a refresher, like I did), </span><a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/2015/6/10/8756867/brady-aiken-astros-1-pick-contract-dispute-elbow-injury"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
3099. highly recommend this article from our good friends over at Let’s Go Tribe.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3100. Jason Lukehart of LGT wrote up a nice synopsis (below) and also talked to Ryan
3101. Dunsmore of Crawfish Boxes, the LGT equivalent SB Nation site for the Astros
3102. (including a FANTASTIC quote from a scout that you’ll have to click on the link
3103. to read):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3104. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 6.0in 445.5pt;">
3105. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3106. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 6.0in 445.5pt;">
3107. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
3108. days after he was drafted, Aiken and the Astros agreed to a $6.5 million
3109. signing bonus, pending only a physical. That physical reportedly revealed a
3110. smaller than normal UCL, which is the ligament that has to be repaired by Tommy
3111. John surgery. The Astros then cut their offer all the way down to $3.1 million,
3112. which was the minimum they could offer and still receive a replacement pick in
3113. this year's draft (if Aiken declined). Many believed they wanted him to
3114. decline, preferring to get the #2 pick in this year's draft (which they did),
3115. rather than running the risk of paying millions to a pitcher they were no
3116. longer confident in. On the day of the signing deadline, the team apparently
3117. upped its offer to $5 million, but no deal was reached.<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
3118. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3119. <div class="MsoNormal">
3120. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The whole thing is worth reading, as it gives pretty
3121. good perspective as to what happened, who was to “blame” for Aiken not signing,
3122. and what it might take to bring him into the fold before signing day this year.
3123. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3124. <div class="MsoNormal">
3125. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3126. <div class="MsoNormal">
3127. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3128. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz_Uq3MmUtXjHWBEy2g6WmrjidfpYzn7ACGpOeLq21dZ5Wn8fJlOswLBD_2l98ymwWxCVpjl9TGgANzHt7xGt5_6VwmEGfq9UFlRGny6KTLvjfxkrU-7gYIioi9WsBl4KOXx_/s1600/Aiken+arm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz_Uq3MmUtXjHWBEy2g6WmrjidfpYzn7ACGpOeLq21dZ5Wn8fJlOswLBD_2l98ymwWxCVpjl9TGgANzHt7xGt5_6VwmEGfq9UFlRGny6KTLvjfxkrU-7gYIioi9WsBl4KOXx_/s400/Aiken+arm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
3129. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When he’s on the mound, Aiken is a stud. He was
3130. drawing comparisons to guys like Andy Pettitte and Clayton Kershaw when the
3131. Astros were conducting their pre-draft evaluations in 2014. Aiken was
3132. considered the #1 prospect in the 2015 draft until he went down with the elbow
3133. injury in March. His sinking fastball sits 92-94 and touches 97. He has an
3134. excellent curveball that needs to be a little more consistent, and a changeup
3135. that scouts assess will be a future plus pitch. He has three potential 60-70
3136. MLB pitches, which is crazy for a high school lefthander. I’m not going to
3137. belabor the finer points of Aiken’s arsenal, because the talent level is pretty
3138. much a known commodity at this point. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=26595"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
3139. scouting reports like these that prompted Baseball Prospectus’ draft/prospect
3140. guru to the following assessment following the pick:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
3141. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3142. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3143. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3144. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Seriously, I'm
3145. not sure anyone is better at the draft right now than Cleveland is. When
3146. healthy, Aiken is the best player—not just pitcher—in the draft, with three
3147. plus pitches and command/feel for pitching that would make a veteran envious,
3148. much less a kid who still is a teenager. There are obvious questions here that
3149. make him a high-risk selection, but the reward is a future ace. Getting one at
3150. the 17th pick is amazing. Great job, Cleveland.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3151. <div class="MsoNormal">
3152. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3153. <div class="MsoNormal">
3154. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prior to the draft, I didn’t think there was any
3155. chance the Indians would take Brady Aiken.</span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/lazy-sunday-with-president-v2015.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3156. I was flashing back to my pre-season interview with Indians team President Mark
3157. Shapiro,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> where he stressed that the Indians were not a club
3158. who could risk millions of dollars on high-risk talent coming out of Cuba.
3159. Naturally, the Indians took Aiken, making me look even dumber than I usually do
3160. (and that’s a challenge). That’s when I went back and re-read my own interview,
3161. and realized I had missed the point of Shapiro’s original comments. I’ll
3162. re-post the relevant question and answer for clarity, and bold Shapiro’s key
3163. sentence for emphasis:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3164. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3165. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
3166. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3167. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
3168. Seeing the opening of Cuba as a market, more so that before with defectors, as
3169. both the Indians President and a guy on the competition committee, what do you
3170. think of some of the big deals that are getting thrown to the Cuban guys that
3171. are coming over? Do you ever see an international draft because of some of the
3172. factors in the market down there?</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
3173. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
3174. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3175. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Well, it’s a
3176. little bit, probably, Indians-centric of me as a judgement, but I’d like to see
3177. some adjustment that allows access to that talent. As it’s currently being
3178. distributed, we are going to be marginal to non-players in that area just
3179. because of the level of risk, and that risk comes from lack of information. We
3180. just don’t know much about these guys. Unless there’s information being
3181. illegally obtained, they’re being signed largely from a tryout environment. I
3182. understand, and I’d probably take that risk if I ran a large-market team, but
3183. we don’t have that luxury. It’s not an area we can play in. <b>We can’t risk tens of millions of dollars
3184. on players that we have far less information on than players in the draft that
3185. cost a lot less.</b> So it’s just a very tough market for us to play in. I
3186. would like to see something that allows access to that talent on a more
3187. proportional basis, that’s not so market-based.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3188. <div class="MsoNormal">
3189. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
3190. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This isn’t like Cuba; the Indians HAVE information
3191. on Aiken. It’s in Aiken (and his agent’s) interest to provide medicals to teams
3192. pre-draft, otherwise it looks like they are hiding something. So I’m sure the
3193. Indians had a chance to look over a pretty detailed report concerning Aiken’s
3194. surgically repaired elbow. Now that they’ve selected him, they’ll have the same
3195. opportunity that the Astros had to put him through a pre-signing physical to
3196. ensure that there are no further concerning anomalies before they offer him
3197. upwards of $2 million. If Aiken clears that final hurdle, the Indians will have
3198. a chance to bring in a potential lefthanded ace with a mid-1<sup>st</sup> round
3199. draft pick. Those chances don’t come along every year, and it’s both exciting
3200. and a little bit scary that they took that shot this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3201. <div class="MsoNormal">
3202. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3203. <div class="MsoNormal">
3204. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The best-case scenario for what the Indians are
3205. trying to do here is currently playing out in Washington, where Lucas Giolito
3206. is a top-10 pitching prospect in all of baseball. Giolito was in the mix to be
3207. the first prep righty ever selected #1 overall in the draft back in 2012 before
3208. an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery (and bonus concerns) pushed
3209. him down to the #16 overall pick. Giolito signed at the deadline for $2.925
3210. million ($800,000 over slot) and began his rehab as a member of the Nationals
3211. organization. Giolito blew out his elbow in 2011, and pitched 2 innings with
3212. the Nats Gulf Coast affiliate in 2012. The Nationals handled him with kid
3213. gloves in 2013 (as expected), as he pitched just 36 2/3 innings between the
3214. rookie league, short season and low-A. In 2014, Giolito was allowed to throw 98
3215. innings in low-A, striking out 110 and walking 28. He’s already pitched over 70
3216. innings here in 2015, and could be a member of what’s already a very formidable
3217. Nationals rotation as soon as 2017 (more likely 2018). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3218. <div class="MsoNormal">
3219. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3220. <div class="MsoNormal">
3221. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The worst-case scenario for the Aiken selection is,
3222. ironically enough, also taking place in our nation’s capital. The Nationals
3223. selected TCU righthander Matt Purke in the 3<sup>rd</sup> round of the 2011
3224. draft and signed him to a major league deal worth $4.15 million. Purke had a
3225. shoulder injury at the time, but had been one of the top pitchers in college
3226. baseball and was considered a potential #1 overall pick. Instead of succsessfuly
3227. rehabbing the shoulder and slowly increasing his workload as Giolito did,
3228. Purke’s shoulder got worse, eventually requiring surgery. He then hurt his
3229. elbow in 2013, which required Tommy John. Purke is now a 24-year old starter in
3230. low-A, and has pitched just 149 2/3 innings since he was drafted 4+ years ago.
3231. The Nats basically lit $4.15 million on fire, and wasted a 40-man roster spot
3232. to boot. Hopefully Aiken turns out more like Giolito than Purke. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3233. <div class="MsoNormal">
3234. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3235. <div class="MsoNormal">
3236. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3237. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO0h7m8vw-EnEs44hnmXL7_djTNUlg9Grken2igxb-cyzJNyqcVSj2YVQlJzPiP9zfN2ko3ubddD3jKtaqjmh7p8yw5NUyE8Qzv_gnx1WMGktz27DTIzJn95mnOylzoZl1yfe/s1600/Perez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO0h7m8vw-EnEs44hnmXL7_djTNUlg9Grken2igxb-cyzJNyqcVSj2YVQlJzPiP9zfN2ko3ubddD3jKtaqjmh7p8yw5NUyE8Qzv_gnx1WMGktz27DTIzJn95mnOylzoZl1yfe/s400/Perez.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
3238. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the 12<sup>th</sup> round of the draft, the
3239. Indians made Terry Francona the happiest man on the planet when they selected
3240. switch-pitcher Ryan Perez out of Judson University in Illinois. Oakland
3241. reliever Pat Venditte brought national attention to the existence of this
3242. phenomenon when he made his major league debut for the A’s last week. Indians
3243. media asked Tito about Venditte, and Francona responded that it was a “dream
3244. scenario” for the bullpen aficionado, adding that he’d “wear him out” if he had
3245. Venditte on the roster. </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/129872678/tribe-drafts-switch-pitcher-perez-in-12th-round?partnerId=as_cle_20150611_47344306&adbid=608967069543993344&adbpl=tw&adbpr=52861612"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
3246. Jordan Bastian details here, Tito had a predictable reaction when Mike Chernoff
3247. informed him that the Indians had selected a switch pitcher in the draft:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3248. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3249. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3250. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3251. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3252. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I thought
3253. he was kidding," Francona said on Wednesday. "He might not even go to
3254. the Minor Leagues. I don't care if he gets anyone out -- just the idea that he
3255. can go both sides. I thought they were messing with me."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3256. <br />
3257. <div class="MsoNormal">
3258. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Perez learned to switch pitch thanks to his dad, who
3259. would encourage him to skip rocks with his left arm growing up in addition to
3260. his right. This is hilarious, as my friends and I frequently joke that for any
3261. of us that have sons, we’ll tie their right arms behind their backs so they can
3262. grow up as southpaws and have a better shot at pitching in The Show (or at
3263. least getting college paid for). Perez’s dad didn’t go quite that far, but he’s
3264. given an idea to wannabe MLB dads everywhere. Don’t just make your kid switch
3265. hit, get him to switch pitch as well. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=26623"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chris
3266. Crawford of Baseball Prospectus projects Perez as a middle reliever who can be
3267. effective against hitters on both sides of the plate,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3268. but does note that he’ll need some mechanical adjustments from the right side
3269. (which is ironic considering he’s a natural righty). He sits 92-94 from the
3270. left side with a solid curveball, which is probably enough to get by as a
3271. reliever. Regardless, it’s a fun story, and he’ll be an interesting guy to
3272. monitor on his way up through the system (if Tito doesn’t force him onto the
3273. MLB roster the day he signs). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3274. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/4606574776125464286/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=4606574776125464286&amp;isPopup=true' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4606574776125464286'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4606574776125464286'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/talent-infusion-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Talent Infusion on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPVFTSP8evExGPZwSRCNYujLEkmoeOmoP1O1YNEqT1Pfd8U39Rr3yye6sAx0Y15m0Qlp9c_BUY6WwDpPNg-uNe2jpR9Q-I2trsMy1bEAzVGZv8Lk9Btmuv7rnWLJgHzfNehFdq/s72-c/Ryan-Raburn-Cleveland-Indians2.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-9035963385060833539</id><published>2015-05-24T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-05-24T07:00:01.378-04:00</updated><title type='text'>A Memorial Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
3275. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o9V9gAqaxHcyHNpXIExCsFGdT_OM4IuL-LgYMYp41g50nNXuUEfTGPW-gHum644tf_kkg4h8a806wfU8ISoQB_FlAT9iRTB6P_giPGHmop7As-F38dRACnWKpBGmYdbhzl2v/s1600/denny+green.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o9V9gAqaxHcyHNpXIExCsFGdT_OM4IuL-LgYMYp41g50nNXuUEfTGPW-gHum644tf_kkg4h8a806wfU8ISoQB_FlAT9iRTB6P_giPGHmop7As-F38dRACnWKpBGmYdbhzl2v/s400/denny+green.png" width="400" /></a></div>
3276. <div class="MsoNormal">
3277. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nearly two months into the 2015 major league
3278. baseball season, the Indians pretty much are who we thought they were. That
3279. “we” even encompasses those (myself included) who thought they were a playoff
3280. team in 2015. They’re a decent team with exceptional starting pitching, a solid
3281. (if unspectacular) lineup, a below-average bullpen and a dumpster fire
3282. defensively. Again, this is more or less what we saw coming into this season.
3283. If anything, the starting pitching has actually been better than expected, and
3284. a bounceback season from Jason Kipnis has helped propel the offense to the
3285. upper half of the AL. But the defense has been worse than anyone could’ve
3286. possibly imagined, dragging the club down in the AL Central standings like an
3287. anchor. To help illustrate that point, I’m going to have to throw some
3288. “advanced” stats at you, so bear with me here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3289. <div class="MsoNormal">
3290. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3291. <div class="MsoNormal">
3292. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Indians team ERA sits at a rather pedestrian
3293. 4.31 (all stats as of Friday). That is “good” for 24<sup>th</sup> in all of
3294. baseball. Pretty poor, really, and if you’d asked someone in 1994 if the
3295. Indians pitching staff was good, they’d say “absolutely not.” But you and I,
3296. we’re smarter than that. We watch the games. We see the Klubot, Cookie, Bauer
3297. and Salazar striking out hitter after hitter, only to see soft groundballs
3298. somehow leak through the infield with nary a glove nearby. We watch Mike Aviles
3299. (sorry to bring this one up) try to track down a ball in center, coming up
3300. empty and wondering what he was even doing in CF to begin with. We know that
3301. the Indians starting pitching has been outstanding, but with the team ERA being
3302. what it is, we don’t really have a way to quantify that in a single,
3303. all-encompassing stat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3304. <div class="MsoNormal">
3305. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3306. <div class="MsoNormal">
3307. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fear not, fellow frustrated fan. We DO have a stat
3308. that looks at every aspect of what a pitcher can and cannot control and assigns
3309. a value to what he and he alone does on the diamond. No, I’m not talking about
3310. WAR. WAR is nice, but it’s not really predictive and isn’t as useful in such
3311. small samples. I’m talking about cFIP, or contextual fielding independent
3312. pitching. An improvement over the traditional FIP, cFIP accounts for everything
3313. going on in a game; the pitcher, hitter, defense, umpire, catcher framing,
3314. ballpark, hot dog race participants…everything. </span><a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/fip-in-context/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here’s a
3315. complete primer on cFIP from Jonathan Judge of Hardball Times if you’re
3316. interested in learning more</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, but I’ve snipped a couple of key
3317. excerpts here that help us understand why it’s such a useful stat:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3318. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3319. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">cFIP has
3320. multiple advantages: (1) it is more predictive than other pitcher estimators,
3321. especially in smaller samples; (2) it is calculated on a batter-faced basis,
3322. rather than innings pitched; (3) it is park-, league-, and opposition-adjusted;
3323. and (4) in a particularly important development, cFIP is equally accurate as a
3324. descriptive and predictive statistic.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3325. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3326. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The last
3327. characteristic makes cFIP something we have not seen before: a true pitcher
3328. quality estimator that actually approximates the pitcher’s current ability. I
3329. recommend both its use and its further refinement.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3330. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3331. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3332. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3333. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When is a
3334. pitcher quality estimator actually isolating true talent? My answer is this:
3335. when there is a substantial similarity between the estimator’s descriptive and
3336. predictive power. If an estimator is truly isolating a pitcher’s talent, there
3337. should not be much difference between the two. If an estimator is doing well in
3338. one aspect and poorly on another, then it is not estimating a pitcher’s true
3339. ability: rather, it is over-fitting past results to better explain what
3340. happened (primarily descriptive) or under-fitting past results to minimize
3341. future error (primarily predictive).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3342. <div class="MsoNormal">
3343. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So now that we’ve established that cFIP is an
3344. excellent tool for both analyzing past performance and predicting future
3345. success, where do the Indians rank in terms of cFIP?</span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1831645"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3346. Why, first in all of baseball, with a cFIP score of 82</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3347. (like OPS+, cFIP is scored so that 100 is exactly average. Lower cFIP is better
3348. than higher). That number is especially remarkable when you consider that the
3349. next-closest club is the Clayton Kershaw-led Dodgers at 92. That 10-point
3350. difference between the Indians and Dodgers is the same as the difference
3351. between the #2 Dodgers and #22 Atlanta Braves. The Indians have the best
3352. pitching in baseball, and it’s really not even close. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3353. <div class="MsoNormal">
3354. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3355. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3356. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68A7l8a6bJBsUR7e42negSb9AuYiSU8_hAvwS7_VV-8w0xqnnY2bskc_c-fIwhhN2fjp3W-ILL04KxKwi2GTb6zFPtmsrO6ZKvEwVcG1VQoWPn2vZg9vW0EngxAI_J1cDLBty/s1600/zeke+error.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68A7l8a6bJBsUR7e42negSb9AuYiSU8_hAvwS7_VV-8w0xqnnY2bskc_c-fIwhhN2fjp3W-ILL04KxKwi2GTb6zFPtmsrO6ZKvEwVcG1VQoWPn2vZg9vW0EngxAI_J1cDLBty/s320/zeke+error.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
3357. <div class="MsoNormal">
3358. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So why are the Indians scuffling along with fewer
3359. than 20 wins in the season’s first 40 games? Look no further than the defense,
3360. which yet again is THE WORST in all of baseball. They’re dead last in both
3361. Defensive Efficiency and Park Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They’re last in
3362. BABIP against, with opposing offenses hitting a robust (and probably
3363. unsustainable) .331 against them when they make contact. The 2<sup>nd</sup>-worst
3364. are the Washington Nationals, all the way down at .322. The Indians are 28<sup>th</sup>
3365. (hey, progress!) in Defensive Runs Saved. This confirms all of our offseason
3366. fears about the defense. They can indeed be bad enough at fielding the ball to
3367. counteract just how great they are at pitching the ball. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3368. <div class="MsoNormal">
3369. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3370. <div class="MsoNormal">
3371. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are, however, encouraging signs to be found
3372. within this sea of statistics. The Detroit Tigers, for instance, lead baseball
3373. with a .334 BABIP. Kansas City is 2<sup>nd</sup> at .322. Both of those numbers
3374. are likely to regress at some point. Kansas City has been just as lucky in the
3375. field as they have been at the plate; KC’s BABIP-against is a paltry .260, a
3376. full 71 points lower than the Indians, and a number that can’t help but rise as
3377. the season progresses. The Indians are likely to improve on their record, and
3378. the Royals (and to an extent the Tigers) will surely cool off after their
3379. sizzling start. Will the three clubs’ respective move towards the mean be
3380. enough to see the Indians pass one or both of their AL Central rivals for a
3381. playoff spot? Time will tell, but if not, we know where to place the blame;
3382. squarely on the defense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3383. <div class="MsoNormal">
3384. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3385. <div class="MsoNormal">
3386. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But do we really have to wait until September to
3387. look back and curse the horrendous defense that ruined such outstanding
3388. pitching? Is there really no solution available in mid-season that could fix
3389. what ails this club? Well, it just so happens that there are reinforcements on
3390. the horizon. In the near-term, the Indians are getting Yan Gomes back today.
3391. Gomes is an above-average defensive catcher, and will slide average defensive
3392. catcher Roberto Perez back to a reserve role where he belongs. Perez has been
3393. serviceable as a fill-in for Gomes, but is far better suited to be a backup
3394. than an everyday catcher at the major league level. Gomes return to the lineup
3395. is akin to the tide coming in; the Gomes tide will lift the boats containing
3396. the defense, pitching and the lineup all in one fell swoop. That’s both the
3397. easiest and most imminent move to improve the D (and the team).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3398. <div class="MsoNormal">
3399. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3400. <div class="MsoNormal">
3401. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Move two is something I won’t belabor, because it’s
3402. a train I’ve been aboard for a while now. That, of course, is to promote
3403. Francisco Lindor to the major league roster and play him as the everyday
3404. shortstop. Lindor is a superlative defender who would be an immediate upgrade
3405. over Jose Ramirez, who is flat-out overmatched as an everyday shortstop.
3406. Ramirez has value, but that value is as a super-utility guy who can play 2B, SS
3407. or 3B several times a week, spotting Chiz/Kip against tough lefties and filling
3408. in at SS when the need arises. But he’s a poor defender at SS, and the 22-year
3409. old switch-hitter is hitting just .195/.265/.264 this season. Even if Lindor’s
3410. bat isn’t a finished product (which it isn’t), it’s hard to offer less value
3411. than a .526 OPS. Lindor makes this team better today by virtue of his defense
3412. alone, and that’s worth having him on the major league roster sooner rather
3413. than later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3414. <div class="MsoNormal">
3415. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3416. <div class="MsoNormal">
3417. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My third idea is to move David Murphy to a club
3418. hungry for outfield help in exchange for a bullpen arm. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1831645"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite
3419. the mentality of Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3420. Murphy is expendable, and with him off the roster the Indians would be able to
3421. bring up the more versatile James Ramsey. Ramsey will likely be a better
3422. defender than Murphy, and can play all 3 OF spots. He’s a better hitter than
3423. Tyler Holt, and will help prevent Mike Aviles from ever appearing in CF again.
3424. If Murphy can fetch a contributing bullpen arm, I’d do this deal in a heartbeat.
3425. Murphy is playing well right now, but he’s more or less redundant with all of
3426. the other left handed hitting OF on the roster. He’s doing a nice job this
3427. season, hitting .312/.341/.481 primarily against right handed pitching, but
3428. that .822 OPS would be the 2<sup>nd</sup>-highest of his career over a full
3429. season, and is unlikely to continue at that rate. Murphy is a good guy and a
3430. solid player, but he’s a subpar defender and I’d rather have another bullpen
3431. arm right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3432. <div class="MsoNormal">
3433. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3434. <div class="MsoNormal">
3435. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving on from the current team’s struggles for a
3436. moment, <a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/5/20/8622771/indians-sabathia-trade-lee-trade-would-they-do-it-again">Joseph
3437. Werner from Beyond the Box Score has a nice write-up confirming what most of us
3438. had already concluded; the Indians “won” both the C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee
3439. trades.</a> Or, at the very least, they’d pull the trigger on each of those trades
3440. again even with the benefit of hindsight. Judging a trade in the immediate
3441. aftermath is silly, especially when the deal involves acquiring prospects in
3442. return for an established major leaguer. The Indians front office was roundly
3443. roasted for not getting enough in return for their Cy Young Award-winning
3444. pitchers after Matt LaPorta flamed out and Jason Knapp reinjured his shoulder. But
3445. here we are in 2015, with an OF coming off of a 6-win season and a solid #2
3446. starter, both under team control for the long term, and those trades are
3447. looking awfully good: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3448. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3449. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And for the
3450. first five seasons after dealing their pitching stalwarts, it looked as if all
3451. the front office had to show for their collective efforts was a league average
3452. regular left fielder, who hit like a center fielder and lacked the pop for a
3453. corner spot, and a frustratingly fringy back-of-the-rotation arm. They were, in
3454. every sense of the word, the last men standing from their respective deals as the
3455. other prospects petered out.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3456. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
3457. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Something funny
3458. happened over the past season-plus – not funny in the traditional sense, mind
3459. you, but more in the way of nobody-saw-it-coming – both players took
3460. developmental leaps forward. The corner outfielder hit like a legitimate
3461. middle-of-the-order impact bat and the maddening, inconsistent right-hander
3462. suddenly became, well, consistently dominant.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3463. <div class="MsoNormal">
3464. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Sabathia and Lee trades, the Ubaldo deal, Casey
3465. Blake for Carlos Santana, YAN GOMES and Mike Aviles for Esmil Rodgers…the
3466. Indians front office has done a remarkable job acquiring talent via trade over
3467. the past decade. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3468. <div class="MsoNormal">
3469. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3470. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3471. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oDliEl4dQStbZNfN7VtWWP5l4de4yuvph9pCbq_pLFVqI8vBqgt11u7JADWJxNmo1g9S8Bb962QYys1JFEMdUfeFl_wTYealC2DovsbrcYOxG4a41ynp7mTtZACpNovohRhE/s1600/cookie+yell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oDliEl4dQStbZNfN7VtWWP5l4de4yuvph9pCbq_pLFVqI8vBqgt11u7JADWJxNmo1g9S8Bb962QYys1JFEMdUfeFl_wTYealC2DovsbrcYOxG4a41ynp7mTtZACpNovohRhE/s320/cookie+yell.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
3472. <div class="MsoNormal">
3473. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of Carlos Carrasco, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/carlos-carrasco-carlos-carrasco/">Mike
3474. Podhorzer of Fangraphs has a nice breakdown of Cookie’s 2014 vs his 2015.</a>
3475. Carrasco lowered his ERA to 4.74 with a win against the Reds Friday night, so
3476. there may be those out there who see him as a disappointment after his electric
3477. 2<sup>nd</sup> half last year. </span></div>
3478. <div class="MsoNormal">
3479. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Podhorzer goes deeper into Carrasco’s 2015 to
3480. show that he’s actually pitching much like he did last year, but he’s been let
3481. down by luck and the defense (surprise!) thus far. Carrasco’s K rate and walk
3482. rate are nearly identical, and he’s actually throwing more strikes this year
3483. than he did last year. His FIP is 2.62 (he finished with a 2.44 FIP last year),
3484. but his ERA is more than 2 runs higher (4.74 this year to 2.55 last year). The
3485. biggest difference is in BABIP. Cookie limited hitters to a .274 average on
3486. balls in play last year, but that’s jumped to a whopping .359 this season.
3487. There’s no way that lasts, even with the Indians horrific defense. Carrasco
3488. remains an excellent pitcher, so please don’t be “that guy” at the water cooler
3489. citing his high ERA as a reason why last year was a fluke. It wasn’t, and
3490. Carrasco’s numbers reflect that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3491. <div class="MsoNormal">
3492. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3493. <div class="MsoNormal">
3494. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the incredible
3495. season that Jason Kipnis is having, as he’s in the midst of one of the best
3496. stretches that I’ve seen from an Indians hitter in years. As the Indians
3497. leadoff hitter, Kipnis is hitting a sizzling .387/.480/.632 with 4 HR and 15
3498. RBI in 26 games. In 20 games during the month of May, Kip is hitting
3499. .463/.546/.732, good for a 1.278(!) OPS. In terms of wRC this month, his 259
3500. trails only Bryce Harper’s 296 mark in all of baseball. He’s leading the
3501. American League with 57 hits, and his 2.5 WAR are more than he accumulated in
3502. all of last season. His defense has been better this year as well, as he’s been
3503. worth 0.4 dWAR (1.1 better than his -0.7 dWAR in 2014). He’s fueling an offense
3504. that ranks 5<sup>th</sup> in the AL with a combined .730 OPS, and the Indians
3505. have been a different team since he moved into the leadoff spot. The challenge
3506. for Kipnis will be to sustain this success throughout the season. He’s a career
3507. .325/.396/.554 hitter in the month of May, but has averaged a sub-.700 OPS in
3508. July-September. If Kip can maintain anything approaching this pace for the rest
3509. of the season, it’ll go a long ways towards supporting the Indians’ outstanding
3510. starting pitching down the stretch.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3511. <div class="MsoNormal">
3512. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3513. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3514. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xARWnXVqZUnGzQzCSzxVHGABzFWLj4iQuS-eMIStZbuwwwm7VWGW3ngPQjYh3y8kNMkmWf7RRnvJ-yFuBQ3rSSefbHaibjX9WWFjbiovAV4EdGtw0rLachCnnJ0GelXHp7mk/s1600/arlington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xARWnXVqZUnGzQzCSzxVHGABzFWLj4iQuS-eMIStZbuwwwm7VWGW3ngPQjYh3y8kNMkmWf7RRnvJ-yFuBQ3rSSefbHaibjX9WWFjbiovAV4EdGtw0rLachCnnJ0GelXHp7mk/s400/arlington.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
3515. <div class="MsoNormal">
3516. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s Memorial Day weekend here in the US, an
3517. occasion that some see as significant because of the day off work and the start
3518. of summer BBQ season. Fortunately, we have a couple of excellent articles that
3519. both tie into baseball and remind us of the significance of the holiday. <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/05/stephen_reich_baseball_army_he.html">Zack
3520. Meisel of the Plain Dealer wrote a fantastic piece about a local baseball star
3521. who gave up his major league dreams for pilot’s wings,</a> becoming a Special
3522. Forces helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. He tragically perished while flying a
3523. team of US Navy SEALS into enemy territory attempting to rescue Marcus Lutrell
3524. and the other SEALS in Operation Red Wings. This op would eventually be
3525. detailed the book and movie “Lone Survivor.” As Meisel himself tweeted, if you
3526. only read one thing he’s written, make it that article.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3527. <div class="MsoNormal">
3528. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3529. <div class="MsoNormal">
3530. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In addition to Meisel’s fabulous effort, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-heartbreaking-story-of-chris-moon--baseball-prospect-turned-american-war-hero-031857196-mlb.html">Graham
3531. Watson of Yahoo Sports penned an article about Chris Moon, Atlanta Braves
3532. draftee and University of Arizona baseball star who dropped out of Arizona to
3533. join the Army in 2007.</a> Moon volunteered for the airborne, then for sniper
3534. school and wound up in Afghanistan as a sniper for the 82<sup>nd</sup>
3535. Airborne. Moon was killed by a coward with an IED near Kandahar. He was just 20
3536. years old.</span></div>
3537. <div class="MsoNormal">
3538. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3539. <div class="MsoNormal">
3540. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brave men and women have been fighting and dying for
3541. America since before we were even a country. Memorial Day was established in
3542. the wake of the Civil War as a time to honor those soldiers who have made the
3543. ultimate sacrifice. So by all means, enjoy a couple of cold beers and a burger
3544. (or three) at a barbecue this weekend. But while you do, take a moment to
3545. appreciate the men and women who have fought and died over the past 250 or so
3546. years so that we can live in freedom to enjoy baseball, BBQ and apple pie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3547. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/9035963385060833539/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=9035963385060833539&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/9035963385060833539'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/9035963385060833539'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-memorial-lazy-sunday.html' title='A Memorial Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4o9V9gAqaxHcyHNpXIExCsFGdT_OM4IuL-LgYMYp41g50nNXuUEfTGPW-gHum644tf_kkg4h8a806wfU8ISoQB_FlAT9iRTB6P_giPGHmop7As-F38dRACnWKpBGmYdbhzl2v/s72-c/denny+green.png" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-6323652862358121295</id><published>2015-04-26T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-04-26T07:00:02.045-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Playing Defense on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
3548. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0R9iLD4uVdLlgE39kB680zPB_E0kR8wfx31WusFyiEP_TpRqcpIJr4-3RFAMxuZd93ose9S0QJgnjfawx4katZ-g1mWHJHF7TvkIyFqcMXSzTJhOn08Ow8lVo0Ji-kkCiO49i/s1600/Moss+HR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0R9iLD4uVdLlgE39kB680zPB_E0kR8wfx31WusFyiEP_TpRqcpIJr4-3RFAMxuZd93ose9S0QJgnjfawx4katZ-g1mWHJHF7TvkIyFqcMXSzTJhOn08Ow8lVo0Ji-kkCiO49i/s1600/Moss+HR.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
3549. <div class="MsoNormal">
3550. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nearly three weeks into the season, the Indians have
3551. scuffled their way to a 6-10 record and find themselves at the bottom of the
3552. very competitive AL Central division. Just when it looked like the Tribe had
3553. found some momentum after a 13-1 shellacking of the Tigers, Trevor Bauer came
3554. down with food poisoning before yesterday’s start and the Indians were unable
3555. to get anything going in yet another loss to their AL Central foes. TJ House
3556. made an emergency start and held the Tigers to three runs in three innings of
3557. work, a decent outing considering the circumstances. But the offensive outburst
3558. from Friday night didn’t carry over to Saturday, and Brandon Moss (who’s OPS
3559. spiked nearly 200 points after his 2 HR, 2B, 7 RBI game on Friday) failed twice
3560. go score a runner from 3B with less than 2 outs in a 4-1 loss. It’s still
3561. early, but the 2015 Indians seem to have the same problems that plagued the
3562. 2014 Indians; poor defense, lack of timely hitting and a complete and utter
3563. inability to beat Detroit on a regular basis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3564. <div class="MsoNormal">
3565. <br /></div>
3566. <div class="MsoNormal">
3567. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-the-30-twins-yankees-indians-nationals-defense/">Grantland’s
3568. Jonah Keri checked in with his weekly power rankings on Monday, slotting the
3569. then 4-7 Indians in at #15 overall.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Since Keri’s weekly
3570. focus was on defense, it’s no surprise that he chose to expound on the Indians
3571. ranking. Keri notes that, following a season in which the Indians were the
3572. worst defensive team in baseball, they’ve opened the 2015 season as the second worst
3573. defensive team in baseball. So…they’re trending upwards? Keri goes on to note
3574. that while the Indians have and will continue to suffer with defensive
3575. limitations, it might not matter as much due to the propensity of the Indians
3576. rotation to strike out everyone in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3577. <div class="MsoNormal">
3578. <br /></div>
3579. <div class="MsoNormal">
3580. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2015.shtml">It
3581. only takes a quick look at the AL pitching leaderboards to confirm this theory.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
3582. After Friday night’s games, the Indians led the AL in strikeouts with 158 (one
3583. ahead of the Yankees 157). The AL average was 125. The team ERA however, is a
3584. more robust 3.88 (league average 3.98). Since it’s 2015 and not 1985 though,
3585. let’s dig a little deeper on that one and note that the Indians have the 2<sup>nd</sup>
3586. best Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in the AL at 3.25, and that 0.63
3587. disparity is the 2<sup>nd</sup> highest in the AL, behind the fellow
3588. strikeout-heavy NYY. The Indians pitchers are (again) controlling what they can
3589. control, but the defense isn’t picking them up. If this sounds like a familiar
3590. story, it should, as the 2014 Indians led the AL with a 3.42 FIP but were tied
3591. for 6<sup>th</sup> with a 3.56 ERA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3592. <div class="MsoNormal">
3593. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3594. <div class="MsoNormal">
3595. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So how do we fix this? How do we take advantage of
3596. what could be the best top to bottom (especially if TJ House can right the
3597. ship) pitching staff in the league? Well, it just so happens that I have a
3598. plan:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3599. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3600. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">      </span></div>
3601. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3602. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">      1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">   </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Call
3603. up James Ramsey to replace Little Jerry Sands. Ramsey, unlike Sands, can play
3604. all three outfield positions and will prevent any future situations where Mike
3605. Aviles plays CF. He’s a better defender than Murphy, and should be able to hold
3606. his own at the plate. </span></div>
3607. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3608. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">      </span></div>
3609. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3610. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">      2.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">   </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Swap
3611. out Jose Ramirez for Francisco Lindor. Ramirez has been OK at short this year,
3612. but his range factor and defensive runs saved are both down from 2014 (small
3613. sample size alert). Combining those stats with years of scouting evaluations
3614. that suggest Ramirez will be at best an average shortstop pushes this one over
3615. the top for me. Ramirez can go back to AAA and play SS, 2B and 3B, then come
3616. back in a couple of months and take over the Mike Aviles role. Meanwhile,
3617. Lindor takes over at SS and immediately becomes a plus defender at short,
3618. shoring up a shaky infield D even if he can’t do much with the bat at the
3619. outset. Ramirez is hitting .204/.245/.286 right now…can Lindor really do much
3620. worse than that?</span></div>
3621. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3622. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">      </span></div>
3623. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3624. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">      3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">  </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
3625. some point in mid-late May, if Lonnie Chisenhall still isn’t hitting, call up
3626. Gio Urshela to play 3B. Even after hitting his first HR of the season on Friday
3627. against the Tigers, Chiz was hitting a paltry .204/.245/.306. That includes a
3628. .167/.212/.300 line against southpaws. He’s been better in the field this year
3629. (in a small sample), but came in at -1.5 WAR in the field in 2014. Urshela
3630. could be an elite defender at 3B, and even if he manages a .550 OPS he’d at
3631. least be giving the offense the same “help” that Chisenhall has provided this
3632. year. As an added bonus, Urshela hits right handed, which would help settle
3633. some of the villagers with pitchforks lining up outside of Chris Antonetti’s
3634. house demanding a less lefty-heavy lineup. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3635. <div class="MsoNormal">
3636. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3637. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3638. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6iGT7JXHm_FaCi-oBty-TMs7PBioqFDOfxuKOVgefKWhl8UuI-q04WxgDwHAXCbVb-ect9OvtqeqYajsR0wuFmhIjSzBtKgG9VsscAskcq9At_bo1nuCvnISwrlvBajjt5jC/s1600/Urshela.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6iGT7JXHm_FaCi-oBty-TMs7PBioqFDOfxuKOVgefKWhl8UuI-q04WxgDwHAXCbVb-ect9OvtqeqYajsR0wuFmhIjSzBtKgG9VsscAskcq9At_bo1nuCvnISwrlvBajjt5jC/s1600/Urshela.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
3639. <div class="MsoNormal">
3640. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Will any of these moves actually happen? Probably
3641. not in the near-term, especially with Urshela just coming off the DL for AAA
3642. Columbus this past week. But something needs to be done to improve the defense
3643. before it’s too late. The Indians cannot win the AL Central in April/May, but
3644. it’s possible that they could lose it if this skid lasts much longer. What’s
3645. funny to me is that they Indians very quickly recognized that they had a more
3646. talented pitcher in AAA (Salazar) who could take a rotation spot from a guy who
3647. was scuffling out of the gate (McAllister), and immediately made a move to fix
3648. it. That move has proven effective thus far, with Salazar making two
3649. superlative starts, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 21 K in 13 innings. Why the
3650. team’s brain trust can act so quickly to fill a hole in the rotation but can’t
3651. seem to do the same for the defense is baffling to me. Hopefully a fix comes
3652. sooner rather than later. It’s a long season and this is still a very talented
3653. baseball team, but the defense could again prove to be the Achilles heel that
3654. keeps them for making a run deep into October. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3655. <div class="MsoNormal">
3656. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3657. <div class="MsoNormal">
3658. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With all that being said, Mike Petriello of
3659. Fangraphs ran an interesting article earlier this week suggesting that the
3660. Indians defense might not be as bad as the numbers would indicate early this
3661. season. The Indians rank 28<sup>th</sup> in baseball with -12 defensive runs
3662. saved, but -7 of those come directly from the pitcher position. That’s
3663. ridiculously high, the worst in all of baseball. As Petriello explains:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3664. <div class="MsoNormal">
3665. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3666. <div class="MsoNormal">
3667. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">24
3668. of the 30 teams are within a relatively narrow -2 to 2 range, simply because
3669. it’s so early and no one’s had the time to be that bad. But Cleveland’s
3670. pitchers have dragged down the overall team score to such a degree that if we
3671. looked only at non-pitcher DRS, they’d be tied with the Pirates at 23rd. Not
3672. that ranking 23 out of 30 in anything is something to be proud of, but when
3673. you’re coming from as far back as this group was last year, you’ll take what
3674. you can get.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3675. <div class="MsoNormal">
3676. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~</span></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3677. <div class="MsoNormal">
3678. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
3679. we know, certainly, is that the defensive numbers aren’t perfect, especially
3680. this early. What we know, even more certainly, is that defense has been an
3681. ongoing issue for this team for a few years. Right now, it’s just too simple to
3682. look at “close to last place in DRS” and make the judgement of a disaster.
3683. Pitchers and minor leaguers and out-of-position infielders are making that look
3684. worse than it needs to be. It’s not the same thing as having a playoff-caliber
3685. defense, though. Not the same thing at all.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3686. <div class="MsoNormal">
3687. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3688. <div class="MsoNormal">
3689. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So the defense, while not great, has been better
3690. than last season. It’s still not where it needs to be, but if the AAA cavalry
3691. can come up and improve the overall profile even more, that could be enough to
3692. vault the Indians back into contention in the AL Central. The starting pitching
3693. is going to give them a chance in virtually every game this season, and the
3694. lineup should come around eventually. The big question mark remains the D, and
3695. that’s something that can be improved with cheap, young, internal options.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3696. <div class="MsoNormal">
3697. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3698. <div class="MsoNormal">
3699. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the majority of Clevelanders were busy letting
3700. their blood boil over an idiotic column from an idiot (Dan Shaughnessy, who I
3701. will not link to here under any circumstances and that rule was in place before
3702. last week’s travesty of a column), there was another Boston reporter who was
3703. writing a complementary column about Cleveland, and the Indians in particular. </span><a href="http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2015/04/21/turning-twosday-a-players-prime-and-cheringtons-choice/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baseball
3704. Prospectus’ Brian Joiner took a nice look at the Indians roster construction in
3705. the context of how Boston has torn down and rebuilt their roster over the past
3706. couple of years.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Joiner is becoming quite the
3707. Clevleophile (I just made up a word, go with it), having written the Indians
3708. section of the </span><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Baseball-Prospectus-2015-ebook/dp/B00TGC010C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429876266&sr=1-1&keywords=baseball+prospectus+2015"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baseball
3709. Prospectus Annual</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and in general having lots of nice
3710. things to say about both the city and team here on the North Coast:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3711. <div class="MsoNormal">
3712. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
3713. <div class="MsoNormal">
3714. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
3715. did not write about the Indians because I love Cleveland, but because I was
3716. asked to write about Cleveland. That was lucky. I love Cleveland, starting with
3717. Major League, duh, and continuing
3718. to this day. I have gone to Cleveland for fun on several occasions, and I have
3719. had such delirious good times that I have nothing but good things to say about
3720. it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3721. <div class="MsoNormal">
3722. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3723. <div class="MsoNormal">
3724. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyway,
3725. this year’s Indians are a construction marvel. Nearly the entire starting
3726. roster spot is filled by a reasonably paid, above-average baseball player in
3727. his prime. What the front office, led by Chris Antonetti, lacks in maneuvering
3728. room with its roster, it makes up for in construction efficiency, save for Nick
3729. Swisher and Michael Bourn, the albatrii in the outfield.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3730. <div class="MsoNormal">
3731. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~snip~<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3732. <div class="MsoNormal">
3733. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
3734. so simple that it’s brilliant, and in a way it renders a lot of analysis —
3735. well, not meaningless, but certainly less dense. The Sox’s rotation is one you
3736. could make from reading the stats on old baseball cards, and the Indians have
3737. shown that if you get guys who are just good enough, one of them might go from
3738. relatively anonymous starter to Cy Young Award winner, and a second to do it
3739. the next year, and, voila, you’re contenders, at least to your enthusiastic
3740. biographers. To them, to me, the Indians are exciting: a team primed to reach
3741. its peak.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
3742. <div class="MsoNormal">
3743. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3744. <div class="MsoNormal">
3745. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Indians have won 177 games in the two seasons
3746. since Terry Francona took the helm, with the Red Sox claiming 168 victories.
3747. Each team has claimed one playoff appearance. The Red Sox are off to a better
3748. start this season, but I’ll take the Indians pitching over the Red Sox by a
3749. landslide. It’ll be interesting to see how these two clubs stand at the end of
3750. the season. The Red Sox have a better lineup and will be able to trade for
3751. pitching reinforcements (possibly Cole Hamels). The Indians have better
3752. pitching and have prospect help on the way for the lineup and defense (Lindor,
3753. Ramsey, Urshela). Both clubs figure to be better in September than they are right
3754. now. With they each claim a playoff slot as they did in 2013? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3755. <div class="MsoNormal">
3756. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3757. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3758. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqUAFq0eFM8D1VIxdvRGrj_2f2S8xwr9_FKb55Nw04sVbB0ElhDnK1vaoBWLYl5A0RM3JnpTd4mKs5kuIpbOhcUgKE0acuA-2VyZtMRwIHIQGqrAyuvy3OSJflv7llO7H990T/s1600/Ventura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqUAFq0eFM8D1VIxdvRGrj_2f2S8xwr9_FKb55Nw04sVbB0ElhDnK1vaoBWLYl5A0RM3JnpTd4mKs5kuIpbOhcUgKE0acuA-2VyZtMRwIHIQGqrAyuvy3OSJflv7llO7H990T/s1600/Ventura.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
3759. <div class="MsoNormal">
3760. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s not directly Indians-related, but we’ll stick
3761. in the Central Division for a look at just how thoroughly the Royals
3762. embarrassed themselves in their series with the A’s last week. Much digital ink
3763. has been spilled on this topic, </span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/4/20/8458119/brett-lawrie-slide-royals-as-unwritten-rules?utm_campaign=mccoveychron&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">but
3764. for my money the best effort was from Giants SB Nation writer Grant Brisbee</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
3765. Brisbee is normally both funny and insightful, so it’s not too much of a
3766. surprise that he was able to nail this particular topic. He provides two very
3767. helpful videos illustrating just how bad things were back in the “good old
3768. days,” one of Joe Morgan and one of Hal McRae. Each of these instances, were
3769. they to occur today, would likely melt the internet and cause Twitter to
3770. explode. Literally, not figuratively, explode. Please go watch them if you
3771. haven’t already. Brisbee correctly judges Lawrie’s slide as bad but not
3772. egregious, and Yordano Ventura’s ensuing HBP as silly, but predictable.
3773. Ventura’s fake tough-guy walk towards Lawrie after the HBP inexplicably
3774. escalated the situation, but Lawrie pretty much just took his base and the
3775. whole thing was over. Or so we thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3776. <div class="MsoNormal">
3777. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3778. <div class="MsoNormal">
3779. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next day, Kelvin Herrera inexplicably threw at
3780. Lawrie again, in the 8<sup>th</sup> inning of a 2-1 game. He threw at him
3781. twice, and the second pitch was at or above the shoulders. Regardless of what
3782. Lawrie did or did not do, this foolishly re-ignited a situation that was over
3783. and done with. He also threw at Lawrie’s head, something that is both extremely
3784. stupid and extremely dangerous. Fellow fake tough-guy Salvador Perez then got
3785. up in Lawrie’s face when he (rightly) took exception to being targeted for
3786. assassination, but only after the umpire got between them and prevented any
3787. actual physical altercation from taking place. Lawrie again remained calm until
3788. Herrera pointed at his head, as if to say to Lawrie “I just tried to kill you
3789. by striking you in the head with a 100 MPH fastball,” to which Lawrie pretty
3790. naturally took exception to and started yelling at Herrera. I feel like this
3791. can’t be stated enough; Herrera’s pitch to Lawrie registered triple-digits on
3792. the radar gun. It could have literally killed him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3793. <div class="MsoNormal">
3794. <br /></div>
3795. <div class="MsoNormal">
3796. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lawrie seems like a bit of a nutcase. That doesn’t
3797. excuse the fact that the Royals matched and then far-escalated his nuttiness in
3798. some misguided attempt to…well, I’m not sure what exactly they were attempting
3799. to prove. That they’re tougher than the A’s? Crazier? All of the above? Herrera
3800. should be suspended for 50 games, but he won’t because steroids are somehow
3801. worse than trying to kill someone with a 100 MPH fastball. He got a 5 game
3802. suspension, which clearly didn’t send the message to KC because Yordano Ventura
3803. felt the need to start a fight against the White Sox this past Thursday.
3804. Ventura fielded a comebacker to the mound off the bat of Adam Eaton, and inexplicably
3805. felt the need to hang on to the ball and scream at Eaton while he was running
3806. to first. When this (naturally) escalated into both benches clearing, Ventura
3807. ran away and looked downright confused as to what he did wrong. The Royals are
3808. becoming the least-likeable team in baseball, and they show no signs of
3809. relinquishing that title any time soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3810. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/6323652862358121295/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=6323652862358121295&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6323652862358121295'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6323652862358121295'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/playing-defense-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Playing Defense on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0R9iLD4uVdLlgE39kB680zPB_E0kR8wfx31WusFyiEP_TpRqcpIJr4-3RFAMxuZd93ose9S0QJgnjfawx4katZ-g1mWHJHF7TvkIyFqcMXSzTJhOn08Ow8lVo0Ji-kkCiO49i/s72-c/Moss+HR.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-5839602486016597790</id><published>2015-04-12T09:10:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-04-12T09:10:24.008-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Looking at Lynchburg on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
3811. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0akLv1-0-_Z1eUhFTE71c9PN9N3UJeYQOrivWvnlQkECxbhJx8Lb-EB-7wBb1aLHk6PVRBhiyoUcJBEY5efjYPjuEoc-xuEfQPRZxlTi2hjT0fVz5Igqhj3nZZBUQfx2iPxJA/s1600/Little+Jerry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0akLv1-0-_Z1eUhFTE71c9PN9N3UJeYQOrivWvnlQkECxbhJx8Lb-EB-7wBb1aLHk6PVRBhiyoUcJBEY5efjYPjuEoc-xuEfQPRZxlTi2hjT0fVz5Igqhj3nZZBUQfx2iPxJA/s1600/Little+Jerry.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
3812. <div class="MsoNormal">
3813. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Regrettably, I did not have time to work up a proper
3814. Lazy Sunday for you all this week. I was busy building my backyard shrine to
3815. Jerry Sands. We have a popular pre-season playoff pick struggling despite a
3816. strong showing by their highly-regarded rotation (with one exception). The
3817. defense has been scuffling, and the lineup just isn’t producing, and it’s tough
3818. to pinpoint exactly why. The bullpen has been touched up a little, and it’s
3819. unclear who can be the 8<sup>th</sup> inning bridge to the young, talented
3820. closer. But enough about the 1-4 Washington Nationals, you’re here to read
3821. about the 2-3 Cleveland Indians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3822. <div class="MsoNormal">
3823. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3824. <div class="MsoNormal">
3825. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Judging solely by the twitterverse, it may surprise
3826. some of you to learn that the Indians are 2-3 and not 2-30. Frustrating losses
3827. to the Tigers seem to be a foregone conclusion at this point, and yesterday’s
3828. was particularly galling. Corey Kluber deserved better than a no-decision, and
3829. the Indians were leading against the Tigers ace before the bullpen gave it back
3830. and then some. The Tribe battled back to tie it on the heroics of Little Jerry
3831. Sands, and then Cody Allen of all people got touched up in the 9<sup>th</sup>
3832. to finally put the game out of reach. Worst of all, the 9<sup>th</sup> inning
3833. saw Yan Gomes hit the deck in pain, with a sprained knee at least and an MRI
3834. today to determine if there’s any serious structural damage. Knees are
3835. important for catchers (#analysis!), and if Gomes misses an extended amount of
3836. time, the Indians lose their best right-handed hitter and a crucial defender
3837. behind the dish. All is not lost at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario, but it’s
3838. also tough to imagine the first homestand going much worse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3839. <div class="MsoNormal">
3840. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3841. <div class="MsoNormal">
3842. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was in Woodbridge, VA on Thursday for a cold and
3843. wet MiLB opening day. The Indians new high-A affiliate, the Lynchburg Hillcats,
3844. were in town to take on the Potomac Nationals. Dylan Baker started on the mound
3845. for the Hillcats, and was backed by a stacked lineup featuring Clint Frazier,
3846. Mike Papi, Bradley Zimmer, Nellie Rodriguez, Eric Haase and more. Some
3847. quick-hit thoughts on the game:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3848. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3849. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3850. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3851. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span></div>
3852. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
3853. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMOSGSc2-rMSu0OHMVswXBJ_rR6ySQ-CwGAkiL4Q8Xb8eo9N4I-CZFFyccAzsBhrCgtrh9FuFiqGoCYTamZmKT2_c8fwZL-0UWOAyBmkruV85-tgPYCAlH24b-3jN3K5hkMi4/s1600/IMG_6385+(779x800).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMOSGSc2-rMSu0OHMVswXBJ_rR6ySQ-CwGAkiL4Q8Xb8eo9N4I-CZFFyccAzsBhrCgtrh9FuFiqGoCYTamZmKT2_c8fwZL-0UWOAyBmkruV85-tgPYCAlH24b-3jN3K5hkMi4/s1600/IMG_6385+(779x800).jpg" height="320" width="311" /></a></div>
3854.  
3855. <!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve seen two of Dylan Baker’s starts as
3856. a professional, spanning 11 innings of work, and I’ve yet to see him allow a
3857. hit. He walked Jayson Werth in the first inning on Thursday, and didn’t allow
3858. another baserunner after that. Baker was sitting comfortably in the 94-96 MPH
3859. range with his fastball, touching 97. He was up in the zone in the 1<sup>st</sup>
3860. inning, but settled down and spotted the pith effectively in the zone after
3861. that. His slider was a little inconsistent but flashed plus, and he mixed in a
3862. few curveballs as well. He only threw a handful of changeups, but saved the
3863. best one for the rehabbing Werth’s 2<sup>nd</sup> AB. He had Werth way out
3864. front on a CH to run the count to 1-2, then came back with a 96 MPH fastball on
3865. the inside corner for a called strike 3. Baker struck out a career-high 9, and
3866. the 23-year old looks to be ready for AA Akron sooner rather than later.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
3867. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3868. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3869. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3870. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3871. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clint Frazier is back to his toe-tapping
3872. ways, similar to his plate approach in high school. He played around with a leg
3873. kick last year, going with a big leg kick, small leg kick and finally settling
3874. back on the toe-tap as a timing mechanism. The bat speed is electric no matter
3875. how he triggers his swing, and the power potential is evident even when you’re
3876. watching him take swings in the cage. Frazier collected a pair of hits last
3877. night, both on line-drives up the middle. The first was a liner just to the
3878. right of the second baseman, and the second was a hard line drive to the right
3879. of the shortstop. Frazier still has a very aggressive approach, attacking the
3880. first pitch in 2 of his 5 AB, and got caught out on his front foot a couple of
3881. times. His 5<sup>th</sup> AB was his best of the night, as he was able to stay
3882. back on a pitch on the outer half and line a hard single through the 5.5 hole
3883. to the right of the shortstop. I think that having a consistent mechanical
3884. approach to hitting will help Frazier in 2015, as constant swing tinkering can
3885. make things tough on a young hitter. I still expect him to collect his fair
3886. share of strikeouts, especially in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League, but
3887. he’s going to hit some home runs as well. He’s a talented, confident young kid,
3888. and he’s going to be a big part of the Indians future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3889. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3890. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3891. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3892. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3893. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Eric Haase has long been a favorite of
3894. mine, and last night did nothing to change that. Haase was consistently popping
3895. sub-2.0 in his throws to 2B between innings, showing off a plus arm and
3896. excellent footwork. His receiving is still a little raw, as he was stabbing at
3897. breaking pitches a little more than I’d like, but that’s something that should
3898. improve with time. At the plate, Haase was 1-5, but the hit was a triple that
3899. he smoked into the gap and then flashed his above-average (especially for a
3900. catcher!) speed in legging out the three-bagger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3901. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3902. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3903. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3904. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3905. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yesterday was the first time I’ve seen
3906. Bradley Zimmer live and in person, and he did not disappoint. Zimmer went 1-3
3907. with two walks and a K, and I came away impressed with his size and swing
3908. mechanics. Zimmer starts with a slightly open stance and triggers with a short
3909. stride to close himself up and brings his hands quickly down through the zone.
3910. He has a little more leverage in the swing than I expected, and I can
3911. definitely see 20 HR in his bat once he adds a little more weight to his 6’4”
3912. frame. There’s no wasted movement in his swing, and he should be able to make
3913. consistent contact throughout his career. He’s a plus runner and a very good
3914. athlete, and really looks smooth out in CF. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3915. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3916. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3917. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3918. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3919. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mike Papi struck out once and drew three
3920. walks in 5 plate appearances last night. He wasn’t passive at the plate, he
3921. just didn’t get much worth swinging at. He has a compact swing that should
3922. generate plenty of contact, and I’m excited to see more of him in game action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3923. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3924. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>
3925. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3926. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3927. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Robbie Aviles pitched better than his
3928. score line would indicate (1 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 3 K, BB). Only one of the
3929. hits he allowed was a hard-hit ball, and he was a victim of the BABIP gods on
3930. the other three. He was working mostly in the 90-92 MPH range and showing nice
3931. arm-side run on his 2-seamer. It was the first time I’d seen Aviles pitch, and
3932. he gets some deception with his cross-body delivery. He had a 2.55 ERA in 84
3933. 2/3 IP for Lake County last year, and is an intriguing potential bullpen arm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3934. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3935. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3936. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3937. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3938. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nellie Rodriguez went 1-5 with a double
3939. down the LF line last night, and his swing looks a little shorter than the last
3940. time I saw him. The weather robbed us of an opportunity to see his raw power
3941. displayed in BP, but I should be able to see he and Frazier duel for BP
3942. supremacy next week in Frederick. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3943. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3944. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3945. <br />
3946. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
3947. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">        
3948. </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The #MiLBProblems hashtag was in full
3949. effect last night. It was a chilly day that turned into a cold (~40 degrees)
3950. night, and there was a steady drizzle that fell throughout the game. That was
3951. miserable enough, but to make things worse, the power in the LF lights went out
3952. with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9<sup>th</sup> inning. I’m told there was a 40
3953. min delay, but I wasn’t going to stick around to see it. Even with the subpar
3954. weather, it was great to get back out to the fields and check out some of the
3955. Indians up-and-coming talent on opening day. I’ll be out in Frederick next week
3956. to see Lynchburg take on the Frederick Keys, and here’s hoping the sun will be
3957. out this time around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
3958. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/5839602486016597790/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=5839602486016597790&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/5839602486016597790'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/5839602486016597790'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/looking-at-lynchburg-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Looking at Lynchburg on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0akLv1-0-_Z1eUhFTE71c9PN9N3UJeYQOrivWvnlQkECxbhJx8Lb-EB-7wBb1aLHk6PVRBhiyoUcJBEY5efjYPjuEoc-xuEfQPRZxlTi2hjT0fVz5Igqhj3nZZBUQfx2iPxJA/s72-c/Little+Jerry.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-3344294684346149838</id><published>2015-04-05T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-04-05T07:00:01.206-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Off and Running on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
3959. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMicCx8IgGw9g1sLLMCqBPQos8tz6KANb-T5m119uybtVNhCQBJJ2I7Ry68gGHeB1hA5CaYLb1VrU6FsLsBSWtjBwbI_Ffa_aEWmHuYvDr9GVQGk9rtY8ij5be4FhmFRN2rZa/s1600/Opening+Day+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMicCx8IgGw9g1sLLMCqBPQos8tz6KANb-T5m119uybtVNhCQBJJ2I7Ry68gGHeB1hA5CaYLb1VrU6FsLsBSWtjBwbI_Ffa_aEWmHuYvDr9GVQGk9rtY8ij5be4FhmFRN2rZa/s1600/Opening+Day+snow.jpg" height="262" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
3960. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Dale Omori</td></tr>
3961. </tbody></table>
3962. <div class="MsoNormal">
3963. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the last Lazy
3964. Sunday before baseball. Real, actual, regular season baseball. Michael Bourn
3965. will dig in the box and The Klubot will toe the rubber Monday night in Texas,
3966. and the most anticipated Indians season since…well, since last season…will
3967. begin in earnest. Expectations for this year’s Indians club are sky-high, with
3968. a series of national outlets and writers picking the Indians to dethrone the
3969. Tigers atop the AL Central, and some picking them to go even further than that.
3970. Putting the jokes about curses and jinxes aside (they are jokes, right?), it’s
3971. great to see the team that the Indians have built getting recognition as a
3972. potential AL powerhouse. Especially when you consider they sport the lowest
3973. payroll in the division, and that by a healthy margin. The Indians have less
3974. money committed to their 2015 roster ($86 million) than the Tigers have
3975. committed to their 2018 roster ($92 million). That’s just crazy, especially
3976. when you consider that $92 million will pay for just three players to actually
3977. play for the Tigers in 2018. Justin Verlander (who will be 35 in 2018), Miguel
3978. Cabrera (34) and Victor Martinez (39) all combine to make $82 million, and the
3979. Tigers are on the hook for at least a $5 million buyout for Ian Kinsler (35)
3980. and Anibal Sanchez (34). Those are talented players, but their best days are
3981. likely behind them right now, and they’ll continue to decline over the next 3+
3982. years. Meanwhile, the Indians have an impressive collection of young talent
3983. under control through the 2017 season (and beyond, in most cases), including
3984. Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Carlos Santana, Trevor Bauer, Cookie
3985. Carrasco, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and more. The Indians are
3986. well-positioned to contend this year, and are built to last. Unlike our
3987. neighbors to the northwest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
3988. <div class="MsoNormal">
3989. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
3990. <div class="MsoNormal">
3991. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jumping in our Delorean and flying back to 2015 for
3992. a moment; the Tigers are still going to be a really good baseball team this
3993. year. As I discussed in this space a couple of weeks ago with Mark Shapiro, the
3994. Tigers have actually underperformed relative to their talent level on the way
3995. to winning 183 games over the past two seasons. This team still has Miggy Cabrera,
3996. Victor Martinez (sigh), David Price, Ian Kinsler and other really, really good
3997. baseball players. They also have Joe Nathan, who is a baseball player. Will
3998. this collection of experienced talent be able to hold off the young, upstart
3999. Indians (and the White Sox, and the Royals) for another year? </span><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-preview-detroit-tigers-in-decline/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Grantland’s
4000. Michael Baumann takes an in-depth look at an aging Detroit roster, and as a fan
4001. of a Phillies team that fell apart under similar circumstances, he seems uniquely
4002. qualified to predict when Rome might be collapsing:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
4003. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4004. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
4005. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4006. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Given that the
4007. season hasn’t started yet, I feel comfortable saying three things: (1) I agree
4008. with the projections insofar as they think the AL Central race is going to be
4009. close; (2) if everything goes right for every team, the Tigers are still the
4010. best squad in the division; (3) I don’t think everything’s going to go right
4011. for the Tigers this year…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4012. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4013. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…Like individual
4014. human beings, baseball teams can temporarily stave off the ravages of time if
4015. they try hard enough. So, maybe the Tigers have another run in them. They
4016. certainly deserve another shot, considering that unlike those Phillies, Braves,
4017. and Yankees teams, they haven’t won a World Series in this stretch of success.
4018. But any respite would be temporary, because only time is undefeated.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4019. <div class="MsoNormal">
4020. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Things are already starting to go wrong for the
4021. Tigers, as Justin Verlander is set to open the season on the DL. This is the
4022. first time in his career he’s made a trip to the disabled list, and it’s for a
4023. triceps, not an elbow, so it’s entirely possible that Verlander will be back
4024. and starting when the Tigers come to Cleveland for the first home stand of the
4025. season. But even if healthy, which Verlander are the Tigers going to get moving
4026. forward? The 120 ERA+ guy who threw 218 innings in 2013? Or the 88 ERA+ guy who
4027. threw 206 innings last year. Verlander churned out an AL-high 1172
4028. regular-season innings from 2009-2013, and was one of the best pitchers in
4029. baseball during that time. Will we look back on his subpar 2014 as a blip on
4030. the radar similar to his 2008 (92 ERA+)? Or will we see it as the beginning of
4031. the end for a now-32 year old warhorse (who is still owed $140 million over the
4032. next 5 years)? Time will tell, but the fact that we’re even asking the question
4033. shows you that the Tigers aren’t their usual, invincible selves heading into
4034. 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4035. <div class="MsoNormal">
4036. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4037. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
4038. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNmlg_zb1nsJElnsHXCfogkUDSdQ0aHP9f7r0FhfVKWHV0_W8S7JlYz3WgonEblBaIZ1sibvNdx5wdLcVO7iBA3AzK1pFk8avQf_Ndgo0jhWsmDFpyoYkfK4Nj3wVL7KZ4SV7/s1600/Kipnis+barehand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNmlg_zb1nsJElnsHXCfogkUDSdQ0aHP9f7r0FhfVKWHV0_W8S7JlYz3WgonEblBaIZ1sibvNdx5wdLcVO7iBA3AzK1pFk8avQf_Ndgo0jhWsmDFpyoYkfK4Nj3wVL7KZ4SV7/s1600/Kipnis+barehand.JPG" height="400" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
4039. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4040. </tbody></table>
4041. <div class="MsoNormal">
4042. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Staying in the AL Central for now</span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/115702250/5-keys-for-al-central-clubs"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4043. Anthony Castrovice took a look around the division in an attempt to identify
4044. the keys for each club headed into 2015.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> There are few (if any)
4045. reporters in the baseball universe that know the division better than Castro,
4046. so if you haven’t read the entire piece, that’s something you should remedy as
4047. soon as possible. Unsurprisingly, Castro singles out defensive improvement as
4048. the Indians key to success in 2015, particularly from infielders Lonnie
4049. Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis. Kipnis’ health is a huge story going into 2015, as
4050. the Indians are a completely different team with 2013 Kip in the #2 slot in the
4051. lineup and in the field than they are with 2014 Kip. </span></div>
4052. <div class="MsoNormal">
4053. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4054. <div class="MsoNormal">
4055. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t believe me? Well,
4056. 2013 Kipnis was an all-star, 11<sup>th</sup> in MVP voting and was worth 5.9
4057. WAR per Baseball Reference. Meanwhile, 2014 Kipnis missed 33 games, played
4058. injured in many of the rest of those games, and was worth 0.9 WAR. It’s
4059. entirely reasonable to look at that and say if Kipnis were healthy and
4060. effective last year, the Indians would’ve made the playoffs (they finished just
4061. 3 games out of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Wild Card). He’s as important as any player
4062. on the roster right now, and is hopefully healthy out of spring training this
4063. year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4064. <div class="MsoNormal">
4065. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4066. <div class="MsoNormal">
4067. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As you no doubt know by now, I missed out on a trip
4068. to spring training this year for the first time since 2009. The absence of that
4069. trip really made the offseason drag on, and more importantly it prevented me
4070. from getting looks at any of the youngsters the way I usually do. Missing out
4071. on my first look at the 2014 draftees is bad enough, but not getting a chance
4072. to see the improvements and mechanical tweaks made by some of the more
4073. established players might be even more disappointing. Fortunately, we have
4074. access to the next best thing, as the Baseball Prospectus prospect team made a
4075. group trip to AZ and wrote up their thoughts on several Indians prospects. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25926"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tucker
4076. Blair spent a day in Goodyear,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and came away particularly
4077. impressed with RHP Dylan Baker (video in the link):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4078. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4079. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
4080. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4081. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He has a sturdy
4082. frame with a power bottom, which he uses for heavy drive towards home. In this
4083. outing, Baker was pumping his fastball 95-98 mph, steamrolling through the
4084. Reds’ lineup. The fastball was a tick higher than in the past, displaying
4085. explosion and coming off a good plane. The curveball was also improved since my
4086. last viewing, displaying hard bite and depth at 81-84 mph.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4087. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
4088. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVUElX_MQyr4b0EF6MRgLG0R00OsNl2to6N6d6cDWYbcOACqNdC5bdsbQ9DDCmfNClIdUs0SsUmwgxO1lArz6BhVvtRniO880vlBGIssMJS1y9KL3zW3TuKD940-27KaPlQ-u/s1600/Mejia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVUElX_MQyr4b0EF6MRgLG0R00OsNl2to6N6d6cDWYbcOACqNdC5bdsbQ9DDCmfNClIdUs0SsUmwgxO1lArz6BhVvtRniO880vlBGIssMJS1y9KL3zW3TuKD940-27KaPlQ-u/s1600/Mejia.JPG" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
4089. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4090. </tbody></table>
4091. <div class="MsoNormal">
4092. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blair also wrote up his thoughts on 2014 1<sup>st</sup>
4093. round pick Bradley Zimmer (good!) and power 1B prospect Nellie Rodriguez (not
4094. as good!) in that article, so it’s more than worth your time. In addition to
4095. Tucker’s fine work, </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25920"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BP
4096. fantasy/prospect experts Ben Carsley and Craig Goldstein had a back-and-forth
4097. regarding Indians catching prospect Francisco Mejia.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
4098. Goldstein has long loved Mejia, and this was Carsley’s first look at the
4099. diminutive young backstop. Carsley came away underwhelmed (SSS alert!) and that
4100. caused a bit of a visceral reaction from Craig (who does visceral reactions
4101. better than most). Carsley listed Mejia as the player that he came away from
4102. spring training liking less than he did before, resulting in Goldstein listing
4103. Carsley in that same “disappointment” category. Carsley did caveat his write-up
4104. by saying that Mejia is a better real-life prospect than he is a fantasy
4105. prospect (mainly because of the defense), so no need to attack him in the
4106. twitterverse for being a hack of a talent evaluator and an unabashed Red Sox
4107. homer. However, if you did want to do that, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/BenCarsley"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">here’s his twitter page</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
4108. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4109. <div class="MsoNormal">
4110. <br /></div>
4111. <div class="MsoNormal">
4112. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/116196498/indians-josh-tomlin-to-miss-3-4-months-after-shoulder-surgery">More
4113. bad rotation news for the Indians this week, as it was revealed that Josh
4114. Tomlin will be on the shelf for at least 3-4 months after surgery on the AC
4115. joint in his shoulder.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Tomlin’s shoulder was apparently
4116. bothering him early in camp, but he was able to get back on the mound after a
4117. cortisone shot in March. The injury kept bothering him though, and it
4118. eventually became too much to overcome. The Indians vaunted SP depth takes
4119. another hit, as the number of contenders for the rotation dips down to 8, and
4120. that includes Shawn Marcum and Bruce Chen. Danny Salazar is the clear #6 guy
4121. now, and will be the first called to Cleveland if injury or ineffectiveness
4122. strikes a member of the Indians rotation. I still feel like Zach McAllister
4123. will eventually end up in the bullpen with Salazar taking his slot in the
4124. rotation, as Salazar just has too much upside not to work his way up to the
4125. North Coast at some point in 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4126. <div class="MsoNormal">
4127. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4128. <div class="MsoNormal">
4129. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stepping outside our Indians-centric focus for a
4130. moment, </span><a href="https://sports.vice.com/article/how-the-system-screws-kris-bryant-and-other-mlb-rookies"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Craig
4131. Goldstein of Vice Sports and </span></a></div>
4132. <div class="MsoNormal">
4133. <a href="https://sports.vice.com/article/how-the-system-screws-kris-bryant-and-other-mlb-rookies"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baseball Prospectus took an insightful look at the
4134. Kris Bryant-Cubs disagreement this week.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Goldstein looks at
4135. Bryant, the Cubs, and the system in general, and comes to the conclusion that
4136. the Cubs are keeping Bryant in the minors to open the 2015 season to exercise
4137. an additional year of control over him and thus save ownership some money. He
4138. also says (rightly) that this is the correct decision and one that pretty much
4139. every team in baseball should/would make. From Goldstein’s article:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4140. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4141. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
4142. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4143. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It's important
4144. to note that when people talk about control, what they're really talking about
4145. is money. The Cubs have the opportunity to retain Bryant for a seventh year
4146. without keeping him in the minors—it's simply a more expensive option. So keep
4147. in mind that when your favorite team doesn't promote a top prospect, it's
4148. because somewhere along the line, someone decided that saving money was the
4149. priority. Also keep in mind that the way the system is set up, the team is
4150. almost certainly making the smart decision. And that's the whole damn problem.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4151. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
4152. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCccOtiS1D8AD8PCWa0c3jO3511cqx3gpSqdwUY_1cFdPzRGfumqUSD_r4EJK1Ee62B3vWBAW74ybYox6ZWVm7WnpxWjum36z14x8TwjC-JpkdSOhUEw5pMhutQH831yeeAiCa/s1600/Lindor+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCccOtiS1D8AD8PCWa0c3jO3511cqx3gpSqdwUY_1cFdPzRGfumqUSD_r4EJK1Ee62B3vWBAW74ybYox6ZWVm7WnpxWjum36z14x8TwjC-JpkdSOhUEw5pMhutQH831yeeAiCa/s1600/Lindor+(5).JPG" height="317" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
4153. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4154. </tbody></table>
4155. <div class="MsoNormal">
4156. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This applies to the Indians as well, in the context
4157. of top prospect Francisco Lindor. Like the Cubs, the Indians have a player in
4158. place with MLB experience (Mike Olt for the Cubs, Jose  Ramirez for the Indians) and no real reason
4159. to start the clock on their player on opening day. If (when) Olt or Ramirez
4160. falter, the club can bring up their uber-prospect to take the place of the MLB
4161. guy, and not lose a year of team control. Superagent Scott Boras argues that
4162. this is the wrong thing to do from a moral perspective (conveniently, Bryant is
4163. a client of his), but that’s not what we’re here to argue. It’s the best
4164. business decision for the Cubs, a team that has money coming out of their ears.
4165. For a small market club like the Indians, it’s an absolute no-brainer. Lindor
4166. is pretty much ready to contribute at the major league level, especially with
4167. the glove. That’ll almost certainly happen at some point in 2015. But it’d be
4168. silly for that to happen on April 6, or really anytime before May 1 unless
4169. someone gets hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4170. <div class="MsoNormal">
4171. <br /></div>
4172. <div class="MsoNormal">
4173. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://pressbox.mlb.com/documents/8/9/0/116181890/Travel_Rosters_4_3_15_qdd45yhg.pdf">The
4174. Indians put out the opening day rosters for all of their full-season affiliates
4175. on Friday</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, which is always one of the most anticipated events
4176. of the spring (for me at least). There weren’t too many surprises, and all four
4177. of the clubs will have some intriguing talent. Lindor, Urshela, Danny Salazar
4178. and James Ramsey are all in AAA Columbus, an injury away from Cleveland. Erik
4179. Gonzalez replaces Lindor at SS for Akron, and will be joined by two of my
4180. personal favorites in Tony Wolters and Justin Toole. High-A Lynchburg is
4181. probably the most loaded affiliate, as their outfield of Clint Frazier, Bradley
4182. Zimmer and Mike Papi will bring scouts from miles around, and their starting
4183. rotation of Dylan Baker, Mitch Brown, Luis Lugo and Adam Plutko will be fun to
4184. watch as well. Low-A Lake County has Francisco Mejia, which is more than enough
4185. for me. Joining Mejia will be Justus Sheffield, Bobby Bradley, Sean Brady, Dace
4186. Kime and Yu-Cheng Chang. No matter which minor league affiliate you go out and
4187. watch, you’re going to get to look at players who are going to be a big part of
4188. the Indians future. I get to see Lynchburg next week on minor league opening
4189. day when they come to Potomac, and watching Zimmer and Frazier dig into the
4190. batter’s box against Lucas Giolito is going to be a LOT of fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4191. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4192. <br /></div>
4193. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4194. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHwgSwqB2JxcvOJNLVTWCNJDUdET_4ukpKq6FZRos0H8e25JFpT-MiQGy3c1H2pXOhAvj3U54ylT-mJ1e9beg2EcdcIcuns8EuhazU1pk4nBr1ry2jsP6ZQy1xJl4uosnE33D/s1600/si+cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHwgSwqB2JxcvOJNLVTWCNJDUdET_4ukpKq6FZRos0H8e25JFpT-MiQGy3c1H2pXOhAvj3U54ylT-mJ1e9beg2EcdcIcuns8EuhazU1pk4nBr1ry2jsP6ZQy1xJl4uosnE33D/s1600/si+cover1.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
4195. <div class="MsoNormal">
4196. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I alluded to in the introduction, lots of people
4197. outside the friendly confines of NE Ohio are picking the Indians to do well
4198. this year. Some are predicting a wild card, some have them winning the
4199. division, and a few are even going out on a limb and calling for a World Series
4200. championship, which would of course be the first since 1948. Predictions, plus
4201. $3, can usually get you a medium cup of black coffee at Starbucks, but they’re
4202. fun to look at nonetheless. To save time and space, we’re going to go lighting
4203. round with many of these predictions in an effort to knock out as many as
4204. possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4205. <div class="MsoNormal">
4206. <br /></div>
4207. <div class="MsoNormal">
4208. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-preview-al-central-indians-tigers-white-sox-royals-twins/">Grantland’s
4209. Jonah Keri picks the Indians to dethrone the Tigers</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4210. predicting them to win more than 84 games on the strength of their young
4211. pitching and a bounce back season from Jason Kipnis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4212. <div class="MsoNormal">
4213. <br /></div>
4214. <div class="MsoNormal">
4215. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/division-preview-al-central/">Fangraphs’
4216. prediction model has the Indians beating out the Tigers for the Central by one
4217. game. </a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I’m not sure
4218. my heart can handle a do-or-die game 162, so hopefully they clinch before the
4219. last day of the season. They give the Indians a 43% change at the division, 14%
4220. chance for the wild card, and a 7% chance to win the World Series. By my
4221. (usually bad) math, that means they have a better than even (57%) shot at the
4222. playoffs. They do caveat their prediction with a warning though; “But despite
4223. the old proverb, the road to hell is actually paved with teams who built their
4224. rosters around young pitching; this could also go really, really wrong.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4225. <div class="MsoNormal">
4226. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4227. <div class="MsoNormal">
4228. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In addition to Fangraphs computer projections
4229. picking the Indians</span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fangraphs-2015-staff-predictions/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4230. their writers seem to be big fans as well.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Of their 38
4231. writers, 24 pick the Indians to claim the AL Central crown. Another 11 peg them
4232. as a Wild Card, making that 35 out of 38 possible votes for the Indians in the
4233. playoffs in one form or another. That puts them at the top of the American
4234. League, one ahead of Boston’s 34. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4235. <div class="MsoNormal">
4236. <br /></div>
4237. <div class="MsoNormal">
4238. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/584008401195298816">Mike
4239. Ferrin from Sirius/XM’s MLB Network Radio is calling an Indians-Nationals World
4240. Series.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Living as I do in the Washington DC metro area,
4241. this would be a dream come true for mean and a nightmare for my bank account,
4242. as I’d have to find a way to attend not only the games in Cleveland but the
4243. matchups in DC as well. If it does come to fruition though, you’re all welcome
4244. to crash at my place during the series. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4245. <div class="MsoNormal">
4246. <br /></div>
4247. <div class="MsoNormal">
4248. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25949">All
4249. 45 members of the Baseball Prospectus staff made their predictions on Friday</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4250. with 22 of those 45 picking the Indians to win the Central Division. Two of
4251. them, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/cdgoldstein"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">sandwich guru
4252. Craig Goldstein</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/doug_thorburn"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">pitching guru Doug
4253. Thorburn</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, are picking the Tribe to win it all. That doesn’t
4254. sound like many, but consider that the Indians are one of only 3 teams to get
4255. more than one vote to take home the hardware at the end of the season. A
4256. whopping 24 of 45 writers picked the Nationals, and 14 are taking the Dodgers.
4257. The cumulative voting from BP has Corey Kluber 4<sup>th</sup> in the AL Cy
4258. Young race (3 1<sup>st</sup> place votes) and Michael Brantley tied for 9<sup>th</sup>
4259. in MVP voting (1 1<sup>st</sup> place vote). </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sahadevsharma"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shadev Sharma</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4260. a man after my own heart, gives Yan Gomes his 3<sup>rd</sup> place AL MVP vote.
4261. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4262. <div class="MsoNormal">
4263. <br /></div>
4264. <div class="MsoNormal">
4265. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/55056/ranking-the-teams-6-through-1-2">ESPN’s
4266. David Schoenfield is calling the Indians the top team in the AL, and the #4
4267. overall team in baseball.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> This despite predicting some
4268. regression from 2014 AL MVP candidate Michael Brantley. Schoenfield sees a bounce
4269. back year for Kipnis and better defense in 2015, and thinks you should go down
4270. to the stadium and see for yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4271. <div class="MsoNormal">
4272. <br /></div>
4273. <div class="MsoNormal">
4274. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/4/3/8338325/2015-mlb-preseason-poll?utm_campaign=beyondtheboxscore&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter">Fourteen
4275. staff members at Beyond the Box Score made their predictions</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
4276. with 100% of responded picking the Indians to make the playoffs in some
4277. fashion. Six writers have the Tribe taking the division, and the other eight
4278. are slotting them in as Wild Cards. That’s pretty good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4279. <div class="MsoNormal">
4280. <br /></div>
4281. <div class="MsoNormal">
4282. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/al-central-2015-preview--indians--white-sox--royals-eager-to-dethrone-tigers-165331525.html">The
4283. crew over at Yahoo.com’s “Big League Stew” make their predictions,</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
4284. and noted White Sox fan Chris Cwik has the Indians at the top of the division.
4285. So does Mark Townsend. Mike Oz tries to temper our expectations by picking them
4286. third, but I’m way beyond tempering at this point. They also look at the Lindor
4287. question and examine whether Cookie Carrasco’s newfound slider will translate
4288. to success in 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4289. <div class="MsoNormal">
4290. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4291. <div class="MsoNormal">
4292. <a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/2015/3/20/8257047/cleveland-indians-2015-preview-corey-kluber-michael-brantley-yan-gomes"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jason
4293. Lukehart did an extremely in-depth preview of this year’s club over at Let’s Go
4294. Tribe</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, and it is predictably outstanding. Lukehart admits
4295. that he’s more of a glass half-empty type of guy when it comes to pre-season
4296. predictions, jaded as only a longtime Cleveland fan can be. But even he sees
4297. this team in contention throughout 2015, and sees them fighting the Tigers down
4298. to the wire for the division.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4299. <br />
4300. <div class="MsoNormal">
4301. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4302. <div class="MsoNormal">
4303. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Saving the best(?) for last; </span><a href="http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/03/24/mlb-preview-sports-illustrated-cover"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">none
4304. other than Sports Illustrated picked the Indians to win not only the division,
4305. but the World Series this year.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> They were nice enough
4306. to put CyKluber and Michael Brantley on the cover of their fine publication,
4307. which naturally caused the population of NE Ohio to have a collective minor
4308. meltdown. </span><a href="http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/03/24/si-cover-cleveland-indians-world-series-jinx"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SI
4309. themselves found this amusing enough to post an article,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
4310. complete with some of the more colorful tweets on the subject (including one
4311. from yours truly). Let me briefly clarify my stance on the subject; there’s no
4312. such thing as curses. There’s no Cleveland Curse. There’s no Curse of Rocky
4313. Colavito. There is no SI Cover Jinx. I think it’s funny that SI picked the
4314. Indians as the best team in baseball the same year they lost 101 games, and I
4315. still love Corey Snyder. That pretty much sums it up. The Indians have a young,
4316. talented, exciting roster that’s built to contend in 2015 and beyond. If they
4317. don’t win it all, it’ll be because another team was better, not because of some
4318. jinx (</span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/cle/video/?c_id=cle&content_id=57472083&topic_id=47150330"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">or
4319. even jixes</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">). Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to tweak those
4320. last-min fantasy lineups, double-check to make sure my MLBTV account is up and
4321. running, and sit and stare at the clock, willing it to speed up and get to 7pm
4322. on Monday already…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4323. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/3344294684346149838/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=3344294684346149838&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3344294684346149838'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3344294684346149838'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/off-and-running-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Off and Running on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMicCx8IgGw9g1sLLMCqBPQos8tz6KANb-T5m119uybtVNhCQBJJ2I7Ry68gGHeB1hA5CaYLb1VrU6FsLsBSWtjBwbI_Ffa_aEWmHuYvDr9GVQGk9rtY8ij5be4FhmFRN2rZa/s72-c/Opening+Day+snow.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-9115291765015599475</id><published>2015-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-03-23T18:11:06.060-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Lazy Sunday with the President, v.2015</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
4324. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy46hLWF0olJhi94AA1WgheKueJmmp_obWaUdRZ1rzNDvv_8zYo8wT6nayqJRRYYi-k5lFP3OrdmmqQSpnNhcA32yLyI4FAWr1HWZHyOFA-L_L4aO3fE6HZVXtG2om82nP6iN/s1600/reovations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy46hLWF0olJhi94AA1WgheKueJmmp_obWaUdRZ1rzNDvv_8zYo8wT6nayqJRRYYi-k5lFP3OrdmmqQSpnNhcA32yLyI4FAWr1HWZHyOFA-L_L4aO3fE6HZVXtG2om82nP6iN/s1600/reovations.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></div>
4325. <div class="MsoNormal">
4326. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again (well,
4327. my favorite time of year at least), as I was fortunate enough to have my annual
4328. March talk with Indians team President Mark Shapiro earlier this week. Mark and
4329. I usually talk at the team’s spring training facility in Goodyear, but owing to
4330. some extenuating circumstances, I was unable to make my traditional pilgrimage to Arizona this winter. Still, he was gracious enough to take an hour out of
4331. his very busy spring schedule to talk with me over the phone, and that’s the
4332. next best thing. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you missed the previous installments of this tradition,
4333. </span><a href="http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/lazy-sunday-with-president.html" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">here’s
4334. a link to the 2013</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> and a </span><a href="http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/lazy-sunday-with-president-v-2014.html" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">link
4335. the 2014 editions</a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. The following is a (lightly edited) transcript of our
4336. conversation this week.</span></div>
4337. <div class="MsoNormal">
4338. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4339. <div class="MsoNormal">
4340. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Al
4341. Ciammaichella: Looking at the offseason progression of the stadium, how excited
4342. are you for the new Progressive Field experience in 2015?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br />
4343. </span></div>
4344. <div class="MsoNormal">
4345. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mark Shapiro: I’m extremely excited. That week I came home from spring
4346. training, about a week ago, and walked the space, it struck me just how
4347. dramatic the changes are, and I think just how unaware most fans are, that have
4348. been coming to the ballpark for over 20 years, how different that area in
4349. centerfield and rightfield is going to seem to them. How much more improved
4350. it’s going to be, and how excited they’re going to be about the opportunity to
4351. have new experiences in the ballpark.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
4352. <div class="MsoNormal">
4353. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4354. <div class="MsoNormal">
4355. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4356. The tickets are certainly a great deal. $13 and you get your first beer paid
4357. for.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4358. <div class="MsoNormal">
4359. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4360. <div class="MsoNormal">
4361. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Yeah, that special ticket that’s meant to really
4362. activate the bar in the corner, and people that have more of an interest in
4363. standing up and not necessarily having a fixed seat. We have a ton of standing
4364. room, with drink rails that allow people to watch the game and move all around
4365. in that rightfield bar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4366. <div class="MsoNormal">
4367. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4368. <div class="MsoNormal">
4369. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4370. I know it was a rough winter in Cleveland, is everything on schedule to be
4371. completed by opening day?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4372. <div class="MsoNormal">
4373. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4374. <div class="MsoNormal">
4375. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Remarkably, even with the winter we’ve had, at the
4376. moment we’re on schedule. I haven’t looked at the weather, but if it stays
4377. decent the rest of the way and we don’t get another big snowfall…but it’s
4378. Cleveland, and it’s weather. Anytime you’re dealing in that realm, there’s some
4379. unpredictability. I would say the one thing we’re certain of at this point is
4380. that we will have substantial completion, and the majority of the project will
4381. be done by opening day. The one thing I cannot tell you with certainty, because
4382. there is no certainty when it comes to weather in Cleveland, is that it’ll be
4383. totally complete. Just like when we moved into the ballpark 21 years ago there
4384. were still things that had to be done during the first road trip. Small things
4385. that were not complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4386. <div class="MsoNormal">
4387. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4388. <div class="MsoNormal">
4389. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4390. Were there any ideas left on the drawing board when it came to that space?
4391. Anything that you looked at doing but didn’t make it into the final plans?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4392. <div class="MsoNormal">
4393. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4394. <div class="MsoNormal">
4395. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Absolutely. Any time that you do a project like
4396. that it’s the financial realities of having to stay within a budget. You start
4397. with the concepts. Start by researching the market, and testing it. Then you
4398. take the concepts to paper and start looking at a bunch of alternatives. And
4399. some of those alternatives that you love eliminate themselves because they’re
4400. just too expensive and they would limit the scope of the project. So there were
4401. plenty of things that I won’t dwell on that we considered doing that we did not
4402. do. But overall, I’m extremely excited, extremely happy about how the project
4403. looks when I look at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4404. <div class="MsoNormal">
4405. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4406. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
4407. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkBoPsM75cYxLRDhm1mSVTFQ7eW7THvTT0wJHv0kbf-hxuB2HPj85C1wAesQpq4w4qgT8OAybECm5YLKyPBULxELw8HAYo0NZor-dp3qEVvoLhqnLV8PlEek1Iws6gndu6zbL/s1600/Ramirez+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkBoPsM75cYxLRDhm1mSVTFQ7eW7THvTT0wJHv0kbf-hxuB2HPj85C1wAesQpq4w4qgT8OAybECm5YLKyPBULxELw8HAYo0NZor-dp3qEVvoLhqnLV8PlEek1Iws6gndu6zbL/s1600/Ramirez+(2).JPG" height="320" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
4408. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4409. </tbody></table>
4410. <div class="MsoNormal">
4411. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4412. Shifting to the on-field product, Jose Ramirez came up last year, a guy who was
4413. more of a utility guy in the minors. Played a lot of 2B, was on the same team
4414. with Francisco Lindor a lot in the minors. Obviously Lindor is a special SS, so
4415. Ramirez played a lot of 2B and some 3B. He came up last year and really
4416. solidified the SS position at the major league level. Did you see him as a guy
4417. who could come up and be that good of a defensive SS right away at such a young
4418. age?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4419. <div class="MsoNormal">
4420. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4421. <div class="MsoNormal">
4422. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Jose is an interesting guy. He’s a guy who’s not
4423. conventional in much that he does. You can’t teach the game the way he plays
4424. it. He’s got a great motor, incredible hands, good instincts, he picks great
4425. hops. He’s fearless in the way he plays the game. He’s obviously got well-above
4426. average speed. So he’s a guy that adds a dimension to our lineup and to our
4427. team that we really haven’t had, and I think a jolt of youth and energy to our
4428. team last year when he came up and did a great job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4429. <div class="MsoNormal">
4430. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4431. <div class="MsoNormal">
4432. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4433. Does having him at SS give you a little luxury as far as leaving Lindor down in
4434. AAA to finish his development? You don’t have quite the same rush to promote
4435. him as if there were a free agent hole at short.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4436. <div class="MsoNormal">
4437. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4438. <div class="MsoNormal">
4439. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: At this point, we’re looking at those guys
4440. exclusive of each other. There may be a time when that doesn’t happen, but at
4441. this point Francisco Lindor’s development path says he should be in AAA
4442. completing his development and his foundation. Jose Ramirez, with his major
4443. league debut last year, justifies his opportunity to be our everyday shortstop.
4444. So although things can change; that’s the nature of professional sports and
4445. major league baseball, at the moment their trajectory doesn’t impact each
4446. other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4447. <div class="MsoNormal">
4448. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4449. <div class="MsoNormal">
4450. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4451. So, speaking of Lindor, I think all fans want to know, with this top-5 prospect
4452. in all of baseball, what’s going to finish off his developmental curve? What
4453. will you see that makes him ready to come up to Cleveland and compete?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4454. <div class="MsoNormal">
4455. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4456. <div class="MsoNormal">
4457. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: I think consistency. Continuing to build the
4458. foundation of his routine and his preparation. I think the quality and
4459. consistency of both his at bats and his preparation are probably the keys. He’s
4460. got very limited time left in the minor leagues, and what he has, he has to use
4461. to prepare himself to have a foundation to handle both the mental and physical
4462. side up here. As a 21-year old there’s still some maturation both physically
4463. and mentally that he’s going through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4464. <div class="MsoNormal">
4465. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4466. <div class="MsoNormal">
4467. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4468. So there’s no at bat threshold, certain amount of time you want for him in AAA
4469. or anything; when he’s ready, he’s ready?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4470. <div class="MsoNormal">
4471. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4472. <div class="MsoNormal">
4473. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve said it before, but
4474. having seen it over decades, with players who are very good players, they set
4475. the timeframe for you. You don’t have to make decisions on them. It becomes
4476. very clear, very quickly that they’re not being challenged at the level they’re
4477. at, and that they’re ready to contribute up here or at least transition up
4478. here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4479. <div class="MsoNormal">
4480. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4481. <div class="MsoNormal">
4482. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4483. Another thing in the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of last season was the incredible run
4484. that really the entire pitching staff put together. You tried to shore that up
4485. this offseason by picking up Gavin Floyd; obviously that didn’t work out when
4486. he re-injured his arm. Are you concerned at all about the starting pitching
4487. depth, even with 7 or 8 guys competing for 5 slots in the rotation? Is that
4488. something you wish you’d done more to address this offseason?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br />
4489. </span></div>
4490. <div class="MsoNormal">
4491. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Yeah, that’s why we signed Gavin Floyd. But the financial reality of the
4492. parameters that we have and the reality of starting pitching being such an inefficient
4493. market; I would point to this, Al…Brett Anderson, who hasn’t pitched more than
4494. 75 innings in the last four years got $10 million (from the Dodgers). Just stop
4495. and ponder that for a moment. Brett Anderson hasn’t pitched more than 75
4496. innings in the last four years and got $10 million. So we took a guy who we
4497. thought was a little better risk than Brett, and gave him $4 million in the
4498. hope that he could pitch some or all of the season for us in the rotation and
4499. alleviate some depth concern and provide some veteran presence, all the while
4500. knowing it was very high risk, but that’s the nature of starting pitching, free
4501. agent starting pitching in particular. But we still have good options,
4502. particularly the way TJ has been throwing the ball.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4503. <div class="MsoNormal">
4504. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4505. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
4506. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi493A2dNyfqCnDgCooz2thjfdkkL3PkVrxSCgGTz_eIiWUyh0yf_kcDNfLZjY-ZbG0DNbHOIc7_YEXkrONTyU4Kop0YkzCIHuC3BxEXJK0mbzyWnz3kzSUzviKsuRMWegA837J/s1600/House+(2)%2B(609x800).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi493A2dNyfqCnDgCooz2thjfdkkL3PkVrxSCgGTz_eIiWUyh0yf_kcDNfLZjY-ZbG0DNbHOIc7_YEXkrONTyU4Kop0YkzCIHuC3BxEXJK0mbzyWnz3kzSUzviKsuRMWegA837J/s1600/House+(2)%2B(609x800).jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
4507. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4508. </tbody></table>
4509. <div class="MsoNormal">
4510. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4511. TJ is another guy I wanted to talk about. Did you see him coming up and
4512. pitching that well? He probably pitched better in the major leagues last year
4513. than he did at any stop in the minors on his way up. Is there anything in particular
4514. that keyed that success at the major league level?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4515. <div class="MsoNormal">
4516. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4517. <div class="MsoNormal">
4518. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: You know, that’s a good question. He’s an
4519. interesting guy to look at, because he’s not the prospect that came up and didn’t
4520. struggle, he’s a guy that struggled, and I think it’s his struggles that helped
4521. him to define both the pitcher he is and the mental approach he takes to the
4522. game. So when I look at him, having a tough and unconventional path to the
4523. major leagues, he’s a guy that was forced to confront some significant
4524. challenges along the way. And I think those things helped him to define how he’d
4525. be successful in both approach and his repertoire. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4526. <div class="MsoNormal">
4527. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4528. <div class="MsoNormal">
4529. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4530. Speaking of struggles, you have three guys at the major league level that had
4531. really tough years last year due to injury, three guys who you thought coming
4532. into last season were really going to be key guys in Kipnis, Swisher and Bourn.
4533. What are you looking for from those three guys this season? Do you see them as
4534. being able to get back to the level they were at pre-2014?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4535. <div class="MsoNormal">
4536. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4537. <div class="MsoNormal">
4538. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: I’d probably separate Swish out from those other
4539. two guys. But the one thing I can say about all three guys together, Al, is
4540. that the upside with our club lies in those three players. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4541. <div class="MsoNormal">
4542. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4543. <div class="MsoNormal">
4544. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4545. Right. There’s almost some course correction, some improvement, that you can hope
4546. for out of those three if they are healthy:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4547. <div class="MsoNormal">
4548. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4549. <div class="MsoNormal">
4550. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Right. And then shifting to Kip, talking to
4551. every single player that I know about what they’ve gone through when they’ve
4552. strained an oblique, particularly during spring training, that is an extremely,
4553. extremely tough injury to battle back from. And in some ways it never truly
4554. heals, particularly when you do it right at the beginning of spring training. I
4555. think that impacted his swing, his mechanics. I would say among the things we’ve
4556. seen in camp this spring, his play and his physical level of preparedness is
4557. probably the most exciting thing I’ve seen this spring. I mean, he’s rifling
4558. balls to left and right field, he’s ran extremely well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4559. <div class="MsoNormal">
4560. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4561. <div class="MsoNormal">
4562. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4563. Yeah, he’s going the other way better, and when he’s going the other way that’s
4564. a sign he’s really going good. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4565. <div class="MsoNormal">
4566. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4567. <div class="MsoNormal">
4568. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Yeah, I’d say that, and just hard contact. He’s
4569. impacting the baseball, and running extremely well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4570. <div class="MsoNormal">
4571. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4572. <div class="MsoNormal">
4573. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4574. The competition in the AL Central this year…Chicago went out and got a lot
4575. better this year, Detroit is probably slipping a little with losing Scherzer
4576. and getting a little older, but what’s the challenge in the Central this year?
4577. That’s a tough division to be in right now.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4578. <div class="MsoNormal">
4579. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4580. <div class="MsoNormal">
4581. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: It can pretty much be summed up as the best
4582. division in baseball. I think there’s a lot of parity throughout the game but it’s
4583. hard to argue that the Central isn’t the best division. There are four teams
4584. that you can make a compelling case to win the division. The interesting thing
4585. is that you can probably also say here are the flaws in those teams and the
4586. reasons why they won’t win the division. But as you noted, Chicago may be the
4587. most improved team in all of major league baseball, and they were probably a
4588. lot better than most people realize last year as well. The Tigers, while they
4589. could be termed as “declining” simply because of age, they’re declining from an
4590. elite level where they were probably capable of winning 115 games. That’s
4591. probably something people don’t realize there, different things have led to
4592. them underperforming relative to their talent level over the last few years, so
4593. they could easily go out and win 100 games this year. That’s how good they
4594. still are. Kansas City, obviously, has some challenges that we fight. They’re a
4595. very young, very talented core group of players, but they’ve also lost some
4596. guys.</span></div>
4597. <br />
4598. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
4599. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGEcLfHwqUxXAftTjmlgoWgeBx9JKk-r9pH97Ri4grSPHnd-Euu_Pnuysa9sDARwPIA1mj9YTCRwYe-MjfCm-IBSCTTXaYRpMIvzrlvI2ugXMRLZCzq6RBu7DHFYgmz66Tgiz/s1600/Zimmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGEcLfHwqUxXAftTjmlgoWgeBx9JKk-r9pH97Ri4grSPHnd-Euu_Pnuysa9sDARwPIA1mj9YTCRwYe-MjfCm-IBSCTTXaYRpMIvzrlvI2ugXMRLZCzq6RBu7DHFYgmz66Tgiz/s1600/Zimmer.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
4600. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
4601. </tbody></table>
4602. <div class="MsoNormal">
4603. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4604. One good thing to look at is the 2014 draft. It’s being roundly accepted as one
4605. of the best drafts in all of baseball, getting a guy like Bradley Zimmer that a
4606. lot of people saw going in the top 10-15. Did you have a plan to get guys like
4607. that, or did they just fall to you? How did that all work out?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4608. <div class="MsoNormal">
4609. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4610. <div class="MsoNormal">
4611. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: I think what we really try to challenge ourselves
4612. to do is to have our org slotted as well as we can possibly slot it. Over the
4613. years, probably over the past 5 or 6 drafts, we’ve gotten better each year at
4614. understanding about how to position our board most effectively, and I think
4615. that allows us to react to what happens in front of you without having to
4616. target specific players. Our goal and our intent is to get the best player
4617. available at the time we pick, each time we pick. There may be other variables like
4618. signability that factor into it, particularly in later rounds, but initially we
4619. just want to be in position to get the best player available. We have a set of
4620. criteria that’s constantly evolving that allows us to slot the board that
4621. factors in scouting information and every other piece of analytical data that
4622. we can possibly get our hands on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4623. <div class="MsoNormal">
4624. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4625. <div class="MsoNormal">
4626. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4627. It has to be good to see guys like Zimmer and even Bobby Bradley, a kid who
4628. came right out of high school, already fitting in spring training games at the
4629. major league level, holding their own, showing that they belong there.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4630. <div class="MsoNormal">
4631. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4632. <div class="MsoNormal">
4633. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Those are exciting guys. Both Zimmer and Bobby
4634. Bradley…Bradley may be one of the most exciting high school position players
4635. that I can remember. We’re excited about the draft. I’m hesitant to pay
4636. attention to what people talk about, judging draft classes too early. Judging
4637. draft classes should be 5 or 6 years later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4638. <div class="MsoNormal">
4639. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4640. <div class="MsoNormal">
4641. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4642. You see a big explosion, seems like every year around this time, of pitchers
4643. going down with Tommy John, pitchers getting hurt, needing season-ending
4644. surgery. Is there anything the organization is doing to try to protect
4645. themselves against that? Obviously there’s no way to completely eliminate it,
4646. but is there anything you’re doing to try and reduce arm injuries? Are you
4647. avoiding young pitching prospects?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4648. <div class="MsoNormal">
4649. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4650. <div class="MsoNormal">
4651. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: No (not avoiding pitching prospects). We have
4652. certain things we look at that are somewhat predictive in terms of ability to
4653. stay healthy, ranging from arm action to delivery to usage…other physical
4654. parameters. But they’re not perfect. Human beings are far from perfect. We’re
4655. constantly seeking to learn and understand, there are adjustments kids have to
4656. make to keep guys healthy once we get them. Matt Harvey is a good example. He’s
4657. a guy we thought profiled to stay healthy and he still got hurt. Pitching is a
4658. tough, tough area. It’s an area where you never feel completely confident and
4659. secure. You do the best you can to control what you can control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4660. <div class="MsoNormal">
4661. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4662. <div class="MsoNormal">
4663. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4664. Right, there’s clearly no magic bullet that says “this guy will have TJ, and
4665. this guy will never get hurt.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4666. <div class="MsoNormal">
4667. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4668. <div class="MsoNormal">
4669. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: The likelihood with pitching is that at some
4670. point guys are probably going to have some type of arm injury. There may be some
4671. freaks of nature that don’t, but it’s an unnatural movement and motion, one
4672. that gets repeated a lot over a career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4673. <div class="MsoNormal">
4674. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4675. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4676. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaaieQnxKGnvvjhXXdknzF1_dZHE5II-ElFAqAgvRnV_q1B2SypEBze_8WbwiDNQLgXQI1gq2Z1EPZCYhnJsNVWUfO-_RA9mfSMjDiiowYiXFbz-YL8a5qfBuq0S_kk7WEuE_/s1600/Mondaca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaaieQnxKGnvvjhXXdknzF1_dZHE5II-ElFAqAgvRnV_q1B2SypEBze_8WbwiDNQLgXQI1gq2Z1EPZCYhnJsNVWUfO-_RA9mfSMjDiiowYiXFbz-YL8a5qfBuq0S_kk7WEuE_/s1600/Mondaca.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
4677. <div class="MsoNormal">
4678. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4679. Seeing the opening of Cuba as a market, more so that before with defectors, as
4680. both the Indians President and a guy on the competition committee, what do you
4681. think of some of the big deals that are getting thrown to the Cuban guys that
4682. are coming over? Do you ever see an international draft because of some of the
4683. factors in the market down there?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4684. <div class="MsoNormal">
4685. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4686. <div class="MsoNormal">
4687. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Well, it’s a little bit, probably,
4688. Indians-centric of me as a judgement, but I’d like to see some adjustment that
4689. allows access to that talent. As it’s currently being distributed, we are going
4690. to be marginal to non-players in that area just because of the level of risk,
4691. and that risk comes from lack of information. We just don’t know much about
4692. these guys. Unless there’s information being illegally obtained, they’re being
4693. signed largely from a tryout environment. I understand, and I’d probably take
4694. that risk if I ran a large-market team, but we don’t have that luxury. It’s not
4695. an area we can play in. We can’t risk tens of millions of dollars on players
4696. that we have far less information on than players in the draft that cost a lot
4697. less. So it’s just a very tough market for us to play in. I would like to see
4698. something that allows access to that talent on a more proportional basis, that’s
4699. not so market-based.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4700. <div class="MsoNormal">
4701. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4702. <div class="MsoNormal">
4703. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4704. Does it at least offer you an opportunity, with the big-market guys paying the
4705. Cuban players? The Red Sox can’t spend international money (bonus over $300k
4706. per the CBA) next year. Does that give you a little more of a market share with
4707. the Dominican, Venezuelan and Colombian kids?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4708. <div class="MsoNormal">
4709. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4710. <div class="MsoNormal">
4711. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Slight. They’re going to do what they did this
4712. year. It might free us up a little for that one year, but they’ve already spend
4713. the money. For the next year maybe, maybe, for one team it takes them out of
4714. it. But that’s just one team, so it’s not going to dramatically change it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4715. <div class="MsoNormal">
4716. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4717. <div class="MsoNormal">
4718. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4719. Looking at some of the excitement around the team this year, you have a lot of
4720. national guys, ESPN, Baseball Prospectus, picking the Indians as a dark horse
4721. for the AL pennant. Some guys picking you to win the Central despite that tough
4722. competition we talked about earlier. Do you like being more of a dark horse or
4723. in the favorite role?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4724. <div class="MsoNormal">
4725. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4726. <div class="MsoNormal">
4727. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: If I had my preference, I’d probably prefer to
4728. fly under the radar. But I also like the credit, like seeing the credibility
4729. generated by the way we’re going about our business. People are starting to
4730. recognize the talent we have in our clubhouse, how we have some of the best
4731. players in major league baseball on our team. I like to see that recognized.
4732. But internally, very few people pay attention to that stuff. Our players
4733. probably have no idea, other than that there’s been a little more attention
4734. this spring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4735. <div class="MsoNormal">
4736. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4737. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4738. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbyKxmnFVPFdXsyXrtyMmo0R5t19v0NZKOxIhqCVhUKTwEvGtQGB3oedlunNts-OEFuQRHsAS8PPhjgaq9KAEe9m3p9bS2q1_LH6HHkl-HwTx0ocWSkM3g_Zju9bV0WZxbJ2Y/s1600/Yanimal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbyKxmnFVPFdXsyXrtyMmo0R5t19v0NZKOxIhqCVhUKTwEvGtQGB3oedlunNts-OEFuQRHsAS8PPhjgaq9KAEe9m3p9bS2q1_LH6HHkl-HwTx0ocWSkM3g_Zju9bV0WZxbJ2Y/s1600/Yanimal.jpg" height="320" width="295" /></a></div>
4739. <div class="MsoNormal">
4740. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4741. Ok, I can’t possibly go an entire interview with the Indians team President
4742. without talking about Yan Gomes. How happy are you with the contract that you
4743. were able to sign him to, and how good does that look moving forward?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4744. <div class="MsoNormal">
4745. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4746. <div class="MsoNormal">
4747. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: You and I have talked about that a lot (laughs).
4748. I love Yan. I love Yan the player, I love what he represents. He’s a winning
4749. player, the kind of guy, the kind of player that I’d prefer to have represent
4750. the Indians. The fact that we can control him, and the fact that he’s so happy
4751. to be a part of the long-term plan here. I think it’s empowered a guy like him,
4752. and Michael Brantley, to take even more of a leadership role here. Leadership
4753. gets asserted in different ways by different guys, but those are both guys who,
4754. the way they go about their business, is a form of leadership and is
4755. inspirational in some ways. I’m excited to watch Yan continue to mature, and
4756. there’s not much doubt at this point, already, that he’s one of the best
4757. catchers in the American League. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4758. <div class="MsoNormal">
4759. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4760. <div class="MsoNormal">
4761. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4762. Speaking of Brantley, his 2014 was one of the best seasons by an Indians
4763. position player in recent years. Do we think that 2014 Brantley is the new
4764. normal? Or is that going to be a little bit of an outlier for him, with him coming
4765. back to earth a little bit?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4766. <div class="MsoNormal">
4767. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
4768. <div class="MsoNormal">
4769. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">MS: Obviously, there’s an analytical case to be made
4770. that he will regress some. But I think what offsets some of the analytical
4771. concern is knowing the guy. He’s a determined guy, extremely committed to his
4772. level of preparation. So while I wouldn’t be surprised to see him regress some…but
4773. look, guys like Kluber and Brantley, the years they had, some regression is not
4774. unexpected, but that would not mean they had a bad year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4775. <br />
4776. <div class="MsoNormal">
4777. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
4778. <div class="MsoNormal">
4779. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">AC:
4780. Thanks again so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me
4781. again, and good luck this year. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
4782. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/9115291765015599475/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=9115291765015599475&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/9115291765015599475'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/9115291765015599475'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/lazy-sunday-with-president-v2015.html' title='Lazy Sunday with the President, v.2015'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYy46hLWF0olJhi94AA1WgheKueJmmp_obWaUdRZ1rzNDvv_8zYo8wT6nayqJRRYYi-k5lFP3OrdmmqQSpnNhcA32yLyI4FAWr1HWZHyOFA-L_L4aO3fE6HZVXtG2om82nP6iN/s72-c/reovations.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-6815945288509785011</id><published>2015-03-15T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-03-15T07:00:04.138-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Running the Bases on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
4783. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC9fRtQZ5z-_AxJSzoXUfr1uuwjneraiZgpaqMforugYVYE0ijBZZABLJdfrv0QUDH_sJ90jRIzNBLII4l-uRPaxj5GB0I6DeIhCD4Lm0cAgySeP8H1VIZX3VC0E2eGGa3fwb/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC9fRtQZ5z-_AxJSzoXUfr1uuwjneraiZgpaqMforugYVYE0ijBZZABLJdfrv0QUDH_sJ90jRIzNBLII4l-uRPaxj5GB0I6DeIhCD4Lm0cAgySeP8H1VIZX3VC0E2eGGa3fwb/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
4784. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
4785. </tbody></table>
4786. <div class="MsoNormal">
4787. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ll
4788. start off this week by begging your pardon for the brevity of this week’s Lazy…an
4789. over-aggressive work/travel schedule this week plus friends from out of town
4790. prevented me from getting any sort of meaningful writing time. But there were
4791. some great Tribe-centric articles floating around the interwebs this week that
4792. I wanted to be sure to highlight here, so I wanted to get something on to
4793. virtual paper even if it’s not the usual 5-6,000 word effort. I promise that
4794. next week will more than make up for it, as I have something special in store
4795. to help cure your post-St. Patty’s Day hangovers. If not though, please send a
4796. self-addressed, stamped envelope to The DiaTribe, Corner of Carnegie and
4797. Ontario, Cleveland, OH to receive your full refund (purchase price minus small convenience
4798. and restocking fees, of course). With that bit of housecleaning out of the way,
4799. let’s jump right in to all (ok, most) of the news that’s fit to link…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4800. <div class="MsoNormal">
4801. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4802. <div class="MsoNormal">
4803. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Francisco
4804. Lindor is a guy who I’ve spent plenty of time talking about for the last few
4805. years, so I’m not going to spend a lot of space on him this week</span><a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/spring-training/post/_/id/2754/lindor-readying-for-day-indians-call-him-up"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. But I did want to highlight an
4806. article from ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that focused on Lindor,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> because Crasnick is normally a
4807. guy who covers the MLB beat. It’s a little unusual to see him write an article
4808. focusing solely on a prospect. Crasnick (a closet Indians fan) includes a
4809. pretty telling quote from veteran infielder Mike Aviles:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4810. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4811. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
4812. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4813. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">"He's a cocky kid, a confident kid, and that's
4814. good," Aviles said. "You want that. But sometimes when you get that
4815. much hype, it's easy to let it go to your head. He's also a very humble kid, to
4816. the point where none of that gets to him. He's so willing to learn and so
4817. appreciative of any information you give him, it's actually a joy to be around
4818. him. He doesn't believe the hype -- he wants to prove the hype.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4819. <div class="MsoNormal">
4820. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cocky,
4821. confident, but humble and willing to learn. More indications on how special
4822. Lindor’s makeup is, and this from the guy who will essentially be out of a job
4823. when Lindor comes up to the major league roster. If Lindor takes over at SS,
4824. Ramirez will likely slide to the utility role, leaving Aviles to scratch and
4825. claw for playing time and provide depth in case of injury. Despite this, Aviles
4826. has nothing but good things to say about Lindor, and is playing a significant
4827. role in mentoring the young uber-prospect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4828. <div class="MsoNormal">
4829. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4830. <div class="MsoNormal">
4831. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ve
4832. often linked to Grantland’s Jonah Keri, in this space, and today will be no
4833. different. Keri has been high on the Indians for the past couple of years, </span><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-2015-breakout-candidates-mike-fiers-kolten-wong-drew-hutchison/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and features no less than three
4834. Sons of Geronimo in his “Breakout Players of 2015” piece this week.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> To absolutely no one’s surprise,
4835. those three players are pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Danny
4836. Salazar. Salazar was in Keri’s 2014 edition of the breakout players list, and
4837. he makes a repeat appearance this year after his solid 2<sup>nd</sup> half last
4838. season. Keri even mentions Yan Gomes (a sure way to get me to link to your
4839. article, BTW) as a reason to be optimistic when looking at the entire Indians
4840. pitching staff. Music to my ears, especially when Keri provides his
4841. justification for predicting breakouts for those three pitchers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4842. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4843. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
4844. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4845. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The soon-to-be-28-year-old Carrasco hails from the
4846. Hutchison camp, coming to 2014 off of a strong final 10 starts: 69 innings
4847. pitched, 78 strikeouts, 11 walks, 45 hits and two homers allowed, and a 1.30
4848. ERA. The third-overall pick in the 2011 draft, Bauer owns an eclectic and at
4849. times electric eight-pitch repertoire that helped the 24-year-old fan 143
4850. batters in 153 innings last year. He is also one of the most fascinating
4851. characters in the game. As for Salazar, we’re going back to the well after an
4852. erratic season that included an extended demotion to the minors, but 120
4853. punch-outs in 110 innings hint at the potential that the 25-year-old’s
4854. fastball-slider-splitter combination possesses. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4855. <div class="MsoNormal">
4856. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Keri’s
4857. effort was far from the only article this week that looked at the Indians starting
4858. rotation. <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12466053/mlb-indians-pitchers-expect-more-2015">We’ll
4859. go back to our ESPN friend Jerry Crasnick for a minute, as he penned a nice
4860. piece on the Indians starting 5.</a> Crasnick didn’t really break much new
4861. ground for those of us who have been devoted fans of the Tribe over the past
4862. few years, but he did write a really solid article pulling together the strides
4863. that the Indians staff made last year under the tutelage of The Pitcher
4864. Whisperer™ and also gave a shout out to Indians minor league pitching
4865. coordinator Ruben Niebla for his work with the young arms throughout the org.
4866. Niebla is one of those guys who most fans probably don’t know, but he has an
4867. impact from Arizona all the way up to Cleveland, and it’s nice to see him get
4868. some of the attention he deserves for his tireless work in the organization.
4869. Niebla is an experienced guy who has the respect of players and coaches
4870. throughout baseball, and plays a significant role in the development of the
4871. Indians arms. Crasnick’s article also helps highlight the quiet but steady
4872. leadership provided by Corey Kluber, who helped with the enigma that is Trevor
4873. Bauer this offseason. Bauer, Carrasco, Salazar, House and Kluber all made
4874. significant strides in their development last year, and it’s a credit to the
4875. Indians coaching staff that they can work to improve their players while still
4876. allowing them the freedom to work things out in their own way. What works with
4877. Carlos Carrasco (simplifying his delivery, coming up with a bullpen to mound
4878. routine) isn’t going to work with a thinker/tinkerer like Bauer. The Indians
4879. didn’t try to copy the Carrasco model with Bauer this offseason, allowing him
4880. to pitch in the dark, build drones and do basically whatever he felt he needed
4881. to do to get ready for spring training. We’ll still have to wait and see if
4882. last season’s performance gains were legitimate and sustainable, but if not, it
4883. won’t be for lack of solid coaching throughout the organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4884. <div class="MsoNormal">
4885. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4886. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4887. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD623rEEat4-iGO8uUU5Ha1Vsbo5SzBuq6gYE_eYxPO_j_J2XLsjTWqMQBoXgf0lJBqn0urKOBVeCUfau7YOWwKttsVRGxQvJjIJ-wXs2czgxbjNa8eZjtLjuP8rrJVGaNwSi/s1600/Costanza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD623rEEat4-iGO8uUU5Ha1Vsbo5SzBuq6gYE_eYxPO_j_J2XLsjTWqMQBoXgf0lJBqn0urKOBVeCUfau7YOWwKttsVRGxQvJjIJ-wXs2czgxbjNa8eZjtLjuP8rrJVGaNwSi/s1600/Costanza.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
4888. <div class="MsoNormal">
4889. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Both
4890. Anthony Castrovince and Matthew Trueblood of Baseball Prospectus wrote similar
4891. articles focusing on the volatility of the Indians rotation this week, and both
4892. are well-worth the time it takes to read. <a href="http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2015/03/12/youre-eating-onions-youre-spotting-dimes-i-dont-know-whats-going-on/">Castro
4893. used a Seinfeld approach (shocking, I know), harkening back to George Costanza’s
4894. insanely inconsistent sight without his glasses.</a> George could spot a dime
4895. from across Jerry’s apartment, but also managed to accidentally bite into an
4896. onion from the fridge, believing it to be an apple. The native Clevelander
4897. knows not to get too out over his skis when it comes to the Indians rotation;
4898. once bitten, twice shy and all:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4899. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4900. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I love the enthusiasm about this unit, but, at the
4901. same time, I’m a Clevelander who knows how it so often goes, and I’ll admit to
4902. being a little more pessimistic about things, sans Floyd.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4903. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4904. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This rotation could amaze. It could completely
4905. unravel. Either possibility is 100 percent realistic. That’s what makes it one
4906. of the most fascinating rotations in baseball.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4907. <div class="MsoNormal">
4908. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25763">Trueblood
4909. doesn’t have the built-in Cleveland fandom (nor impending sense of doom), but
4910. is equally fascinated with the Indians rotation</a>. He first looks at how
4911. insanely cheap the Indians starting pitching is this year, and he even included
4912. Gavin Floyd’s (more on him in a minute) $4 million in the very helpful chart
4913. below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4914. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4915. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJIHENPAmBNjYcGUkWDaBOy8hDmPl8jK_xVSQ_nIxZVo0OQIOoXFq9U6HlCG1Y5vvdZfjGkOM4keaYCyLo7gKvRc1YaWkjPwHn7qgQL-evtY6-SD9cM6sLY3Z0nxELhChdjsQ/s1600/trueblood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJIHENPAmBNjYcGUkWDaBOy8hDmPl8jK_xVSQ_nIxZVo0OQIOoXFq9U6HlCG1Y5vvdZfjGkOM4keaYCyLo7gKvRc1YaWkjPwHn7qgQL-evtY6-SD9cM6sLY3Z0nxELhChdjsQ/s1600/trueblood.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
4916. <div class="MsoNormal">
4917. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4918. <div class="MsoNormal">
4919. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Trueblood
4920. goes on to look at the boom-or-bust nature of the Cleveland staff, using
4921. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projection system to look at the 90% through 10%
4922. performance predictions for the Indians 5 likely starting pitchers come April
4923. and beyond. What he finds is that while the Indians staff could be among the
4924. very best in baseball, it could also wind up down in the dumps:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
4925. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4926. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></i></div>
4927. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
4928. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What does this tell us, other than that the Indians
4929. are one of the toughest teams in baseball about whom to prognosticate this
4930. spring? Well, for one thing, when it comes to pitchers, ceiling comes cheap.
4931. The Indians employ the reigning Cy Young champion, a former third-overall draft
4932. pick, three guys who struck out at least a quarter of opposing batters last
4933. season and three who throw at least 95 miles per hour regularly. The five
4934. pitchers in this proposed rotation will make a combined $6.2 million and change
4935. this season. Part of that is, again, that the Indians were excruciatingly
4936. patient with the development of these arms, gave them more chances than most
4937. organizations would have given, and are now reaping the benefits (while also
4938. maintaining many years of team control over the group). Part, though, is that
4939. the front office’s appetite for risk here has been stunningly high. Most teams
4940. simply wouldn’t allow this much variance to build within one segment of its
4941. roster. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
4942. <div class="MsoNormal">
4943. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When you’re
4944. dealing with the financial realities that the Indians face (small payroll,
4945. small TV deal, lots of money committed to Swisher/Bourn), you’re going to have
4946. to take some chances throughout your roster. If a lot of those chances (we
4947. called them “ifs” in this space about a year ago) pay out, then even with a
4948. bottom-10 payroll you can contend for a division and even a World Series title.
4949. If a lot of those chances go bust, then you’re planning for a top-5 draft pick
4950. next June. The Indians aren’t unique in that they have to take risks, but they
4951. are a little unique in that they have so much volatility in one specific area
4952. of their roster (SP). But the price is certainly right, and if you’re going to
4953. load up one segment of your roster with boom-or-bust guys, it might as well be
4954. the segment of your roster that is coached by The Pitcher Whisperer™. Having
4955. Yan Gomes behind the plate doing the framing for these guys won’t hurt either. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4956. <div class="MsoNormal">
4957. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4958. <div class="MsoNormal">
4959. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
4960. rotation news wasn’t all sunshine and roses this week, </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/112419676/indians-pitcher-gavin-floyd-to-get-second-opinion-on-right-elbow"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">as Gavin Floyd looks to have
4961. re-injured his elbow, possibly in the same fashion that prematurely ended his
4962. 2014 season with the Braves.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
4963. Floyd had Tommy John in May of 2013, then another procedure in June of 2014 to
4964. stabilize a fracture in the same elbow. Here we are in March of 2015, and it’s
4965. looking like Floyd will need yet another procedure in the very same joint
4966. that’s given him so many problems over the past few years. Floyd was a $4
4967. million lottery ticket that was signed to give the Indians depth in their young
4968. rotation, and it’s looking like that ticket was a bust. It’s hardly the worst
4969. injury that could strike this spring, as the rotation is deep and talented even
4970. without the veteran Floyd. The Indians still have seven (eight if you count
4971. Bruce Chen) legitimate starting pitching options, but their depth took a
4972. serious hit with the Floyd re-injury. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4973. <div class="MsoNormal">
4974. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4975. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
4976. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2yByrdAhEkATYE2GFrfil_5Pdqcgx_H5axZFxCFF5t-zhiQuTGIzvctmAhwADRXHMtUWLnVi8jM1yrDdT9EwU_mzsp6b5z4UEA-LH2m-MSbj7pyEofiLbmJeaVFEKGU-R6Vp/s1600/floyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2yByrdAhEkATYE2GFrfil_5Pdqcgx_H5axZFxCFF5t-zhiQuTGIzvctmAhwADRXHMtUWLnVi8jM1yrDdT9EwU_mzsp6b5z4UEA-LH2m-MSbj7pyEofiLbmJeaVFEKGU-R6Vp/s1600/floyd.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
4977. <div class="MsoNormal">
4978. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even
4979. after the Floyd injury, </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25771"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Jeff Long of Baseball Prospectus
4980. ranked the Indians as having “Doomsday Prepper” level depth with their starting
4981. rotation.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Long
4982. took a look at the projected WARP (if they each pitched 165 innings) of MLB
4983. clubs’ 6<sup>th</sup> and 7<sup>th</sup> starters, using Josh Tomlin and Zach
4984. McAllister for the Indians. That duo projects to a 2.6 WARP, 3<sup>rd</sup>
4985. highest in all of baseball. Also, I can sorta picture Josh Tomlin in a
4986. survivalist store purchasing bulk MREs to store in his underground bunker in
4987. case the North Koreans decide to take out our power grid, so the category fits.
4988. For comparison’s sake, the Indians AL Central rivals clock in at “Outdoor
4989. Enthusiast” (Royals) and the lowly “Millennial” (White Sox and Tigers),
4990. suggesting that the Indians are still in better shape to weather a potential
4991. injury to a starting pitcher than their direct competitors for the divisional
4992. crown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
4993. <br />
4994. <div class="MsoNormal">
4995. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
4996. <div class="MsoNormal">
4997. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In his
4998. start against the Chicago Cubs earlier this week, Trevor Bauer gave up
4999. back-to-back-to-back HR against three of the Cubs young prospects in Jorge
5000. Soler, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant. All three of those guys have prodigious
5001. power potential, and there’s really no shame in giving up HR in the thin
5002. Arizona air. </span><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/03/three_homers_hit_off_trevor_ba.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tito Francona and Brad Mills
5003. decided to have some fun with Bauer after the game, enlisting the Goodyear PD
5004. to come into the locker room with three baseballs to return to Bauer, saying they
5005. had contributed to a traffic incident on Estrella Parkway outside of the
5006. stadium.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Bauer
5007. took it in stride, posting pictures of the baseballs on his twitter account,
5008. and laughing about the gag along with the rest of his teammates. Bauer
5009. infamously clashed with his teammates and coaching staff in Arizona before
5010. being traded to Cleveland, and he can sometimes get a little bogged down in
5011. minutiae of individual results, so it’s especially good to see him laughing off
5012. his less than ideal results on the diamond. Spring training stats don’t mean
5013. anything, and baseball is still supposed to be fun. Hopefully, this Indians
5014. team is still laughing together deep into the postseason in the fall of 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5015. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/6815945288509785011/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=6815945288509785011&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6815945288509785011'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6815945288509785011'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/running-bases-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Running the Bases on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC9fRtQZ5z-_AxJSzoXUfr1uuwjneraiZgpaqMforugYVYE0ijBZZABLJdfrv0QUDH_sJ90jRIzNBLII4l-uRPaxj5GB0I6DeIhCD4Lm0cAgySeP8H1VIZX3VC0E2eGGa3fwb/s72-c/Lindor+(3).JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-6588043634126598134</id><published>2015-03-08T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2015-03-08T07:00:05.663-04:00</updated><title type='text'>A Dream of Spring on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
5016. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkNqFiDm7Ci0Hvh7w96zmauXuyD8GveQP3wrhSOYxlfuHvP2E6PpyLrvGR0TgagdxeeI3ZbSVmcTaydOHpR5uEeeP-OLcy97UPBfd6qiya2ZzW0GCYSyCjFycVm0DTZQYL1cu/s1600/Kip+scooter+(800x533).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkNqFiDm7Ci0Hvh7w96zmauXuyD8GveQP3wrhSOYxlfuHvP2E6PpyLrvGR0TgagdxeeI3ZbSVmcTaydOHpR5uEeeP-OLcy97UPBfd6qiya2ZzW0GCYSyCjFycVm0DTZQYL1cu/s1600/Kip+scooter+(800x533).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
5017. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5018. </tbody></table>
5019. <div class="MsoNormal">
5020. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Real baseball is here! Well, spring training
5021. baseball is here, and with the rest of the country stuck in the throes of
5022. winter, spring training baseball looks pretty good right now. The sample sizes
5023. are small, the pitchers aren’t stretched out, and the stats are meaningless.
5024. But Yan Gomes is throwing runners out (</span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/111340696/yan-gomes-first-spring-hit-clears-left-field-wall"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and
5025. hitting home runs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">), Bradley Zimmer is legging out
5026. triples, and Trevor Bauer is back tinkering with his delivery. It’s baseball!
5027. Indians baseball! In the sunshine! I can’t stop using exclamation points! We’re
5028. less than a month away from the games that count, as the Indians open the
5029. season in Houston on April 6.  Then, just
5030. a few days later, the home opener on April 10, which is the first in a
5031. three-game series against the reigning AL Central Champion Detroit Tigers. It’s
5032. certainly not a must-win series or any nonsense like that, not in early April.
5033. But it sure would feel good to come roaring (pun) out of the gates and take
5034. three from the Motor City Kitties, announcing our presence with authority and
5035. making sure the Tigers know that their reign at the top of the division is
5036. crumbling beneath them like the marble columns of the Roman Empire. And if one
5037. of those games involves hanging a ten-spot on Kate Upton’s boyfriend and
5038. chasing him out of the game in the 3<sup>rd</sup> inning, so much the better. If
5039. you’re not excited for the prospect of real, actual baseball that counts in the
5040. standings, there’s something wrong with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5041. <div class="MsoNormal">
5042. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5043. <div class="MsoNormal">
5044. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My annual prospect countdown is in the rearview
5045. mirror, as the 6-part series concluded on Friday. If you missed any of the
5046. installments, here’s your chance to catch up: </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/prospecting-on-lazy-sunday-intro-and-30.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the
5047. intro and #30-26</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/prospect-countdown-25-21.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#25-21</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
5048. </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-20-16.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#20-16</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
5049. </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-15-11.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#15-11</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
5050. </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-10-6.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">#10-6</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5051. and </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-5-1.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">finally
5052. #5-1</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
5053. It’s a system loaded with up-the-middle talent, as the list is littered with
5054. CF, C and SS prospects. If for no other reason, read it for my lengthy
5055. dissertation on shortstop and top prospect Francisco Lindor, where I do
5056. everything short of propose marriage to the young phenom (hey, don’t judge me,
5057. he’s over 18). The full list clocks in at just under 20,000 words, and if
5058. nothing else it should give you something to read during your lunch breaks at
5059. work this week. There are a couple of surprises on the list, and a couple of
5060. guys ranked lower than I anticipated when I first started sketching it out back
5061. in late-November. As always, it was a massive labor of love, and I hope you
5062. enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy putting it together every year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5063. <div class="MsoNormal">
5064. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5065. <div class="MsoNormal">
5066. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of prospects, </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/110930850/francisco-lindor-to-be-given-every-opportunity-by-indians-to-develop-in-minors"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jordan
5067. Bastian confirmed what we all suspected when he reported that Francisco Lindor
5068. was slated to begin the 2015 season in AAA Columbus</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
5069. no matter what happens this spring. Bastian talked to manager Terry Francona
5070. about Lindor, and Tito is very supportive of Lindor finishing off his
5071. development in AAA rather than in Cleveland:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5072. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5073. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5074. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5075. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I don't
5076. think that's developing a player," Indians manager Terry Francona said.
5077. "If you [promote] a guy too quick and you get him beat up, that's not
5078. development. They've got to go through a progression, for the most part."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5079. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5080. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Being 21
5081. years old and being in Triple-A, he saw a lot of things for the first
5082. time," Francona said. "You're looking at some older players and guys
5083. that have been in the big leagues. He handled himself pretty well, but there
5084. was still a lot of learning going on.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5085. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5086. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"He's a
5087. really good player and, fortunately for us, he's very mature. We've seen a lot
5088. of kids that age that are good that are immature. Probably myself included.
5089. He's just a really mature kid and he is grasping things really quickly. That
5090. bodes well for us."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5091. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
5092. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-bdpX3xIY2rf-00rnEWV9hWWefFKamvc8h9gmO9F1IejjbMSdPQJS1s8fdrWR4WI5Z5BBME17pxpshwas3luFfQBdxdUd-guV9gA0xIHRUztksyUzq3ujxbukJIm-he5ssSa/s1600/Lindor+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-bdpX3xIY2rf-00rnEWV9hWWefFKamvc8h9gmO9F1IejjbMSdPQJS1s8fdrWR4WI5Z5BBME17pxpshwas3luFfQBdxdUd-guV9gA0xIHRUztksyUzq3ujxbukJIm-he5ssSa/s1600/Lindor+LH.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
5093. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
5094. </tbody></table>
5095. <div class="MsoNormal">
5096. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve come to terms with Lindor starting in AAA, even
5097. though I feel like he’d be able to contribute to the major league roster right
5098. away. His bat isn’t ready yet, and there’s a chance that he could struggle so
5099. badly early on that he’d end up getting sent back to Columbus anyway. Jose
5100. Ramriez outplayed expectations in his 68-game audition last year, particularly
5101. with the glove. So there’s really no reason to rush Lindor to the big league
5102. squad. But Lindor is still a better defender than Ramirez, and I think it gets
5103. a little lost in the shuffle that Ramirez posted a .646 OPS (86 OPS+) last
5104. year. So it’s not like he set the world on fire, he was just so much better
5105. than Asdrubal in the field that it felt like he was a savior. Lindor is the
5106. future, and it’ll be interesting to see how long he remains in Columbus before
5107. he forces the issue and is finally called up to the corner of Carnegie and
5108. Ontario. For his part, </span><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/03/cleveland_indians_francisco_li.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lindor
5109. has confirmed to Zack Meisel that he is in fact, not God.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5110. Based on his lofty prospect ranking and near-universal praise, I can understand
5111. how some people were initially a little confused on that point. Expect to see
5112. Lindor in Cleveland at some point this year, just not before June. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5113. <div class="MsoNormal">
5114. <br /></div>
5115. <div class="MsoNormal">
5116. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-30-offseason-mlb-nationals-dodgers-mariners/">Grantland’s
5117. Jonah Keri is back with “The 30,” his recurring power rankings column that
5118. takes an objective look at every team in baseball.</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5119. Yes, it’s only March. And no baseball had been played prior to Keri’s rankings,
5120. even spring training baseball. Still, it’s tough to read Keri’s thoughts on the
5121. American League Central and not come away optimistic. Keri has the Kansas City
5122. Royals as his #23 team in baseball (losing Shields and signing guys like
5123. Morales and Rios did not impress him). The Chicago White Sox, on the heels of
5124. their strong offseason, come in at #14 overall. The reigning division champion
5125. Tigers slide down to 10<sup>th</sup> (losing Scherzer and Fister, plus injury
5126. concerns for Miggy and Victor, not to mention whatever the heck has happened to
5127. Justin Verlander). That leaves only the Indians, who come in at 5<sup>th</sup>
5128. overall in all of baseball. Third in the American League. First in the American
5129. League Central. </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s
5130. more or less in line with the latest Fangraphs projections</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5131. that have the Indians as the 8<sup>th</sup> best team in baseball, 4<sup>th</sup>
5132. in the AL and just 3 games away from the 3<sup>rd</sup> best record in the
5133. game. I’ll let Keri tell you why himself:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5134. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5135. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5136. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
5137. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now this is a
5138. bandwagon I will not be trying to slow down. Put it this way: Last year, the
5139. Indians won 85 games despite an injury-plagued Jason Kipnis flukishly hitting
5140. like a 75-year-old Rey Ordonez and the combination of first baseman Nick
5141. Swisher, utility man Mike Aviles, and outfielders Ryan Raburn, Michael Bourn,
5142. and David Murphy providing nearly 2,000 plate appearances worth of
5143. sub-replacement-level performance. Three of those five guys have been relegated
5144. to bench duty this year, while Bourn and Swisher still look to be significant
5145. contributors, albeit on a short leash. The addition of Brandon Moss plus a
5146. healthy Kipnis could significantly boost results for a team that finished
5147. seventh in the AL in runs scored and ninth in homers last year. Meanwhile, the
5148. rotation includes defending Cy Young winner Corey Kluber alongside not one, not
5149. two, but three starting pitchers who look like prime breakout candidates:
5150. Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar, and Carlos Carrasco. Combine the revitalized
5151. offense with a potentially fantastic group on the mound and you have an
5152. extremely dangerous club — one that might very well end Detroit’s AL Central
5153. reign.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5154. <div class="MsoNormal">
5155. <br /></div>
5156. <div class="MsoNormal">
5157. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/2015-mlb-over-under-bets-chicago-cubs-houston-astros-oakland-as-tampa-bay-rays/">In
5158. another of his articles this week, Keri commented that he was tempted to bet on
5159. the “over” for the Vegas-imposed 83.5 over/under win total for the Indians</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
5160. These are primarily the same reasons we’ve heard from local writers and
5161. bloggers (including yours truly) when touting the Indians chances in 2015, but
5162. it’s nice to hear them from a respected, objective, national guy like Keri as
5163. well. There are still plenty of “ifs” that could go wrong with the team this
5164. year, but there’s no doubt that they’re well poised for a run at the AL
5165. Central.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5166. <div class="MsoNormal">
5167. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5168. <div class="MsoNormal">
5169. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5170. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMRvRYLgp0TuYYwysQFi3E8GjEkKRIxXMScPdmBnx7DfSTaTgibkaQR7j_LVTQso5PcnDySsj6AXPyKVKoiD2UIt72ikxVMXIZz78MKBoiWXw53_AOH9u4030AaxOsKZrnuW5/s1600/Bauer+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMRvRYLgp0TuYYwysQFi3E8GjEkKRIxXMScPdmBnx7DfSTaTgibkaQR7j_LVTQso5PcnDySsj6AXPyKVKoiD2UIt72ikxVMXIZz78MKBoiWXw53_AOH9u4030AaxOsKZrnuW5/s1600/Bauer+(5).JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
5171. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5172. </tbody></table>
5173. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Indians won 85 games and made a legitimate run
5174. at the playoffs last year in part due to dramatic and unexpected leaps in
5175. performance from some of their young, talented players. Breakouts from
5176. Brantley, Kluber, Carrasco and others helped offset injury-related regression
5177. from Swisher, Bourn and Kipnis, keeping the Indians in it until the final week.
5178. </span><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-projections-risers-sliders-2014-2015/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ben
5179. Lindbergh, formerly of Baseball Prospectus and now writing for Grantland, was
5180. nice enough to do a lot of research and math in order to try and identify
5181. candidates for similar improvements in 2015.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Lindbergh looked
5182. at the projections from </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=zips&team=0&players=0"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">both
5183. ZiPS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5184. and </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=steamer"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Steamer</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5185. for 2014 and 2015, applied park factors to the equation and identified which
5186. pitchers could expect a lower FIP and which batters project to have a better
5187. wOBA this year. As you might expect, Michael Brantley shows up in the hitter
5188. portion of Lindbergh’s article, as he went from a league-average outfielder to
5189. an MVP candidate last year. Brantley is projected to have a .028 increase in
5190. his wOBA (</span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/library/offense/woba/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and
5191. if you need a refresher on exactly what wOBA is and how it is calculated, click
5192. here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">).
5193. These are just projections of course, but it’s good to see the computers like </span></div>
5194. <div class="MsoNormal">
5195. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brantley as much as the scouts do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5196. <div class="MsoNormal">
5197. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
5198. <div class="MsoNormal">
5199. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When we move onto the pitching portion of
5200. Lindbergh’s article, we see no fewer than three potential members of the Indians
5201. starting rotation. Trevor Bauer, T.J. House and CyKluber himself have increased
5202. expectations coming into the 2015 season. Bauer actually picked up a tick on
5203. his fastball last year. House managed a 3.35 ERA in 2014 despite being a
5204. groundball pitcher with the league’s worst infield defense (and a .333 BABIP).
5205. And Kluber? Well, all Kluber did was post the best FIP in the AL (2<sup>nd</sup>
5206. in MLB behind Kershaw) last year en route to winning his first Cy Young award.
5207. It’s good to see the projection models see these gains as both legitimate and
5208. repeatable, and the Indians deep starting rotation should again be a strength
5209. of the club this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5210. <div class="MsoNormal">
5211. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5212. <div class="MsoNormal">
5213. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These projected improvements, combined with some
5214. backsliding from the Tigers, gives the Indians a much better chance at winning
5215. the division in 2014. </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-the-playoff-odds-have-changed-in-a-year/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According
5216. to Fangraphs projections, the Indians are 20% (ok, 19.3%) more likely to win
5217. the division right now</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> than they were at this time last
5218. season (see below graphic). That’s the 2<sup>nd</sup> biggest jump in baseball,
5219. behind only the 28% leap made by the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. This team
5220. is built to contend, right now and in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5221. <div class="MsoNormal">
5222. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
5223. </div>
5224. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
5225. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp72JFEmD-KjVmJJYZtqEhQkTRzyMeOWtlXqMF1uEnAuAtYKOtS7AMwR1eAgVBIRopI7q7vqzOVZe99upmN5QhjlVcjp8OUob45dE6pbdK85mRfKzyALy6518rq6VeFHK-aW_/s1600/changeindivisionodds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp72JFEmD-KjVmJJYZtqEhQkTRzyMeOWtlXqMF1uEnAuAtYKOtS7AMwR1eAgVBIRopI7q7vqzOVZe99upmN5QhjlVcjp8OUob45dE6pbdK85mRfKzyALy6518rq6VeFHK-aW_/s1600/changeindivisionodds.png" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
5226. <br /></div>
5227. <div class="MsoNormal">
5228. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One member of the Indians aforementioned deep
5229. rotation had a minor setback in his return from injury, as </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/111505304/cleveland-indians-set-plan-for-pitcher-gavin-floyd-in-rehab-from-elbow-surgery"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">32-year
5230. old Gavin Floyd cut short a live BP session and was scratched from his
5231. scheduled spring training start against the Rangers today.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
5232. The official reason given by the Indians was the very descriptive “general
5233. soreness” (please, for the love of God, no “General Soreness” twitter
5234. characters need to spring from this). I’m not overly worried about Floyd at
5235. this point, and I think that the general soreness he’s feeling is legitimate
5236. and not a cover for any specific arm issue. He’s just a 32-year old guy
5237. pitching off of a mound again for the first time since June of last year. Some
5238. muscle soreness in early spring training is understandable, if not predictable.
5239. The former 4<sup>th</sup> overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2001,
5240. Floyd was signed to a cheap, 1-year contract to eat innings in the middle of
5241. the Indians rotation, not anchor it. He was really good in the 54 innings he
5242. did pitch last year (2.65 ERA, 45 K, 13 BB) and was more than worth the $4
5243. million shot the Indians took on him. But he’s one of eight (!) legitimate
5244. starting pitching options that the Indians have at their disposal for 2015. So
5245. if he turns into more of a Brett Meyers than a Kevin Millwood, no harm done.
5246. Floyd is going to have every shot at making the rotation as long as he’s
5247. healthy. If he’s injured or ineffective, the Indians simply move on to
5248. whichever of the impressive House/Bauer/Salazar trio initially loses out on the
5249. 5<sup>th</sup> starter job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5250. <div class="MsoNormal">
5251. <br /></div>
5252. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
5253. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m8Y9yhha7o1Eh3Xzplc7ReLHKBhHekvEeVTZXai6R-xD4i1QmLQ6Ixd0XXB2ptYfbR-sbDFBeE35yofwvL8tz-Ne4CZlxJmVkHjc4vMCY3G2DSGDYc54WkoItbd7H6Jk6qoa/s1600/Moss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2m8Y9yhha7o1Eh3Xzplc7ReLHKBhHekvEeVTZXai6R-xD4i1QmLQ6Ixd0XXB2ptYfbR-sbDFBeE35yofwvL8tz-Ne4CZlxJmVkHjc4vMCY3G2DSGDYc54WkoItbd7H6Jk6qoa/s1600/Moss.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
5254. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: AP</td></tr>
5255. </tbody></table>
5256. <div class="MsoNormal">
5257. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/111424592/after-nearly-giving-up-indians-outfielder-brandon-moss-rejuvenated-career">The
5258. busy Jordan Bastian put together a really nice feature on Brandon Moss earlier
5259. this week,</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> detailing the struggles that he went through
5260. earlier in his career that nearly had him quit and apply for the Gwinnet County
5261. Fire Department (seriously). Moss was drafted as a high schooler in 2002, and
5262. didn’t make his MLB debut until 2007 when he had a cup of coffee with the Boston
5263. Red Sox. He had a shot as a regular in 2009, amassing 385 AB with the
5264. Pittsburgh Pirates, but only hit .236/.304/.364 with 7 HR. He bounced between
5265. AAA and short stints in the majors before signing with the Phillies in 2011,
5266. then with the A’s in 2012. When he got the call to Oakland from AAA in 2012, he
5267. struggled initially but suddenly became the power hitter that we know today
5268. based on the advice from his wife, Allison:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5269. <div class="MsoNormal">
5270. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5271. <div class="MsoNormal">
5272. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Allison
5273. was tired of seeing her husband -- an outgoing character typically beaming with
5274. enthusiasm -- coming home so dejected.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5275. <div class="MsoNormal">
5276. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5277. <div class="MsoNormal">
5278. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"She
5279. was like, 'Babe, this might be your last opportunity in the big leagues,'"
5280. Moss said. "'Just go and let it hang out. Just do your thing and leave
5281. with no regrets. If you struggle and can't do it, at least be able to walk away
5282. and say, no matter what I did, I couldn't do it. But don't go in there beat
5283. before you get there.'"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5284. <div class="MsoNormal">
5285. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5286. <div class="MsoNormal">
5287. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Her
5288. words hit Moss hard.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5289. <div class="MsoNormal">
5290. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5291. <div class="MsoNormal">
5292. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"I
5293. told her, 'I'm just going to go out there and try to hit home runs every
5294. at-bat,'" he said. "Just like I try to do in the Minor
5295. Leagues.'"<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5296. <div class="MsoNormal">
5297. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5298. <div class="MsoNormal">
5299. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moss
5300. hit five homers over the next four games and ended with 21 long balls in just
5301. 84 games with Oakland that season.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5302. <div class="MsoNormal">
5303. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5304. <div class="MsoNormal">
5305. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Swinging from his heels, Moss finished with a .954
5306. OPS in 2012, then followed it up with a 30-HR, .859 OPS season in 2013. He made
5307. the AL All-Star team for the 1<sup>st</sup> time as a 30 year old last season,
5308. slugging 21 HR with a .878 OPS in 89 1<sup>st</sup>-half games before fading in
5309. the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the season while dealing with his hip injury.
5310. Clearly hurt, Moss still managed to hit 2 HR and drive in 5 runs in Oakland’s
5311. wild card playoff loss to Kansas City, and was traded to the Indians in
5312. exchange for minor league infielder Joey Wendle this offseason. Moss may hit
5313. left-handed, which for some fans makes him next to useless, but he’s going to
5314. be an important member of the Indians this year. His power is going to look
5315. awfully good in the middle of a lineup that should hopefully be augmented by
5316. bounce-back seasons from Kipnis, Swisher and Bourn. It’s the Gwinnet County
5317. Fire Department’s loss, but the Indians gain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5318. <div class="MsoNormal">
5319. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5320. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
5321. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY61_XrqchRkVVxNF5BGBoPbSuzEzl0-VZo7bCs4OAYIvpB06I54rOVWL5XWKbJFrujaMgIj2GECBUV6_cWzoufEyO8z3JjoTifKOz83dkrGrXSTRKxfL4V7XqznDap-mPZW3r/s1600/carlos+carrasco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY61_XrqchRkVVxNF5BGBoPbSuzEzl0-VZo7bCs4OAYIvpB06I54rOVWL5XWKbJFrujaMgIj2GECBUV6_cWzoufEyO8z3JjoTifKOz83dkrGrXSTRKxfL4V7XqznDap-mPZW3r/s1600/carlos+carrasco.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
5322. <div class="MsoNormal">
5323. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although there’s really not much we can garner from
5324. spring training games stats-wise, there are things we can focus on when it
5325. comes to individual performances and how certain players look. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25674"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Doug
5326. Thorburn, the resident pitching doctor at Baseball Prospectus, penned an
5327. article looking at a few pitchers that he’s going to be focusing on this spring</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
5328. and he included both Trevor Bauer (a long-time Thorburn subject) and Cookie
5329. Carrasco. I’ll sample from the article here, but the entire thing really is
5330. worth your time:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5331. <div class="MsoNormal">
5332. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5333. <div class="MsoNormal">
5334. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bauer:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5335. <div class="MsoNormal">
5336. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5337. <div class="MsoNormal">
5338. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…Last
5339. season was a step in the right direction, and it will be interesting to see if
5340. the oft-tinkering Bauer has made any adjustments in the off-season. My focus
5341. will be on his balance, given his drop-and-drive delivery that features a
5342. back-side collapse as part of the strategy, a variant that stands in the way of
5343. repetition.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5344. <div class="MsoNormal">
5345. <i><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></i></div>
5346. <div class="MsoNormal">
5347. <i><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
5348. to look for</span></u></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">:
5349. Well, everything, but my main focus will be on his balance and momentum to see
5350. if he can build on last season's progress.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5351. <div class="MsoNormal">
5352. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
5353. <div class="MsoNormal">
5354. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Carrasco:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5355. <div class="MsoNormal">
5356. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…His
5357. all-stretch approach took advantage of his mechanical efficiency and eliminated
5358. the needless extra motion of his windup, and Carrasco reaped the benefits with
5359. a consistent release point.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5360. <div class="MsoNormal">
5361. <i><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></i></div>
5362. <div class="MsoNormal">
5363. <i><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
5364. to look for</span></u></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">:
5365. Is he still pitching from the stretch all the time? Fingers crossed that the
5366. answer is a resounding, “Yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
5367. <div class="MsoNormal">
5368. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
5369. <div class="MsoNormal">
5370. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s impossible to overstate how important those two
5371. are to the Indians success this year. The Indians 2<sup>nd</sup> half was
5372. fueled by their suddenly-dominant pitching staff despite a scuffling offense
5373. and the league’s worst defense. Both the offense and defense should be better
5374. this year, but the Indians can’t afford much backsliding from the 2<sup>nd</sup>
5375. half pitching they enjoyed last year, if any. Spring training stats are
5376. useless, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn anything from the contests. Both
5377. Bauer and T.J. House looked good in their initial outings of the spring, and
5378. Bauer’s back leg didn’t look like it was collapsing as much as it did in 2014.
5379. Whether that’s a temporary tweak or a long-term adjustment for the notoriously
5380. fickle Bauer is yet to be seen, but it’s definitely something we can keep an
5381. eye on as Spring Training rolls on.</span></div>
5382. <br />
5383. <div class="MsoNormal">
5384. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I like to end things on a lighthearted note here on
5385. Lazy Sunday, so I’m going to point you in the direction of this very
5386. entertaining (and thought provoking) piece on whether or not Charlie Brown is
5387. the worst manager in the history of baseball. Yes, Charlie Brown as in Snoopy,
5388. as in the guy who represents Cleveland Browns fans by continuously falling for
5389. Lucy’s “I’ll hold the football, Charlie Brown” trick. </span><a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/is-charlie-brown-the-worst-manager-ever/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Patrick
5390. Dubuque of the Hardball Times takes an insightful look into how Brown’s squad
5391. could lose as many games as it did despite having the Peanuts version of Mike
5392. Trout (Snoopy) playing shortstop.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I won’t spoil it for
5393. you, but rest assured that player-manager Brown’s insistence in keeping himself
5394. on the mound despite the presence of a much better alternative is partially to
5395. blame for his squad’s woes. It’s a funny look at a long-running comic strip,
5396. and even manages to teach us a lesson in the end. So give it a read while
5397. you’re waiting for the Indians next spring training broadcast, and know that
5398. regular season baseball is less than a month away…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5399. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/6588043634126598134/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=6588043634126598134&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6588043634126598134'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6588043634126598134'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-dream-of-spring-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='A Dream of Spring on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkNqFiDm7Ci0Hvh7w96zmauXuyD8GveQP3wrhSOYxlfuHvP2E6PpyLrvGR0TgagdxeeI3ZbSVmcTaydOHpR5uEeeP-OLcy97UPBfd6qiya2ZzW0GCYSyCjFycVm0DTZQYL1cu/s72-c/Kip+scooter+(800x533).jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-4720840389018395145</id><published>2015-03-06T11:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-06T13:24:28.980-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Indians Prospect Countdown: #5-1</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
5400. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXhFZWjSI5Q6xSjX4v26hU1lJ6Ar6JrUTuG7SS-4_m0YnbCh7h1oXP_gRs1sqNOJD2K72uySNkksI77pnPCMwBCW_znwuDW9xdD1Zx-uYs7caaQE7hTz8Q3Ibzw-zkA9Li6P9/s1600/Urshela.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXhFZWjSI5Q6xSjX4v26hU1lJ6Ar6JrUTuG7SS-4_m0YnbCh7h1oXP_gRs1sqNOJD2K72uySNkksI77pnPCMwBCW_znwuDW9xdD1Zx-uYs7caaQE7hTz8Q3Ibzw-zkA9Li6P9/s1600/Urshela.JPG" height="315" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
5401. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5402. </tbody></table>
5403. <div class="MsoNormal">
5404. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>5.
5405. Giovanny Urshela, 3B<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
5406. <div class="MsoNormal">
5407. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">10/11/1991</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5408. <div class="MsoNormal">
5409. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5410. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 197 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5411. <div class="MsoNormal">
5412. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5413. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5414. <div class="MsoNormal">
5415. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5416. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent in 2008</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5417. <div class="MsoNormal">
5418. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5419. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.280/.334/.491 with 18 HR and 84 RBI in 128 games
5420. between AA Akron and AAA Columbus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5421. <div class="MsoNormal">
5422. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5423. <div class="MsoNormal">
5424. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5425. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Long one of my favorite under-the-radar players in
5426. the organization, Urshela broke out with the best offensive season of his
5427. career in 2014. Urshela set a career single-season high in OPS, HR, RBI, 2B,
5428. BB…pretty much every offensive category across the board. He’s always been an
5429. elite defender, and the step forward with the bat last year turned him into a
5430. legitimate top-10 prospect in the organization. He began the season back in AA
5431. Akron, putting up a .914 OPS with 5 HR in just 24 games. Promoted quickly to
5432. AAA Columbus, the 22-year old Urshela didn’t miss a beat. He had an .804 OPS
5433. with 13 HR in 104 AAA games, showing the type of offensive acumen that makes
5434. him a legitimate two-way prospect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5435. <div class="MsoNormal">
5436. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5437. <div class="MsoNormal">
5438. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Urshela was known as a
5439. contact-oriented hitter who would sit back and try to hit the ball where it was
5440. pitched. But last year, Urshela started driving the ball to all fields with
5441. more authority, a consequence of having added 10-15 pounds of muscle over the
5442. offseason. In spring training last year, I noticed his ability to go the other
5443. way with power more than in the past, as he’d get his arms out on pitches out
5444. and over the plate and hit them to right field with authority. The ball was
5445. just carrying off his bat better than I’d seen in the past, and that was a
5446. harbinger of things to come in the regular season. Urshela still doesn’t
5447. profile to have a ton of power at the major league level, but 15-20 HR are not
5448. out of the question. Urshela has a smooth, level swing, and doesn’t try to do
5449. too much with the ball. He doesn’t sell out for power, and as a result will
5450. make plenty of contact. He’s not going to work the count, walking just 109
5451. times in 601 career minor league games. He’s an aggressive hitter who’s going
5452. to be challenged by pitchers who aren’t afraid of his power, and as a result
5453. he’s just not going to walk very often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5454. <div class="MsoNormal">
5455. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5456. <div class="MsoNormal">
5457. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Urshela does everything well. He has
5458. soft hands, quick feet and a strong arm. He’s got great instincts, and always
5459. seems to be in the right place to make the play. He’s got Gold Glove potential
5460. at the hot corner, something that Indians fans are desperate to see after
5461. sub-par defense of Lonnie Chisenhall and Carlos Santana at 3<sup>rd</sup> base
5462. in 2014. His defense has been his calling card throughout his rise in the
5463. Indians system, and it’s what has him added to the 40-man roster heading into
5464. 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5465. <div class="MsoNormal">
5466. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5467. <div class="MsoNormal">
5468. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Urshela is on the cusp of the major leagues, having
5469. found success at the AAA level in 2014. He’ll be 23 years old for the entire
5470. 2015 season, so there’s really no reason to rush him to The Show this year.
5471. Urshela’s timetable will depend almost as much on Lonnie Chisenhall as on
5472. Urshela himself. If Chisenhall gets off to a sizzling start similar to 2014,
5473. Urshela will remain in Columbus for most of the season. If Chiz’s dismal 2<sup>nd</sup>
5474. half carries over into 2015, we could see Urshela before the all-star break.
5475. Even if he doesn’t do much with the bat, Urshela’s glove can help the Indians
5476. in 2015 and beyond. We saw what happened to the club in 2014 when Jose
5477. Ramriez’s adequate defense replaced Asdrubal Cabrera’s dismal D, and a move
5478. from Chisenhall to Urshela could have a similar effect in 2015.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5479. <div class="MsoNormal">
5480. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5481. <div class="MsoNormal">
5482. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5483. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A Gold Glove 3B with 18 HR annually</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5484. <div class="MsoNormal">
5485. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5486. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A solid defender at 3B who never hits enough to be
5487. an everyday guy</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5488. <div class="MsoNormal">
5489. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5490. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5491. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cw_O0i7oTWXdwiEea1Dvfoh98X-2Z_CxRZLKG5-NthUTzv8Uf4kF-x1GL0SihxzrtI9XXHUGs88-48SYG6uU5hY4nNv5AmTzvtjwjDdNO5wObdniAfwFZiY94waVQuwT2hpt/s1600/Mejia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cw_O0i7oTWXdwiEea1Dvfoh98X-2Z_CxRZLKG5-NthUTzv8Uf4kF-x1GL0SihxzrtI9XXHUGs88-48SYG6uU5hY4nNv5AmTzvtjwjDdNO5wObdniAfwFZiY94waVQuwT2hpt/s1600/Mejia.JPG" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
5492. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5493. </tbody></table>
5494. <div class="MsoNormal">
5495. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">4. Francisco Mejia, C<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
5496. <div class="MsoNormal">
5497. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">10/27/1995</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5498. <div class="MsoNormal">
5499. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5500. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’10”, 175 lb. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5501. <div class="MsoNormal">
5502. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5503. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Switch/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5504. <div class="MsoNormal">
5505. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5506. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent in 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5507. <div class="MsoNormal">
5508. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5509. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.282/.339/.407 with 2 HR and 36 RBI in 66 games with
5510. short-season Mahoning Valley</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5511. <div class="MsoNormal">
5512. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5513. <div class="MsoNormal">
5514. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5515. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mejia is one of the most exciting prospects in the
5516. Indians organization, but he’s also has the biggest gap between his current and
5517. future projection. Catchers generally have a high fail rate as prospects,
5518. partially because they face a much longer road to the majors than any other
5519. position. But Mejia’s tantalizing package of tools is too special to ignore,
5520. which is why he ranks 4th on this list. He’s the rare catching
5521. prospect that could be a force both at the plate and behind it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5522. <div class="MsoNormal">
5523. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5524. <div class="MsoNormal">
5525. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Mejia is a switch-hitter with
5526. impressive bat speed from both sides of the plate. He’s not a big guy, but his
5527. forearms are the size of most people’s biceps, providing for extremely strong
5528. wrists and an insanely quick bat. There’s raw power in his swing that hasn’t
5529. shown up in games yet, but that’s to be expected when you’re talking about a
5530. teenager. He has an ultra-aggressive approach from both sides, and a lot of his
5531. at-bats end on the first pitch. He’s going to have to clean that up as he
5532. advances through the system, and is going to struggle with exposure to advanced
5533. breaking balls. Better pitchers are going to exploit his aggressiveness, and
5534. few will challenge him with fastballs until he can do a better job recognizing
5535. spin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5536. <div class="MsoNormal">
5537. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5538. <div class="MsoNormal">
5539. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On the defensive side of the ledger, Mejia simply
5540. has the best arm I’ve ever seen up-close. I’m not comparing him to Pudge
5541. Rodriguez, Johnny Bench or Yadier Molina because I’ve never stood 10 feet away
5542. and watch them throw. But I’ve seen every catcher in the Indians org for the
5543. last 5 years, plus plenty of other guys from around baseball on minor league
5544. fields around the country. And I’ve never seen anything quite like Francisco
5545. Mejia throwing a ball to 2B. His footwork isn’t especially clean, and his
5546. actions still need to be refined a little, but that arm…my God. I had him
5547. popping in the 1.8-1.9 range consistently, and the scary thing is that he
5548. should be able to <i>improve</i> on those
5549. times once he addresses the footwork/transfer issues. He projects to be the
5550. type of catcher who can control the opposition’s running game by himself,
5551. allowing his pitchers to focus on the guy at the plate rather than worry about
5552. the baserunners. His glove itself is still a little raw, as he still stabs at
5553. pitches that miss his target rather than receiving and framing them. But he has
5554. soft hands and should improve over time, so it’s not something I’m worried
5555. about effecting his long-term projection at this stage of his development. He
5556. moves well behind the plate, and should be more than adequate dealing with
5557. pitches in the dirt after (you guessed it) more reps. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5558. <div class="MsoNormal">
5559. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5560. <div class="MsoNormal">
5561. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Patience, patience, patience. That’s what the
5562. Indians (and their fans) will need to exercise with Mejia. He’ll likely spend
5563. all of 2015 as a 19-year old catcher in the Midwest League, an aggressive
5564. assignment that will test all phases of his game. His stats might not blow you
5565. away at the end of the season, but he if can stick in the Lake County lineup
5566. for the season, it’ll be considered a win for his development. Catchers take
5567. longer to develop than other positions due to the many nuances involved in
5568. baseball’s most difficult position. Mejia has a chance to be really special,
5569. but it’s not going to happen overnight.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5570. <div class="MsoNormal">
5571. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5572. <div class="MsoNormal">
5573. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5574. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An all-star, Gold Glove catcher</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5575. <div class="MsoNormal">
5576. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5577. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He might not make it above AAA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5578. <div class="MsoNormal">
5579. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5580. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5581. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZew8JD0Wy_k8zekkOMXY6kAlspZ3dFGDrPmVnF5p65VFKN0ohsTf25AR_eq2T1qcH7nE2Ooz57XPdkpovc71TMYFTz4RavG8GjiwqFH0e4PlLKJPIhdENhk4Pq0kNLaa15ikp/s1600/Zimmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZew8JD0Wy_k8zekkOMXY6kAlspZ3dFGDrPmVnF5p65VFKN0ohsTf25AR_eq2T1qcH7nE2Ooz57XPdkpovc71TMYFTz4RavG8GjiwqFH0e4PlLKJPIhdENhk4Pq0kNLaa15ikp/s1600/Zimmer.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
5582. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
5583. </tbody></table>
5584. <div class="MsoNormal">
5585. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">3. Bradley Zimmer, OF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
5586. <div class="MsoNormal">
5587. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">11/27/1992</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5588. <div class="MsoNormal">
5589. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5590. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’4”, 185 lb. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5591. <div class="MsoNormal">
5592. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5593. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5594. <div class="MsoNormal">
5595. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5596. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round pick in the 2014 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5597. <div class="MsoNormal">
5598. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5599. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.302/.400/.492 with 6 HR and 32 RBI in 48 games
5600. between short-season Mahoning Valley (45 G) and low-A Lake County (3 G)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5601. <div class="MsoNormal">
5602. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5603. <div class="MsoNormal">
5604. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5605. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Zimmer was the 21<sup>st</sup> overall pick for the
5606. Indians in last June’s draft, and most prognosticators were surprised that he
5607. fell that far. Zimmer was projected as a possible top-10 pick prior to the
5608. draft, and the Indians were thrilled to snatch him up in the back end of the 1<sup>st</sup>
5609. round. Zimmer hit .368/.461/.573 with a team-high 7 HR and 31 RBI in 2014 for
5610. the San Francisco Dons, swiping 21 bases in 32 attempts and showing an ability
5611. to handle CF. Prior to the draft</span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mlb-draft/post/_/id/1655/draft-prospects-with-the-most-upside"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">,
5612. ESPN’s Keith Law and Chris Crawford identified him as the “highest-ceiling”
5613. collegiate bat</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> in the 2014 class. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5614. <div class="MsoNormal">
5615. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5616. <div class="MsoNormal">
5617. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Zimmer has a big, athletic frame that looks like
5618. it’d generate more power than it does. He has a consistent swing from the left
5619. side, but it’s a pretty flat plane that doesn’t result in a lot of backspin on
5620. the ball. As a result, he has more doubles power than HR power right now, but
5621. it’s easy to look at the 6’4” Zimmer and project an uptick in pop as he fills
5622. out and makes adjustments to his swing at the professional level. Zimmer did
5623. hit 2 HR in 3 games with Lake County, an impressive showing in an admittedly
5624. tiny small-sample last season. I think he ends up as at least a 15-20 HR guy,
5625. and that’s pretty valuable if he can stay in the middle of the outfield. He has
5626. an advanced approach and does a nice job picking out his pitch and driving it
5627. early in the count, but that’s going to be challenged as he progresses through
5628. the system and gets exposed to better breaking stuff. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5629. <div class="MsoNormal">
5630. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5631. <div class="MsoNormal">
5632. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the field, Zimmer’s size actually works against
5633. him, as many scouts see him as a little awkward in the field and project a move
5634. to an OF corner by the time he reaches the show. His arm is above-average and
5635. will play wherever he ends up. His speed is a tick above average, so he’s not
5636. the type of guy who can afford to take bad routes and outrun his mistakes in
5637. center. If he does wind up in an OF corner (likely RF), then the power is going
5638. to have to improve if he wants to be a 1<sup>st</sup>-division regular. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5639. <div class="MsoNormal">
5640. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5641. <div class="MsoNormal">
5642. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Zimmer is one of those players that projects to be
5643. average or above-average across the board, but doesn’t have one single tool
5644. that really jumps out at you. That’s still a very valuable player, but it’s not
5645. a future star. If everything goes right, he could be a power-hitting
5646. CF who also hits for a high average. But that’s a perfect-world projection, and
5647. we’re living in reality. In all probability, Zimmer will bulk up, slow down a
5648. step, and move to an OF corner. He’ll open the season with low-A Lake County
5649. and will probably be ready for a call-up at some point in 2015. But CF is crowded
5650. in the Indians system, so he’ll either have to move to a corner in high-A or
5651. skip the Carolina League entirely and jump right up to AA Akron. He’s an
5652. advanced hitter with great makeup, a hard worker who will get the most out of
5653. his considerable talents. He could be patrolling the outfield at the corner of
5654. Carnegie and Ontario as soon as 2017.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5655. <div class="MsoNormal">
5656. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5657. <div class="MsoNormal">
5658. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5659. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Zimmer sticks in CF and produces like Michael
5660. Brantley (pre-2014)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5661. <div class="MsoNormal">
5662. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5663. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Zimmer slides to a corner and produces like David
5664. Murphy, v. 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5665. <div class="MsoNormal">
5666. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5667. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5668. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETBb4tdgDAOvfyzaoZjLF4xrkWpbKhK5wmm0w4rhf3R4r8Q0bwxytU8z0HrXEZVecBRGaSURDLaV-ZBLJsMiLuc4YjhPkVzZPGvLvmmPvCSnsY8YaDpx5QpKlc4PnFKXWAI1A/s1600/Frazier+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETBb4tdgDAOvfyzaoZjLF4xrkWpbKhK5wmm0w4rhf3R4r8Q0bwxytU8z0HrXEZVecBRGaSURDLaV-ZBLJsMiLuc4YjhPkVzZPGvLvmmPvCSnsY8YaDpx5QpKlc4PnFKXWAI1A/s1600/Frazier+LH.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
5669. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
5670. </tbody></table>
5671. <div class="MsoNormal">
5672. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Clint Frazier, OF<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
5673. <div class="MsoNormal">
5674. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">9/6/1994</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5675. <div class="MsoNormal">
5676. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5677. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’1”, 190 lb. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5678. <div class="MsoNormal">
5679. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5680. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5681. <div class="MsoNormal">
5682. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5683. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round pick in the 2013 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5684. <div class="MsoNormal">
5685. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5686. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.266/.349/.411 with 13 HR and 50 RBI in 120 games
5687. for low-A Lake County</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5688. <div class="MsoNormal">
5689. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5690. <div class="MsoNormal">
5691. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5692. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Frazier was the top high school bat in the 2013
5693. draft, and the Indians snagged him with the 5<sup>th</sup> overall pick. He
5694. signed quickly, and put up an .868 OPS in 44 games in the complex league as an
5695. 18-year old in 2013. It was an impressive debut, and the Indians pushed Frazier
5696. straight up to the low-A Midwest League in 2014. Frazier dealt with some minor
5697. hamstring issues in spring training last year, and didn’t really get as many
5698. at-bats in Goodyear as he would’ve liked. He didn’t debut in Lake County until
5699. mid-April, and got off to a slow start in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League.
5700. Frazier hit just .241/.335/.329 with 1 HR and 12 RBI in April and May, showing
5701. none of the power that made him a top-5 pick in the draft. But the Georgia
5702. native would heat up with the weather, hitting an impressive .280/.358/.457
5703. (.815 OPS) with 12 HR and 38 RBI in 78 games from June 1 through the end of the
5704. season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5705. <div class="MsoNormal">
5706. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5707. <div class="MsoNormal">
5708. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It’s no coincidence that Frazier started hitting in
5709. June. He came to the professional ranks with a short toe-tap to trigger his
5710. swing, something he did all through high school and in Arizona in 2013.
5711. Tinkering with his swing in 2014, he instituted a high leg kick to “help” with
5712. his timing. The leg kick ended up throwing off his timing and he went back to
5713. the simpler toe tap, and suddenly started hitting the ball with authority
5714. again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5715. <div class="MsoNormal">
5716. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5717. <div class="MsoNormal">
5718. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As far as the raw tools go, Frazier has them all in
5719. spades. He has some of the quickest hands and one of the fastest bats in the
5720. minor leagues, resulting in 7 raw power. He does a nice job barreling the ball and
5721. makes hard contact when he gets a pitch in the zone. If he can tighten up his
5722. pitch recognition and selection, his power could easily play at the 6 to 6+
5723. level. His hit tool lags behind his raw power at this stage of his development,
5724. as he’s still working on tracking and identifying spin. He’s an extremely
5725. aggressive hitter who is used to chasing bad pitches from his high school days
5726. (when no one in their right mind would throw him a pitch in the strike zone).
5727. If he can work on his approach and do a better job laying off pitches outside
5728. the zone (particularly down and off the outside corner), Frazier can be
5729. expected to have a 5+ to 6 hit tool. If not, his susceptibility to quality
5730. breaking stuff will limit both his hit and his in-game power to a more pedestrian
5731. level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5732. <div class="MsoNormal">
5733. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5734. <div class="MsoNormal">
5735. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Frazier has all the tools to stick in
5736. CF at the major league level. He’s had some arm troubles, but touched 98 MPH
5737. off the mound in a high school showcase. He’s a plus runner, but still needs to
5738. work on reads/recognition in CF. Some scouts see a move to an OF corner down
5739. the line, but the Indians are going to give him every chance to stick in CF,
5740. for obvious reasons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5741. <div class="MsoNormal">
5742. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5743. <div class="MsoNormal">
5744. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Frazier’s 2014 stat line reads like a young Latin
5745. American prospect. Lots of pop, but lots of strikeouts (166) and not enough
5746. walks (56). And it’s not like he got better as the season went along either;
5747. Frazier racked up 44 K and just 16 BB in 138 May AB. In 131 August AB, he
5748. struck out 42 times against just 13 BB. So there’s still plenty of risk here.
5749. But you look at the tantalizing package of tools, and consider the fact that he
5750. was just 19 in the difficult hitters environment of the Midwest League in 2014,
5751. and there’s quite a bit to dream on. Frazier could legitimately be a 30/30 guy
5752. in centerfield with average to above-average defense. That’s a star, and
5753. possibly an MVP candidate. Again, we’re a ways away from that ceiling, but the
5754. potential is there. Frazier should be a year-at-a-time guy on his way up the
5755. ladder, and the 20-year old should be a mainstay in the Lynchburg Hillcats
5756. lineup for the 2015 season. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5757. <div class="MsoNormal">
5758. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5759. <div class="MsoNormal">
5760. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5761. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An all-star CF that hits in the middle of a major
5762. league lineup. Grady Sizemore with a better arm. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5763. <div class="MsoNormal">
5764. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5765. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A corner OF with some pop. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5766. <div class="MsoNormal">
5767. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5768. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5769. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCNV5FyIlIEfhBWf0r3AlIqqbEf-SXI9z94O2fXwjxSSYK6bfaZNYirtRS0OJLZmk1e2HYa9OsHqWXA8yQXs5HW9tGuTrKIFQRdNxKAVC-BnpJk9bdjdfAbvecJ9v9sg734Ma/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCNV5FyIlIEfhBWf0r3AlIqqbEf-SXI9z94O2fXwjxSSYK6bfaZNYirtRS0OJLZmk1e2HYa9OsHqWXA8yQXs5HW9tGuTrKIFQRdNxKAVC-BnpJk9bdjdfAbvecJ9v9sg734Ma/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
5770. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5771. </tbody></table>
5772. <div class="MsoNormal">
5773. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Francisco Lindor, SS<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
5774. <div class="MsoNormal">
5775. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">11/14/1993</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5776. <div class="MsoNormal">
5777. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> 5’11”, 175 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5778. <div class="MsoNormal">
5779. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5780. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Switch/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5781. <div class="MsoNormal">
5782. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5783. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5784. <div class="MsoNormal">
5785. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5786. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.276/.338/.389 with 11 HR, 62 RBI and 28 SB in 126
5787. games between AA Akron and AAA Columbus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5788. <div class="MsoNormal">
5789. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5790. <div class="MsoNormal">
5791. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5792. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I mean…were you expecting anyone else at the top of
5793. this list? What more can I say about Francisco Lindor? He’s been at the #1 slot
5794. in my (and everyone else’s) rankings for the past 4 years, and the only reason
5795. he won’t be here next year is that he (should) lose his prospect eligibility in
5796. 2015. Lindor has taken on every challenge presented to him so far in his
5797. professional career, and passed them with flying colors. His offensive numbers
5798. don’t blow you away, but consider that his season OPS of  .727 was collected over 88 AA games where he
5799. was an average of 4.7 years younger than the competition, and then in an
5800. additional 38 games in AAA when he was a full 7 years younger than his
5801. counterparts. To put that in perspective, Lindor was roughly equivalent to a 5<sup>th</sup>-grader
5802. playing against high school seniors in AAA, and managed to hit more HR in 38
5803. games in Columbus (5) than he hit in all of 2013 (2). He’s a consensus top-5
5804. prospect in all of baseball, and the SS job in Cleveland is going to be his
5805. sooner rather than later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5806. <div class="MsoNormal">
5807. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5808. <div class="MsoNormal">
5809. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lindor opened the 2014 season where he finished
5810. 2013, back in AA Akron. He put up a .278/.352/.389 line with 6 HR and 48 RBI in
5811. 88 games with the Aeros, and stealing 25 bases in 34 attempts to boot. He
5812. walked 40 times against just 61 strikeouts, showing a mature approach for a
5813. 20-year old in the Eastern League. Promoted to AAA Columbus in July, Lindor
5814. appeared in 38 games with the Clippers to close out the season. He hit
5815. .273/.307/.388 with 5 HR and 14 RBI, but his strikeout rate jumped (36 K) and
5816. walk rate dropped (9 BB). The “struggles” at the plate are expected for a
5817. 20-year old jumping to AAA, and aren’t really concerning long-term. But it’s
5818. one reason the Indians are planning to start Lindor back in AAA this April, as
5819. his bat still has room to grow in the minor leagues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5820. <div class="MsoNormal">
5821. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5822. <div class="MsoNormal">
5823. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lindor is a switch-hitter with an advanced approach
5824. from both sides of the plate. He makes a lot of contact, and has an
5825. above-average to plus hit tool. He tracks the ball well out if the pitchers
5826. hand, and picks up spin well. His power will never be more than average, but if
5827. the Indians get 8-12 HR’s out of Lindor at his peak that’ll be plenty to
5828. compliment the rest of his profile. He has gap power and will hit for average,
5829. and the bat will provide value in its own right. By the time it’s all said and
5830. done, Lindor could end up with a 6+ hit tool and 4 power. But Lindor isn’t a
5831. top prospect merely for his work at the plate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5832. <div class="MsoNormal">
5833. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5834. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5835. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw93fKX_mOcmmYewHgLZkw_bitFzoeYb-f5KgqRx8nXMIwWNN5IpR80iS6lHE4LbuPUf35roarrq6fhjttZaBFaryeH3iHxrUBGTYNsNvQlanoLWRmb-2_OQe0x_vD84DZyUkg/s1600/Lindor+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw93fKX_mOcmmYewHgLZkw_bitFzoeYb-f5KgqRx8nXMIwWNN5IpR80iS6lHE4LbuPUf35roarrq6fhjttZaBFaryeH3iHxrUBGTYNsNvQlanoLWRmb-2_OQe0x_vD84DZyUkg/s1600/Lindor+LH.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
5836. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
5837. </tbody></table>
5838. <div class="MsoNormal">
5839. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Lindor is quite simply the best
5840. defensive shortstop in minor league baseball. He has impressive range both up
5841. the middle and into the hole. He has soft hands, excellent footwork and clean
5842. actions. He has above-average arm strength and accuracy, and does a great job
5843. throwing on the run. He has incredible instincts, and often seems to be moving
5844. to be moving towards the ball even before it’s hit. Baseball Prospectus and
5845. MLB.com have both called Lindor the best infield defender in the minor leagues
5846. over the past two years, and he’s ready to contribute with the glove at the
5847. major league level right now. He could be a 7 to 7+ defender at the major
5848. league level for a long, long time. He’s a 5+ runner, but his speed plays up
5849. because of how good a baserunner he is. He steals bases because he gets great
5850. jumps, not because he’s a burner who outruns the pitcher and catcher (sort of
5851. the anti-Billy Hamilton). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5852. <div class="MsoNormal">
5853. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5854. <div class="MsoNormal">
5855. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In addition to his skills on the field, Lindor is a
5856. leader in the clubhouse and sets a great example with his work ethic and makeup.
5857. In addition to recognizing him as the best infield defender in the minor
5858. leagues last year, Baseball Prospectus singled out Lindor as having the “best
5859. makeup” in the minors as well. It’s a combination of intangibles that you can’t
5860. quantify in any one stat, but he helps make his entire team better on and off
5861. the field. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5862. <div class="MsoNormal">
5863. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5864. <div class="MsoNormal">
5865. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lindor is slated to begin the 2015 season back in
5866. AAA Columbus, but he could be called up to Cleveland at virtually any time. If
5867. anything happens to Jose Ramirez, Lindor will be on his way north on I-71 in
5868. very short order. If not, the Indians are happy to give him a little more time
5869. to develop with the bat and keep in in the friendly confines of Huntington Park
5870. until he forces his way to Cleveland (likely sometime after the Super-Two
5871. cutoff). I really can’t stress enough how much I like this kid, and how much of
5872. an impact he could have on the Indians for the next 6 years (or hopefully
5873. more). He’s the type of guy who could be the face of the franchise, a perennial
5874. all-star and Gold Glover. He’s the total package; a solid hitter, incredible
5875. defender, plus runner and a leader on and off the field. The only thing holding
5876. him back right now is his relative lack of experience and some lingering
5877. questions about just how good the bat will end up being against major league
5878. pitching. We’re going to find out soon though, and I can’t wait to sit back and
5879. enjoy the Francisco Lindor experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5880. <div class="MsoNormal">
5881. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5882. <div class="MsoNormal">
5883. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5884. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’re gathering in Cleveland in November of 2038 for
5885. Lindor’s farewell parade when he finally retires from the Indians.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5886. <br />
5887. <div class="MsoNormal">
5888. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5889. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A much more adorable version of Rey Ordonez </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5890. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/4720840389018395145/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=4720840389018395145&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4720840389018395145'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4720840389018395145'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-5-1.html' title='Indians Prospect Countdown: #5-1'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXhFZWjSI5Q6xSjX4v26hU1lJ6Ar6JrUTuG7SS-4_m0YnbCh7h1oXP_gRs1sqNOJD2K72uySNkksI77pnPCMwBCW_znwuDW9xdD1Zx-uYs7caaQE7hTz8Q3Ibzw-zkA9Li6P9/s72-c/Urshela.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-2721690847719338195</id><published>2015-03-05T11:42:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-06T14:29:45.370-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Indians Prospect Countdown: #10-6</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
5891. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiuc5G_QVz0c7bfwrjPOGjPguHZyKiD3jJcQHNEUx4O-cbHGaXe484MMKfiiFK9MZdkgLt-Y3nrsrc_9zz-qn3gc42kPQi_ae_bufMDNCtR6jRAav5a-9hWDGHPHgAsP6XK87/s1600/Sheff+ABR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiuc5G_QVz0c7bfwrjPOGjPguHZyKiD3jJcQHNEUx4O-cbHGaXe484MMKfiiFK9MZdkgLt-Y3nrsrc_9zz-qn3gc42kPQi_ae_bufMDNCtR6jRAav5a-9hWDGHPHgAsP6XK87/s1600/Sheff+ABR.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
5892. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Alyson Boyer Rode</td></tr>
5893. </tbody></table>
5894. <div class="MsoNormal">
5895. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">10. Justus Sheffield, LHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
5896. <div class="MsoNormal">
5897. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">05/13/1996</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5898. <div class="MsoNormal">
5899. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5900. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’10”, 196 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5901. <div class="MsoNormal">
5902. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5903. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Left</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5904. <div class="MsoNormal">
5905. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5906. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round sandwich pick in the 2014 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5907. <div class="MsoNormal">
5908. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5909. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3-1, 4.87 ERA, 29 K and 9 BB in 20 1/3 IP for the
5910. Rookie League AZL Indians</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5911. <div class="MsoNormal">
5912. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5913. <div class="MsoNormal">
5914. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
5915. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sheffield is my 2nd highest ranked pitcher in the
5916. Indians organization right now. He has a lot of upside and projection in him,
5917. and even if he falls short of what the Indians are hoping he can be as a
5918. starter, he’ll at least have a chance to be an impact arm in the back end of a
5919. major league bullpen. Sheffield was committed to Vanderbilt out of his
5920. Tennessee high school, and the Indians were able to break that commitment with
5921. a $1.6 million signing bonus (slot for the 31<sup>st</sup> pick is $1.7
5922. million). In high school, Sheffield went 10-0 on the mound as a senior, with a
5923. 0.34 ERA. He racked up 131 strikeouts in just 61 2/3 innings, showing why he
5924. was pegged as a potential 1<sup>st</sup> round selection on most mock draft
5925. boards. Like Clint Frazier before him, Sheffield was the Gatorade National High
5926. School Player of the Year in 2014. Sheffield’s brother, Jordan, pitches for
5927. Vanderbilt and turned down an offer to sign with the Red Sox when he was
5928. selected in the 13<sup>th</sup> round out of the same high school in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5929. <div class="MsoNormal">
5930. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5931. <div class="MsoNormal">
5932. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sheffield is a slightly undersized lefty who attacks
5933. hitters with a three-pitch mix. As you’d expect, everything starts with his
5934. fastball, an offering that sits comfortably in the low-90’s and can touch 95
5935. when he needs to. He delivers it from a high ¾ arm angle that helps give the
5936. pitch some arm-side run. He compliments the above-average fastball with both a
5937. curveball and a changeup. Sheffield throws the curve in any count, and has been
5938. able to spot it to both sides of the plate for strikes. The pitch has nice
5939. depth, and sits in the mid-70’s. His third pitch is a developing changeup that
5940. could really be an out pitch for Sheffield. It flashes plus, with nice late
5941. arm-side fade. He does a nice job keeping his arm speed consistent, so the
5942. pitch is really deceptive to hitters. It’s a starter’s arsenal, and the Indians
5943. see him pitching in the rotation for a long time to come.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5944. <div class="MsoNormal">
5945. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
5946. <div class="MsoNormal">
5947. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Leading up to and immediately after the draft, all
5948. the reports on Sheffield’s makeup were positive. Then, on January 12, Sheffield
5949. was arrested for aggravated burglary and underage drinking stemming from an
5950. incident in his hometown when Sheffield entered another person’s unlocked
5951. house, looking to talk to someone about an incident with his girlfriend. He was
5952. drunk, and the police were called. Sheffield pled guilty to a reduced charge in
5953. Feb, and the record will be expunged if he stays out of trouble. It’s an
5954. isolated incident for a teenage kid, but something to keep an eye on moving
5955. forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
5956. <div class="MsoNormal">
5957. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">All of his stuff plays up due to Sheffield’s
5958. athleticism and ability to consistently repeat his delivery. He’s strongly
5959. built with a thick lower half, and should be able to get himself into shape to
5960. throw a starter’s workload. There’s a long road between Sheffield and
5961. Cleveland, and right now Sheffield needs innings more than anything else. He’s
5962. likely to start the 2015 season in extended spring training, and will probably
5963. be a member of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers rotation when the short-season New
5964. York-Penn League starts up in June.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
5965. <div class="MsoNormal">
5966. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5967. <div class="MsoNormal">
5968. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5969. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #2/3 starter in a big league rotation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5970. <div class="MsoNormal">
5971. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
5972. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #4 starter or bullpen arm</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5973. <div class="MsoNormal">
5974. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
5975. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
5976. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UVNHitBjCplftVYcAExLbPLy668r_zDPDvk4ZWccGDGUYh3p8zw7rVaArjoKXWHxRbZgxU7BXXqL5HXWRv-lE5A9cywfRu7-_4FJMYUiDnYdTcx8GP5YYj-ZBmomJmwhUDy6/s1600/Mitch+Brown+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UVNHitBjCplftVYcAExLbPLy668r_zDPDvk4ZWccGDGUYh3p8zw7rVaArjoKXWHxRbZgxU7BXXqL5HXWRv-lE5A9cywfRu7-_4FJMYUiDnYdTcx8GP5YYj-ZBmomJmwhUDy6/s1600/Mitch+Brown+(3).JPG" height="287" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
5977. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
5978. </tbody></table>
5979. <div class="MsoNormal">
5980. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>9. Mitch Brown, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
5981. <div class="MsoNormal">
5982. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4/13/1994</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5983. <div class="MsoNormal">
5984. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
5985. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’1”, 195 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5986. <div class="MsoNormal">
5987. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
5988. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5989. <div class="MsoNormal">
5990. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
5991. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2<sup>nd</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5992. <div class="MsoNormal">
5993. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
5994. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">8-8 with a 3.32 ERA, 127 K and 55 BB in 138 1/3 IP
5995. for low-A Lake County</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
5996. <div class="MsoNormal">
5997. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
5998. <div class="MsoNormal">
5999. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6000. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A 2<sup>nd</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft
6001. out of a Rochester, Minnesota high school, Brown put together a really nice
6002. season for the Lake County Captains last year. Brown began the 2013 season in
6003. Lake County, but was quickly reassigned to extended spring training after
6004. posting an 11.49 ERA in his first 5 starts in the Midwest League. Brown
6005. struggled mightily with his command in 2013, walking 40 hitters in 67 2/3’s
6006. innings of work between Lake County and the Rookie level Arizona League. He
6007. struggled with his fastball command and as a result was never able to flash the
6008. potential that made him one of the top 100 players in the 2012 draft class.
6009. Fast forward to 2014, and Brown issued just 55 free passes in 138 1/3 innings,
6010. cutting his walk rate almost in half from 2013. It’s amazing how much easier it
6011. is to get outs when you’re throwing strikes consistently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6012. <div class="MsoNormal">
6013. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6014. <div class="MsoNormal">
6015. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Brown sets everything up with his fastball, an
6016. above-average to plus offering that sits consistently between 92-95 MPH,
6017. touching 97, with nice sink. Brown struggled with his fastball command in 2013,
6018. but improved a great deal in 2014, spotting it much better down in the zone and
6019. to both sides of the plate. He compliments the fastball with a cutter,
6020. curveball and changeup. The cutter is his best secondary offering, an above-average
6021. pitch with late life across the zone. It’ll be his out pitch throughout his
6022. career, whether it’s via the strikeout or by inducing weak contact. His
6023. curveball remains a little inconsistent, but it flashes plus and is the key to
6024. his development as a starter. The pitch can be really good; it’s a 11/5 hammer
6025. with excellent two-plane break, changing speeds and really serving to keep
6026. hitters off balance. There’s a feeling amongst pitching coaches that the
6027. curveball either is in a pitchers wrist or it isn’t, and Brown clearly has a
6028. feel for the pitch. He just needs to work on consistency and command to have it
6029. be a legitimate third weapon in his arsenal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6030. <div class="MsoNormal">
6031. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6032. <div class="MsoNormal">
6033. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Brown is an excellent athlete who does a nice job
6034. repeating his delivery. He’s a hard worker on and off the field, a player who
6035. stands a good chance at realizing his potential due to his makeup. He’s slated
6036. to start the 2015 season in the Lynchburg rotation, and the high-A Carolina
6037. League will be a tough test for the 21-year old righty. He closed the 2014
6038. season on a high note, allowing just a .195 AVG and .513 OPS against in 6
6039. August starts. Hopefully he can carry that momentum over to the 2015 season and
6040. put together another solid campaign on his way to the corner of Carnegie and
6041. Ontario. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6042. <div class="MsoNormal">
6043. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6044. <div class="MsoNormal">
6045. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6046. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #3 starter in a major league rotation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6047. <div class="MsoNormal">
6048. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6049. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #4/5 starter or a swingman out of the bullpen</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6050. <div class="MsoNormal">
6051. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6052. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6053. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUDlrerOcAaCrcjHgPMRR0eh4qW3WIIkcsWAGr5K4XTajiK9ZMV6vWfJ4hnmePGsE7KnuRPL-ZmChNxINbGN1g6F3lLAHVFMPh2Du29dsQC9SzIlggGbygqPQOUbX_NAV61tY/s1600/Bradley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUDlrerOcAaCrcjHgPMRR0eh4qW3WIIkcsWAGr5K4XTajiK9ZMV6vWfJ4hnmePGsE7KnuRPL-ZmChNxINbGN1g6F3lLAHVFMPh2Du29dsQC9SzIlggGbygqPQOUbX_NAV61tY/s1600/Bradley.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
6054. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Perfect Game</td></tr>
6055. </tbody></table>
6056. <div class="MsoNormal">
6057. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>8. Bobby Bradley, 1B<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6058. <div class="MsoNormal">
6059. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5/29/1996</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6060. <div class="MsoNormal">
6061. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6062. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’1”, 225 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6063. <div class="MsoNormal">
6064. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6065. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6066. <div class="MsoNormal">
6067. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6068. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3<sup>rd</sup> round pick in the 2014 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6069. <div class="MsoNormal">
6070. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6071. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.361/.426/.625 with 8 HR and 50 RBI in 39 games with
6072. the Rookie League Arizona Indians</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6073. <div class="MsoNormal">
6074. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6075. <div class="MsoNormal">
6076. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6077. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Selected in the 3<sup>rd</sup> round of last year’s
6078. draft out of a Mississippi high school, Bradley is a somewhat raw high school
6079. bat with incredible upside. Thrown into the complex leagues as an 18-year old
6080. in 2014, Bradley responded by putting up eye-popping numbers including a
6081. league-leading 1.078 OPS, 8 HR and 50 RBI. He was the most dominant hitter in
6082. the league despite being one of the younger players, and as a result there are
6083. a lot of people talking about Bradley as a steal for the Indians in the 3<sup>rd</sup>
6084. round. Bradley was committed to Louisiana State out of high school, but an
6085. over-slot bonus of $912,500 kept him out of a Tigers uniform and locked in to
6086. Cleveland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6087. <div class="MsoNormal">
6088. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6089. <div class="MsoNormal">
6090. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bradley is a big, strong lefthanded hitter with
6091. impressive raw power. His swing has some natural loft to it, and he uses that
6092. to generate a lot of backspin. He has quick, strong hands and outstanding bat
6093. speed. Especially considering his youth and experience, Bradley has an advanced
6094. approach, which will help his raw power play in game situations and not just in
6095. BP. He does have some swing and miss in his game (as you’d expect from someone
6096. with his power), striking out 36 times against 16 walks in 39 complex league
6097. games. Most of Bradley’s power is to the pull side at present, but he does a
6098. nice job staying back on the ball and using the left side of the field, so it’s
6099. only a matter of time until he starts developing more consistent over-the-fence
6100. power to the opposite field. He’ll still get caught chasing high fastballs, and
6101. will need to learn to adjust to the more difficult breaking stuff as he rises
6102. through the organization. But the bat is tantalizing, and the power is
6103. something that can’t be ignored. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6104. <div class="MsoNormal">
6105. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6106. <div class="MsoNormal">
6107. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Bradley is limited to 1<sup>st</sup>
6108. base, so most of his value is going to have to come from his bat. He’s a solid
6109. defender at present, but is going to have to work to maintain his flexibility
6110. and dexterity as he continues to fill out his 6’1” frame. He’s already a big
6111. guy, and will only add weight as he moves through the minor league system.
6112. Still, there’s no reason to think that Bradley can’t be at least an average
6113. defender at 1B, and with his bat, that’s more than enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6114. <div class="MsoNormal">
6115. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bradley was more advanced than anyone thought last
6116. year, and there’s a chance that the Indians send him straight to Lake County to
6117. open the 2015 season. He won’t turn 19 until the end of May, so it’s more
6118. likely that they keep him in extended spring training to start off the season
6119. and send him to the Captains (or Scrappers) when the weather starts warming up.
6120. He’s a high-ceiling power bat, something the Indians have struggled to develop
6121. in recent years. He’s at least 3 or 4 years away, but he has the potential to
6122. slug his way to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6123. <div class="MsoNormal">
6124. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6125. <div class="MsoNormal">
6126. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6127. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A middle of the order 1B</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6128. <div class="MsoNormal">
6129. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6130. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jesus Aguilar</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6131. <div class="MsoNormal">
6132. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6133. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6134. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YjNuKYxAWZ2Vtifk-BF4sCFoH7gnQt3ate0szNERYvnbIsRVWwt-D3gp7nBrQ6qyF8eUKE8VHK8WPW5yD4hRe9osGNkamCfz4wBx-JyII6-Q_Q2_lo5m8bUimHMDBwD_9mZl/s1600/Erik+Gonzalez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YjNuKYxAWZ2Vtifk-BF4sCFoH7gnQt3ate0szNERYvnbIsRVWwt-D3gp7nBrQ6qyF8eUKE8VHK8WPW5yD4hRe9osGNkamCfz4wBx-JyII6-Q_Q2_lo5m8bUimHMDBwD_9mZl/s1600/Erik+Gonzalez.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
6135. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6136. </tbody></table>
6137. <div class="MsoNormal">
6138. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">7. Erik Gonzalez, SS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
6139. <div class="MsoNormal">
6140. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">8/31/1991</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6141. <div class="MsoNormal">
6142. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6143. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 175 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6144. <div class="MsoNormal">
6145. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6146. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6147. <div class="MsoNormal">
6148. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6149. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent in 2009<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6150. <div class="MsoNormal">
6151. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6152. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.309/.390/.473 with 4 HR and 62 RBI in 105 games
6153. between high-A Carolina and AA Akron</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6154. <div class="MsoNormal">
6155. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6156. <div class="MsoNormal">
6157. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6158. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gonzalez is one of the biggest risers from last
6159. year’s list to this year’s, as I had him ranked 33<sup>rd</sup> in the
6160. organization in 2014. I’ve always believed in the glove, but I just wasn’t sold
6161. on the bat going into the 2014 season. Gonzalez made some key adjustments and
6162. really improved his overall offensive game, hence the top-10 overall ranking on
6163. this year’s list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6164. <div class="MsoNormal">
6165. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6166. <div class="MsoNormal">
6167. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gonzalez began the 2014 season where he finished in
6168. 2013, back in the high-A Carolina League. Unlike in 2013 though, Gonzalez hit
6169. the ball while in a Mudcat uniform. After posting just a .625 OPS in 39 high-A
6170. games in 2013, Gonzalez slashed his way to a .289/.336/.409 line in the
6171. pitcher-friendly Carolina League. He got even better after he was called up to
6172. AA Akron, putting up a .357/.390/.473 line in 31 games as a RubberDuck. When it
6173. was all said and done, Gonzalez had posted full-season highs in all three
6174. triple slash categories, and the best strikeout/walk ratio of his career (30 BB
6175. and 88 K’s). The improvements at the plate came as a direct result of
6176. improvements in Gonzalez’s swing mechanics. Gonzalez had been working hard to
6177. get rid of a big, unnecessary leg lift that he used for timing purposes to
6178. trigger his swing. Last year, he managed to gradually reduce and finally
6179. eliminate the leg kick and ensuing long stride, shortening both his stride and
6180. swing path. It helped him stay back on the ball and not get fooled as easily by
6181. breaking balls, making him more than just a fastball hitter. The results were
6182. dramatic, and although Gonzalez would go back to the leg kick from
6183. time-to-time, he eventually got used to the new swing, with impressive results.
6184. He also started his hands lower so they didn’t have as much movement from
6185. stance to load, resulting in a better swing path. It was a dramatic improvement
6186. both in mechanics and results, helping convince me that Gonzalez can be more
6187. than just a defensive specialist at the next level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6188. <div class="MsoNormal">
6189. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6190. <div class="MsoNormal">
6191. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Speaking of defense, Gonzalez is easily the 2<sup>nd</sup>-best
6192. defensive SS in the organization, better even than Justin Sellers and Jose
6193. Ramirez. He doesn’t quite have the range or instincts of Francisco Lindor (who
6194. does?), but he actually has a better arm that the (SPOILER ALERT!) Indians top
6195. prospect. He has great range both in the hole and up the middle, and has really
6196. made strides in his ability to throw on the run. He has a 7 infield arm and is
6197. a 6+ overall defender at SS, something that’s extremely valuable in its own
6198. right. Gonzalez played all over the diamond prior to 2014, appearing in more
6199. games at 3B and 2B than at SS. That changed in 2014, as he was exclusively a
6200. shortstop in all 104 games last season. The Indians seemed to be toying with
6201. the idea of making him a superutility player who could spell a regular at any
6202. infield position, but wisely settled him in at short last year knowing that’s
6203. where he could provide the most value.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6204. <div class="MsoNormal">
6205. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6206. <div class="MsoNormal">
6207. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Going into 2014, I wasn’t really a believer in Gonzalez’s
6208. future in Cleveland. I was a skeptic when he was added to the 40-man roster in
6209. the offseason, thinking the Indians jumped the gun by putting him on the
6210. roster. This is one of those cases where I am extremely glad to have been
6211. wrong, as Gonzalez proved he could be a major-league contributor on both the
6212. offensive and defensive side of the ledger. He’ll likely start off 2015 back in
6213. AA Akron, but will be able to slide up to AAA to replace Francisco Lindor if
6214. and when Lindor gets the call to Cleveland. Gonzalez will be blocked by Lindor
6215. for the foreseeable future, but is a very solid depth option and an intriguing
6216. trade chip. He’s part of an impressive collection of up-the-middle talent in
6217. the Indians organization, and is a guy to keep an eye on this year leading up
6218. to the July 31 trade deadline. He’s a fun guy to watch on the field, and will
6219. be a popular name in trade conversations as long as he’s sitting behind a guy
6220. like Lindor.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6221. <div class="MsoNormal">
6222. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6223. <div class="MsoNormal">
6224. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6225. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A defense-oriented starting shortstop in the major
6226. leagues</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6227. <div class="MsoNormal">
6228. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6229. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A defense-oriented utility infielder in the major
6230. leagues <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6231. <div class="MsoNormal">
6232. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6233. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6234. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvLvy5JpLc9SKgHLHOTVL_OloSxd9YHjvsbdK2ksWmL4NZe_ybe0B2IM5qVaRls5xm0faH1j2au_6CC1kPmcjqp-7-5zsDtVxkgrZE9GsQ0jnkBMrrZd6yRh2CXbsomiqfX7A/s1600/Naquin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvLvy5JpLc9SKgHLHOTVL_OloSxd9YHjvsbdK2ksWmL4NZe_ybe0B2IM5qVaRls5xm0faH1j2au_6CC1kPmcjqp-7-5zsDtVxkgrZE9GsQ0jnkBMrrZd6yRh2CXbsomiqfX7A/s1600/Naquin.JPG" height="320" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
6235. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6236. </tbody></table>
6237. <div class="MsoNormal">
6238. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Tyler Naquin, OF<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6239. <div class="MsoNormal">
6240. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4/24/1991</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6241. <div class="MsoNormal">
6242. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6243. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’2”, 175 lb. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6244. <div class="MsoNormal">
6245. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6246. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6247. <div class="MsoNormal">
6248. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6249. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6250. <div class="MsoNormal">
6251. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6252. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.313/.371/.424 with 4 HR and 30 RBI in 76 games for
6253. AA Akron</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6254. <div class="MsoNormal">
6255. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6256. <div class="MsoNormal">
6257. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6258. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Naquin was on his way to a solid 2014 with AA Akron
6259. when he broke a bone in his hand in late-June, causing him to miss the rest of
6260. the season. Naquin’s last game was on June 27, so his counting stats look
6261. rather pedestrian. But he posted the highest AVG, OBP and SLG of his young
6262. career, showing that the adjustments that he made to his swing in 2013 helped
6263. generate more power without sacrificing contact. It was a good year for the
6264. young CF, and it’s a real shame it was cut short as it cost him a chance to get
6265. his feet wet in AAA Columbus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6266. <div class="MsoNormal">
6267. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6268. <div class="MsoNormal">
6269. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Naquin was considered one of the best pure hitters
6270. in the draft in 2012, but his swing had a bit of a hitch in it and was geared
6271. more towards contact as opposed to driving the ball. The Indians started
6272. re-working his swing in 2013, trying to smooth it out and add a little loft.
6273. The bat profiles best in CF, but it’s not going to be completely empty. He’s
6274. always going to be geared more towards batting average and doubles power rather
6275. than home runs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6276. <div class="MsoNormal">
6277. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6278. <div class="MsoNormal">
6279. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Naquin has one of the best outfield
6280. arms in all of minor league baseball. He has both incredible arm strength and
6281. accuracy, using both to record a total of 28 OF assists in 255 career games
6282. (mostly in CF). At a game in Bowie last season, I saw Naquin record a walk-off
6283. outfield assist on a single into CF. Naquin charged the hard grounder and made
6284. a perfect throw to the plate to preserve a 1-run Akron victory in the bottom of
6285. the 9<sup>th</sup>. It was an incredible play that brought the
6286. normally-reserved scouts in attendance to their feet, and was a great example
6287. of how Naquin can impact a game with his arm. He’s an above-average runner who
6288. has really made strides in CF after not playing the position in college. Naquin
6289. has reached the point where he’s a good bet to stick in CF defensively, which
6290. will help his overall profile as the bat really isn’t what you’d like to see in
6291. a corner OF. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6292. <div class="MsoNormal">
6293. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6294. <div class="MsoNormal">
6295. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Naquin is an intelligent, hard working player who
6296. should be able to get the most out of his tools. The hand injury delayed his
6297. likely promotion to AAA, and he’ll probably begin the 2015 season in AA Akron.
6298. But expect him to move to Columbus in short order, with an outside chance at
6299. making an appearance in Cleveland this year. Naquin is going to get the first
6300. shot to be the long-term replacement for Michael Bourn in CF, and if Bourn
6301. struggles with leg injuries in 2015 the way he did in 2014, that replacement
6302. could be needed sooner than any of us would’ve guessed when Bourn signed a
6303. four-year deal prior to the 2013 season. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6304. <div class="MsoNormal">
6305. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6306. <div class="MsoNormal">
6307. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6308. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A defense-oriented starting CF</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6309. <br />
6310. <div class="MsoNormal">
6311. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6312. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tyler Holt with a better arm</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6313. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/2721690847719338195/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=2721690847719338195&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/2721690847719338195'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/2721690847719338195'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-10-6.html' title='Indians Prospect Countdown: #10-6'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiuc5G_QVz0c7bfwrjPOGjPguHZyKiD3jJcQHNEUx4O-cbHGaXe484MMKfiiFK9MZdkgLt-Y3nrsrc_9zz-qn3gc42kPQi_ae_bufMDNCtR6jRAav5a-9hWDGHPHgAsP6XK87/s72-c/Sheff+ABR.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-2506453876648407270</id><published>2015-03-04T11:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-04T11:00:10.278-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Indians Prospect Countdown: #15-11</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
6314. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCuUC09kMx2aC8B8d9TNAk_Erqo90OTwNA3-pSYJw1htGPB5nzLc8HMrBZQKoofMlz-XjNRq3WZXMiFv4uL_6nEwgNd11UjGr0hB4b-yDOTJA2SRg9gBtgV7WRZ4gzb0rcBH-/s1600/Yu-Cheng-Chang-2014-bm-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCuUC09kMx2aC8B8d9TNAk_Erqo90OTwNA3-pSYJw1htGPB5nzLc8HMrBZQKoofMlz-XjNRq3WZXMiFv4uL_6nEwgNd11UjGr0hB4b-yDOTJA2SRg9gBtgV7WRZ4gzb0rcBH-/s1600/Yu-Cheng-Chang-2014-bm-300x225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
6315. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Baseball America</td></tr>
6316. </tbody></table>
6317. <div class="MsoNormal">
6318. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>15.
6319. Yu-Cheng Chang, INF<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6320. <div class="MsoNormal">
6321. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">8/18/1995<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6322. <div class="MsoNormal">
6323. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6324. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’1”, 175 lb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6325. <div class="MsoNormal">
6326. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6327. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6328. <div class="MsoNormal">
6329. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6330. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent signed in 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6331. <div class="MsoNormal">
6332. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6333. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.346/.420/.566 with 6 HR and 25 RBI in 42 games for
6334. the Rookie League Arizona Indians<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6335. <div class="MsoNormal">
6336. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6337. <div class="MsoNormal">
6338. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6339. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chang was signed out of Taiwan in 2013 for a $500,00
6340. bonus and really opened some eyes in his stateside debut in the complex league.
6341. He finished 2<sup>nd</sup> in the AZL in homers and 3<sup>rd</sup> with a .986
6342. OPS. He’s a very good athlete who has bounced around the left side of the
6343. infield, and his future home on defense is still up in the air. Chang was a CF
6344. and a member of the Taiwanese national team in 2011, making the 16U
6345. All-Tournament Team in what was a pretty talented group of international
6346. outfielders. He hit .414/.469/.690 for the tournament, showing that he could
6347. compete with the best in the world at his level. Chang’s older brother is a
6348. catcher in the Pirates system, and he joins several other Taiwanese prospects
6349. (including ML bullpen piece C.C. Lee) in the Indians organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6350. <div class="MsoNormal">
6351. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6352. <div class="MsoNormal">
6353. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When he was signed in 2013, most of the scouting
6354. reports on Chang talked about his smooth, level swing that was geared towards
6355. line drives and not HR. But he hit nearly as many HR (6) as 2B (9) in his first
6356. 159 professional AB, so it’s clear that there’s some legit over-the-fence pop
6357. in the bat. That’s in the dry air of AZ, of course, so it should be taken with
6358. a grain of salt. He also showcased a solid approach, walking 18 times against
6359. 28 strikeouts. That’s going to be tested by the more advanced pitching that
6360. Chang is going to see in full-season leagues, but he’s already seen some pretty
6361. decent spin in his international career so should be a little further ahead of
6362. the curve there than a typical 18 year old international signee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6363. <div class="MsoNormal">
6364. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6365. <div class="MsoNormal">
6366. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Chang appeared in 22 games at SS and 16
6367. at 3B last season. Most scouts see a move off of SS as he develops, but the
6368. Indians are going to keep him in the middle of the diamond as long as possible.
6369. He has an average arm and above-average speed, so there’s a chance he ends up
6370. back in the outfield before all is said and done. He has above-average speed
6371. and has proven able to handle CF in the past, so there’s a lot of potential
6372. versatility here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6373. <div class="MsoNormal">
6374. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6375. <div class="MsoNormal">
6376. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chang is a good athlete who should add some bulk to
6377. his frame as he matures. He may outgrow SS, but if that’s the case he’ll also
6378. add some strength and power, so it’s almost a fair tradeoff. He’s an intriguing
6379. prospect who has a lot of talent evaluators both in and outside of the
6380. organization thinking big things for his future, but he’s also a long ways
6381. away. Chang will play most of the 2015 season as a 19-year old, turning 20 in
6382. August. At the very least, he should debut in the NYPL when the short-season
6383. leagues start up in June, but there’s a chance the Indians get aggressive with
6384. him and start him off in Lake County at the beginning of the season. He’s a guy
6385. I’m excited to see more of, as I’ve been limited to just a quick look in spring
6386. training last year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6387. <div class="MsoNormal">
6388. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6389. <div class="MsoNormal">
6390. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6391. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A plus-offensive producer on the left side of a
6392. major league infield<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6393. <div class="MsoNormal">
6394. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6395. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A minor league washout <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6396. <div class="MsoNormal">
6397. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6398. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6399. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ0_242Dw7GTIrgHk8cNiv54dyBh9Ehef9fn_ee16imXwzVIaQ2W2z_aZjbqacQPjt55pAC_FcB5vpCQ_A8hjN1dXXEggVipDOZl4CpH34ritEUSlI9ALqshU3BuG0DtXlPzn/s1600/Wolters+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ0_242Dw7GTIrgHk8cNiv54dyBh9Ehef9fn_ee16imXwzVIaQ2W2z_aZjbqacQPjt55pAC_FcB5vpCQ_A8hjN1dXXEggVipDOZl4CpH34ritEUSlI9ALqshU3BuG0DtXlPzn/s1600/Wolters+(2).JPG" height="289" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
6400. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6401. </tbody></table>
6402. <div class="MsoNormal">
6403. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>14.
6404. Tony Wolters, C<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6405. <div class="MsoNormal">
6406. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6/9/1992</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6407. <div class="MsoNormal">
6408. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6409. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’10”, 177 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6410. <div class="MsoNormal">
6411. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6412. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6413. <div class="MsoNormal">
6414. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6415. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3<sup>rd</sup> round pick in the 2010 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6416. <div class="MsoNormal">
6417. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6418. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.249/.319/.314 with 1 HR and 34 RBI in 94 games with
6419. AA Akron</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6420. <div class="MsoNormal">
6421. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6422. <div class="MsoNormal">
6423. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6424. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Two years ago, Wolters was wrapping up spring
6425. training expecting to be the everyday 2B for the Akron Aeros. But just prior to
6426. the club breaking camp, there was a surprise announcement; Wolters would be
6427. moving behind the plate. Wolters went from a top-10 prospect in the
6428. organization at 2B to a relative unknown behind the plate. Unsurprisingly,
6429. Wolters threw himself into the position change with everything he had, and has
6430. developed into a pretty good backstop. He finally made it to Akron last year,
6431. albeit as a RubberDuck and a catcher rather than an Aero and a middle
6432. infielder. His offensive numbers were down across the board, but the 22-year
6433. old more than held his own defensively in his first year in the Eastern League.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6434. <div class="MsoNormal">
6435. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6436. <div class="MsoNormal">
6437. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Offensively, Wolters has a solid but not sexy
6438. profile. His hit tool projects to be at least average, and has below average
6439. power potential. He’s hit just 13 HR in 387 minor league games, and will likely
6440. never crack double-digits at the major league level. He’s small for a catcher,
6441. and AA pitchers were unafraid to challenge him in the strike zone last year. He
6442. walked just 35 times and struck out 74, helping to contribute to a
6443. below-average .319 OBP. Wolters also hit a career-low 1 HR last year,
6444. continuing a downward trend for his power since his 8 HR, .404 SLG season in
6445. 2012. He was still young for the level last year though, and while he’s not
6446. going to slug his way to the major leagues, I think his hit tool will end up
6447. providing some value when his developmental arc is complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6448. <div class="MsoNormal">
6449. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6450. <div class="MsoNormal">
6451. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In just two years, Wolters has managed to turn
6452. himself into a plus defensive catcher. Last year, he threw out 25 of 53
6453. would-be basestealers, good for a 47% caught stealing rate. That’s phenomenal
6454. no matter who’s behind the plate, but for someone who’s only been catching for
6455. two years, it’s completely unheard of. Wolters caught just 28% of the
6456. baserunners who ran on him in 2013, so to see that kind of jump is really
6457. remarkable. Wolters did not make an error behind the plate last year, and
6458. allowed just four passed balls in 66 games behind the plate. Again, those are
6459. outstanding numbers for someone who’s been catching all his life, let alone
6460. someone new to the position. And it doesn’t stop there. For the first time,
6461. Baseball Prospectus has come up with framing metrics for minor league catchers
6462. in addition to major league stats. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25514"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Those
6463. metrics found that Wolters was the 2<sup>nd</sup> best catcher in all of AA
6464. baseball last year in terms of getting extra strikes for his pitchers.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
6465. Wolters put his soft hands to work receiving and framing the baseball, and it
6466. has paid off in a big way. It’s no coincidence that Dave Wallace has been
6467. Wolters’ manager for the past two years in both Carolina and Akron. Having
6468. Wally work with Wolters every day has helped to turn him into one of the best
6469. defensive catchers in baseball, just two years removed from being a middle
6470. infielder. It’s a remarkable transition to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6471. <div class="MsoNormal">
6472. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6473. <div class="MsoNormal">
6474. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Wolters is one of the hardest working baseball
6475. players I’ve ever been around, and I’ve played/watched baseball for my entire
6476. life. He’s the first one out on the field for practice and the last guy off the
6477. field at the end of the day. He’s going to get the most out of his tools due to
6478. his makeup, and is a guy that just flat-out loves the game of baseball. He’s an
6479. absolute joy to watch play the game, and is one of my favorite players in the
6480. organization. It really is incredible how he’s taken to the most difficult on
6481. the field (and arguably the most difficult position in all of sports) like a
6482. fish to water, helped by some great instruction from former catchers-turned
6483. coaches in the organization like Scooter Tucker, Dave Wallace and Sandy Alomar.
6484. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlwcdPXC1N0"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Oh, and
6485. he made one of the best defensive plays in all of minor league baseball last
6486. year in one of his 10 games at 2<sup>nd</sup> base.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
6487. Wolters will likely open 2015 back in AA Akron, but could be in Columbus before
6488. the end of the season. Unless his offensive profile trends unexpectedly
6489. upwards, Wolters will probably be a backup catcher in the major leagues. But
6490. he’ll be a very good backup catcher, one that could play in The Show for a
6491. long, long time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6492. <div class="MsoNormal">
6493. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6494. <div class="MsoNormal">
6495. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6496. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A very good backup catcher in the major leagues</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6497. <div class="MsoNormal">
6498. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6499. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A decent backup catcher in the major leagues, and a
6500. fantastic coach afterwards</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6501. <div class="MsoNormal">
6502. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6503. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6504. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRFMP_eQff_exeB3UnmCu6iPjtB8pEG2pzQzwvJFAyoJSLQJ_jPm2oS8O38kUYTY3HrE6J-Y1V9Zunb4kN-cW0IWlIs7EzqlyjlJbKBvQFB58xIWj0St-EQkoq9BwFmpvwIR6/s1600/Nellie+Rodriguez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRFMP_eQff_exeB3UnmCu6iPjtB8pEG2pzQzwvJFAyoJSLQJ_jPm2oS8O38kUYTY3HrE6J-Y1V9Zunb4kN-cW0IWlIs7EzqlyjlJbKBvQFB58xIWj0St-EQkoq9BwFmpvwIR6/s1600/Nellie+Rodriguez.JPG" height="320" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
6505. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6506. </tbody></table>
6507. <div class="MsoNormal">
6508. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>13.
6509. Nelson Rodriguez, 1B<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6510. <div class="MsoNormal">
6511. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6/12/1994</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6512. <div class="MsoNormal">
6513. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6514. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’2”, 250 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6515. <div class="MsoNormal">
6516. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6517. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6518. <div class="MsoNormal">
6519. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6520. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">15<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6521. <div class="MsoNormal">
6522. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6523. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.268/.349/.482 with 22 HR and 88 RBI in 130 games
6524. with low-A Lake County<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6525. <div class="MsoNormal">
6526. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6527. <div class="MsoNormal">
6528. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6529. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Drafted out of the same NYC high school attended by
6530. Indians legend Manny Ramriez, Rodriguez spent his age-20 season in the
6531. difficult hitters environment of the Midwest League with Lake County. He proved
6532. more than up to the challenge, hitting a league-leading 22 HR, 32 2B and drove
6533. in 88 runs. It was a vast improvement over his time with the Captains in 2013,
6534. when he slashed just .194/.305/.256 with 1 HR in 47 games. It was an encouraging
6535. developmental step for the slugger, who even at age-20 was a little young for
6536. the level. He finished out the season strong, hitting an impressive
6537. .313/.380/.570 from July 1 through the end of the season, including 12 of his
6538. 22 HR in just 55 games. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6539. <div class="MsoNormal">
6540. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6541. <div class="MsoNormal">
6542. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rodriguez
6543. has as much raw power as anyone in the organization, and can really put on a
6544. show in batting practice. He has legit 7 raw power, especially to the pull
6545. side. His hit tool is closer to a 4+ or 5 though, so his in-game power isn’t
6546. going to play to that level unless he can make more consistent contact. He’s
6547. always going to have some swing and miss in his game though, as he tends to
6548. sell out for power over just trying to put the bat on the ball. He has a long
6549. swing with a deep load which both generates his power and makes it difficult
6550. for him to hit for a high average. Rodriguez struck out 142 times last season
6551. alone, 2<sup>nd</sup> most in the Midwest League behind only his teammate Clint
6552. Frazier. He did draw 60 walks to help offset the strikeouts, but he’s going to
6553. have to improve his pitch recognition and selection as he moves up the minor
6554. league ladder. Pitchers have had success tying him up with hard stuff up and
6555. in, then going down and away with offspeed pitches to catch him off-balance.
6556. Rodriguez should get better the more he’s exposed to professional pitching. He
6557. has a high baseball IQ and should be able to adjust to sequencing with more
6558. experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6559. <div class="MsoNormal">
6560. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6561. <div class="MsoNormal">
6562. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Defensively,
6563. Rodriguez is limited to 1B in the field. He was a catcher in high school
6564. though, and has an outstanding arm for a 1B. He has soft hands and good feet,
6565. and does a nice job digging throws out of the dirt at first. He’s not going to
6566. be a Gold Glove contender, but he’s not going to be a liability in the field
6567. either. Rodriguez isn’t going to offer much on the bases either; he’s 0-2 in
6568. stolen base attempts as a professional. All of the value is going to be locked
6569. up in his bat, so he’s going to have to slug his way to the major leagues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6570. <div class="MsoNormal">
6571. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6572. <div class="MsoNormal">
6573. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After
6574. succeeding in the Midwest League last year, Rodriguez is going to be challenged
6575. again in another pitcher-friendly league in 2015. He’ll likely play the entire
6576. season in Lynchburg, and the Carolina League is well-known to suppress offense.
6577. Rodriguez will slot into the middle of a talented Lynchburg order, and will be
6578. counted on to provide plenty of pop again this season. He’s still by no means a
6579. sure thing to make it to the majors, but I’m a lot more encouraged after his
6580. impressive power display in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6581. <div class="MsoNormal">
6582. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6583. <div class="MsoNormal">
6584. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6585. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A slugging 1B in the middle of a major league order</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6586. <div class="MsoNormal">
6587. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6588. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">His contact issues doom him to a career in the minor
6589. leagues</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6590. <div class="MsoNormal">
6591. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6592. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6593. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWr9NSqbUF5Nb7m7AWOqAgB7ehi2RaxS4OvgAfIX3xfJMhzpt1LzF-CS-vJpS_XVx9p5R8r8Dh1pmmIBm72ds3lktILNza3HaLo-covI8n0-ySeq8nAGYQfBQ2o9Zp3om8QPN/s1600/Papi+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWr9NSqbUF5Nb7m7AWOqAgB7ehi2RaxS4OvgAfIX3xfJMhzpt1LzF-CS-vJpS_XVx9p5R8r8Dh1pmmIBm72ds3lktILNza3HaLo-covI8n0-ySeq8nAGYQfBQ2o9Zp3om8QPN/s1600/Papi+LH.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
6594. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
6595. </tbody></table>
6596. <div class="MsoNormal">
6597. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">12.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Mike Papi, OF/1B<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6598. <div class="MsoNormal">
6599. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">9/19/1992</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6600. <div class="MsoNormal">
6601. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6602. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’2”, 190 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6603. <div class="MsoNormal">
6604. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6605. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6606. <div class="MsoNormal">
6607. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6608. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">1<sup>st</sup> round competitive balance pick in the 2014 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6609. <div class="MsoNormal">
6610. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6611. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.181/.301/.271 with 3 HR and 18 RBI in 41 games
6612. between short-season Mahoning Valley and low-A Lake County<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6613. <div class="MsoNormal">
6614. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6615. <div class="MsoNormal">
6616. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6617. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Selected with the Indians “competitive balance
6618. lottery” pick at #38 overall, Papi signed and appeared in just 2 games for
6619. Mahoning Valley before being moved up to low-A Lake County. He struggled to
6620. find his swing with the Captains, putting up just a .579 OPS in 39 games in the
6621. Midwest League. Papi did flash signs of what made him a top-40 draft pick, as
6622. he popped 3 HR and walked 26 times. But he also struck out 32 times and hit
6623. just .178, struggling in his first extended experience swinging wooden bats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6624. <div class="MsoNormal">
6625. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6626. <div class="MsoNormal">
6627. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Papi was a dominant hitter for the University of
6628. Virginia, hitting .307/.439/.488 with 11 HR as a junior. For his career as a
6629. Cavalier, he walked 121 times against just 88 strikeouts, showing an advanced
6630. approach and the ability to recognize secondary stuff in the ACC. He has plus
6631. bat speed, and above-average pull power. He can turn on pretty much any
6632. fastball that’s thrown his way, and pitchers have learned that they need to
6633. work on the outside part of the plate when attacking him. He has strong wrists
6634. and quick hands, and a pretty swing from the left side. He was able to drive
6635. the ball the other way in college, but talent evaluators are torn on whether or
6636. not he’ll be able to show above-average opposite field power as a pro. His hit
6637. tool will grade out higher than his raw power, but that power will be able to
6638. play in games due to Papi’s approach and ability to consistently put the bat on
6639. the ball. Initial results aside, Papi has solid swing fundamentals and should
6640. be able to make the necessary adjustments to hit in professional baseball.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6641. <div class="MsoNormal">
6642. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6643. <div class="MsoNormal">
6644. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Papi is probably a LF long-term. He
6645. spent most of his time in Lake County in RF, but projects better to LF due to
6646. his range and athleticism. He has below-average speed and doesn’t cover a ton
6647. of ground in the OF, and there are those (Keith Law) who think that Papi will
6648. eventually need to move to 1B. He does have a decent arm, so he’ll get a shot
6649. to play RF until he forces himself off the position, but his ultimate future is
6650. in left. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6651. <div class="MsoNormal">
6652. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6653. <div class="MsoNormal">
6654. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At this point in his career, Papi just needs more
6655. exposure to professional pitching. The raw tools are all there, they just need
6656. time to catch up and adjust to the more advanced pitching he’s seeing at this
6657. level. He’ll play all of the 2015 season as a 22-year old, and should open with
6658. high-A Lynchburg. He has the potential to move quickly through the system, and
6659. while he doesn’t have a sky-high ceiling, he also has a pretty high floor. Papi
6660. is going to hit, it’s just a matter of how much the power ends up playing. He
6661. could be a guy who hits .290 with 20 HR in left field as a professional,
6662. something that’s pretty valuable in today’s game. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6663. <div class="MsoNormal">
6664. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6665. <div class="MsoNormal">
6666. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6667. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A slower Michael Brantley</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6668. <div class="MsoNormal">
6669. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6670. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A slower David Murphy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6671. <div class="MsoNormal">
6672. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6673. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6674. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ2Gb2vUE8shPldEMvaSDabWOwxNn7BlUkzDFIsLXfRIzTj2ib-t3YmOG_jADMhmPdw0z3Cn25XEh3YIpoO17LQLB79hMEs5j_7A9aXkefS-ngIIxxmro9uOr2ZitsJ0g_Vgb/s1600/Ramsey+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ2Gb2vUE8shPldEMvaSDabWOwxNn7BlUkzDFIsLXfRIzTj2ib-t3YmOG_jADMhmPdw0z3Cn25XEh3YIpoO17LQLB79hMEs5j_7A9aXkefS-ngIIxxmro9uOr2ZitsJ0g_Vgb/s1600/Ramsey+LH.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
6675. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Lianna Holub</td></tr>
6676. </tbody></table>
6677. <div class="MsoNormal">
6678. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>11.
6679. James Ramsey, OF<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6680. <div class="MsoNormal">
6681. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">12/19/1989</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6682. <div class="MsoNormal">
6683. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6684. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 190 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6685. <div class="MsoNormal">
6686. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6687. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6688. <div class="MsoNormal">
6689. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6690. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In a 2014 trade with St. Louis in exchange for Justin Masterson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6691. <div class="MsoNormal">
6692. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6693. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.295/.382/.509 with 16 HR and 52 RBI in 95 games
6694. between AA Springfield and AAA Columbus <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6695. <div class="MsoNormal">
6696. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6697. <div class="MsoNormal">
6698. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6699. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ramsey was 1<sup>st</sup> round pick (23<sup>rd</sup>
6700. overall) of the St. Louis Cardinals back in the 2012 draft. A collegiate star
6701. at Florida State, Ramsey made an immediate impact in the Cards org, hitting 16
6702. HR in 2013 while playing in three separate levels in their system. He was
6703. putting together another solid season for AA Springfield last year, hitting
6704. .300/.389/.527 with 13 HR in 67 games before the Indians acquired him in
6705. exchange for former ace Justin Masterson last July. The Indians assigned him
6706. straight to AAA Columbus, where he hit a solid .284/.365/.468 with 3 HR in 28
6707. International League contests. For his career, he’s posted a .807 OPS with 35
6708. HR in 285 minor league games. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6709. <div class="MsoNormal">
6710. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6711. <div class="MsoNormal">
6712. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Ramsey has a smooth stroke from the
6713. left side of the plate. He has a level, line drive swing that doesn’t have a
6714. ton of loft, but does a nice job generating consistent contact. When he’s going
6715. well, he’s sitting back and hitting the ball where it’s pitched, spraying line
6716. drives to all fields. Ramsey gets into trouble when he starts selling out for
6717. power and trying to pull everything, as hitting 30+ HR just isn’t his game. His
6718. power is probably a tick above average, and should play to that level thanks to
6719. his above average hit tool. If he hit right-handed, he would probably start the
6720. season in Cleveland to add versatility to the all-lefty outfield of Bourn,
6721. Brantley and Murphy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6722. <div class="MsoNormal">
6723. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6724. <div class="MsoNormal">
6725. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Ramsey has above-average speed and an
6726. above-average arm. He’s been primarily a centerfielder throughout his career,
6727. and can handle any of the outfield positions. His bat profiles best in center,
6728. but he’s an ideal 4<sup>th</sup> OF who can give anyone a day off at any time.
6729. Interestingly, veteran scout </span><a href="http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article/66354936/bernie-pleskoff-james-ramsey-latest-in-long-line-of-cardinals-quality-outfield-prospects"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Bernie
6730. Pleskoff suggested prior to the 2014 season that the Cardinals move Ramsey to
6731. 2B</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> in order to maximize his value (and get out of the logjam of OF in the
6732. Cards org). That never occurred, and it’s unlikey to happen in the Indians
6733. organization, but it’s encouraging that a guy like Pleskoff thinks that Ramsey
6734. has the athletic ability to handle that switch. He has decent speed but isn’t a
6735. huge threat on the bases, stealing 28 bags in 36 attempts throughout his career
6736. (but just 5 SB in 2014). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6737. <div class="MsoNormal">
6738. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6739. <div class="MsoNormal">
6740. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ramsey is very close to a finished product, and will
6741. play the entire 2015 season as a 25-year old. He’s going to open the season in
6742. Columbus, and could move to Cleveland at any point if injury or ineffectiveness
6743. opens the door. He’s a high-character player with outstanding makeup, and
6744. should be able to get the most out of his tools throughout his career. He
6745. doesn’t have an incredibly high ceiling, but he has a really high floor, as no
6746. talent evaluator that I’ve talked to or read has projected him as anything less
6747. than a 4<sup>th</sup> OF at the major league level. That’s still a pretty
6748. valuable player, especially one who’s under club control for at least 6 years
6749. once he reaches The Show. Expect to see him have at least a cup of coffee in
6750. Cleveland this year, and he could be in the Indians outfield in one role or
6751. another until at least 2020.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6752. <div class="MsoNormal">
6753. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6754. <div class="MsoNormal">
6755. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6756. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A 2<sup>nd</sup>-division starting CF</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6757. <br />
6758. <div class="MsoNormal">
6759. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6760. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A 1<sup>st</sup>-division 4<sup>th</sup> OF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6761. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/2506453876648407270/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=2506453876648407270&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/2506453876648407270'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/2506453876648407270'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-15-11.html' title='Indians Prospect Countdown: #15-11'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCuUC09kMx2aC8B8d9TNAk_Erqo90OTwNA3-pSYJw1htGPB5nzLc8HMrBZQKoofMlz-XjNRq3WZXMiFv4uL_6nEwgNd11UjGr0hB4b-yDOTJA2SRg9gBtgV7WRZ4gzb0rcBH-/s72-c/Yu-Cheng-Chang-2014-bm-300x225.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-1172512055331669200</id><published>2015-03-03T11:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-03T11:00:03.398-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Indians Prospect Countdown: #20-16</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
6762. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRB1hOq7o70eUQKEH_vPf1FRpkWuV1x-EtfoWg8ZX12-fGdzAoPMyBt99487Q550U41bqgyoEtAqyTI3xn2_cWPLamTPnkNbnZQXXgjbAXTwpzhwGwF_ZX3oUm7saVzjkWFrVp/s1600/hockin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRB1hOq7o70eUQKEH_vPf1FRpkWuV1x-EtfoWg8ZX12-fGdzAoPMyBt99487Q550U41bqgyoEtAqyTI3xn2_cWPLamTPnkNbnZQXXgjbAXTwpzhwGwF_ZX3oUm7saVzjkWFrVp/s1600/hockin.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
6763. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Fred Robelo</td></tr>
6764. </tbody></table>
6765. <div class="MsoNormal">
6766. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">20. Grant Hockin, RHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
6767. <div class="MsoNormal">
6768. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">3/5/1996<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6769. <div class="MsoNormal">
6770. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6’4”, 200 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6771. <div class="MsoNormal">
6772. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Right/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6773. <div class="MsoNormal">
6774. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2<sup>nd</sup> round pick in the
6775. 2014 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6776. <div class="MsoNormal">
6777. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014 stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">0-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 19 K and 4
6778. BB in 21 IP for the Rookie League Arizona Indians<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6779. <div class="MsoNormal">
6780. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6781. <div class="MsoNormal">
6782. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Indians selected Hockin in
6783. the 2<sup>nd</sup> round of last year’s draft, and was their 4<sup>th</sup>
6784. overall selection. He was the 61<sup>st</sup> pick in the draft out of Damien
6785. High School in California, and signed for an over-slot $1.1 million bonus,
6786. breaking his commitment to pitch for UCLA. Hockin has rich baseball bloodlines,
6787. as he is the grandson of MLB Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. While Killebrew
6788. was a slugging OF/corner INF, Hockin is a big, strong starting pitching
6789. prospect. His senior year in high school, Hocking posted a 1.49 ERA with 99 K
6790. and 17 BB in 80 innings of work. He carried that over to the rookie-level
6791. Arizona Indians, racking up 19 K and just 4 BB in 21 innings as a professional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6792. <div class="MsoNormal">
6793. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6794. <div class="MsoNormal">
6795. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Hockin
6796. has a four-pitch repertoire that he delivers from a high ¾ arm slot, throwing a
6797. two-seam fastball, slider, changeup and a curveball. The fastball sits in the
6798. 89-91 MPH range and has touched 93. It has nice arm-side run, and scouts agree
6799. that Hockin will pick up a couple of ticks on his fastball as he adds strength
6800. to his 6’4” frame. His slider is above-average and projects as a potential plus
6801. pitch. It’s a hard, biting offering that sits in the low to mid-80’s. His
6802. changeup is his third pitch, and it has nice action down and away from
6803. right-handed hitters, almost like a splitter. Hockin’s curveball is just a show
6804. pitch at this point, and scouts have speculated that he may scrap the curve entirely
6805. in favor of his other three offerings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6806. <div class="MsoNormal">
6807. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6808. <div class="MsoNormal">
6809. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Hockin
6810. is a good athlete with a projectable frame and a nice feel for pitching
6811. considering his age and experience level. He’s a long ways away from the major
6812. leagues, and still has to improve his command and control while refining his
6813. secondary offerings. He’s going to play the entire 2015 season as a 19 year
6814. old, and will remain in extended spring training at least until the
6815. short-season New York-Penn League opens in June. If he shows progress in
6816. Arizona before then, he could be a member of the Scrappers rotation. But
6817. there’s a good chance that he spends all of 2015 in Arizona and then makes his
6818. full-season debut in Lake County in 2016. He’s an intriguing arm with a lot of
6819. upside, but it’s going to be a while before the Indians really know what they
6820. have with Hockin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6821. <div class="MsoNormal">
6822. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6823. <div class="MsoNormal">
6824. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A potential #2/3 starter in a
6825. major league rotation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6826. <div class="MsoNormal">
6827. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">A backend starter or bullpen arm</span></div>
6828. <div class="MsoNormal">
6829. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6830. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6831. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JfEM41KTBOz3SP32CvMwo3jQ5xOBTzcP-p2CKupnc24Qkc4U6YVJAzN81LaFgz4oTUjWQWzyUD7SfLmxhkK_2o3oHildDtPx8jAx0J8COAQqNPmH_yolqP_iMHuhrnNK2jXI/s1600/Anderson+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3JfEM41KTBOz3SP32CvMwo3jQ5xOBTzcP-p2CKupnc24Qkc4U6YVJAzN81LaFgz4oTUjWQWzyUD7SfLmxhkK_2o3oHildDtPx8jAx0J8COAQqNPmH_yolqP_iMHuhrnNK2jXI/s1600/Anderson+(2).JPG" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
6832. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6833. </tbody></table>
6834. <div class="MsoNormal">
6835. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">19.<b> Cody Anderson, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6836. <div class="MsoNormal">
6837. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">9/14/1990<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6838. <div class="MsoNormal">
6839. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6’4”, 220 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6840. <div class="MsoNormal">
6841. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Right/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6842. <div class="MsoNormal">
6843. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">14<sup>th</sup> round pick in the
6844. 2012 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6845. <div class="MsoNormal">
6846. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014 stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">4-11 with a 5.44 ERA, 81 K and 45
6847. BB in 125 2/3 IP for AA Akron<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6848. <div class="MsoNormal">
6849. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6850. <div class="MsoNormal">
6851. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Anderson was the Indians minor
6852. league pitcher of the year in 2013 after he posted a sterling 2.34 ERA and a
6853. 3.16 K/BB ratio in 23 starts for high-A Carolina as a 22-year old. Promoted to
6854. AA Akron for the 2014 season, Anderson couldn’t repeat his success in the more
6855. hitter-friendly Eastern League, more than doubling his ERA to 5.44 and winning
6856. just 4 of his 25 starts. Anderson missed fewer bats and walked more hitters,
6857. gave up more hits, and allowed more HR, all in nearly the same amount of
6858. innings he had thrown in 2014. It was a step back in every way, and it’ll be
6859. interesting to see how the now-24 year old bounces back in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6860. <div class="MsoNormal">
6861. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6862. <div class="MsoNormal">
6863. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Anderson
6864. throws a sinking fastball that sits in the low-90’s with a little arm-side run,
6865. and can touch 95. When he’s locating it down in the zone, he uses it to induce
6866. weak contact and a lot of groundouts. He lost command of the fastball last
6867. year, leaving the ball up in the zone and hittable. He’s never going to be a
6868. big strikeout guy, as he doesn’t have the arm to reach back and throw his
6869. fastball by hitters. If he’s not able to keep it  down, he’s going to get hit hard. Anderson
6870. also throws a slider, curveball and changeup. The slider is his best secondary
6871. pitch, showing nice tilt and depth. It’s the closest thing he has to a true
6872. swing-and-miss offering, but he can’t afford to throw it outside of the zone
6873. when he’s behind in the count. His curveball is a nice change of pace offering
6874. that can change the eye level on hitters, but is still inconsistent and can
6875. sometimes flatten out, getting loose and slurvy. The changeup lags behind his
6876. other pitches, and he tends to telegraph the pitch with his arm speed. It lacks
6877. deception at this stage of his development, and will have to improve if he
6878. wants it to be a legitimate fourth option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6879. <div class="MsoNormal">
6880. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6881. <div class="MsoNormal">
6882. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Anderson
6883. struggled on the mound last year for basically the first time in his life. He’s
6884. been a command and control guy who induced soft contact, but last year his
6885. fastball command deserted him, and everything went downhill from there. Falling
6886. behind hitters early in the count forced Anderson to throw his fastball up in
6887. the zone, and he got hit hard as a result. He allowed 17 HR in 125 innings
6888. after giving up just 16 bombs in 239 innings from 2012-13. If the issue is
6889. mechanical with Anderson, hopefully he and the Indians pitching coaches can
6890. identify and fix it before the 2015 regular season. He has the size and the
6891. stuff to be an innings-eating #3/4 pitcher in a major league rotation, but he’s
6892. not going to get there unless he can regain his command. He’ll be 24 this year
6893. and a member of the Columbus Clippers rotation this year, and needs to prove
6894. that 2014 was just a blip on the radar and not a trend moving forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6895. <div class="MsoNormal">
6896. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6897. <div class="MsoNormal">
6898. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A solid but unspectacular
6899. back-end starter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6900. <div class="MsoNormal">
6901. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A #5 or a swingman out of the
6902. bullpen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6903. <div class="MsoNormal">
6904. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6905. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6906. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG35VBuYSsxXEgCWWRlm1qu4vPn35VnP5BvwvaZs4hfv_df9gwMe7dBNUwQtbMBj2NlGDX6NeSiFEGi8G_RLc_PSDNYuwZv4UT_jE4D8dZo_GDdiNkq92yRG6ykRE-nO3DZ3sH/s1600/Moncrief+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG35VBuYSsxXEgCWWRlm1qu4vPn35VnP5BvwvaZs4hfv_df9gwMe7dBNUwQtbMBj2NlGDX6NeSiFEGi8G_RLc_PSDNYuwZv4UT_jE4D8dZo_GDdiNkq92yRG6ykRE-nO3DZ3sH/s1600/Moncrief+(2).JPG" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
6907. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6908. </tbody></table>
6909. <div class="MsoNormal">
6910. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">18.<b>
6911. Carlos Moncrief, OF<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6912. <div class="MsoNormal">
6913. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">11/3/1988</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6914. <div class="MsoNormal">
6915. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
6916. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 220 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6917. <div class="MsoNormal">
6918. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
6919. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6920. <div class="MsoNormal">
6921. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
6922. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">14<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2008 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6923. <div class="MsoNormal">
6924. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
6925. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.271/.328/.431 with 12 HR and 63 RBI in 132 games
6926. with AAA Columbus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
6927. <div class="MsoNormal">
6928. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6929. <div class="MsoNormal">
6930. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
6931. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The converted pitcher has himself on the cusp of the
6932. major leagues after a solid season with AAA Columbus last year. Moncrief posted
6933. a solid but unspectacular .759 OPS for the Clippers, and that marked the first
6934. season since his move to the outfield that Moncrief didn’t improve on his OPS
6935. from the previous year. He also stole a career-low 8 bases (in a career-low 11
6936. attempts), suggesting that speed may not be a big part of his game at the next
6937. level. His walk-rate dropped and strikeout-rate jumped, and his .328 OBP
6938. represented a career-low in a full-season league. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6939. <div class="MsoNormal">
6940. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6941. <div class="MsoNormal">
6942. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Moncrief has above-average raw power
6943. and an average hit tool. The power won’t play in game to the level it does in
6944. batting practice, but he has enough pop to project 15-20 HR in a full season’s
6945. worth of at-bats. He’s made remarkable progress as a hitter since moving off
6946. the mound in 2010, going from a ~.230 hitter in 2010/11 to a .270 hitter in
6947. 2013/14. He hits lefties almost as well as righties, putting up a .740 OPS
6948. against same-siders and a .770 OPS against righties last year. He’s a patient
6949. hitter with a solid approach, and does a nice job waiting on his pitch and not
6950. chasing outside the zone. He’s at his best when he’s sitting back and taking
6951. the ball to all fields, but generates most of his power from the RF gap to the
6952. foul pole.  <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6953. <div class="MsoNormal">
6954. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6955. <div class="MsoNormal">
6956. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One aspect of Moncrief’s game that did not regress
6957. in 2014 was his defense, as he recorded a career-high 22 outfield assists in
6958. 129 games in the Clippers’ outfield. As you’d expect from a converted pitcher,
6959. Moncrief has a plus arm in the outfield, showing impressive power and carry.
6960. It’s a weapon in the OF, and the arm plus his above-average speed makes
6961. Moncrief an ideal RF. He’s racked up 18 or more OF assists in every season
6962. since 2011, showing that minor league advanced-scouting lags far behind its
6963. major league cousin, as runners just haven’t learned not to test him quite yet.
6964. He’s a solid defender in an outfield corner, but doesn’t really have the chops
6965. to handle CF on more than a fill-in basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6966. <div class="MsoNormal">
6967. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
6968. <div class="MsoNormal">
6969. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Moncrief’s developmental arc is pretty much
6970. complete. He’ll play the 2015 season as a 26-year old, </span></div>
6971. <div class="MsoNormal">
6972. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">and has always been a
6973. little old for his level owing to the two lost seasons that he spent on the
6974. pitcher’s mound. Moncrief has more or less reached a plateau; I don’t see him
6975. making major strides at the plate at this point in his career. He’s ready to
6976. play in Cleveland if the need arises, but is behind James Ramsey in the AAA OF
6977. pecking order. Moncrief could be a decent short-term option, but doesn’t look
6978. like he’s ever going to be a consistent starter at the major league level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
6979. <div class="MsoNormal">
6980. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
6981. <div class="MsoNormal">
6982. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6983. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A solid 4<sup>th</sup> OF</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6984. <div class="MsoNormal">
6985. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
6986. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A career AAA guy with an occasional cup of coffee in
6987. the show</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6988. <div class="MsoNormal">
6989. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
6990. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
6991. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB0YRILCESE9j2Jx9hgCYurGP0CB_0E4Mg_KtB_M5GK5_znfRLXtXyZtoVx3jj7aGzStHr-GZkaSlepPeCsKDpG2js5dKeEcyRZiv_wzjHsgYGUXx7ymtdXsW2VNnKSG3IOuk/s1600/Haase+(3)%2B(800x644).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB0YRILCESE9j2Jx9hgCYurGP0CB_0E4Mg_KtB_M5GK5_znfRLXtXyZtoVx3jj7aGzStHr-GZkaSlepPeCsKDpG2js5dKeEcyRZiv_wzjHsgYGUXx7ymtdXsW2VNnKSG3IOuk/s1600/Haase+(3)%2B(800x644).jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
6992. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
6993. </tbody></table>
6994. <div class="MsoNormal">
6995. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>17.</b> <b>Eric Haase, C<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
6996. <div class="MsoNormal">
6997. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">12/18/1992</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
6998. <div class="MsoNormal">
6999. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7000. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’10”, 180 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7001. <div class="MsoNormal">
7002. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7003. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7004. <div class="MsoNormal">
7005. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7006. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">7<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2011 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7007. <div class="MsoNormal">
7008. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7009. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.255/.338/.514 with 17 HR and 48 RBI in 93 games
7010. between low-A Lake County and High-A Carolina</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7011. <div class="MsoNormal">
7012. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7013. <div class="MsoNormal">
7014. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7015. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Selected in the 7th round of the 2011 draft, the man
7016. who was named Michigan’s “Mr. Baseball” as a high school senior was wooed away
7017. from his commitment to The Ohio State University with an over-slot $580,000
7018. signing bonus. Haase has moved slowly through the system, repeating low-A Lake
7019. County for much of the 2014 season. He popped 16 HR in 77 games with the
7020. Captains last year, posting a .852 OPS. He was called up to the high-A Carolina
7021. Mudcats to finish out the season, and struggled to the tune of a .535 OPS in 16
7022. Carolina League games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7023. <div class="MsoNormal">
7024. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7025. <div class="MsoNormal">
7026. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Haase has above-average power and an
7027. average hit tool. His opposite-field power in particular is impressive for a
7028. player with his experience, something that Haase says came from pitchers trying
7029. to work around him when he was in high school. Haase had to learn to hit the
7030. ball where it was pitched, because it was a rare occurrence for him to see
7031. something on the inner half as a prep player in Michigan. He has quick, strong
7032. hands and can let the ball travel deep into the hitting zone before deciding
7033. whether or not to swing, and does a nice job staying inside the baseball and
7034. using all fields. He’s a career .254 hitter in 950 minor league plate
7035. appearances, with a .456 SLG (34 HR). If he can continue to refine and improve
7036. his hit tool, his raw power will play at a higher level and Haase could be a
7037. solid offensive performer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7038. <div class="MsoNormal">
7039. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7040. <div class="MsoNormal">
7041. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Haase has the tools to be a solid
7042. catcher. He has good feet and moves well behind the plate. He allowed 20 passed
7043. balls in 755 chances last year, an improvement on the 12 PB in 582 chances in
7044. 2013. His caught stealing % went down in 2014, as he threw out 35 of 116
7045. would-be basestealers (30%), down from 36 % in 2013. His pop times are pretty
7046. consistently in the 2.0-2.2 second range, and needs to get that more towards
7047. 1.8-2.0. His arm is plenty strong enough to get down to that range, he just has
7048. to continue to refine and clean up his actions and footwork in order to shave
7049. those precious tenths of a second off of his throws to 2B. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7050. <div class="MsoNormal">
7051. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7052. <div class="MsoNormal">
7053. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Haase struggled in his Carolina League debut last
7054. year, but 16 games is hardly a large enough sample size to make a legitimate
7055. judgment. He’ll start off back in Lynchburg in 2015, and as a 22-year old
7056. catcher is still on schedule for his rise through the organization. Catchers
7057. tend to develop more slowly than other positions around the diamond, and Haase
7058. is going to be a level at a time guy throughout his career. He’s a better prospect
7059. than his numbers indicate, and one of those guys in the organization that I’m
7060. probably higher on than most. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7061. <div class="MsoNormal">
7062. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7063. <div class="MsoNormal">
7064. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7065. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An offense-oriented starting catcher</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7066. <div class="MsoNormal">
7067. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7068. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An offense-oriented backup catcher</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7069. <div class="MsoNormal">
7070. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7071. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7072. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3KT2fpgZPTNujYQUv3YPPu5TJY-LbeqF220ct3nxUxMFgTgTp-Df6MSAn99BK0px2-RGzbWNLBgQpg5P-qYZBgyngxIqw6F5j8i3RALNJ0cdNkp3dLtq3HshI3uyhnBs9pHn/s1600/Baker+(3)%2B(664x800).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3KT2fpgZPTNujYQUv3YPPu5TJY-LbeqF220ct3nxUxMFgTgTp-Df6MSAn99BK0px2-RGzbWNLBgQpg5P-qYZBgyngxIqw6F5j8i3RALNJ0cdNkp3dLtq3HshI3uyhnBs9pHn/s1600/Baker+(3)%2B(664x800).jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
7073. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7074. </tbody></table>
7075. <div class="MsoNormal">
7076. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">16.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Dylan Baker, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7077. <div class="MsoNormal">
7078. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">4/6/1992</span></div>
7079. <div class="MsoNormal">
7080. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7081. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’2”, 215 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7082. <div class="MsoNormal">
7083. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7084. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7085. <div class="MsoNormal">
7086. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7087. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7088. <div class="MsoNormal">
7089. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7090. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3-3 with a 4.05 ERA, 28 K and 18 BB in 46 2/3 IP for
7091. high-A Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7092. <div class="MsoNormal">
7093. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7094. <div class="MsoNormal">
7095. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7096. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Baker got off to a hot start in 2014, throwing six
7097. perfect innings in his first outing of the season on April 8. I was lucky
7098. enough to be in attendance for that game in Frederick, and Baker was (as you’d
7099. expect) extremely impressive. He had all three of his pitches working, was
7100. spotting the ball extremely well throughout the strike zone, and had the Keys
7101. hitters flailing at his breaking ball. I came away from that game extremely
7102. impressed with the young righthander, and fully expected that he’d move up to
7103. Akron before the end of the season. Unfortunately, Baker broke his right ankle
7104. before his next start and didn’t appear in another full-season game until July
7105. 21 when he made it back to Carolina. It was a wasted summer for Baker, but he
7106. was at least able to get back on the mound for the last month+ of the season,
7107. and then got some innings in with the Arizona Fall League in an attempt to make
7108. up for lost time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7109. <div class="MsoNormal">
7110. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7111. <div class="MsoNormal">
7112. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When he is on the mound, Baker throws a fastball,
7113. curveball and changeup. The fastball sits consistently between 91-94, and can
7114. touch 97. The pitch has nice natural sink to it, and Baker uses it more to
7115. induce weak contact than as a true swing-and-miss offering. He does
7116. occasionally like to change the eye-level on a hitter and pump a high fastball
7117. by him after setting him up with fastballs down in the zone early in the count.
7118. His primary secondary offering is the power curve, a pitch that is still a
7119. little inconsistent but can flash plus. It’s a sharp offering with nice
7120. two-plane break, and I’ve seen it make a couple of hitters look awfully
7121. foolish. It can also get loose and slurvy, hanging up in the zone and hittable.
7122. In addition to the curveball, Baker is developing a changeup that’s a work in
7123. progress and not yet a reliable offering. The development of that third pitch
7124. is make or break Baker as a starter. He won’t be able to pitch deep into games
7125. without it, even if he does have two above-average to plus offerings in the
7126. fastball and curveball. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7127. <div class="MsoNormal">
7128. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7129. <div class="MsoNormal">
7130. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right now, Baker needs innings more than anything
7131. else. He turns 23 two days before the minor league season opens, and because of
7132. the injury last year he’s thrown fewer than 200 professional innings outside of
7133. the complex league. There should still be plenty of life left in his arm, as he
7134. didn’t exactly wear it down in while in high school up in Juneau, Alaska. Innings
7135. will help Baker improve his secondary offerings, and the Indians are going to
7136. keep him in the rotation until he proves he can’t make it there. If he
7137. continues to improve and refine the curveball and (especially) the changeup,
7138. Baker could turn into a solid middle of the rotation starter. If not, he could
7139. be an effective two-pitch pitcher out of a major league bullpen. Either way,
7140. it’ll be good to see Baker back healthy and on the mound again. He’ll likely
7141. open back in high-A with Lynchburg, but expect him to see time with AA Akron no
7142. later than July.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7143. <div class="MsoNormal">
7144. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7145. <div class="MsoNormal">
7146. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7147. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A solid #3/4 starter in a major league rotation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7148. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;&quot;&gt;Glass half-empty: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;&quot;&gt;A two-pitch late inning reliever&lt;/span&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/1172512055331669200/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=1172512055331669200&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1172512055331669200'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1172512055331669200'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/indians-prospect-countdown-20-16.html' title='Indians Prospect Countdown: #20-16'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRB1hOq7o70eUQKEH_vPf1FRpkWuV1x-EtfoWg8ZX12-fGdzAoPMyBt99487Q550U41bqgyoEtAqyTI3xn2_cWPLamTPnkNbnZQXXgjbAXTwpzhwGwF_ZX3oUm7saVzjkWFrVp/s72-c/hockin.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-107579374099575601</id><published>2015-03-02T11:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-02T16:29:42.773-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Indians Prospect Countdown: #25-21</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
7149. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHWejPmY53HNmREKhYw27yXjhjtVIpuedJycOdTXAGySPBEI9eQDqzMsQ2wzOVkM4pGcgSzaryHdnj1oqxYo3FieIfrwNjeh9M9SS3b6ptBRrSvn86paelz3MkWq7gy9LL_xl/s1600/Morimando+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHWejPmY53HNmREKhYw27yXjhjtVIpuedJycOdTXAGySPBEI9eQDqzMsQ2wzOVkM4pGcgSzaryHdnj1oqxYo3FieIfrwNjeh9M9SS3b6ptBRrSvn86paelz3MkWq7gy9LL_xl/s1600/Morimando+(2).JPG" height="289" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
7150. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7151. </tbody></table>
7152. <div class="MsoNormal">
7153. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">25. Shawn Morimando, LHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
7154. <div class="MsoNormal">
7155. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">11/20/1992</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7156. <div class="MsoNormal">
7157. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7158. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’11”, 195 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7159. <div class="MsoNormal">
7160. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7161. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7162. <div class="MsoNormal">
7163. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7164. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">19<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2011 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7165. <div class="MsoNormal">
7166. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7167. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">10-9 with a 3.31 ERA, 108 K and 52 BB in 152 1/3 IP
7168. between high-A Carolina and AA Akron<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7169. <div class="MsoNormal">
7170. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7171. <div class="MsoNormal">
7172. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7173. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Morimando pitched all of 2013 with high-A Carolina,
7174. going 8-13 with a 3.73 ERA, 102 K and 76 BB. Command was an issue for
7175. Morimando, as he was unable to pitch deep into games owing to the walks and
7176. associated high pitch counts. Morimando went down to instructs following the
7177. 2013 season with one goal; improve his command so he could limit those walks.
7178. The Indians staff worked with him to identify an issue in which Morimando would
7179. fall off to the side of the mound in his follow-through, effecting his ability
7180. to command his fastball to both sides of the plate and making his delivery less
7181. repeatable than it otherwise could be. Morimando worked to fix that flaw, and
7182. it was reflected in his 2014 performance. Back in Carolina to start the year,
7183. Morimando went 8-3 in 18 starts with an even 3.00 ERA. More importantly, he cut
7184. his walk rate dramatically, issuing just 35 free passes in 96 innings of work.
7185. Promoted to AA Akron for good in July, Morimando went 2-6 with a 3.83 ERA in 10
7186. Eastern League starts, walking 17 and racking up 38 K in 56 1/3 IP. Morimando’s
7187. K/BB rate jumped from 1.34 in 2013 to 2.08 in 2014 despite his overall K rate
7188. falling, as he learned to pitch more effectively in the zone and limit the
7189. damage caused by all the walks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7190. <div class="MsoNormal">
7191. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7192. <div class="MsoNormal">
7193. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Morimando throws a fastball, slider, curveball and
7194. changeup. The fastball sits between 89-92 MPH and can touch 94. It has nice
7195. arm-side run and sink from his ¾ delivery, and he uses it early in the count to
7196. both sides of the plate. The slider is his best secondary offering, as it sits
7197. in the mid-80’s and looks like the fastball coming out of his hand. It has
7198. sharp, late life across the zone, and it’s Morimando’s out pitch, particularly
7199. against southpaws. His curveball is still a little loose, but projects as at
7200. least an average pitch. His changeup has nice fade down and out of the zone,
7201. but he can get into trouble if it stays up. It’s a deep arsenal that should
7202. allow Morimando to turn over a lineup several times and pitch deep into games,
7203. as he can vary his sequencing to give hitters different looks each time up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7204. <div class="MsoNormal">
7205. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7206. <div class="MsoNormal">
7207. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Morimando is a good athlete with a feel for
7208. pitching. He did a much better job in 2014 trusting his stuff and getting ahead
7209. of hitters early in the count. Being able to trust his fastball location and
7210. spot it to both sides of the plate was a big step for him. He’s going to pitch
7211. the entire 2015 season as a 22-year old, and is ahead of the developmental
7212. curve having already pitched over 50 innings in AA. He’ll likely be back in
7213. Akron to begin the 2015 season, and depending on how things shake out in front
7214. of him, could be in line for a AAA look before the year is up. He doesn’t have
7215. front of the rotation potential, but could be a valuable innings-eating lefty
7216. even as a #4.   </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7217. <div class="MsoNormal">
7218. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7219. <div class="MsoNormal">
7220. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7221. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A solid back of the rotation starter</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7222. <div class="MsoNormal">
7223. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7224. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A swingman out of the bullpen</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7225. <div class="MsoNormal">
7226. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7227. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
7228. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-t-XVDFMuiCdH1sVt2ZXMs9T4Ck8oDpB6ZwK-X4P7TkkkAvWb0lYIFWXBBi7q-kTUZ0wuTTf35Jd7HxjBHoaq4KMANvTzOO4_mX4OMyyZHu7kipC7qNCxgMZ5xEePHVHjNG/s1600/Brady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQ-t-XVDFMuiCdH1sVt2ZXMs9T4Ck8oDpB6ZwK-X4P7TkkkAvWb0lYIFWXBBi7q-kTUZ0wuTTf35Jd7HxjBHoaq4KMANvTzOO4_mX4OMyyZHu7kipC7qNCxgMZ5xEePHVHjNG/s1600/Brady.jpg" /></a></div>
7229. <div class="MsoNormal">
7230. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">24. Sean Brady, LHP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
7231. <div class="MsoNormal">
7232. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6/9/1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7233. <div class="MsoNormal">
7234. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7235. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 175 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7236. <div class="MsoNormal">
7237. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7238. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7239. <div class="MsoNormal">
7240. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7241. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2013 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7242. <div class="MsoNormal">
7243. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7244. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2-5 with a 3.18 ERA, 46 K and 29 BB in 73 2/3 IP
7245. between short-season Mahoning Valley and low-A Lake County<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7246. <div class="MsoNormal">
7247. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7248. <div class="MsoNormal">
7249. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7250. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Selected in the 5<sup>th</sup> round out of a Florida
7251. high school, Brady turned down a scholarship to the University of Florida and
7252. signed with the Indians in 2013 for a over-slot $800,000 bonus. The
7253. almost-Gator made an impressive but brief pro debut in 2013, striking out just
7254. under a batter per inning in the complex leagues and posting a 1.97 ERA in 30 IP.
7255. Brady was held in extended spring training last year and assigned to the
7256. short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers in June. He made 14 starts for the
7257. Scrappers, going 2-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 71 IP. His strikeout rate fell off last
7258. year, as Brady punched out just 44 hitters in the NYPL, good for a 5.6 K/9
7259. rate. Brady was bumped up to low-A Lake County for his final start of the
7260. season on September 1, and got lit up by the Dayton Dragons. He took the loss,
7261. allowing 6 runs (4 ER) in just 2 2/3’s IP. It was a solid season for the
7262. 20-year old southpaw, and he’ll be looking to build on that success here in
7263. 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7264. <div class="MsoNormal">
7265. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7266. <div class="MsoNormal">
7267. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Brady throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. The
7268. fastball sits in the low-90’s, touching as high as 94. It has nice arm-side
7269. run, as Brady works from a ¾ arm slot. He does a nice job spotting the pitch to
7270. both sides of the plate, and works well in the strike zone to induce weak
7271. contact. He compliments the fastball with a changeup and curve, both pitches
7272. that project to be at least average at the next level. The curveball already
7273. flashes plus, with nice, tight break. It can get a little loose at times, and
7274. it’s one thing Brady is working on as he moves up the minor league ladder.
7275. Brady’s changeup has nice fade, and should give him a legitimate third offering
7276. and remain in the starting rotation for the long haul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7277. <div class="MsoNormal">
7278. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7279. <div class="MsoNormal">
7280. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Brady is a good athlete and has clean, repeatable
7281. mechanics on the mound. His command is one of his greatest strengths right now,
7282. and being able to spot his pitches helps him get by without an overpowering
7283. fastball. One issue for Brady moving forward is his platoon splits; righties
7284. had a .724 OPS against him in 2014, as opposed to just a .615 OPS against
7285. left-handed hitters. I’d like to see Brady add a cutter to his arsenal, as it
7286. would give him another weapon to attack righties. Brady should open the season
7287. in the rotation for the Lake County Captains, and it’ll be interesting to see
7288. if he’s been able to add some strength to his frame this offseason. If he can
7289. pick up a tick or two on his fastball, he could be 10-15 spots higher on this
7290. list come next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7291. <div class="MsoNormal">
7292. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7293. <div class="MsoNormal">
7294. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7295. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A back of the rotation starter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7296. <div class="MsoNormal">
7297. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7298. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A versatile swing lefty out of the bullpen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7299. <div class="MsoNormal">
7300. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7301. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7302. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6sGrgHvOewxvKtLll1tQ0wmCzBrEByhlwbyBrIbwGwwHe_FHpDiCPnPveTDQQro-pfsbScBWxf2G0LYCOWqoEjEBZdmA_9riiZt9-ypAzHNM8wVJJ1pAq9fte1CsUF8knJXz/s1600/Castro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6sGrgHvOewxvKtLll1tQ0wmCzBrEByhlwbyBrIbwGwwHe_FHpDiCPnPveTDQQro-pfsbScBWxf2G0LYCOWqoEjEBZdmA_9riiZt9-ypAzHNM8wVJJ1pAq9fte1CsUF8knJXz/s1600/Castro.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
7303. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Baseball America</td></tr>
7304. </tbody></table>
7305. <div class="MsoNormal">
7306. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">23. Willi Castro, INF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
7307. <div class="MsoNormal">
7308. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4/24/1997</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7309. <div class="MsoNormal">
7310. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7311. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’1”, 165 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7312. <div class="MsoNormal">
7313. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7314. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Switch/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7315. <div class="MsoNormal">
7316. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7317. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent signed in 2014</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7318. <div class="MsoNormal">
7319. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7320. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.239/.258/.348 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 43 games with
7321. the Rookie League Arizona Indians<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7322. <div class="MsoNormal">
7323. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7324. <div class="MsoNormal">
7325. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7326. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Castro signed with the Indians in 2013 out of the
7327. Dominican Republic. The Indians gave the then-16 year old an $825,000 bonus,
7328. making him their 2nd highest-paid international signing in that class. Castro
7329. is extremely raw right now, as you’d expect for a player who would normally be
7330. complaining about having to take Calculus his senior year of high school. But
7331. Castro was born outside the US and Puerto Rico, so instead of worrying about
7332. prom, he’s worrying about 95 MPH fastballs in spring training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7333. <div class="MsoNormal">
7334. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7335. <div class="MsoNormal">
7336. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Castro has a nice collection of tools, including a
7337. short, compact swing from both sides of the plate. He has surprising present
7338. pop for his size and age, and that should continue to mature as he adds
7339. strength to his 6’1” frame. The Indians challenged him with an assignment to
7340. the Arizona League last year, a league that typically features mostly recent
7341. college and high school draftees. Castro held his own, recording 10 XBH and
7342. stealing 9 bases in 13 attempts. His approach is predictably raw, as he walked
7343. just 6 times against 33 strikeouts. Castro is going to be challenged with the
7344. advanced offspeed stuff that he’s starting to see, and is going to have to
7345. improve on his fastball-hungry approach. The sooner he can recognize and track
7346. spin, the sooner he’ll be able to move up the organizational ladder to a
7347. full-season league.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7348. <div class="MsoNormal">
7349. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7350. <div class="MsoNormal">
7351. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Castro is a very good athlete with a slick glove. He
7352. projects well to SS right now, but could eventually grow off the position
7353. depending on how much bulk he adds. He has excellent present range and an
7354. average arm, and if he does eventually have to move off of SS he should have no
7355. problem at 2B or 3B. He’s a good instinctual fielder with clean actions in the
7356. infield. Castro appeared in 29 games at 2B and 15 at SS last year in the
7357. complex leagues, committing a total of 9 errors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7358. <div class="MsoNormal">
7359. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Castro should open 2015 back in extended spring training,
7360. but there’s a chance the Indians move him to Mahoning Valley when the New
7361. York-Penn League starts up in June. It’d be an aggressive assignment, but he
7362. does turn 18 in April. Castro has more room between his current and future
7363. tools than anyone else on this list, and it’ll be interesting to see where he
7364. is physically in 2015. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7365. <div class="MsoNormal">
7366. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7367. <div class="MsoNormal">
7368. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7369. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He’s 17. Give it a couple of years</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7370. <div class="MsoNormal">
7371. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7372. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Seriously, he’s 17. Ask me again in 2017. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7373. <div class="MsoNormal">
7374. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7375. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
7376. </div>
7377. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7378. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXR3pfRlXvlN5Ma3BkvXkVvHK48n44vmMGvmda3hSoHtrRduE2iLwZ5PXirrOhyphenhyphen5_sgZ30UOYN33bdJrvUSedpf4BPRu4srlOiwprOG16AK8Dsiihq8hRWN9Qm9LUGN_zpkQG/s1600/Armstrong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXR3pfRlXvlN5Ma3BkvXkVvHK48n44vmMGvmda3hSoHtrRduE2iLwZ5PXirrOhyphenhyphen5_sgZ30UOYN33bdJrvUSedpf4BPRu4srlOiwprOG16AK8Dsiihq8hRWN9Qm9LUGN_zpkQG/s1600/Armstrong.JPG" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
7379. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7380. </tbody></table>
7381. <div class="MsoNormal">
7382. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">22.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Shawn Armstrong, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7383. <div class="MsoNormal">
7384. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">09/11/1990</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7385. <div class="MsoNormal">
7386. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7387. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’2”, 210 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7388. <div class="MsoNormal">
7389. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7390. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7391. <div class="MsoNormal">
7392. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7393. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">18<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2011 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7394. <div class="MsoNormal">
7395. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7396. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6-2 with a 2.41 ERA, 15 saves, 72 K and 22 BB in 56
7397. innings of work between AA Akron and AAA Columbus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7398. <div class="MsoNormal">
7399. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7400. <div class="MsoNormal">
7401. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7402. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Armstrong has been one of the highest-ceiling
7403. bullpen arms in the Indians organization for the past few years. In 2013, he
7404. took a step backwards in terms of command, walking 31 batters in 48 1/3 IP. He
7405. cut down on the walks in 2014, but maintained a sky-high 11.6 K/9 strikeout
7406. rate. For his career, Armstrong has racked up an impressive 219 strikeouts in
7407. just 143 innings of work. The 11 K/9 strikeout rate has the 24-year old on the
7408. cusp of a major league bullpen slot, as he ascended to AAA Columbus last year
7409. to bring his developmental curve near a finish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7410. <div class="MsoNormal">
7411. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7412. <div class="MsoNormal">
7413. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Armstrong is pretty simple as pitchers go; he throws
7414. a fastball, a cut fastball, and a breaking ball. He doesn’t nibble, but attacks
7415. hitters early in the count and dares them to try and put the ball in play. His
7416. fastball sits consistently in the mid-90s, and can touch as high as 98. The
7417. pitch has a lot of life, and plays up due to the deception in his delivery. He
7418. compliments the fastball with a wipeout slider with impressive tilt, a
7419. particularly devastating weapon against righties. The cutter is still a work in
7420. progress, but it’s a nice third pitch that Armstrong can use to attack hitters.
7421. It’s a textbook back-end bullpen arsenal, one that is simple but extremely
7422. effective when Armstrong is working in the strike zone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7423. <div class="MsoNormal">
7424. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7425. <div class="MsoNormal">
7426. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Part of Armstrong’s command issues lie in his
7427. delivery, a violent and deceptive motion that can be difficult to repeat on a
7428. consistent basis. It’s a bit of a catch-22, because Armstrong’s delivery both
7429. holds back his command and helps make him more deceptive to hitters. He can
7430. afford to walk more than most because he’s so effective at missing bats and
7431. allows so few hits, but walks have a way of turning into runs at the big league
7432. level. Armstrong is also a little more susceptible to lefties than righties,
7433. allowing southpaws to hit .259 against him in 2014 as opposed to just a .179
7434. average for same-siders. If he can continue to shore up his command and find a
7435. way to get lefties out with more consistency, Armstrong could be a weapon in
7436. the back end of a major league bullpen.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7437. <div class="MsoNormal">
7438. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7439. <div class="MsoNormal">
7440. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7441. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A closer or dominant set-up man</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7442. <div class="MsoNormal">
7443. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7444. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An effective late-inning arm against right-handed
7445. batters</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7446. <div class="MsoNormal">
7447. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7448. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7449. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkRwFEv9kViuhwDy-ZLmkgNoY06JdwtFsNkOGQ1NvQRgnRVK2LfuWBu6x5Yd9MgT4SADjobJOjTk9LWjQRlTFlw1xedFLdc3Wsw9crrI5BqvivzzJDyUdVz8uCI4hIhCq8WIF/s1600/Lugo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkRwFEv9kViuhwDy-ZLmkgNoY06JdwtFsNkOGQ1NvQRgnRVK2LfuWBu6x5Yd9MgT4SADjobJOjTk9LWjQRlTFlw1xedFLdc3Wsw9crrI5BqvivzzJDyUdVz8uCI4hIhCq8WIF/s1600/Lugo+(2).JPG" height="295" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
7450. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7451. </tbody></table>
7452. <div class="MsoNormal">
7453. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>21.
7454. Luis Lugo, LHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7455. <div class="MsoNormal">
7456. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3/5/1994<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7457. <div class="MsoNormal">
7458. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7459. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’5”, 200 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7460. <div class="MsoNormal">
7461. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7462. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7463. <div class="MsoNormal">
7464. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7465. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent signed in 2010<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7466. <div class="MsoNormal">
7467. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7468. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">10-9 with a 4.92 ERA, 146 K and 40 BB in 126 1/3 IP
7469. for low-A Lake County<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7470. <div class="MsoNormal">
7471. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7472. <div class="MsoNormal">
7473. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7474. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Slowly but surely, the Indians are removing the
7475. training wheels from Luis Lugo. Originally signed as a 16-year old in 2010 out
7476. of Venezuela, the big lefty’s previous career high in IP 2as 64 2/3’s back in
7477. 2013. Lugo nearly doubled that last year, and turned in an impressive season in
7478. the low-A Midwest League. He struck out 10.4 batters per 9 IP with a 3.65 K/BB
7479. ratio with the Captains, and most importantly he remained healthy and in the
7480. rotation for the entire season. It looked as though Lugo was tiring in July of
7481. last year, as he went 0-3 with a 9.12 ERA in 6 starts. But he bounced back in
7482. August to close the season with the best month of his career, going 5-0 in 6 starts
7483. with a 2.14 ERA and 29/5 K/BB in 33 2/3’s innings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7484. <div class="MsoNormal">
7485. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7486. <div class="MsoNormal">
7487. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lugo throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. The
7488. fastball sits in the 89-93 MPH range, and should continue to improve as Lugo
7489. adds strength to his 6’5” frame. He’s made strides in fastball command over the
7490. past few years, lowering his walk rate and showcasing an ability to spot the
7491. pitch within the strike zone. Lugo’s curveball is a potential plus pitch, a
7492. hammer that is a real swing and miss offering. His changeup offers a weapon to
7493. use against righties, and has shown a lot of improvement from 2013 to now. Lugo
7494. actually had reverse-splits on the mound last year, holding righties to a
7495. .237/.300/.367 line (in 379 AB) while lefties managed to hit .315/.361/.593 off
7496. of him (108 AB). If he can develop a cutter or a slider to use against
7497. southpaws, Lugo could go from a good pitching prospect to an elite one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7498. <div class="MsoNormal">
7499. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7500. <div class="MsoNormal">
7501. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lugo will pitch the 2015 season as a 21-year old,
7502. and should pitch under normal restrictions for a prospect. He should open in
7503. the high-A Lynchburg rotation, and is on-track for a major league look as soon
7504. as 2017. With his size and command, Lugo has as high of a ceiling as any
7505. starting pitching prospect in the organization despite being far from the major
7506. leagues. I’m a lot more comfortable projecting a future in the rotation this
7507. year than I was last season, as Lugo was able to replicate his short-season
7508. success in the Midwest League, keeping his walk rate down and his strikeout
7509. rate up despite the jump in competition. If he can repeat that trick in the
7510. Carolina League this year, we’re going to be talking about him as a top-10 guy
7511. in the org next offseason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7512. <div class="MsoNormal">
7513. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7514. <div class="MsoNormal">
7515. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7516. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #2/3 starter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7517. <br />
7518. <div class="MsoNormal">
7519. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7520. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A backend starter or relief arm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7521. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/107579374099575601/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=107579374099575601&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/107579374099575601'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/107579374099575601'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/prospect-countdown-25-21.html' title='Indians Prospect Countdown: #25-21'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHWejPmY53HNmREKhYw27yXjhjtVIpuedJycOdTXAGySPBEI9eQDqzMsQ2wzOVkM4pGcgSzaryHdnj1oqxYo3FieIfrwNjeh9M9SS3b6ptBRrSvn86paelz3MkWq7gy9LL_xl/s72-c/Morimando+(2).JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-4786132516749194631</id><published>2015-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-03-01T07:00:04.138-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Prospecting on a Lazy Sunday: Intro and #30-26</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
7522. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro6MFhjrlGaj5-RCUy1y5uuqfoA8-q9BZSBj1ftQdjLI5JS32Z9WrQxLmth40nBmId-fdsd0XQglvI8REjirr5eIcX4TqafhiTKKrlQySqSOX_Nva4QQCkY2cCmzAEQTaToow/s1600/Amigos+(800x496).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro6MFhjrlGaj5-RCUy1y5uuqfoA8-q9BZSBj1ftQdjLI5JS32Z9WrQxLmth40nBmId-fdsd0XQglvI8REjirr5eIcX4TqafhiTKKrlQySqSOX_Nva4QQCkY2cCmzAEQTaToow/s1600/Amigos+(800x496).jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
7523. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7524. </tbody></table>
7525. <div class="MsoNormal">
7526. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It’s finally that time of year again. Spring
7527. training is underway in earnest, players are in the Best Shape of their Lives™,
7528. and my prospect countdown is finally ready for press. As always, it’s a massive
7529. labor of love that I’m going to remember much more fondly now that it’s done. I
7530. put a ton of work into this every year, and hopefully you enjoy reading it as
7531. much as I enjoy writing it. I’m publishing the countdown with a bit of a heavy
7532. heart this year, as 2015 is going to be the first year this decade that I’m not
7533. making my usual pilgrimage to Goodyear for spring training. A combination of
7534. work schedule and other factors outside of my control conspired against me this
7535. spring, and I’m hoping to restart the tradition in the spring of 2016. So I’m
7536. living vicariously through those of you who are headed for the sunny skies of
7537. Arizona, and anxiously planning my minor league schedule for this season. I’m
7538. going to get to see Lynchburg (the Indians new high-A Carolina League
7539. affiliate) for opening day as they take on Lucas Giolio and the Potomac
7540. Nationals, so that takes a little of the sting out of missing Arizona.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7541. <div class="MsoNormal">
7542. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7543. <div class="MsoNormal">
7544. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Indians have a solid system with some high-end
7545. talent and nice depth. There are 20-25 players who have major league futures,
7546. and there are a couple of potential all-stars as well. Four 2014 draftees made
7547. the list, with another coming in on the “just missed” section. The 2014 draft
7548. was extremely well-regarded throughout the baseball community, as independent
7549. talent evaluators like ESPN’s Keith Law ranked the Indians as having the best
7550. draft in baseball last year. It was a nice influx of talent, and the Indians
7551. made the most of their two extra picks (one as compensation for losing Ubaldo
7552. Jimenez and one awarded through the competitive balance lottery). When you account
7553. for the recent graduations of players like Jose Ramirez, Trevor Bauer, Danny
7554. Salazar and T.J. House, it’s easy to be encouraged by the Indians collection of
7555. young talent across the entire organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7556. <div class="MsoNormal">
7557. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7558. <div class="MsoNormal">
7559. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As you’re going to see over the next week, the Indians
7560. are stocked with up the middle talent. The top four players (and six of the top
7561. ten) in the organization play in the center of the diamond, whether it’s at SS,
7562. CF or behind the plate. It’s a lot easier to move a player from an up the
7563. middle position to a corner than the other way around, so that’s an encouraging
7564. aspect of the system. The Indians are still short on impact SP talent, as only
7565. two of the top ten players on my list are starting pitchers. There are a slew
7566. of arms in the back-half of the list, guys who are either too young to project
7567. into the rotation or who’s stuff still leaves questions as to their future
7568. role. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7569. <div class="MsoNormal">
7570. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7571. <div class="MsoNormal">
7572. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One new rule for this year’s list; no one with major
7573. league experience is going to appear in my countdown. Usually, I’d include players
7574. who remain under the Rookie of the Year thresholds (50 IP/130 AB) here, but I
7575. decided not to spend my time writing up guys you’ve already seen for yourself.
7576. The way I see it, you don’t need me to tell you that Austin Adams is a
7577. potential impact bullpen arm, or that Roberto Perez is an incredible defender
7578. who can also stick a little. You’ve already seen those guys perform in
7579. Cleveland, and are likely to see them again very soon in 2015. I’d much rather
7580. spend time telling you about guys like Dylan Baker, Eric Haase and Tony
7581. Wolters. Players who you probably haven’t seen too much of, but that I’ve seen
7582. play several times and can hopefully offer some interesting and valuable
7583. insight into. If you really want to hear what I think about Roberto Perez, you
7584. can check out last year’s list, or read through my twitter feed (hint: I love
7585. him). There will be none of my ranting about how Jesus Aguilar still can’t hit
7586. (or lay off) sliders in the dirt, at least not in this countdown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7587. <div class="MsoNormal">
7588. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7589. <div class="MsoNormal">
7590. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I kept the list to 30 this year, but there are
7591. plenty of other players in the Indians system that are worth watching. They’re
7592. going to run five at a time starting today, so we’ll wrap it up this Friday. But
7593. before we get into our first installment, here are some other guys in the org I
7594. like or are still worth keeping an eye on this year but didn’t write up. Call
7595. it the “just missed” list(in no particular order): Sam Hentges, Jordan Cooper,
7596. Jordan Smith, Dace Kime, Bryson Myles, Jeff Johnson, Joe Colon and Trey Haley. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7597. <div class="MsoNormal">
7598. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7599. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7600. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxnPqQGLXMcqKO_BY13i86HzKwSZ1pJ8yLbir06UyV89R3pxHyRMlac_ch8RugHs8KMhMOLSID1BF0_fQTdZF1S0ILo2t-r9XxvCXH0P1hUJUBMgiRq6i0-QF3FmQl8tyc5nC/s1600/Lovegrove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxnPqQGLXMcqKO_BY13i86HzKwSZ1pJ8yLbir06UyV89R3pxHyRMlac_ch8RugHs8KMhMOLSID1BF0_fQTdZF1S0ILo2t-r9XxvCXH0P1hUJUBMgiRq6i0-QF3FmQl8tyc5nC/s1600/Lovegrove.JPG" height="320" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
7601. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7602. </tbody></table>
7603. <div class="MsoNormal">
7604. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">30.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <b>Kieran Lovegrove, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7605. <div class="MsoNormal">
7606. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">7/28/1994</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7607. <div class="MsoNormal">
7608. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7609. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’4”, 185 lb. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7610. <div class="MsoNormal">
7611. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7612. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7613. <div class="MsoNormal">
7614. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7615. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">3<sup>rd</sup> round pick in the 2012 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7616. <div class="MsoNormal">
7617. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7618. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2-2 with a 3.90 ERA, 14 K and 23 BB in 30 IP for the
7619. short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7620. <div class="MsoNormal">
7621. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7622. <div class="MsoNormal">
7623. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7624. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lovegrove got off to a slow start last year, being
7625. held down in extended spring training after coming down with a case of the yips
7626. in March of 2014. Lovegrove went through a month or so where he simply had no
7627. idea where his fastball was going, a nightmare scenario for any pitcher. It was
7628. more of a mental issue than a physical one, and Lovegrove was able to work
7629. through it in Arizona and make his way to Mahoning Valley as a member of the
7630. Scrappers rotation. Once in the NYPL, Lovegrove’s season was a tale of two
7631. months. In June, he struggled again with his control and had a 10.38 ERA in his
7632. three starts, walking 10 batters in just 8 2/3’s innings. July was a different
7633. story, as Lovegrove posted a 1.27 ERA in 5 starts, walking “just” 13 in 21 1/3
7634. innings with 12 strikeouts. It was a roller-coaster year for the young righty
7635. from South Africa, and Lovegrove is going to need to be much more consistent in
7636. 2015. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7637. <div class="MsoNormal">
7638. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7639. <div class="MsoNormal">
7640. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On the mound, Lovegrove throws a fastball, slider
7641. and changeup. The fastball sits in the 91-94 MPH range and can touch 97. Since
7642. signing with the Indians, Lovegrove has really worked to leverage his lower half
7643. better, and it’s helped him add several ticks on his fastball from where it was
7644. in high school. The mechanical tweaks could also be what’s holding back his
7645. command, as it generally takes some time to get used to alterations in a
7646. pitcher’s motion and build back the muscle memory needed to repeat his delivery
7647. consistently. The slider is Lovegrove’s best offspeed pitch, flashing plus and
7648. showing sharp, late life. Lovegrove has really concentrated on developing his
7649. changeup over the past two seasons, and the pitch has shown a great deal of
7650. development. Lovegrove was actually throwing his changeup and slider last
7651. season when his fastball command deserted him, which is the inverse of how
7652. young pitchers usually develop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7653. <div class="MsoNormal">
7654. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7655. <div class="MsoNormal">
7656. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When he
7657. was still in high school, Lovegrove co-founded a charity, the Going to Bat
7658. Foundation. Through the foundation, Lovegrove helps provide balls, bats and
7659. other baseball equipment to disadvantaged youths throughout America and Africa.
7660. That’s an impressive thing for a high school kid to do, and shows advanced
7661. maturity for a teenager. He's also pitched internationally for Team South
7662. Africa in the preliminary rounds of the World Baseball Classic, getting a
7663. chance to play with and against guys much older and more experienced than him.
7664. Lovegrove has outstanding makeup and his attitude on and off the baseball field
7665. will help him maximize his tools and reach his ultimate potential on the mound.
7666. It’s part of why I’m still a believer in him even after a rough 2014 season, as
7667. I think he has both the mental and physical tools to bounce back and
7668. re-establish himself as a legitimate prospect in short order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7669. <div class="MsoNormal">
7670. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7671. <div class="MsoNormal">
7672. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Lovegrove
7673. is coming off of a tough season, but I’m still a believer in his future
7674. potential. He’ll play most of the 2015 season as a 20-year old, and should
7675. start off in low-A Lake County. So he’s still on a normal developmental
7676. timetable, despite not pitching in full-season ball since he was drafted in
7677. 2012. He has a chance to have three legitimate major league offerings, and
7678. provided his issues with fastball command were an aberration and not a trend,
7679. he’s still a starter as far as I’m concerned. His mental toughness and makeup
7680. are off the charts, and I think he can bounce back with a successful 2015. I’m
7681. not ready to call this year make-or-break for Lovegrove, but I’m definitely
7682. going to look for improvement in the full-season Midwest League. There’s a big
7683. gap between Lovegrove’s performance and his potential right now, and this year
7684. needs to show that he’s narrowed that gap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7685. <div class="MsoNormal">
7686. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7687. <div class="MsoNormal">
7688. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7689. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #3/4 starter in a major league rotation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7690. <div class="MsoNormal">
7691. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7692. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A minor league washout<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7693. <div class="MsoNormal">
7694. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7695. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7696. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc0n3H_KtH8J_7DlIIB8d2gsmTUyx8pFH3l1Z4J5BTL48BiXaXMKzU79K0fTheCriV_KodU-oBRi_gDQ4LN1L2ZYYzvvJAo8LeBkK_tMpKyqH44XH4zWWaghg3Y88C_MxH_b8/s1600/IMG_3532+(636x800).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc0n3H_KtH8J_7DlIIB8d2gsmTUyx8pFH3l1Z4J5BTL48BiXaXMKzU79K0fTheCriV_KodU-oBRi_gDQ4LN1L2ZYYzvvJAo8LeBkK_tMpKyqH44XH4zWWaghg3Y88C_MxH_b8/s1600/IMG_3532+(636x800).jpg" height="320" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
7697. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7698. </tbody></table>
7699. <div class="MsoNormal">
7700. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">29. Ronny
7701. Rodriguez, INF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
7702. <div class="MsoNormal">
7703. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4/17/1991</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7704. <div class="MsoNormal">
7705. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7706. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 170 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7707. <div class="MsoNormal">
7708. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7709. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7710. <div class="MsoNormal">
7711. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7712. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">International free agent signed in 2011</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7713. <div class="MsoNormal">
7714. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7715. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.228/.270/.324 with 5 HR and 34 RBI in 118 games
7716. with AA Akron<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7717. <div class="MsoNormal">
7718. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7719. <div class="MsoNormal">
7720. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7721. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Rodriguez has his worst professional season in 2014,
7722. posting just a .594 OPS while shuffling all over the diamond defensively for AA
7723. Akron. Heading into 2014, Rodriguez was primarily a shortstop, but in the
7724. crowded middle infield at AA Akron, he bounced around at all four infield
7725. positions. Rodriguez appeared in just 8 games at short last year, spending most
7726. of his time at 2B (45 games) and making his debut at 3B (40 games) and even 1B
7727. (23 games). Rodriguez had never fielded a chance at a corner infield spot
7728. before last season, so he was understandably uncomfortable while trying to
7729. adjust to the new positions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7730. <div class="MsoNormal">
7731. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7732. <div class="MsoNormal">
7733. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the plate, Rodriguez has surprising pop for his
7734. size, especially to the pull side. He has loose hands and a quick bat, but gets
7735. too pull-happy at times. He hit a career-high 19 HR in 2012 with high-A
7736. Carolina, but has combined to hit just 10 HR since in two seasons in AA Akron.
7737. Rodriguez can get caught lunging for balls on (or off) the outside part of the
7738. plate, and needs to do a better job sitting back and driving those pitches to
7739. the opposite field. His hit tool is below-average, and not improving with reps
7740. the way I’d hoped it would. He’s still very susceptible to breaking balls down
7741. and out of the strike zone, particularly sliders. He swings at too many bad
7742. pitches, and his K/BB rate has remained stagnant from year to year. Rodriguez
7743. struck out 92 times against just 25 BB last year while repeating AA after a 79
7744. K/19 BB season in 2013. One thing I look for in evaluating players, regardless
7745. of age, is whether or not they can improve when repeating a level and Rodriguez
7746. had a worse 2014 in every way possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7747. <div class="MsoNormal">
7748. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7749. <div class="MsoNormal">
7750. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Defensively, Rodriguez is an average shortstop in a
7751. system with several really good defensive shortstops. He has an above-average
7752. arm and decent range, allowing him to make plays deep in the hole at short. But
7753. his defense lags behind that of Francisco Lindor, Erik Gonzalez and Jose
7754. Ramirez, so the Indians needed to find a home for him somewhere else on the
7755. infield. He’s a decent 2B, but blocked there as well. I haven’t seen him play
7756. 3B or 1B, but his arm and athleticism should work well at either position. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7757. <div class="MsoNormal">
7758. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7759. <div class="MsoNormal">
7760. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Rodriguez has been one of my favorite players in the
7761. organization for several years now. He’s a guy that loves to play the game of
7762. baseball, and he’s a lot of fun to watch. But he’s struggled to make the
7763. necessary adjustments at the plate these past two seasons, and sliders in the
7764. dirt have been the death of him. Rodriguez has a tantalizing package of raw
7765. tools, but his hit tool is holding him back behind several other middle infield
7766. prospects in the org right now. There’s still a chance that Rodriguez figures
7767. it out, but that chance gets slimmer and slimmer every season that he doesn’t
7768. show marked improvement at the plate. If Rodriguez has a 2015 similar to his
7769. 2014, he’ll be reduced to the ranks of the non-prospects. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7770. <div class="MsoNormal">
7771. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7772. <div class="MsoNormal">
7773. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7774. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A utility infielder with some pop</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7775. <div class="MsoNormal">
7776. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7777. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">His hit tool dooms him to a career in the minor
7778. leagues</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7779. <div class="MsoNormal">
7780. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7781. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7782. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7qJLQ1sm2CPtWzk4pSAGhp1HTl2RNA31hq2W0XYidWfIqkC0HVYtiUK29eJW0Fyi-M6geYG6NHmQ7Lu4BBMVnmYnkV7s6PbSpxd1jdoGolf2IDMRdvouhJRtwZiIiFXciqU1/s1600/Washington+(697x800).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7qJLQ1sm2CPtWzk4pSAGhp1HTl2RNA31hq2W0XYidWfIqkC0HVYtiUK29eJW0Fyi-M6geYG6NHmQ7Lu4BBMVnmYnkV7s6PbSpxd1jdoGolf2IDMRdvouhJRtwZiIiFXciqU1/s1600/Washington+(697x800).jpg" height="320" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
7783. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7784. </tbody></table>
7785. <div class="MsoNormal">
7786. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">28. LeVon Washington, OF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
7787. <div class="MsoNormal">
7788. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">7/26/1991</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7789. <div class="MsoNormal">
7790. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7791. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">5’11”, 170 lb.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7792. <div class="MsoNormal">
7793. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7794. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7795. <div class="MsoNormal">
7796. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7797. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2<sup>nd</sup> round pick in the 2010 MLB draft</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7798. <div class="MsoNormal">
7799. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7800. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.294/.402/.393 with 4 HR and 28 RBI in 70 games for
7801. high-A Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7802. <div class="MsoNormal">
7803. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7804. <div class="MsoNormal">
7805. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7806. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Washington is on this list because of his tools and
7807. athleticism, not because of his on-field production. The man they call
7808. #WASHTIME has spent four full seasons in the Indians organization, but has appeared
7809. in just 223 games during that time. His career slash line is .286/.393/.407,
7810. and has hit 13 HR and stolen 40 bases during his professional career. It’s easy
7811. to lose track of how young Washington still is, because he was drafted out of a
7812. JuCo and feels like he’s been in the org forever. But Washington is still just
7813. 23 years old, and although it’s looking less and less likely with every injury,
7814. it’s still possible that he makes it to the major leagues and contributes for
7815. the Indians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7816. <div class="MsoNormal">
7817. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7818. <div class="MsoNormal">
7819. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Washington’s calling card is his speed. He’s wiry
7820. and strong for his size, but has below-average power and doesn’t project to
7821. anything more than that. He should hit plenty of doubles and triples due to his
7822. speed, but will probably never hit double-digit HRs. He has an average hit tool
7823. and a solid approach, walking 45 times against 63 strikeouts last season. If
7824. he’s able to stay on the field, he could be a .290/.380/.425 guy at his peak,
7825. but that just hasn’t happened so far in his career. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7826. <div class="MsoNormal">
7827. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7828. <div class="MsoNormal">
7829. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In the
7830. field, Washington has the tools to play CF, but spent all of 2014 in LF. He’s
7831. up against guys like Clint Frazier, Tyler Naquin and Bradley Zimmer for playing
7832. time in CF, and all three of those guys have passed Washington on the
7833. organizational ladder. He doesn’t have the arm for RF, but should be able to be
7834. a Brantley-esque defender in LF. He still has above-average speed and an
7835. average arm. His arm got a lot of negative attention coming out of college, but
7836. Washington had surgery to repair a torn labrum and has worked hard to regain at
7837. least average arm strength in the OF. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7838. <div class="MsoNormal">
7839. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7840. <div class="MsoNormal">
7841. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Washington
7842. is going to be 24 at the end of July, and is starting to run out of chances in
7843. the Indians org. The raw tools and athleticism are there, but the on-field
7844. results need to match those tools at some point, and it simply hasn’t
7845. happened.  He’s such a frustrating
7846. talent, because when he’s good, he’s really good. I’ve seen him look like the
7847. best player on the field in spring training, spraying line drives all over the
7848. park, stretching doubles into triples, stealing bases and making outstanding
7849. defensive plays in CF. He’s a hard worker and clearly loves the game of
7850. baseball. But health is a skill too, and it’s a skill that Washington just
7851. doesn’t have for whatever reason. He’ll get a shot with AA Akron this year, but
7852. if he can’t at least crack that 100 game barrier, we could be looking at the
7853. end of WASHTIME in Cleveland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7854. <div class="MsoNormal">
7855. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7856. <div class="MsoNormal">
7857. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7858. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A 4<sup>th</sup> OF with speed</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7859. <div class="MsoNormal">
7860. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7861. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An injury-plagued minor league career</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
7862. <div class="MsoNormal">
7863. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7864. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7865. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFoKB7euxGAp1gQeZpHXD1EX48-Go_IdUkZpacFQ09YnMS-sD0skg0L533PNXRIw7gFZYZ8slIP-QFm8pxyBdLpFdn1vnjxN3eQriIHd1JT_6gPY5p4jvxkiC9DVCZ7haV43a/s1600/Plutko+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFoKB7euxGAp1gQeZpHXD1EX48-Go_IdUkZpacFQ09YnMS-sD0skg0L533PNXRIw7gFZYZ8slIP-QFm8pxyBdLpFdn1vnjxN3eQriIHd1JT_6gPY5p4jvxkiC9DVCZ7haV43a/s1600/Plutko+(4).JPG" height="320" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
7866. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Al Ciammaichella</td></tr>
7867. </tbody></table>
7868. <div class="MsoNormal">
7869. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>27.</b> <b>Adam
7870. Plutko, RHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7871. <div class="MsoNormal">
7872. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">10/3/1991<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7873. <div class="MsoNormal">
7874. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7875. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’3”, 195 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7876. <div class="MsoNormal">
7877. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7878. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Right/Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7879. <div class="MsoNormal">
7880. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7881. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">11<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2013 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7882. <div class="MsoNormal">
7883. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7884. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">7-10 with a 4.03 ERA, 144 K and 30 BB in 149 2/3 IP
7885. between low-A Lake County and high-A Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7886. <div class="MsoNormal">
7887. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7888. <div class="MsoNormal">
7889. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7890. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Selected in the 11<sup>th</sup> round out of
7891. collegiate powerhouse UCLA, Plutko opened the 2014 season in the rotation for
7892. the Lake County Captains.  Considered an
7893. advanced arm coming out of college, Plutko pitched extremely well during his
7894. time in the Midwest League. He made 10 starts for the Captains, going 3-1 with
7895. a 3.93 ERA and striking out 66 hitters in just 52 2/3’s innings of work. His
7896. best start came on May 8, when he worked 8 innings shutout innings while
7897. allowing just 3 baserunners and striking out 13. Promoted to the high-A
7898. Carolina League just prior to Memorial Day, Plutko went on to make 28 starts
7899. for the Mudcats. He went 4-9 in Carolina with a 4.08 ERA, 78 K and 18 BB in 97
7900. IP. It was a solid season all the way around for Plutko, and helped solidify
7901. his status as a legitimate back of the rotation SP prospect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7902. <div class="MsoNormal">
7903. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7904. <div class="MsoNormal">
7905. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On the mound, Plutko has a deep arsenal, throwing a
7906. fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. The fastball is merely average,
7907. sitting in the 89-92 MPH range with a little bit of arm-side run. He spots the
7908. fastball early in the count and then uses his offspeed stuff to keep hitters
7909. off balance once he’s ahead of them. His changeup is consistently above-average
7910. and flashes plus, a nice offering with a lot of late fade. He does a really
7911. nice job with his arm speed to make the pitch more deceptive, and it’s usually
7912. 15 or so MPH slower than his fastball. He also throws a somewhat slurvy slider
7913. that’s slower than most sliders and doesn’t have the hard, late life you’d
7914. associate with a true swing and miss offering. His curveball is more of a show
7915. pitch that he uses to change the eye level on hitters, as it’s a big 12-6
7916. breaker that’s not very deceptive. He works primarily off three pitch FB-CH-SL
7917. mix, and will throw all three at any point in the count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7918. <div class="MsoNormal">
7919. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7920. <div class="MsoNormal">
7921. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Plutko is a good athlete and an intense competitor.
7922. He does a really nice job repeating his delivery and has impressive command and
7923. control in the strike zone. He has an excellent feel for pitching and does a
7924. nice job sequencing to keep hitters off balance and induce weak contact. He
7925. posted good strikeout numbers in 2014, but as he moves up the organizational
7926. ladder he’s going to be a guy who pitches to contact and lets his fielders do
7927. their thing. He has excellent makeup and work ethic, and is going to be a guy
7928. who gets the most out of his talent. He projects to be a classic innings-eating
7929. starter in the back-end of a major league rotation. He’s not a guy who’s going
7930. to be on any national top prospect countdowns, but he has a chance to be a
7931. valuable piece of a major league rotation. He reminds me of Josh Tomlin; a
7932. “crafty” righty without an overpowering fastball, but who will have excellent
7933. command and knows how to pitch. They’ll both give up their share of HR, but
7934. most will be solo shots and they’ll get plenty of flyball outs to go with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7935. <div class="MsoNormal">
7936. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7937. <div class="MsoNormal">
7938. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7939. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A #4/5 starter in a major league rotation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7940. <div class="MsoNormal">
7941. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
7942. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lack of a true strikeout pitch holds him back to
7943. middle relief <o:p></o:p></span></div>
7944. <div class="MsoNormal">
7945. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
7946. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
7947. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEv6EKT5RbfIM20N9RoNWHQLwydJxI6U4AOBliceQu9-ub4UzfJwoBgl-9dNloJBgO-PPZPXxJ-XS8XIkBp3g0BE0nPcDrit30dKpQY_UbtEDtDeWkkVb2vJxPMd6OT6cDbQk/s1600/Ryan-Merritt-32-Carolina-Mudcats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEv6EKT5RbfIM20N9RoNWHQLwydJxI6U4AOBliceQu9-ub4UzfJwoBgl-9dNloJBgO-PPZPXxJ-XS8XIkBp3g0BE0nPcDrit30dKpQY_UbtEDtDeWkkVb2vJxPMd6OT6cDbQk/s1600/Ryan-Merritt-32-Carolina-Mudcats.jpg" height="320" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
7948. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Michael Hudson</td></tr>
7949. </tbody></table>
7950. <div class="MsoNormal">
7951. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>26. Ryan
7952. Merritt, LHP<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
7953. <div class="MsoNormal">
7954. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DOB: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">2/21/1992<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7955. <div class="MsoNormal">
7956. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Height/Weight:
7957. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">6’0”, 165 lb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7958. <div class="MsoNormal">
7959. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bats/Throws:
7960. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Left/Left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7961. <div class="MsoNormal">
7962. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Acquired:
7963. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">16<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 2011 MLB draft<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7964. <div class="MsoNormal">
7965. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2014
7966. Stats: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">13-3 with a 2.58 ERA, 127 K and 25 BB in 160 1/3 IP
7967. for high-A Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7968. <div class="MsoNormal">
7969. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
7970. <div class="MsoNormal">
7971. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Scouting
7972. Report: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When it comes to on-field production, no pitcher in
7973. the Indians minor league system had a better season than Merritt. He led the
7974. Carolina League with 13 wins, and put up a sparkling 2.58 ERA. His 5.08 K/BB
7975. ratio was 2<sup>nd</sup> in the league among players with more than 15 starts.
7976. Merritt started the Carolina League All-Star Game, and was named the Indians
7977. Minor League Pitcher of the Year following the season. And to put a cherry on
7978. top of all that, he was added to the 40-man roster this winter to protect him
7979. from the Rule 5 Draft. All in all, it was about the best season the 23-year old
7980. southpaw could’ve hoped for, one that he’ll be looking to build on in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7981. <div class="MsoNormal">
7982. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7983. <div class="MsoNormal">
7984. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Merritt is a classic command and control lefty. He’s
7985. not overpowering by any means, but does a nice job spotting his fastball and
7986. inducing soft contact. The fastball sits in the high-80’s and is hittable when
7987. Merritt leaves it up in the zone. But that’s a rare occurrence, as he gave up
7988. just 1 HR every 13 1/3 IP last season, Merritt has an above-average changeup
7989. that flashes plus, and it’s that pitch that helped him find success in Carolina
7990. last season. He made real strides with the changeup last year, gaining
7991. consistency in both command and pitch performance. It has nice, late fade and
7992. really comes down and in hard on left handed hitters. He also throws a solid
7993. but unspectacular breaking ball, and refinement and development of that third
7994. pitch will help define Merritt’s future as a starter or reliever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
7995. <div class="MsoNormal">
7996. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
7997. <div class="MsoNormal">
7998. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Merritt is a good athlete who repeats his delivery
7999. well, helping to keep his command sharp. He’s not going to overpower hitters,
8000. but does a nice job with his sequencing to keep hitters off balance. He’s a
8001. deceptive pitcher, changing the eye level, pitch speed, and location on hitters
8002. in every at bat. He’s not going to be ready to start in the major leagues
8003. anytime soon, but the Indians rostered him this offseason in case another team
8004. decided to take a flyer and turn him into a two-pitch reliever or swingman out
8005. of the bullpen. Lefties who can throw strikes are valuable assets who can have
8006. long and productive major league careers (see Orosco, Jesse), and Merritt could
8007. at least be a bullpen arm down the road. He held same-siders to a paltry
8008. .197/.236/.308 line last year, showing that he at least has that LOOGY
8009. potential. But he’ll start for as long as he can, and open the season in the AA
8010. Akron rotation. The hitter-friendly Eastern League will be a tougher test for
8011. Merritt, and hopefully he won’t scuffle in AA the way the 2013 Indians Minor
8012. League Pitcher of the Year (Cody Anderson) did. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8013. <div class="MsoNormal">
8014. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
8015. <div class="MsoNormal">
8016. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
8017. half-full: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A soft-tossing back of the rotation starter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8018. <br />
8019. <div class="MsoNormal">
8020. <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Glass
8021. half-empty: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A soft-tossing lefty reliever <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8022. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/4786132516749194631/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=4786132516749194631&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4786132516749194631'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4786132516749194631'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/prospecting-on-lazy-sunday-intro-and-30.html' title='Prospecting on a Lazy Sunday: Intro and #30-26'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro6MFhjrlGaj5-RCUy1y5uuqfoA8-q9BZSBj1ftQdjLI5JS32Z9WrQxLmth40nBmId-fdsd0XQglvI8REjirr5eIcX4TqafhiTKKrlQySqSOX_Nva4QQCkY2cCmzAEQTaToow/s72-c/Amigos+(800x496).jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-4663142544625193132</id><published>2015-01-18T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-01-18T07:00:03.638-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Still Celebrating on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
8023. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sg3IYYEhiziGy4omi8DhlckteZdiqH1j7-lBL-pSsHptpuRbLbwv9oC75dNoh_uI5mi_3c8gQYknvJIYhQnsCsKROvHst6SHWMV4TbxQPGWXxaJLhgWj6M2a2aLFzpya6Sn0/s1600/urbs+cardale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sg3IYYEhiziGy4omi8DhlckteZdiqH1j7-lBL-pSsHptpuRbLbwv9oC75dNoh_uI5mi_3c8gQYknvJIYhQnsCsKROvHst6SHWMV4TbxQPGWXxaJLhgWj6M2a2aLFzpya6Sn0/s1600/urbs+cardale.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
8024. <div class="MsoNormal">
8025. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you’re anything like me, this Lazy Sunday finds
8026. you still riding a bit of a high following Ohio State’s 42-20 victory over the
8027. Oregon Ducks in the first-ever College Football Playoff on Monday night. No,
8028. this is not a “Cleveland Championship” and no, I did not attend The Ohio State
8029. University. But I grew up a die-hard Buckeye fan, to the point that I skipped
8030. trick-or-treating as an eight-year old in favor of watching the Buckeyes game
8031. with my dad (they won, it was worth it, and I stole some of my younger
8032. brothers’ candy). But I recognize that not all of you reading this blog are
8033. Ohio State fans, and you’re probably wondering when one of your teams is going
8034. to finally break through and win it all (provided you’re a straight Cleveland
8035. ticket on the professional scene, as I am). The Browns, despite looking like
8036. the Browns! for the season’s first half, fizzled to be the same old Browns by
8037. the end of the season. The Cavs, who drew national (if not worldwide) attention
8038. with the return of LeBron and trading for Kevin Love, are floundering around
8039. .500 with a media frenzy surrounding the uncertain future of their first-year
8040. head coach. That leaves us with the Indians, who are a combined 30 games over
8041. .500 the past two years and employ the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, a
8042. top-3 2014 AL MVP finisher, and one of the best managers in the game (2013 AL
8043. Manager of the Year Terry Francona). Maybe Johnny Football takes football
8044. seriously and enters 2015 ready to play. Maybe LeBron switches off “chill mode”
8045. and goes off on the NBA playoffs the way he did against Detroit in 2007. But
8046. personally, I’m going to turn the majority of my sporting attention to what
8047. remains the best-run franchise in town (since at least 1993), our very own
8048. Cleveland Indians. I still feel like they represent this city’s best chance for
8049. a championship in the near term, and hopefully we all get to enjoy that feeling
8050. together very soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8051. <div class="MsoNormal">
8052. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8053. <div class="MsoNormal">
8054. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ESPN’s Buster Olney has been progressing through a
8055. seemingly never-ending list of top-10’s this offseason. He started off by going
8056. position-by-position around the diamond, </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/tag/_/name/position-ranks"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">recognizing
8057. Michael Brantley as the best LF in the game</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, but </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/8798/top-10-starting-pitchers-in-mlb"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">slighting
8058. CyKluber (in my humble and biased opinion) by naming him the game’s 8<sup>th</sup>-best
8059. SP</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8060. behind three (very good) pitchers he beat out for the AL Cy Young Award in
8061. 2014. </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/8789/top-10-relief-pitchers-in-mlb"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
8062. called Cody Allen the 9<sup>th</sup>-best RP in the game today,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8063. a pretty nice honor for a guy who’s pitched in relative anonymity throughout
8064. his career (at least on the national scene, having only been a Closer© for part
8065. of one season). </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/8654/the-top-10-second-basemen-in-mlb"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
8066. pegged Jason Kipnis as the #6 2B</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, even coming off of an
8067. injury-plagued season (that probably says more about the state of the position
8068. than Kipnis). </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/8615/the-top-10-catchers-in-mlb"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yan
8069. Gomes clocks in as the 7<sup>th</sup>-best catcher</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
8070. which seems low for the future 1<sup>st</sup>-ballot HOF’er (kidding…kinda).
8071. Interestingly, the Indians best hitter isn’t even mentioned in Olney’s
8072. rankings, as Carlos Santana didn’t rate even an honorable mention at 1B. Not
8073. sure if that’s due to the depth of the position or a simple oversight by Olney,
8074. as I’d prefer Santana to his 9<sup>th</sup> ranked 1B, Boston’s Mike Napoli. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8075. <div class="MsoNormal">
8076. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8077. <div class="MsoNormal">
8078. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The individual rankings are a fun offseason
8079. exercise, but I wanted to focus more on Buster’s group rankings, where he looks
8080. at teams’ bullpen, rotation, </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/9159/red-sox-lead-top-10-ranks-of-mlb-lineups"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">lineup</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8081. and </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/9165/royals-no-1-in-top-10-mlb-defense-ranks"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">defense</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8082. as a whole. No MLB team appeared in the top-10 of all four lists. Only two
8083. teams appeared in the top-10 of three out of the four categories; the Washingon
8084. Nationals and the Cleveland Indians. The Indians clocked in with Buster’s </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/9159/red-sox-lead-top-10-ranks-of-mlb-lineups"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9<sup>th</sup>-best
8085. lineup</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, then at #10 for both the </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/9143/top-10-bullpens-in-the-majors-royals-no-1"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">bullpen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8086. and </span><a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post/_/id/9134/nats-no-1-in-top-10-rotations-in-the-majors"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rotation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
8087. If you’re anything like me, you’re excited that the club is recognized by a
8088. leading, independent baseball writer, but a little miffed that he tagged the
8089. rotation as “only” the 10<sup>th</sup> best in baseball. Buster’s reasoning
8090. behind that ranking:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8091. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8092. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
8093. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8094. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This would seem
8095. an aggressive ranking for the Indians, who finished 18th in starters' ERA last
8096. season, but after talking with rival evaluators, I think this spot might be too
8097. low for the Indians, whose staff ranked third in the majors in ERA in the
8098. second half. They just kept getting better and better, with Corey Kluber
8099. becoming a Cy Young Award winner at the front end of the rotation. The
8100. difference-maker could be Carlos Carrasco, as he was in the second half last
8101. season, when he lowered his ERA by two runs. Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar are
8102. high-end talents, and the Indians are hopeful Gavin Floyd can help after being
8103. limited to just 14 starts combined in 2013 and 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8104. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8105. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvB_TOv1oq2W7YSBmq86U7XjlaUMkG-z9bWcb-xFPdd_MRQGhmx6R4CwjFAlJgUWkX6pw6unO3BbWb0BUOdGUcXnBY6FYmA_OFW4GWjHF1vuwkZVC9YmQke0vYtlMo-O6OtxM/s1600/carlos+carrasco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvB_TOv1oq2W7YSBmq86U7XjlaUMkG-z9bWcb-xFPdd_MRQGhmx6R4CwjFAlJgUWkX6pw6unO3BbWb0BUOdGUcXnBY6FYmA_OFW4GWjHF1vuwkZVC9YmQke0vYtlMo-O6OtxM/s1600/carlos+carrasco.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
8106. <div class="MsoNormal">
8107. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Olney is correct that Carrasco is a potential
8108. difference-maker, as he’s a legit #2 behind Kluber if you get 2<sup>nd</sup>-half
8109. Carlos. If Cookie can play the Fausto to Kluber’s Sabathia (to use a 2007
8110. analogy), the Indians have the potential to have the best rotation in the AL.
8111. But the fact that Buster has the Indians with the 3<sup>rd</sup> best rotation
8112. in the AL Central speaks volumes to the uncertainty surrounding the #2-5 slots
8113. in the rotation, and helps reflect GM Chris Antonetti’s mindset in signing
8114. Gavin Floyd to his incentive-laden deal earlier this offseason. Bauer and
8115. Salazar remain enigmatic talents who could still boom or bust in 2015. T.J.
8116. House, who Buster didn’t even mention, is a guy who found a lot more success
8117. last year than most talent evaluators predicted. NEW I think Buster is a little
8118. low with this ranking, but I can understand his reasoning. Hopefully at the end
8119. of the year, the Tribe will finish closer to #1 on this list than #10. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8120. <div class="MsoNormal">
8121. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8122. <div class="MsoNormal">
8123. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of Carrasco, the Indians avoided
8124. arbitration with all of their eligible players this week, including their
8125. potential #2 starter. Carrasco, Scrabble and Lonnie Chisenhall all agreed to
8126. deals between $2.25 and $2.5 million for next season. Then on Friday, Brandon
8127. Moss ($6.5 million), Bryan Shaw ($1.55 mil) and Josh Tomlin ($1.5 mil) agreed
8128. to terms as well. The Indians have re-started their streak of seasons without
8129. an arbitration hearing, which now stands at one (1). </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/556188005023875072"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Per
8130. Jordan Bastian’s math (which I have no cause to doubt), the Indians 2015
8131. payroll now stands at approximately $83 million,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8132. factoring in all pre-arbitration deals still to be handed out. I’ll again use
8133. this as a chance to remind you that Corey Kluber, a pre-arbitration player,
8134. cannot be a free agent until AFTER the 2018 season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8135. <div class="MsoNormal">
8136. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8137. <div class="MsoNormal">
8138. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baseball Prospecuts released their top-10 Indians
8139. prospects article this week, and there were a couple of surprises. BP is my
8140. go-to independent resource for stuff like this, and I was really interested to
8141. see how the 2015 iteration of the prospect countdowns would shake out. This is
8142. the first year that neither Kevin Goldstein (now in the Astros front office)
8143. nor Jason Parks (crosschecker for the Cubs) aren’t part of the prospect team,
8144. and BP has really tried to get a lot of up and coming baseball minds involved
8145. in what has become a collaborative process. So, first, let’s talk about the
8146. top-10 itself (free even to non-subscribers):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8147. <div class="MsoNormal">
8148. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
8149. <div class="MsoNormal">
8150. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.SS
8151. Francisco Lindor<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8152. <div class="MsoNormal">
8153. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.C
8154. Francisco Mejia<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8155. <div class="MsoNormal">
8156. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.OF
8157. Clint Frazier<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8158. <div class="MsoNormal">
8159. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4.OF
8160. Bradley Zimmer<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8161. <div class="MsoNormal">
8162. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5.CF
8163. Tyler Naquin<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8164. <div class="MsoNormal">
8165. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.LHP
8166. Justus Sheffield<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8167. <div class="MsoNormal">
8168. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.OF/1B
8169. Mike Papi<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8170. <div class="MsoNormal">
8171. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">8.3B
8172. Giovanny Urshela<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8173. <div class="MsoNormal">
8174. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">9.1B
8175. Bobby Bradley<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8176. <div class="MsoNormal">
8177. <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10.RHP
8178. Mitch Brown<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
8179. <div class="MsoNormal">
8180. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8181. <div class="MsoNormal">
8182. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For starters, I’m surprised that Mejia is ahead of
8183. Frazier on this list. I (SPOILER ALERT) have them flipped on my list, because I
8184. think that they have similar ceilings but Frazier is less of a risk due to age,
8185. experience and the position they play. I also have Erik Gonzalez in my top-10,
8186. as I think he’s a potential impact defender with the age/frame/athleticism to
8187. suggest that he could take a step forward with the bat. But these are
8188. relatively minor issues. I’m just surprised and a little saddened that someone
8189. is higher on Mejia than I am. BP’s Mark Anderson handled the “Top 10 Under-25”
8190. portion of the list, and one of his comments really caught my eye:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8191. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8192. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
8193. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8194. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The emergence of
8195. Lonnie Chisenhall in 2014 would have ranked him highly on this list had he not
8196. missed the eligibility criteria, and his breakout campaign serves as notice of
8197. his impending arrival in the earlier-mentioned group of core talents.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8198. <div class="MsoNormal">
8199. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8200. <div class="MsoNormal">
8201. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s pretty high praise for Chisenhall. Anderson
8202. is an experienced scout who also writes for a Tigers website, so you can be
8203. sure that he saw plenty of Chiz last year. I’m not sure if he built that opinion
8204. off of Lonnie’s big first half or if he just thinks that the post-June swoon
8205. wasn’t the Chiz that we’ll see moving forward. Either way, it’s nice to see
8206. someone outside the organization praising a guy that most see as a 2<sup>nd</sup>-division
8207. starter at best as a “core talent” on a quality baseball team. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8208. <div class="MsoNormal">
8209. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8210. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8211. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2SRrI78GIB_uPzhMwOWrYV-bQh77I_N2L2yEfHlcSPlNYdKLZsWAswHX4kdQ2ShUwdJy6lZb1waElrpjuWVBt15n45BxRVGaR7SSLZnPdyMRCr2hStmYl7G_wTvTZa2ING49/s1600/shaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2SRrI78GIB_uPzhMwOWrYV-bQh77I_N2L2yEfHlcSPlNYdKLZsWAswHX4kdQ2ShUwdJy6lZb1waElrpjuWVBt15n45BxRVGaR7SSLZnPdyMRCr2hStmYl7G_wTvTZa2ING49/s1600/shaw.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
8212. <div class="MsoNormal">
8213. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fox Sports <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/556208307992788992">Jon Morosi
8214. tweeted yesterday that the Indians were one of a few teams still “looking for a
8215. closer.”</a> That seems odd on the surface, given that they have young power
8216. reliever Cody Allen anchoring the back end of a solid (and deep) bullpen. Morosi’s
8217. article made a little more sense than the tweet, <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/baseball-joe/blog/checking-in-on-the-closer-market-011615">clarifying
8218. that the Indians were looking for a backend reliever, not specifically a
8219. closer.</a> Still, the Indians have Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Scott Atchison,
8220. C.C. Lee, Kyle Crockett, Austin Adams, Nick Hagadone, and Scrabble already
8221. established as bullpen options, with Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin likely to
8222. be out of the rotation, and Shawn Armstrong on the cusp of the big league
8223. roster. So it would seem like the last thing the Indians need is another
8224. bullpen arm. <a href="http://bastian.mlblogs.com/2015/01/17/handle-with-care-examining-shaws-workload/">But
8225. I’d like to draw your attention to this article from Jordan Bastian on Friday
8226. talking about bullpen usage.</a> Bastian points out just how much primary setup
8227. man Bryan Shaw has been used over the past couple of seasons relative to the
8228. rest of the league, and it’s a little concerning:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8229. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8230. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
8231. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8232. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fact of the
8233. matter, however, is no pitcher has a rubber arm. A high volume of pitches,
8234. innings and games can have a toll on any pitcher. Over the 2013-14 seasons,
8235. Shaw has given the Indians a 2.91 ERA over 150 games and 151.1 innings. In that
8236. span, he ranks second in the AL (third in the Majors) in games pitched and
8237. second in the Majors (first in the AL) in innings for pitchers with zero starts
8238. logged…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8239. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8240. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…Dating back to
8241. 2007, there have been 29 instances, excluding Shaw, where a pitcher has logged
8242. at least 150 games and 140 innings over a two-year span. Consider this: Cody
8243. Allen and Shaw were the only pitchers in baseball over the past two years to
8244. meet that criteria. At least in Allen’s case, his future as Cleveland’s closer
8245. should naturally lead to a decrease in innings in 2015 and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8246. <div class="MsoNormal">
8247. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bastian goes on to look at relievers who’ve
8248. experienced similar workloads, and the results are not pretty. I’ll let you
8249. read the rest of Bastian’s fantastic work for yourself, but the list is full of
8250. regression (in terms of both stuff and stats) and injuries, with only a couple
8251. of exceptions. So even if Shaw bucks the trend and pitches effectively in 2015,
8252. the Indians need to find a way to manage his workload. This isn’t a surprise to
8253. most Indians fans, <a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/2014/8/19/6045001/are-cody-allen-and-bryan-shaw-being-overworked">and
8254. Jason Lukehart from Let’s Go Tribe was writing about the problem back in August
8255. of 2014.</a> Offsetting his usage with another effective backend arm, whether
8256. it’s an internal option or a move to acquire another arm from outside the organization,
8257. has to be a goal for GM Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona. Tito loves managing
8258. his bullpen, so getting him another toy to play with out there should only
8259. serve to make him happy. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/556214349606711298">Antonetti has basically
8260. said that he doesn’t see the club making any major additions before spring
8261. training</a>, but are open to finding “depth” or someone to “compliment the
8262. players we already have.” A relief arm probably fits that bill, and while I don’t
8263. expect them to sign or trade for a big name, I wouldn’t be surprised if they
8264. went out and found another depth option or two. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8265. <div class="MsoNormal">
8266. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8267. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8268. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-G_p8N53Zl1qoJB4GzlJU9rHWT9_rEqwpoU4ef5JMaqjyGJ3V7VquzOw7K4xIsYDU6qjTDl5KSCkITSJ7HuqBUTNcoYEYi-QGphOG3jIUPcEkRS7d5UdBMHMfKTEsd09E3pA/s1600/timeless-ticket2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-G_p8N53Zl1qoJB4GzlJU9rHWT9_rEqwpoU4ef5JMaqjyGJ3V7VquzOw7K4xIsYDU6qjTDl5KSCkITSJ7HuqBUTNcoYEYi-QGphOG3jIUPcEkRS7d5UdBMHMfKTEsd09E3pA/s1600/timeless-ticket2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
8269. <div class="MsoNormal">
8270. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Milwaukee Brewers are doing something pretty
8271. cool for the 2015 season and beyond, </span><a href="http://brewers.mlblogs.com/2015/01/13/additional-benefits-to-timeless-ticket-announced/?adbid=555035446451789824&adbpl=tw&adbpr=52824038&partnerId=as_mil_20150113_38696407"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">offering
8272. fans a chance to buy a “timeless ticket” for $1000.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8273. What does Joe Brewer Fan get for his $1k investment? Well, for starters, you
8274. get this sharp-looking bronze commemorative ticket and certificate of authenticity.
8275. Then, you get a ticket to any 9 Brewer games (non-opening day or postseason)
8276. between now and…well, forever. But the real kicker here is this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8277. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8278. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
8279. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8280. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This unique
8281. opportunity allows the owner to redeem their Timeless Ticket for an actual
8282. ticket to any single future Brewers game at Miller Park, whether it’s in 2015
8283. or 2050, or whether it’s Opening Day or the 7th game of the World Series…In
8284. addition, Timeless Ticket holders may purchase up to three additional companion
8285. tickets for the redeemed game at the single game box office price.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8286. <div class="MsoNormal">
8287. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So you get a ticket to a potential future World
8288. Series game (because really, who’s going to use this on opening day?) and the
8289. chance to be a hero to three of your best friends by scoring face value tickets
8290. to that same World Series game. And you get to keep the bronze ticket to boot,
8291. which would be a pretty awesome souvenir if it came from your favorite teams’
8292. World Series win. I’m shocked the Indians didn’t think of this, because it’s
8293. really the ultimate in dynamic pricing. If they came out with this, I’d buy one
8294. in a heartbeat. But can you imagine the stress over when to use the ticket? Say
8295. the Indians have home field advantage in the World Series (I know, I know, bear
8296. with me here). Game Six, and the Tribe hold a 3-2 advantage over the Dodgers.
8297. Kershaw is scheduled to pitch against Kluber in game 7, if necessary. Do you
8298. pull the trigger and go to game 6, knowing it might not be the clincher? Or
8299. save it for the potential game 7, knowing that Cookie Carrasco might shut out
8300. the Dodgers and you miss the series-winning game 6? Additionally, I’m not sure
8301. how the club handles this if, say, 3,000 people buy the ticket in 2015, and the
8302. Brewers go to the WS this year (unlikely but possible). Hypothetically, all
8303. 3,000 people could try to exercise their right to buy tickets to game 1, plus
8304. the 3 extras for their friends. I guess that’s what the fine print is for
8305. (*subject to availability*) but I’d hate to have to explain to a fan that
8306. shelled out a grand for this timeless ticket that his/her ticket is not in fact
8307. timeless and they can’t actually go to the game they selected. Still, I think
8308. overall it’s a really neat idea and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Indians
8309. decided to copy it at some point in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8310. <div class="MsoNormal">
8311. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8312. <div class="MsoNormal">
8313. <a href="http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150115&content_id=106494816&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t531&sid=t531"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
8314. really happy to link to this article from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8315. (yes, the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees) because it directly impacts
8316. the life of a good friend. Former Carolina Mudcats broadcaster and 2013
8317. Carolina League Broadcaster of the Year Darren Headrick was hired by the
8318. RailRiders to join their broadcast team, a well-deserved call-up to AAA if
8319. there ever was one. Headrick is an SEC football fan from Tennessee, but other
8320. than that is a fantastic guy. He’s an outstanding broadcaster who got along
8321. well with the players, coaches and media. He always had time to help me out
8322. whenever I was attending a Mudcats game, and I’ll be forever grateful. No
8323. disrespect to Al Palowski, but I’d love to see the Indians pick up Headrick and
8324. put him in the booth with Hammy. Congrats to Darren, and if you see him in
8325. Columbus when Scranton comes to town to play the Clippers, be sure and say
8326. hello (and remind him that THE Ohio State Buckeyes are the reigning national
8327. champions of the college football universe).</span></div>
8328. <div class="MsoNormal">
8329. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8330. <br />
8331. <div class="MsoNormal">
8332. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m going to close this weekend </span><a href="http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/106330268/mlb-umpire-john-hirschbeck-survival-guide-ald"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">with
8333. this incredible piece from Anthony Castrovice on MLB umpire John Hirschbeck and his family.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8334. It was published on Tuesday, and hopefully most of you have already had a chance to read it. If
8335. you haven’t, please do so today. There’s nothing I can possibly add to Castro’s
8336. words here, so I’m not going to try. Just make sure you have a box of tissues
8337. nearby for this one. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
8338. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8339. <a class="twitter-follow-button" href="http://twitter.com/Gotribe31">Follow @Gotribe31</a><br />
8340. ​</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/4663142544625193132/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=4663142544625193132&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4663142544625193132'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/4663142544625193132'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/still-celebrating-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Still Celebrating on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4sg3IYYEhiziGy4omi8DhlckteZdiqH1j7-lBL-pSsHptpuRbLbwv9oC75dNoh_uI5mi_3c8gQYknvJIYhQnsCsKROvHst6SHWMV4TbxQPGWXxaJLhgWj6M2a2aLFzpya6Sn0/s72-c/urbs+cardale.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-46870970555884935</id><published>2015-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2015-01-11T07:00:00.094-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Warming Up on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
8341. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUenhoHSUCCwxBmdBNpsbgmDZuiyIqS-0Qh8kDfA-REFcUV312bbJN4mrj0F29nUI1gfb2nl1EzJlGQzCgwkAkgZx-FiNDBjsmK9LXitlwY4sCl80Gk50x4pCGWB4IY-DVLoYq/s1600/santana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUenhoHSUCCwxBmdBNpsbgmDZuiyIqS-0Qh8kDfA-REFcUV312bbJN4mrj0F29nUI1gfb2nl1EzJlGQzCgwkAkgZx-FiNDBjsmK9LXitlwY4sCl80Gk50x4pCGWB4IY-DVLoYq/s1600/santana.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
8342. <div class="MsoNormal">
8343. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s January, which usually means big-time bowl
8344. games (usually including the Buckeyes), NFL playoffs (rarely including the
8345. Browns) and cold weather/snow, particularly in our beloved Midwest. It also
8346. means that the countdown to Spring Training becomes much more real (just over 5
8347. weeks!) and baseball writers all over the interwebs start to come out with
8348. their “rankings” for 2015. Fantasy baseball rankings, dynasty baseball
8349. rankings, pre-season award rankings, top prospect rankings…all over every
8350. sports site from here until real baseball begins in earnest this April, you’re
8351. going to see a multitude of rankings. I’m no exception, as I’m working to put
8352. out my 5<sup>th</sup> annual Indians prospect countdown sometime in early March
8353. (or at least that’s the plan). It’s quite the labor of love, with an emphasis
8354. on the “labor” part of the equation. So you probably won’t be seeing something
8355. from me every week in this space, but I’m going to do my best to make it worth
8356. it when the prospect countdown does finally come out later on this year. With
8357. that mea culpa out of the way, let’s set off to all the news that’s fit to link
8358. here on a (cold) Lazy Sunday…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8359. <div class="MsoNormal">
8360. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8361. <div class="MsoNormal">
8362. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Zack Meisel of the Plain Dealer had an…interesting
8363. cab ride in the waning days of 2014, and </span><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_indians_new_years_re.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">used
8364. it as a springboard to think up some “resolutions” for the Indians in 2015</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
8365. One such resolution focused on Carlos Santana, who might well be the most
8366. important Indian for the upcoming 2015 season:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8367. <div class="MsoNormal">
8368. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8369. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8370. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now firmly
8371. entrenched at one position, produce a consistent year at the plate, one that
8372. doesn't include a .159 batting average and .628 OPS through the first two
8373. months. Santana's final numbers (.231/.365/.427 slash line, 27 home runs, 85
8374. RBIs, league-leading 113 walks) looked fine at season's end, but imagine how
8375. they would sparkle if not for a miserable first two months. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8376. <div class="MsoNormal">
8377. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Digging a little deeper on Meisel’s musings, Santana
8378. put up an impressive .266/.384/.488 line from June through the end of the
8379. season. That .872 OPS was fueled in part by Santana hitting 21 of his 27 HR
8380. during that timeframe, and despite a rather pedestrian .281 BABIP. If you want
8381. to stretch that June-Sept production over 162 games, Santana would’ve finished
8382. with 34 HR, 108 RBI and 112 BB (showing just how consistent Santana’s walk rate
8383. was throughout the season, even when he was struggling in April/May). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8384. <div class="MsoNormal">
8385. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8386. <div class="MsoNormal">
8387. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s even say you’re one of those people who
8388. obsesses over Santana’s batting average (I’m most certainly not, but there are
8389. those out there who are). Looking back at his career, there’s a pretty
8390. predictable correlation between his batting average and average in balls in
8391. play:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8392. <div class="MsoNormal">
8393. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8394. <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
8395. <tbody>
8396. <tr style="height: 12.8pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
8397.  <td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8398.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8399. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8400. </td>
8401.  <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8402.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8403. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AVG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8404. </td>
8405.  <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8406.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8407. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">BABIP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8408. </td>
8409. </tr>
8410. <tr style="height: 12.8pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
8411.  <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8412.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8413. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8414. </td>
8415.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8416.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8417. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.239<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8418. </td>
8419.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8420.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8421. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.263<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8422. </td>
8423. </tr>
8424. <tr style="height: 12.8pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
8425.  <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8426.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8427. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8428. </td>
8429.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8430.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8431. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.252<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8432. </td>
8433.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8434.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8435. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.278<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8436. </td>
8437. </tr>
8438. <tr style="height: 12.8pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
8439.  <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8440.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8441. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8442. </td>
8443.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8444.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8445. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.268<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8446. </td>
8447.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 12.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8448.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8449. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.301<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8450. </td>
8451. </tr>
8452. <tr style="height: 13.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
8453.  <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 13.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8454.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8455. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8456. </td>
8457.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 13.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8458.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8459. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.231<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8460. </td>
8461.  <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 13.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 61.15pt;" valign="top" width="82">
8462.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
8463. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">.249<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8464. </td>
8465. </tr>
8466. </tbody></table>
8467. <div class="MsoNormal">
8468. <br /></div>
8469. <div class="MsoNormal">
8470. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When Santana’s BABIP is in the .250-.260 range, he
8471. hits around .230. As his BABIP (read; luck) rises, so does his batting average.
8472. This isn’t rocket surgery. More importantly, there’s one thing that’s remained
8473. consistent with regards to Santana, and that’s his OBP. Santana has never
8474. walked fewer than 91 times over a full season, and his OBP has ranged from .351
8475. to .377. I don’t care if he hits .231, if he’s on base 35% of the time, Santana
8476. is basically slump-proof, regardless of how low his batting average is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8477. <div class="MsoNormal">
8478. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8479. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8480. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0Pqsvp3N4g6p3blAalHSSyP3PaV6GGXZ36cRS_Um9mWuxq1Tq5jEaRskeIIOmDZ_z3r7Qb-S4iZRcwvNtNUlhBHqwOMAEgY0geccMbcZNGpLsTLzEWAPee5GO5RNTTNPPxg8/s1600/santana1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0Pqsvp3N4g6p3blAalHSSyP3PaV6GGXZ36cRS_Um9mWuxq1Tq5jEaRskeIIOmDZ_z3r7Qb-S4iZRcwvNtNUlhBHqwOMAEgY0geccMbcZNGpLsTLzEWAPee5GO5RNTTNPPxg8/s1600/santana1.jpg" height="320" width="310" /></a></div>
8481. <div class="MsoNormal">
8482. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why am I spending this much time on Santana? Well,
8483. as many of you have noticed, the Indians lineup is filled with left-handed
8484. hitters from top to bottom. Santana, a switch hitter, is going to be playing
8485. mostly 1B and DH this year, so the plan is to have him in the lineup pretty
8486. much every day. The only other right-handed power that one can take more or
8487. less for granted when looking at the Indians projected lineup is from catcher
8488. Yan Gomes, and as a catcher, he’ll have to take at least a game off every week.
8489. If you want to argue that Nick Swisher is going to bounce back and have another
8490. 20+ HR season, fine, but I’m not ready to pencil that in just yet. So Santana
8491. is going to be the most important hitter in the lineup, batting cleanup and
8492. representing the most consistent right-handed bat when a southpaw starter is on
8493. the mound for the opposition. The Indians aren’t going to ask Santana to play a
8494. new position in 2015 the way they did in spring and early 2014. They’re not
8495. even going to ask him to play the more difficult of his older positions.
8496. They’re simply going to ask him to go out and get on base every day, and drive
8497. in as many runs as possible.  If he’s
8498. healthy and in the lineup every day, and can match his June-Sept production
8499. over a full season (.266/.384/.488 with 30+ HR, 100+ BB and 100+ RBI), it’d be
8500. a huge step in ensuring the Indians offense doesn’t slip into the late-season
8501. doldrums that plagued them in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8502. <div class="MsoNormal">
8503. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8504. <div class="MsoNormal">
8505. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So if Carlos Santana is (arguably) the most
8506. important bat in the Indians lineup, who’s the most important pitcher? You
8507. could probably make an argument for pretty much any of the pitchers in the
8508. rotation, but I’m going with the reigning AL Cy Young winner. Corey Kluber was
8509. a dominant force in 2014, and much like Santana’s walks made him slump-proof,
8510. Kluber’s pitching helped to ensure that the club never fell off a cliff in
8511. terms of a long losing streak, even though there were times when we were afraid
8512. that was going to happen. The Indians had one streak of 5 or more losses (they
8513. dropped 6 in a row from April 25-30), but that was it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8514. <div class="MsoNormal">
8515. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8516. <div class="MsoNormal">
8517. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s logical to think that Kluber will regress at
8518. least a little in 2015. After all, rarely do pitchers win back-to-back Cy Young
8519. Awards, and Kluber was almost exactly a league average (99 ERA+) pitcher in
8520. 2013. So there’s not exactly the sustained track record of success that you
8521. have with a Kershaw or a King Felix. What Kluber does have, however, are
8522. superior mechanics. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25276"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Baseball
8523. Prospectus resident pitching expert Doug Thorburn recently broke down the
8524. best/worst mechanics in the AL Central in a variety of categories.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8525. Doug and Paul Sporer were two of the few national writers who were projecting a
8526. major Kluber breakout prior to the 2014 season (in their Starting Pitcher
8527. Guide), so Doug clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the
8528. Klubot. He rated Klubers mechanics as the best in all of the AL Central, coming
8529. in just ahead of Tiger ace David Price:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8530. <div class="MsoNormal">
8531. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8532. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8533. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Similar to the
8534. situation with Madison Bumgarner in the NL West, the case for Kluber was made
8535. before his Cy Young campaign of 2014 even got started. Kluber was one of just
8536. nine starting pitchers who received a grade of A- or higher in the 2014
8537. Starting Pitcher Guide (out of more than 200 players that received report
8538. cards), and he found a way to improve his scores this past season. Kluber earns
8539. plus marks in every single category of the report card, and he was in the
8540. discussion for best in the division for all four subjects under consideration.
8541. David Price also received consideration for this award, and like Kluber, Price
8542. has plus marks in every category, but his stability took a small step backward
8543. while Kluber's improvements allowed him to leap-frog Price in the standings.
8544. The right-handed Kluber is a machine of mechanical efficiency, with a template
8545. for his delivery that portends a continued run of success.  <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8546. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8547. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgt9S6EVSQ7JmfrlcJOEVbIPXrrxBHRl0hyphenhyphenIf8yup71hERcGQv8364HXRjWP26QhW-o2dXwohf1Npy1W_bx2BDKwVmksUbFLEO6wAWLwxE5-PtsRspRRnylCDM_bDGQjTwD-k/s1600/kluber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgt9S6EVSQ7JmfrlcJOEVbIPXrrxBHRl0hyphenhyphenIf8yup71hERcGQv8364HXRjWP26QhW-o2dXwohf1Npy1W_bx2BDKwVmksUbFLEO6wAWLwxE5-PtsRspRRnylCDM_bDGQjTwD-k/s1600/kluber.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
8548. <div class="MsoNormal">
8549. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m not going to predict a repeat Cy Young award for
8550. CyKluber, but I will say that I’m confident that he’ll again rate among the
8551. best pitchers in the American League based on talent, work rate, mechanics and
8552. the continued presence of </span><a href="http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=cle&coachorstaffid=209068"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
8553. Pitcher Whisperer</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in the dugout. In fact, Kluber’s
8554. mechanics are so clean that Callaway will be able to spend that much more time
8555. with guys like Carrasco, Salazar and Bauer, which only adds to the value of the
8556. Klubot at the top of the Indians rotation. This is where I remind you that
8557. Corey Kluber cannot become a free agent until AFTER the 2018 season. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8558. <div class="MsoNormal">
8559. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8560. <div class="MsoNormal">
8561. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While we’re on the topic of breakout 2014 seasons, a
8562. Fangraphs article from July of 2014 caught my eye this week and I thought it’d
8563. be fun to look back on it with the benefit of hindsight. </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2014-trade-value-the-top-10/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dave
8564. Cameron posted his top-50 trade value article back on July 18,</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8565. and three Indians made the list; Kluber, Brantley and Gomes. That they made the
8566. list isn’t what I found interesting. Of course the 2014 AL Cy Young, MVP
8567. candidate and Silver Slugger backstop are on this list (especially considering
8568. their contracts). What I found fascinating was <i>where</i> on this list they clocked in. Gomes was lowest, at #50.
8569. Kluber and Brantley were right next to each other, coming in at #42 and 41,
8570. respectively. </span><a href="http://grantland.com/features/2014-mlb-trade-value-rankings-part-2/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Contrast
8571. that with Jonah Keri’s yearly trade value column, penned in December 2014.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8572. On Keri’s list, the same three Indians are featured in the top 50. But Gomes
8573. clocks in at 25, and Kluber and Brantley at 15 and 16, respectively. Cameron
8574. and Keri both looked at the same factors when putting together their respective
8575. lists. Talent, age, projection and contract were all part of the equation. But
8576. perception of the Indians stars changed dramatically between July and December,
8577. and the young, talented, and relatively cheap core three became even more
8578. valuable than before. Leapfrogging 20+ spots on a list like that after just 2 ½
8579. months of actual baseball is pretty remarkable, and shows just how impressive
8580. those three were in 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8581. <div class="MsoNormal">
8582. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8583. <div class="MsoNormal">
8584. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This talk of value actually dovetails nicely into an
8585. article from November that I wanted to highlight here. I know it’s a little
8586. old, but I wanted to make sure to draw attention to it for a couple of reasons.
8587. One, it’s a really good article. Two, its author, August Fagerstrom, announced
8588. yesterday that he’d be joining Jordan Bastian on the MLB beat for the Indians
8589. this spring summer. I’ve long been a fan of Fagerstrom’s work at Fangraphs and
8590. the ABJ, so having him on the MLB beat is going to be a treat for all of us. <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/where-the-indians-are-baseballs-most-valuable-team/">Fagerstrom
8591. wrote this piece for Fangraphs back in November in which he makes a pretty
8592. convincing case that the Indians rotation (this is pre-Floyd, of course) is the
8593. most valuable in baseball based on their projected WAR and salaries for 2015.</a>
8594. The entire article is a must-read, but I’ll draw your attention to Fagersrtom’s
8595. conclusions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8596. <div class="MsoNormal">
8597. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8598. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8599. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So in Cleveland,
8600. you’ve got a rotation projected to be one of the best in the MLB under contract
8601. for a grand total of about three and a half million dollars. For comparison,
8602. John Danks is set to earn $15.75 million in 2015. The Nationals will pay their
8603. staff an estimated $48 million. The Tigers, as they currently stand, will pay
8604. what projects to be an inferior rotation about $76 million.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8605. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8606. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those five guys,
8607. who will earn less than $4 million dollars, are projected to be worth about 11
8608. WAR in an era where 1 WAR generally gets about $7 million on the open market.
8609. That’s the definition of value, and a blueprint of how to run a small market
8610. franchise.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8611. <div class="MsoNormal">
8612. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Again, this is all pre-Floyd. So the Indians
8613. rotation will now earn between $8 and $14 million, depending on how many
8614. incentives Floyd is able to hit in his contract (and the more the better,
8615. because that means he’s pitching well). But that’s still pretty good bang for
8616. the buck any way you look at it, and the flexibility that will give the front
8617. office in 2015 and in the future is priceless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8618. <div class="MsoNormal">
8619. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8620. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8621. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdypniwXolZLACpM6BKV5Ni537zwja-6h9fmfPmQx36Uu3Cf77_srzmGhBRmoRceIqG60FtGhyphenhyphendUNhwvIjTxoujHghqb6Zm_NZx5PoZMv0OGDEyypy_6jR6cBf3jzXerljGlXF/s1600/Peters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdypniwXolZLACpM6BKV5Ni537zwja-6h9fmfPmQx36Uu3Cf77_srzmGhBRmoRceIqG60FtGhyphenhyphendUNhwvIjTxoujHghqb6Zm_NZx5PoZMv0OGDEyypy_6jR6cBf3jzXerljGlXF/s1600/Peters.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
8622. <div class="MsoNormal">
8623. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For those who missed it, former Indians GM Hank
8624. Peters passed away on January 4 at the age of 90. Peters is usually overlooked
8625. when people think of the Indians mid-90’s renaissance, but he was a key figure
8626. nonetheless. The GM immediately preceding John Hart, Peters made the first
8627. trade to acquire key pieces in the Indians’ run of sustained success, picking
8628. up catcher Sandy Alomar and 2B Carlos Baerga from the Padres (along with OF
8629. Chris James) in exchange for all-star OF Joe Carter prior to the 1990 season. Peters
8630. also hand-picked his successor in the GM role, convincing John Hart to give up
8631. his passion of managing and slide into the front office role that he occupied
8632. so successfully until 2001 (shades of Roosevelt convincing Marshall that he
8633. could do more for the war effort in Washington than in Europe, but I digress). Peters
8634. wrote the forward to and collaborated with George Pappas on </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tribe-Reborn-Cleveland-Dwellers-Contenders/dp/1613216378"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
8635. Tribe Reborn”</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> last year, a book that I read on my
8636. flight from DC to Phoenix for Spring Training 2014. It was a quick and
8637. entertaining read, and helped remind me of how some of the Indians building
8638. blocks slid into place to help that magical mid-90’s juggernaut come into
8639. existence. Peters’ contributions are also highlighted by Terry Pluto in his
8640. more recent </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Glory-Days-Tribe-Town-Cleveland/dp/1938441354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420652632&sr=8-1&keywords=terry+pluto+glory+days"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Glory
8641. Days in Tribe Town”</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> about those same Indians teams, and
8642. both books are well-worth your time. Peters was an unsung hero for the Indians
8643. rebirth, and his passing is a loss for both the baseball and Cleveland sports
8644. worlds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8645. <div class="MsoNormal">
8646. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8647. <div class="MsoNormal">
8648. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I try to stay away from Baseball Hall of Fame talk
8649. for the most part. I love the Hall itself; I’ll never forget the trip we took
8650. there when I was a kid, walking around the Hall with my dad, shopping for
8651. baseball memorabilia throughout the town and generally getting lost in all the
8652. nostalgia. But the writers who vote for the HoF are doing their best to ruin
8653. the entire experience for everyone. We </span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/40908802/five-make-a-statement-by-submitting-blank-ballots"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">have
8654. guys who intentionally submit blank ballots</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in some sort of
8655. bizarre protest against…well, I’m not sure what. </span><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/01/coming_clean_about_why_i_didnt.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
8656. have guys who forget where their ballots are and don’t bother to submit one at
8657. all</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
8658. </span><a href="http://deadspin.com/dumbest-man-alive-gives-dumbest-possible-explanation-fo-1678295876"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
8659. have guys who think that Lee Smith is worthy but Mike Piazza isn’t. </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
8660. have people voting for Darrin Erstad. All of this just leads to frustration and
8661. anger with the process, and potentially worthy candidates like Kenny Lofton
8662. falling off the ballot entirely before their cases are even fully debated. I’ll
8663. admit that the Lofton thing makes it personal for me, as he was one of my
8664. favorite players growing up. But with all that said, </span><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/hall-of-fame-reset-a-very-early-look-at-mlb-induction-possibilities-for-the-next-five-years/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
8665. still going to point you to Jonah Keri’s article from earlier this week on
8666. future Hall candidacies</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, because it includes a look at the
8667. upcoming debates on Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome. Keri (and I) thinks Thome is a
8668. lock, but Ramirez is going to find a much tougher road due to his PED
8669. suspensions. Keri also includes a youtube link to Thome’s mammoth CF HR at the
8670. Jake, called by Tom Hamilton. That alone makes it worth a click.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8671. <div class="MsoNormal">
8672. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8673. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8674. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLurQc2rSfBAziEWAFLX1LZYY8bhc8WufZjJTwrSlZMVpu8LPXteElgX9QnbeNfjsArcql__rB21fpVbs9456XwZwo3SDaEpykIelvoNs9LyVBJ7J91RIHNG1HvuuFbzWi4sZI/s1600/Mcdonald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLurQc2rSfBAziEWAFLX1LZYY8bhc8WufZjJTwrSlZMVpu8LPXteElgX9QnbeNfjsArcql__rB21fpVbs9456XwZwo3SDaEpykIelvoNs9LyVBJ7J91RIHNG1HvuuFbzWi4sZI/s1600/Mcdonald.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
8675. <div class="MsoNormal">
8676. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Former Indians utility infielder John McDonald
8677. announced his retirement this week, bringing his 16 year MLB career to a close.
8678. McDonald was the </span><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?query_type=franch_year&team_ID=CLE&year_ID=1996&draft_type=junreg&"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Indians
8679. 12<sup>th</sup> round pick in the 1996 MLB draft</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
8680. the only position player selected by the Tribe that June who would appear in
8681. the major leagues. He made his MLB debut with the Indians in 1999 as a
8682. light-hitting defensive specialist, and managed to turn that niche into a nice
8683. little career. Johnny Mac proved that if you had one elite MLB skill (his was
8684. defense), it’s possible to play in the major leagues for a long, long time. Anthony
8685. Castrovice put together a </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/105845610/anthony-castrovince-perseverant-john-mcdonald-leaves-fond-legacy-in-retirement"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">really
8686. nice piece detailing why four different clubs made it a point to simultaneously
8687. tweet the news of and congratulations in his retirement.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8688. Never a power hitter, he hit just 28 HR in 2434 MLB at bats. Back when Jordan
8689. Bastian covered the Blue Jays for MLB, Bastian talked to McDonald after his 16<sup>th</sup>
8690. and by far his most memorable career HR, back on Father’s Day in 2010. I won’t
8691. spoil it for you if you somehow haven’t heard the story yet</span><a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/11389146/?tcid=tw_share"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
8692. just click on the link and read Bastian’s excellent article.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8693. Just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby…it’s going to get a little
8694. dusty. McDonald is a certain bet to land a job somewhere in baseball, and has
8695. future MLB manager written all over him. All the best to one of the great guys
8696. in baseball, and hopefully he enjoys his retirement.</span></div>
8697. <div class="MsoNormal">
8698. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8699. <div class="MsoNormal">
8700. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, <a href="http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2015/01/07/when-all-the-answers-they-dont-amount-to-much/">Anthony
8701. Castrovice put together a fun little “quiz” looking back on the year that was
8702. and the year that might be,</a> and even helpfully links to the podcast that he
8703. and Jordan Bastian put collaborated on earlier this month. The quiz is mostly a
8704. joke, but it’s a fun enough way to spend 10 min of your Indians reading time
8705. this week, For the record, my answers were A, D, B, A, D, D, A, A, C, C, D, A. Is
8706. Castro trying to send us some sort of code? Just to be sure, I checked to see
8707. if my answers were an anagram for anything. The result? <a href="http://anagram-solver.net/ADBADDAACCDA">No. No they are not.</a> While I
8708. continue to do my best Alan Turing impression on those letters, just to make
8709. sure Castro isn’t trying to tell us that Mike Trout is set on coming to
8710. Cleveland when he becomes a free agent, your time is probably better spent on
8711. thinking about the fact that Indians pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear
8712. in just 40 days…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8713. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/46870970555884935/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=46870970555884935&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/46870970555884935'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/46870970555884935'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/warming-up-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Warming Up on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUenhoHSUCCwxBmdBNpsbgmDZuiyIqS-0Qh8kDfA-REFcUV312bbJN4mrj0F29nUI1gfb2nl1EzJlGQzCgwkAkgZx-FiNDBjsmK9LXitlwY4sCl80Gk50x4pCGWB4IY-DVLoYq/s72-c/santana.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-6673157961617230314</id><published>2014-12-14T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2014-12-14T07:00:01.861-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Gathering Moss on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
8714. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC0NKYyEId7RDlEFBW_5p_J5r5prq7tWvjJDQR8QrOIDsLdv7KDidtpRRW2lX80A0KAkjy5MM3AIY7pypBQsU1-ufl2QpiYGb6AGQ7KFLAc9DFkL_sWnktSL6VKX9aAcj7iFL/s1600/Moss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC0NKYyEId7RDlEFBW_5p_J5r5prq7tWvjJDQR8QrOIDsLdv7KDidtpRRW2lX80A0KAkjy5MM3AIY7pypBQsU1-ufl2QpiYGb6AGQ7KFLAc9DFkL_sWnktSL6VKX9aAcj7iFL/s1600/Moss.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
8715. <div class="MsoNormal">
8716. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So…anything much going on this week? The Indians
8717. fired the first salvo during baseball’s Winter Meetings a few days ago,
8718. consummating the much-rumored Brandon Moss for Joey Wendle swap on Monday. The
8719. trade was the worst-kept secret in baseball, and occurred as part of a flurry
8720. of moves from A’s GM Billy Bean that completely revamped his roster. Following
8721. the Moss trade, the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman put his stamp on the very expensive
8722. and defensively inept roster he inherited, and now has a very expensive and
8723. defensively proficient roster to take into the 2015 season. The White Sox got
8724. in on the A’s fire sale, acquiring front of the rotation starting pitcher Jeff
8725. Samardzija, and then shoring up their biggest weakness by signing closer David
8726. Robertson to anchor what was a very shaky bullpen. Not to be outdone by the
8727. Indians and White Sox, the Tigers sent pitcher Rick Porcello to the Red Sox in
8728. return for power hitting Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The middle of the
8729. Tigers order just got that much better, and Miggy, Victor and Cespedes are going
8730. to wear out a lot of pitching staffs next season. Even the Twins got in on the
8731. act, inking SP Ervin Santana to a 4-year, $55 million contract. The AL Central
8732. came to play this winter, and the only team that didn’t make a splash in San
8733. Diego was the reigning AL Champion Royals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8734. <div class="MsoNormal">
8735. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8736. <div class="MsoNormal">
8737. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting back to the Moss deal for a second; as much
8738. as I like Joey Wendle as both a player and person, this trade looks like an
8739. absolute steal for the Indians as long as Billy Beane doesn’t know something we
8740. don’t about Moss’ surgically repaired hip. Moss is a legitimate middle of the
8741. order power bat, averaging a .254/.340/.504 triple slash line with 25 HR and 73
8742. RBI in his three seasons in Oakland. He was an all-star in 2014 when he jumped
8743. out to a .268/.349/.530 line with 21 HR in 89 1<sup>st</sup> half games, but
8744. slumped to a .173/.310/.274 2<sup>nd</sup> half, limited by a hip injury that
8745. required surgery this offseason. Moss did his best to play through the injury,
8746. and even hit 2 HR in Oakland’s Wild Card loss to Kansas City. If he’d simply
8747. sat out after suffering the injury, it’s possible he wouldn’t have even been
8748. available this offseason. The trade is confusing enough that </span><a href="http://www.athleticsnation.com/2014/12/9/7363855/athletics-trade-brandon-moss-indians-joe-wendle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A’s
8749. fan sites are writing entire articles trying to rationalize exactly what Billy
8750. Beane was thinking</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, and really not coming up with much to
8751. go on other than “Trust in Billy”:</span></div>
8752. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8753. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Don't get me
8754. wrong. I hadn't heard of Wendle before we got him, and I am as shocked as you
8755. are that he's all we got for Moss. But that doesn't mean he's automatically a
8756. bad return, and indeed the Indians seemed quite high on him. Billy has turned
8757. so many nobodies into quality players that I just can't get myself to give up
8758. on one of his prizes before I've even seen him play….<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8759. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8760. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…It sucks to see
8761. yet another fan favorite go, and it sucks to feel underwhelmed by the return,
8762. but let's give Billy the benefit of the doubt before we assume he's absolutely
8763. lost it. There's a better chance than you might realize that this trade turns
8764. out to be a good one, and it wouldn't be the first time Billy proved the world
8765. wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8766. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8767. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXOHsmiwIC2vGFDShL42x5QnHpzxp8A9Zinb3rz9VLhFYBgdetBRFPjfUZVl5HZS3nY41J5NkcsENJMQceCkyhEZkCyzV8A0zmOuUOBiWwlErF5u9OKdBlhAnu0gMAHeGtxS9/s1600/Wendle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXOHsmiwIC2vGFDShL42x5QnHpzxp8A9Zinb3rz9VLhFYBgdetBRFPjfUZVl5HZS3nY41J5NkcsENJMQceCkyhEZkCyzV8A0zmOuUOBiWwlErF5u9OKdBlhAnu0gMAHeGtxS9/s1600/Wendle.JPG" height="320" width="264" /></a></div>
8768. <div class="MsoNormal">
8769. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of Joey Wendle, I did want to talk a little
8770. about the player the Indians lost in the deal. </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/indians-prospect-countdown-10-6.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
8771. had Wendle ranked as my #9 prospect in the Indians organization prior to the 2014
8772. season</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, coming off of a season where he posted an .885 OPS
8773. for high-A Carolina. Wendle struggled with injuries last year, but still
8774. managed to put up a .253/.311/.414 line with 8 HR and 50 RBI in 87 games with
8775. AA Akron. Wendle will turn 25 in April next year, and is a high-character guy
8776. who is always going to get the most out of his tools. He was a 6<sup>th</sup>
8777. round pick in 2012 out of Division II West Chester University, and was seen as
8778. a signability pick at the time. He was given just a $10,000 bonus, and the
8779. Indians were able to save over $100,000 of their bonus pool to take a run at
8780. high-upside high schoolers later in the draft like Nelson Rodriguez. Wendle has
8781. the potential to be an offense-oriented 2B in the major leagues at some point,
8782. but he doesn’t project to be an all-star. And regardless of his overall upside,
8783. turning a $10,000 investment into an all-star 1B/OF is a pretty solid flip by
8784. GM Chris Antonetti. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8785. <div class="MsoNormal">
8786. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8787. <div class="MsoNormal">
8788. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over on Fangraphs, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/indians-buy-low-on-brandon-moss-move-one-step-closer-to-contention/">local
8789. writer August Fagerstrom put together an extremely comprehensive breakdown of
8790. the Moss trade</a> and what it means for the Indians. Fagerstrom looks at both
8791. Moss and Wendle’s injuries in 2014 and how they could affect both players
8792. moving forward, then goes on to overlay Progressive Field with the Oakland Coliseum
8793. and Moss’ batted ball spray chart to try and see how his production could
8794. improve with the change in ballparks. Like pretty much everyone else,
8795. Fagerstrom likes the trade for the Indians and thinks Moss could be as good or
8796. better than he was in the first half of 2014 with the Indians next year. He
8797. sees the Indians as legitimate contenders in 2015, and feels like Moss could be
8798. the player that gets the Indians over the hump and into the playoffs. His bottom
8799. line on the deal:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8800. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8801. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wendle could
8802. turn into a useful major league player, but the Indians are set up the middle
8803. for the foreseeable future, and Wendle is far from an elite talent. Moss’
8804. second-half production and ensuing hip surgery could be worrisome, but the
8805. extreme change in parks could help offset any potential loss in production due
8806. to his Moss’ injury and age, and the history of players with similar hip
8807. procedures isn’t particularly concerning. And given what the Indians traded
8808. away, this is almost a no-risk deal. If Moss, for whatever reason, doesn’t hit,
8809. he’ll make just $7 million in 2015 and has the option to be non-tendered before
8810. the 2016 season. If he hits like Brandon Moss, a team that was already close to
8811. contending just added perhaps the best hitter on the team for two seasons in
8812. exchange for a fringe-level prospect.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8813. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8814. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GxLi8qImLj49L9j7UkLfovEdAQb0wL_xFgJBbFAfcAUjWswz7vWVTmyak_3gkyRJY3DyboaYcX-bmqp5OGXLGBwqdS_kgASAeySk6o8N1LmJKaQUz04tWow3LTKGmILyqW6J/s1600/Moss1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GxLi8qImLj49L9j7UkLfovEdAQb0wL_xFgJBbFAfcAUjWswz7vWVTmyak_3gkyRJY3DyboaYcX-bmqp5OGXLGBwqdS_kgASAeySk6o8N1LmJKaQUz04tWow3LTKGmILyqW6J/s1600/Moss1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
8815. <div class="MsoNormal">
8816. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve seen some people on the interwebs (not many,
8817. but some) complaining because Moss plies his craft from the left side of the
8818. plate. These people are silly and need to start woodworking, fishing,
8819. gardening, basket weaving or some other relaxing hobby to try and occupy their
8820. clearly cynical and misguided minds. Yes, the Indians have several left handed
8821. hitters in their lineup. But Progressive Field favors left handed power over
8822. right handed power (as evidenced by the very large wall in left field). </span><a href="http://bastian.mlblogs.com/2014/12/10/the-indians-lean-left-again-with-moss/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jordan
8823. Bastian did a predictably outstanding job detailing how Moss might look in the
8824. Cleveland lineup</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (if you haven’t read this already,
8825. please do so now), and dissected and rejected any argument that his left
8826. handedness will somehow hinder the Indians moving forward. The Indians needed
8827. to improve their lineup going into next season, and fans have been clamoring
8828. non-stop for a “Big Bat”™. Now that the Indians have gone out and acquired a
8829. Big Bat™, some of those same fans are complaining because he’s not a Right
8830. Handed Big Bat™, or because he’s not Victor Martinez. The fickle, fringe
8831. elements of this fanbase will never cease to amaze and frustrate me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8832. <div class="MsoNormal">
8833. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8834. <div class="MsoNormal">
8835. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As expected, </span><a href="http://grantland.com/the-triangle/cleveland-indians-oakland-athletics-brandon-moss-trade/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Grantland’s
8836. Jonah Keri does an excellent job summing up the trade and what it means</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8837. for baseball on the North Coast in 2015:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8838. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8839. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The bigger
8840. takeaway is that the Indians could be dangerous contenders in 2015. This team
8841. won 92 games and earned a playoff berth in 2013, then followed up with 85 more
8842. victories in 2014. Though moderate pullbacks for breakout stars Corey Kluber
8843. and Michael Brantley are possible, and maybe even likely, those could be
8844. countered by a positive reversal of fortune for All-Star second baseman turned
8845. 2014 slumper Jason Kipnis. It’s also hard to imagine the Indians failing to improve
8846. on Murphy (who posted league-average offensive numbers, but played miserable
8847. defense that made him a replacement-level player) and Swisher (who hit a paltry
8848. .208/.278/.331), whether through bounce-backs for one of those guys or another
8849. lineup upgrade to pair with Moss.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8850. <div class="MsoNormal">
8851. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Between their strong finish to the 2014 season,
8852. young and talented starting rotation, and solid start to the offseason, the
8853. Indians are becoming one of the media favorites heading into 2015. It’s a
8854. strange position to be in, and the rest of the Central Division isn’t going to
8855. make it easy for the Indians to make it to the playoffs, but I’ll take it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8856. <div class="MsoNormal">
8857. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8858. <div class="MsoNormal">
8859. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the other significant moves that came out of
8860. the winter meetings last week was the blockbuster deal that saw the Dodgers
8861. send former MVP OF Matt Kemp to San Diego in return for catcher Yasmani Grandal
8862. and prospects Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin. Prior to the Kemp trade, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/a-fun-brandon-moss-comparison/">Fangraphs’
8863. Dave Cameron took a side-by-side look at Kemp and Moss and found that they were
8864. a lot more similar</a> than their respective asking prices would indicate:</span></div>
8865. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8866. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Steamer
8867. forecasts a 128 wRC+ and +2.3 WAR per 600 PAs for Kemp versus a 121 wRC+ and
8868. +1.9 WAR per 600 PAs for Moss. Toss in the risk associated with Moss’ hip
8869. problems, and maybe you think the gap is even a little bit bigger than that.
8870. And perhaps Kemp’s handedness is worth a premium, given how much more teams are
8871. paying for right-handed power than their left-handed equivalents.</span></i></div>
8872. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
8873. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But man, it’s
8874. hard to not like the Indians picking up Moss for a song when you see what the
8875. asking price for Matt Kemp is.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
8876. <div class="MsoNormal">
8877. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I could continue to link to national writers who
8878. love the Moss deal from the Indians perspective (both Baseball Prospectus and
8879. Keith Law think the Indians did well to acquire Moss), but I think you get the
8880. idea at this point. Needless to say, I like the trade as well. It creates a
8881. situation where Tito Francona is going to have to get creative in getting at
8882. bats for Moss, Swisher, Santana and Murphy, but that’s a good problem to have
8883. (as long as Swisher is healthy and better than last year’s disaster of a
8884. season). It also leaves plenty of time for Murphy or Swisher to be moved in a separate
8885. deal, if the Indians can find a taker for Swisher’s contract (which I still
8886. doubt). Francona is nothing if not creative though, and I’m confident that he’ll
8887. find a way to keep those guys as happy and effective as possible, even if it
8888. means he can only carry 20 bullpen arms instead of 21 (kidding, but only sort
8889. of). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8890. <div class="MsoNormal">
8891. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8892. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
8893. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxshs4Y-ZeCTQO8wiB91jbX98hJDLYVAHZpZJUXnPe0LemKygPy8k4Fm-pSgWbHrQ0u37refXDhoIUPRuihBXMSmdGSbN3sVUlJXyq_pCojvtjcX0f4C-ZKJq9xDM4f15JSg8/s1600/Brantley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxshs4Y-ZeCTQO8wiB91jbX98hJDLYVAHZpZJUXnPe0LemKygPy8k4Fm-pSgWbHrQ0u37refXDhoIUPRuihBXMSmdGSbN3sVUlJXyq_pCojvtjcX0f4C-ZKJq9xDM4f15JSg8/s1600/Brantley.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></div>
8894. <div class="MsoNormal">
8895. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking a break from the flurry of activity to look
8896. at players who are and have been on the Indians roster, </span><a href="http://grantland.com/features/2014-mlb-trade-value-rankings-part-1/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jonah
8897. Keri put out his always-fantastic Trade Value column</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8898. this week, and</span><a href="http://grantland.com/features/2014-mlb-trade-value-rankings-part-2/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8899. three Indians are featured prominently featured on the list.</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
8900. Catcher Yan Gomes comes in at the #25 slot, and he’s behind both Michael
8901. Brantley and Corey Kluber (#’s 16 and 15, respectively). Jason Kipnis came in
8902. at #25 in the 2013 version of the column, but fell off of Keri’s list after his
8903. injury-plagued 2014. Keri has minor leaguers eligible for the list for the
8904. first time this season, but doesn’t list shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor on
8905. his top-50 or as an honorable mention. This might be the last list like this that
8906. doesn’t mention Lindor, at least until he signs a contract extension in 2018 or
8907. so. It’s one thing to have talented players contenting for (and winning)
8908. postseason awards like Cy Young, MVP and Silver Slugger. But those players are
8909. not only talented, but signed to team friendly deals (Gomes/Brantley) or still
8910. pre-arbitration (Kluber). Having those players, and the rest of the talented
8911. starting rotation, for that matter, under contract at such team-friendly rates
8912. helps allow for a move like the Indians made with Moss. Flipping a player like
8913. Wendle who wasn’t even on the 40-man roster for an arbitration-eligible
8914. all-star who projects to make at least $7 million wouldn’t be possible without
8915. the savvy exhibited by the front office prior to this offseason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8916. <div class="MsoNormal">
8917. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8918. <div class="MsoNormal">
8919. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The winter meetings might be over, but the Indians
8920. aren’t done working to improve the ballclub this offseason. <a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/gm-for-day-on-lazy-sunday.html">As
8921. I suggested earlier this offseason</a> when I put on my GM hat for the day, <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2014/12/cleveland_indians_consider_bre.html#incart_social_feature">Paul
8922. Hoynes reports that the Indians are showing interest in free agent pitcher
8923. Brett Anderson.</a> Nothing has really changed with Anderson since my breakdown
8924. on him back in early November, and Hoynes doesn’t speculate on potential
8925. contract terms that the Indians may be discussing with the big lefty. He’s certainly
8926. nowhere near the Lester/Scherzer/Shields tax bracket, and will likely settle
8927. for a short term deal to rebuild his value. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8928. <div class="MsoNormal">
8929. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8930. <br />
8931. <div class="MsoNormal">
8932. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of short term deals, former Indians ace
8933. Justin Masterson agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million deal with the team that
8934. drafted him, the Boston Red Sox. Masty was another guy that I thought would
8935. look good back in Cleveland, and there was reportedly some level of mutual
8936. interest in a reunion with Terry Francona and the Indians earlier this
8937. offseason. But if Masterson had signed with the Indians, he’d have had to win a
8938. spot in the somewhat crowded and talented rotation in spring training. With
8939. Boston, he’ll slide right into a spot in their depleted starting five and have
8940. a definite chance to show he can be healthy and effective over 200+ innings
8941. again. I’m pulling for Masterson to put together a solid season, even if it is
8942. back in Boston. If he helps pitch them to the playoffs (losing games 1 and 4 in
8943. a 4-game Indians sweep in the ALCS, of course), then so much the better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8944. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/6673157961617230314/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=6673157961617230314&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6673157961617230314'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6673157961617230314'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/gathering-moss-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Gathering Moss on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSC0NKYyEId7RDlEFBW_5p_J5r5prq7tWvjJDQR8QrOIDsLdv7KDidtpRRW2lX80A0KAkjy5MM3AIY7pypBQsU1-ufl2QpiYGb6AGQ7KFLAc9DFkL_sWnktSL6VKX9aAcj7iFL/s72-c/Moss.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-3860631091391374432</id><published>2014-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2014-11-16T07:00:07.676-05:00</updated><title type='text'>Celebrating CyKluber on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
8945. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC92G1nYgsqLBKuxgwFEiPPGT7PjST3zEJ0AdzswOYdrE1rzvbp3yiVAgIQrDj5qa0xwMglhjskw10OIFazcvASIw5awzsOgf_aIGJd-2j0nJAnriHkjgazoSHBvej9uyPJn-L/s1600/Kluber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC92G1nYgsqLBKuxgwFEiPPGT7PjST3zEJ0AdzswOYdrE1rzvbp3yiVAgIQrDj5qa0xwMglhjskw10OIFazcvASIw5awzsOgf_aIGJd-2j0nJAnriHkjgazoSHBvej9uyPJn-L/s1600/Kluber.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
8946. <div class="MsoNormal">
8947. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On June 6, 1944, the biggest invasion fleet in the
8948. history of the world set forth from the Eastern ports of England, bound for the
8949. beaches of Normandy, France. D-Day, as it is commonly referred to now, featured
8950. the combined arms of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, all under
8951. the care of U.S. General (and later President) Dwight David Eisenhower. Ike was
8952. ultimately responsible for the lives of thousands of Allied soldiers, and
8953. ultimately the fate of the free world. The Supreme Allied Commander wrote two
8954. speeches in the days leading up to D-Day, one to use if the landings were able
8955. to secure a beachhead, and one to use if the liberating forces were thrown back
8956. into the English Channel in defeat. Thankfully for the men and women of
8957. occupied Europe, Ike never had to use that second speech. The landings were
8958. successful and the Allies would roll into Germany, crossing the Rhine in March
8959. of 1945 and bringing the War in Europe to a successful conclusion on May 8,
8960. 1945 (V.E. Day). What does D-Day have to do with baseball? Very little, to be
8961. honest. But earlier this week, I started writing this column and realized that
8962. I’d have to prepare two versions; one for Corey Kluber’s successful Cy Young
8963. campaign, and one if Felix Hernandez was selected as the 2014 AL Cy Young Award
8964. winner. The stakes are a little (lot) lower than they were back in 1944, but
8965. anytime I can work Eisenhower into the opening of a Lazy Sunday (especially the
8966. week after Veterans Day), you can be darn sure I’m going to take advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
8967. <div class="MsoNormal">
8968. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
8969. <div class="MsoNormal">
8970. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So as all Indians fans are surely aware, Corey
8971. Kluber is your 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner, completing one of the more unlikely Cy Young campaigns in recent memory (but still behind Cliff Lee's 2008). He was the 2<sup>nd</sup> best
8972. pitcher in all of major league baseball in 2014, and the single best cyborg.
8973. It’s possible that Felix Hernandez was actually the best human pitcher in
8974. baseball this year, losing out only to CyKluber and the alien life force known
8975. as Clayton Kershaw. The award came as a bit of a surprise to some, and a major
8976. shock to the system for Mariners fans who had talked themselves into King Felix
8977. winning the award back in June or July. Ultimately, it was the arguments made
8978. by most Indians fans that helped Kluber win out. He pitched in front of the
8979. worst defense in baseball, which actually ended up helping Kluber with the
8980. voters who embrace some of the more “advanced” statistics like FIP (fielding
8981. independent pitching). He accumulated more WAR (wins above replacement) than
8982. Felix, 7.4 to 6.8. He also had more wins than Hernandez, which probably helped
8983. him in the minds of the </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/dodgersnow/la-sp-dn-geeks-inherit-dodgers-front-office-20141105-story.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“old-school”
8984. voters</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> who still value statistics like wins and RBI over
8985. those new-fangled WAR, FIP, OPS+ etc. The stats themselves were close enough
8986. that either choice could be defended, as </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/101274894/anthony-castrovince-corey-kluber-over-felix-hernandez-for-al-cy-young-the-right-choice?tcid=tw_share"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anthony
8987. Castrovice breaks down for MLB.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. Castro also includes
8988. the video from the hit-turned-error that shaved four earned runs off of
8989. Hernandez’s final mark as well as the hit-turned-error-turned-hit that added
8990. three earned runs onto Kluber’s tally. Change one (or both) of those scoring
8991. decisions, and the final ERA race becomes even closer. I’m glad Kluber won and
8992. think it was the right decision, but I probably wouldn’t have gone off the deep
8993. end had the final result been flipped. If you want to read </span><a href="http://www.ussmariner.com/2014/11/12/felix-hernandez-pitches-well-loses/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">well-thought
8994. out, reasoned take on the voting from a Mariner fan, the always-reliable USS
8995. Mariner put together a solid piece</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> less than 2 hrs after
8996. the award was announced. If you want to read complete and utter nonsense
8997. expelled from the mouth of an idiot, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TheBigHurt_35"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">then click here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.
8998. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
8999. <div class="MsoNormal">
9000. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9001. <div class="MsoNormal">
9002. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting back to intelligent, reasonable analysis, </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/what-corey-kluber-winning-the-cy-young-tells-us/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">August
9003. Fagerstrom of the Akron Beacon Journal and Fangraphs put together a really nice
9004. piece looking at how the voters gave Kluber the Cy Young based primarily on FIP</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
9005. whether they knew it or not. And that’s a big deal for those who value advanced
9006. metrics becoming more mainstream. As Fagerstrom explains:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9007. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9008. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
9009. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9010. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This seems big.
9011. There’s a consensus as to why Corey Kluber just won a Cy Young Award and, at
9012. the risk of sounding over dramatic, it feels like something of a revolutionary
9013. consensus. This reminds me of when Felix won the Cy Young in 2010, despite a
9014. 13-12 record. Seemed like that was a turning point that helped the national
9015. audience realize pitcher wins don’t matter. Perhaps this will be something of a
9016. turning point that ERA isn’t the end-all-be-all, and a turning point that helps
9017. legitimize FIP to the mainstream. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9018. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9019. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmeahZzPU6hq-uW_pNH34Y_cdyUe7boVK-d6F5TCZ2L5PskfKTzqafZSSTG5k6v4A7-cYtqz28mWe5OAl8Lc9ossyN3vG3N4LTHYodOTCj84gGkis4ju_9Z3siB0oi1nvy0dl/s1600/Klubs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmeahZzPU6hq-uW_pNH34Y_cdyUe7boVK-d6F5TCZ2L5PskfKTzqafZSSTG5k6v4A7-cYtqz28mWe5OAl8Lc9ossyN3vG3N4LTHYodOTCj84gGkis4ju_9Z3siB0oi1nvy0dl/s1600/Klubs.jpg" /></a></div>
9020. <div class="MsoNormal">
9021. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fagerstrom took a look at the rationale behind some
9022. of Kluber’s supporters amongst the voters, and found that while they didn’t
9023. mention FIP outright, many talked about the superior defense in Seattle, as
9024. well as the park effects of Safeco benefiting the King. As an aside, if you’re
9025. not </span><a href="https://twitter.com/AugustF_ABJ"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">following August
9026. on Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, you’re doing yourself a disservice. He’s an
9027. excellent writer with some really insightful stuff, and I highly recommend you
9028. read his stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9029. <div class="MsoNormal">
9030. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9031. <div class="MsoNormal">
9032. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t have much more to add to the Kluber news,
9033. but I will say this; the Cleveland Indians won one Cy Young Award between 1956
9034. (the first year of the award) and 2006. After going 1 for 50, Indians pitchers
9035. have now captured three of the last eight AL Cy Young Awards. That’s a pretty
9036. nice little run they have put together, and there’s no reason to think that
9037. Kluber can’t continue to contend for the award in the near future. He’s under
9038. club control through at least 2018(!), and isn’t even arbitration eligible
9039. until 2016. If you want to read more about the Indians young, cheap and
9040. downright adorable Cy Young Award winner, </span><a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/2014/11/13/7213719/reaction-to-corey-kluber-winning-al-cy-young-award"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the
9041. good folks over at Let’s Go Tribe have an excellent rundown of links from
9042. around the interwebs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> that are worth checking out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9043. <div class="MsoNormal">
9044. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9045. <div class="MsoNormal">
9046. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Moving on from Kluber (but not really), Baseball
9047. Prospectus has come up with a somewhat complicated formula to measure how
9048. well-off a franchise is when it comes to “core talent.” They call it </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25034"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Core
9049. Team Value</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, and it looks at youth, performance (by WAR) and
9050. club control to try and figure out what teams are set up best for the future at
9051. the major league level. The Indians come in at…wait for it…#2 in all of
9052. baseball, behind only the big-money Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. They
9053. have five “core” players that were considered for the sample; Michael Brantley,
9054. Corey Kluber, Yan Gomes, Carlos Santana and Cookie Carrasco. So that’s not even
9055. considering the potential contributions of young, talented players like Danny
9056. Salazar, Trevor Bauer, Jason Kipnis or Cody Allen, not to mention uber-prospect
9057. Francisco Lindor. All of those players are also under club control for several
9058. years to come. And you could even get really rosy eyed and predict some sort of
9059. a bounce back year for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in 2015. As BP’s Jonathan
9060. Judge put it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9061. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9062. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cleveland did
9063. extremely well in these rankings last year, ranking fourth in the league for
9064. roster core quality. I didn’t comment on it at the time, as Cleveland had just
9065. enjoyed a Cinderella season and its team WARP obviously reflected that. But
9066. here we are for a second year in a row, and Cleveland not only maintained its
9067. top-quartile status, but moved up. It did so by coaxing strong performances
9068. from additional core assets for a second year in a row. Whereas last year
9069. featured superb production from Jason
9070. Kipnis and Carlos Santana,
9071. this year the club added outstanding performances from Michael Brantley and Corey
9072. Kluber (both 6+ WARP). In a fairly weak division, this emerging roster
9073. core has the needle trending up.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9074. <div class="MsoNormal">
9075. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This team is young and talented, of that there can
9076. be no doubt. There’s no guarantee that 2014 success will beget a solid 2015
9077. season, of course. Fausberto Carnandez 
9078. going from Cy Young contender in 2007 to Lake County in 2008 is recent
9079. enough evidence of that. But the Indians are in a very good position for the
9080. 2015 season and beyond. They have a deep, restocked farm system with a couple
9081. of crown jewels acquired in recent drafts. They’re trending upwards </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/futures-so-bright.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(again,
9082. just like we thought in 2007)</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in a division where
9083. the other teams are either treading water or getting weaker. Young, affordable
9084. pitching is never going out of style (even if power is at more of a premium
9085. right now) and that’s something that the Indians have in spades. Combine that
9086. with a solid bullpen and a balanced lineup, the team has to be considered a
9087. potential playoff contender even without major additions this offseason. </span><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25033"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ll
9088. again pop over to the impartial experts over at Baseball Prospectus, who think
9089. that the Indians are being underrated by the sharps in Vegas</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
9090. when they put the club at 28-1 odds at winning the World Series next year:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9091. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9092. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Cory Kluber
9093. headlines a rotation that features perhaps the most intriguing collection of
9094. starters in all of baseball. Armed with a great arsenal and much improved
9095. command, Carlos Carrasco appears to have blossomed into a legitimate no. 2
9096. starter. Danny Salazar bounced back from a disappointing start in 2014 and
9097. could be primed for a breakout season, and few teams in baseball round out
9098. their rotation with better pitchers than Trevor Bauer and T.J. House.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9099. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9100. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Offensively,
9101. Cleveland can expect to be better at crucial positions. Some combination of
9102. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor should outproduce what Asdrubal Cabrera
9103. provided—at least with the glove—and with a full offseason to recover from an
9104. oblique injury that never went away, Jason Kipnis is a strong rebound
9105. candidate. If the Indians can add a mid-tier bat—a Colby Rasmus or Alex Rios
9106. type fits— they should have enough thump in their order to compensate for a
9107. weak defense. Their pitching alone gives them a pretty good chance to reach the
9108. postseason, and once you get there...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9109. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9110. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdKnXvFgReqQ6PDhHXzXw4UsR_a637rfCXC2QozW-nUFaOXazwOR18im19PDEZa_TDHhbMVYEImQ9rbdA9r276Ldu7BANGIepc57R9zblH-eu5N1R7lvbHuaDWchMArsjgRuu/s1600/Vic+illitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdKnXvFgReqQ6PDhHXzXw4UsR_a637rfCXC2QozW-nUFaOXazwOR18im19PDEZa_TDHhbMVYEImQ9rbdA9r276Ldu7BANGIepc57R9zblH-eu5N1R7lvbHuaDWchMArsjgRuu/s1600/Vic+illitch.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
9111. <div class="MsoNormal">
9112. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Speaking of divisional clubs treading water, the
9113. Tigers were to prevent their best offensive player (in 2014 at least) from
9114. departing by inking DH Victor Martinez to a 4-year contract. They are paying
9115. Martinez $68 million for his age 36-40 seasons, which is $12 million more than
9116. the Indians risked in paying Nick Swisher for his age 32-35 seasons. Victor has
9117. been healthy and productive throughout his career of course, but he posted
9118. “just” a .785 OPS in 2013. That’s not bad, but it’s not what the Tigers are
9119. paying for. It’s no secret that the Tigers are firmly in win now mode, and this
9120. deal definitely helps their team in 2015. But it’s not without risk, even next
9121. season. </span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-2015-free-agent-landmines/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fangraphs
9122. Dave Cameron listed Vic as one of his free agent “landmines,”</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
9123. explaining that a team signing him is paying for what amounts to an outlier
9124. season when it comes to power production. Even if Victor does produce at a
9125. level commensurate with his pay (and even with the Tigers, I can’t find myself
9126. rooting against Vic), the Tigers have some significant payroll obligations for
9127. players on the clear downside of their careers. They will owe a combined $76
9128. million in 2018 for a 40-year old Victor Martinez, 35-year old Justin Verlander
9129. (88 ERA+ in 2014) and a 35-year old Miguel Cabrera. They’re committed to pay
9130. Anibal Sanchez and Ian Kinsler at least $10 million, and that’s if they buy out
9131. the final year of both of those contracts. That makes for $86 million obligated
9132. in 2018, and that’s for three players on the active roster. The Indians entire
9133. payroll in 2014 was less than $86 million. Does Mike Ilitch care? Probably not,
9134. as he’s in it to win it in the very near future. But the long term
9135. ramifications could be severe. Let’s look to Fangraphs one last time today</span><a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/victor-martinez-and-the-short-term-tigers/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
9136. as Jeff Sullivan shows us a present-day glimpse of what the future could hold
9137. in Detroit:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
9138. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9139. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The natural,
9140. kind of obvious conclusion: the Tigers are positioning themselves to resemble
9141. the Phillies. The Phillies are in the dreadful part of the cycle after having
9142. made the playoffs five years in a row. The Tigers have finished first in their
9143. division four years in a row, and they’re good enough to make it five. It sure
9144. looks like, within the next few years, the situation in Detroit is going to
9145. turn pretty ugly. But they can worry about that when they get there, if they
9146. even still have all the same front-office personnel, and besides, before it
9147. sucked to be a Phillies fan, it was pretty damn special. Since the Phillies won
9148. the World Series, they might say it was worth it. The Tigers put another $68
9149. million toward buying an era a trophy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9150. <div class="MsoNormal">
9151. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is it worth it to strip the farm system barren and
9152. sign aging players to contracts that would be crazy even if they were paid in
9153. Monopoly money if it results in just one championship? That’s a question that
9154. neither Indians nor Tigers fans can answer as of right now, because the last
9155. title for either team was 30 years ago. Are the Tigers in a better spot to end
9156. that drought in 2015? Probably, but with the potential departure of Max
9157. Scherzer, their lineup is going to have to stay healthy and productive in order
9158. to compensate for a weakened starting rotation. Regardless of 2015 though, I
9159. think the Indians are in a much better spot over the long haul thanks to their
9160. stable of young, controlled talent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9161. <div class="MsoNormal">
9162. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9163. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9164. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm20KxpskzIhRMuG6aih1wgX0KmKDERcp-8TzV4dXNvSSZwTuWHxjPL89q_7qLHCJIRElaf__ReBjA34ZVGWG_QeAUFhXBrK0BTZLUUwBy67tRaMAHsmygncoLmPDhm7_ZMS1-/s1600/masty+titi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm20KxpskzIhRMuG6aih1wgX0KmKDERcp-8TzV4dXNvSSZwTuWHxjPL89q_7qLHCJIRElaf__ReBjA34ZVGWG_QeAUFhXBrK0BTZLUUwBy67tRaMAHsmygncoLmPDhm7_ZMS1-/s1600/masty+titi.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
9165. <div class="MsoNormal">
9166. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week in this space, I talked about potential
9167. moves that the Indians could/should make this offseason to bolster their
9168. chances for 2015. I talked about Brett Anderson and Brandon Morrow as potential
9169. arms to take a flyer on, but didn’t mention former Indians ace Justin
9170. Masterson. Well, it appears that the Indians and Masterson’s camp are talking
9171. about a potential return to the North Coast for the big righty. <a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/101468774/indians-may-bring-back-right-hander-justin-masterson-with-short-term-deal">Jordan
9172. Bastian reports that the Indians are one of several teams that have contacted
9173. Masterson about a short term deal</a>, a far cry from the 3 year, $45 million extension
9174. the club offered him in March. Masterson struggled to a 7-9 record with the
9175. Indians and Cardinals in 2014, including a career-worst 5.88 ERA and 4.50 FIP.
9176. His K/BB ratio fell from 2.57 in 2013 to 1.68 in 2014. In short, it was a
9177. terrible season at a terrible time for the 29-year old right-hander out of
9178. Beavercreek, OH. But could there have been an underlying reason(s) for the
9179. sudden and steep decline? As we all no doubt remember, Masterson dealt with an
9180. oblique injury down the stretch in 2013. That injury reportedly lingered into
9181. spring training last year, which began a chain reaction leading to knee and
9182. shoulder issues that kept Masterson from reaching his full effectiveness at any
9183. point last year, as Bastian details for us:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9184. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9185. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The oblique
9186. injury led to tenderness in Masterson's ribcage area during Spring Training
9187. before this season, but the pitcher kept quiet about the issue…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9188. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9189. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During the
9190. season's first half, Kluber and Tomlin pointed out to Masterson that his stride
9191. in his delivery had lengthened. Masterson was compensating for the soreness in
9192. his side and the result was inflammation in his right knee. Cleveland traded
9193. the pitcher to St. Louis on July 30, but the issues persisted to the point of
9194. needing an MRI exam.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9195. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9196. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Cardinals'
9197. staff discovered the scar tissue in Masterson's side and also found an
9198. impingement in his right shoulder. The pitcher received a cortisone shot in his
9199. arm and underwent a minor procedure to break up the scar tissue. All of the
9200. issues combined offer possible reasons behind Masterson's diminished velocity
9201. and his uncharacteristic pitching line (7-9, 5.88 ERA in 128 2/3 innings).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9202. <br />
9203. <div class="MsoNormal">
9204. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Masterson has been an “every other year” guy with
9205. the Indians, pitching much better in odd years than even for whatever reason.
9206. Could he be in line for a big bounceback season in 2015 now that he’s healthy
9207. again? Much like we talked about with Brett Anderson, it could be an attractive
9208. deal for both sides. Masterson would be back in a familiar location with a team
9209. and organization that he’s comfortable with, including The Pitcher Whisperer.
9210. He could rebuild his value and look for a multi-year deal in 2016, in Cleveland
9211. or elsewhere. The Indians would get a guy they know is a leader in the
9212. clubhouse at a rate far cheaper than they anticipated paying just eight months
9213. ago, and the contract would carry very little risk for the club. If he’s unable
9214. to regain his starting form, Masterson could even be used as a power arm out of
9215. the bullpen the way he was in 2013. There are a number of teams interested in
9216. Masterson (a dozen, according to his agent which should be taken with a grain
9217. of salt) so the reunion might not happen if another club offers Masty a longer
9218. term deal or more upfront money than the Indians are willing to shell out. But
9219. having a healthy and effective Masterson in the middle of the rotation would be
9220. an incredible luxury that seemed impossible a year ago, and would provide
9221. insurance in case 2<sup>nd</sup> half Cookie Carrasco turns into a pumpkin and
9222. regresses to the guy we saw prior to the 2014 all-star break. Fan-favorite
9223. Justin Masterson propels Indians past Tigers for AL Central title would be a
9224. poetic and welcome headline in September of 2015, and something for Indians
9225. fans to dream on during a cold and snowy winter… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9226. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/3860631091391374432/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=3860631091391374432&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3860631091391374432'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/3860631091391374432'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/celebrating-cykluber-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Celebrating CyKluber on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC92G1nYgsqLBKuxgwFEiPPGT7PjST3zEJ0AdzswOYdrE1rzvbp3yiVAgIQrDj5qa0xwMglhjskw10OIFazcvASIw5awzsOgf_aIGJd-2j0nJAnriHkjgazoSHBvej9uyPJn-L/s72-c/Kluber.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-6017491372497987820</id><published>2014-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2014-11-09T07:00:07.985-05:00</updated><title type='text'>GM for a Day on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
9227. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXf7yigMahwjviOD7h9iujrXzL2vOr9r3tkP6fvw07-SvyxWrCoLvb1hL76oHYQrH0Yp1tebvoyK42u4Ddz_sqw6nwZWSo_PdUSrj3oQXZcpsifTIijI4aKQrPg9vARS3P3zq/s1600/terry_francona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXf7yigMahwjviOD7h9iujrXzL2vOr9r3tkP6fvw07-SvyxWrCoLvb1hL76oHYQrH0Yp1tebvoyK42u4Ddz_sqw6nwZWSo_PdUSrj3oQXZcpsifTIijI4aKQrPg9vARS3P3zq/s1600/terry_francona.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
9228. <div class="MsoNormal">
9229. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another week into the cold, seemingly unending
9230. darkness of baseball’s offseason. Leaves are falling, clocks are changing, and
9231. the weather is getting colder. The Cavs haven’t been the unstoppable juggernaut
9232. that many expected them to be (at least, not yet). The Browns are…well, the
9233. Browns. Thursday’s win was great, but I’m still not quite convinced they’ve
9234. broken through to become Super Bowl contenders. Regardless, I have good news.
9235. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Pitchers and catchers report just 102
9236. days from today (if you’re reading this on Sunday). Baseball is coming back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9237. <div class="MsoNormal">
9238. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9239. <div class="MsoNormal">
9240. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve see
9241. the reports that Tito Francona agreed to a contract extension through at least
9242. 2018, and it includes club options for 2019 and 2020. Your 9<sup>th</sup> grade
9243. child will be well-into college before Tito can leave for another job on his
9244. own accord. And more importantly, there doesn’t seem like there’s much chance
9245. for him to <i>want</i> to leave, now or down
9246. the road. In his own words:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9247. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9248. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></div>
9249. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
9250. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span lang="EN">“I really didn’t want
9251. to move on from here. ... You watch every manager in their first press
9252. conference, they say all these things — and they’re all true, they all feel
9253. them — but what’s really cool for me is, two years later, I’m getting to live
9254. them out. And I still feel the same way, two years [later], except maybe
9255. stronger, than the day I was hired. And for that, I’m very grateful.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
9256. <div class="MsoNormal">
9257. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s not a whole lot I can add on Tito that
9258. wasn’t covered by </span><a href="http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2014/11/04/you-cant-return-to-where-youve-never-left/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anthony
9259. Castrovice</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> and/or </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/100489166/indians-manager-terry-francona-signs-through-2018-affirming-long-term-goals"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jordan
9260. Bastian</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> (and if for some reason you haven’t read those two
9261. pieces yet, please remedy that by clicking the links), but I think it’s
9262. important to recognize just how much Francona means to this organization, both
9263. on and off the field. He’s a solid in-game tactician in the dugout. He’s great
9264. with the media and an effective communicator (something today’s manager has to
9265. be able to do). The players like him, which makes him an asset in the offseason
9266. when it comes to attracting free agents. He’s put together a fantastic staff,
9267. including both former (Brad Mills) and future (Sandy Alomar and Mike Sarbaugh)
9268. MLB managers, not to mention </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Callaway"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Pitcher
9269. Whisperer</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. His Indians teams have won the 4<sup>th</sup>-most
9270. games in the AL since he took over as manager prior to the 2013 season. He’s on
9271. the same page as the two guys above him, GM Chris Antonetti and Team President
9272. Mark Shapiro. And most importantly, he genuinely wants to be here. He’s not
9273. using Cleveland as a stepping stone to a better-paying job somewhere else. He’s
9274. not going to leverage the Indians contract into a job with the Dodgers. Hell,
9275. if you believe the reports, he didn’t even know how much money he made in 2014!
9276. As the Cleveland fanbase know probably better than any other, continuity at the
9277. top of an organization makes for a much better chance at sustained success. One
9278. look at the history of the Cleveland Browns would seem to confirm that
9279. hypothesis. The Indians triumvirate at the top seems to be locked in for the
9280. long haul, and although there’s a very loud segment of the fanbase that would
9281. probably prefer otherwise, I think that’s a pretty good thing for the organization’s
9282. future success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9283. <div class="MsoNormal">
9284. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9285. <div class="MsoNormal">
9286. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All that said, the best manager in the universe
9287. isn’t going to win without the players on the field. </span><a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/100543252/indians-corey-kluber-michael-brantley-finalists-for-bbwaa-honors"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According
9288. to the BBWA, the Indians had one of the top-3 pitchers and one of the top-3
9289. position players in the American League</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> in 2014. That’s a
9290. really good start, as both of those guys are south of 30 and theoretically
9291. still on their way up. But what else can GM Chris Antonetti add to the roster
9292. this offseason to help Tito’s squad get over the hump and win the AL Central?
9293. With the help of the venerable founder of this fine site, the original DiaTribe
9294. himself, I sat down and tried to come up with some realistic moves that
9295. Antonetti could/should make this winter to help the Indians compete for the
9296. division next year. Please note that ‘realistic’ is a key word here. So no
9297. trading Josh Tomlin and Nick Swisher for Giancarlo Stanton. And also no “sign
9298. Victor,” as much as I want that to happen, because he just had too good of a
9299. season to wind up on the North Coast in 2015. So without further ado, here’s my
9300. attempt at playing armchair GM for the Indians this winter:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9301. <div class="MsoNormal">
9302. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9303. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
9304. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1    </span></div>
9305. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9306. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgiAfbJAx8zQ2YCJuBRY2M5w5HA5an9C_wg5IpgrxQppDNvMQedxgIlS7MllSL3JrPFODKr7ng4gHgdLcNqBYgV3D-lhEI6WdQZo1LuNLLX7N72bbpuR3N5IhExx-PnZ4ZjzW/s1600/Brett+Anderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgiAfbJAx8zQ2YCJuBRY2M5w5HA5an9C_wg5IpgrxQppDNvMQedxgIlS7MllSL3JrPFODKr7ng4gHgdLcNqBYgV3D-lhEI6WdQZo1LuNLLX7N72bbpuR3N5IhExx-PnZ4ZjzW/s1600/Brett+Anderson.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
9307. 1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">      </span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As
9308. part of the annual offseason signings of 4-8<sup>th</sup> starters, offer
9309. former Rockies SP Brett Anderson an incentive-laden deal to compete for the 5<sup>th</sup>
9310. starter job out of spring training. I think that it’d probably take $2-4
9311. million guaranteed, plus another $3-5 million in incentives to bring him into
9312. the fold on a one-year deal. It’d be a great option for both parties involved.
9313. Anderson would get a chance to pitch in The Jake, a ballpark that slightly
9314. favors pitchers over hitters that would feel like paradise compared to Coors
9315. Field. He’d have The Pitcher Whisperer as his pitching coach, keeping his
9316. mechanics in line and hopefully preventing further injury. And most
9317. importantly, he’d have a chance to rebuild his value on a one-year deal with a
9318. chance to get paid in 2016 and beyond. Anderson will be just 27 for all of the
9319. 2015 baseball season (2 years younger than when Scott Kazmir took his one-year
9320. deal in Cleveland) and has been really good when he has pitched in his career
9321. (112 career ERA+). But the last time he threw more than 45 innings was in 2011.
9322. Because he’s left-handed (another reason he’d fit in well in the Indians
9323. rotation) and has had success, he’s going to be a popular buy-low target
9324. throughout baseball. The Indians are bound to have competition for Anderson,
9325. but I think they can get a deal done.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
9326. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
9327. <br /></div>
9328. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
9329. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another arm I’d like to see them
9330. make a run at is former Blue Jay Brandon Morrow. Morrow is a little older than
9331. Anderson (turned 30 in July) and doesn’t have the same track record of success
9332. (99 career ERA+) and he’s right-handed, so he should come cheaper than
9333. Anderson. He’s combined to throw just 87 2/3 innings over the past two seasons,
9334. with an ERA north of 5 in both 2013 and 2014. But his FIP in 2014 was 3.73, and
9335. his raw stuff has always been above-average (765 K in 735 2/3 career IP). He’s
9336. another guy that I’d like to see Mickey Callaway have a shot with, as the
9337. upside is definitely there. There’s even the potential for him slotting into
9338. the back end of a bullpen, a la Wade Davis, although I’m not sure his arm could
9339. bounce back quickly enough to make multiple appearances in a single week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9340. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
9341. <br /></div>
9342. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
9343. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2    2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">      </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Call
9344. the Dodgers and offer them Bryan Shaw for OF Scott Van Slyke. Original credit
9345. for this idea goes to Pauly C., which explains why it makes so much sense. The
9346. Dodgers bullpen struggled last year, and a setup guy like Shaw would fit in
9347. very nicely for them. Also, Shaw pitched . Meanwhile, Van Slyke is 28 and still
9348. doesn’t have a home in a crowded and expensive Dodgers outfield, especially if
9349. Matt Kemp is healthy. Van Slyke has played well in limited action for the Dodgers,
9350. putting up a .276/.36/.501 slash line with 18 HR in 151 games between 2013-14.
9351. He could at least be the right side of a RF platoon with lefty David Murphy,
9352. and could provide the Indians OF with a little more pop than they exhibited
9353. last year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9354. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
9355. <br /></div>
9356. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
9357. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for Shaw, he had an outstanding
9358. season as the Indians primary 8<sup>th</sup> inning guy last year, posting a
9359. 2.59 ERA (144 ERA+) in 76 1/3 innings of work. But he made a league-high 80
9360. appearances last year, and his FIP was nearly a full run higher than his ERA
9361. (3.42). There’s a good chance for regression, and bullpen arms are notoriously
9362. fickle from year to year anyway (see Betancourt, Rafael). The Indians have a
9363. glut of power RH bullpen arms in the pipeline, guys like Austin Adams, C.C.
9364. Lee, Shawn Armstrong and Bryan Price. Not to mention Zach McAllister, a guy who
9365. really doesn’t have a spot left in the revamped Indians rotation, would slot
9366. very nicely into a back-end role. Losing Shaw would hurt the bullpen’s depth,
9367. but I’m confident they can find someone to plug in and replace him without too
9368. much overall degradation.</span></div>
9369. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
9370. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3    </span></div>
9371. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9372. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ueBJh_kZweqNSQzAzmKJSQnVQk_dr1JDdWym7Swy0pAy42738TJhrQJQBaOfSifcR_PKf4ZW68SUI69W7u3UMO93KpEYG_UUDJAG_S7wifmDebKI1zOE8JA4pzMAwzRi5Vw5/s1600/Lindor+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ueBJh_kZweqNSQzAzmKJSQnVQk_dr1JDdWym7Swy0pAy42738TJhrQJQBaOfSifcR_PKf4ZW68SUI69W7u3UMO93KpEYG_UUDJAG_S7wifmDebKI1zOE8JA4pzMAwzRi5Vw5/s1600/Lindor+(2).JPG" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
9373. 3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">      </span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Start
9374. Francisco Lindor at shortstop on opening day. Based on the Indians picking up
9375. Mike Aviles’ option for 2015, this is almost definitely not going to happen.
9376. But in this scenario, I’m playing GM for the day, so I get to do what I want. </span><a href="http://www.clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/loving-lindor-on-lazy-sunday.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve
9377. already gone to great lengths to cover how I think Lindor could help the 2015
9378. Indians</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, both in the field and at the plate. I think he’s a
9379. better hitter and fielder than Jose Ramirez right now, and could be worth an
9380. extra win or two as the club’s everyday shortstop. With the Indians expecting
9381. to contend for the playoffs next year, that extra win could be the difference
9382. between playing baseball in October or ending the season after 162 games. Or
9383. the difference between a one-game Wild Card berth and setting up the rotation
9384. for the best-of-five ALDS. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
9385. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
9386. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9387. <br />
9388. <div class="MsoNormal">
9389. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those are the first three moves I’d make this
9390. offseason if I were in charge. The Indians aren’t going to be major players in
9391. the free agent market this winter, and frankly they really don’t have to be.
9392. The roster is pretty well set for next season, particularly the starting
9393. rotation (which I’ll get deeper into in the coming weeks). The Indians will
9394. pick up a couple of arms for the rotation and a couple of arms for bullpen
9395. depth. They’ll kick the tires on a couple of corner OF free agents, but the overall
9396. core of the team is pretty well set. There’s still more to sort out, especially
9397. at the 3B position, where it’s unclear whether or not Lonnie Chisenhall is the
9398. long-term solution. But between the talented young players (Silver Sluggers
9399. Gomes and Brantley) and the expensive veterans that are locked into the lineup
9400. for better or worse (Swisher and Bourn), the lineup is pretty well set. So
9401. those are just a few of my (realistic) ideas for some ancillary moves that
9402. could help the ballclub heading into what should be an interesting 2015 season.
9403. What are some of yours?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9404. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/6017491372497987820/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=6017491372497987820&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6017491372497987820'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/6017491372497987820'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/gm-for-day-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='GM for a Day on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXf7yigMahwjviOD7h9iujrXzL2vOr9r3tkP6fvw07-SvyxWrCoLvb1hL76oHYQrH0Yp1tebvoyK42u4Ddz_sqw6nwZWSo_PdUSrj3oQXZcpsifTIijI4aKQrPg9vARS3P3zq/s72-c/terry_francona.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-1224111103326218004</id><published>2014-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2014-10-19T07:00:01.800-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Loving Lindor on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
9405. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq7euLToJ4JY1dJHeN8Kdf1zRdA90S6QpdbIwGhghu2tj27fpCtFXx68FQp3wvs8HilBv3ni40ycmAeTUMyj_xW51cVHKuotHY0NDBD51LheBzYbnYf3qz00NL1oJNNQZeWyM/s1600/KC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq7euLToJ4JY1dJHeN8Kdf1zRdA90S6QpdbIwGhghu2tj27fpCtFXx68FQp3wvs8HilBv3ni40ycmAeTUMyj_xW51cVHKuotHY0NDBD51LheBzYbnYf3qz00NL1oJNNQZeWyM/s1600/KC.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></div>
9406. <div class="MsoNormal">
9407. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Kansas City Royals have swept their way through
9408. three rounds of the playoffs. The Kansas…City…Royals…look like an unstoppable
9409. juggernaut destined to win the 2014 World Series. It’s starting to sink in, but
9410. it still doesn’t make a ton of sense. The Indians went 10-9 against the Royals
9411. this year, finishing up four games behind them in the chase for the 2<sup>nd</sup>
9412. AL Wild Card berth. The two teams appear similar when you look at those two
9413. stats, but in reality they couldn’t be more different. The Royals are winning
9414. with defense, speed, timely hitting, a lights out bullpen and two really good
9415. starting pitchers. The Indians won this year with incredible starting pitching,
9416. horrible defense, and enough hitting to support the former and overcome the
9417. latter. In the end, the defense and bullpen of the Royals won out over the
9418. pitching and offense of the Indians. There’s a lot more that I’d like to touch
9419. on when it comes to KC, but first I want take an in-depth look at everyone’s
9420. favorite shortstop prospect, Francisco Lindor. 
9421. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9422. <div class="MsoNormal">
9423. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9424. <div class="MsoNormal">
9425. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“When is Francisco Lindor coming up?” That’s one of
9426. the biggest questions for the Indians heading into next season, as Lindor
9427. represents by far the cheapest opportunity to dramatically improve the roster
9428. in 2015. One only need look at the Indians before and after Jose Ramirez
9429. replaced Asdrubal Cabrera in the starting lineup to see how much of an effect a
9430. decent defensive SS can have on a team. The Indians were floundering at 53-55
9431. on July 31 when Cabrera was dealt to the Washington Nationals. With Ramirez as
9432. the primary shortstop, the Indians closed the season on a 32-22 run. Not all of
9433. that was solely due to Ramirez of course, but the switch certainly played a
9434. significant role in the club’s improvement. Then consider that Lindor projects
9435. to be a better defender and hitter than Ramirez (.646 OPS in 266 PA last year),
9436. probably from day one, and it’s easy to see why Tribe fans are drooling over
9437. the toolsy young SS. So will the three-headed decision making monster of
9438. Shapiro, Anonetti and Francona opt to have the soon-to-be 21-year old SS on the
9439. big-league roster from day one? That decision depends not just on whether or
9440. not they feel he’s ready to contribute, but whether or not it makes financial
9441. sense to start his service time clock in April rather than June or July.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9442. <div class="MsoNormal">
9443. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To gain some insight into whether or not Lindor is
9444. “ready,” I wanted to take a look the performance of some of his recent
9445. contemporary SS prospects. Fortunately, being in the golden age of the
9446. shortstop as we are, there were several guys that we can take a look at who are
9447. similar to Lindor. I chose the below shortstops because they made their MLB
9448. debuts at age 22 or earlier and were ranked in the Baseball Prospectus top-100
9449. prospect rankings. This first table will be the selected SS comps from their
9450. respective final minor league seasons:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9451. <div class="MsoNormal">
9452. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9453. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 491px;">
9454. <tbody>
9455. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
9456.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-right: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9457.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9458. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Name<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9459. </td>
9460.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9461.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9462. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Age<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9463. </td>
9464.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9465.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9466. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">PA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9467. </td>
9468.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9469.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9470. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Slash<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9471. </td>
9472.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9473.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9474. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">HR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9475. </td>
9476.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9477.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9478. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">BB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9479. </td>
9480.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9481.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9482. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">K<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9483. </td>
9484. </tr>
9485. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
9486.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9487.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9488. Xander Bogearts<o:p></o:p></div>
9489. </td>
9490.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9491.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9492. 20<o:p></o:p></div>
9493. </td>
9494.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9495.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9496. 515<o:p></o:p></div>
9497. </td>
9498.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9499.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9500. .297/.388/.477<o:p></o:p></div>
9501. </td>
9502.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9503.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9504. 15<o:p></o:p></div>
9505. </td>
9506.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9507.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9508. 63<o:p></o:p></div>
9509. </td>
9510.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9511.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9512. 95<o:p></o:p></div>
9513. </td>
9514. </tr>
9515. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
9516.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9517.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9518. Javier Baez<o:p></o:p></div>
9519. </td>
9520.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9521.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9522. 21<o:p></o:p></div>
9523. </td>
9524.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9525.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9526. 434<o:p></o:p></div>
9527. </td>
9528.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9529.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9530. .260/.323/.510<o:p></o:p></div>
9531. </td>
9532.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9533.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9534. 23<o:p></o:p></div>
9535. </td>
9536.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9537.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9538. 34<o:p></o:p></div>
9539. </td>
9540.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9541.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9542. 130<o:p></o:p></div>
9543. </td>
9544. </tr>
9545. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
9546.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9547.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9548. Chris Owings<o:p></o:p></div>
9549. </td>
9550.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9551.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9552. 21<o:p></o:p></div>
9553. </td>
9554.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9555.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9556. 575<o:p></o:p></div>
9557. </td>
9558.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9559.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9560. .330/.359/.482<o:p></o:p></div>
9561. </td>
9562.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9563.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9564. 12<o:p></o:p></div>
9565. </td>
9566.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9567.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9568. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
9569. </td>
9570.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9571.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9572. 99<o:p></o:p></div>
9573. </td>
9574. </tr>
9575. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
9576.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9577.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9578. Jurickson Profar<o:p></o:p></div>
9579. </td>
9580.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9581.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9582. 20<o:p></o:p></div>
9583. </td>
9584.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9585.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9586. 166<o:p></o:p></div>
9587. </td>
9588.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9589.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9590. .278/.370/.438<o:p></o:p></div>
9591. </td>
9592.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9593.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9594. 4<o:p></o:p></div>
9595. </td>
9596.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9597.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9598. 21<o:p></o:p></div>
9599. </td>
9600.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9601.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9602. 24<o:p></o:p></div>
9603. </td>
9604. </tr>
9605. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
9606.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9607.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9608. Manny Machado<o:p></o:p></div>
9609. </td>
9610.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9611.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9612. 19<o:p></o:p></div>
9613. </td>
9614.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9615.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9616. 202<o:p></o:p></div>
9617. </td>
9618.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9619.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9620. .266/.352/.438<o:p></o:p></div>
9621. </td>
9622.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9623.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9624. 11<o:p></o:p></div>
9625. </td>
9626.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9627.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9628. 48<o:p></o:p></div>
9629. </td>
9630.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9631.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9632. 70<o:p></o:p></div>
9633. </td>
9634. </tr>
9635. <tr style="height: 15.65pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
9636.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.55pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9637.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9638. Jean Segura<o:p></o:p></div>
9639. </td>
9640.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="55">
9641.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9642. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
9643. </td>
9644.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9645.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9646. 451<o:p></o:p></div>
9647. </td>
9648.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 82.4pt;" valign="bottom" width="110">
9649.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9650. .304/.358/.413<o:p></o:p></div>
9651. </td>
9652.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 40.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="54">
9653.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9654. 7<o:p></o:p></div>
9655. </td>
9656.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 39.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="52">
9657.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9658. 23<o:p></o:p></div>
9659. </td>
9660.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.65pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9661.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9662. 57<o:p></o:p></div>
9663. </td>
9664. </tr>
9665. </tbody></table>
9666. <div class="MsoNormal">
9667. <br /></div>
9668. <div class="MsoNormal">
9669. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As you see, pretty solid numbers across the board.
9670. Jean Segura had the lowest OPS at .771. Javier Baez was one of the most
9671. prolific sluggers in all of minor league baseball last year, popping 23 HR in
9672. just 434 plate appearances. Machado was the only one on the list who was still
9673. 19 in the MiLB season in question, and he ended up leading the AL in doubles
9674. and making an all-star team as a 20-year old. Chris Owings put up really good
9675. numbers that have to be taken with a grain of salt, as they were accumulated in
9676. the offense-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. All in all, the
9677. average season for the six players in our sample was an .818 OPS, 12 HR, 35 BB
9678. and 79 K over 390 plate appearances. For comparison’s sake, Francisco Lindor
9679. accumulated 567 plate appearances last year between AA Akron and AAA Columbus,
9680. putting together a .276/.338/.389 (.727 OPS) line with 11 HR, 49 BB and 97 K.
9681. That would put him on the lower end of this sample when talking about offensive
9682. production only. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9683. <div class="MsoNormal">
9684. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now that we’ve taken a good look at minor league
9685. production from our sample, let’s see how those same six guys did in their
9686. first exposure to major league pitching:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
9687. <div class="MsoNormal">
9688. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9689. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 431px;">
9690. <tbody>
9691. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
9692.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-right: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9693.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9694. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Name<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9695. </td>
9696.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9697.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9698. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Age<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9699. </td>
9700.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9701.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9702. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">PA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9703. </td>
9704.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9705.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9706. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Slash<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9707. </td>
9708.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9709.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9710. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">HR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9711. </td>
9712.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9713.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9714. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">BB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9715. </td>
9716.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9717.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9718. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">K<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
9719. </td>
9720. </tr>
9721. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
9722.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9723.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9724. Xander Bogaerts<o:p></o:p></div>
9725. </td>
9726.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9727.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9728. 21<o:p></o:p></div>
9729. </td>
9730.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9731.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9732. 594<o:p></o:p></div>
9733. </td>
9734.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9735.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9736. .240/.297/.362<o:p></o:p></div>
9737. </td>
9738.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9739.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9740. 12<o:p></o:p></div>
9741. </td>
9742.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9743.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9744. 39<o:p></o:p></div>
9745. </td>
9746.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9747.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9748. 138<o:p></o:p></div>
9749. </td>
9750. </tr>
9751. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
9752.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9753.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9754. Javier Baez<o:p></o:p></div>
9755. </td>
9756.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9757.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9758. 21<o:p></o:p></div>
9759. </td>
9760.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9761.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9762. 229<o:p></o:p></div>
9763. </td>
9764.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9765.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9766. .169/.227/.324<o:p></o:p></div>
9767. </td>
9768.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9769.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9770. 9<o:p></o:p></div>
9771. </td>
9772.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9773.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9774. 15<o:p></o:p></div>
9775. </td>
9776.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9777.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9778. 95<o:p></o:p></div>
9779. </td>
9780. </tr>
9781. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
9782.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9783.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9784. Chris Owings<o:p></o:p></div>
9785. </td>
9786.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9787.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9788. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
9789. </td>
9790.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9791.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9792. 310<o:p></o:p></div>
9793. </td>
9794.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9795.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9796. .261/.300/.406<o:p></o:p></div>
9797. </td>
9798.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9799.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9800. 6<o:p></o:p></div>
9801. </td>
9802.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9803.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9804. 16<o:p></o:p></div>
9805. </td>
9806.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9807.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9808. 67<o:p></o:p></div>
9809. </td>
9810. </tr>
9811. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
9812.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9813.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9814. Jurickson Profar<o:p></o:p></div>
9815. </td>
9816.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9817.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9818. 20<o:p></o:p></div>
9819. </td>
9820.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9821.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9822. 324<o:p></o:p></div>
9823. </td>
9824.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9825.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9826. .234/.308/.336<o:p></o:p></div>
9827. </td>
9828.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9829.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9830. 2<o:p></o:p></div>
9831. </td>
9832.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9833.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9834. 26<o:p></o:p></div>
9835. </td>
9836.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9837.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9838. 63<o:p></o:p></div>
9839. </td>
9840. </tr>
9841. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
9842.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9843.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9844. Manny Machado<o:p></o:p></div>
9845. </td>
9846.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9847.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9848. 19<o:p></o:p></div>
9849. </td>
9850.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9851.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9852. 202<o:p></o:p></div>
9853. </td>
9854.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9855.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9856. .262/.294/.445<o:p></o:p></div>
9857. </td>
9858.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9859.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9860. 7<o:p></o:p></div>
9861. </td>
9862.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9863.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9864. 9<o:p></o:p></div>
9865. </td>
9866.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9867.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9868. 38<o:p></o:p></div>
9869. </td>
9870. </tr>
9871. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
9872.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="119">
9873.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9874. Jean Segura<o:p></o:p></div>
9875. </td>
9876.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 35.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="47">
9877.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9878. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
9879. </td>
9880.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 32.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="43">
9881.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9882. 166<o:p></o:p></div>
9883. </td>
9884.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 78.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="104">
9885.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
9886. .258/.315/.325<o:p></o:p></div>
9887. </td>
9888.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9889.  <div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
9890. 0<o:p></o:p></div>
9891. </td>
9892.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 29.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="39">
9893.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9894. 13<o:p></o:p></div>
9895. </td>
9896.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 30.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="40">
9897.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
9898. 23<o:p></o:p></div>
9899. </td>
9900. </tr>
9901. </tbody></table>
9902. <div class="MsoNormal">
9903. <br /></div>
9904. <div class="MsoNormal">
9905. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yikes. That’s…that’s not pretty. Bogaerts was the
9906. only player in the sample to play a full season at the MLB level, and he
9907. responded with a .659 OPS and a 3.5/1 K/BB ratio. And that was after getting a
9908. cup of coffee with the Sox during his age-20 season. Javier Baez struck out in
9909. 41% of his plate appearances. Jurickson Profar, tabbed by many as the top
9910. prospect in all of baseball, put up an OPS 164 points lower in MLB than MiLB.
9911. All in all, our sample averaged 304 plate appearances with a .656 OPS, 6 HR, 19
9912. BB and 70 strikeouts. That’s not a knock on these guys, two of whom have
9913. already appeared in the Midsummer Classic and all of whom still have the
9914. potential to be fantastic shortstops (or 2B, or 3B depending on the player) at
9915. some point in the near future. The point is that making the jump from the
9916. minors to The Show is very, very difficult. Expecting Lindor to come up and
9917. make an impact right away with his bat is farfetched. He probably won’t be a
9918. total zero, but certainly won’t provide a dramatic upgrade to the Indians
9919. offensive issues in 2015. If I had to project offensive numbers for him at the
9920. major league level next season, I’d guess that he could end up in the
9921. .250/.310/.380 range. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9922. <div class="MsoNormal">
9923. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9924. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
9925. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yA-qhE0TG3m_-AA6jy0PNsk8hHQpIaZPEFjJudNAyPH2I7j-WkH1etBdd2T35ZnEFxhdvJJK2o2DMQiciYQUv3ogHNs5bCMgROcdN1abbCmJFbAIIOI3vRrZt0RFKtKdHOvL/s1600/Lindor+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yA-qhE0TG3m_-AA6jy0PNsk8hHQpIaZPEFjJudNAyPH2I7j-WkH1etBdd2T35ZnEFxhdvJJK2o2DMQiciYQUv3ogHNs5bCMgROcdN1abbCmJFbAIIOI3vRrZt0RFKtKdHOvL/s1600/Lindor+(5).JPG" height="317" width="320" /></a></div>
9926. <div class="MsoNormal">
9927. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With all that said, Lindor’s main tool isn’t his
9928. bat, it’s his glove. Fans who were thrilled with the defensive upgrade that
9929. Jose Ramirez offered last year are going to be beside themselves when they
9930. watch Lindor play the position. Going from Asdrubal to Ramirez was like
9931. upgrading from a McDonalds burger to Five Guys. Going from Ramirez to Lindor
9932. will be like getting a Ruth’s Chris bacon-wrapped fillet. And it’s very
9933. possible that the most important improvements to the Indians going into 2015
9934. will be on the defensive side of the ledger, not offense like many fans are
9935. clamoring for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9936. <div class="MsoNormal">
9937. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9938. <div class="MsoNormal">
9939. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting back to the World Series-bound Kansas City
9940. Royals for a second; they hit 95 HR to the Indians 142, scored 651 runs to the
9941. Indians 669 and posted an OPS+ of 91 to the Indians 102 (100 OPS+ is league
9942. average). The Indians were an above-average offensive team in the AL last year,
9943. and the Royals were well below average (lowest OPS+ of any team in the league).
9944. The Royals pitching was a little better by ERA (3.51 to 3.57) but the Indians
9945. FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) was 3.42 to the Royals 3.69. The big
9946. difference came on the defensive side of the ledger. The Royals allowed 59
9947. unearned runs in 2014, compared to the Indians 72. KC committed 104 errors,
9948. while the Indians made a league-leading 116. But the real hammer comes when you
9949. look at the advanced defensive metrics. </span><a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2014.shtml#teams_standard_fielding::none"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
9950. Baseball-Reference.com’s Defensive Runs Saved</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> formula*, the
9951. Royals were able to prevent 41 more runs from scoring than the average American
9952. League team. The Indians allowed 74 <b>more</b>
9953. runs (again, worst in the league) than average. So by that formula, the Indians
9954. were 115 runs worse than Kansas City, a team that beat them out for the AL Wild
9955. Card by four games. A team that has swept their way through the playoffs to a
9956. World Series berth. A team that had three players hit double-digit HR, none
9957. more than 19 (the Indians had 3 hit over 20). Maybe, just maybe, the Indians
9958. offense is going to be good enough to win in 2015, especially when you consider
9959. what the pitching staff is capable of. Maybe what the team needs more than a
9960. “big bat” is a defensive wizard at shortstop. Based on his 56 games at SS last
9961. year, Jose Ramirez projects to be worth 10 runs above average at SS (Asdrubal
9962. was worth -10 in 2014, -17 in 2013). Lindor could be worth 20 or more, right
9963. from the moment he steps onto the diamond. Combine that with expected
9964. regression from Ramirez (I like him a lot, more than most, but I don’t think
9965. he’s going to be a +10 run SS for his career), and you see the type of impact
9966. that Lindor could have on the Indians 2015 pennant chase. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
9967. <div class="MsoNormal">
9968. <br /></div>
9969. <div class="MsoNormal">
9970. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">*B-Ref
9971. explains their “Rdrs” formula: </span></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
9972. number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number
9973. of plays made.<br />
9974. This number combines the Rpm, Rbdp, Rbof, Rbcatch
9975. numbers into a total defensive contribution. Provided by Baseball Info Solutions<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
9976. <div class="MsoNormal">
9977. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
9978. <div class="MsoNormal">
9979. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So now that we’ve looked at what we might be able to
9980. expect out of Lindor the player when he does come up, let’s shift our attention
9981. to the Indians front office to try and predict <i>when</i> he will come up. Conventional wisdom holds that ready or not, Lindor
9982. will start the season right where he finished last year, playing SS for AAA
9983. Columbus. In a recent chat, ESPN’s Keith Law was asked where he thought Lindor
9984. would be to open the 2015 season, and his response was “service time uber
9985. alles.” Managing service time does have its advantages, but to me, some of
9986. those advantages are overblown. Let’s start with the commonly-used “Super Two”
9987. argument. For the uninitiated; players must accrue three years of MLB service
9988. time before they are eligible for salary arbitration, then three years of
9989. arbitration-eligible seasons before they are eligible for free agency. “Super
9990. Two” grants players in the top 22% (changed from 17% in the most recent CBA) of
9991. two-year service time an extra year of arbitration. If the Indians keep Lindor
9992. in the minors long enough, they can make sure to avoid Super Two with their top
9993. prospect. I have two counter-arguments to this line of reasoning. One, since
9994. that 22% figure is based on that season’s eligible players, the cutoff date is
9995. different every year. So it’ll likely be sometime in late-June to mid-July, but
9996. no one knows exactly when. It’s possible the Indians could keep Lindor in the
9997. minors until Independence Day, and still end up with a Super Two case. My
9998. second counter-argument is that this doesn’t affect free agency, only
9999. arbitration. Lindor won’t be able to become a free agent any earlier if he ends
10000. up a Super Two player. It could wind up costing the team money, but if they end
10001. up buying out arbitration years (and at least a year or two of free agency) as
10002. they’ve been doing with their young position-player stars (Gomes, Kipnis,
10003. Brantley), it’ll wind up being irrelevant anyway. If the Indians miss the
10004. playoffs by a game or two and Lindor could’ve been up helping the ballclub even
10005. a </span></div>
10006. <div class="MsoNormal">
10007. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">week earlier, then we’ll all be second-guessing the timing of the call-up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10008. <div class="MsoNormal">
10009. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10010. <div class="MsoNormal">
10011. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So we’ve looked at some of Lindor’s shortstop
10012. contemporaries, broken down how he could potentially contribute to the ballclub
10013. on both sides of the baseball and talked about contract issues. Let’s take it
10014. one step further and try and predict how the Indians front office might time
10015. the call-up based on how they’ve handled top prospects in the somewhat-recent past.
10016. I’m going to call upon my Excel “expertise” one last time and throw another
10017. chart at you:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10018. <div class="MsoNormal">
10019. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10020. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 313px;">
10021. <tbody>
10022. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
10023.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-right: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10024.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10025. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Name<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
10026. </td>
10027.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10028.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10029. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Age<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
10030. </td>
10031.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10032.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10033. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Date<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
10034. </td>
10035.  <td nowrap="" style="background: black; border-left: none; border: solid black 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10036.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10037. <b><span style="color: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">AAA PA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
10038. </td>
10039. </tr>
10040. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
10041.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10042.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10043. Matt LaPorta<o:p></o:p></div>
10044. </td>
10045.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10046.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10047. 24<o:p></o:p></div>
10048. </td>
10049.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10050.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10051. 3-May<o:p></o:p></div>
10052. </td>
10053.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10054.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10055. 1235<o:p></o:p></div>
10056. </td>
10057. </tr>
10058. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
10059.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10060.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10061. Carlos Santana<o:p></o:p></div>
10062. </td>
10063.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10064.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10065. 24<o:p></o:p></div>
10066. </td>
10067.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10068.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10069. 11-Jun<o:p></o:p></div>
10070. </td>
10071.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10072.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10073. 246<o:p></o:p></div>
10074. </td>
10075. </tr>
10076. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
10077.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10078.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10079. Jason Kipnis<o:p></o:p></div>
10080. </td>
10081.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10082.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10083. 24<o:p></o:p></div>
10084. </td>
10085.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10086.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10087. 22-Jul<o:p></o:p></div>
10088. </td>
10089.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10090.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10091. 409<o:p></o:p></div>
10092. </td>
10093. </tr>
10094. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
10095.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10096.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10097. Lonnie Chisenhall<o:p></o:p></div>
10098. </td>
10099.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10100.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10101. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
10102. </td>
10103.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10104.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10105. 22-Jun<o:p></o:p></div>
10106. </td>
10107.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10108.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10109. 543<o:p></o:p></div>
10110. </td>
10111. </tr>
10112. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
10113.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10114.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10115. Andy Marte<o:p></o:p></div>
10116. </td>
10117.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10118.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10119. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
10120. </td>
10121.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10122.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10123. 28-Jul<o:p></o:p></div>
10124. </td>
10125.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10126.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10127. 2509<o:p></o:p></div>
10128. </td>
10129. </tr>
10130. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
10131.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10132.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10133. Michael Brantley<o:p></o:p></div>
10134. </td>
10135.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10136.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10137. 22<o:p></o:p></div>
10138. </td>
10139.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10140.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10141. 2-Jun<o:p></o:p></div>
10142. </td>
10143.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10144.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10145. 844<o:p></o:p></div>
10146. </td>
10147. </tr>
10148. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
10149.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10150.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10151. Trevor Crowe<o:p></o:p></div>
10152. </td>
10153.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10154.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10155. 25<o:p></o:p></div>
10156. </td>
10157.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10158.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10159. 9-Apr<o:p></o:p></div>
10160. </td>
10161.  <td nowrap="" style="background: #D9D9D9; border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10162.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10163. 1407<o:p></o:p></div>
10164. </td>
10165. </tr>
10166. <tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
10167.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: solid black 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 104.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="139">
10168.  <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10169. Yan Gomes<o:p></o:p></div>
10170. </td>
10171.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 24.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="33">
10172.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10173. 25<o:p></o:p></div>
10174. </td>
10175.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 48.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="64">
10176.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10177. 9-Apr<o:p></o:p></div>
10178. </td>
10179.  <td nowrap="" style="border-bottom: solid black 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid black 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 57.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="77">
10180.  <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10181. 373<o:p></o:p></div>
10182. </td>
10183. </tr>
10184. </tbody></table>
10185. <div class="MsoNormal">
10186. <br /></div>
10187. <div class="MsoNormal">
10188. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All of these guys came up under the Shapiro or
10189. Antonetti regime. LaPorta, Santana, Kipnis, Chisenhall and Marte were all
10190. consensus top-100 guys in their final minor league seasons. All of the “blue
10191. chip” guys came up after May 1. None came up before they turned 22. The only
10192. two players who started a season in MLB with the Indians were Trevor Crowe and
10193. Yan Gomes, neither of which were considered to be top prospects at the time of
10194. their call-up, and both of whom were 25 years old at the time. None came up
10195. before they collected at least 246 plate appearances at the AAA level. For reference,
10196. Francisco Lindor will be 21 on opening day next year and has just 180 AAA plate
10197. appearances under his belt. Super Two or no Super Two, the Indians may feel
10198. like Lindor could benefit from some additional seasoning in AAA Columbus before
10199. he’s ready to jump up to the big league level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10200. <div class="MsoNormal">
10201. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10202. <div class="MsoNormal">
10203. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’re 2000+ words into answering the Lindor
10204. question, and I’m not sure if we have any better of an idea when he’s actually
10205. going to make his Indians debut. I’ve long been on the Opening Day train (we
10206. need some sort of hashtag…#LindoronApril6 just doesn’t flow), but I’m becoming
10207. less and less convinced that is going to happen. No less than Anthony
10208. Castrovice thinks the Indians are going to pick up Mike Aviles’ option for
10209. 2015, so that would leave he and Jose Ramirez splitting SS to start the season
10210. with Lindor opening up in back AAA Columbus.<a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/98377662/indians-inbox-when-can-francisco-lindor-be-expected-to-join-tribe">
10211. Indians beat writer Jordan Bastian was asked about Lindor in his inbox this
10212. week,</a> and here feels like the job is Lindor’s in 2015, just not right away:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10213. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
10214. <i><span style="background: white; color: #262525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div>
10215. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
10216. <i><span style="background: white; color: #262525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barring an injury or unexpected trade, I would be absolutely
10217. stunned if we don't see Lindor in the big leagues with the Indians at some
10218. point during the 2015 season. I do not expect that to be on Opening Day. The
10219. job out of the gates would seem to fall to Ramirez, who played admirably at
10220. shortstop in the second half of this season.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10221. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
10222. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhP8LX7JC07XyzC8wsdgpoLH2cDUImqRExE2fHoQcUjhOrXPrhs8FK9RTfmYEWIf_tG5g5xHygCOn04bNKzx_ncNbeMy124Fmb7iJHKY7cis_bYvhxhbvivTW_ofTKbxoiih2/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhP8LX7JC07XyzC8wsdgpoLH2cDUImqRExE2fHoQcUjhOrXPrhs8FK9RTfmYEWIf_tG5g5xHygCOn04bNKzx_ncNbeMy124Fmb7iJHKY7cis_bYvhxhbvivTW_ofTKbxoiih2/s1600/Lindor+(3).JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
10223. <div class="MsoNormal">
10224. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I of course have no insight into the Indians thought
10225. process (#sources) on the matter, nor am I a professional scout who can claim
10226. to accurately project how Lindor will handle the rigors of a major league
10227. schedule. I have seen Lindor play more than most though, and would stake my
10228. very insignificant internet reputation on his defense not only playing, but
10229. excelling at the highest level. Can his glove justify burning a year of service
10230. time for a 21-year old prospect who might not be quite “ready” for The Show? If
10231. you expect the Indians to contend for a playoff spot next year (and I do), then
10232. I think the answer has to be yes. So yes, I <i>want</i>
10233. Lindor up in April. But if you’re asking when I think he <i>should</i> get the call to the big leagues? This may sound like a cop
10234. out, but I think he should come up as soon as the Indians brain trust feels
10235. he’s ready to contribute. If Antonetti and Tito think he can be the best option
10236. in April, bring him up in April. If they don’t think he’s ready right away but
10237. are convinced that June 6 is the day, then bring him up on June 6. I trust them
10238. to know their own assets better than I do, and will suck it up and soldier on
10239. if they don’t feel he’s ready to be The Guy right away. I just hope that
10240. decision is made based on what happens between the foul lines, not what may or
10241. may not happen in a negotiating session sometime in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10242. <div class="MsoNormal">
10243. <br /></div>
10244. <div class="MsoNormal">
10245. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2014/10/17/the-futures-gonna-land-on-you/">Bringing
10246. everything back to Anthony Castrovice and the Royals, Castro penned a
10247. predictably outstanding piece on Friday about the Royals unpredictable playoff
10248. run</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">,
10249. and how the Indians can be encouraged by the success that KC is having this
10250. postseason. If you haven’t read the entire thing, you should do so now, but I
10251. want to draw your attention to one paragraph in particular:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10252. <div style="background: white;">
10253. <i><span lang="EN"><br /></span></i></div>
10254. <div style="background: white;">
10255. <i><span lang="EN">No, it wouldn’t have happened this year,
10256. even if the Indians had somehow snuck into the Wild Card game. <b>The Royals play D, the Indians didn’t. To
10257. me, it’s really that simple. Nothing separated the Royals from the O’s in this
10258. ALCS more than their ability to make it seem as if they routinely had 18 gloves
10259. in the field.</b> So let’s not indulge in any undue fantasies. Stick to the
10260. Super Bowl beliefs borne out of a 3-2 start, or go watch LeBron and the boys
10261. stroll through the NBA’s plodding and predictable regular season.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10262. <div style="background: white;">
10263. <span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
10264. <div style="background: white;">
10265. <span lang="EN">The
10266. Royals play D, the Indians didn’t. Assuming Castro is right (and Castro has
10267. never steered me wrong…Castro is gold), let’s take Occam’s Razor to this issue.
10268. What if the Indians improve their defense next year instead of their offense?
10269. If Lindor starts the season at SS, that’s a big step in the right direction.
10270. Then say the team decides to move Lonnie Chisenhall (to OF, DH or another team)
10271. to make way for Gio Urshela, another guy who might not hit right away but who
10272. should have no trouble providing above-average defense at the hot corner?
10273. Suddenly the left side of the infield turns from a liability to an asset. Maybe
10274. Lindor and Urshela don’t contribute much on the offensive side, but
10275. Cabrera/Ramirez and Chisenhall weren’t exactly setting the world on fire at the
10276. plate during the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of 2014 anyway. Imagine the Indians
10277. starting pitching with a non-putrid defense behind them? All of this sounds
10278. more effective, simpler, lower risk and much cheaper than chasing a mythical
10279. “Big Bat” on the free agent market this year. Especially when you consider just
10280. how scarce offense is around the league right now. <a href="http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/98713590/diminishing-power-not-just-an-indians-issue">Jordan
10281. Bastian took an in-depth look at how baseball is shifting away from waiting for
10282. the 3-run HR to a more balanced approach,</a> and how that middle-of-the-order
10283. thumper that you can pencil in for a 40 HR season doesn’t really exist right
10284. now. And if there is a legit power bat on the open market, it’s unlikely that
10285. the Indians can afford to pay him.</span></div>
10286. <div style="background: white;">
10287. <span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
10288. <br />
10289. <div style="background: white;">
10290. <span lang="EN">Maybe
10291. Nick Swisher stays healthy next year and regains his pre-2014 form at the
10292. plate. Maybe Kipnis bounces back to another all-star season at 2B. Maybe Victor
10293. really wants to come back to Cleveland and cuts the team a dramatic and
10294. unexpected hometown discount. But absent that, I think the Indians quickest
10295. path to contention in 2015 lies on the defensive side of the diamond, not at
10296. the plate. Lindor can and should be a big part of that solution, and I hope
10297. he’s there in April. Service time be damned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10298. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/1224111103326218004/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=1224111103326218004&amp;isPopup=true' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1224111103326218004'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/1224111103326218004'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/loving-lindor-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Loving Lindor on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq7euLToJ4JY1dJHeN8Kdf1zRdA90S6QpdbIwGhghu2tj27fpCtFXx68FQp3wvs8HilBv3ni40ycmAeTUMyj_xW51cVHKuotHY0NDBD51LheBzYbnYf3qz00NL1oJNNQZeWyM/s72-c/KC.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11805401.post-275591612914911250</id><published>2014-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2014-10-06T08:03:03.660-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Back in the Groove on a Lazy Sunday</title><content type='html'>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
10299. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoNrPqwhs0iIiO68AbDZBbScpXtI-MM4WzmjkEbHKmfWGysmV5XmKLsO91er-Xh7OFR3IzuBr4jKD1uSG45D3Jo7z5ygLtmc3MVVp5X4qf8mBOP_ocbiazVfLX2MZUzWAo0II/s1600/tap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoNrPqwhs0iIiO68AbDZBbScpXtI-MM4WzmjkEbHKmfWGysmV5XmKLsO91er-Xh7OFR3IzuBr4jKD1uSG45D3Jo7z5ygLtmc3MVVp5X4qf8mBOP_ocbiazVfLX2MZUzWAo0II/s1600/tap.jpg" height="187" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
10300. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They go to eleven</td></tr>
10301. </tbody></table>
10302. <div class="MsoNormal">
10303. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the immortal words of Spinal Tap…Helllooooooo
10304. Cleveland! I never planned to take five months of from writing about the
10305. Indians, honest. But an unexpected and lengthy work trip to the UK this summer
10306. sapped pretty much all of my free time, so sitting down to put virtual pen to
10307. paper became even more difficult than usual. Combine that with a slow hotel
10308. internet connection that failed to stream live video and was rarely even able
10309. to keep up with Hammy’s audio feed, and I couldn’t help but feel out of the
10310. loop when it came to the 2014 Cleveland Indians. Highlights and box scores can
10311. only show so much, and I didn’t make it to a single minor league game after
10312. mid-May. I’m glad it was 2014 and not 1994 (or even 2004), because I did at least
10313. have the luxury of MLBTV’s condensed game replays, baseball reference, and
10314. #IndiansTwitter to help me feel somewhat connected to the team, but there’s no
10315. substitute to watching full games day in and day out. Of course, it did allow
10316. me to miss out on witnessing live the Indians defensive…challenges, so maybe
10317. there’s a silver lining in there after all. At any rate, I’m back in the U.S.
10318. for the foreseeable future, and want to try and make our time here at The
10319. DiaTribe a little more regular. So expect to see me here on the interwebs if
10320. not every Sunday, at least more often than once every equinox. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10321. <div class="MsoNormal">
10322. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10323. <div class="MsoNormal">
10324. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The good thing about not writing for 6 months is
10325. that we have plenty of good stuff to talk about. Putting aside the defense for
10326. a moment…how about that pitching staff! And on the offensive side, how
10327. about…well…um…Slamtana! Yan Gomes! And of course, our MVP candidate, Michael
10328. Brantley. It’s amazing that, after a season with so little turnover in terms of
10329. the roster, the 2013 and 2014 versions of the Cleveland Indians were so
10330. different in terms of the “stars” of the respective teams. When you look at
10331. 2013 by WAR (admittedly not everyone’s favorite stat, but bear with me here
10332. because it’s a useful tool for comparison in this instance), the 2013 Cleveland
10333. Indians top-10 players were, in order:</span><br />
10334. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jason
10335. Kipnis-5.9 WAR</span><br />
10336. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Carlos
10337. Santana-4.3 WAR</span><br />
10338. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Yan
10339. Gomes-4.2 WAR</span><br />
10340. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Nick
10341. Swisher-3.8 WAR</span><br />
10342. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Justin
10343. Masterson-3.4 WAR</span><br />
10344. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ubaldo
10345. Jimenez-2.7 WAR</span><br />
10346. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael
10347. Brantley-2.4 WAR</span><br />
10348. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ryan
10349. Raburn-2.2 WAR</span><br />
10350. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael
10351. Bourn-1.9 WAR</span><br />
10352. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Joe
10353. Smith-1.8 WAR</span></div>
10354. <div class="MsoNormal">
10355. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
10356. <div class="MsoNormal">
10357. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Other than Jimenez and Smith, all of those players
10358. were on the 2014 opening day roster. Of the eight players remaining, just three
10359. (Santana, Gomes and Brantley) were in the top-10 in WAR for the club this year.
10360. Swisher, Masterson and Raburn combined to be worth -3.2 WAR. Yes, NEGATIVE 3.2
10361. wins from three guys who were worth 9.4 wins last season. So subtract those
10362. twelve wins, and consider the biggest addition in free agency this year was
10363. Scott Atchison and his 1.7 WAR, and you begin to appreciate the fact that this
10364. team was in the playoff hunt down to the last week of the regular season. If
10365. you’d told me in March of 2014 that Masty, Asdrubal, Bourn, Swish, Murphy,
10366. Vinnie, Kipnis and Raburn would combine to be worth negative WAR in the
10367. upcoming season, I probably would’ve guessed that the Indians would win
10368. somewhere in the neighborhood of 65 games. Instead, they won 85 and missed out
10369. on a Wild Card berth by a couple of games, staying in the playoff hunt down to the final few days of the season. Would I say that I’m happy with a
10370. season that resulted in the Indians watching the playoffs from home? No, of
10371. course not. But I can recognize the progression that this roster made from 2013
10372. to 2014, and be happy with what guys like Kluber, Brantley, Cookie and Cody
10373. Allen are turning into. I can take a step back and objectively say that I think
10374. the framework is there for the 2015 Indians to be better than the 2014 Indians,
10375. and that’s not something I could say at this time last year. Like it or not,
10376. every significant contributor (and those who were not significant contributors)
10377. to the 2014 team are team control through at least next season. Most are under
10378. team control for much, much longer. The top seven starters are either short of
10379. or just entering their arbitration years. Cy Young frontrunner(!) Corey Kluber
10380. can’t be a free agent until 2019. Freshman in high school will be in college before Corey Kluber can choose to leave the North Shore. MVP candidate Michael Brantley is signed
10381. through 2017, with an $11 million club option for 2018. That option increases
10382. by $1 million every time Brantley places in the top-5 of MVP voting, so it’ll
10383. probably be at least $12 million by then, and hopefully $16 million. I know the
10384. team fell short of what we’d hoped they would achieve in 2014, but they really
10385. are set up for success in 2015 and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10386. <div class="MsoNormal">
10387. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10388. <div class="MsoNormal">
10389. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite shattering all of my hopes and dreams for
10390. the offseason (more on that in a second), </span><a href="http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/2014/09/29/chasing-down-a-dream-until-it-disappeared/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Anthony
10391. Castrovice put out his predictably fantastic season recap earlier this week</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.
10392. Castro continues to churn out excellent and insightful Indians content despite
10393. moving on to the national beat, and for that I am grateful. He’s the LeBron of
10394. the baseball sportswriters; both are at the top of their respective games, and
10395. we have access to their brilliance mainly because each happened to grow up in
10396. Northeast Ohio. Every word of his article is worth reading, so if you haven’t
10397. had a chance to check it out yet, please do so. I promise this column will be
10398. here when you get back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10399. <div class="MsoNormal">
10400. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10401. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
10402. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKzZo8kqZx-itPCoyyVzZy6i7bVHyAFTKlj1p3nyx8qP01AAsFxRl1Tq08CHeELleKW-EpBJl47ODqm8exGk0hKlKdOhXr9fcgX2pgzm1V6TZMAL-7t729sGgRhiSyxmRHH5-/s1600/victor-martinez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKzZo8kqZx-itPCoyyVzZy6i7bVHyAFTKlj1p3nyx8qP01AAsFxRl1Tq08CHeELleKW-EpBJl47ODqm8exGk0hKlKdOhXr9fcgX2pgzm1V6TZMAL-7t729sGgRhiSyxmRHH5-/s1600/victor-martinez.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
10403. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I miss you so much. Please call me. </td></tr>
10404. </tbody></table>
10405. <div class="MsoNormal">
10406. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I mentioned Castro crushing my dreams for the offseason,
10407. I was referring to his tidbit on Victor Martinez:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10408. <div style="background: white;">
10409. <i><span lang="EN"><br /></span></i></div>
10410. <div style="background: white;">
10411. <i><span lang="EN">That right there is reason enough not to
10412. entertain any dreams of a Victor Martinez return, to the extent that any of you
10413. did so anyway. Amazing that Vic, at this stage of his career, stands to be
10414. arguably the best bat available in the open market, but I don’t think the
10415. Tigers will let him reach that point anyway. I do think he’ll end his career
10416. with the Indians at some point, somehow, because that’s something he wants to
10417. do. But it’s not going to be with a long-term contract signed with Cleveland.
10418. It’s more likely to be the Jim Thome-type waiver claim at some point down the
10419. road.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10420. <div class="MsoNormal">
10421. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10422. <div class="MsoNormal">
10423. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve been onboard the “bring Vic back to Cleveland”
10424. train for a while now, but I’m slowly coming to the realization that it is
10425. probably not in the cards this year. Victor slugged his way to an incredible
10426. .335/.409/.565 line this season, good for a league-leading .974 OPS. He
10427. finished with a career-high 32 HR, and will almost certainly in the top-5 of
10428. the MVP voting this offseason. At age 35, he’s both at the top of his game and
10429. angling for his last big contract, coming off of the 4-year, $50 million deal
10430. he signed with Detroit back in 2011. If the Indians sign a bat this offseason,
10431. it probably isn’t going to be Victor. The Tigers can’t afford to lose his
10432. presence in the lineup and in the clubhouse, especially with the unexpected
10433. “decline” of Miguel Cabrera from otherworldly to just really, really good. Mike
10434. Ilitch is going to break out his checkbook this offseason to keep Martinez in
10435. Detroit, and unless his heart is dead-set on a return to Cleveland right now, I
10436. don’t see any way the Indians can make an offer that will even be in the
10437. ballpark of what he’s going to get from Detroit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10438. <div class="MsoNormal">
10439. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10440. <div class="MsoNormal">
10441. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So especially in light of what is (</span><a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/02/2015-mlb-free-agents.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or
10442. isn’t, as the case may be</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">) available when it comes to
10443. offense this offseason, should the Indians #1 priority even be adding offense?
10444. It’s easy to look back at this season and point to the offense as the problem,
10445. especially down the stretch as the team was able to waste a plethora of strong
10446. starting pitching performances in close games (31 runs as a team in 13
10447. September losses). </span><a href="http://bastian.mlblogs.com/2014/10/01/antonetti-it-was-an-incredible-year-in-terms-of-progress/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But
10448. as Jordan Bastian details, Tito Francona doesn’t necessarily see the club
10449. selling out for offense this winter</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10450. <div style="background: white;">
10451. <strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></strong></div>
10452. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
10453. <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2e7v_8ldTnJivXgW2PtMaEfnPxieraRDEVbwl6BQNxbhvmJXPe7HrsJYzDrDecVWKyWhlWUvTHNkeqnoIqpTjcnbwZr2AkjRA5RaOgz9J5Ze9ymBR90DfFPl3O9WqV_sQTVt/s1600/bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2e7v_8ldTnJivXgW2PtMaEfnPxieraRDEVbwl6BQNxbhvmJXPe7HrsJYzDrDecVWKyWhlWUvTHNkeqnoIqpTjcnbwZr2AkjRA5RaOgz9J5Ze9ymBR90DfFPl3O9WqV_sQTVt/s1600/bat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
10454. <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potentian Indians Free Agent Target?</td></tr>
10455. </tbody></table>
10456. <div style="background: white;">
10457. <strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Is adding a “big bat” a
10458. priority this winter?</span></i></strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10459. <div style="background: white;">
10460. <strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></i></strong></div>
10461. <div style="background: white;">
10462. <strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Francona:</span></i></strong><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> “I think that’s the easy [answer]. It’s, ‘Hey, go get a
10463. power bat.’ OK. What we’re really trying to do is see how many runs our
10464. pitching staff we think is going to give up and how many runs we’re going to
10465. score offensively, and then where does that fit moving forward. Do we think that
10466. makes us a team that can contend? I can tell you from personal experience, I’d
10467. rather win 3-1 than 8-7, because it’s a hard way to win consistently. I agree,
10468. there are times in a season when you have to win like that, but when your
10469. pitching gives you a chance… even the last couple months, as hard as runs
10470. seemed to be for us to score, we seemed to have a chance pretty much every
10471. night.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10472. <div class="MsoNormal">
10473. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10474. <div class="MsoNormal">
10475. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">External solutions through free agency can be pricey
10476. and risky, as we’ve seen first-hand with the recent Swisher and Bourn signings.
10477. Tito and the front office have been on the same page since he agreed to manage
10478. the club. Is it possible they’re looking to improve in other ways via the
10479. personnel already under team control? What if they think that the offense is
10480. going to be serviceable next season via bounceback years from Kipnis, Swisher,
10481. Bourn and David Murphy? I’m not saying I think that all four of those guys are
10482. going to produce at a higher level next season, but it’s certainly within the
10483. realm of possibility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10484. <div class="MsoNormal">
10485. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10486. <div class="MsoNormal">
10487. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If the rotation and bullpen are more or less set and
10488. the offense can be “fixed” with rebound seasons from key guys, then the biggest
10489. issue this offseason becomes the team’s defense. The word “atrocious” comes to
10490. mind when I think of the Indians 2014 defense. Every starting pitcher on the
10491. team, with the exception of T.J. House, had a lower FIP (Fielding Independent
10492. Pitching) than ERA. Well, there just so happen to be two internal options to
10493. fix the defense as well. The first and most obvious would be to start
10494. uber-prospect Francisco Lindor at shortstop next season. Jose Ramirez did a
10495. nice job filling in at SS when the Indians traded Asdrubal Cabrera this year,
10496. but Lindor has a better glove, arm and bat than Ramirez. My feelings on Lindor
10497. are well-known, and service time be damned, I think he should be the club’s SS
10498. on opening day 2015. The second internal option would be to either trade or
10499. move to the outfield incumbent 3B Lonnie Chisenhall and use a combination of
10500. Ramirez, Mike Aviles and prospect Giovanny Urshela at 3B in 2015. Chisenhall
10501. put together his most successful season at the plate this year, hitting a solid
10502. .280/.343/.427 (120 OPS+). Per baseball reference’s version of WAR, he was
10503. worth 3.1 wins with his bat (oWAR). Unfortunately, posted a -1.5 dWAR in the
10504. field, somewhat negating his offensive contributions by giving those runs back
10505. at the hot corner. The Indians could move Chisenhall to LF, Brantley to RF and
10506. use David Murphy and Nick Swisher (sparingly) as needed to fill in. Now, I’m
10507. sure you’re all yelling at your computer screen right now that Chiz, Brantley,
10508. Bourn and Murphy are all lefthanded, which is one reason I think the Indians
10509. might elect to trade Chisenhall rather than try him in the outfield. But unless
10510. you think that his 2014 season was a stepping stone to offensive heights yet
10511. unseen by the 26 year old 3B, you can’t keep trotting him out at 3B on a daily
10512. basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10513. <div class="MsoNormal">
10514. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10515. <div class="MsoNormal">
10516. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I like Lonnie Chisenhall. I think he’s as nice of a
10517. guy as you’ll find in baseball. He’s great in the clubhouse, and a hard worker
10518. on and off the field. I also think that the spike in his offensive production
10519. in 2014 was a bit of a fluke, and that the Indians should move him if anyone
10520. shows any interest this offseason. From April 2 through July 1, the span of 68
10521. games, Chisenhall hit .344/.399/.563 with 9 HR (224 AB). He also hit an
10522. unsustainable .382 on balls in play (BABIP). From July 2 through Sept 28 (74
10523. games and 254 AB), Chisenhall hit just .224/.293/.307 with 4 HR. His BABIP
10524. during that timeframe was .277, a little on the low side but much closer to
10525. what we can expect than a sky-high .382. If first-half Lonnie Chisenhall is the
10526. real Chisenhall that we’ll get moving forward, then he can absolutely be an
10527. everyday 3B, even with the defensive limitations. But if he’s 2<sup>nd</sup>
10528. half Lonnie Chisenhall, or even the .770 OPS guy that we ended up with after
10529. his two halves balanced out, then I just don’t see him as a first-division 3B
10530. moving forward. Prospect Gio Urshela projects as an elite defender, and posed
10531. an .804 (13 HR) OPS in 104 games as a 22-year old with AAA Columbus this year.
10532. When considering those offensive numbers, bear in mind that the average age of
10533. the AAA International League pitchers last year was 27.9. He probably wouldn’t
10534. have that level of offensive competence right away, but he should at least be a
10535. solid defender as soon as he comes up. Fixing the defense could be easier,
10536. cheaper, and quicker than trying to find the mythical “big bat” that some fans
10537. are clamoring for, and it could be accomplished by promoting internal options
10538. Urshela and Francisco Lindor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10539. <div class="MsoNormal">
10540. <br /></div>
10541. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
10542. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_BFmN3Y87xJRw9MnQDPyKBGYGgO-nI2RSt12N8I2tO13W30soGfxHKKjUT2hSTHS6u_kYnxA2GMpAYZdxbU3ygqk7Q_FRhdg107tpx2ls7-O5ObW-TINVkGhZZjxsvMjXvsO/s1600/chris+tito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_BFmN3Y87xJRw9MnQDPyKBGYGgO-nI2RSt12N8I2tO13W30soGfxHKKjUT2hSTHS6u_kYnxA2GMpAYZdxbU3ygqk7Q_FRhdg107tpx2ls7-O5ObW-TINVkGhZZjxsvMjXvsO/s1600/chris+tito.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
10543. <div class="MsoNormal">
10544. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2014/09/cleveland-indians-recap-antonetti-francona/">One
10545. of my favorite Indians related articles of 2014 was published this week</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
10546. authored by longtime DiaTribe favorite Jon Steiner. Jon and I agree on a lot
10547. when it comes to our favorite baseball team, and this piece is no different.
10548. Jon sees a lot of anger in the fandom over the Indians front office, from the
10549. GM to the Team President to the ownership. He, like me, finds much of that
10550. anger silly and misplaced. A couple of Jon’s key points:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
10551. <div class="MsoNormal">
10552. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10553. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt;">
10554. <i><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">But I also think that the fact that people are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2014/09/chris-antonetti-go-kareem-abdul-jabbar-delivers-plus-deafheaven-waiting/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s linear; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear;" target="_blank" title="WFNY"><span style="background: white; color: #d91c1b; font-family: "Open Sans","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">even having the discussion about
10555. firing the GM</span></a></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">again is ridiculous. The Indians have won more
10556. games in the last two years than the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Rays, the
10557. Royals, the Angels, the Rangers, the Mariners, and the Blue Jays. Of the
10558. 30 MLB teams, only seven have won more games over this span than the Indians,
10559. three of whom reside in the American League. This front office has taken a
10560. team with the worst ticket sales in baseball and a hamstrung budget, and won
10561. more games than all but three teams in the League.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
10562. <div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt;">
10563. <i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They’ve also managed to acquire the following
10564. players via trade: Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Yan Gomes,
10565. Trevor Bauer, and Carlos Santana. That’s a 200-hit guy, a soon-to-be Cy Young
10566. winner, two of the best catchers in the American League, and two of the
10567. brightest young pitching talents in the game. They were smart enough not
10568. to re-sign Ubaldo or extend Justin Masterson before this season, even though
10569. they caught flack for both.  They single-handedly brought one of the most
10570. decorated managers in the game to Cleveland, to play in front of an empty house
10571. with unproven players. I think you could reasonably argue that no front office
10572. in baseball has done more with less in the last fifteen years, including the
10573. Rays and A’s.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
10574. <div class="MsoNormal">
10575. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The entire piece is filled with salient, intelligent
10576. points about the 2014 Indians, the plan for 2015 and how the Indians front
10577. office isn’t nearly as bad as some people would like to believe. Does the team
10578. need to draft better? Absolutely. But talent can be acquired from a variety of
10579. sources, and for every poor draft result, there has been a trade to make up for
10580. it. The Indians have turned Casey Blake, Jake Westbrook, Shin Soo-Choo, and Esmil
10581. Rodgers into Carlos Santana, Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Yan Gomes and Mike
10582. Aviles. The Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia trades, long having been dismissed as
10583. abject failures, wound up producing the Indians 2<sup>nd</sup> best starter and
10584. a probable top-5 MVP position player in 2014. Shapiro and Antonetti are not
10585. batting 1.000 on every decision they’ve ever made as leaders of this
10586. organization, but to expect them to do so is ludicrous. Anyone who thinks that
10587. the GM and Team President are the only thing holding this organization back
10588. from a championship are kidding themselves. Jon says that better than I could,
10589. and if you haven’t read the piece yet, please remedy that situation immediately.
10590. And if you have read it, read it again. It’s that good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
10591. <div class="MsoNormal">
10592. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
10593. <div class="MsoNormal">
10594. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s it for this week, as I’m going to ease myself
10595. back into the groove here. The only benefit of not writing for so long is that
10596. we have a LOT to talk about. I still want to check in on the performance of the
10597. organization’s farm teams, plans for 2015, the incredible breakout of Michael
10598. Brantley, YAN GOMES and the unbelievable performance of the pitching staff in
10599. the 2</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> half of 2014. It’s a long offseason, and we’ll get into all
10600. that and much more as the winter drags on. I’d like to offer a sincere thanks
10601. for anyone who’s reading for sticking with me here on The DiaTribe, and look
10602. forward to spending our Lazy Sunday mornings together more often moving
10603. forward. Go Tribe. </span></div>
10604. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/feeds/275591612914911250/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11805401&amp;postID=275591612914911250&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/275591612914911250'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/11805401/posts/default/275591612914911250'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/back-in-groove-on-lazy-sunday.html' title='Back in the Groove on a Lazy Sunday'/><author><name>Al Ciammaichella</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17537082892978020756</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDftcr0_OG5sigcwkv8zamNAEs_9PNs3a-uqgRjEO3y26EwvSevxGn_HHNdIeCzjBUdDXH9uJUgCLr_m-64_IFDzzYh3qDPXqEPQGLF-ZWx6TyBY_GLiuf8A08u-LOdA/s220/catch.jpg'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoNrPqwhs0iIiO68AbDZBbScpXtI-MM4WzmjkEbHKmfWGysmV5XmKLsO91er-Xh7OFR3IzuBr4jKD1uSG45D3Jo7z5ygLtmc3MVVp5X4qf8mBOP_ocbiazVfLX2MZUzWAo0II/s72-c/tap.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry></feed>