Tons of stuff from Tony's site. I'm edited out paragraphs on the verified nonprospects.

Kyle Bellows: 3B, Akron Aeros: 4-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI:

Bellows is always going to be a defensive first third baseman. With that said, Bellows has had this streakiness about him where he can look real good offensively, and really give you pause as to what type of player he will ultimately become. Take Sunday afternoon for example, where he looked like Travis Fryman at the plate, lacing two doubles. Bellows will always have a shot at the bigs because of his plus glove, so anything he does with the stick is a bonus. He only hit .207 in April, but rebounded with a .280 average in May. He’s scuffling a bit, prior to Sunday, in June, but clearly seems to be back to that .280 guy in May. Overall, Bellows is hitting .250. If he could figure out how to hit .260 or better, I think you’ll likely see him in the bigs in a couple of years as a defensive replacement for Chisenhall, or perhaps even push him for a job. He’s not the prospect that Lonnie is, especially offensively, but he could provide depth, and give a push at the position. He’s a great player to have in the system. The Indians clearly think highly of him, and moved him to the top of the Aeros lineup. Without an actual prospect ahead of him in Columbus, he could find himself in Triple A by the end of the season.

•Jason Donald: SS, Columbus: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB: Donald hit a lead-off double in the eighth-inning of Sunday night’s game, and scored the winning run. Donald really is the star of the Clippers right now, and really hasn’t had a lapse in his Triple A play. He hit .315 in May when he was sent down, and is currently hitting .335 in June. Donald is absolutely lacing left-handed pitching to the tune of .529 (9-for-17, six runs, 1 double, one homer, two RBI, six walks, 2 K’s). At least he knows what the Indians calling card may be as the summer warms up.

•David Huff: SP, Columbus: 5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 K: This wasn’t Huff’s best performance, but he was throwing strikes, as 64 of his 99 pitches were in the strike zone. He fought into the sixth inning, but just didn’t have his best stuff.

•Cody Allen: RP, Columbus Clippers: W (2-2), 1 IP, 1 K: One-good game, one bad game, one good game, one bad game. Tonight, Allen broke the string with his second perfect outing in a row.

•Trevor Crowe: RF, Akron: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB: Crowe got on base twice in his fourth game of the season, and has hits in all four games. It’s a nice start for Crowe, who has been a walking injury for the past two seasons.

•Chun-Hsiu Chen: 1B, Akron: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K: Chen can sure hit doubles. Chen has 18 on the season, which is third overall in the Eastern League. He’s showcased that gap power all season long since he moved to first from the catcher position. That gap power is a tremendous addition to Chen’s home run power. Well…okay…his “former” home run power. Chen still only has one homer on the year, and if he wants any future with the Indians, that needs to change.

•Juan Diaz: SS, Akron: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B: Diaz must have really liked his stay in the bigs, because he’s been playing out of his mind offensively since returning to Akron. He’s 8-for-24, with four runs and a double since returning, which is his best numbers all season. He’s a long way from the bigs, but it’s good to see him respond.

•Nick Weglarz: LF, Akron: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K: I know that patience is a virtue, but as a minor league writer, it’s hard not to get excited or feel good about the recent turning of the tides for Nick Weglarz. No, it’s not been a five week explosion. No, he’s not hit 10 homers in three games. Still, there is a considerable uptick in both his production, and his approach. Wegz now has hit safely in five straight, going 7-for-16, with six runs, three doubles, two homers and five RBI. He’s also walked five times, while striking out seven times. He almost looks like the guy that was a top prospect…almost…if you squint a bit.

•Giovanni Soto: SP, Akron: 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K: Soto made 90 pitches in getting into the fifth inning, which is far too many. He had two walks and 51 strikes, but clearly struggled getting outs. He still hasn’t been able to string together a few good starts in a row just yet, but hasn’t looked all that bad either. He’s gone 9 2/3 innings in his last two games, givingup 10 hits and three runs, while walking six and striking out seven. Control does appear to be the issue.

•Rob Bryson: RP, Akron: 1 IP, 1 BB, 3 K: Bryson struck out the side in the seventh, in one of his best outings of the past month. It would be nice to see him not give up a walk in at least one appearance though, as he’s done it in his ten previous games.

•Kyle Landis: RP, Akron: 1 IP, 1 K: Landis got his ERA below 2.00 with this appearance, and now is back on a hot streak with his fifth straight shout performance. He’s been nearly untouchable in those five appearances, giving up only three hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts. This isn’t typical of Landis, so perhaps some velocity is returning to his arm.

•Jose Flores: Closer, Carolina: S (10), 1 IP, 2 K: Flores hasn’t been streaky this year, other than a three-game stretch of struggle. That’s clearly long in his rearviewmirror, as he’s been lights out over his past five games and five innings pitched. During that stretch, he’s only given up three hits without a walk, while striking out six batters, with three saves.

•Shawn Armstrong: RP, Carolina: H (4), 2 IP, 2 H, 1 K: While Armstrong has struggled a bit in some of his last six outings (given up three runs total in his last six games), he’s only given up four total runs since his promotion to the Mudcats. Make no mistake about it, Armstrong is the best arm in the pen, and perhaps even including starters.

•Tyler Sturdevant: RP, Carolina: H (1), 1 IP, 1 K: If there is a better reliever on this team than Armstrong, than it is Sturdevant. He was on the fast track until injury stopped him. He made his second appearance over the past four days, and has been near perfect. He’s given up only one hit and one walk over three innings. He doesn’t have a K yet, which is something to watch going forward, since he’s always had a K pitch and has 215 K’s in 175 1/3 innings pitched.

•Mike Rayl: SP, Carolina: W (4-6), 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 2 K: Rayl hadn’t won a ballgame since May 2nd, but put together his second solid start over his last three games pitched, and has gone 17 innings, giving up 17 hits and seven earned runs, while walking five, and striking out ten. While the runs seem high, five were in one bad start

•Ronny Rodriguez: 2B, Carolina: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K: Rodriguez continued to carry the hot bat, and is hitting .355 over his past ten games…even after going hitless in yesterday’s doubleheader. He’s scored eight runs, with a double and the homer, with four RBI, two walks and three K’s. He has his overall average up to .261.

•Jesus Aguilar: 1B, Carolina: 0-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 K: Aguilar is now hitless in three straight games, and only has one hit in his past seven, going 1-for-20, without a run, and only one RBI. He has walked four times, while only striking out four times, which shows off that new approach.

•Carlos Moncrief: RF, Carolina: 2-for-4, SB (9): Moncrief was slumping with the rest of the team before getting his two hits on Sunday. He’s still only 7-for-20 over his past ten games, with five runs, a double, two homers, three RBI, five walks, eight K’s and a stolen base. He can sure fill up a stat line.

•Luigi Rodriguez: CF, Lake County: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K: Rodriguez continues to climb out of his slump, now hitting in six straight ballgames. During that stretch, he’s gone 10-for-26, with five runs, four doubles, a triple and an RBI. He’s struck out five times though, without a walk. Still needs to work on that approach at the plate, so he can rebound quicker from slumps.

•Francisco Lindor: SS, Lake County: 3-for-5, 1 K, CS (5): Lindor had his first multi-hit game in close to two weeks, and now has a three game hit streak in which he’s gone 5-for-11, with a run and an RBI. He’s also walked four times, with two K’s. Like Rodriguez, it appears as though Lindor is breaking out of his slump. It’s funny how Luigi and Francisco seem to be following the same trends as the season
progresses.

•Alex Monsalve: C, Lake County: 2-for-4: Monsalve has been hot of late, and is 13-for-37 over his past ten games, with three runs, a double and two RBI. He’s only walked twice, but only struck out five times. With Monsalve though, you’d like to see some power production. Still, you have to be happy with a kid hitting .351 over his past ten, and .367 in June.

•Joseph Colon: SP, Lake County: L (5-6), 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R/2 ER, 6 BB, 2 K, 1 HR: Colon has arguable been Lake County’s best pitcher in 2012, and really hasn’t had a real bad start all season long. On Sunday, he seemed to have trouble locating his fastball, walking six on the day. That’s the first time since April 24th that he’s walked more than he’s struck out, and that April 24th game saw him walk three, with only one strikeout. It will be interesting to see how the lanky righty rebounds in his next start.

How old is Bellows now? Seems like many years ago that I saw him in short-season A.

Bellows is 23

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minor ... llow001kyl


Minors Batting Glossary · SHARE · Embed · CSV · PRE · LINK · ?
Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
2009 20 Mahoning Valley NYPL A- CLE 54 223 200 29 48 4 4 7 32 8 2 20 30 .240 .311 .405 .716 81 3 1 1 1 0
2010 21 Kinston CARL A+ CLE 124 512 462 48 117 21 5 10 66 4 3 39 91 .253 .318 .385 .703 178 22 6 2 3 2
2011 22 Akron EL AA CLE 123 477 432 48 99 22 2 3 43 6 5 36 68 .229 .295 .310 .605 134 19 5 2 2 0
2012 23 Akron EL AA CLE 54 212 184 24 46 9 0 5 26 3 1 27 35 .250 .346 .380 .726 70 8 0 1 0 0
4 Seasons 355 1424 1278 149 310 56 11 25 167 21 11 122 224 .243 .313 .362 .675 463 52 12 6 6 2
AA (2 seasons) AA 177 689 616 72 145 31 2 8 69 9 6 63 103 .235 .310 .331 .642 204 27 5 3 2 0
A- (1 season) A- 54 223 200 29 48 4 4 7 32 8 2 20 30 .240 .311 .405 .716 81 3 1 1 1 0
A+ (1 season) A+ 124 512 462 48 117 21 5 10 66 4 3 39 91 .253 .318 .385 .703 178 22 6 2 3 2

Bryson struck out the side in the seventh, in one of his best outings of the past month. It would be nice to see him not give up a walk in at least one appearance though, as he’s done it in his ten previous games

Not quite ready for Prime Time, so the CC trade still looks Brantley and the 3 dwarfs

John Sickel's take on the Tribe's draft

Cleveland Indians: Many scouts considered Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin as the best pure hitter in the draft. He might be just a bit of an overdraft at 15th overall, although some scouts would dispute this. Even if he is, the Indians then got a run of high upside talent with subsequent picks: Mitch Brown (RHP, Minnesota HS), Kieran Lovegrove (RHP, California HS), toolsy D'Vone McClure (OF, Arkansas HS), and Dylan Baker (RHP, Western Nevada JC) is a very impressive run in rounds two through five. The rest of the class was filled out with a variety of college picks, with Logan Vick (11th round, OF, Baylor) and Jeremy Lucas (12th round, C, Indiana State) looking like strong values. Vick was expected to go much higher, while Lucas has a potent power bat and an improving glove.

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2012 Indians Draft: 6/11 Signing Update
By Tony Lastoria
June 11, 2012
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Here is another quick update on some Indians signings and other players that are going through the negotiation process:

18th round pick right-handed pitcher Louis Head out of Texas State has signed. He officially signed his contract on Friday and is expected to be assigned to short season Single-A Mahoning Valley.

28th round pick infielder Joshua Pigg out of Franklin High School (GA) is still weighing his options on whether to sign with the Indians or go to college. No decision appears to be close, and a decision will probably not come until closer to the July 13th signing deadline. I have to think unless the Indians come up with something well above the $100K they can offer a post-10 round pick, that he goes to college.

39th round pick right-handed pitcher D.J. Brown out of James Madison University is also not close to signing. It is still very early in the process and something that will probably carry out over the course of the next several weeks. Per Brown, “I actually am not leaning either way right now. I don't have an offer yet so I'm basically waiting for that to start my decision process more. I don't think I will be playing summer though.”

I paid for this?

3 Up, 3 Down: Is Weglarz rebuilding his value?
By Tony Lastoria
June 11, 2012
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After a short hiatus due to the Memorial Day holiday and last week’s MLB Draft, it is time for another Monday edition of “3 Up, 3 Down”. Things will begin to get back to normal this week after the conclusion of last week's MLB Draft, and with that Minor Happenings will return on Tuesday and Thursday this week, the IPI Stock Watch will return on Wednesday, the Radar Report and Coaches Corner pieces will return on Friday's, and IPI on Site will return on Sunday's.

"3 Up, 3 Down" is a weekly premium feature on the site that focuses in on a few of the good and not so good performances from the past week in the Indians’ minor league system. Insight gathered from talking with scouts, coaches and executives inside and outside the organization are used when talking about each of these players.

Please note that these are not necessarily the best or worst players from the previous week. It is simply a snapshot of the more notable performances from the past week. The stats listed are from June 4th through June 10th.

3 Up:

Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
.438 AVG (7-for-16), 6 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, 1.571 OPS

The fan in me hopes that the recent surge in Weglarz is for real. Anyone that has been following the site since itstarted knows how much of a fan I am of him and how at one time it was felt he could someday be a very productive power bat in the Indians’ lineup. Unfortunately, “someday” has come and gone as he is no longer the 19-year old kid who put up an impressive combination of power and patience at Low-A Lake County five years ago. He has since struggled with injuries and recently was removed from the 40-man roster, which is often a death sentence for a prospect in an organization. He finished up May with a .211/.310/.330 line in 32 games, but in 8 games in June he is hitting .346/.469/.808 and in some ways looks like the Weglarz of old. Is it real? Can it last? Who knows. But the days of him being an impact high-valued prospect are gone, so now he needs to show he can stay healthy and that he can be the offensive force many thought he could. It takes time to rebuild value, so maybe this first week and a half is but the brick and mortar to the foundation of re-establishing his prospect value. Time will tell.

Ezequiel Carrera (OF - Columbus)
.407 AVG (11-for-27), 8 R, 0 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1.096 OPS

I know Carrera is left-handed, which is a big reason why the Indians have not yet added him to the big league roster this season as they would then have an entirely all left-handed hitting outfield (not including first base-outfield types like Matt LaPorta and Shelley Duncan who are right-handed). But even though he is a left-handed hitter, if Carrera had any true value at all he would have been called up by now as Aaron Cunningham has not performed well in Cleveland. Carrera has played better of late, but he is still hitting just .258 with 3 HR, 19 RBI and .657 OPS in 53 games. He also has a lowly .304 on-base percentage and even with the two homers last week still has a paltry .353 slugging percentage. I know all of that sounds a lot more “down” than “up” with Carrera at the moment, so hopefully his play of late sparks him because he is in real danger of losing his 40-man roster spot.

Mason Radeke (RHP - Lake County)
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K, .154 BAA

I’m not really sure there is anything more you could ask out of what Radeke has done this year. Need him to go one or two innings in the bullpen? Done. Need him for a spot start? Done. Need him as a temporary callup at Double-A Akron to eat some innings? Done. Whatever role and wherever he has played, Radeke has done it this year. In 17 combined appearances between Low-A Lake County and Akron he is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA, and in 43.0 innings he has allowed 36 hits, 12 strikeouts, and has 43 strikeouts. While Radeke is much lower on the prospect totem pole than a lot of other pitchers in the organization, players that are versatile and can flourish in such roles have value. Just ask right-handers Paolo Espino, Francisco Jimenez, Brett Brach and others. I think Radeke has some potential to be a good swing guy in the system where it helps create some value and a niche for him while also creating an opportunity for him to pitch more games and get more innings to prove himself even more valuable, especially if his pitches continue to improve and he continues to miss some bats.

3 Down:

David Huff (LHP - Columbus)
0-1, 6.35 ERA, 2 GS, 11.1 IP, 17 H, 8 R/ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 K, .378 BAA

Huff had a forgettable week, though it was really just his first rough stretch of the season. Up until this past week Huff had been more or less locked in and proving to be quite the solid option for the Indians to have stashed away at Triple-A Columbus if a pitching need cropped up. Even with the performance his last two outings he is 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 9 starts this season (49.2 IP, 49 H, 8 BB, 34 K). If there is one noticeable difference in his play this year versus last season and previous seasons, it is that his walk rate has dropped considerably. His walk rate was in the mid-2s the last few seasons but has almost been cut in half to 1.4 BB/9 this season, and at the same time he is maintaining his low-6s K/9 rate. Last season in the big leagues he showed improved command and was getting more strikeouts, so there still appears to be a little upside in him, especially after some recent delivery adjustments which look to be taking hold. The question is will that upside ever be realized while with the Indians or with another team as he is in his last option year and the Indians may include him in a trade at some point this season.

Giovanny Urshela (3B - Carolina)
.048 AVG (1-for-21), 0 R, 0 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K, .139 OPS

Urshela was dead last in OPS in the Carolina League for this past week, and had about as bad a week as a hitter can have. On the season he is hitting just .227 with 1 HR, 16 RBI and a .563 OPS in 39 games. Even though he does not turn 21-years old until October and he has battled with a few minor injuries this season, he has had a very underwhelming season this year which has caused his once rising prospect status to continue to fall. After his encouraging campaign at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley in 2010, much more was expected at this point and he looks to be regressing offensively. The defense is there as he at worst grades out as an above average defensive third baseman, but to make it and have success in the upper levels of the minors his approach needs a lot of work. He is walking a little more this season, but his strikeouts are up a little and he is just not making consistent, solid contact. There is still a long way to go with him and he could be a late bloomer offensively, but if his play continues through the end of this season, he will likely be back at High-A Carolina next season.

Jerrud Sabourin (1B - Lake County)
.115 AVG (3-for-26), 3 R, 1 2B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .361 OPS

Sabourin was a victim of the law of averages this past week as what goes up, must come down. And that is exactly what happened for him. After an impressive 12-game hot streak from May 21st through June 3rd where he led the Midwest League in hitting during that time hitting .455 (20-for-44), his play has fallen off a cliff since then. Overall this season in 57 games he is having a solid, unspectacular year hitting .271 with 1 HR, 21 RBI and .686 OPS, but where he has really excelled is being a steady defender and leader for an infield that is full of players three to four years younger than him. He is not much of a prospect and is more of an organizational player at this point, but even with the limitations with the bat the Indians have been happy with his play defensively and what he has done in the locker room at Low-A Lake County.

Thanks for sharing the premium stuff, BUCK.

Crazy. I love the Indians. But reading about the Minors, even if they are horrible, helps pass the time. Much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the plunge Buck. I pay BA for a subscription. That's my limit on paid content.

Only two games lastnight; Columbus and Lake County both lost. A few highlighted lines:

CLE AAA Phelps, Cord 2B 4 0 2 0 .268
CLE LoA Lindor, Francisco SS 5 0 2 0 .281
CLE LoA Rodriguez, Luigi RF 5 0 1 0 .282
CLE AAA Schwinden, Chris 4.1 4 3 3 5 0 2.89 L (3-5) [how'd we get him?]

Not too much of interest in yesterday's boxscores, but BA finds the following:

CLE AAA Phelps, Cord 2B 4 1 1 0 .268 2B (19)
CLE HiA Aguilar, Jesus 1B 2 0 1 1 .288 BB (25) [better K/BB than last year, but not so many homers except for one good week]
CLE HiA Rodriguez, Ronny 2B 3 0 1 0 .259 2B (12)
CLE HiA Wolters, Tony SS 3 1 1 0 .232 2B (12) [still srong since May 1]
CLE LoA Myles, Bryson RF 4 1 2 3 .262 2B (8), HR (2) [back from injuries]
CLE LoA Rodriguez, Luigi CF 2 2 1 0 .284 2 BB (20) [probably No. 2 postion prospect]
CLE AAA McFarland, T.J. 4.1 8 10 10 4 2 6.88 L (1-1) [first serious bump in the road for TJ; he and fellow TJ House have been the only consistently good starting pitchers in an organization that has depth only in RH relief pitching]

Minor Happenings: Tice is powering his way to a promotion

Jeremie Tice (Photo: IPI)
By Tony Lastoria
June 12, 2012
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"Minor Happenings" is a bi-weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. Information in this report is compiled from my own research and through discussions with industry personnel inside and outside the Cleveland Indians organization. Unless otherwise noted, the intellectual property contained in this report is owned by IndiansProspectInsider.com LLC, and any unauthorized reproduction of the information is prohibited.

A bit of a catch-up posting today in Minor Happenings as this bi-weekly column was absent last week due to the insane amount of draft coverage on the site. Things are getting back to normal this week with the return of all the weekly staples. In today’s Happenings, I take a look at the recent hot performances from right-hander Mason Radeke and designated hitter Jeremie Tice, get some post-draft comments from Brad Grant, and provide some updates on several other players.

I will also be out on the road seeing a lot of games over the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for several features in the near future on some new and old players in the Indians’ system. I’ll also be providing some post-draft write-ups on a few players over the coming weeks as we get to know all of the new talent coming into the organization.

Onto the Happenings…

IPI Minor League Player of the Month

Jeremie Tice (Designated hitter – Carolina)
(for May)
.301 AVG, 13 R, 8 2B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 8 BB, 16 K, 1.022 OPS

This award easily could have gone to High-A Carolina first baseman Jesus Aguilar or Triple-A Columbus outfielderJared Goedert as both had performances that were on par with what Tice did in May. But what made Tice more impressive was the amount of production he put up in comparison to Aguilar and Goedert even though he missed the first week of May due to injury.

Tice, 25, is having a nice season to date as he is hitting .300 with 11 HR, 45 RBI, and 1.021 OPS in 44 games. Those are numbers that are deserving of a callup to Double-A Akron, and considering his age and how long he has been in the organization it may be time to get him up to Akron to see what he can do. When he has been healthy he has shown he can be a productive player, but I do not think anyone expected this kind of production as he has really taken some big strides this season as a power hitting, run producing bat in the middle of a lineup.

The problem with Tice continues to be his lack of a position. Even though he has played eight games at first base and five games in left field this season, he still primarily DH’s as he has made 31 starts as the designated hitter for Carolina this year. The Indians have experimented with him some in left field during spring training and a few times this season, which could help him get at bats if he were moved up to Akron. The problem at Akron is Chun Chen is at first base and Adam Abraham is getting the designated hitter and backup first base duties, so it will be interesting to see how and when the Indians eventually mix Tice in at Akron.

I have to think that Tice will finish the first half of the season with Carolina, play in the High-A All Star game, and then join Akron shortly after that, possibly even as soon as he makes his All Star appearance next Tuesday. No matter what, he has more than proved himself at the High-A level and it is time to move him up a level and see what he can do while he is healthy.

Honorable mentions:

David Huff (LHP – COL): 3-0, 2.08 ERA, 5 G, 30.1 IP, 24 H, 2 HR, 3 BB, 24 K, .205 BAA
Jared Goedert (OF – AKR/COL): .321 AVG, 20 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 8 BB, 18 K, .947 OPS
Chun Chen (1B – AKR): .317 AVG, 18 R, 10 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 13 BB, 21 K, .865 OPS
T.J. House (LHP – AKR): 4-1, 2.80 ERA, 6 G, 35.1 IP, 25 H, 1 HR, 14 BB, 28 K, .198 BAA
Jesus Aguilar (1B – CAR): .348 AVG, 22 R, 8 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 12 BB, 24 K, 1.018 OPS
Jeremie Tice (DH – CAR): .301 AVG, 13 R, 8 2B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 8 BB, 16 K, 1.022 OPS
Cody Anderson (RHP – LC): 2-2, 2.41 ERA, 6 G, 33.2 IP, 30 H, 2 HR, 9 BB, 24 K, .242 BAA
Joseph Colon (RHP – LC): 4-2, 1.31 ERA, 6 G, 41.1 IP, 28 H, 1 HR, 5 BB, 21 K, .199 BAA
Grant Sides (RHP – LC): 0-0, 0.51 ERA, 9 G, 17.2 IP, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 BB, 18 K, .148 BAA

Previous winners:

April: Matt LaPorta (1B/LF – Columbus)

IPI Minor League Pitcher of the Week

Mason Radeke (Right-handed pitcher – Lake County)
(for games from May 31st through June 11th)
1-0, 0.87 ERA, 3 G, 10.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 14 K, .194 BAA

There were quite a few good pitching performances over the past 12 days in the Indians’ system, but the one thatstood out the most was from Low-A Lake County right-handed reliever Mason Radeke.

Radeke, who turns 22-years old tomorrow, is having a good first full season with the Indians where in 17 combined games between Lake County and Double-A Akron he is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA. He has 43 strikeouts in 43.0 innings, and has limited the opposition to 36 hits, 4 homers, and 12 walks. He has been up to Akron two separate times for just a few days to fill in for a pitching need, and has held his own making three appearances and allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits and 2 walks in his 6.0 innings of work.

Over the last two-plus weeks Radeke has suddenly transformed into a more effective pitcher at Lake County. In his last four games he has thrown 13.1 innings and yielded just 11 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, and has 17 strikeouts. The bump in his strikeout rate may be attributed to a bump in his velocity this season as last year he averaged 87-89 MPH with his fastball, but this year he is averaging 90 MPH and has touched 93 MPH.

Radeke reminds me a bit of Josh Tomlin in that he is an undervalued pitcher that is very athletic, not afraid to put the ball over the plate, and is a finesse command-control type of pitcher. He also has a very good changeup which along with his improved fastball velocity makes him more interesting from a value standpoint. There is a long way to go, but he has done a nice job so far this season of improving his standing in the organization and is yet another pitcher from last year’s draft having a good first full season.

Honorable mentions:

Chris Seddon (LHP – COL): 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 12 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 14 K, .231 BAA
T.J. McFarland (LHP – COL): 1-0, 2.13 ERA, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R/ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 6 K, .205 BAA
Steven Wright (RHP – AKR): 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 HR, 7 BB, 12 K, .077 BAA
T.J. House (LHP – AKR): 0-0, 1.64 ERA, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 3 K, .205 BAA
Kyle Blair (RHP – CAR): 2-0, 0.93 ERA, 2 G, 9.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 6 BB, 4 K, .167 BAA

Previous winners:

05/22/12 to 05/30/12: T.J. House (LHP, Akron)
05/15/12 to 05/21/12: T.J. McFarland (LHP, Akron)
05/08/12 to 05/14/12: Francisco Jimenez (LHP, Carolina)
05/01/12 to 05/07/12: Steven Wright (RHP, Akron)
04/24/12 to 04/30/12: Steven Wright (RHP, Akron)
04/17/12 to 04/23/12: Chris Seddon (RHP, Columbus)
04/05/12 to 04/16/12: Cody Allen (RHP, Carolina/Akron)

Director’s Cuts

Here are some comments from Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant on their draft in an interview with the IPI on Monday:

On whether there is a sigh of relief when the draft is over and if plans for 2013 have already started: “Absolutely.Leading up to it that month beforehand you just want to get it there and done with and see what you come out with, and then all of a sudden you are done. It seems like forever leading up to it, and then as soon as you get to it, it goes by in a blink of an eye. Now we are already up at the Metrodome with five scouts up there starting to scout for 2013. We are tying up loose ends and making sure we get everything done that we need to get done in terms of the signing process, but really our focus is already on 2013.”

On what the day is like on that Monday the first day of the draft: “It is a long day, it really is. There is a lot of nervous energy and a lot of going through what if scenarios and a lot of things that do not come to fruition but that you have to prepare for so that you don’t make a quick decision with two minutes to think about it. It is a lot of planning that day and a lot of phone calls to gauge interest and see where things stand and see what other people’s thoughts are without exposing your hand too much at the same time. There is a lot that goes into it, but by the time you are done at midnight it is all worth it.”

On whether it helps having the time between picks in the first ten rounds: “You’d love to see it come much faster and happen earlier in the day. But, having the day to prepare going through all of those different scenarios and walking through that with the group just gives you a comfort level. If something happens that you did not predict you have already walked through it and talked through it so it doesn’t seem like it is a rash, quick decision.”

On how the draft is a lot different than what it was when he started: “When I started in 1995, the draft went 110 rounds. We did the first round in 15 minutes. We would go 25 rounds the first day, 25 rounds the next day, and then just go until you dropped out on the third day. It was unlimited rounds so it would go until you dropped out. I think the record was when Tampa Bay was an expansion team they went 110 rounds.”

On drafting one left-handed pitcher: “That is not like us at all as we always prioritize left-handed pitching and it is something we are always trying to add to our system. I think Kansas City did end up drafting quite a few when I look back at it, but it is just how it played out for us. We had a stack and there were not that many left-handers, and we only came out with one, which is unlike us.”

On if it is more difficult with selecting top ten picks because of weighing how you use your bonus pool: “If you don’t sign your first round pick you lose the money associated with that slot through the first ten rounds, so signability becomes a major factor. How you use your pool becomes a strategy for teams to employ in the draft as well. Even though that first and second day seems to be long with the time between the picks, it is important to have that time to ensure you have signability in place and you have an understanding of what it will take to sign guys before you select them.”

On if he likes the new July 13th signing deadline: “Yes, from a player and development standpoint it is a big thing to be able to get them out and acclimated to the pro game and playing every single day before getting to spring training and then getting into a full season. For the pitchers to be able to add the innings on so that next year when you extend them out all the way through the full season we don’t have to shut them down in June or July. I am a big proponent for the July 13th deadline.”

On if he sees any of the players after the draft: “My focus in the summer is really on the amateur stuff with the collegiate leagues and summer showcases, but what I will do is jump into the minor league parks from time to time just to put my eyes on guys that I have not seen or see where guys are just to get a snapshot of what is going on.”

All Stars

On Monday the Carolina League announced their All Star participants in the annual High-A All Star game between the California League and Carolina League which will be played this season in Winston-Salem, NC on June 19th. The two Carolina players named to the team were designated hitter Jeremie Tice and right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong.

The players were selected from votes that came from league managers, general managers and media. Some may say that first baseman Jesus Aguilar deserved to be on the team, but since the Carolina League only sends one team (rather than a two team league All Star game), it was really hard for any team to get three or more players on the roster and have all teams represented. Plus, the first baseman selected (Travis Shaw, Salem) is having a pretty good year (.319 AVG, 9 HR, 45 RBI, .978 OPS).

Tice will be the designated hitter for the Carolina League team. He is currently 9th in the league in hitting (.300), 7th in doubles (16), 1st in home runs (11), 2nd in RBI (45), 7th in on-base percentage (.394), 1st in slugging percentage (.627), and 2nd in OPS (1.021). He also leads the Cleveland Indians’ system in RBI and slugging percentage, and is third in home runs.

Armstrong has had an outstanding season to date where in 20 appearances this season he is 0-2 with a 1.04 ERA, and in 34.2 innings he has allowed 18 hits, no homers, 17 walks, and has 43 strikeouts. He has only allowed a run in four of his 20 outings and has never allowed more than one run in any outing this season.

Also, last week the Midwest League announced their All Star participants naming three players from Low-A Lake County to the team: shortstop Francisco Lindor (.281 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI, .742 OPS), right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson (4-4, 3.27 ERA), and right-handed pitcher Joseph Colon (5-6, 2.83 ERA).

Random notes

Triple-A Columbus right-handed reliever Chen-Chang Lee recently underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out for the remainder of the season. He made just five appearances this season going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 8 K) before leaving his last outing on April 17th with tightness in his forearm. He was shut down for several weeks, but when he tried to come back the issue still lingered and he and the Indians opted for surgery. This is a tough blow for him and the Indians as he was expected to be a midseason addition to the bullpen and he has the kind of stuff that can impact the backend of a Major League bullpen.

Double-A Akron outfielder Nick Weglarz is starting to come on of late and in 40 games he is now hitting .237 with 6 HR, 20 RBI, and a .764 OPS. The overall numbers are still not that great, but considering where he was and what they are now, they look much, much better. He finally appears to have the strength in his left leg again - something that was lacking most of last season – and he is now able to properly put weight on it in his swing so he can better drive the ball. His patient approach has been missing for most of the season as he has 21 walks and 52 strikeouts in 135 at bats, though his approach looks like it is slowly getting back to form as he has five walks and five strikeouts in his last five games.

High-A Carolina outfielder Tyler Holt has been slumping of late, which has brought his numbers down considerably.In 60 games this season he is hitting .279 with 0 HR, 17 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and a .731 OPS, but in 11 games in June he is hitting just .200 with a .422 OPS. He did not suddenly forget to hit and his approach did not just disappear, I think he is either a tired player or frustration is starting to creep in with him not yet being called up to Double-A Akron (maybe it is a combination of both). He deserves the challenge of Double-A, and I have to think with outfielder Tim Fedroff recently moving up to Triple-A Columbus that the Indians are aligning a callup of Holt to Akron sometime between now and the next week.

Low-A Lake County left-handed pitcher Shawn Morimando continues to pitch well. He has now made seven starts for Lake County and is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA, and in 32.0 innings has allowed 29 hits, 3 home runs, 13 walks, and has 18 strikeouts. I saw him in Instructional League last year and I can already see the maturation of his body starting to kick in and also his fastball command and secondary offerings showing improvement. His fastball velocity has not changed much as he is still averaging 88 MPH and touching 92 MPH with his fastball, but he looks like he is starting to get comfortable on the mound and his confidence continues to rise.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his new book the 2012 Cleveland Indians Prospect Insider which profiles the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is available for sale.

Cheng Lee with TJ surgery. There goes our no. 5 preseason prospect until 2014.

Jeremie Tice is player of the week; he's about Michael Brantley's age and he plays in Class A. Excitement.

Mason Radeke is pitcher of the week. 35th round pick in 2011. Reliever. More excitement.

Buck: Tony's Pd Article is supposed to be a draft update. Do you have that one? No signings have officially been announced.