Cleveland Sports Forum

For those fixated on the past, in the Not So Hot list at BA this week:

• Drew Pomeranz, lhp, Rockies. The Rockies sport a major league-worst 5.42 team ERA, but they may not be able to call on Triple-A Colorado Springs lefty Pomeranz any time soon with hope of stemming the tide. The 23-year-old top prospect has allowed 13 runs through 15 2/3 innings in three June starts in the Pacific Coast League, alternately not finding the plate (11 walks) or getting smacked around when he does (21 hits).

The Indians have agreed on a $1.75 million bonus with first-rounder Tyler Naquin, pending a physical.

A Texas A&M product, Naquin was one of the best pure hitters and had one of the strongest outfield arms in this year's draft. He was the second college position player selected in June, and he runs well enough that he may be able to move from right field (his position with the Aggies) to center.

The assigned value for Naquin's pick at No. 15 was $2.25 million.



Then means they have $500,000 more to use on other draftees, which could be important since we drafted several players a few rounds lower than they were valued at.

By far the earliest we have signed a top pick in years. He will get a chance to play a full short season and thus be at least 1/2 season ahead of where kids signed at the old deadline would be.

More good news about our farm system.

Teenage shortstop Carlos Correa, selected first overall by the Astros in this year's First-Year Player Draft, would do well to perform similarly to Indians top prospect Francisco Lindor during his first full professional season.

Lindor, 18, who is also a shortstop and from Puerto Rico, was Cleveland's first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in last year's Draft. He only played a few New York-Penn League games after he signed last year out of high school but is making his presence felt this season at Class A Lake County.

"He's been great and extremely consistent," said Ross Atkins, the Indians' vice president of player development. "He's been aggressive on the basepaths and has been one of the better offense players on the team and in the league. For being one of youngest in league, we are extremely excited about his start."

Lindor, No. 26 on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list is hitting .278 with 10 doubles, three triples and four home runs with 22 RBIs in his first 56 games for the Captains.

Lindor is far from a finished product. The Indians are trying to refine his approach at the plate without taking away his aggressiveness. They are also working on the shortstop's "game clock."

"He's discovering the pace and speed of the game and learning how to maximize his rhythm and timing," Atkins said. "He's a beast as a defender and an offensive player. We want to make sure he is as consistent as can be."

Naquin now becomes our No. 2 prospect. LuigiRod is No. 3. Is Dillon Howard still alive? He was drafted No. 2 last year and rated No. 2 in the offseason. He's either hurt or been working out in XST waiting for the start of the Arizona League in a week.

Howard does not appear on roster for Arizona or the Mahoning Valley. jake Sisco, another well-thought-of 2011 pitching pick is on the Arizona roster.

Tony Lastoria ‏@TonyIPI

#Indians have announced that they have also signed their 2nd round pick RHP Mitchell Brown. Terms not yet available.

Tony Lastoria ‏@TonyIPI

Reports that ‪#Indians‬ 2nd rounder RHP Mitchell Brown received an $800K signing bonus. If true, that is $160K overslot (slot was $640K).

On Dillion Howard I do remember reading somewhere that he was quite ill for a while and that set him back quite a bit.

Tonight all our teams are playing poorly in the early going.Joe Coln has allwed 8 hits and 5 runs in 3 innings for Lake County. Mike Rayl has allowed 6 runs on 4hits in only 2 innings. TJ House has allowed 6 hits in 3 innings, has limited that to 2 runs. Clippers shut out in the first of two, 4-0. Are behind 2-0 in the nightcap; Huf allows 2 in the first inning.

Bo Greenwell returned from the dead yesterday and played in Carolina. Bo has looked promising from time to time. I see he's out of the lineup today. Hope this won't be a 1 game season.

Jordan Henry returns from the dead today and is playing for Akron. He had just a blah 2011 for the Aeros I figure he was DFA'd, but here he is again. Another nonprospect outfielder.

Everyone lost last night. Columbus lost twice. There's honestly no talent out there other than Lindor and Luigi Rodriguez at Lake County, and both are doing very well for their age, not great; and Wolters and Ronnie Rodriguez and Aguillar at Carolina and all are good well, but nothing special. Chun Chen is a fine singles and doubles hitting first baseman for Akron. That's about it for the position players.

the TJs (McFarland and House) have both ptiched well until the last couple nights, but neither will has any chance of being more than a back of rotation starter. And there are a bunch of good looking relievers like Armstrong and Flores in Carolina, guys with good stats in Akron but there must be good reasons why they never get promoted to Columbus; and Chen Lee who is spending the season on the DL with old occupants of that list like Jason Knapp and Alex Perez and newer ones like Austin Adams.

If it weren't for the new draft class there really would be no particular reason to follow the minors the rest of the way.

4 vaguely prospects working for our teams tonight: ZachMac, Giovanni Soto, Will Roberts and Cody Anderson. All of these guys have some degree of big league potential, unlike most of the position players behind them.

Whoever this Schwinden guy is pitching again tonight. He and Columbus ahead 2-1 after 4. Canzler with HR 6, Carlin 2 hits. Somehow Jose Constanza homers against us, good chance it was inside the park. Former Tribe OF now has 9 HR in a career that started in 2005.

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Solo homers were all that Giovanni Soto yielded in a 6 inning 2-1 loss. He fanned 9. He is years younger than his teammates. Indians like him but he's nowhere on the prospect lists. Weglarz double and walk; OPS over last 10 games: 1.338. About time to go back to Columbus before he gets hurt again

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Weglarz homers in the nightcap. After 2 the score is again 2-1 against the Aeros. Plenty of time to go in this one. Byt the time this one ended , Nick had added a single and 2 walks. Chen singled twice and walked.

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More offense for Carolina, but they also trail, 7-6. Bo Greenwell makes his debut in the field. Aguillar double and walk: 287/372/458 + a ton of strikeouts. RonnieRod triples. His SLG tops 400 but OBA below 300 and he made his 20th error. April star Jake Lowery has walked twice, but since May 1 he's hitting 170.
Will Roberts 5 innings, 5 runs on 9 hits. All star reliever Shawn Armstrong 2 runs in 2 innings

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Only Lake County holds a lead, 6-1, and without any significent help from the prospects. Lindor has a double. LRod hitless. JSmith a single. 3 shutout innings for Cody Anderson, so why did he leave so soon? Update now 8-1 on LRod's 4th homer. Lindor adds a second hit. Final 11-2 win with Lindor ending with 3 hits and LRod with 2. In 4 years they could both be with the Indians, although they'd still both be young so may take a little longer.

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Scrappers tentative roster; they debut in a few days. 31 players listed including 17 pitchers. All the 2012 signed draftees except second round P Mitch Brown are listed here. Obviously lots of these guys will wind up staying in Arizona. A couple Latin players with a couple years in Arizona are listed: Juan Romero a big swinging OF, Jairo Kelly who I read some good report on a couple years back, plays 2b. Jake Sisco well regarded pitcher drafted in 2011 is listed here.

Only 12 names on the Arizona roster, only five are pitchers. Lots of the organizational draftee pitchers from rounds 14-23 could wind up here.

Weglarz OPS for 14 games in June is 1.237. As he does at his best he's hitting with lots of power and drawing plenty of walks.

One flaw remains: 21 of the 30 outs he's made this month have been strikeouts. That's in Rob Deer terrirtory.

McAllister starting today, so he's on the same schedule as Gomez. Decent not overhwhelming performance, which is the most he ( or Gomez for that matter) is capable of. Ony 2 runs in 6 innings. 7 hits, 2K Cord Phelps, remember him?, singles, homers, walks, steals a base, bats in 3; there's no role for hime with the Indians as a 2nd baseman only. Jason Donald 2 singles and walk. la Prota single, 2 walks.

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