Ryan

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A Royal Flush

 

I certainly didn’t expect that. Just when you think the team has been deep-sixed, they sweep a series or two.

 

Was I the only one who wondered if Shapiro took Paul Assenmacher aside this weekend and asked him if he could still pitch?

Anyway, the Indians still reside in baseball Purgatory, and judging by comments by Shapiro over the weekend, he really doesn’t know what to do, either. There’s really only a couple of teams ready and willing to deal their proven and expensive veterens before the week is out, and judging by what they’re trading and what they want for them, you’re better off just sticking with what you have. In a couple years, the Indians may just overpay for a Kris Benson or Eddie Guradado. But I just don’t think the Indians are at that point yet. You can produce “what-ifs”, mostly concerning the bullpen (or lack of one), all you want, but frankly, a lot has gone unexpectedly right with this team that you have to temper your enthusiasm a bit. Until Matt Lawton tweaked his hammy, not one of the main cogs in the lineup have missed any appeciable time. Of the pitchers, only Jason Stanford and Bob Wickman have been hurt. Compared to last year’s MASH unit, that’s peanuts.

 

But still…

 With the Twins trying deserately to get out of their own way, and the White Sox losing Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez within a week, winning the division doesn’t really seem that far-fetched. There. I said it. I’ve tried to make excuses as to reasons why the Indians aren’t good enough to at least make a run at the AL Central, and the team has obliterated them one by one. Horrific bullpen? No problem – we’ll just win in extra innings! Scott Elarton’s the 5th starter? No problem – We’ll just bring up Chad Durbin, and he’ll pitch a complete game! Weak bench? No problem – Lou Merloni will be a more productive first baseman than Jason Giambi!

 

At some point, you have to throw up your hands and join the keg party. There’s still real issues with this club that Mark Shapiro has to address after the season, but when you’re chugging, you don’t really care how bad the hangover is.

 

Oh yeah…Grady Sizemore is pretty good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a jello shot calling my name….

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Promoted RHSP Adam Miller to Kinston (A+) from Lake County (A-)

 

A much deserved promotion. Miller struck out 106 and walked only 28 in his 91 innings with the Captains. The “sandwich” pick in 2003 (Jim Thome), Miller is flying up the prospect lists, and may be the best pitcher in the system right now. However, he’s only made it to Kinston, and flameouts of young arms are the rule, not the exception. But it will be interesting to see his stuff fares against better competition for the next six weeks or so.

 

Promoted LHRP Shea Douglas to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

 

Allowing only 18 hits in 32 innings generally gets you a promotion, and so Douglas heads to Akron. Douglas looks like a nice relief prospect thus far; however, he’s Rule 5 eligible this offseason, and he’s exactly the type of player clubs tend to pick in the draft.

 

Reinstated RHSP Travis Foley from the Disabled List (A+)

 

Demoted RHRP Kieran Mattison to Lake County (A-) from Kinston (A+)

 

Other News

 

Jason Stanford is done for the year (and probably 2005 as well), as he’s going to have Tommy John surgery. For a guy who’s had to fight his way up the ladder (he was signed by the Indians as an undrafted free agent), a setback like this has to be difficult for him. It’s also a blow to the pitching depth, as this makes three left-handed starters to have the surgery in the past year. While Brian Tallet seems to be on track to be fully recovered by Spring Training, Billy Traber is lagging behind on his recovery. Needless to say, you can never have enough pitching.

 

VORP Update

  • Ben Broussard – 10.6 (11th among 1B)
  • Ronnie Belliard – 28.8 (2nd among 2B)
  • Omar Vizquel – 23.5 (8th among SS)
  • Casey Blake – 19.7 (8th among 3B)
  • Matt Lawton – 27.3 (6th among LF)
  • Coco Crisp – 7.3 (15th amond CF) *Note: there are 14 teams in the American League*
  • Jody Gerut – 12.9 (7th among RF)
  • Travis Hafner – 52.5 (1st among DH)
  • Victor Martinez – 39.8 (2nd among C)
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Saturday’s Starter Announced; Hoyman Signs

 

Purchased the Contract of RHSP Chad Durbin; Recalled him to Cleveland

 

This was Kyle Denney’s job to lose, and he lost it. He’s been pitching terribly ever since returning from a knee injury, so he was passed over by the Indians. Making the start in one of Saturday’s two games is Chad Durbin, who is a bit more proven, and frankly, the best of the rest in Buffalo. Kenny Rayborn has a nice 3.30 ERA, but has a disturbing lack of strikeouts (48) in 84.2 innings pitched. Strikeouts aren’t the end-all statistic in determining whether a minor-league pitcher will have success in the majors, but they’re very important nonetheless. AAA finesse artists who can’t strikeout International League hitters aren’t going to get outs in the majors.

 

As for Durbin, he’s still young enough (26) to have some promise as a starter, or at least a palatable alternative to Scott Elarton’s string of losing perfection. Nothing against Scott, but I hope by Saturday evening, the Indians have a new 5th starter; I’m to the point where I don’t necessarily care who the new guy in the rotation is.

 

Optioned LHSP Jeriome Robertson to Buffalo

 

He probably won’t stay in Buffalo too long; because he was used in Wednesday’s blowout, the Indians needed another arm to take the mound on Saturday, and Robertson was optionable. He’ll probably replace Durbin in Buffalo’s rotation, make a start or two, and should be recalled when his 10-day sentence is up.

 

Signed 2004 Draft Pick RHSP Justin Hoyman (2nd Round) to a minor-league contract; Assigned him to Mahoning Valley (SSA)

 

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Transactions

 

A whole mess of moves, some I’m just catching up to, and others that are real recent.

 

Recalled OF Grady Sizemore from Buffalo (MLB Debut)

 

This is obviously the big one of the bunch. Grady will probably be eased into his role with the Indians, sharing time with Coco Crisp in center field, and maybe spelling Matt Lawton in left. From the limited splits I’ve seen, Grady doesn’t seem to have too much trouble with left-handers, so I don’t think he’ll be straight platooning with Crisp. But regardless, it’s really cool to finally see Grady in an Indians uniform. Once Brandon Phillips returns to the big club, probably in September, all three prospects from the Bartolo Colon deal will be on the roster at the same time.

 

Designated OF Mark Little for Assignment

 

He’ll probably clear waivers and take over for Grady in center field for the Bisons.

 

Announced the Retirement of C Brian Luderer (AA)

 

Faced with the possibility of returning to A-ball with the promotion of Ryan Garko, Brian chose to hang it up.

 

Promoted LHSP Dan Cevette to Lake County (A-) from Mahoning Valley (SSA)

 

A prospect that has flown under the radar since being drafted in 2002 (3rd Round), Cevette was picked with his upside in mind. He’s 6’3″, left-handed, and now he’s throwing in the mid-90s. After dominating the New York-Penn League, Cevette will now join a rotation featuring another teenage fireballer, Adam Miller. Needless to say, you can strike gold sometimes with high school pitchers, but you have to pick your spots. The Indians picked another high ceiling pitching prospect, Chuck Lofgren, in the 4th round this year after hedging their bets with picking Jeremy Sowers and Justin Hoyman in the first two rounds.

 

Reinstated SS Ivan Ochoa from the Disabled List (A+)

 

Ivan really needs to pick up the offensive pace. He was hitting .232/.309/.307 before his shoulder injury, and no amount of defensive ability is going to make up for that. He’s already on the 40-man roster, but he looks like John McDonald’s heir apparent more than anything.  

 

Purchased LHP Landon Stockman from Amarillo of the Central League; Assigned him to Kinston (A+)

 

Promoted RHP Ryan Prahm to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

 

Traded IF Mayobanex Santana to the Oakland Athletics for Future Considerations (or nothing)

 

Ahh, the circle of minor-league soldiers. Santana was traded from Arizona for Todd West, a minor-league Rule 5 pick from Milwaukee. He was essentially a stopgap for Ivan Ochoa, and now he’s moving on to his next temp job.

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You Cannot Stop the Pronk!

 

The past two days have been nothing short of amazing for Travis Hafner. 5 home runs off of 4 pitchers, including Francisco Rodriguez. I know it’s not going to last, but boy has it been fun watching him hit.

 

Jumping the Gun

 

This article concerns me. Ronnie Belliard is having the season of his life, is 29 years old, and Mark Shapiro wants to sign him to a three-year deal? The Indians still retain his rights next year, as he’s not yet eligible for free agency as we found out about a month ago. The more I see of Ronnie, the more I like him, but signing him to a long-term contract now is taking a big risk. I’d rather the Indians just offer him arbitration, pay him a little bit more, and then see what he does in a year. With Brandon Phillips deserving of another look and the signing of Aaron Boone, the infield looks crowded as is; locking up Belliard makes it even more crowded.

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Transactions

 

Signed free agent 1B Pat Magness to a minor-league contract; assigned him to Kinston (A+)

 

Placed 1B Michael Aubrey on the Disabled List (AA)

 

This will probably give recent callup Ryan Garko more starts at first base, with David Wallace behind the plate. This hasn’t been a good couple weeks for top prospects in the organization, as Franklin Gutierrez was placed on the AA DL with elbow soreness about 10 days ago.

 

What Slump?

 

So much for the prolonged slump Victor Martinez was in. Three home runs generally means you’re seeing the ball well, regardless of who was throwing the ball. Now I’ll turn my attention towards Ben Broussard’s prolonged slump.

 

Prospect Review – Francisco Cruceta

 

RHSP Francisco Cruceta

Age: 23 (Born 7-4-1981)

Roster Status: On 40-man Roster

2004 Stats: (AAA) 24.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 15 SO, 9 BB

                  (AA)   88.2 IP, 5.28 ERA, 45 SO, 33 BB

Ranked #14 in Cleveland’s organization by Baseball America

 

“That’s strange,” you might be saying, “Cruceta was promoted to AAA after an awful year in Akron, and has pitched lights out in four starts at Buffalo.” I can’t explain it either. Maybe it’s a mental thing with Francisco; after all, he was sent back to Akron after pitching the entire season there in 2003. Regardless, he’s a decent pitching prospect with a fairly high ceiling. He’s a ground ball pitcher who also throws a good slider, and has good strikeout rates. Like most other young pitchers, his control is going to determine when he makes the majors. He should get a September callup if he hasn’t reached his inning count.

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Transactions

 

Released LHSP Mike Porzio from Buffalo (AAA)

 

Demoted LHRP Carl Sadler to Akron (AA) from Buffalo (AAA)

 

Promoted 1B/C Ryan Garko to Akron (AA) from Kinston (A+)

 

Garko has mainly been playing 1B the last month. However, with Michael Aubrey entrenched there in Akron, Garko will probably see more time behind the plate, or at DH. Regardless, there wasn’t much left to do in the Carolin League for Ryan; he had been hitting .328/.425/.609 in Kinston, with 17 doubles and 16 home runs. Kinston isn’t left with many prospects for now, though some Captains should be promoted fairly soon, including Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ryan Goleski, and Brad Snyder

 

 

 

 

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Tough Loss

 

Jake Westbrook deserved much better than a complete-game loss. The lineup he faced is right now arguably the worst (or second-worst) lineup in the league, but the way Jake’s pitches were moving, he would have pitched well against any team in baseball. He made just two mistakes. Frustrating, to say the least.

 

The fan in me really wants the Indians to go on a run the last two weeks of July and make things interesting for the Twins and White Sox, but the realist in me sees the offense propelled by two players who haven’t played a full season in the majors yet (Martinez and Hafner) and two veterens having career years (Belliard and Lawton). Lawton will probably continue to hit, but Victor Martinez is in the midst of a prolonged slump, and Belliard’s numbers are leaning heavily on his hot April. That being said, it’s pretty exciting to see some pieces fall into place. The Lee/Hafner/Martinez/Gerut group is the just the first wave of prospects that the Indians should be receiving in the next couple years. In 2005, you could see Kyle Denney, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Brandon Phillips, and Fernando Cabrera make contributions to the big club. This doesn’t include the returns of Jason Stanford, Brian Tallet, Billy Traber, Ryan Ludwick, and Josh Bard from extended injuries.

 

As I’ve said before, the Indians don’t have a lot of guarenteed contracts that continue after this season; Matt Lawton, CC Sabathia, and the recently-signed Aaron Boone are the one ones due money next year. Jake Westbrook and David Riske are probably going to get big raises in arbitration, and the Indians have expressed interested in signing Victor Martinez through his arbitration years. But as a whole, the Indians still have a lot of good pre-arbitration players on the roster. So this offseason is the time to open the checkbook and bring in some strategic free agents.

 

 

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Prospect Review: Grady Sizemore and Fernando Cabrera

Wrapping my overview of Buffalo’s prospects with two highly-regarded players:

RHRP Fernando Cabrera

Age: 22 (Born 11-16-1981)

Roster Status: On 40-man Roster

2004 Stats (AAA): 50.0 IP, 4.68 ERA, 57 SO, 35 BB

Ranked #5 in Cleveland’s organization by Baseball America

The above numbers can be deceiving, as Fernando has been lights out in the last month or so, as he was adjusting to the bullpen. In the past two years, the Indians, seeing Cabrera’s good fastball/split combo, have eased Cabrera into a relief role. Cabrera can throw in the mid 90s, but he still has to throw them for strikes in order to succeed in Cleveland. However, with the Indians bullpen in flux, Cabrera should get a September callup at the very least. He projects as a major-league closer, or at least an effective setup man.

OF Grady Sizemore

Age: 21 (Born 8-2-1982)

Roster Status: On 40-man Roster

2004 Stats (AAA): 374 AB, .302/.368/.457, 21 2B, 7 HR

Ranked #1 in Cleveland’s organization by Baseball America (#7 overall in their midseason rankings)

The crown jewel of the system, Grady has just about everything you want in a major-league hitter; good plate discipline, the ability to hit for average, power potential, a quick bat, and the ability to hit to all fields. If he can stick in center field, he has All-Star potential. With Franklin Gutierrez a year behind him and only Coco Crisp in front of him, the time is now for Grady to get a long extended shot in center. Sizemore’s arm is his only real weakness, and the reason he might move over to left when Matt Lawton departs. This time next year, it’s very possible to see Victor Martinez, Brandon Phillips, Jhonny Peralta, and Grady Sizemore playing up the middle in Cleveland, with all four 25 or younger.