Indians Trade for Reliever Winston Abreu

In a minor move, the Tribe has acquired 32 year old reliever Winston Abreu (pictured left) from the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever John Meloan. Abreau was recently designated for assignment, so he fit in for what the Indians are looking for to fill their pen, journeymen relievers. Meloan was brought to the Indians from the Dodgers (with Carlos Santana) in the Casey Blake deal. He has struggled mightily down in Columbus, posting a 5.52 ERA in 25 appearances this season. With as bad as the bullpen has been up in Cleveland, he was never brought up to the fire. The organization must have been really down on him to favor the various jobbers that have toed the mound in the big leagues this season. I am surprised they have given up on Meloan, since he only just about to turn 25 next week in favor of a well traveled hurler. Winston is expected to be added to the 25 man roster tomorrow.

Abreu, a fastball/slider pitcher, made two appearances for the Rays this year, allowing a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. He was called up from Triple-A Durham on June 14 and designated for assignment last week.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Abreu has spent the bulk of this season at Durham, where he went 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA in 23 appearances. He's walked 10 and struck out 49 in 32 innings.
Abreu has 13 years of Minor League experience pitching in the farm systems of the Braves, Cubs, Royals, Dodgers, D-backs, Orioles, Nationals and Rays. He has gone 37-36 with a 3.68 ERA in 322 appearances. He has 929 strikeouts and just 374 walks in 776 2/3 Minor League innings.

Who knows if this will work out, but it looks like just another gas can to throw onto the fire.

Down on the Farm Report: Nick Weglarz

Last week it was announced that two Indians Minor Leaguers will represent the World Team in the 11th annual All-Star futures game on All-Star weekend on July 12 at Busch Stadium. The two players are catcher Carlos Santana who is the Indians number one rated prospect according to Baseball America and outfielder Nick Weglarz who was rated by Baseball America as the number 3 Indians prospect leading into the season. Both of which are teammates on the Indians Double A Akron Aeros squad. If you watched any of the World Baseball Classic this year you might remember the 21 year old Weglarz as he started in left field for team Canada. Nick also played for the Canadian team in the 2009 Summer Olympics in China as well.

The Indians selected Weglarz in the 3rd round of the 2005 Draft out of high school (Ontario, Canada). In his pro debut in 2005 at rookie level Burlington, at 17 years of age Weglarz held up well and hit .231 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 141 at bats. In 2006, he played only one game for the rookie level Gulf Coast League (GCL) Indians as he was sidelined for the entire season with a broken hand. Weglarz is one of only a handful of players under 20 to have an OPS in the South Atlantic League of .892 or higher in the last 15 years. Here is what several sites have said about the young up and comer:

Indians Prospect Insider "Weglarz is a developed hitter with above-average hand-eye coordination, and he loves low pitches so he can extend through it either away or down and in. Weglarz has some flaws in his swing that will need to be tinkered along the way, but his long arms and good bat speed generate tremendous power."

Scoutingbook.com said he is, "A smart, savvy hitter with strong arms and developing power, Weglarz uses very fast hands to work the bat through the zone quickly, with line-drive power to all fields. His swing lacks the loft of a true power-hitter, though that may come soon as his large frame continues to fill out: In 2007 he produced 24 long balls in 127 games as a 19 year old in A ball. He took a step back when bumped up to high-A in 2008, but he's still a very young player with a lot to learn, so some growing pains are expected. A first-baseman in high school, the Indians have been using him in left field, though that experiment may soon end: his glove and arm are not better than average. While he continues to work on his power swing, his advanced plate discipline looks puts him firmly in the Future Youkilis Junior Achievers camp for now."

This year Weglarz started out the season playing for the Double A Akron Aeros as he spent all of 2008 in Single A Kingston. Although he started out slow by hitting below .100 in the month of April his numbers have really come around in the last two months as he has been on fire. Since May 1st he is batting over .320 for the Aeros. As of today he is hitting .261 and is leading the team in RBI's with 55. His OPS is .900. Furthermore, he was selected as the Eastern League Player of the week back on May 18th and then again this past week ending June 26th. Weglarz was at his best in the three-game series against Trenton last week. Weglarz hit .700 (7-10) in the series, homered in all three games, drove in eight runs, and collected his first four-hit game of the season Wednesday before becoming just the 12th player in franchise history to draw four walks in a game Thursday.

Since Weglarz is only 21 you can only expect more great things out of him. With the Tribe basically being all but out of it in 2009 it would be nice to see them bring up two other prospects from Triple A Columbus in Michael Brantley and Matt LaPorta so they can get some big league experience. The Clippers have been playing Brantley a lot more in left field so hopefully this is a sign that he will come up and get some experience as I would rather watch him than Ben Francisco. Benny boy is just terrible and I am tired of watching him as he is a minor leaguer at best. Bruce Drennen talked about him last night on All Bets Are Off saying that Francisco might be a nice kid but he has to go. I will be amazed if he is on a big league club next year. With this in mind, if either LaPorta or Brantley get called up you can probably expect that Nick Weglarz will be on the first bus to Columbus to play for the Clippers.

Down on the Farm Report: Carlos Santana

When Casey Blake was traded to the Dodgers last July, most fans had no idea who the prospects were the Indians received for their former grinder. John Meloan was one half of the deal, a hard throwing bullpen arm. The other has turned into the by most prospect publications the number 1 prospect in the organization; catcher Carlos Santana. Most fans have heard of Santana by now, as he got to play in a few games with the Tribe in Spring Training and has been heavily talked about and mentioned. Here is what some in baseball have to say about the "smooth" switch hitter...

Comment from Ross Atkins, Indians director of player development: "Carlos is extremely gifted offensively. He has a lot of bat speed and he's disciplined. Defensively, he has above average skills when it comes to catching and throwing. He still needs to refine his receiving skills, his game calling ability and his ability to lead a pitching staff."

John Sickles of Minorleagueball.com: "...he's continued to produce power and terrific strike zone judgment while transitioning to Double-A.. I'm not sure he gets as much attention as he deserves: he's an excellent prospect, and will battle Buster Posey for "best catching prospect" plaudits once Matt Wieters graduates to the majors."

Mark Shapiro on catcher Carlos Santana's throwing ability: "He's as gifted throwing as any guy I've ever seen outside of Pudge [Ivan Rodriguez] early in his career."

Pretty high praise for the young 23 year old Dominican. He seems to be developing into a pretty good receiver, while showing a cannon for an arm. Santana's leadership behind the dish has help lead to success for Akron as through May 12th the team had posted a combined 2.81 ERA, with the starting staff of Hector Rondon (29 IP, 1.24 ERA), Frank Herrmann (30 1/3 IP, 2.97 ERA) Chuck Lofgren (27 IP, 1.33 ERA) and Jeanmar Gomez (12 IP, 0.75 ERA) throwing lights out.

But what will eventually get him to Cleveland will be his bat, and he has been raking down in Akron again this season hitting .273 with a .416 OBP, .534 SLG and .950 OPS. Those are great numbers as he has demonstrated his keen eye of the strike zone while being pitched around in the middle of the Aero lineup (22 Walks to 15 K's). His 6 Home Runs and 22 RBI are amongst the leaders in the Eastern League as well. It will be interesting to see when young Carlos breaks in with the big league club, with Victor Martinez's 2011 free agent year looming. Santana's swing switch hitting swing is reminiscent of V-Marts', while sporting his #41 jersey behind the dish at Canal Park. Hopefully this Tribe phenom, he will have to choose a different numeral when he gets the call up to Cleveland while his mentor mans the bag over at first.

Note: from Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal May 14th: In the fifth, the Aeros’ Carlos Santana left with right forearm tightness. Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh said after the game removing Santana was precautionary and that he’s day-to-day for now.

Hopefully he will be fine, but the way 2009 has went so far, you never know.

Minor League Sweep

While the Indians big league club was off getting swept in Texas, their minor league clubs were fareing quite nicely. The top three clubs (Columbus, Akron, Kinston) all pulled off victories on Thursday, and many of the top prospects were out helping the cause.

Columbus beats Louisville 12-4

Michael Brantley 3-5 2 RBI

Luis Valbuena 2-5 HR, 2 RBI

Matt Laporta 3-5 2 doubles, HR, 3 RBI

Michael Aubrey 2-4 HR, 3 RBI

Jordan Brown 2-5 HR, 3 RBI

The team put together 14 hits and looked pretty impressive doing it. Good to see the young guys slugging it out. The pitchig was pretty good also...

David Huff 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 K's 2 HR's allowed

Vinnie Chulk 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K's

Tony Sipp 1 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's

Huff didn't have eye-popping numbers, but kept his team in the game (unlike another team I watched this week). Sipp struckout the side while Chulk continues to roll. Great way to start off a season.

Akron defeats Bowie 2-1

Frank Herrmann pitched great, allowing one earned run in six innings. He only struck out one batter but he is more of a finese guy anyways. Ryan Edell threw 2 shutout innings for a hold, and Beau Mills went 2-3 and an RBI. This is the Aeroes second win in a row as they beat Bowie 9-5 Wednesday as Hector Rondon fired 5 2/3 innings of one run ball while stiking out 6 in earning a victory. Randy Newsom added 1 1/3 of shutout baseball to earn a save, while Carlos Santana provided the offense going 2-4 with a Homerun and 4 RBI.

Kinston defeats Winston-Salem 5-2

20 year old phenom Kelvin De La Cruz stuckout a whopping 10 batters in 6 innings while giving up 2 runs on just 2 hits. Outfielder Matt Brown added the offense going 3-4 with a run batted in.

Not a bad way to start a minor league season. Most of these same names to pop up early and often as the Tribe's farm system is looking more stacked by the day.

Future Heroes: Cleveland Indians Minor Leaguers Show Promise

The more I watch the Cleveland Indians' minor league position players (Beau Mills pictured left) compete this spring training, the more I have become impressed. With the WBC adding 2 more weeks to Cactus League actions, plenty of minor leaguers from all levels have appeared in games. Granted, there is only been a weeks' worth of games, but I have a strong feeling of good things to come for many of these guys. Here are just some of the highlights...

Luis Valbuena: Yet to get a hit in 8 at bats, but has looked great at second and short stop around the bag. Saw him hit in the cages and the ball really popped off of his bat.

Trevor Crowe: Switch hitter has batted already 15 times and looks to be a viable candidate for the 4th outfield spot. Needs to show consistency at the plate, but covers a lot of ground in center and in left.

Beau Mills: Hit his first Cactus League home run Wednesday off of Chad Gaudin which was described as a moon shot. .357 batting average in 14 AB's, driven in 4 runs to go with a double and a triple. Mills has had some issues with the flip play with the pitcher covering first. Definitely needs to refine his fielding skills, but his bat looks almost ready.

Michael Brantley: Played a decent outfield, has 3 hits in 12 AB's, seems to be a slap hitter know so he should fill out his lean frame. Hopefully AAA won't be a major adjustment for him as he is only 21 but the coaches seem to feel his work ethic will allow him to progress smoothly.

Here is some footage of Brantley in the cage...



Stephen Head: Cranked a home run in first cactus game against the Giants, looks good at first base and besides his error in right seems to be a future 4th outfielder/utility guy of value.

Matt LaPorta: 4 hits in 11 at bats, hit a home run off of Dan Haren, and seems to be playing ok out in left field. Future Tribe slugger should see action with the big league club sometime this summer.

Wes Hodges: 3 for 11, going to be playing a lot with Mark DeRosa in the WBC. Needs to work on all facets of his defensive game but still seems to be the Tribe's future third baseman.

Jordan Brown: 3 for 9, with a home run and 2 runs batted in. Seems to be the forgotten man this camp as he was left off of the 40 man roster. Jordan has something to prove and I believe can be an everyday first baseman somewhere in the league, just probably not in Cleveland.

Chris Gimenez: Has played all over the field this spring (Catcher, 3rd, Outfield), while 2 of his 3 hits have been doubles. Gimenez will be seen up with the Indians sometime this year as his versatility is outstanding. OBP is .538, a stat he has excelled in at every level.

Carlos Santana: Shown a rifle for an arm, is gaining a lot of valuable experience working with the big league club. Santana has looked over matched at times, but has drawn 3 walks in 11 plate appearance which shows he is staying patient and not trying to over impress.

Nick Weglarz: 21 year old Canadian is 0 for 4 but gained some important time watching the studs of the big league club. It will be interesting to see how many at bats he gets in the WBC for Team Canada.

Here is some game footage of Weglarz in action...



Carlos Rivero: Soon-to-be 21 year old went 2-3 with a double and an RBI in his first game playing in a Major League game with the Indians. Top 10 Tribe Prospect will start the year in Akron and may be a name to watch.

It will be interesting to see how many of these guys contribute to the big league club in the future. I would imagine someone between Hodges, Mills, LaPorta, and Weglarz will be moved for pitching as they are all similar type players (as is Head,Brown, and Michael Aubrey). The Indians have really went away from overloading camp with the hangers on (Graffanino, Merchan, and Valdez type) and given their young guys shots at major league pitching. These prospects will be donning the blue and red in the next few years so get used to their names now so you have the pleasure of saying, "I remember that guy from Spring Training!"

Meet the Tribe: The Position Players

Tribe #1 Prospect Carlos Santana (pictured right) seems ready for another Tribe preview, so here goes..

And now, the much anticipated Part 2 Position Player version of Meet the Tribe! Most of the information here has been recited at nauseum all over the newspapers and internet, but what can one more guys opinion hurt?

Catchers
79 Chris Gimenez: Chris was added to the 40 man roster in December before the Rule 5 draft. He is a jack of all trades type player, possessing the ability to play Catcher, First, Third, and both corner outfield positions. Gimenez was moved to Catcher in 2006, but probably won't see much time there in the majors as an Indian with Martinez and Shoppach blocking that path, along with super prospect Carlos Santana behind him in Double A. He is an excellent on base guy and will likely gain more power the more experience he gains. Best case scenario for this 26 year old would be a role as a super utility guy for the Tribe in 2010, or possibly if injuries occur in 2009.

Interesting Tidbit...Won Single A Carolina Homerun Derby in 2007.

41 Victor Martinez: Groin and Elbow problems sidelined Victor for most of 2008 as he only appeared in 73 games. The elbow seemed to be the toughest injury to overcome as he only hit 2 homeruns in 266 at bats and slugged a pedestrian .365, way below his season averages. This a big year for V-Mart as his is just 2 years away from free agency and needs to re demonstrates his durability. Manager Eric Wedge has stated that he will catch all of Fausto Carmona's starts and have an increased workload at first base. Expect to see the Victor of old as he returns to the elite AL hitter he always has been.

Interesting Tidbit: His favorite movie is Catch Me if You Can.

77 Carlos Santana: Traded from Dodgers with Jon Meloan in Casey Blake deal. Soon to 23 year old has torn up the minors, batting .330 between two Single A clubs in 2008 while belting 20 homeruns and driving in 115 RBI's resulting in an MVP award. Santana is a switch hitter and apparently has that natural sweet sound radiating off his bat when he makes contact. An athletic guy who continues to grow, this Dominican has a strong arm and is assimilating to the catching position quite well in only his 2nd year behind the dish (converted 3rd Baseman/Outfielder). Look for Carlos to be the Indians starting Catcher in 2011, if not as early as the second half of 2010.

Interesting Tidbit: Number 1 rated prospect in Indians organization (5 star) by Baseball America.

10 Kelly Shoppach: Shoppach had a breakout 2008 season, leading all American League catchers with 21 homeruns in only 352 at bats. Along with being Cliff Lee's personal catcher, Kelly will see more time behind the dish with Victor seeing an increased workload at First Base. Needs to cut down on the K's as over 1/3 of his at bats resulted in strikeouts (133). Another season like 2008 and Shoppach will not have to worry about splitting time again.

Interesting Tidbit: His favorite athlete growing up was Bo Jackson.

76 Wyatt Toregas: This 26 year old has the defensive tools to be a major league catcher right now, but needs to find consistency with his bat. Batted .219 in Triple A before being demoted and refocused his game. Played great in Akron, hitting .296 with 12 homeruns. Probably projects to be a backup in the majors, but will probably be the first call up if Martinez or Shoppach get hurt, which is a better option than 2008 clunkers Yamid Haad and Sal Fasano.

Interesting Tidbit: Wrestled and played golf in high school.

Non Roster Invite
65 Damaso Espino: Espino is primarily in camp to help catch all of the pitchers on the roster and add possible minor league depth. Batted .275 in Double A Akron and also played in 13 games for Triple A Omaha (Royals).

Interesting Tidbit: May play for Panama in 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Infielders
29 Josh Barfield: Spring Training will be a big transition period for Josh, as he will be asked to expand his game into playing more positions (SS, 3B, Outfield). He has the athleticism and speed to succeed as a 25th man, as I am sure the alternative (Columbus) would not be acceptable. Barfield needs to show some glimpses of his 2006 year with the Padres to ever be considered an everyday player again. Still only 26, should embrace the challenge of making the team and not sulk about the predicament. Should break camp with the Big League club.

Interesting Tidbit: Father Jesse played 12 seasons in the majors, hitting 241 career homeruns.

13 Asdrubal Cabrera: It was a tale of two seasons of A-Cab. Before the All-Star break, he looked chubby and unmotivated, batting .184 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 158 at bats. He was subsequently sent down to get in shape and see how he would react to the demotion. Cabrera rebounded quite nicely, batting a cool .320 with 5 homeruns and 33 RBI in 194 AB's. Still only 23 years old, should bounce back to an average AL secondbaseman with above average defensive ability.

Interesting Tidbit: Turned an unassisted triple play against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008, only the 14th in baseball history.

11 Jamey Carroll: Carroll fit in quite nicely with his new team last year, hitting .277 in 113 games. Carroll demostrated his versitility as he split time between 3B and 2b filling the role as the Tribe's main utility man. He should see some time in the corner outfield positions in 2009 as well. Made only 9 errors all year.

Interesting Tidbit: Member of University of Evansville (Ind) Hall of Fame (former teammate Sal Fasano is in there too, a must visit for any Tribe or mustache fan.)

7 Mark DeRosa: Acquired on New Year's eve from the Chicago Cubs for 3 minor league pitchers. DeRosa had a career year in 2008, hitting .285 while belting 21 HR's and 87 RBI. Will bat second in the lineup and will be relied upon to add another spark to the top of the lineup. Played all 4 infield positions and both corner outfield spots last season, but will primarily be used at 3rd Base in 2009. His is known to be a great teammate and leader, the 34 year old is in the last season of his existing contract.

Interesting Tidbit: Married to model Heidi Miller.

25 Ryan Garko: Garko struggled mightily in 2008, but his final 2008 numbers don't paint an accurate picture. He hit a lowly .241 in 85 games before the All-Star game, but rebounded afterwards, hitting .319 in 57 games after. His last 1o games pretty much saved his season, as he a mind boggling .514 with 3 homeruns and 15 RBI's over his final 10 games of the 2008 season. Garko raised his batting average 20 points over the last 12 games, a simply amazing feat. Manager Eric Wedge stated in January that Garko may even take a few balls out in the outfield this spring to see if he could play there in a pinch (gulp). Look for Ryan to get 400-500 at bats between playing first base and DH. As his power number rise (only 14 HR's in 2008) his playing time will rise as well.

Interesting Tidbit: Enjoys chugging Budweisers.

15 Andy Marte: The main prospect acquired in the Coco Crisp trade of 2006, Marte has been a complete flop. With the chance to play third everyday after Casey Blake was traded, he batted .244 after the break in 156 at bats. Still only 25, his baseball career will probably continue elsewhere as he can only play one position (3rd) and doesn't do that very well. If he has a good spring, look for the Indians to try and trade him as he is out of options and probably won't go to Triple A if he clears waivers as they have a good looking prospect (Hodges) expected to start there. The Andy Marte Experiment seems to be over.

Interesting Tidbit: Favorite TV show is Deal or No Deal.

2 Jhonny Peralta: Jhonny had a great 2008, batting .276 with 23 HR's and 89 RBI in 154 games at the age of 26. He is emerging as one of the best hitting shortstops in the league, and hit especially well in the cleanup slot. Played primarily third base in winter ball and will eventually slide over to the position in 2010. Team constantly says he is superb at making the routine play, but his lack of range has been a concern ever since he replaced Omar Vizquel in 2005.

Interesting Tidbit: Reason his name is spelled "Jhonny" because father misspelled "Johnny" on his birth certificate.

1 Luis Valbuena: Luis was part of the 3-team trade that brought him from Seattle (along with Joe Smith from Mets) for Franklin Gutierrez. Valbuena batted over .300 and hit 11 HR's in 452 at bats between Double A and Triple A. This 23 year old projects to be an above average defender and a possible candidate for 2nd Base for the big club in 2010. He is a left handed hitter and played in 18 games for the Mariners in 2008.

Interesting Tidbit: Teammate in Venezuelan winter ball was Asdrubal Cabrera.

Non Roster Invites
68 Michael Aubrey: Former First Round pick got his first taste of the big leagues in 2008, hitting .200 in 45 at bats with 2 homeruns. Was taken off 40 man roster and seems to be primarily a in between Majors/AAA player. Health was always a concern and seems to have eroded his prospect potential. Will start the year in Columbus and probably hope to become a minor league free agent in 2010.

Interesting Tidbit: Favorite TV Show is Grey's Anatomy.

67 Jordan Brown: Brown won back to back minor league MVP's in 2006 and 2007 (high A and AA). Only hit 7 HR's in 2008, so his prospect status has taken a hit. Was taken off 40 man roster and not selected in the Rule 5 draft so look for Jordan to have a bounce back season. If he can ever develop power would become a candidate to play for the Indians in the latter portion of 2009. Look for Brown to be Columbus' opening day first baseman.

Interesting Tidbit: Still only 25 years old.

4 Tony Graffanino: Signed on February 15th to help fill in when WBC participants leave. Had 89 at bats for Triple A Buffalo (Indians) last year and batted .315. Plays all over the infield and corner positions. Long shot to make major league club. Has a career .267 batting average with 6 teams over his 15 year major league career.

Interesting Tidbit: Likes New York style Pizza.

26 Andy Cannizaro: Looking to be utility guy for Triple A Columbus. Batted .321 in 84 at bats for Triple A Buffalo (Indians). Familiar with Columbus, as he played there in parts of the 2005 and 2006 seasons. 30 year old looking to keep his minor league career afloat.

Interesting Tidbit: Was an All American in 2001 with Tulane.

66 Stephen Head: 25 year old is an excellent fielder at first and outfield, projecting to be a bench guy in Triple A. Hit .290 with 13 homeruns in Akron, so his power is not quite where the Indians would like it to be. Similar to Jordan Brown as he is a college guy kind of stuck in no mans' land not being on the 40 man roster. There seems to be a real log jam between him, Aubrey and Brown.

Interesting Tidbit: Attended the University of Mississippi.

68 Wes Hodges: Wes had an outstanding 2008 in Akron as he batted .290 with 18 HR's and 97 RBI. Top 10 prospect projects to be in contention for 3rd Base position in 2010. Needs to work on his defense as he is a big guy that lacks some range. Drafted in the 2nd round in 2007 out of Georgia Tech, he looks to be in the starting lineup in Triple A in 2009, meaning 3 minor league levels in 3 years in the Indians organization.

Interesting Tidbit: Played in the 2008 Futures game at Yankee stadium during the All-Star weekend in 2008.

73 Jesus Merchan: 27 year old was brought in to compete for the shortstop job at Triple A Columbus. Batted an impressive .339 with 4 HR's and 72 RBI in Triple A Tuscon (Diamondbacks) in 2008.

Interesting Tidbit: Named after God's only Son.

78 Beau Mills : 22 year old slugged 21 HR's and drove in 90 RBI while posting a .293 in Single A Kinston in 2008 earning him the MVP of the league. An average defender, Mills possesses the right determination the Tribe is looking for in their players, resulting in his Spring Training Invite. Slotted to start the season at first for Double A Akron, Mills is a top 10 prospect and the Indians first baseman of the future. Beau was the 13th overall selection in the first round of the 2007 draft.

Interesting Tidbit: Father Brad played in the majors with the Montreal Expos and is currently the bench coach for the Boston Red Sox.

8 Wilson Valdez: Has appeared in 111 games in the majors for Dodgers, Mariners, and Padres, compiling a career .211 batting average. Will battle Jesus and Cannizaro for a spot in Columbus. Valdez split the 2008 season playing in Korea and Japan. With the Kia Tigers (Korea) he batted .218 with 13 stolen bases in 47 games while batting .256 and 4 stolen bases in 29 games for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Japan).

Interesting Tidbit: Nickname is "el gatito" meaning kitten.

Outfielders
17 Shin-Soo Choo: The Tribe's starting Right Fielder for 2009, Choo batted .309 with 14 HR's and 66 RBI in 94 games in the big leagues last season. Most of the damage was done after the All-Star break as he slammed 11 of the homeruns in just 210 at bats while batting .343. Choo is an average outfielder and regaining his arm strength, finally being totally healed from Tommy John surgery. Seems to be a much better hitter against righties, but still hit .286 against Left-handed pitching. Choo will be a big key to the success of the 2009 Indians and will be counted on to drive runs toward the bottom end of the order.

Interesting Tidbit: Traded to the Indians for guitar weilding first baseman Ben Broussard.
62 Trevor Crowe : Crowe is a former first round pick who has experienced inconsistancy and injuries in his four years in the organization. An average defender, Crowe seems to be more of a 4th outfielder rather than an everyday guy, but he did bat .302 with 9 HR's between Akron and Buffalo last season. This 25 year old switch hitter will probably be the first call-up if any of the outfielders are injured as he is on the 40 man roster. Will start in Centerfield for Triple A Columbus in 2009.

Interesting Tidbit: Father David played on the PGA Tour.

20 David Dellucci: In the final year of his 3 year deal that is paying him over $3.5 million to sit on the bench. 35 year old hit .238 with 11 HR's and 47 RBI in 113 games for the Tribe. Not a great fielder with a weak arm, Dellucci will be a left handed hitter off the bench to spell Francisco and Choo from time to time. If he struggles, don't be surprised for the Indians to cut bait and eat his way to large of a contract.

Interesting Tidbit: Won a World Series Ring as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

12 Ben Francisco: Ben was forced into batting all over the lineup in 2008. He hit 15 HR's and drove in 54 RBI while batting .266 in Left and Right field. Really struggled after the All-Start break, hitting only .236 in his last 57 games. An average defender, the 2009 season will be an important one for Francisco to determine if he is an every day ball player or just a guy with some pop off the bench.

Interesting Tidbit: High School Teammates with Tribe Firstbaseman Ryan Garko.

24 Grady Sizemore: Grady had another superb season in 2008, batting .268 with 33 HR's and 90 RBI while stealing 38 bases from the leadoff spot. Was again named the AL All-Star game and collected his second gold glove. Only batted .247 over his final 53 games, but still posted a .343 on base percentage. Sizemore also struggled against lefties, batting just .224. Sizemore will eventually be moved down to the 3 hole when a better leadoff hitting alternative is presented. Still only 26 years old, Grady has become one of the top 10 players in all of baseball. Thankfully is signed through the 2012 season.

Interesting Tidbit: Was recruited out of high school by the University of Washington to play Quarterback.

Non Roster Invites
61 Michael Brantley: Brantley was the player to be named in the CC Sabathia trade from the Brewers that also netted the Indians Matt Laporta, Rob Bryson, and Zach Jackson. Brantley has an uncanny ability to get on base, posting a .319 batting average and a .395 on base percentage in Double A Huntsville (Brewers) as a 21 year old. Struck out only 27 times in 420 at bats last season, demonstrating amazing plate discipline. Plays a decent outfield and figures to play all three positions in Columbus in 2009. Has all the tools to be a future leadoff hitter.

Interesting Tidbit: Father Mickey Brantley played in the major leagues for the Seattle Mariners.

71 Matt LaPorta: The centerpiece of the CC Sabathia trade, Laporta projects to be a major power hitter for years to come. He was a first round pick by the Brewers in 2007, he hit 20 HR's and drove in 66 RBI while batting .288 in just 302 at bats in Double A Huntsville (Brewers). Will focus primarily on Left Field in Columbus, but will be an option in Right and First Base as well. LaPorta was a member of Team USA in the 2008 Olympics and also appeared in the Futures game during All Star weekend. Has developed great pitch recognition, allowing his patience at the plate to result in good hitters' counts and walks. Is often compared to Pat Burrell.

Interesting Tidbit: Led the NCAA in Home Runs as a sophomore at the University of Florida.

Designated Hitters
48 Travis Hafner: Travis had a 2008 to forget. Lingering shoulder pain limited Pronk to just 198 at bats. He didn't fare well at all, hitting .197 with 5 HR's and 24 RBI. Surgery was not performed on his shoulder until the offseason, so it is no guarantee that he will be 100% healthy come February 25th. After an average looking 2007 for Hafner's standards. he will be looking to rebound and get back to the elite slugger ole #48 was. Expect Travis to sit against tough lefties, have a day or two off a week, and hopefully slug 30-35 home runs again in 2009.

Interesting Tidbit: Lives in Cleveland year round.

Look for one more post this week and then Tribe Times is off to Goodyear, Arizona! I will be attending the February 26th game agains the Arizona Diamondbacks so look for a bunch of info the following week with video and pictures. Golfing in February will be a nice perk as well.

Weekly Wahoo Update

Sorry for not updating as often, it has been a busy summer (baby on the way). Casey Blake was traded to the Dodgers and is playing well (5-13, 1 ejection). The 2 guys they picked up (Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana) seem like a pretty solid return for a player in his free agent year. I will miss Casey as being a constant in the lineup, wherever in the field he was playing. He was one of GM Mark Shapiro's best moves over the years and would not mind seeing him back next year on a 1 year contract. I imagine someone will give him at least a two year deal because of his great versatility in the field. Also, the Indians traded for Cardinal starting pitcher Anthony Reyes, while shipping out Akron reliever Luis Pedromo. Reyes will serve as a reclamation project as he started game one of the 2006 World Series, but since has struggled. Look for him to jump to the majors sometime in August, especially if Paul Byrd is traded. Finally, Aaron Laffey was sent down to "straighten things out." Why he can't do that at the major league level for a last place team is beyond me.

On the field:

The Indians are so far 2-3 on their current homestand. I went to the game on Saturday and witnessed Fausto get pounded in the first but was OK with things since we had club seats and I was eating nachos in air conditioning while Carmona was lighting the mound on fire. Andy Marte hit a homerun, which was ok I guess. While we were leaving my friend Scott kept mumbling, "maybe next year," which seems to be the theme of Cleveland sports. Other random thoughts:

Jhonny Peralta seems to be back.

Cliff Lee surprised everyone this year besides one, himself.

When Ben Francisco is in a slump, it gets magnified. He is an aggressive hitter who swings often early in the count.

Grady Sizemore is only going to get better.

Betancourt has completely lost all of his confidence. He won't even talk to reporters anymore.

Victor Martinez seems to be only a few weeks away from returning, which will help the lineup out immensely. The season of Nightmares continues today as Cliff Lee goes for win number 15 tonight against Nate Robertson. Are you in the Tribe? Still?