Cleveland Sports Forum

Wednesday action:

CLE AFL Clement, Ernie 3B 4 0 1 0 0.256
CLE AFL Collins, Gavin C 3 1 1 0 0.129 SB (1)
CLE DL Johnson, Daniel RF 4 0 0 0 0.192

Indians’ Nolan Jones Undergoes Thumb Surgery
By Steve Adams | October 25, 2019 at 8:24am CDT

Indians top prospect Nolan Jones underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb this week, per MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (Twitter link). The organization is hopeful that he’ll be ready for Spring Training 2020 without any restrictions, though no firm timeline was placed on his recovery.

Jones, 21, missed some time this season with a thumb injury and reinjured the digit while playing in the Arizona Fall League. The setback preempted his AFL run at just 15 games with a lackluster .200/.294/.422 slash, but 2019 season, as a whole, was a positive one for the 2016 second-round pick. Jones opened the season at Class-A Advanced and fared well against older competition before being elevated to Double-A and turning in similarly strong results. He finished the regular season with a combined .272/.409/.442 batting line to go along with 15 home runs, 22 doubles, three triples and seven stolen bases (in 10 attempts). Jones certainly had some strikeout issues (27.7 percent), but he also drew a walk in a ridiculous 17.9 percent of his plate appearances.

By most accounts, Jones’ strong 2019 showing catapulted him into the top 50 minor leaguers in the game. MLB.com currently tabs him 37th overall, while Baseball America ranks him 44th and Fangraphs lists him 46th in the game. There are some questions about his glovework and concerns about a potential move to first base or right field (as laid out in his scouting report at Fangraphs), but his huge walk rates and considerable raw power should help him punch his ticket to the big leagues sooner rather than later — perhaps even midway through the 2020 season.

Jones’ proximity to the big leagues is of particular importance for the Indians, who have a pressing need at either third base or second base — whichever position isn’t ultimately occupied by Jose Ramirez next season. (Ramirez has said he’s open to playing either.) Given the recent payroll concerns from Indians ownership, a near-term emergence from Jones would be a boon for the organization. It’s possible that Cleveland will simply look for a one-year veteran stopgap to keep a seat warm for Jones at the MLB level, thus allowing the team to allocate what looks to be a limited slate of financial resources to other areas of need.

civ ollilavad wrote:I think of Jones as taking on 3B in 2021 meaning we only need a 1 year FA signing to fill the gap at 2nd or 3rd in 2020.

Totally agree with you on a 1 year stop gap. And I would make that signing a 3rd baseman and go ahead and move Jose to 2nd for good.

I would prefer a 3B, too, so Jose makes the move before Jones arrives on the scene.

winter ball lines of note:

CLE DL Johnson, Daniel RF 4 1 1 0 0.216 2B (3)
CLE DL Martinez, Henry 1 1 0 0 0 2 0.00 kind of fell off the radar during the course of 2019, but not done yet
CLE DL Talbot, Mitch 4 5 3 2 1 4 7.20 L (0 - 1) Mitch is about 45 years old now and returns to Columbus every summer when they run out of pitchers.

MiLB organizational all stars were announced. No shockers. Except maybe for Benson, IMO.

C - Haase
1B - Bradley
2B - Fermin
3B - Jones
SS - Freeman
OF - D.Johnson
OF - Tom
OF - Barnes
DH - Benson
RHSP - Morgan
LHSP - Turner
RP - Karinchak

Well Barnes was gone before the end of the season so he wouldn't make my list. Benson was great for 1/2, lousy for 2nd/2; overall I'd stick him in RF but that shows how thin the OF crowd is. We know Valera is the most OF prospect but his 2019 production wouldn't put him on the list. Then my DH would be ?? Oscar Gonzalez tanked in Akron even more than Benson did in Lynchburg; I think I'd take Mark Mathias with his 797 OPS for the Clippers.

I still haven't figured out who I think should win the Bob Feller award and therefore have no clear idea on who the starting pitchers should be on that list, but I'd probably go for Adam Scott as the lefty.

Here's the full article where MILB names it all stars


Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each system and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in their organization. Click here to locate your favorite club.

The Indians continue to reap the benefits of a solid farm system and remain in a position to compete in the American League Central Division, thanks in no small part to a Minor League system featuring three of MLB.com's Top-100 prospects. Cleveland's domestic affiliates combined for a .509 winning percentage and three playoff appearances in 2019. Triple-A Columbus and one of the club's two Rookie-level Arizona League teams reached their respective Championship Series before falling short.

The loss of Triston McKenzie to an upper-back strain in Spring Training -- an injury that ultimately cost Cleveland's second-ranked prospect the entire season -- was a significant blow, but the continued maturation of top prospect Nolan Jones and No. 3 Tyler Freeman was a welcome sight for vice president of player development James Harris and the rest of the organization. With no shortage of up-and-coming talent plus a few diamonds in the rough, the Indians look to be in good shape for the foreseeable future.


Indians Organization All-Stars

Catcher -- Eric Haase, Columbus (102 games), Cleveland (10 games): Haase belted a career-high 28 homers and posted a .832 OPS in 102 games for the Clippers to earn a cup of coffee in the Majors for a second straight season. It marked the third straight year the 26-year-old hit 20 or more long balls and the seventh time in nine professional seasons he's reached double digits. In addition to his pop, the Michigan native is solid defensively as both a receiver and a thrower. Haase threw out 41.7 percent of runners attempting to steal during the season and has nailed 35.3 percent in his career.

First baseman -- Bobby Bradley, Columbus (107 games), Cleveland (15 games): The term "slugger" and Bradley have become synonymous at this point and with good reason. Cleveland's No. 7 prospect rebounded from arguably the worst season of his career with quite possibly his best, which included his Major League debut. Despite going yard 27 times between Double-A Akron and Columbus in 2018, Bradley posted a career-low .224. The 23-year-old lifted that number 40 points and added a personal-best 33 long balls and a .912 OPS in 402 at-bats. The Indians' third-round pick in 2014 has hit at least 23 roundtrippers in five consecutive seasons.

"One of the biggest things in our eyes was Bobby's ability to play first base," Harris said. "The last thing we want from him is to show that power but not have a position. When that happens, it's a detriment to the player and to the manager in the Majors, who's hamstrung. He's worked really hard to keep that position his, and it was nice to see him get up to the bigs for the first time. His opportunities were limited last year because of Franmil Reyes and Carlos Santana, but we're looking forward to what 2020 will bring."

Second baseman -- Jose Fermin, Lake County (105 games): Fermin proved to be a steady offensive force thanks to his ability to make contact and work the count. Both are big factors for any strong hitter, but especially impressive for a 20-year-old playing in his first full season. Fermin batted .293/.374/.379, scored 75 times and stole 28 bases in 105 games for the Captains. The native of the Dominican Republic amassed only 20 extra-base hits in 393 at-bats, but his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) registered .311, a solid figure that carried extra weight alongside his .293 average.


MiLB.com Organization All-Stars: Team by Team


Third baseman -- Nolan Jones, Lynchburg (77 games), Akron (49 games): Although Oct. 24 thumb surgery ended his Arizona Fall League campaign a little early, Jones' year was a success. Cleveland's top prospect parlayed a strong start in the Class A Advanced Carolina League into a promotion to Double-A barely two months after his 21st birthday. A former hockey player in his native Pennsylvania, Jones broke out with 19 homers and an .871 OPS in 2018 between Class A Lake County and Lynchburg. Using an advanced approach at the plate that produced 96 walks -- the second-highest total in the Minors -- and an ability to hit to all fields, the former shortstop finished with a .272/.409/.442 slash line, 40 extra-base hits, 81 runs and 63 RBIs in 126 games.

"What's not to like about Nolan? As soon as he gets off the bus, you say to yourself, 'That's what a Major Leaguer looks like," Harris said. "He's starting to look very natural at third, and that's a testament to his work ethic. Offensively, the power is already there and his approach belies his young age. He's got the tools to be the total package, so needless to say, we're very excited to see him develop."

Shortstop -- Tyler Freeman, Lynchburg (62 games), Lake County (61 games): Freeman has jumped into the Top-100 Prospect list on the strength of a tremendous bat and an equally impressive glove. The 71st overall pick in the 2017 Draft enjoyed a strong debut before taking the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League by storm a year later. Freeman led the circuit in batting (.352), runs (49), hits (95), doubles (29), extra-base hits (35) and total bases (138) and carried that over into his first full-season campaign in 2019.

Outfielders

Daniel Johnson, Columbus (84 games), Akron (39 games): Acquired from the Nationals last November in the trade for All-Star catcher Yan Gomes, Johnson had little trouble adjusting to a new organization. The 24-year-old bounced back from an injury-plagued year in 2018 with an All-Star-caliber season that included a spot in the Futures Game. Johnson held his own with Akron before taking off after his promotion to Columbus, where he batted over .300. The No. 16 Indians prospect finished with an overall slash line of .290/.361/.507 in 123 games. Johnson collected a career-high 60 extra-base hits, drove in 77 runs and scored 76 times -- figures that were in line with 2017, when the New Mexico State product was named Nationals Minor League Player of the Year.

We started Daniel in Double-A, but he quickly proved to us that was a mistake," Harris said. "What was great to see from him was his ability to adjust to pitchers who had a plan against him. When you get up to the higher levels, pitchers are going after hitters' weaknesses as opposed to simply getting the ball over the plate. At this point, it's all about polishing his game. He's got a nice future ahead of him."

Ka'ai Tom, Akron (81 games), Columbus (51 games): Everything fell into place for Tom in 2019. After a pair of solid but unspectacular seasons, the 25-year-old erupted with Akron and Columbus. The native of Honolulu was hot from beginning to end and finished with career highs across the board. Tom batted .290/.380/.532 with 60 extra-base hits, 86 RBIs and 83 runs scored in 132 games to give Cleveland another viable option to call upon in 2020

Brandon Barnes, Columbus (94 games): The 33-year-old veteran didn't finish the year with Cleveland, but his performance more than merited a spot on this list for a second straight year. Barnes hit .271 with a .865 OPS, 24 homers and 77 RBIs with the Clippers to earn a spot on his second consecutive International League All-Star team. The California native was traded to the Twins on Aug. 2.

Designated hitter -- Will Benson, Lake County (62 games), Lynchburg (61 games): Outstanding performances by Johnson, Tom and Barnes were the only reasons why Benson was bumped to the DH category here. Standing 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, the No. 18 Indians prospect put together his second straight 20-homer season, highlighted by a four-homer, eight-RBI performance for Lake County on April 18. Benson struggled after his promotion to Lynchburg, although bad luck -- a .255 BABIP in 217 at-bats -- probably played a factor into that. Overall, it was another step in the right direction for the 21-year-old, who matched his 22 roundtrippers from a year earlier while increasing his RBI total by 20 to 78 and his extra-base hits from 34 to 48.

Right-handed starter -- Eli Morgan, Akron (19 games, 18 starts), Lynchburg (six starts), Columbus (one start): Injuries and inconsistency from several of Cleveland's more heralded pitching prospects allowed Morgan to steal a share of the spotlight in 2019. The 23-year-old produced a carbon copy of the previous year, when he started a career-high 27 times. The Gonzaga product went 9-6 with a 3.39 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and a 146-to-40 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 140 2/3 innings. Morgan didn't surrender more than two runs in 14 of his 25 starts, including 12 of his first 15.

Left-handed starter -- Matt Turner, Lake County (nine starts), Mahoning Valley (six starts): Only 20 years old and playing outside of the Arizona League for the first time, Turner blossomed into an intriguing prospect in 2019. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder missed fewer bats than he did in his first two seasons. The 2017 11th-round pick fanned 52 in 73 2/3 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .241 average last year. His 2.81 ERA and 1.19 WHIP were impressive, but the Miami native will be looking to increase his strikeouts or hope for continued success -- and luck -- when opponents put the ball in play.

Relief pitcher -- James Karinchak, Columbus (17 games), Akron (10 games), Cleveland (five games), Arizona League (three games): There are strikeout pitchers and then there is Karinchak, who gave new meaning to the term. The 24-year-old has consistently been one of the hardest pitchers to hit in the Minors, but his 2019 totals reached another level. Featuring a fastball in the upper-90s and an equally lethal curveball, Karinchak struck out 74 batters in 30 1/3 frames, an average of 22 K's per nine. Opponents hit .150 against the No. 21 Indians prospect, who whiffed 59.2 percent of opposing hitters while posting a 2.67 ERA.

I believe I posted the BAseball America draft report card a couple weeks ago, but reading it again today, I couldn't help but pick these two guys for further attention:

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Jacob Forrester (37) is the son of Mike Forrester, one of the world’s best competitive timber sportsmen who was once profiled on the Colbert Report. RHP Kevin Kelly (19) is one of the smartest players [do they have a stat for that?] in baseball and taught himself to code, including how to write SQL.

Matt Turner, Lake County (nine starts), Mahoning Valley (six starts): Only 20 years old and playing outside of the Arizona League for the first time, Turner blossomed into an intriguing prospect in 2019. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder missed fewer bats than he did in his first two seasons. The 2017 11th-round pick fanned 52 in 73 2/3 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .241 average last year. His 2.81 ERA and 1.19 WHIP were impressive, but the Miami native will be looking to increase his strikeouts or hope for continued success -- and luck -- when opponents put the ball in play.

Adam Scott, Akron [14 starts], Lynchburg [12 starts]. 23 years old and in his first full season, Scott moved quickly as the only homegrown lefty in the upper range of the farm system. The 6-foot-4 220 pounder missed fewer bats in AA than in the Carolina League. The 2018 4th round pick fanned an impressive total of 148 in 132 23 innings while limiting hitters to a .252 average last year. His overall 3.73 ERA and 1.27 WHIP les impressive than his 10K/ 9 innings. The upstate New York native will be looking for increased success -- and luck -- when opponents put the ball in play

guess I haven't been looking hard enough for the daily reports

CLE DL Johnson, Daniel RF 4 1 3 0 0.278 2B (2)

Only guy on the BA report

Here's one of the off season less interesting updates. The list of Minor League Free Agents, who are available to any team to sign at any level. Indians have acquired some of their bullpen guys among this rank in the past and will probably do so again. Mostly it's how teams stock their AA and AAA rosters where they lack prospects.

Here's the guys the Indians are "in danger" of losing without any compensation. I have highlighted all of the guys on the list who have ever been considered serious prospects:

Cleveland Indians

RHP: Luis Araujo (LoA), Shao-Ching Chiang (AAA), Jon Edwards (AAA), Jake Paulson (AA), Michael Peoples (AAA), Matt Solter (HiA), Mitch Talbot (AAA)
LHP: Yapson Gomez (HiA), Hector Hernandez (AA), Rob Kaminsky (AAA)
C: Juan de la Cruz (AA), Ryan Lavarnway (AAA), Sicnarf Loopstok (AA), Robinson Ramos (DSL)
1B: Nellie Rodriguez (AA)
2B: Max Moroff (AAA), Ordomar Valdez (SS)
SS: Jorma Rodriguez (AA), Adam Rosales (AAA), Eric Stamets (AAA)
OF: Jordan Smith (HiA)

Several had already retired to my knowledge, e.g Loopstok, Smith. And we all recall the uninspiring one month of Eric Stamets. Mitch Talbot heads to the Indy Leagues until the Indians bring him back after promotions and injuries thin out the AAA rotation.

There there are the similar lists for the other 29 teams. I'll offer a link for the interested and perhaps note a few names of past interest

All are found here:

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ents-2019/

Guys who have ever played for the Tribe: Ben Taylor, Brandon Guyer, Brandon Barnes, Eric Kratz, Shane Robinson, Ryan Merritt [and also goes on the next list as a draftee], John Axford, Shawn Morimando [also a draftee], Collin Cowgill [1 catcher, 4 OF, 4 pitchers]

Guys originally in our farm system: Kieran Lovegrove, Zach Putnam [and has had a major league career elsewhere], Louis Head, JD Martin [remember him from the Year of the Pitcher, drafted with Denham, Dittler and Foley? he's 36 now and still making a living in baseball, although his career has in recent years taken him to Korea among many other places; Jordan Milbrath traded for Nick Wittgren; Preston Guilmet; Matt McBride [age 34 perpetual AAAA 1B/Dh/OF/C]; Sean Brady; Ryan Merritt; Vidal Nuno; Shawn Morimando

Is it interesting or notable that 10 of the 11 draftees are pitchers?

There are the similar lists for the other 29 teams

Like somebody? No harm in bringing them in for a tryout.

Interesting to note that the best teams [Houston e.g.] are carrying few of these guys and some of the worst are loaded up with them.

Always a good source of AAA catchers and utility men. That's how the Indians picked up Mike Freeman who had a surprisingly decent "breakout" at age 31. [his pre-2019 major league career stats 11 for 82 [135/238/201]. 2019: 272/362/390]