Cleveland Sports Forum

Stepping back to reload is a logical strategy and has worked for the Twins and the White Sox in part due to their farm systems and in part due to their investment in major league talent when the minor leaguers begin to reach the majors. Indians will need an influx of investment money in a couple years for part 2 to work.

I do think the steady stream of talent from our system, especially young pitching out of nowhere, will make our rebuild gentler than both the Twins, White Sox (and now include Detroit in this).

KC is picking up MLB talent and is ready to take their next step.

Since the stream is heavily IF-centric either we convert numerous infielders to the outfield; Jones is first in line; or we trade our shortstops for their outfielders. I certainly am disappointed that George Valera lost 2020 after being limited by injuries the year and a half before.

But then when I thought about the Twins and especially the WhiteSox they had bunches of kids among the top 20 minor league prospects; we like our system and it's deep but no one ranks that high. Moncada, Jiminez and Robert were all rated among the best around and are now delivering for the Sox. Jones and Valera and Bracho and Rocchio don't rate nearly as high. Our development staff has a big task ahead with position players

Major League Baseball sent a memo to minor league teams on Monday informing them that the 2021 minor league season at Double-A and the Class A levels will be delayed.

MLB told minor league teams that spring training for Double-A and Class A players will not begin until MLB and Triple-A players have departed from spring training. The delay will allow for more social distancing during a time when the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the world.

Even if MLB spring training begins on time, many minor leaguers would not report to spring training until late March or early April.

Because minor league players usually spend three or four weeks at spring training, the delay would push the start of those leagues to May if MLB spring training operates on its regular schedule.

Additionally, the memo told minor league teams to expect their schedules to run until as late as Oct. 3, a full month after regular season games normally end in early September. It is also expected there will be no minor league playoffs in 2021. With a delayed start, those playoff dates will be exchanged for more dates for all teams.

Such a move has long been expected and openly speculated around the minor leagues for weeks, but the memo made the expected news official.

The move might mean that Triple-A teams could be set to play a somewhat normal schedule with an early April start date, but there are several issues that could keep that from happening.

Most notably, Triple-A schedules will depend on whether MLB teams are still operating in strictly controlled, limited-access “bubbles.” While MLB teams travel on charter flights, Triple-A teams travel on commercial flights. If there are concerns about the risk of Covid-19 transmission on those flights, MLB could return to the alternate site model for the early part of the season until the coronavirus vaccines are more widely distributed and outbreaks around the country are diminished.

All those young kids in the top 30 prospect list and thereabouts who haven't played in a year; e.g. It's a long list but I wnat

George Valera
Aaraon Bracho
Brayan Rocchio
Gabriel Rodriguez
Angel Martinez
Gabriel Arias
Jose Tena
Emmanuel Clase
Carlos Vargas
Juan Carlos Mejia
Anferni Planez
Raymond Burgos
Yainer Diaz
Ray Delgado
Richie Palacios
Jose Pastrano
Yordys Valdes

The most underrated prospects for all 30 MLB teams: Jim Bowden’s list


By Jim Bowden Jan 8, 2021 73
I was amazed last week after two major trades went down, sending Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to the Padres, that there wasn’t more respect given to the returns the Rays and Cubs respectively received. I kept hearing that the Cubs didn’t get a single top-100 prospect for Darvish, who was the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award, and that the Rays didn’t get enough either. In fact, the Cubs did get prospects who will make the top-100 lists; they just have to wait a year for it to happen. And the Rays did get a strong package of prospects, including two first-round-caliber starting pitchers. The truth is both were good baseball trades based on where all three organizations are right now.

There are times when looking over rankings that we remember Juan Soto and Wander Franco didn’t make the top-100 lists their first years either and that Mike Trout was drafted behind 24 other players in 2009. Predicting the success of prospects is an inexact science, and most of the evaluators who make lists tend to shy away from teenagers unless they’ve already been impactful from a performance perspective. There are also older prospects they look past — such as Jake Cronenworth of the Padres — because they just haven’t done it yet.

It made me recall the discussions I’ve had with GMs over the years about how they can’t believe certain players don’t make top-10 or top-100 lists. So, I decided to reach out to all 30 front offices to uncover the most underrated and undervalued prospects for 2021.

Cleveland Indians
Carlos Vargas, RHP
Age: 21 B: R T: R HT: 6-3 WT: 180

Scouting grades:
FB: 75 SLI: 65 CH: 40 CTL: 50 CMND: 40

Vargas throws 98-100 mph, which explodes at the strike zone like fireworks on the Fourth of July, with run and sink. He also has a nasty late-breaking slider that hitters consistently swing over. His changeup is below average and needs a ton of work. His stuff is so overpowering that he projects either as an impact closer or, if the changeup develops, a mid-rotation-type starter. How he’s not higher on prospect lists is beyond me with that ridiculous stuff.

Indians have some idea about Vargas. Added him to the 40 man roster despite minimal game experience.

They added Vargas to the 40 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Scouting grades:
FB: 75 SLI: 65 CH: 40 CTL: 50 CMND: 40

I assume the CTL is the ability to throw it in the strike zone and the the CMND is location in the strike zone.

A 40 for a scouting grade means not even close for a Major Leaguer. Lot of work to do.

MLB.COM on Vargas

Scouting Grades/Report (20-80 grading scale)
FASTBALL
70
SLIDER
60
CHANGEUP
45
CONTROL
50
OVERALL
45

The most expensive player in Cleveland's 2016 international class, Vargas signed for $275,000 out of the Dominican Republic. An elbow strain delayed his debut until 2018, when he opened eyes by hitting 100 mph with his fastball as an 18-year-old. He continued to bring the heat while showing more polish in his second pro season.

Vargas usually operates at 94-97 mph with his fastball, which features some armside run and sink, and he still has projection remaining in his athletic 6-foot-3 frame. He's getting more consistent with his mid-80s slider, a plus pitch with sharp break when it's on. He'll need to trust and use his changeup more in order to handle left-handers at higher levels.

Vargas has a quick arm and doesn't have a lot of effort in his delivery, which he did a better job of repeating in 2019. While his control has gotten better, his command is less advanced. If he can add some finesse to his power, he could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

Yesterday was International Signing Day. Teams have assigned dollar values they can spend so no one should be getting richer than anyone else; although some teams go for the top guys and others spread the money around more widely. Indians are naturally one of the latter. Only one of the 15 teenagers signed is a pitcher. Two signees were among those ranked in the top 40 by BA. One guess what position both of these kids play.

Angel Genao
Dominican Republic SS
Notes:
Born: May 19, 2004. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 160.

Report: The shortstop on the Dominican team that played in the 2017 Little League World Series, Genao is an instinctive player with savvy feel for the game beyond his years. That shows up especially at the plate, where he has a smooth, fluid swing from both sides, staying compact with good path through the zone. He's not as explosive as some other shortstops in the class, but he's a fundamentally sound defender with good actions. The Indians are expected to sign Genao, who trains with Aldo Marrero, for around $1 million.

Fran Alduey
Dominican Republic SS
Notes:
Born: Jan. 7, 2004. B-T: B-R. Ht.: 5-8. Wt.: 150.

Report: Relative to other clubs, the Indians have signed a lot of smaller-framed, high baseball IQ players from Latin America in recent years, with some early successes at the lower levels like shortstops Brayan Rocchio and Jose Tena. Alduey, expected to sign with the Indians for a little more than $1 million, fits that mold. He's a thin, wiry shortstop who lacks strength now but makes contact at a high rate from both sides of the plate, using his hands well with a line-drive approach and a good sense of the strike zone for his age. Alduey trains with Carlos Guzman.

and for something different:

Robert Lopez
Venezuela C
Notes:
Born: Jan. 2, 2004. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 185.

Report: One of the top catchers in this year's class, Lopez has hit well in games in Venezuela. He shows good feel for the barrel from the left side, with a line-drive approach and doubles power that should turn into more over-the-fence thump once he gets stronger, though it's a hit-first offensive profile right now. He shows solid catch-and-throw skills as well to be able to stay behind the plate. Lopez, expected to sign with the Indians, trains with Giovanni Silva of the Masa Baseball Academy and with Johan Ocanto.

Reminder:


The Indians lost the short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers in nearby Niles, Ohio, which will become one of six teams in the new MLB Draft League.

Their four remaining affiliates are all the same (and mostly close to home):

Triple-A Columbus,

Double-A Akron, High-A Lake County (Ohio) and Low-A Lynchburg (Va.).

Lake County and Lynchburg are switching levels. — Zack Meisel

But when their seasons get underway is unknown

Minor usually start their seasons 2 weeks after MLB. They usually show up for ST 2 weeks after the big club starts.

I thought I read somewhere the minors are not even going to Goodyear until the Majors clear out.

Minor league seasons start ....fluid .... subject to change.