Cleveland Sports Forum

OK welcome Caleb to the Clippers pitching depth

nice solid 5.89 in AAA Reno bullpen in 2022 with 1 homer every nearly 4 innings.

maybe AAA is not the place for him; career ERA at that level is 6.49
in AA 3.45
in the majors 2.78

I just got my early view of the BAseball America 2022 season almanac. Looking at the Guardians' organizational leaders and was reminded what an interesting top of the order OF prospect Isaiah Greene, player #3 from the Mets for Lindor, may be.

He led with:
97 walks
39 steals
9 triples

Not one of those OF midgets, he's 6-1 180. Not a fluke he was Mets 2nd round draft pick in 2020
20 year old in Low A was about normal for the level
Needs to improve on the 229 batting average!
may be some questions about his defense, or at least his arm: 1 assist; 8 errors

Behind the analytical and meteoric rise of Giants’ biggest roster surprise
By Mark W. Sanchez July 23, 2020


LOS ANGELES — Caleb Baragar never really knew why he experienced success or failure on the mound.

The Giants lefty was good enough to go pro after a college career at Indiana, started off well in the system in 2016, rose to Class-A Augusta in 2017 and struggled, then continued to sputter the next season, bouncing between the bullpen and rotation in Augusta and Double-A Richmond without much of a defined future.

So he went to school. Or rather, school came to him, in the form of a new Giants regime that emphasizes analytical data that turns pitching more into a science than art. His most important teacher, now with the title of coordinator of pitching sciences, was Matt Daniels, whom the Giants hired from Driveline before the 2019 season.

Daniels deconstructed a fastball that Baragar never quite understood. In doing so, new life was breathed into Baragar, who spent most of last season as an improving Richmond starter, who wasn’t even invited to spring training 1.0 yet earned a late invite to 2.0, who ran with the opportunity and somehow found his way onto the major league roster for the opener. It’s been a whirlwind that began with frustration and ended with the good kind of tears.

The 26-year-old got the news from a room that included Gabe Kapler, pitching coach Andrew Bailey and assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz and called his parents.

“I expected them both to cry,” Baragar said on a Zoom on Thursday. “And I ended up being the one who was crying more than both of them. It’s been such a long, crazy journey with everything I’ve gone through.”

For so long, Baragar’s eyes had been closed, throwing his fastball low in the zone because that has been a cardinal rule of baseball. His fastball always had some life, but he was ignorant about its specifics.

“Teammates in college would always joke with me,” said Baragar, another bulk option for San Francisco. “They’d be like, ‘You throw an invisi-ball. No one ever hits it — you throw it down the middle and no one hits it.'”

They began hitting it in the pros. Baragar said he entered camp in 2019 “just trying to make a team,” any team, to keep his baseball dream alive. He ended up meeting Daniels early on, who was digging into his arsenal.

Vertical break is what it sounds like: the inches a pitch moves vertically from its release point until it crosses the front of home plate. Baragar, once in the dark, sounds enlightened.

“I think my vertical breaks down like 21, 22 inches, which is pretty high. So in theory, if you were to throw a baseball and there would be just the normal effect from gravity, it would come down and slope like this,” said the 6-foot-3 southpaw. “And with a high vertical break, your fastball comes in at kind of the same plane. So my ball never really comes down, it kind of travels in the same line.

“And another thing, too, that I think helps a lot is my release height is pretty low, especially for how tall I am. I get down the mound pretty well, and I have good extension. So with a release height being really low and a high vertical break, it almost gives the effect of my fastball rising to a hitter.”

Armed with that knowledge, it became clear that he should throw the pitch higher in the zone, and his career trajectory changed dramatically. He emerged last season, rising to Triple-A Sacramento as a key component of its championship team, but not quite enough to fit into Scottsdale’s major league camp.

As the country and baseball world shut down, he began preparing for 2021. He assumed his season was done, and he worked out at the team’s facility, working on arm strength and mobility. The Giants noticed his improvement, Farhan Zaidi noting he’s gained a few ticks on the low-90s heater.

July 8 he officially was added to the pool. Two weeks later, after opening eyes in intrasquad scrimmages, he’s one of six lefty arms on the team, one Zaidi called a “pretty easy decision.”

“I just kind of came and I was ready to go, but I didn’t expect this to happen,” Baragar said. “I was just coming in and trying to showcase I put in a little bit of extra work and tried to improve on some stuff and it really paid off.”

The body followed the mind, first needing to understand how his pitches work, then honing how he can throw them.

“All the pieces of the puzzle are all coming together,” said the most surprising puzzle piece of the Giants.

I suspect many professional pitching prospects have similar stories.

How is he 2 years later is the question?

Is he a JAG or a diamond in the ruff?

didn't have much success in 2022. No one took him in Rule 5. And now he's in the "organizational player" minor league free agent morass

My prediction for him is that he gets called up for a double header, does not pitch, DFA'd and claimed by the Twins or Reds.

Fun to look up stuff anyway.

He's not even on the 40 man roster so no need to DFA him. He'll probably be in the bullpen in the Akron or Columbus;
Clippers have a pretty full rotation already with
Pilkington
Battenfield
Curry
Gaddis
Allen

The then Espino Williams and Bibee should be moving through Columbus albeit briefly on their way to Cleveland over the summer

Minor league transactions Nov 29-Dec 19 include

Who would believe it:
Arizona Diamondbacks Signed: RHP Zach McAllister [is this maybe Zach Jr.?] Well, it looks like he's still only 35. Pitched 68 innings of relief in AAA with a nice K total of 90

Los Angeles Dodgers Traded: LHP Jeff Belge to Rays for RHP J.P. Feyereisen Remember him? Part of the deal for Andrew Miller; although Frazier and Sheffield were the big names in the deal, J.P. has had a better career 8-4 2.31 83 games 89 innings; not much but better than the other 2

New York Yankees signed LHP Tanner Tully [OSU grad who snuck into a few games for Cleveland last summer as a COVID roster add on] and
1B Jake Bauers [not doing quite as well as Yandy Diaz]

SF Giants Signed: LHP Raymond Burgos [A Civ favorite big lefty who was hurt more than he pitched Now 24. He had a very solid 2022 in the Lake County bullpen 8-3 2.08 a bit over one K per inning

BA rating the 'best tools" in the Cleveland system

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average: Tyler Freeman
Best Power Hitter: Jhonkensy Noel
Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Angel Martinez [on this team that's a good indicator he'll make the big league club some day]
Fastest Baserunner: Isaiah Greene [and leader walk-recipient]
Best Athlete: Will Benson [which hardly guarantees baseball success]
Best Fastball: Daniel Espino
Best Curveball: Gavin Williams
Best Slider: Daniel Espino [2 best pitches is why he is such a top prospect; sure hope he stays healthy, he can be an ace]
Best Changeup: Logan T. Allen
Best Control: Tanner Bibee [Bibee is Bieber Take Two in many ways]
Best Defensive Catcher: Bo Naylor
Best Defensive Infielder: Brayan Rocchio
Best Infield Arm: Gabriel Arias
Best Defensive Outfielder: Will Brennan
Best Outfield Arm: Johnathan Rodriguez [he finally started to hit last summer, if he can resume hitting in Akron he becomes another OF candidate]

I was doing a little browsing this evening and came across this tweet.

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@CleGuardPro

#Guardians top prospect RHP Daniel Espino celebrated his 22nd Birthday this past Friday. Wondering how active he has been working out and training since going down with injury last season? Dude is a physical specimen with incredible flexibility & he's healthy!

Is there another Daniel Espino or is the photo for real?

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Who’s his friend?

Jaison Chourio Cleveland Guardians

Checking in on last year's top international signees

2022 international signees in pro debuts -

Jan. 15 is almost here. While that means a new group of talented young prospects will enter the ranks, it also marks a full year since the 2022 class started their professional baseball journeys.

The 2023 international free agency period is the third to be moved to the middle of January since the onset of the pandemic. That change allows players to debut -- typically in the Dominican Summer League -- in the calendar year in which they sign. Previously, players who inked their first contracts on or around July 2 had to wait until the following summer to play in official games.

That gives us a full season of data from the 2022 class, which features some players already rocketing up their organizational rankings. There’s even one who has already broken into MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list.

Keeping in mind that statistics from Complex levels shouldn’t be viewed as the be-all and end-all, here’s how last year’s top five international prospects fared in their professional debuts:

No. 1: Roderick Arias, SS (Yankees No. 11)

The Yankees have pulled in a pair of crown jewels from recent IFA classes, including Jasson Domínguez, MLB’s No. 39 overall prospect, in the summer of 2019 and Arias in last year’s signing period for a reported $4 million bonus. Arias, 17, was limited to just 31 games after missing the first month of the season, and despite hitting a nice stride in the middle of his campaign, ultimately finished with a .194/.379/.370 line. That .749 OPS was nearly 20 points higher than Domínguez’s in his debut season before his breakout 2022, though the outfielder spent most of that first year as an 18-year-old in Single-A.

No. 2: Cristhian Vaquero, OF (Nationals No. 7)

Vaquero earned the nickname “the Phenomenon” even before Washington signed him to a reported $4.925 million deal, tops among all players subject to international bonus pool rules. At 17, he spent the entire 2022 season with the DSL Nationals, hitting .256/.379/.341 with just one home run, though it was a big one -- a walk-off two-run blast in July.

Vaquero’s raw talent, which includes the potential for above-average tools across the board, indicates a strong leap forward may be in store in 2023. On a recent MLB Pipeline podcast, Jim Callis predicted Vaquero could make a Jackson Chourio-esque leap into the Top 100 this season.

No. 3: Ricardo Cabrera, SS (Reds No. 27)

After signing for a reported $2.7 million bonus, Cabrera endured a bumpy first month in the DSL before finishing the year on an excellent note. The native of Venezuela hit just .120 (6-for-50) in June but righted the ship once the calendar flipped to July, slashing .314/.403/.461 over the final 29 games of the season. Cabrera was one of the more polished players in the 2022 international class, and he's among an impressive group of Cincinnati shortstop prospects.

No. 4: William Bergolla, SS (Phillies No. 14)

Bergolla hit the ground running after signing a reported $2.05 million deal with Philadelphia. It was just a 24-game sample, but the Venezuelan -- and son of the one-time big leaguer of the same name -- hit .380/.470/.423 with 11 walks and just three strikeouts. Bat-to-ball skills and defense highlight Bergolla’s tools, and he should get a chance to further hone them stateside for the Phillies this year.

No. 5: Oscar Colas, OF (White Sox No. 2/MLB No. 95)

It would have been wise to pick Colas as the first player from last year’s international class to crack MLB’s Top 100, given his age (23 last season) and professional experience in Japan and his native Cuba, but his immediate impact in the Chicago system exceeded expectations. Colas split the majority of his debut season between High-A and Double-A -- with a trip to the All-Star Futures Game near the midpoint -- and he even earned a cameo in Triple-A for the last seven games of the year. All told, he slashed .314/.371/.524 with 23 home runs in 117 games and is trending in the direction of a Major League callup this summer.

Looking for more names on the rise? Keep an eye on these four 2022 signees who made strides in their first professional season:

Jarlin Susana, RHP (Nationals No. 8/Int'l No. 31)

Susana was a member of the San Diego Padres organization for just under seven months before he was one of the six players dealt to Washington in the Juan Soto trade. Susana was the top-ranked pitcher of his international class and commanded a reported $1.7 million bonus, then quickly proved his worth in pro ball. At 18, he skipped the DSL, made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and ended the year with Single-A Fredericksburg, where his fastball reached 103 mph. Susana finished with a 2.40 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 45 innings between both levels.

Lazaro Montes, OF (Mariners No. 10/Int'l No. 8)

Montes is a physical left-handed-hitting outfielder who flexed his power last season with 10 home runs, becoming one of just seven players in the DSL to reach double digits. A native of Cuba, he signed for a reported $2.5 million bonus, the Mariners' highest international figure last year.

Michael Arroyo, INF (Mariners No. 11/Int'l No. 41)

Montes wasn’t the only big fish that Seattle reeled in last January, also inking Arroyo to a reported $1.375 million deal. The athletic shortstop similarly impressed in the DSL, hitting .314/.457/.484 with four home runs and four stolen bases in 49 games.

Jaison Chourio, OF (Guardians No. 21/Int'l No. 20)

Chourio’s DSL performance may have been better than that of his brother, who vaulted from a trendy sleeper entering 2022 to MLB’s No. 10 overall prospect at the end of the season. The younger Chourio isn’t expected to make quite that big of a jump, but his tools and .280/.446/.402 slash indicate he could quickly rise up the ranks in a deep Cleveland system.


Oscar Cedeño Cleveland Guardians

Prospects Jaison Chourio and Oscar Cedeño hope to debut in the league

10/14/2022

The Águilas del Zulia continue to strengthen their roster by signing prospects Jaison Chourio and Oscar Cedeño, both players belong to the Cleveland Guardians in the MLB system and are in pre-season training camp for the Águilas squad this season.

Jaison Oneel Chourio, is the younger brother of Jackson Chourio considered the second best prospect in MLB, he is 17 years old, he defends center field and comes from playing in the rookie league of the Dominican Republic where he went 132-37 in 40 games.

"I am very happy to have signed with the Águilas, this is a dream for me to be here with this uniform" said Chourio.

"In these first days they have given me a lot of advice, the manager Marco Davalillo and the hitting coach (Rómulo Martínez) who are going to help me in my game," he said at the end of the preseason day at Luis Aparicio.

In the history of the team, there are several pairs of brothers who have worn the team's uniform in the same season, such as Alex and Richard Delgado and the trilogy of the Zambrano brothers, Eduardo, Roberto and José Luis.

Jaison and Jackson also want to join the group, as Chourio's youngest stated. "We have talked about playing together as we have done since we were children, waiting for him to arrive and see if that dream of ours comes true," said the player who played his first games in the little league Cacique Mara.

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While infielder Oscar Cedeño also hopes to debut this season in the LVBP, the 19-year-old switch hitter played this year in the Dominican Republic with the Cleveland Guardians team. In 85 at-bats he had 22 hits with two doubles and three three-base hits.

Cedeño has been part of the team's first intersquad games defending second base "In the days that I have been practicing I feel that I have improved receiving advice from many more experienced players" said the player born in the town of Santa María to the south of Lake Maracaibo.

By signing with the Cleveland Guardians, Cedeño stands out for his defense, speed and good projection of being a power hitter. This year the rookie league was alternated between second base, shortstop and third base.

"I spoke with Yonathan Perlaza, we are from the same town, he told me how important it is to play here because it is very different from the minor leagues and you have to prepare well mentally," he emphasized.

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Cleveland Guardians 2022-23 International Signing Day

Preview BY TODD PAQUETTE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NEWS

JANUARY 14, 2023 8:06 AM

Dominican shortstop Welbyn Francisca headlines 24 players linked to sign with the Guardians on January 15th

The Cleveland Guardians are currently linked to 24 players for their 2022 international signing class that are set to sign on Sunday January 15, 2023. The Guardians are one of eight teams to receive a Competitive Balance A selection which comes with a total pool allotment of $5,825,500 for the signing period.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international signing period used to begin on July 2, but now begins on January 15 of every season. An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between January 15 and December 15, 2023. He must turn 16 before he signs. In practical terms, that means players born between September 1, 2005, and August 31, 2006, are eligible to sign.

Cleveland tends to go with a position player-heavy approach internationally while utilizing the MLB Draft to restock their system with top arms. Position players are considered the safest route usually in the international market especially due to the age and projection as most of the players signed are just 16-to-17 years old.

The Guardians revamped their International Scouting Department not too long ago and so far, it looks like it's paying off producing lots of high-level talent over the past five years. Four players from the 2017 class are already on the 40-man roster as well as one from the 2018 class to date.

Here are just some of the talented international players signed since 2017 alone by the Guardians organization.

2017 Class

Jhonkensy Noel (40-man) - 1B/3B/OF
Alexfri Planez - OF
Brayan Rocchio (40-man) - 2B/SS
Jose Tena (40-man) - 2B/SS
George Valera (40-man) - OF

2018 Class

Jorge Burgos - OF
Dayan Frias - 2B/SS
Angel Martinez (40-man) - 2B/SS
Gabriel Rodriguez - 3B/SS
Junior Sanquintin - 1B

2019 Class

Wuilfredo Antunez - OF
Juan Benjamin - 2B/SS
Maick Collado - 1B/3B
Luis Durango Jr. - OF
Yorman Gomez - RHP
Lexer Saduy - OF

2020 Class

Austin Aldeano - RHP
Frank Alduey - 2B/SS
Angel Genao - 2B/SS
Robert Lopez - C
Manuel Mejias - C


2021 Class

Yanki Jean-Baptiste - SS/3B
Jose Cedeno - C
Jaison Chourio - OF
Jose Gomez - OF
Victor Izturis - C
Alberto Menedez - 2B/S
Rafael Ramirez Jr. - 2B/SS

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It's international signing day! Here's where top prospects are going

10:45 AM CST

By Jesse Sanchez

It’s been called international signing day. Others have referred to it as the international day of joy.

Jan. 15 is officially known as the first day of the international signing period and it means everything to the prospects from across the globe who sign during the 11-month span.

For these prospects, it is their first step in professional baseball. It’s also when their dreams are realized.

The international signing period runs through Dec. 15, 2023. Here is a look at which players from MLB Pipeline's Top 50 International Prospects list have agreed to terms with clubs, according to sources, and for how much. Unless otherwise noted, clubs have not confirmed the deals.

1. Ethan Salas, C, Ven.: Padres+ ($5,600,000) More »
2. Felnin Celesten, SS, D.R.: Mariners ($4,700,000) More »
3. Joendry Vargas, SS, D.R.: Dodgers More »
4. Alfredo Duno, C, Ven.: Reds More »
5. Luis Morales, RHP, Cuba: Athletics More »
6. Derniche Valdez, SS, D.R.: Cubs ($2,700,000) More »
7. Enmanuel Bonilla, OF, D.R.: Blue Jays ($4,100,000) More »
8. Sebastian Walcott, SS, Bahamas: Rangers More »
9. Brando Mayea, OF, Cuba: Yankees ($4,400,000) More »
10. Jun-Seok Shim, RHP, S. Korea: Pirates More »
11. Ariel Castro, OF, Cuba: Twins ($2,500,000) More »
12. Brailer Guerrero, OF, D.R.: Rays ($3,700,000) More »
13. Jesus Caba, SS, D.R.: Phillies ($3,000,000) More »
14. Ludwig Espinoza, SS, Ven.: Cubs ($1,500,000) More »
15. Rayner Arias, OF, D.R.: Giants ($2,800,000) More »
16. Janero Miller, OF, Bahamas: Marlins More »
17. Camilo Diaz, OF, D.R.: Astros ($2,250,000) More »
18. Gian Zapata, OF, D.R.: D-backs (est. $1,500,000) More »
19. Angel Cepeda, SS, D.R.: Cubs ($1,000,000) More »
20. Luis Almeyda, SS, D.R.: Orioles+ ($2,300,000) More »
21. Esmil Valencia, OF, D.R.: Astros ($1,100,000) More »
22. Yophery Rodriguez, OF, Ven.: Brewers ($1,500,000) More »
23. Arnaldo Lantigua, OF, D.R.: Dodgers More »
24. Robert Calaz, OF, D.R.: Rockies ($2,500,000) More »
25. Yoeilin Cespedes, SS, D.R.: Red Sox (est. $1,400,000) More »
26. Raymond Mola, OF, D.R.: Pirates More »
27. Daiverson Gutierrez, C, D.R.: Mets More »
28. Welbyn Francisca, SS, D.R.: Guardians More »

https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-2023 ... e-coverage

29. Anthony Baptist, OF, D.R.: Mets More »
30. Tony Ruiz, OF, D.R.
31. Carlos Silva, C, Ven.: Twins More »
32. Enrique Jimenez, C, Ven.: Tigers More »
33. Filippo Di Turri, SS, Ven.: Brewers ($1,300,000) More »
34. Luis Guanipa, OF, Ven.: Braves More »
35. Kevin Ereu, SS, Ven.: Brewers ($1,400,000) More »
36. Reiner Lopez, RHP, Ven.: Cardinals+ More »
37. Yerlin Luis, OF, D.R.: Guardians More »

https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-2023 ... e-coverage

38. Hendry Chivilli, SS, D.R.: Twins More »
39. Manuel Cabrera, SS, D.R.: Nationals ($500,000) More »
40. Darling Fernandez, OF, D.R.: Athletics (est. $1,000,000) More »
41. Luis Reyes, RHP, D.R.: White Sox ($700,000) More »
42. Jeter Martinez, RHP, Mex.: Mariners ($600,000) More »
43. Cristopher Larez, SS, Ven.: Mets ($1,500,000) More »
44. Maikol Orozco, SS, Ven.: Tigers More »
45. Andy Acevedo, OF, D.R.: Nationals ($1,200,000) More »
46. Edwin Solano, SS, D.R.: Nationals ($1,200,000) More »
47. Jeremy Rodriguez, SS, D.R.: D-backs (est. $1,000,000) More »
48. Cristian Perez, OF, D.R.: Tigers More »
49. Marwys Jorge, RHP, D.R.: Royals ($450,000) More »
50. Felix Morrobel, SS, D.R.: Angels ($900,000) More »

Breakdown

Thirty-one of the players on the 2022 Top 50 International Prospects list are from the Dominican Republic. There are 12 prospects from Venezuela, three from Cuba, two from the Bahamas and one each from Mexico and Korea. Position-wise, there are 20 infielders, 18 outfielders, five catchers, six pitchers and one two-way player.

These are the international bonus pools for the 2022-23 signing period:

Clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the Draft (Athletics, Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Rays, Reds, Tigers and Twins) received a pool of $6,366,900 while clubs with a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A (D-backs, Guardians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies and Royals) received $5,825,500.

The base signing pool for the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Mets, Nationals, White Sox and Yankees is $5,284,000.

The Angels, Phillies and Red Sox each forfeited $500,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers -- Noah Syndergaard, Nick Castellanos and Trevor Story, respectively -- last offseason, so each has a pool of $4,644,000 .

The Dodgers and Rangers each forfeited $1,000,000 from their pools for signing players who had rejected qualifying offers to lower their pool to $4,144,000.

The Dodgers surpassed the luxury tax threshold the previous season and had to forfeit $1,000,000 for Freddie Freeman. The Rangers forfeit $500,000 each for Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

*The forfeited monies are redistributed to the other clubs.

*Teams will be allowed to trade international bonus slots during this signing period starting Jan. 15.

Guidelines:

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year -- in practical terms, that means players born between Sept. 1, 2005, and Aug. 31, 2006, will be eligible to sign in the upcoming signing period. Players have to be registered with Major League Baseball in advance in order to be eligible to sign.

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