CIR Draft Information

Friday, May 30, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Friday, May 30
Special Draft Preview Edition: Listmania!

CLEVELAND INDIANS FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS
2002: Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, 22nd overall
2001: Dan Denham, RHP, 17th overall
2001: Alan Horne, RHP, 27th overall
2000: Corey Smith, SS, 26th overall
1999: Will Hartley, C, 74th overall (2nd round)
1998: C.C. Sabathia, LHP, 20th overall
1997: Tim Drew, RHP, 28th overall
1996: Danny Peoples, 1B, 28th overall
1995: David Miller, 1B, 23rd overall
1994: Jaret Wright, RHP, 10th overall
1993: Daron Kirkreit, RHP, 11th overall
1992: Paul Shuey, RHP, 2nd overall
1991: Manny Ramirez, OF, 13th overall
1990: Tim Costo, 3b, 8th overall
1989: Calvin Murray, OF, 11th overall (Did not sign)
1988: Mark Lewis, SS, 2nd overall
1988: Charles Nagy, RHP, 17th overall (Brett Butler compensation)
1988: Jeff Mutis, LHP, 27th overall (Brett Butler compensation)
1987: No first round pick (signed Rick Dempsey)
1986: Greg Swindell, LHP, 2nd overall
1985: Mike Poehl, RHP, 9th overall
1984: Cory Snyder, SS, 4th overall
1983: David Clark, OF, 11th overall
1982: Mark Snyder, RHP, 12th overall
1981: George Alpert, OF, 13th overall
1980: Kelly Gruber, SS, 10th overall
1979: Jon Bohnet, LHP, 7th overall
1978: Phil Lansford, SS, 10th overall
1977: Bruce Compton, OF, 11th overall
1976: Tim Glass, C, 14th overall
1975: Rick Cerone, C, 7th overall
1974: Tom Brennan, RHP, 4th overall
1973: Arthur Tufts, INF, 5th overall
1972: Rick Manning, OF, 2nd overall
1971: David Sloan, P, 9th overall
1970: Steve Dunning, RHP, 2nd overall
1969: Alvin McGrew, OF, 15th overall
1968: Robert Weaver, SS-OF, 6th overall
1967: Jack Heidemann, SS, 11th overall
1966: John Curtis, LHP, 12th overall
1965: Ray Fosse, C, 7th overall

Note: Not all that impressive of a group, is it? Manny Ramirez is, by far, the best first round selection this organization has ever made. I can't believe the Gray Flamingo (Tom Brennan) was drafted that high. The Indians have had the second pick in the draft (first pick in parenthesis) and ended up with Steve Dunning (Mike Ivie), Rick Manning (Dave Roberts), Greg Swindell (Jeff King), Mark Lewis (Andy Benes), and Paul Shuey (Phil Nevin). Ouch.

RECENT 11th OVERALL PICK SELECTIONS
2002: Jeremy Hermida, Marlins, OF, Florida HS, $2,012,500
2001: Kenny Bough, Tigers, RHP, Rice, $1,800,000
2000: Dave Krynzel, Brewers, OF, Nevada HS, $1,950,000
1999: Ryan Christensen, Mariners, C, Cal HS, $2,100,000
1998: Josh McKinely, Expos, SS, Penn HS, $1,250,000
1997: Chris Enochs, A's, RHP, $1,204,000
1996: Adam Eaton, Phillies, RHP, $1,100,000
1995: Mike Drumright, Tigers, Tigers, RHP, $970,000
1994: Mark Farris, Pirates, SS, $820,000
1993: Daron Kirkreit, Indians, RHP, $600,000

Note: Adam Eaton is a promising young arm, now on the Phillies, and is the best of this group. Hermida was regarded as the best pure high school hitter in the draft last year. Bough blew out his arm after signing. Farris quit baseball and became the starting quarterback for Texas A&M. Kirkreit was bothered by injuries and only lasted a few years in the Tribe system.

RECENT 18th OVERALL PICK SELECTIONS
2002: Royce Ring, White Sox, RHP, SDSU, $1,600,000
2001: Aaron Heilman, Mets, RHP, Notre Dame, $1,508,750
2000: Miguel Negron, Blue Jays, OF, Puerto Rico, $950,000
1999: Richard Stahl, Orioles, P, Georgia HS, $1,795,000
1998: Seth Etherton, Angles, RHP, U$C, $1,075,000
1997: Mark Mangum, Rockies, RHP, $875,000
1996: RA Dickey, Rangers, RHP, $75,000 (injury)
1995: Ryan Jaroncyk, Mets, SS, $850,000
1994: Cade Gasper, Tigers, RHP, $825,000
1993: Chris Schwab, Expos, OF, $425,000

Note: That is a pretty motley crew, although the Sox and Mets retain high hopes for Ring and Heilman.

2003 DRAFTEES RELATED TO FORMER INDIANS
Andy Hargrove, 1B, Oral Roberts (Mike Hargrove)
Andy LaRoche, SS, Grayson County CC (Dave LaRoche)
Andy Myette, RHP, Lower Columbia CC (Aaron Myette)

DRAFT BREW
More info on Reid Santos, who was a late DFE signing by the Indians, direct from the Tribe. Santos, 20, pitched for Saddleback Junior College in San Diego, CA this past spring. The 6'1", 175-pound lefty was 3-0 w/a 3.72 ERA in 9 games in 2003 (1GS, 19.1IP, 25H, 11R/8ER, 6BB, 19SO). He previously pitched at Santa Ana College (CA) before undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on his left elbow prior to the 2002 draft. The Honolulu, Hawaii native was drafted out of high school in 2000 by Montreal and by Texas in 2001 out of Santa Ana College. "The signing of Reid Santos represents a tremendous collective team effort by West Coast Scouts Darren Chun, Doug Baker & Paul Cogan," said Tribe Assistant General Manager, Scouting Operations John Mirabelli. "We invested a lot of man hours following Reid thru his amateur career and he has been on our radar screen since his days in high school in Hawaii. We are very excited to finally have the opportunity to bring Reid into our organization."

Jim Ingraham reports in the LMJ that John Mirabelli says that the Indians will have a pretty good idea on who's going to be on the board at #11 going into the start of the draft. This contradicts reports from earlier in the week and is more in line with what we've been thinking all along. The article goes on to note that the Indians will select the player with the highest upside and money is not an object. The next sentence then says the Indians will take a player that they are very confident they can sign. Contradictory? Perhaps, but maybe it also means that if they take a high school kid they want to make sure he's willing to turn pro if the team meets his asking price. Ingraham notes that players the Indians may be considering for their 1st pick include California 3B (and Tribe 2000 draft pick) Conor Jackson, Florida HS outfielder Lastings Milledge, Pennsylvania HS outfielder Chris Lubanski, California HS third basemen Ian Stewart, and Ball State third basemen Brad Snyder. The list of pitchers include Texas HS lefthander John Danks, Massachusetts HS righthander Jeff Allison, Florida HS lefthander Andrew Miller, and Mississippi State lefthander Paul Maholm. Most of these names have been linked to the Indians in various mock drafts and speculations with the additions to the list being Snyder and Maholm.

Ingraham also has an interesting article on Brian Anderson and the 1993 draft (Anderson was selected third overall by the Angels).

Jayson Stark forecasts the top 10 picks in the draft in his latest Rumblings and Grumblings column on espn.com and all but Maholm, Allison, and Stewart would be available for the Tribe at #11 using his projections. It's interesting that Stark has the Orioles taking Nick Markakis at number seven as a "signability pick" when Markakis recently turned down $1.5 million from the Reds as a DFE. You would think that if Markakis and the Reds were close financially that something would have been worked out but since he re-entered the draft his asking price must be in the $2 million plus range or he knew that he could get $1.7 or $1.8 million from the Orioles. He must be pretty confident he's going to be popped in the first 15-20 picks to turn down that kind of jack. It will be interesting to see where he slots in next Tuesday.

Stark also reports that Adam Loewen's contract with the Orioles is a five-year major league deal worth $4,000,000.

MLB.com will offer FREE streaming audio of the MLB draft this Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, they will be offering FREE streaming video of the first few rounds on Tuesday. I'm not sure exactly what they're going to but it will be interesting to check out nevertheless. Baseball America will be providing commentary between rounds but that may be part of the MLB Radio (pay site) portion of the broadcast.

Coming Monday: Some combination of mock draft, Indians overview, and potential draftee profiles.
Posted on 5/30/2003

Thursday, May 29, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Thursday, May 29
Special Draft Preview Edition - 2002 Draft in Review

Thanks to free-agency, much like in 2001, the Indians had another tremendous opportunity to add a huge amount of talent to the organization via the 2002 draft. The departures of Juan Gonzalez (Tex), Marty Cordova (Balt) and the failed signing of Alan Horne (Mississippi) from 2001 gave the Indians seven picks in the first three rounds. The first selection was a bit of a surprise as the Tribe took the most polished college pitcher in the draft, Jeremy Guthrie, who had slid to the #22 overall pick due to signability concerns (i.e., the Scott Boras factor). Although, if you read Moneyball you somewhat pick up the impression that this selection had been worked out in advance. With their next two picks, the Indians grabbed two pure hitters out of the high school ranks and then split the next four selections equally between hitting and pitching. The Tribe's draft was universally praised as one of the best (as it should have been with that many picks) and the debuts of Jeremy Guthrie, Matt Whitney, Ben Francisco, Jason Cooper, and Brian Slocum have done nothing but solidify those thoughts. Additionally, the Indians picked up a couple of mid-to-late round sleepers in Nathan Panther and Shea Douglas and they've also signed DFE Nick Pesco who blossomed into a potential second round pick this year at Cosumnes CC. The class is not without its early struggles as Micah Schilling, Pat Osborn, and Fernando Pacheco have not matched their performance to their draft positions but considering that none of these kids was in pro ball at this time last year, it's safe to say that they have time to develop. For now, this class receives a solid B grade.

Following is a pick-by-pick review of the Indians 2002 draft class...

1. Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Stanford, $3,000,000
Signed late but the Indians weren't too concerned because his professional innings were going to be limited anyway due to his heavy workload in leading Stanford to the College World Series last year. Made his pro debut in the Arizona Fall League, impressed in spring training, and started this season at double-A Akron where he dominated to the tune of a 1.44 ERA and a .196 batting average against in 62.2 innings. There's some concern with his low low K/IP ratio (35/62.2) but he dominated and fanned eight in the game I attended. Promoted to triple-A Buffalo last week and is on pace to be the first member of the 2002 MLB draft to reach the big leagues. It's not a stretch to call him the best pitching prospect in the American League.

1a. Matt Whitney, 3B, Florida HS, $1,125,000
Supplemental pick for the loss of Juan Gonzalez to the Rangers.
Lured away from a commitment to Clemson, Whitney had a great debut in Burlington last season, hitting .286/.359/.537 with 12 doubles and 10 homeruns in 175 at-bats. The best power hitting prospect in the systems, visions of Jim Thome were dancing in Tribe fans heads. Struck out a lot (49 times) but that's not unusual for a high school power hitter and he walked once every ten at-bats which indicates he has knowledge of the strike zone. Broke his leg this spring in a freak accident (stepped on a sprinkler head while chasing down a basketball) and is out for the entire season. Will likely return in the Instructional League this fall.

1b. Micah Schilling, 2B, Louisiana HS, $915,000
Supplemental pick for the failure to sign Alan Horne in 2001
Considered one of the top high school bats in the draft last year, Schilling struggled in his pro debut, hitting just .206/.303/.270 in 126 at-bats in Burlington. The Indians pushed him to low-A to start this season and he's off to another slow start, hitting .192/.309/.272. Still looking for his first professional homerun, it's worth noting that his plate discipline has improved a little this season. It's not unusual for high schoolers to struggle as they switch to wood bats but you would like to see a higher level of performance than this. Still very young and the tools remain.

NOTE: I wonder if the struggles of Schilling, Fernando Pacheco, Mike Conroy, Sean Swedlow, Mark Folsom, etc., prompted John Mirabelli's requirement that all early round high schoolers have to hit with a wooden bat in front of Tribe scouts as a prerequisite for being drafted. This process could have been in place for previous drafts but 2003 is the first time that I can remember it being talked about so openly in the media.

2a. Brian Slocum, RHP, Villanova, $625,000
Pitched extremely well in the Valley last season, holding opposing hitters to a .230 average and posting a 2.60 ERA in 55.1 innings, striking out 48 and walking 14. Has been compared to Charlie Nagy in the past, although I think he throws harder, and Mark Shapiro stated on the radio in the offseason that he might have the highest raw upside of any pitcher taken in this draft. Skipped low-A and went right to Kinston where his numbers have fallen off this year. Currently has a 4.34 ERA and has allowed 40 hits in 37.1 innings with an unimpressive BB/K ratio (22 BB / 21 K). Has had injury problems in the past. I would expect a big second half from him as he makes adjustments to the higher-level hitters.

2b. Pat Osborn, 3B, Florida, $547,500
Supplemental pick for the loss of Marty Cordova via free-agency to the Orioles.
Hitting for average at Kinston (.293) but has not displayed the power you would expect from a 6'3", 210 lb. third basemen. Has a .352 career slugging percentage (20 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homeruns) in 341 at-bats split between Mahoning Valley and Kinston. Did not show a lot of power in college, either, but part of that was due to shoulder injuries during his freshman and sophomore years. It's still very early in his pro career and power usually develops late so we need to be patient (but concerned).

3. Jason Cooper, OF, Stanford, $472,500
Compensation pick from the Rangers for signing Juan Gonzalez.
Signed late but hit four homeruns and five doubles in 55 ABs for Columbus. Off to a strong start this season, hitting .313/.398/.553 with 12 doubles, five triples, and seven homeruns for Lake County and has improved his plate discipline from last year to a respectable level (21 BB / 34 K). Compared to Darin Erstad by MLB.com when drafted while BA noted that he had the most power potential of any college draftee last year. Next to Matt Whitney, the best powerhitting prospect in the system.

Note: The loss of Juan Gonzalez via free agency turned into Matt Whitney and Jason Cooper. Looks pretty good on paper for the Indians right now but it's more important how it will look in 2006.

3. Daniel Cevette, LHP, Pennsylvania HS, $400,000
Solid debut in Burlington, marked by the inconsistency you would expect from a high school pitcher in his first exposure to professional ball. Made 13 starts and posted a 4.67 ERA in 52 innings (52 H, 31 W, 36 K). Tore a biceps muscle at the end of March and is rehabbing in extended spring training. One of his fans writes in that his current stats in xspring are 17 IP, 10 H, 2 W, 27 K, 1.06 ERA. He'll make a few starts for Burlington before moving up to Mahoning Valley.

4. Fernando Pacheco, 1B, California HS, $250,000
Intriguing "pure hitter" struggled last year making the conversion to wood bats, hitting .188/.295/.293 and striking out 57 times in just 133 at-bats. Will likely return to Burlington this summer.

5. Ben Francisco, OF, UCLA, $170,000
Missed the last five weeks of his college season with a broken collar bone but never stopped hitting once he turned pro, posting .349/.405/.502/.907 numbers with 23 doubles, three homeruns, 22 steals, and a 22/28 BB/K ratio. Has missed the start of the season with a broken wrist but is expected to return in mid-June and he'll skip a level and report to Kinston. Best debut of this draft class. Also drafted by the Indians out of high school in 1999.

6. Michael Hernandez, LHP, Fresno State, $100,000
Projection pick by the Indians as his college numbers were not that impressive. Great debut last year in the Valley, holding opposing hitters to a .216 average and striking out 58 in 45.1 innings out of the Scrappers bullpen. He's a "Slinger" who looks like he could really be tough on left-handed hitters. Started the season on the Kinston disabled list and has not pitched in 2003.

7. Brian Wright, OF, North Carolina State, $22,500
College senior who had a solid debut in the NY-Penn league last year, hitting .285/.375/.413 with nine doubles, five homeruns, and 38 walks (35 K). Skipped low-A and went right to Kinston this year where he is hitting .276/.359/.404 with 10 doubles and three homeruns while maintaining his plate discipline (20 BB / 25 K). He needs to show more power.

8. Blake Allen, LHP, Union Univ. (TENN), $75,000
Debuted as a starter last year in the Valley, posting a 4.82 ERA in 15 starts (80.1 IP, 94 H, 17 W, 62 K). Switched to the bullpen this season in Lake County, Allen has responded by holding opposing hitters to a .160 average and striking out 28 in 26 innings (15 H, 9 K) with a 1.73 ERA.

9. Shaun Larkin, 2B, Cal State Northridge, $10,000
Has not hit for average as a pro but has demonstrated the ability to get on base, a skill that placed him on the Oakland A's draft wish list last year, according to
Moneyball. Larkin hit .226/.345/.391 with nine homeruns and 42 walks (40 K) last year in the Valley. This season, he's at .267/.353/.426 with 11 doubles, 5 homeruns, and 23 walks (19 K) for Lake County. Versatile, he's played second and third, and he's a player to keep an eye on.

10. Keith Ramsey, LHP, Florida, $10,000
Signed for a bargain-basement price, all he has done is pitch and pitch well since turning pro. Struck out 71 in 61.2 innings last year in the Valley while walking only 10 and giving up just 43 hits. Moved up to Lake County this year and has a 3.17 ERA in 10 starts for the Captains. His command has been impeccable as he's issued just three free passes in 59.2 innings while striking out 45. Opponents are hitting .271 against him but the low walks make up for that. It will be interesting to see how he fares against higher-level competition.

11. Bill Peavey, 1B, U$C
Has not displayed the power you would expect from a guy his size (6'4", 250). Hitting .229/.343/.314 with nine doubles and only one homerun for Kinston this season.

12. Chad Longworth, OF, Virginia HS
Signed with the Indians in midsummer but did not play in 2002. Will make his debut in Burlington this June.

13. Reid Santos, LHP, Saddleback CC (CAL)
Did not sign with the Indians. Blew out his arm last year and returned to Saddleback CC. Also drafted in 2000 (Montreal, 23rd round) and 2001 (Texas, 42nd round). Shared Player of the Year honors in 2000 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association East Division with Kinston second baseman Rodney Choy Foo.

Note: Santos signed with the Indians right before the deadline and ESPN is reporting this in the transaction wire today. He sat out last season after Tommy John surgery and pitched in nine games for Saddleback CC with a 3-0 record and 3.12 ERA. He'll make his debut at Mahoning Valley next month.

14. Mike Mitchell, RHP, St. Charles JC (MO)
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to St.Charles. Ranked as the #4 JUCO prospect and #3 prospect in Missouri by Baseball America. Tribe could not ink him as a DFE and he'll reenter the draft where he's forecasted to go in the 3rd-5th rounds. A sore elbow this spring could scare some teams away but his 90-95 mph fastball and plus slider ensures that someone will take a shot with him early on the first day.

15. Nathan Panther, OF, Muscatine CC (Iowa)
Mediocre debut in Burlington last year but toolsy player has opened prospect watcher eyes this year at Lake County as he's hitting .257/.310/.430 with 8 doubles, a triple, 7 homeruns, and 15 steals in 20 attempts. Plate discipline is a concern (13 walks, 37 strikeouts) but the overall numbers are encouraging for a raw player in his first full season in pro ball.

16. Omar Casillas, C, Puerto Rico HS
Signed late with the Indians, passing on a commitment to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Did not play in 2002 and will likely make his debut in Burlington in June.

17. Jeff Ostrander, LHP, Virginia HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Louisburg CC.

18. Jahseam George, LHP, San Jose State
Tossed 34.2 innings with a 4.93 ERA last year. Released in March.

19. Curt Mendoza, OF, California HS
Flyer who signed with San Diego State. Hit .244/.292/.395 with four homeruns with a poor 5/36 BB/K ratio for Aztec skipper Tony Gwynn.

20. Chris White, LHP, Kent State
Pitched in 14 games for Mahoning Valley last season with a 5.00 ERA (18 IP, 19 H, 11 BB, 12 K). Did not break camp with a full-season club.

21. Zeke Parraz, SS, Southern Nevada CC
Enrolled at the University of Georgia and hit .189 in 37 at-bats this year.

22. Clayton McCullough, C, East Carolina
Organizational. Hitting .118/.231/.147 in 34 at-bats for Lake County.

23. Aaron Tennyson, LHP, Michigan HS
Enrolled at the University of Kentucky instead of signing with the Indians. Pitched in 17 games this year with a 8.14 ERA (21 IP, 26 K, 17 W, 11 K).

24. Dan Donaldson, LHP, Texas HS
Spurned the Indians for Texas A&M where he pitched in 35.1 innings this year, fanning 33 with a 2.31 ERA (35 H, 13 W).

25. Nick Pesco, RHP, Cosumnes River JC (CAL)
Signed with the Indians as a DFE last week. We've talked plenty about him.

26. Jose Cardona, LHP, Puerto Rico HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Enrolled at Cowley CC (KS) and pitched in 3.1 innings this year with a 10.80 ERA.

27. Derek Dunne, RHP, Missouri HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Jefferson College (JC) in Missouri. Posted a 2.48 ERA in 32.2 innings with 27 strikeouts (17 H, 6 W).

28. Tim Sabo, RHP, New York HS
Spurned the Indians in favor of Seton Hall. Named to the all-rookie team by the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association this year after a 3-4, 3.09 (46.2 IP, 45 H, 29 W, 55 K, .239) freshman season.

29. Ruben Flores, RHP, Texas HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Went 8-3 with a 5.11 ERA (75.2 IP, 73 H, 44 W, 66 K) for El Paso CC this year.

30. Daniel Eisentrager, RHP, Long Beach State
Signed late and did not play in 2002. Solid in relief this year for Lake County with a 1.82 ERA in 29.2 innings. Opponents are hitting .270 against him but he's walked only 4 while striking out 32.

31. Jeff Davis, RHP, Kansas
Pitched in two games for Burlington and was released in March.

32. Shea Douglas, LHP, Southern Mississippi
Sleeper alert. Struck out 49 in 33 innings last year in Burlington with a 1.36 ERA. Big numbers but not unexpected for a college player in the Appy League. Broke camp with Lake County and has a 0.81 ERA in 33.1 innings out of the bullpen, striking out 43, walking only 7 and permitting only 16 hits. Spending the week in Akron as a staff filler but could move into the rotation when he returns to Eastlake.

33. Jensen Lewis, RHP, Ohio HS
Flyer who did not sign with the Tribe. Enrolled at Vanderbilt where he pitched pretty well for a freshman in the SEC, posting a 3.00 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 57 innings (50 H, 20 W, 3-6 record). Pitched the first five innings (six strikeouts) of the first perfect game in Commodores history on May 6.

34. Chris Williams, C, Texas HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Freshman at the University of Arkansas where he hit .186/.214/.278 in 70 at-bats this year.

35. Kevin Hawkins, RHP, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College
Did not sign with the Indians after helping Embry-Riddle to a 4th place finish in the NAIA World Series. Named Academic All-America and Honorable Mention All-American. Founder and CEO of gamedev.net. Search for baseball on his diary.

36. Aaron Braithwaite, OF, Indian River CC (FLA)
Did not sign with the Indians. Also drafted by the Mariners in 2001 (23rd round). Not listed on the Indian River roster for 2003. Whereabouts unknown.

37. Luis DeJesus, SS, New Mexico JC
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to NMJC where he hit an amazing .507/.544/.797 with 5 doubles, 7 triples, and 7 homeruns. Was also drafted by Seattle in 2001. Coach Ray Birmingham says that DeJesus is not committed to a 4-year school.

38. John Moran, SS, Mississippi HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Memphis University. Hit .136 in 44 ABs this year.

39. Blake Taylor, RHP, South Carolina
Gamecocks closer saved six games in Burlington last year with a 2.78 ERA (22.2 IP, 25 H, 9 W, 23 K). Did not make a full-season roster out of spring training.

40. Shea McFeely, SS, Washington HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Enrolled at Tacoma CC where he hit .418 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homeruns, and 13 steals this season. Signed with Oregon State and BA noted that he was the most heavily recruited JUCO in Washington this year and that his .418 average was done with a wood bat.

41. Andrew Knight, LHP, Kansas HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Barton County CC where he went 5-3 with a 5.10 ERA in 65.1 innings (78 H, 19 W, 73 K). Was named as an honorable mention All-Jayhawk West Conference this year.

42. Chris Rosario, OF, Florida HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Listed on the Daytona Beach CC roster but he was not listed on the stats page.

43. Matt Paz, RHP, Long Beach State
Did not sign and returned to LBSU for his senior year. Paz sat out all last season after Tommy John surgery. Posted a 7.80 ERA in 15 innings for the Dirtbags this year.

44. Richard "Boomer" Welles, 3B, Glendale JC (CAL)
Did not sign and returned to Glendale. Hit .348/.439/.523 with 15 doubles and 4 homeruns this season. Glendale SID Alex Leon says that Welles was first-team all-Western State Conference and that he is not committed to a 4-year school at this point but his grades are solid and he could go that route if he does not like his draft position this year.

45. Truan Mehl, OF, Hutchinson CC (KAN)
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to Hutchinson. Signed with Maryland where he will enroll in the fall.

46. Aaron Davidson, 2B, Florida
Organizational who hit .180 in 50 ABs in Burlington last year. Did not break camp with a full-season club this spring.

47. Jimmy Mayer, SS, Pennsylvania HS
Did not sign with the Tribe and was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh this year.

48. Bryce Kartler, LHP, Arizona State
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to Arizona State. Held opponents to a .225 average this season in 19 innings for the Sun Devils. Ranked as the #27 prospect in Arizona by BA. Both BA and Teamonebaseball say he has LOOGY (Lefty One Out Guy) potential.

49. Daniel Lindner, RHP, Potomac State JC (WV)
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to Potomac State. Ranked as the #16 prospect in West Virginia by BA.

50. Ricardo Concepcion, OF, Puerto Rico HS
Cool baseball name. Did not sign with the Indians. Whereabouts unknown.

DRAFT BREW
The keg is dry today.

Tomorrow: Draft Lists
Posted on 5/29/2003

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Wednesday, May 28
Special Draft Preview Edition: News and Notes

The scheduled 2002 draft review will be published tomorrow. It's taken a little longer than planned to put together but the good news is that all of the past draft reviews should be relatively easy to update next year. Here's today's draft news and notes.

DRAFT BREW
John Mirabelli says in the Indians draft preview on MLB.com that he has no idea what the teams in front of him are going to do. I'm sure there's some truth to this, as in, he's not 100% certain who they're going to take, but more than in any other draft (because picks can't be taken) teams talk about who they're going to take, if for no other reason than to guage signability and gain information. If teams can't trade up in front of you to get a player, the risk of losing someone (like in the NFL or NBA) is significantly reduced. If you've read Moneyball, you know what I mean. I find it hard to believe that the Indians won't have a good handle on what's going to happen in the first 10 picks by the time Tuesday morning rolls around.

Also in the preview is the note that the 1991 draft of Manny Ramirez, Herb Perry, Chad Ogea, Paul Byrd, Albie Lopez, and Damien Jackson as the strongest in Indians history.

Paul Hoynes notes in the PD this morning that Nick Pesco signed for $460,000.

Hoynes also reports that the Indians were close to signing another DFE before the Monday deadline but does not identify the player. I suspect it was 14th round pick Mike Mitchell from St.Charles JC (Mo) whom Baseball America had ranked as the #8 JUCO prospect in the country. He's a likely 3rd-5th round pick on Tuesday
Posted on 5/28/2003

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Tuesday, May 27
Special Draft Preview Edition: 2001 Draft in Review

With five picks in the first 51 and six picks among the first 100, the second draft conducted by John Mirabelli was an excellent opportunity to add a mass of talent into the organization. And for the most part, the Indians did not disappoint. Whether by plan or not, the Indians focused on right-handed high school pitching in the early rounds and landed solid prospects in Dan Denham, JD Martin, Jake Dittler, and Travis Foley. Sean Smith joined the group when he signed the following May as a DFE and these five comprise the bulk of the Indians Class-A rotations in Kinston and Lake County. Another right-handed HS starter, Alan Horne, was selected in the first round but he passed on the Indians offer and enrolled at the University of Mississippi. If there's a weakness in this draft, it's with the position players. Granted, they only took one in the first six rounds (nine picks) but it was a first round pick and outfielder Mike Conroy (Who? Exactly) has yet to make it out of short-season ball. Only Luke Scott (9th round) has shown any promise as a prospect and there are questions surrounding him due to his age and level. Aside from the above group of starters, Marcos Mendoza, Chris Cooper, Scott Sturkie, Todd Pennington, and Doug Lantz all remain with the organization as relievers although none are considered serious prospects at this point. Matt Knox is the only other position player that is playing regularly and he's still in low-A ball. But this draft was about pitching and the Indians landed a bunch of it. It's still going to take another year or two before we are better able to evaluate this class due to its youth so, for now, we'll give it a B grade based on the strength of the starting pitching prospects and taking into account the lack of position player prospects.

One quick note about grading draft classes. There are so many different ways to evaluate a class: allocation of funds, success of early picks, success of late picks, balance between hitting and pitching, etc., that five people could look at a class and come up with a different grade. I mention this because the vast majority of people consider the Indians 1999 draft a complete disaster while the Tribe generally gets high marks for its efforts in 2001. We reviewed 1999 last week and you'll learn all about 2001 below but if you simply look at what's left in the organization from each class, is there a big difference between the two groups? 1999 has Jason Davis (big leagues), Fernando Cabrera (AA), and Kyle Denney (AA) all pitching well while 2001 has the quintet of Denham, Dittler, Foley, Martin, and Smith carrying the banner (others are left, but these are the top prospects). 2001 has the quantity but I bet some think 1999 may have the quality since none of the five '01 youngsters have experienced success beyond low-A ball. It'll be a few years before we know the answer to this question but it definitely will be interesting to look back and see which class, the universally panned 1999 group or the universally praised 2001 group, had the greatest impact on the Cleveland Indians.

Here's a pick-by-pick review of the Indians 2001 draft class....

1. Dan Denham, RHP, California HS (compensation from Red Sox for Manny Ramirez), $1,860,000
Highest draft pick and best arm among the Big Four high school right-handers drafted by the Tribe in 2001. Has averaged almost a strikeout per inning in his career but had inconsistent command his first two seasons (155.1 IP, 91 W). The Indians reworked his mechanics after drafting him and he returned to the Sally League this year in Lake County to continue to refind his mechanics and command and the results have been very encouraging (50 IP, 14 W). His ERA is a career low 3.23, he's struck out 43, and opponents are hitting .265 against him. Be excited.

1a. Alan Horne, RHP, Florida HS (compensation from White Sox for Sandy Alomar)
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Mississippi. Blew out his arm this season and had Tommy John surgery in April. Expected to be ready for the start of the 2004 season but there remains the possibility he could be out most (or all) of next season. Was regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2004 draft but that status is very much up in the air right now.

1b. JD Martin, RHP, California HS (supplemental pick for Ramirez), $975,000
Best early results of the Big Four which included a dominant 2001 debut in Burlington (1.38, 45.2 IP, 26 H, 11 W, 72 K). Because his offspeed stuff was so advanced, the Indians made him throw more fastballs last season in Columbus in order to increase his command and location with that pitch. His numbers fell off but were still solid for a 19-year old making his debut in a full season league (3.90 ERA, 138.1 IP, 141 H, 46 W, 131 K). JD moved up to Kinston this season and he's struggled early, posting a 5.12 ERA with opponents hitting .301 against him. His recent starts have been better although he hasn't been dominant (17 W, 27 K).

1c. Michael Conroy, OF, Massachusetts HS (supplemental pick for David Segui), $870,000
Doesn't turn 21 until after the season so there is still hope but Conroy has not shown much in his first two seasons in the Tribe system, hitting .212 in 344 at-bats. The fact that this is his third season of pro ball and he's headed for his third tour of duty in a short-season league says all you need to know about his development. Critics said he was overdrafted (projected 3rd-5th round) and, so far, he's lived up to that. Northern high school kids generally take longer to develop so the Indians have been patient but this is a HUGE year for him.

2. Jake Dittler, RHP, Nevada HS (compensation from Orioles for Segui), $750,000
Another big right-hander who has undergone a mechanical overhaul in his two years in the Tribe system. Extremely inconsistent the last two seasons, Dittler's command has improved tremendously this season in Lake County (37.1 IP, 6 W) and he's struck out 30 with opponents hitting .245 against him. Missed the first couple of weeks this year with a strained lower abdominal muscle but he's shown no ill effects since returning.

3. Nick Moran, RHP, Fresno State, $400,000
College righty who has been plagued by elbow problems. Solid debut in the Valley in 2001 and was off to a good start for the K-Tribe last year before having elbow surgery in June. Returned to Kinston again this year and had a 3.55 ERA in six starts (33 IP, 32 H, 7 W, 20 K) before being shutdown with elbow problems again. The Indians are saying he could be back in 7-10 days but the fear is that it's a recurrence of the same problem and will require surgery. Let's hope not, Moran has been impressive when healthy.

4. Travis Foley, RHP, Kentucky HS, $245,000
The least heralded of the high school Big Four, Foley put up the best numbers in his first two seasons (Mahoning Valley and Columbus), posting ERAs of 2.80 and 2.81 and K/IP ratios of 59/45 and 138/137-1/3. He missed the beginning of this season with a muscle strain in his right forearm and has struggled since returning in Kinston, posting a 5.73 ERA and allowing 39 hits in 33 innings. 36 strikeouts, though, show that his stuff has not diminished. That's a good sign.

5. Marcos Mendoza, LHP, San Diego State, $170,000
Enjoyed a breakthrough 1st half last year at Kinston (0.97 ERA, 46.1 IP, 36 K) but struggled with his command after being promoted to Akron (37.1 IP, 24 W, 27 K). Returned to Canal Park to start this season but had some off-the-field problems while struggling on the mound (10.87 ERA in 14.1 innings). Demoted to Kinston.

6. Jim Ed Warden, RHP, Tennessee Tech, $110,000
Big right-hander who debuted by striking out 52 in 52.2 innings in the Valley in 2001 before having shoulder surgery in February 2002. Struggled after his return last year in Kinston (6.61, 30 W, 32.2 IP) and has not pitched well this season either. The Indians maintain high hopes.

7. Josh Noviskey, OF, New Jersey HS, $99,500
The Indians are trying to convert him to catcher but he's had only 212 ABs in two seasons. He'll probably play in the Valley this year.

8. Miguel Quintana, OF, Florida International, $20,000
Mediocre numbers his first two years in the system. Hitting .275/.333/.319 in a limited role for Kinston this season.

9. Luke Scott, OF, Oklahoma State, $10,000
Did not play for the Indians in 2001 after having Tommy John surgery in July. His debut last year was split between Columbus and Kinston where he hit a combined .249 and showed power potential with 22 doubles and 15 homeruns in 334 ABs. Returned to Kinston this April and is hitting .309/.390/.507 with 9 doubles and 7 homeruns. Numbers that are not that all far off from Ryan Church's start in Kinston last season. Temper the enthusiasm by noting he turns 25 in June which is old for the Carolina League. If he keeps this up, I think we'll see him in Akron sometime around July and I'm curious to see what he can do against higher level pitching.

10. Brian Harrison, RHP, Georgia HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Georgia Southern where he's joined fellow former Tribe draftee Scott Tolbert in the rotation. Harrison has struggled as a sophomore, posting a 5.13 ERA (66.2 IP, 88 H, 17 W, 51 K).

11. Brad Guglielmelli, C, Allan Hancock JC (Calif)
Released last summer after just 69 ABs in the system. Signed and released by Colorado and is currently playing for Fort Worth in the Central League. 11th round picks should last longer than one year.

12. Scott Sturkie, RHP, Coastal Carolina
College starter turned reliever. Dominate stretch (27.1 IP, 29 K, 4 W, 0.99) last year in Columbus earned him a promotion to Kinston. Numbers fell but he held his own. Returned to the Carolina League this year and has held opponents to a .227 average, walked only two, and struck out 20 in 26.2 innings (2.03 ERA).

13. Matthew Knox, OF, Millersville Univ. (PA)
Weak debut in 2001 but he rebounded with a solid second half in Columbus last year (.277, 13 2B, 6 HR in 191 AB). Playing first base for Lake County this season and is hitting .256/.351/.448 with 14 doubles and 5 homeruns and showing a vast improvement in plate discipline (22 W, 27 K). Needs to turn the doubles into homeruns (while maintaining his improved discipline) to start moving up in the organization.

14. Doug Lantz, RHP, Kansas
Another college starter turned reliever who is advancing through the system one level at a time. Great 1st half in Columbus last year. Currently in the K-Tribe bullpen and has a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings (25 H, 9 W, 16 K, .263 BAA).

15. Martin Vergara, RHP, New Jersey HS
Did not sign with the Indians and is now a sophomore at Notre Dame. Has a 4.61 ERA in 11 appearances this season (27.1 IP, 21 W).

16. Sean Smith, RHP, California HS
High profile DFE who signed with the Tribe last May for a reported $800k-$1.2 million (depending on what source you read). Currently in the Lake County rotation and while his ERA is not pretty at 4.50, his secondary numbers are not that bad for a 19 year old making his full season debut (46 IP, 42 H, 20 W, 41 K). Keeping the ball in the park has been a problem (nine homeruns allowed). His recent starts have been much better than his earlier ones.

17. David Jensen, 1B, BYU
Did not sign with the Indians as a draft-eligible sophomore and returned to BYU. Drafted in the 3rd round last year by the Royals and he's hitting .178 for Burlington in the low-A Midwest League.

18. TJ Burton, RHP, Ontario HS
Signed late and made his debut last year in Burlington, posting a 7.36 ERA in 44 innings. Missed some time after being hit in the face with a line drive.

19. Luis Alvarado, LHP, Puerto Rico
Spent the last two seasons in Burlington, posting a 3.31 ERA and striking out 60 hitters in 65.1 innings.

20. Michael Rogers, RHP, Oral Roberts
Signed late with the Indians and did not pitch in 2001. Made his debut last season in the Valley and posted a 3.60 ERA in 15 starts (75 IP, 70 H, 31 BB, 64 K, 6 HR). Underwent shoulder surgery in January and I have no idea if he will return in 2003.

21. Richard Spaulding, LHP, Lexington CC (KY)
28 walks in 24.2 innings in two years. Released last year.

22. Jimmy Schultz, RHP, Texas HS
Shoulder surgery in July 2001 and January 2002 has allowed Schultz to throw only 27.2 innings in his pro career. That's not surprising when you consider he also had shoulder surgery in high school. Will probably start this season in the Valley, if he pitches at all.

23. Kenton Myers, C, Mesa State
Hit .232 in 112 ABs in two seasons. Traded to the Red Sox this spring for infielder Bryan Kent (Lake County).

24. Matthew Blethen, LHP, West Virginia
Solid debut in Burlington in 2001 but that's not surprising given that he was a college player in a league full of high school players. Did not pitch well in either Columbus or the Valley last season. I could have sworn that he was released last year but he's in the Indians 2003 media guide so I'm going to assume that he's in extended spring training.

25. Rickie Morton, OF, Pacific
Big debut in the Valley in 2001 (12 HR, 15 2B, 238 AB, 37/55 BB/K ratio). Skipped low-A last year and struggled at Kinston, posting similar power numbers (13-13) in 100 more ABs and seeing his BB/K ratio plummet to 30/100. Released this spring by the Indians, not entirely for baseball reasons from what I remember. Currently playing for Elmira in the Northeast League.

26. Bryce Uegawachi, SS, Hawaii Pacific
Small (5'6") utility player who became a fan favorite at Cafaro Field in the Valley. Signed with Kenosha of the independent Frontier League in February.

27. Josh Lex, C, Sacramento CC
Did not sign with the Indians. Currently a junior at Oral Roberts and he hit .274 with 4 homeruns this season.

28. Brandon Harmsen, RHP, Grand Rapids CC (Mich)
Did not sign with the Indians and returned to Grand Rapids CC. Passed on a DFE offer from the Tribe and reentered the draft where he was selected (and signed by) the Yankees in the 6th round. Currently pitching in the Midwest League where he has a 4-3 record with a 4.87 ERA in 7 starts (33.2 IP, 50 H) for the Battle Creek Yankees.

29. Chris Hunter, RHP, Utah HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Utah Valley State. Big right-hander (6'4", 215) was also drafted out of high school in 1999 by the Dodgers and in 2002 (32nd round) by the Angels. From 1999-2001, he was on a Mormon mission in Utah. BA ranks him as the #29 JUCO prospect and notes that he throws 91-94 mph.

30. Keith Lillash, 2B, Cleveland State
Played one season in the Valley and then retired.

31. Brian Kirby, C, Arkansas
Showed decent pop last season in Columbus (15 doubles, 14 homeruns, 337 ABs) but has gotten only 37 ABs this year in Kinston where's he serving as a backup first basemen, outfielder, and catcher. Struck out a ton last year (123 times).

32. Andy Baxter, 1B, East Tennessee State
Recovering from shoulder surgery in extended spring training. Hit .252 in the Valley last year with 4 homeruns and 13 steals.

33. Chad Peshke, 2B, UC Santa Barbara
Utility player with a good eye (47 W, 40 K last year). Retired this spring.

34. Aaron Mardsen, LHP, Hutchinson CC (Kan)
Did not sign with the Indians and is currently the ace for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and forecasted as a possible 3rd pick in the draft next week. BA ranks the 6'6" left-hander as the top prospect in the state and notes that he throws 86-89 with a plus slider. Has plus command as evidenced by the 107/19 IP/BB ratio (2.78, 107 IP, 99 H, 19 W, 107 K, .243 BAA).

35. Chris Cooper, LHP, New Mexico
Smallish (5'11", 190) lefty who has moved up the system one level at a time and is the third college starter turned reliever from this draft in the K-Tribe bullpen. Struck out 69 in 61.2 innings last year in Columbus and has a 1.67 ERA for Kinston this season (27 IP, 25 H, 10 W, 18 K, .250 BAA). Big test will come in Akron later this season or next year.

36. Jose Cruz, OF, Metropolitan Univ (PR)
Did not play in 2001 and hit .225 in 178 ABs with two homeruns in Burlington last year.

37. Todd Culp, RHP, Pacific
Spent two years working out of the bullpen in the Valley before being released last fall. Walked 27 batters in 20.2 innings last season.

38. Neto Quiroz, LHP, Saddleback CC (Calif)
Did not sign with the Indians. Junior at College of the Southwest (NM) where he posted a 4.91 ERA in 14 innings this season.

39. Brian Farman, RHP, Pacific Lutheran
Decent debut in the Valley (16 IP, 12 K, 2.81 ERA) but has not pitched since and is no longer in the organization.

40. Aaron Russell, RHP, Cerro Coso CC (Calif)
Did not sign with the Indians. The CCCC website lists Russell as recovering from an elbow injury which makes me suspect he sat out all of last season if he can still be enrolled at Cerro Coso. He has not played this year.

41. Ross Lewis, RHP/OF, Florida HS
Did not sign with the Indians and enrolled at Central Florida CC. Drafted in the 31st round last year by the Angels and is currently a DFE. A big, skinny, right-hander (6'8", 198), he's only pitched 10.1 innings this season (19 strikeouts) and I suspect an injury.

42. Kyle Allen, LHP, California HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Currently a sophomore at Orange Coast CC where he's struck out an impressive 120 hitters in 99.1 innings and is holding hitters to a .224 average. Not listed among the top JUCO or California prospects by BA.

43. Vincent Davis, LHP, New Mexico JC
Did not sign with the Indians. Senior at Southern University. BA ranks him as the 43rd best prospect in Louisiana.

44. Garrett Mock, RHP, Texas HS
Did not sign with the Indians, choosing to attend Grayson CC. Drafted in the 14th round last season by the Twins but did not sign and enrolled at the University of Houston. Has a 5-4 record with a 4.24 ERA (80.2 IP, 62 H, 37W, 63K) and is holding opponents to a .221 average. Barring injury, he'll be drafted again in 2004.

45. Brett Ashmun, RHP, Modesto JC (Calif)
Did not sign with the Indians. Whereabouts unknown.

46. Todd Pennington, RHP, Southeast Missouri State
Doesn't throw hard but he's posted good numbers wherever he's pitched in the system. Currently the closer for Lake County where he's struck out 33 in 16 innings with a 1.13 ERA and .140 average (16 IP, 8 H, 7 W, 33 K). The big test for Pennington will come when he reaches double-A.

47. Billy Brian, RHP, LSU
Did not sign with the Indians. Currently pitching for the Alexandria Aces in the independent Central League.

48. Douglas Brooks, RHP, Henry Ford CC
Did not sign with the Indians. Played for Grand Rapids CC last season and is currently a junior at Wayne State (6.06 ERA).

49. Jason Columbus, 1B, New Mexico JC
Did not sign with the Indians. Played last season at LSU and signed with the Giants as an undrafted free-agent. Hitting .268/.348/.423 with four homeruns for Hagerstown in the South Atlantic League.

50. James Burok, RHP, Pennsylvania HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Sophomore at Old Dominion. Preseason All-CAA selection but has struggled this year with a 6.39 ERA.

DRAFT BREW
Interesting article in the Canton Repository on Sunday in which John Mirabelli said that the Indians will take the best player available with their first two picks, regardless of position, and that those two selections will then dictate what they do from that point on. And when the players are rated equal, the Indians will choose the college kid over the high school kid. Mirabelli has seen over 200 players in person since January 24 and the most solid group of players in this draft are the college position players (Note: this contradicts what most "experts" have been saying). Most importantly, he confirms that the draft budget is similar to last years $8 million.

Adam Loewen signed with the Orioles five minutes before the DFE signing deadline of midnight this morning (or last night, whichever you prefer). Loewen reportedly will receive a major league contract and be added to the 40-man roster. Terms have not been disclosed but it's been rumored that he was asking for a $3.9 million bonus while the Orioles were holding firm at $2.5 million. The O's saved $645,000 last week when they lost Gary Matthews Jr on waivers to the Padres and it's probable that that money was used to increase their offer. If he had reentered the draft, Loewen was expected to be the second overall pick. There's two potential impacts on the Indians here. The first is that this moves everyone up one spot which leaves one less player for the Indians to choose from. The other line of thinking is that the Orioles will draft a "signable" player with their #7 pick to pair with Loewen financially and that this signing will not effect the Indians at all. We'll find in a week.

Nick Markakis did turn down the Reds reported offer of $1.5 million and will reenter the draft. He's a potential Tribe pick at #18 although that price tag may scare the Indians (and others) away if he really turned down $1.5 mil.

Speaking of DFEs, Jim Ingraham reported in the Morning Journal that Nick Pesco signed for just under $500,000 which is significantly less than what I originally speculated when "second round money" was tossed out by the Indians as a barometer. No word from the Indians on whether they signed any of their other DFEs (Mike Mitchell, Luis DeJesus, etc.) this morning.

Baseball America ranks the Indians 2000 9th round pick Scott Tolbert as the 19th best prospect in Georgia and that he has a hard slider and throws in the low 90s.

Allen Simpson speculated in a Baseball America chat session last Friday that the Indians would be interested in taking St. Ignatius lefty Greg Moviel and Midview lefty Ryan Feierabend in the first five rounds, perhaps overdrafting in order to get them. Sure, it would be a nice story having the local kids in our system, but I can't believe the Indians would overdraft just to make that happen. This isn't the NFL or NBA when draft picks can have an instant impact on the box office.

Peter Gammons notes in his latest Diamond Notes column that the Indians won't let Princeton right-hander Thomas Pauley (a Paul Quantrill clone) get past them with their #49 pick in the second round. I'm not sure if he's basing this on anything except the that Mark Shapiro also went to Princeton. The thought may have some merit, though, with all the Ivy League grads popping up in big league front offices. There's so few Ivy Leaguers worth selecting early (especially from your alma mater) that I bet there is a little competition amongst the group in getting these guys. Think of how your fantasy league works with local guys or personal favorites. You'd like to think that the big leagues work differently than your fantasy league but guys are guys and bragging rights are always important. Pauley is ranked the #2 prospect in New Jersey and was used mostly as a closer this spring, throwing primarily a 93-95 mph fastball and slider, and he averaged 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings. A late bloomer, he only threw 83-84 mph when he enrolled at Princeton. With all the talk from the Indians this season about pitchers needing to development secondary pitches, Pauley sure seems like a one-trick pony to me right now from that description. Not that he couldn't learn or improve his secondary offerings though. I just have to ask, is a Paul Quantrill clone really worth a 1st or 2nd round pick?

Coming Wednesday: 2002 Draft Review
Posted on 5/27/2003

Friday, May 23, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Friday, May 23
Special Draft Preview Edition: 2000 Draft in Review

In the first draft conducted by current Indians Director of Scouting John Mirabelli, the Indians 2000 draft class is not a particularly strong group but it's still a marked improvement over the 1999 abomination put together by his predecessor. Conducted under the organizational mantra of power arms, power bats, and raw tools as dictated by John Hart, the Indians drafted six high schoolers in their first seven picks with only Corey Smith and an injured Chris Magruder (via trade) to show for it three years later. Losing Derek Thompson to the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft was a significant loss and signing Conor Jackson or Brian Wilson as late round flyers would have significantly boosted this classes standing. The Tribe did pick up a decent college pitcher in Brian Tallet and added a couple of later round sleepers in Ryan Church, Rodney Choy Foo, and Eric Crozier. Ryan Larson, Kyle Evans, Victor Kliene, Joe Inglett, and Jonathan Van Every also remain in the organization. Overall, this group probably warrants a C even or C- grade as none of these players is considered a can't miss prospect at this point in their career. While it's possible this class could turn out 3-5 big leaguers, it's also possible that it could turn out none or only one. In any draft grade, the success of the first round pick carries a lot of weight and with the Indians already missing on so many early selections, the fate of Corey Smith will go a long ways towards determining the long-term impact of this class.

Here's the pick-by-pick review of the Indians 2000 Draft Class....

1) Corey Smith, SS, New Jersey HS, #26 overall, $1,375,000
Raw Power with Gary Sheffield comparisons when drafted. The raw power remains but the Sheffield comparisons are a thing of the past. To be fair, he's been young at every level and the Indians continue to push him but his development basically stalled last year at Kinston and he hasn't shown much improvement this year in Akron. While his BB/K ratio have improved this season, they're worsening with each day and the batting average is down as well. Defensively, he's made 132 errors since signing and a move to the outfield would probably be in his best interest. The organizational hole at 3B in front of him in Cleveland and Buffalo and the fact that a switch to the outfield would make him the 6th or 7th best outfield prospect in the upper levels (behind Crisp, Sizemore, Escobar, Church, Gerut, Garcia) is the only thing keeping him in the infield. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster in the offseason (or he'll be exposed in the Rule 5 Draft) and the Indians will have an interesting decision to make come November if he doesn't show a marked improvement over the summer. He's still very young and the Indians will give him every chance to develop but, right now, this has the "b" word written all over it. It's a shame because Corey generally gets rave reviews for his work ethic and love of the game.

1a) Derek Thompson, LHP, Florida HS (loss of Mike Jackson), #37 overall, $850,000
Projectable lefty when drafted, Thompson reportedly hit 95 mph in the Instructional League this fall which prompted the Dodgers to select him in the Rule 5 Draft in December. He then blew out his arm in the spring and will spend the entire season on the Dodgers 60-day disabled list. He'll only need to spend 90 days on the Dodgers roster next year which pretty much eliminates any chance the Tribe has of getting him back. He had decent numbers last year in Columbus but his ratios suffered with a promotion to Kinston. 95 mph lefties don't grow on trees, however, and it hurts to lose a prospect like that.

Note: Jason Stokes, Xavier Nady, and Bobby Hill are among the players the Indians passed on to select Smith and Thompson.

2) Brian Tallet, LHP, Louisiana State (Choice from Phillies as compensation for Jackson), #55 overall, $595,000
Signed late in 2000 and pitched only 15.1 innings in the Valley. Skipped low-A in 2001 and went right to Kinston where he struck out 164 in 160 innings with a 3.04 ERA. Started last season in Akron, went 10-1 with a 3.08 ERA, promoted to Buffalo midseason and posted a 3.07 ERA in eight appearances before a two start audition (1.50 ERA) with the big league club in September. Was in the mix for one of the open rotation spots this spring but returned to Buffalo after the emergence of Jason Davis and Billy Traber and has a 4.67 ERA (52 IP, 44 H, 23 W, 45 K) for the Bisons in nine starts. There's been talk of moving him to the bullpen if he can't refine a third pitch. Overshadowed by the other young pitchers but he remains a decent prospect.

2a) Mark Folsom, OF, Florida HS, #66 overall, $700,000
Major disappointment. Toolsy outfielder hit .208 in 587 at-bats with 14 homeruns and 223 strikeouts before being released last summer. Tried hooking on with the Braves as an infielder but was released this spring.

Note: Grady Sizemore was selected with the $75 overall pick and signed for $2 million.

3) Sean Swedlow, 1B, California HS, #96 overall, $450,000
Another huge bust for the Indians. Big left-handed power hitter who hit .215 in 801 at-bats with 276 strikeouts over three seasons. Drafted as a catcher, he soon moved to first base and made 23 errors in 2001 and 25 more in 2002. Left Columbus midseason last year for personal reasons and is currently on the Indians voluntarily retired list. San Dimas High School football rules! (had to say that one more time)

Note: Between Folsom and Swedlow, the Indians received 1388 ABs of .212/.281/.376/.657 production with 57 doubles, 6 triples, and 24 homeruns over three seasons (and it only cost us $1.15 million) This is another big reason for the huge void of talent in the system entering the 2002 season.

Note: Cliff Lee was selected with the #105 pick and signed for $275,000. Rangers uber-prospect Lanyce Nix was selected with pick #124 and signed for $250,000

4) Adam Cox, OF, Darton College (GA), #126 overall, $216,000
Converted to the mound as a LHP after signing with the Indians. Underwent left shoulder surgery in April 2001 and March 2002. Ouch. Has thrown only 51.2 innings for the Indians, walking 32 and fanning 55. He's on the Lake County disabled list.

5) Rashad Eldridge, OF, Georgia HS, #156 overall, $281,000
Toolsy outfielder, extremely raw when drafted. Never did much with the Indians in two years at Burlington (.221, 39 W, 107 K) and was traded to the Rangers last March for Chris Magruder. Off to an intriguing start with the Rangers high-A team in Stockton (California), most notably because of the dramatic improvement in his batting eye (25 W) although he still strikes out a lot (33 W) for a speed player. Still raw, still a long way from the big leagues, but he's also still young and any improvement like that in plate discipline bears watching for further development.

Note: Derrick Van Dusen was selected with the #162 pick and signed for $146,000.

6) Kyle Evans, RHP, Baylor, #186 overall, $130,000
Moved to the bullpen this year (three spot starts) after spending the previous three seasons as a starter. Had Tommy John surgery in July 2001. Hasn't pitched a whole lot (190.2 innings since signing) but he's been moderately effective wherever he's been. Strikeouts are down in AA (15 in 32 IP) and opponents are hitting .258 against him. Not a prospect.

7) Victor Kleine, LHP, John Logan JC (ILL), #216 overall, $90,000
Spent three years in the Valley, although to be fair he only pitched 4 innings in 2000. Serving as the spot starter/long reliever for Kinston this season. I wouldn't read anything into his jumping a level (skipping low-A). It's more that he fit a defined role after the Indians placed their young pitchers into their respective levels than it is a reflection of his prospect status. He's walked 12 in 25 innings and opponents are hitting .263 against him. Not a prospect.

Note: Marlins top prospect Dontrelle Willis was selected #223 overall and signed for $200,000

8) Joe Inglett, OF, Nevada, #246 overall, $20,000
Moved to the infield (3B/2B) after signing with the Indians. Sally League all-star last season but has little pop and little speed although he hits for average (.282/.332/.362 after promotion to Kinston last year). Got off to a great start (.342/.465/.481, 19 W, 13 K) for Kinston this year but was placed on the disabled list when they ran out of roster options when Ivan Ochoa returned from the DL. That about sums up the organizational plans for Inglett at this point in his career. If he could hit the ball out of the yard 10 times a year he might make a decent utility prospect.

Note: Marshall McDougall was selected #270 overall and signed for $5,000.

9) Scott Tolbert, RHP, Georgia HS, #276 overall
Did not sign with the Indians. Junior at Georgia Southern with solid numbers (7-1, 3.21, 61.2 IP, 44 H, 29 W, 54 K). Likely candidate to be drafted again this June.

10) Tom Canale, RHP, California Lutheran, #306 overall, $43,000
3-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings for Columbus in 2001 and then he disappeared. Injuries probably got him.

11) Scott Threinen, SS, Minnesota HS
Still in the system even though he's only had 132 at-bats since signing. Pretty sure he's been plagued by injuries. The Indians still have hope they'll lower that Bonus $ per AB ratio.

12) Jason Colson, RHP, Winthrop
Did not sign with the Indians. Drafted in the 7th round of the 2001 draft by the Blue Jays. Was considered a two-way player (3B/P) coming out but the Jays kept him on the mound. Decent debut in '01 but he struggled with a promotion to the high-A Florida State League last year. Hasn't pitched this season and I think I remember hearing something about an arm injury.

13) Jeff Haase, C, Cleveland State
Eight homers in the Valley last season but that's not all that impressive when it's a short-season league and you're in your third season of pro ball. Tommy John surgery in 2001. Retired this spring.

14) Ryan Church, OF, Nevada
The sleeper of this draft. Church was drafted out of Nevada after spending only one season in the outfield after making the conversion from the mound. Broke out with a strong first half in Kinston last year (.326/.433/.569, 10 HR) and posted solid surface numbers (.296, 12 HR) after a midseason promotion to Akron that hid a worrisome drop in plate discipline (12 BB, 58 K). Returning to Akron this year, Church has solid averages (.270/.377/.468) but has shown a marked improvement in plate discipline (21 BB, 28 K) and that bodes well for future improvement. He was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason and has been compared to Jim Edmonds, Trot Nixon, and Todd Hollandsworth. I would expect to see him in Cleveland this September when rosters expand.

15) Nate Janowicz, OF, South Carolina
Big start to his career in the Valley in 2000 (.340), productive enough in low-A in 2001 (.294) but a 9/38 BB/K ratio forecasted the slump when he was promoted to high-A Kinston (.253) for the second half. Hit .265 with a dinger last year for the K-Tribe before being released to pursue a rap career as "Whitebread".

16) Luke Field, RHP, Arizona State
Spent two mediocre summers in the Valley. Released in early 2002 after posting a 5.79 ERA in six innings in Kinston.

17) Brandon Matheny, LHP, Emory & Henry College
Finesse lefty who had steadily advanced one rung up the ladder each year until starting 2003 on the Kinston DL. Matheny has posted decent surface numbers at each level but the telltale sign of his future is the below-average 42/41 BB/K and 41/79 K/IP ratios he posted in Kinston last year. Still has hope but it's going to be tough in a system that has a lot of young pitchers who throw harder.

18) Jeremy Rogelstad, RHP, San Jose State
Did not sign with the Indians. Was drafted in the 33rd round of the 2001 draft by the Phillies. Currently pitching for Amarillo in the Central League.

19) Chad Cislak, RHP, UCLA
Signed with Tribe. Gave up one run in 1/3 of an inning for Burlington in 2001 and then vanished.

20) Ryan Larson, RHP, Sacramento CC
Smallish (5'10") right-handed who has steadily worked his way through the Indians system, starting this year in Akron and posting a 3.38 ERA in 13 innings (3 homeruns). His highest ERA at any level is the 3.05 he posted in the 1st half last year in Kinston but he improved on that by posting a 1.78 ERA with a 6/30 BB/K ratio in 35.1 innings after a promotion to Akron. He's averaged more than a strikeout per inning for his career and spent some time in the Arizona Fall League last season. While he's not a major prospect, he's definitely in the mix for a future relief role in Cleveland.

21) Steve Fugarino, RHP, Iona
Signed with the Indians and lasted one year.

22) Vance Pietro, 3B, Creighton
See Fugarino above.

23) Brandon Harmsen, RHP, Michigan HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Went to Grand Rapids CC and was drafted by the Indians again in 2001. Did not sign and was drafted by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 2002 draft. Currently has a 4-3 record with a 4.87 ERA in 7 starts (33.2 IP, 50 H) for the Battle Creek Yankees of the low-A Midwest League.

24) Chris Houser, 3B, Texas
Don't think he signed. Last seen toiling for the Fort Worth Cats of the Central League in 2001.

25) Andy Helmer, RHP, Purdue
Interesting story. Drafted as a senior he needed one more class to graduate but needed to stay on scholarship to avoid having to pay for his final semester himself (if he signed with the Tribe, he would have lost his scholarship). I saw something that he signed in late 2000 but I don't show any record he ever pitched for the Indians. Good for him for valuing the education.

26) Bruddah Choy Foo, SS, Hawaii HS
Signed late in 2000 and was injured for most of 2001 (only 64 ABs). Hit .264/.326/.404 with 14 doubles, 8 triples, and 8 homeruns at low-A Columbus last season which is pretty impressive for a high school kid essentially making his professional debut. He's off to a great start this year in Kinston, hitting .321/.409/.470 with 11 doubles, 3 homers, and 8 steals with a 17/28 BB/K ratio. He's a prospect.

27) Johri Litman, RHP, Yavapai JC (AZ)
Pitched three games for Burlington in 2000. Had Tommy John surgery in 2001. Released by Amarillo of the Central League in 2002.

28) Jeff Opalewski, RHP, Michigan HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Junior at Central Michigan.

29) Jonathan Van Every, OF, Itawamba JC (Miss)
Signed by the Tribe as a DFE. Toolsy outfielder who is really struggling in his first full-time exposure to full-season ball with Lake County, hitting .179/.239/.274 and 46 strikeouts in 106 at-bats (seven walks).

30) Brian Wilson, RHP, New Hampshire HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Enrolled at LSU and was ranked the #30 college prospect by BA in their preseason rankings. Fell to #38 in their most recent list.

31) Conor Jackson, 3B, California HS
Did not sign with the Indians and went on to an All-American career at the University of California. He's expected to be a first round pick this year and may go as high as #11 or #18 to...you guessed it, the Indians. Jackson has good power and walks a ton, traits that teams like the A's, Blue Jays, and Red Sox salivate over. The Indians have not officially joined the "Beane" organizations in their draft approach but they have said those are traits they want to emphasize in the system. Like Jeff Baker the year before, if Jackson had signed with the Indians, it's possible he could have been the Indians starting third basemen this season.

32) Scott Thomas, RHP, Lake Michigan CC
Also selected by the Indians out of high school in 1999. He didn't sign then but the Tribe was persistent and inked him to a deal in December 2000. The wait was worth it as Thomas posted a 6.52 ERA with 12 walks in 9.2 innings in Burlington in 2001.

33) Ashley Dunlap, LHP, Palomar JC (Cal)
Did not sign with the Indians. Senior at San Francisco State with unimpressive numbers.

34) Steve Fitch, RHP, Kutztown Univ
Released by the Indians last summer after giving up 50 hits in 31 innings for Kinston. Currently pitching in the Pirates system (Carolina League, I think).

35) Will McKenzie, RHP, Walters State CC (Tenn)
Also drafted by the Tribe in 1999. Did not sign in either year. Spent two years at Walters State, pitched for Louisville last year, and is at East Tennessee State for his senior year. Stats are not impressive.

36) J.T. Schultz, LHP, Wisconsin HS
Did not sign with the Tribe. Enrolled at Indiana State for one season before transferring to Xavier. Missed all of 2002 with a shoulder injury. Should be a draft-eligible sophomore this year.

37) Damon Katz, 2B, Pepperdine
Organizational. Split time between Kinston and Columbus in 2001 before leaving baseball.

38) Robert Sierer, RHP, Bluffton College
Signed with the Tribe and lasted one year.

39) Curtis Ledbetter, C, Kansas HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Spent one season at Garden City CC before transferring to Nebraska. Redshirted last year due to injury so he's likely a draft-eligible sophomore. Playing infield for the Huskers with decent power numbers.

40) Jon Hooker, RHP, Kentucky
Don't think he signed with the Indians as he played for Bristol in the Appy League in 2001. Currently pitching for Fargo-Moorhead of the Central League.

41) Eric Crozier, 1b Norfolk State
Nice find this late in the draft. Broke out last season in Kinston when he hit .326/.423/.508 with nine homeruns in the first half. Key indicators (SLG, BB/K ratio) dropped considerably after a promotion to Akron. Went to the Arizona Fall League where he played some outfield. Had a nice spring (six bombs) and got off to a fast start with the Aeros before settling into his current .268/.344/.458 averages. His plate discipline has dropped (16 BB / 42 K) but he's been playing with a sore back caused by two hairline fractures in his spine and I'm sure that's affecting him at the plate. Good athlete but he should (and needs to) show more power for a guy his size playing first base.

42) Silas Ahsui, 3B, JC of the Siskiyous (Cal)
Like Daniel Simpson Day: Whereabouts Unknown

43) Ron Colvard, RHP, The Citadel
8.31 ERA and 17 walks in 21.2 innings ended his Tribe career in 2001. Strangely enough, he was released yesterday by the Edinburg Roadrunners of the Central League

44) Joe Little, LHP, Colorado HS
Did not sign with the Tribe. Junior starting pitcher for the University of Arizona. BA ranks him as the #13 prospect in the state and notes that he has the stuff to pitch in pro ball but has inconsistent command.

45) Mark Carroll, SS, California HS
Did not sign with the Tribe. Junior at Loyola Marymount, has played in two games this year.

46) Chris Appuhn, RHP, Nebraska HS
Did not sign with the Tribe. Junior at Creighton via Butler County CC. Stats are not impressive.

DRAFT BREW
Baseball America posted their first mock draft (Top 100 rankings in parenthesis) and had the Indians selecting Pennsylvania outfielder Chris Lubanski (#9) with the 11th pick and Georgia JUCO pitcher Nick Markakis (#16) with the 18th pick. We talked a little about Lubanski in the last report but he's five-tool outfielder, loves the game, great work ethic, and has been compared to a Johnny Damon with more power potential. BA adds that Massachusetts HS RHP Jeff Allison (#5), Texas HS LHP John Danks (#11), and Florida HS LHP Andrew Miller (#13) are the players the Tribe is considering for their first pick. This contradicts some of the recent reports that have the Indians leaning toward a college position player with their first choice. Markakis (#16) is actually a DFE with the Reds (23rd round) but is not expected to agree to terms by the Tuesday deadline. He's a left-hander who is also a pretty good hitting prospect.

I mentioned in the last report that Toledo catcher Mitch Maier (#40) would be a great pick for the Indians in the second or third rounds. He still would be but it's possible he might not be available as there's a rumor on the Teamonebaseball boards that the Padres are talking with Maier about a pre-draft deal to select him with the #4 overall pick. The Padres have a ton of DFEs that they are negotiating with and a signability pick at #4 overall would allow them to use some of that bonus sign for the DFEs. While the Indians would lose out on a chance at Maier later, this would also knock everyone else down a spot which could help the Tribe at #11. Stay tuned.

Baseball America has a draft chat with Allan Simpson today at 3:00 PM ET. Check it out.

Coming Tuesday: 2001 Draft Review
Posted on 5/23/2003

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Wednesday, May 21
Special Draft Preview Edition III: 1999 Draft in Review

Warning: The following may induce vomiting, sobbing, or hysterics and is not to be read by the faint-of-heart or the squeamish.

The 1999 Indians draft is regarded in baseball circles as one of the worst drafts in history. Not just Indians history, but in major league history. Think about that. Out of the approximately 900-some draft classes selected over the past 37 years, the following group of draftees has been recognized as one of the worst assemblages of talent put together by one organization. Now consider that this draft class should be at the core of the young players on the big league roster and in the upper levels of the farm system and you get an idea of the magnitude of the talent deprivation in the farm system when John Hart left for Texas. Yes, the money (or lack thereof) was a big factor in his leaving, but don't think for a minute that the huge talent void in the organization did not play a part in his decision making process either.

How bad is this class? The first selection was out of baseball after two seasons. None of the first 19 selections have sniffed the major leagues. Two of the first six picks did not even sign with the Tribe. They drafted three seniors from Duke. They drafted three high school pitchers from the State of Michigan. They drafted two guys (Monte Mansfield and Francis Finnerty) who sound like they belong in a Vaudeville Act, not on a ball field. Only six of the 49 selections (one in Cleveland, two in Akron, and three in extended spring training) remain with the organization and I'm being generous as one of those six was redrafted and signed three years later. The Tribe went for tools and missed on almost every selection. They then compounded their errors by overpaying on signing bonuses. Jason Davis, Fernando Cabrera, and Kyle Denney are doing their best to salvage something from this group but, as drafts go, this one was a complete disaster.

Following is a round-by-round review of the Indians 1999 draft. Note that they did not have a 1st round pick that year due to signing Roberto Alomar as a free-agent.

2) Will Hartley, C, Florida HS, #74 overall, $725,000
Ridiculed when he was selected, even more so when he signed for an above slot bonus, Hartley spent two disastrous seasons in the Tribe system before he was released.

Note: With the #89 pick, the Twins signed Justin Morneau for $290,000. All he's done this season is blast 14 homeruns in AA and AAA and become the premier hitting prospect in the American League. The Indians also passed on Josh Bard (#100, $387k, Colorado) and Hank Blalock (#105, $288k, Texas). Bard is, of course, the Indians starting catcher and all Blalock has done this season is lead the American League in hitting as a 22-year old.

3) Eric Johnson, RF, Western Carolina, #107 overall, $700,000
Tools pick and another above-slot bonus. Had an intriguing 1st half of 2000 in the Sally League (.309, 41 steals) but has been more tools than performance ever since. Sat out all of 2002 to pursue a football career and spent some time on the Bears practice squad last year. This is not the Eric Johnson that went to the Super Bowl with the Raiders. Was back with the Indians this spring and could still be in Florida in extended spring training. He turns 26 in August and I think I just heard the prospect clock stop ticking.

4) Jeff Baker, SS, Virginia HS, #137 overall
Did not sign with the Indians and went on to an All-American career at Clemson. First round talent who slid into the 4th round of the 2002 draft due to the Scott Boras factor before he was selected by Colorado. Currently hitting .271/.318/.424/742 with two homers for Asheville in the South Atlantic League. If he had signed with the Tribe, it's possible he could have been the Indians starting third basemen this season.

Note: With the above two picks, the Indians passed twice on Ken Harvey (#151, $130k, KC) and Clint Nageotte (#155, unknown bonus, Cleveland area kid now a top prospect with the Mariners)

5) Curtis Gay, 1B, Oklahoma City Univ, #167 overall, $150,000
Who? Exactly. His .141 average in the Valley in 2001 signaled the end of his career.

6) Shane Wallace, LHP, Texas HS, #197 overall, $290,000
Appeared to blossom in 2001 at Kinston (10-2, 1.61, 84 IP, 65 H, 16 W, 60 K) only to be derailed by Tommy John surgery. Returned last season with mixed results. Currently in extended spring training after starting the season in Akron.

Note: Covelli Crisp was taken by the Cardinals with pick #222 and signed for $85,000.

7) Daylon Monette, OF, California HS, #227 overall
Did not sign with the Indians and went on to an All-Big 12 career at Oklahoma State. Selected in the 15th round last year by the Cardinals and is currently hitting .229/.270/.257 in 35 ABs with the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League

8) Devin Rogers, RHP, Nicholls State, #257 overall, $76,000
Struck out 83 in 89.2 innings for Columbus in 2000. Right shoulder surgery Sept 2000, UCL sprain in right elbow July 2001, Tommy John surgery May 2002. Ouch.

9) Steve Cowie, RHP, Duke, #287 overall, $20,000
Got off to a good start in the Valley in 1999, striking out 83 in 61.2 innings. Followed that with a 3.39 ERA in 14 starts for Columbus in the first half of 2000 that earned him a spot on the Sally League All-Star Team. Finished the season in Kinston where his H/IP and K/BB ratios plummeted. Made two appearances for Kinston in 2001 and then disappeared due to injury.

Note: The Indians gave Cowie $20,000 to sign when other college seniors taken in the same round were receiving anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 to $10,000 to sign. Who inked for only one grand? That would be Oakland A's starting second basemen Mark Ellis (drafted by Kansas City). Phillies rookie outfielder Marlon Byrd was selected with pick #306 and signed for $38,000.

10) Fernando Cabrera, RHP, Puerto Rico HS, #317 overall, $90,000
Finally, a player worth talking about. The fact it's taken until the 10th round says everything about this draft. Cabrera has one of the better arms in the Indians system and would probably have made the Indians top 10 prospect lists this offseason if not for the mass influx of prospects via trade last year. Currently pitching for Akron and has a 2.36 ERA in 8 starts with 48 strikeouts in 42 innings. Opposing batters are hitting him at a .248 clip. A move to the back of the bullpen is expected later this year. Added to the 40-man roster last November.

11) Monte Mansfield, RHP, California HS
Attended Riverside CC instead of signing with the Indians. Did not come to terms as a DFE and was selected by the Astros in the 16th round of the 2000 draft. Currently has a 4.30 ERA in 13 games out of the bullpen for the Salem Avalanche in the Carolina League.

12) Francis Finnerty, INF, Florida HS
Right shoulder surgery in 1999, spent three years in short-season ball. Released in June 2002.

13) Adam Barr, LHP, Pennsylvania HS
112 walks in 107.2 innings over three seasons before he was released.

14) Joshua Martin, LHP, South Carolina HS
15) Brody Lynn, SS, Kansas HS
16) Anthony Morini, LHP, Kennesaw State
17) Chris Kelley, RHP, William & Mary

18) Kyle Moyer, 1B, Ohio HS
Big kid who sat out 2001 after foot surgery. Retired in March 2002.

19) Travis Santini, OF, Florida HS
Three years in the Tribe system produced a .225 average in 130 games with seven homeruns. Released March 2002.

20) Louis Wieban, LHP, New Jersey HS

21) Jason Davis, RHP, Cleveland State CC
The first (and only) member of this class to reach the big leagues. Signed as a DFE in May 2000, Davis blossomed in the second half last year and rocketed all the way from Kinston to Cleveland. Some insiders say he has the best stuff of any pitcher in the organization although his dominance stats (K, K/BB) haven't really backed that up yet. Inconsistent in the bigs this season but that's not unexpected given his age (23) and lack of experience (13 starts above class-A entering this season). The future remains bright.

22) Jeff Reboin, LHP, Sacramento State CC
The Indians love tapping Sacramento State for DFEs.

23) Anthony Toney, RHP, Michigan HS
24) Phillip Rosengrew, RHP, Michigan HS
25) William Loherhas, 2B, Mississippi State

26) Kyle Denney, RHP, Oklahoma Univ
Unheralded prospect who has bounced back strong from Tommy John surgery (June 2001) this season in Akron, posting a 2.51 ERA in 8 starts with 41 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. Opposing hitters have a .232 batting average against him. Temper those numbers a bit by acknowledging that he'll be 26 in July. Unbelievable first half in Kinston before the injury (5-3, 2.05, 57 IP, 32 H, 13 W, 80 K). Potential 3rd-4th starter in the big leagues but could get overlooked with all the pitchers in front of (and behind) him. Likely candidate to be included as the throw-in prospect in a package deal.

27) Jordan Olsen, LHP, California HS
28) Matthew Spress, RHP, Michigan HS
29) Roberto Vega, C, Puerto Rico HS

30) William McKenzie, RHP, Tennessee HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Nor did he sign with the Tribe when they drafted him in the 35th round of the 2000 draft out of Walters State CC.

31) Leysan Rivera, RHP, Puerto Rico HS

32) Benjamin Francisco, OF, California HS
Did not sign with the Indians, choosing instead to attend UCLA. Wait a minute. Francisco.... UCLA....outfielder...yup, this is the same Ben Francisco that the Indians drafted in the 5th round last year and who tore up the NY-Penn league last season. Setback with a broken hand this spring, he's rehabbing in Winter Haven and expected to report to Kinston in mid-June.

33) Scott Thomas, RHP, Michigan HS
Did not sign with the Indians. Re-selected in the 32nd round in 2000 but did not sign until December. The wait was worth it, though, as Thomas posted a 6.52 ERA with 12 walks in 9.2 innings in Burlington in 2001.

34) Kerry Hodges, OF, New Mexico JC
35) Michael Byrd, RHP, Vanderbilt
36) Jerad Doty, OF, Texas HS
37) Ed Sullivan, RHP, Duke HS

38) John Christ, LHP, Johns Hopkins
Let's see. You're a Johns Hopkins grad and you can sign for $2,000 and enjoy 10 hour bus trips in a smelly cramped bus or you can be a doctor. A glutton for punishment, he lasted through the 2001 season when he made four appearances for Columbus.

39) Byron Ewing, 1B, Howard
Made it as far as Kinston where he hit seven homeruns in 301 ABs in 2001. Hit .176 in 34 at-bats for the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs last year. Released March 2002.

40) Niel Dudkowski, LHP, Lassen College

41) Roger Royce Ring, LHP, California HS
Drafted as Roger Ring, he dissed the Tribe in favor of San Diego State. Three years later, he was drafted as Royce Ring in the 1st round of the 2002 draft by the White Sox and currently sports a 0.48 ERA in 19 innings in double-A, striking out 26 hitters in 18.2 innings.

42) Anthony Lunetta, SS, California HS
Chose to attend U$C instead of signing with the Indians. Ranked the #74 best prospect in SoCal by Baseball America as a college senior. BA notes that he had Tommy John surgery as a sophomore and limited range at short will likely force a move to second in the pros.

43) Brad Harrison, OF, Florida HS

44) Michael Bishop, OF, Kansas State
Great college quarterback. Horrible baseball player. Pretty sure he won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots.

45) Doug Johnson, RHP, New Hampshire HS
Attended Bryant College (RI) instead of signing with the Indians. Selected in the 5th round of the 2002 draft by the Rockies. Has a 4.71 ERA in 10 appearances for Asheville this year and opponents are hitting .301 against him.

46) Jeff Becker, SS, Duke
Split 2001 between Columbus and Kinston before realizing that his Duke education was going to do more for him than his bat and glove ever would. Still, he lived the dream for awhile. Retired March 2002.

47) Sam Button, LHP, Jacksonville State

48) Simon Young, LHP, Georgia Tech
Excellent debut in 2000 as he fashioned a 1.75 ERA in 14 starts in the Valley. Struggled in a promotion to class-A the following season. Returned to the Valley in 2002 with decent numbers but was released in November 2002.

49) Neal Maybin, OF, Florida JC
Hit .196 in 51 ABs for the Braves GCL team last year.

50) John Gall, 1B, Stanford
Did not sign with the Indians. Selected in the 11th round of the 2000 draft by the Cardinals. Hit .327/.357/.519 with three homeruns in double-A before a promotion to triple-A in May. Currently hitting .253/.302/.354 with two dingers for the Cardinals triple-A squad.

DRAFT BREW
We discussed the Nick Pesco signing yesterday in an update. Jim Ingraham reports that he signed for an estimated $1 million bonus. Wow.

In other draft and follow news, the Indians are reportedly negotiating with 14th round pick Mike Mitchell from St.Charles JC (Mo) and 37th round pick Luis DeJesus from New Mexico Junior College. NMJC Coach Ray Birmingham says that DeJesus has not committed to a 4-year school and will re-enter the draft if he does not sign with the Indians. NMJC has an impressive track record of drafted players and Coach Birmingham says that DeJesus has a chance to be a very good player. DeJesus posted some unbelievable numbers this season, hitting .507/.544/.797/.1.341 with five doubles, seven triples, and seven homeruns in 138 at-bats. A 5-9, 160 lb, switch-hitting second basemen, his bio notes that DeJesus has a tremendous arm (90 mph), good glove, and 6.6 60-yard speed.

Not that we have a shot at him but Tom Hamilton noted on the radio last night that the Indians believe that Delwyn Young (younger brother of Detroit Tiger "outfielder" Dmitri Young) is one of the top two players in the draft. Young has emerged as the front-runner to be selected by the Devil Rays with the number one pick although that is not set in stone.

John Mirabelli made an appearance on the radio last night during the game and stated that the Indians believe they will land an impact player with their first selection (#11 overall) and, ideally, it would be a college position player who would be ready for the big leagues within two years. Mirabelli also stated that ownership has not placed any restrictions on who they can or can't draft in regards to signability. That's good news. He also mentioned that teams will be allowed a two-minute window in the first round and a one-minute window in the second round in which to make their selections. Previously, all picks were made in a rapid-fire fashion.

Paul Hoynes quotes Mirabelli in the The Plain Dealer as saying that the Indians have interest in several Ohio players and that this draft class is an above-average group for the state. Hoynes lists three high school pitchers (LHP Greg Moviel of St. Ignatius (Vanderbilt), LHP Ryan Feierabend of Midview (Kent State), and Jason Stephens from Tallmadge) along with Marc Cornell from Ohio University as potential Tribe draftees. I think you have to add University of Toledo catcher Mitch Maier to that mix as well. Teamonebaseball.com ranks him as the #26 prospect in the draft and he would be a great grab for the Tribe in the 2nd or 3rd round given the organizations lack of catching prospects below triple-A.

DFE Dan Lindner (49th round, Potomac State JC) is ranked the #16 prospect in the mid-Atlantic area (Maryland, D.C, West Virginia, etc.) by Baseball America. Bryce Kartler (48th round, Arizona State) is ranked the #27 prospect in Arizona by BA and projects as a situational reliever (LOOGY).

MLB.com has an article on potential Tribe draftee Chris Lubanski. Note the portion where he took BP in between games of a doubleheader with a wooden bat for the scouts in attendance. Then note that John Mirabelli says in the PD that the Indians won't take a high school kid without seeing him hit with a wooden bat. Then realize that Mirabelli was in the stands for that double-header.

Tomorrow: 2000 Draft Review
Posted on 5/21/2003

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

CIR UPDATE
The Indians signed DFE Nick Pesco to a contract this afternoon.

Pesco (6'7", 190, 19 yrs old) was drafted in 2002 in the 25th round out of Cosumnes River Junior College in Sacramento, CA and was 8-4 this season with a 2.24 ERA in 13 starts (76.1IP, 57H, 33BB, 79SO). As a draft-and-follow, the Indians had until one week prior to this years draft to sign him. Baseball America rated him as the 4th best JUCO prospect and the 3rd best prospect (and top pitcher) in Northern California and projected him as a possible second round pick this year. BA notes that Pesco has four projectable pitches, including a 94-95 mph fastball and above-average changeup. They quote Cosumnes River coach Tony Bloomfield as saying that Pesco is the best pitcher he's ever coached and that includes current big leagues Bud Smith (injury) and Justin Miller. John Mirabelli says in the Indians press release that Pesco is similar to Jason Davis at the same stage of his career. Nice. A signing bonus was not disclosed but second round money could range anywhere from $600k to $1 million. Last year, the Indians gave Sean Smith, another projected second round DFE, just south of $1 million and Pesco could be in a similar pay bracket. No word on whether this deal will impact the 2003 draft budget but if the Smith signing from last season is an indication, it should not. Nice move by the Tribe and another encouraging sign that Larry Dolan is committed to investing in the farm system and player development.
Posted on 5/20/2003

CLEVELAND INDIANS REPORT
Tuesday, May 20
Special Draft Preview Edition Part II

Welcome to the second edition of the CIR 2003 Draft Preview. Over the next two weeks we'll provide you with all the information that you need to get ready for the MLB draft on Tuesday, June 3. The MLB draft is the least publicized of the major drafts and, therefore, also the least understood. Perhaps the most frequently asked question regarding the MLB draft is just what do teams do with all those draft picks? This year, for instance, the Indians will have 52 picks; their regular 50 selections plus two compensation picks for Jim Thome signing with the Phillies last offseason. In tandem, the follow-up question is usually why don't they sign all of those picks? Today, we'll breakdown a draft and discuss what types of players the Indians will be selecting with those 52 picks and whether they really have any intention of signing all of them.

With rare exception, every player selected in the MLB draft this June will fall into one of the following categories: The A-list, The Flyers, The DFEs, The Organizationals, and The Favors. Following is a breakdown of each of these categories.

THE A-LIST
The A-List is the group of players the team wants to (has to) sign. Typically, these are the selections within the first 10 rounds although it could stretch well into the teens. The Jeremy Guthries and Matt Whitneys and Keith Ramseys fall into this category. Sometimes these are high-profile, high-cost players and sometimes they are signability picks (i.e., players drafted earlier than their talent warrants due to their lower signing costs). Regardless, failure to sign one of these players means a wasted pick and no organization can afford many of those. Last year, the Indians signed their first 16 players and 20 of their first 24 (20 rounds) with three of the unsigned headed to Junior Colleges (JUCOs) and the other to San Diego State.

THE FLYERS
Sometimes referred to as "contingency picks", these are typically high-school players who have a strong commitment to a four-year University and will have to be lured away with a sizable signing bonus. Flyers start being popped on draft day in the teen rounds and the run lasts well into the later part of the second day. Why do teams take a flyer? Because you never know when a 17-18 year old will change his mind, especially when you dangle a $300k-$1mil signing bonus in front of them. Not to mention that the potential reward of signing such a player usually far outweighs the signable talent on the board in that round. Flyers are also contingency picks in case a team does not sign one of their early A-List picks. For example, let's say that the Indians had budgeted $4 million to sign Jeremy Guthrie last summer and by early August they were 95% certain that he was going to return to Stanford for his senior season (unlikely, but let's run with it for the sake of this example). The Indians could then have turned around and used that money to lure a couple of their flyers away from their college commitments by raising (and perhaps overpaying) their signing bonuses in order to salvage the draft and bring some A-List talent into the system. Flyers can also serve as leverage against that tough to sign high draft pick if the player/agent/advisor starts hearing the Indians are throwing money at their flyers. This doesn't always happen, but you need to have the flyers among your selections to even give yourself the option. Curt Mendoza (San Diego State, 19th round) and Jensen Lewis (Vanderbilt, 33rd round) are the prime examples of flyers from the Indians 2002 draft.

THE DRAFT AND FOLLOWS (DFEs)
If you missed yesterday's FAQ, please visit the CIR website for the definition of a draft and follow. Similar to flyers, DFEs start flying off draft boards in the teens and continue well into the later rounds. They can be players already enrolled in a Junior College (freshman) or high school kids who plan on attending a JUCO school. The advantage to drafting a DFE is that you can retain the players rights for a whole calendar year (one week prior to the next draft) and you can evaluate that player without incurring an expense in player development. A DFE also lets a team escape from paying a signing bonus for a season so there are some budget implications in these selections as well. The downside to a DFE is that if the player develops, his signing bonus typically escalates well beyond the bonus that he would have received for the round he was originally drafted. In these instances, the player has the leverage because he can always refuse to sign, reenter the draft, and hope that he goes in an earlier round with a higher bonus. Of course, a team would also have a pretty good prospect on their hands so it's more of a financial issue than a baseball one. Last year, the Indians drafted 14 DFEs and they have two (Nick Pesco, Mike Mitchell) ranked among the top 50 JUCO prospects by Baseball America. The Tribe was in a similar situation in May of last year when they had Sean Smith, Brandon Harmsen, and Garrett Mock all ranked among the top DFEs. Smith was the only one of the three who ended up signing with the Indians (for a bonus just south of $1 mil). Harmsen was drafted in the 6th round and signed by the Yankees while was Mock was drafted in the 14th round by the Twins but chose to attend the University of Houston. He'll be draft eligible again in 2004.

THE ORGANIZATIONALS
Typically college players, usually seniors, these are the "organization" players, players who are needed to fill out rosters in the lower levels of the minor leagues. You generally see a lot of middle infielders, catchers, and pitchers (converted to relief) fall into this category. These are easy signs and the players are usually referred to as "crafty", "gritty", or "hard-nosed". Occasionally, an organizational will break free from this stereotype and develop into a true prospect but they generally have to prove themselves at each level.

THE FAVORS
These are the selections made late in the draft as a favor to a team executive, scout, coach, player, or former player. The Indians usually draft a player from Cleveland State and that's a favor to the CSU baseball program. Mike Piazza is probably the best example of this type of selection.

SUMMARY
The Indians 2003 draft picks will likely report to either Mahoning Valley or Burlington to begin their professional careers. It's the rare player who makes the jump to Class-A ball upon signing. The Valley is considered a "short-season" league and is typically reserved for college draftees and prior year draftees/signees who already have a season of pro ball on their resume. Burlington is considered a "rookie" league and is typically reserved for high school draftees and foreign players making their appearance in the States. Rosters for short-season leagues are set at 30 players (25 active) while rookie leagues are set at 35 players (25 active). With both teams having returning players from last season in addition to first-year players from the Indians Venezuelan and Dominican academies, the Indians would be hard-pressed to find room for all 52 of their drafted players on rosters this summer. Certainly, some draftees could (and do) sit out the summer after they sign (usually pitchers with lots of use or players with injuries) but this limit on roster spots is one reason why teams do not sign (or want to sign) all 50 (or 52 this year for the Indians) of their draft picks. They simply don't have enough room for them in their respective systems. Last year, the Indians signed only 26 of their 54 picks but the key figure is that they signed 20 of their first 24 picks as previously discussed. So don't worry when you hear that the Indians only signed 25 or 30 or 35 of their 2003 draft picks. Focus instead on the early picks, those are the keys.

DRAFT BREW
A spy reports that he overheard John Mirabelli on the radio say that the Indians draft budget is comparable to last season (around $8-9 million) and that the team will lean towards selecting position players with two legitimate power bats being targeted with our first pick (#11 overall). He also hinted that the Indians will be influenced this year in how they use their early picks based on the strength of next years draft (college pitching) when they should have a top six overall selection.

John Farrell was also on the radio recently and noted that the organization has a lack of impact righthanded power hitters in the system, perhaps hinting at the Tribe's direction two weeks from today?

The Canton Repository goes on to quote Neal Huntington this morning that the Indians are not afraid to draft high school guys but they'll probably lean towards collegians as that is the strength of the draft. The Tribe will begin meeting this Sunday in preparation for the draft.

Several players fit the righty power-hitter mold, including Florida high school outfielders Ryan Harvey and Lastings Milledge and Cal-Berkley 3B (and 2000 Tribe draft pick) Conor Jackson. Lefty sluggers include Tulane 1B Michael Aubrey, California HS 3B Ian Stewart, and Pennsylvania HS OF Chris Lubanski. Lubanski has been the name most often associated with the Indians and the 11th pick but, to be honest, he's more of an all-around talent and projectable slugger rather than a raw power kind of player. Harvey and Aubrey are expected to be taken before the Indians make their first selection.

TOMORROW: 1999 Draft Review
Posted on 5/20/2003

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