Shaq Vs: O’Neal Challenges Lance Armstrong
August 4, 2009Cleveland Cavaliers 2009-10 Schedule Breakdown
August 4, 2009Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday afternoon for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.
The Clippers have not been a good team for most of the year. And, when you factor in a large turn-over on the roster over the last week due to the firesale on the Major League club, well, that certainly doesn’t help with continuity. As we’ll see in the Roster News section, today’s roster looks a lot different than last week’s roster.
This Week: 2-5
Current Record: 47-61, 4th place (of four) in ILW (International League West)
Roster News:
Let’s talk about the new-look Clippers. Rather than try to document all of the changes in a paragraph of prose, I’m going to list all of the moves in two categories: “coming” and “going”. Each move will have in parentheses the origin/destination of the players. Here goes nothin’:
Going:
RHP Fausto Carmona (recalled to Cleveland, 7/30)
OF Trevor Crowe (recalled to Cleveland, 7/30)
C Wyatt Torrega (recalled to Cleveland, 7/31)
RHP Jensen Lewis (recalled to Cleveland, 8/1)
Coming:
RHP Jess Todd (reporting to complete Mark DeRose trade with St. Louis, 7/28)
C Lou Marson (received in trade from Philadelphia, 7/30)
INF Jason Donald (received in trade from Philadelphia, 7/30)
RHP Carlos Carrasco (received in trade from Philadelphia, 7/31)
OF Mickey Hall (called up from Akron, 8/4)
Full Roster:
OF: Michael Brantley, Jordan Brown, Mickey Hall, Stephen Head, Matt LaPorta
IF: Josh Barfield, Andy Cannizaro, Jason Donald, Tony Graffanino, Wes Hodges, Niuman Romero
C: Damaso Espino, Lou Marson
SP: Carlos Carrasco, Zach Jackson, Chuck Lofgren, Ken Ray, Hector Rondon
RP: Greg Aquino (R), Vinnie Chulk (R), Frank Herrmann (R), Rafael Perez (L), Rich Rundles (L), Michael Tejara (L), Jess Todd (R)
Upcoming Schedule/Probables*
8/4 vs. Gwinnett, Ken Ray (in progress now, afternoon game)
8/6 vs. Buffalo, Carlos Carrasco
8/7 vs. Buffalo, Zach Jackson
8/8 vs. Buffalo, Hector Rondon
8/9 vs. Buffalo, Chuck Lofgren
8/10 @ Indianapolis, Ken Ray
*subject to change
Players to Watch (Newcomers Edition)
Since we’re all running to catch up on the new guys being brought into our system though the trades, I thought I would lead this off with a section devoted only to the new guys and how they’ve done in their admittedly small sample size of performance thus far.
Thumbs Up
Leading off is most certainly RHP Jess Todd. The PTBNL in the Mark DeRosa trade, Todd came over last Tuesday and has had the most opportunities of all of the new players so far. Todd made three appearances in relief over the course of the week, spanning four innings. Todd earned the save in Thursday night’s win over Lehigh Valley, and in his four innings allowed no earned runs on only one hit with no walks and seven strikeouts. Todd definitely has hit the ground running in Columbus!
Thumbs Down
An interesting fact about RHP Carlos Carrasco is that he immediately leads the Clippers in innings-pitched, now sitting at 120 after his start this week post-trade. The next closest on the Clippers’ staff is Jack Cassel (who is on the DL, incidentally) with 90.1 IP. Sadly, that’s about the only feather in Carrasco’s cap after his first start for the Clip Show. Despite getting the win, Carrasco’s line left a bit to be desired: 5.1 IP, 4ER (ERA: 6.75), 8H, 1BB, 6K.
He made it over in time to get into four games’ worth of action, and INF Jason Donald apparently has not received the luggage with his bats yet in the move. With just two hits in his first 13 Columbus at-bats (.154), Donald has gotten off to a slow start with the Clippers.
Also playing in those same four games is C Lou Marson. Sadly, he did not fare much better than Donald, notching only three hits in his first 13 ABs with the Clippers (.231). Marson is, however, hitting .290 in 224 ABs on the season in AAA across his stints with both the Clippers and the Iron Pigs, and is sporting a .379 OBP.
Players to Watch (Been There, Done That Edition)
Thumbs UP:
We’ll talk more about the move to bring Trevor Crowe up in place of Matt LaPorta below, but the real victim is OF/1B Jordan Brown, who continues to hit in spite of everything. In 28 at bats this week, he notched eight hits (.286) with four doubles and six RBI. Brown is leading the team in hitting at .331 (119-for-359) on the year with an OPS of .902, and is is batting .375 (57-152) in his past 39 games dating back to June 16th. And yet, Chris Gimenez and Trevor Crowe remain in Cleveland…
LHP Chuck Lofgren is continuing to improve. Despite getting no run support, he had a solid week with two quality starts. Combined, he pitched 13.0 innings and allowed just three earned runs (ERA: 2.08). Over those 13 innings he allowed nine hits and three walks (WHIP: 0.92) and struck out 11. Lofgren has definitely put up a pretty solid stretch over his last five starts (33.0 IP, 7 ER – ERA 1.91). Lofgren has now made twelve starts since being called up, and is 5-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 74.1 innings. He has struck out 46, but has given up 64 hits (including 8 jimmy jacks) while also walking 24 (WHIP: 1.18). But, again, he’s in the midst of a very nice little stretch and appears to be continuing to make adjustments.
Well, the streak is finally over, but LHP Rafael Perez continues to pitch well in Columbus. Three more appearances out of the pen, three IP, only one earned run. Perez currently has allowed just that one earned run in Columbus over the span of 15 games and 19.2 innings (ERA: 0.46). His control has also been markedly better, with only five walks and 22 Ks over that span.
Thumbs SIDEWAYS:
Two starts this week, one good and one not so good. RHP Hector Rondon made his fourth and fifth starts for Columbus on Tuesday and Sunday, and suffered his first slip since being called up to AAA. On Tuesday, he worked 5.0 innings and allowed four earned runs (ERA: 7.20) in taking the loss. Rondon surrendered eight hits and two walks while striking out four. He was better on Sunday in earning a no-decision with six innings of two-run ball. He gave up four hits and two walks, but fanned seven. So, total for the week, he pitched 11.0 innings, gave up six earned runs (ERA: 4.91), 12 hits, four walks, and 11 Ks. For the year so far in Columbus, Rondon is 3-1 in 29.0 innings spanning five starts. He has allowed nine earned runs (2.79 ERA), 28 hits, walked six (1.17 WHIP), and fanned 31.
Thumbs DOWN:
Well, I have to call this one like I see it this week, for those clamoring for him to have been called up with the departure of Ben Francisco. OF/1B Matt LaPorta struggled again this week, going five-for-23 (.217). LaPorta’s season average in Columbus has now dipped below .300. Say what you want about the move, but Crowe has been the better hitting in AAA over the last month, regardless of how you feel about his future.
OF Michael Brantley got back to playing regularly, but is still scuffling at the plate with respect to his average. He managed just five hits in 21 at bats (.238) this week. Brantley did manage to score five runs, drew four walks, and notched another stolen base without being caught, running his total on the season to 36 steals in 40 tries (90% success). Despite the averaged struggles (down to .258 on the year), Brantley also managed to keep his OBP up this week (for the year, at .342). He’s also only K’ed once in his last 10 games, so with respect to being a leadoff man, he’s still hanging in there.
A setback week for 3B Wes Hodges, who is now easing back into every-day PT at third base with the promotion of Andy Marte. Five hits in 29 at-bats (.172) has Hodges back down to .264 on the season, and cools him off decidedly after a good week prior.
A (Potentially Not-So-) Quick Word…
…about organizational depth. It’s no secret that Jacob and I have been paying closer attention to the minor league teams this year given his proximity to the Aeros and my decision to regularly attend Clippers games. It started with my super-long comment with respect to the Martinez trade, and evolved into a quick e-mail chat between Jacob and myself. Here’s our little take on the new depth in the Tribe’s organization:
DP: It would take everything going right, but it could happen in 2011.
Lineup:
You figure Sizemore, Peralta, Cabrera, and Valbuena should all be there and fairly solid. If Choo isn’t pressed into military service, and doesn’t have a huge regression, he looks to be a solid piece. So that, right there, gives you a starting 8 (minus pitcher, numbered below by position) of:
2
3
4 – Valbuena
5 – Peralta
6 – Cabrera
7
8 – Sizemore
9 – Choo
So, you basically only have three holes to fill. By 2011, Santana is most likely your every day catcher, and he resembles Martinez at this point in Victor’s early years. At first, you have a ton of possibilities, so assuming that at least one of Beau Mills/Jordan Brown/Matt LaPorta pans out, they could be your first baseman. That leaves one outfield spot and OF depth to be filled by someone of the Brantley/Weglarz/Crowe/LaPorta/Brown ilk, not to mention the potential for a guy like Wes Hodges at third to provide some relief and flexibility, and that’s a serviceable major league lineup:
2 – Santana
3 – LaPorta/Brown/Mills
4 – Valbuena
5 – Peralta/Hodges
6 – Cabrera
7 – Brantley/Weglarz/LaPorta/Crowe
8 – Sizemore
9 – Choo
Rotation:
This is where it gets a bit dicey, and honestly when projecting it’s impossible to say “barring injury” for all of these guys, as with pitchers you always have to account for that. Westbrook is probably gone in 2011 one way or another. Carmona… well, who knows? Aaron Laffey and David Huff–barring major setbacks–should still be around. I suspect Sowers will have worn out his welcome. But, let’s assume the Carmona, Laffey, and Huff are in the rotation in some form.
Hector Rondon should be there. He’s been solid in AAA, and he’s still just a kid. It looks like Masterson is going to be stretched out as a starter, too. You have guys like Scott Lewis and Anthony Reyes who will be in the discussion.
So, that’s really only one spot to be filled by a pipeline of: Masterson, Lewis, Reyes, Carlos Carrasco, Chuck Lofgren, Ryan Edell, Jeanmar Gomez, Connor Graham, and on and on.
That’s not a mid-90s Braves rotation, but it’s not a bad prospect for 2011. And those are just the guys AA and above right now.
Bullpen:
This is where it gets tricky to project. One year you can get a 2007 Betancourt and Perez, and the next you can get a 2008 Betancourt and 2009 Perez. But, while Isis may not agree, the influx of arms that can compete for bullpen spots is certainly helpful. Granted, Adam Miller’s Finger is a cautionary tale as well.
Kerry Wood will be traded. But, the 2011 bullpen will be made up of a mix of guys like: Chris Perez, Tony Sipp, Frank Herrmann, Rafael Perez, Greg Aquino, Jess Todd, Nick Hagadone, Bryan Price, Steven Wright, and on and on.
My point in writing this is not to say that the Tribe WILL CONTEND in 2011. My point is to say that it’s POSSIBLE. Shapiro–for all of his faults (real or perceived) and due to his budget–has a thin margin for error. What he’s done with these trades is take guys who WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HERE IN 2011 and replaced them with a flood of guys to compete with those we do already have in an effort to bring the team back to competitiveness.
Will it happen? Hard to say. It’s impossible to project the financial issues that will most likely still be in play 18 months from now. But, I would say that–given the hand he was dealt–Shapiro has done the best he could.
Jacob: I have been doing a lot of thinking about what we will look like in two years as well, and here are some random thoughts of mine based on reading your comment/potential article:
Lonnie Chisenhall is not to be forgotten. The Indians first-round draft pick last season is still only 20 years old but is having a solid season thus far for Kinston (.272, 16 HR, 71 RBI in 94 games). He is expected to be promoted to Akron within the next week or two and finish the season with us in Double-A. He will then probably begin 2010 with Akron, play for Columbus around the All-Star Break and could make his debut in the Big Leagues by September. Assuming Hodges or Peralta do not mat down the third base position for good in Cleveland, Chisenhall is the future.
Connor Graham will likely move to the bullpen. I was clearly at his Double-A debut, and although a blister limited him to 3.1 innings his currently sporadic control and hard fastball should eventually bring him to the pen. He is a college kid and at 23 years old, it might be too much to expect him to add a plus changeup to his array of pitches in order to become a big league starter. I expect him to be moved to the bullpen and begin 2010 with Akron with another possible Cleveland arrival in September of that year.
I was at the Clippers game Sunday night and I really do think Michael Brantley should be up in Cleveland soon. Choo is definitely a future star, but Brantley is playing like a starting outfielder as well. The 36 steals in 40 chances say it all, but he also had two rather impressive at bats yesterday including a game-tying RBI single on a 3-2 count with two out in the sixth. I have no idea where he can fit with Choo/Sizemore already there and Weglarz/LaPorta on their way up, but the Indians should let him compete by next month.
I think the ceilings of Hector Rondon (21 yrs) and Carlos Carrasco (22 yrs) are way untapped. They could both be number one starters down the road and I am sure the Indians love what they have both down thus far in their careers. Rondon has really emerged this season while Carrasco has already thrown 700 innings and rack up about as many strikeouts in the minors.
Eric Berger is 7-8 with a 2.45 ERA this season with Kinston. He was an 8th round pick in ‘08 and as another left-hander could possibly be moved into the bullpen down the road. Scott Barnes, who was traded from San Francisco to Cleveland for Ryan Garko. Has a 12-3 record with a 2.97 ERA in 19 starts in Advanced A between the California and Carolina Leagues. Chen-Chang Lee is a Taiwanese-born reliever who was signed by the Indians this off-season. The 22-year-old is 3-4 with a 3.37 ERA in 34 relief appearances for Kinston. Along with those guys, Brian Price and Nick Hagadone from the Boston trade, and a handful of young pitchers with Lake County, those will be the key guys from our lower-levels this season.
Again, we’re not saying this group is destined for greatness, but the organization is certainly much deeper than it was from bottom to top two weeks ago.
And Finally…
More evidence for the spurned Jordan Brown… he’s currently second in the IL in hitting with a .331 average (though he leads the league in hits with 119), and is fifth in the IL in OPS (and one of the guys he’s behind is Andy Marte, now with Cleveland).
I do not for the life of me know what this guy has to do to get called up.
4 Comments
Free Jordan Brown!
Who is this DP who allegedly writes at WFNY?
I’ve been giving this some thought lately, specifically for the nay-sayers and people that are in a downward spiral themselves and love to say that Dolan is “cashing out” and that “Shapetti” doesnt know anything with regards to baseball…
think about this:
how ecstatic would you be, in the minor leagues, at a position that your major league affiliate has a logjam at your particular position, and you get traded to a team that allows for those types of guys “their shot” at success…guys like Carrasco, Knapp, Masterson, etc…this is their shot…their team…the guys theyre playing with now are who theyre going into battle with…the guys that might amount to their best playing days….
these kids deserve nothing less than what Cleveland gives all of our players…unconditional admiration and backing…while you might not like the fact that they made the trades (ill miss vic as much as anyone), think about the kids we DID get…and how fun its going to be to sit and talk about what theyre doing, where theyre going, and how theyre changing into big-time players…
You cant think for a second that any of them necessarily WANTED to come here…but they are excited about the opportunity in front of them…reading what theyre saying, they are the future, and I think we owe it to them to give them a shot…if they fizzle out and they stink, then fine, then you can point out what the problems are just like we did with garko, shop, etc…but if theyre good players, giving them the backing that clevelanders give our athletes is what should be and will be given to them…
I think this is the beginning of some fun and entertaining teams/games in the next 2-4 yrs…why not just get behind this team, these guys as much as we can??
Its something that is in your blood…in your being…its baseball, and either youre a fan, or youre not…people saying that they are “cashing out” of their season tickets are just making way for the next group of fans who will follow and adore this club…if you want to leave the fan base, fine…theres gonna be young kids to replace you that love baseball and to them, it doesnt matter what cabrera is signing for…they just love the game…
for that reason alone…you should back this team…
They lost today’s game, getting swept in the series
The clippers have been doing badly since the trades, as have the Tribe… maybe they were a bad call