Cleveland system in great shape

Unlike some teams that have thrived due to free-agent signings, the Cleveland Indians are the poster child for building from within.

The club has consistently one of the best farm systems in baseball -- in terms of winning percentage, depth, quality of players and talent that moves up to the big leagues.

When looking through the roster for home-grown products, it's easy to pick out players like Victor Martinez, who have moved through the system to All-Star status. However, one of the greatest homegrown products of all is right at the top, GM Mark Shapiro.

Shapiro, who was just awarded a five-year contract extension (through 2012), joined the organization in 1992 as an assistant in baseball operations and moved through the ranks as director of player development until 1999 before replacing John Hart in the GM role.

Small wonder then that not only does he have a handle on how a farm system should be run, but he's done a great job in picking the heirs to his job. Neal Huntington, now special assistant to Shapiro, held the job from 1999-2001. John Farrell then took over and ran the system until this past offseason when he became the Boston Red Sox's pitching coach.

And the transition was once again pretty seamless, as the reins were handed to Ross Atkins, now in his 11th year with the Indians, most recently as the head of the club's Latin American operations department.

So, new farm director notwithstanding, you can look for same old, same old from Cleveland's Minor Leaguers. As in the same old system-wide winning record (their .544 mark ranked fifth in the Minors last year), and same old pitching depth (the club boasted two Minor League Pitchers of the Year in 2006).

The names at the head of the system may change, but the organization's commitment to a quality Minor League program remains the same.

Climbing the Ladder

Triple-A Buffalo

Brad Snyder, OF
While this isn't exactly a make-or-break season for the first-rounder from 2003, the Ball State product will certainly be watched by the Indians brass as he moves up to Buffalo. His numbers at Akron were certainly respectable enough as he hit .270 with 18 homers and 72 RBIs as well as 28 doubles, but he also struck out an organization-high 158 times. Snyder has plus bat speed, power potential and is a good defensive outfielder. An eye infection a few years ago had clouded his vision but he came into spring camp with new contact lenses and, hopefully, a newfound sense of plate vision. If he can nail that, he will retain his prospect status.

Adam Miller, RHP
Taken after Snyder in the 2003 draft, Miller has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in the Minors. The Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2006, he was 15-6 with a 2.75 ERA and an organization-best 157 strikeouts, including an especially dominant July in which he was 4-0 with an 0.29 ERA. Though slowed by elbow trouble in 2005, he did not elect for surgery and was not babied more than any other young pitcher in 2006. Though he no longer throws the 100-mph fastball of a few years ago, a repertoire with a mid-90s fastball and a plus changeup is nothing to scoff at.

"Miller is like any other individual in our organization except that he has a little more talent than most," Atkins said. "We're not treating him in any special way as far as workload. He'll be running out there starting every five days."

2006 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A SS R	LEAGUE IL EL CAR SAL NYP GCL	TEAM Buffalo Akron *Kinston Lake County Mahoning Valley Indians TOTAL:	W 73 87 85 64 40 21 370	L 68 55 54 74 36 29 316	PCT .518 .613 .551 .515 .526 .420 .539
* Won the Carolina League championship

Others to watch: LHP Tony Sipp is the club's heir apparent at closer, but that's not the role he'll hold at Buffalo. The club would like to see him stretched out to toss a few innings at a time to give him the experience he has missed due in part to his dominance thus far. They'd like to see him work on things like controlling the running game and fielding his position. A 45th-round pick out of Clemson in 2004 who slipped due to signability questions, Sipp posted a 3.13 ERA at Akron in 2006 with 80 strikeouts in 60 innings. "He'll light people up," Atkins said. ... At press time, OF Ben Francisco was still fighting for the fourth outfield spot in Cleveland, but if he doesn't make it, he becomes one of the key players to watch in Buffalo. A consistent hitter who was finally added to the 40-man roster during the offseason, he can play all three outfield spots and was the organization leader in several offensive categories in 2006 at Buffalo. His 143 hits ranked second in the International League, he stole 25 bases and posted a 25-game hitting streak. ... Two lefties bear a close watch, as both factor into the Indians' close-range bullpen plans. Rafael Perez, who has been primarily a starter in the Minors, will continue to start at Buffalo but the Indians view him as a left-handed specialist in the bigs, thanks in large part to having been the most successful matchup pitcher in the Minors in 2006. He's posted a 2.86 ERA over five Minor League seasons, throwing a fastball in the mid-90s and a plus slider. Juan Lara, who was still in the big league mix at press time, has been with the organization since 1999 but at 26 is something of a late bloomer. With a 2.70 ERA in relief at Akron in 2006 and then a 3.00 in 13 games at Buffalo, he combined to strike out 63 in 62 innings.
Video: Francisco blasts a three-run homer
Video: Francisco goes deep

Double-A Akron

Trevor Crowe, OF
The first-round pick in 2005 out of Arizona is a switch-hitter with a high energy game, good bat speed and excellent plate discipline. He started the '06 season, his first full season, batting .329 with 29 steals at Kinston before moving up to Akron. There, a strained oblique muscle and a late-season position change to second base (later rescinded) may have contributed to a .234 average, though he swiped 16 more bases in that span. He returns to Akron to refine his game since there is no rush to get him to the bigs.

"He has some things he could improve upon, though he's strong enough to compete at another level," Atkins said. "We'd like to see him shore up his right-handed approach and succeed for an entire season."
Video: Crowe on Atkins' promotion to player development director

Chuck Lofgren, LHP
The Carolina League's Pitcher of the Year at 20 years old, the fourth-rounder from 2004 led the Minors with 17 wins, posting a 2.32 ERA which ranked second in the league (behind teammate Scott Lewis). A two-way player in high school, he experimented with that as a pro before a home plate collision split his lip and halted the trial. His fastball, changeup and poise rank him just a tick behind Miller in the Indians' pitching prospect hierarchy.

Others to watch: This club should be locked and loaded to once again vie for the Eastern League title. Lewis led the Minors with a 1.48 ERA at Kinston last year and rejoins Lofgren as the one-two punch for the Aeros to open the season. A third-rounder in 2004, he missed almost two seasons following Tommy John surgery and biceps tendinitis. Consequently, he never went past six innings last year. He throws a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, a plus curveball and a changeup with excellent command. ... OF Brian Barton is one of the more exciting players in the Minors. The nondrafted free agent out of Miami, where he majored in aerospace engineering, has hit .324 in two pro seasons, showing both power and speed. He was hitting .308 with 13 homers, 57 RBIs and 26 steals at Kinston before moving up to Akron where he finished .351-6-26-15. ... 1B Jordan Brown, the 2006 Carolina League MVP, moved back to his original position of first base after spending '06 in the outfield at Kinston. He led the league with 87 RBIs despite a slow April. A fourth-round pick in 2005 out of Arizona, he is reunited with his best friend and former roommate Crowe. ... SS Asdrubal Cabrera, acquired from Seattle in a midseason trade, is an outstanding defensive shortstop with a plus arm and decent bat. The switch-hitter has no power and minimal speed, but won't be a detriment either. ...C Wyatt Toregas, a 24th-rounder in 2004 out of Virginia Tech, was leading the Carolina League in hitting at .336 when he was placed on the DL with a leg injury. He was promoted to Akron after he recovered, where he batted .258, combining for eight homers and 52 RBIs between the two stops.

Class A Advanced Kinston

John Drennen, OF
The Indians' sandwich pick in 2005 from high school in California returns to Kinston, where he finished up the '06 season as part of the league championship team. He'd been impressive at Lake County, hitting .321 with six homers and 30 RBIs, the most memorable longball coming off of Roger Clemens in the Rocket's South Atlantic League tuneup. He has made a great impression on the brass this spring.

"He's been a very nice surprise to the Major League staff this year in spring training -- he's the guy that they were asking for to come up and play in the back ends of those games," Atkins said. "He's got a very professional approach for his age, has honed his outfield skills and is still extremely young for that league."

David Huff, LHP
The club's sandwich-round pick from 2006 out of UCLA should head up the Kinston rotation to start the season, skipping past Lake County. Though he saw limited time in his pro debut, posting a 5.87 ERA in 7 2/3 innings at Mahoning Valley after not signing until August, the polished southpaw should be one to watch.

"It's rare to see a young pitcher who repeats his delivery so consistently," Atkins said. "And he has innate confidence in his fastball."

Others to watch: 3B Wes Hodges, the club's 2006 fourth overall pick and a second-rounder, might have gone in the first round had he not suffered a stress fracture in his leg toward season's end at Georgia Tech. As it was, he batted .337 with 19 doubles, 11 home runs and 64 RBIs in college, but the injury wiped out any chance of playing in 2006, so this will mark his pro debut. He should be an exciting player to watch at Kinston with his power and plate discipline. ... Also making his pro debut in the Kinston rotation will be RHP Sung-Wei Tseng, a 21-year-old out of Taiwan who showed his stuff in the World Baseball Classic last year. ... 1B Stephen Head, the club's third pick in 2005 out of Mississippi, has great power potential but struggled with his average in '06 at Kinston, so heads back there for another go. He hit .235 with 14 homers and 73 RBIs last year. ... C Maximiliano Ramirez came over last season from Atlanta in the deal for closer Bob Wickman. He hit a combined .292 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs between two South Atlantic League squads after hitting .347 at Danville in 2005. For now, he is sidelined with a mild elbow sprain. ... SS/2B Josh Rodriguez, the Indians' third pick last year out of Rice, moves up to Kinston where he should see most of his time at shortstop, with some time at second. He hit .268 with four homers and 24 RBIs at Mahoning Valley in his pro debut and is a good defender at both spots, as well as at third. His versatility should serve him well all the way up the line. ... OF Jose Constanza was a very pleasant surprise as he hit .277 at Lake County and then .327 at Kinston in his first full season, adding 39 steals. The switch-hitter has batted a combined .324 in four pro seasons, including two in the Dominican League. He is likely to start the year at Kinston due to an excess of talent above him, but was in the mix for an Akron spot right up to the end.

Class A Lake County

Matt McBride, C
The club's second-round supplemental pick out of Lehigh, a school known more for its academics than athletics, scored high on the scout scale but a shoulder injury may have affected his draft status. He hit .272 with four homers and 31 RBis along with 12 doubles at Mahoning Valley and has impressed the Indians not just with his strength but with his work ethic as well.

Steven Wright, RHP
The club's second pick in 2006 will make his much-anticipated pro debut this year after missing the summer with mononucleosis. In his last season at Hawaii, he was 11-2 with a 2.30 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 109 innings to earn WAC Pitcher of the Year honors. He throws a fastball in the low-mid 90s, a strong slider and is working on a changeup and curveball. It won't be a completely new introduction to the pro lifestyle as he traveled and worked out with Mahoning Valley last year, though he was not activated.

Others to watch: SS Carlos Rivero won't turn 19 until late May. The Venezuelan prospect hit .284 in the Gulf Coast League and is a fine shortstop with good bat potential. ... 2B Adam Davis was the club's third pick out of Florida. The switch-hitter got off to a slow start with the bat, hitting .213 at Mahoning Valley, but his upside is higher than that and he can also play shortstop. ... OF Roman Pena, just 20, made his pro debut in 2006, hitting .311 with five homers, 23 RBIs and six steals in the Gulf Coast League before batting .278 in 13 games for Lake County. ... Though he may start the season sidelined with a cyst in his wrist, LHP Michael Eisenberg is slated for the Lake County rotation when healthy. The 6-foot-7 southpaw was the club's eighth-round pick out of Marietta College, where he led Division III pitchers in wins (13) and strikeouts (138). His out pitch is his curveball.

Under the Radar

JD Martin, RHP
The former top prospect, a supplemental first-round pick in 2001, has pitched well when healthy. It's those last two words that have been the key though. After several stints on the DL, he finally underwent Tommy John surgery midway through 2005, after having posted a 2.38 ERA in his first 10 starts at Akron that summer. He was brought along carefully down the 2006 stretch, finishing up with 11 shutout innings at Kinston where he piggybacked with Lewis. In his '06 return, he struck out 40 batters and walked five in 44 innings at three levels and heads back to the Akron rotation this spring. Just 24, there is still time for him to regain his elite status.

"He's someone we've always been extremely excited about," Atkins said. "He's extremely athletic, one of the best mentally prepared players we have and his confidence is off the charts."

Aaron Laffey, LHP
It's almost hard to believe someone with Laffey's consistently impressive numbers could still be under the radar, but he has always been pitching in the shadows of some very highly regarded teammates. Just 21, he starts the year in the Akron rotation, but could move up quickly. A 16th-round pick out of high school in Maryland in 2003, he posted a 2.18 ERA in 10 games at Kinston last summer and a 3.53 ERA when he moved up to Akron, a combination of 153 innings. Not a strikeout artist (just 303 in 452 career innings), he consistently gets grounders, repeats his delivery well and is very athletic. He is a huge favorite of the organization.

Frank Herrmann, RHP
The 6-foot-4 right-hander went undrafted out of Harvard University because of elbow trouble, but has a sinking low-90s fastball and solid changeup. He has improved his mechanics and posted a 3.90 ERA in 26 starts at Lake County in his pro debut in 2006, striking out 89 in 122 innings. He is slated for the Kinston rotation but could wind up back at Lake County to start the season if there is a late-spring ripple effect downward.

"With his intelligence and strength we feel we have a prospect," Atkins said, "but he's still raw in pitch development."

2006 Draft Recap

LHP David Huff (1) was drafted for the third time after being taken by the Angels in the 31st round of 2003 and the Phillies in the 19th round of 2005. ... 3B Wes Hodges (2), their fourth overall pick, was considered one of the premiere college power prospects in the draft but a fractured leg allowed him to fall to the Indians. 2007 will mark his pro debut. ... LHP Matthew Meyer (15), a reliever out of Boston College, posted a 1.98 ERA in 19 games at Mahoning Valley, striking out 31 in 27 1/3 innings. ... RHP Josh Tomlin (19) had one of the better pro debuts in the organization, going 8-2 with a 2.09 at Mahoning Valley and striking out 69 in 77 innings. ... The Indians got some great pitching at Burlington from a pair of late-rounders: LHP Alan Brech (35), out of Bowling Green, who posted a 3.35 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 57, while walking 11 in 51 innings, and RHP Nathan Bunton (38), a Midland Lutheran product, who had 11 saves and a 1.71 ERA, with 30 strikeouts against seven walks in 26 1/3 innings.

Predictions

Organizational Player of the Year -- OF Brian Barton
One of the real Cinderella stories of the past two seasons, the multi-tooled Barton actually stepped his hitting up a notch when he moved up from Kinston to Akron during the 2006 season. Still a little raw, he's the least likely of a talented outfield crew to be called upon in Cleveland this season, meaning he should have plenty of time to rack up killer numbers across the board.

Organizational Pitcher of the Year LHP -- Chuck Lofgren
Since Adam Miller should be up pitching in Cleveland, and the organization doesn't want to rush the young southpaw, watch for him to continue to dominate hitters at the Double-A level, traditionally a pitcher-friendly league. He may not rack up another 17 wins, but should continue to post a fine ERA and show the poise so rare in a young hurler.

Quotable

"We view Triple-A as the level where we're 'finishing the player off', and that encompasses many things, (including) how we transition that individual to the Major Leagues. It's less fundamental work, less fundamental routines and plans of attacks, but more between the ears and what is going to make you elite, how you're going to get to that next level." -- Ross Atkins, Cleveland Indians director of player development