sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bradley Zimmer, Brady Aiken, Cliff Lee, Cody Anderson (baseball), Corey Kluber, Progressive Field

Feller still a star -- in Tribe archives Hall of Famer's artifacts center stage at Progressive Field exhibit By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 20th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- Jeremy Feador placed a manila folder on a counter and carefully flipped it open, revealing a stack of papers. The protected letter on top was from the National Hall of Fame, complete with an image of the brick building on the letterhead, notifying on his election in 1962. Feador, the Indians' team curator, then pulled out a Western Union telegram from beneath that letter. The small, yellow slip of paper, which included a red banner and a depiction of roses, was addressed to Feller and read: My most sincere congratulations. I am honored to go into the Hall of Fame with you. Jackie Robinson. "It's just such a neat piece of baseball history," Feador said with a smile. "To see the kind of respect between both players in a telegram like this is really neat, and kind of just an incredible piece of baseball history. You have two legendary names on this document." That telegram, along with many more just like it from a long list of historic names from baseball's past, were unearthed in the basement of the former Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa. After the Feller museum closed more than a year ago, the Indians worked closely with Feller's son, Steve, and the city of Van Meter to determine the best way to handle the large collection of artifacts. The Indians were able to bring a large portion of the items to Cleveland, where many pieces now are on display in the Bob Feller exhibit in the stadium's Terrace Club for fans to enjoy. The city of Van Meter turned the old museum into its City Hall and kept a selection of items related to Feller's hometown. There also were items from Feller's Navy days that went to the USS Alabama, on which he served in World War II. "It was a sad day when Steve Feller, Jeremy and I closed the doors to the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter," said Bobby DiBiasio, the Indians' vice president of public affairs and a former board member of the Feller museum. "In the end, it was the right thing to do, transferring the building to the city of Van Meter, thus keeping his legacy alive in his hometown while bringing specific artifacts to a larger audience here at the ballpark. "The Bob Feller exhibit at the ballpark has been met with rave reviews. I know Bob would be very happy with the win-win result." Above Feador's desk inside the Indians' offices is a sheet of paper with an excerpt from a New York Times article that ran in February last year. DiBiasio and another Indians employee, with the help of volunteer firefighters, filled a rented truck with memorabilia in December and drove it to Cleveland. "I'm 'another Indians employee,'" Feador quipped. And that is fine with Feador. He does not want the spotlight. What the team's curator does want is for the Feller exhibit to become a regular stopping point for fans who come to the ballpark. Opened last season, there is a pair of large display cases filled with an assortment of items from Feller's life and baseball career. Feller's Navy jacket is included, along with a collection of from notable events. Even the glove used by Feller's father for rounds of catch is there for fans to see. Inside the entrance to the Terrace Club, a tall, rectangular case holds a bat that belonged to Feller. This particular bat was borrowed by a cancer-ridden , who leaned on the strip of lumber while addressing the crowd on June 13, 1948 -- his last appearance at the stadium. "Babe was in the talking to Bob," Feador said. "And when they called his name at Yankee Stadium to come out and acknowledge the crowd, he needed a bat to use as a cane. He just so happened to grab Bob's bat. ... So, it's a bat Babe Ruth and Bob Feller both touched, and it's part of a Pulitzer prize-winning photograph." There are even more artifacts tucked away in the storage room in the ballpark's lower level, where items from throughout Cleveland's 100-plus year history are kept safe. Feador shows off a large Navy bag that once belonged to Feller that still has a parachute inside. There also is a long wooden box that has Feller's telescope from his days as a chief petty officer. "It's cool," Feador said, "but I have to find somewhere to display it." As Feador works to catalog and collect items from the Indians' long history, his goal is to eventually have a larger space for fans to see the pieces. The Feller exhibit is a start, and the curator plans on rotating items in and out of that area. For instance, the baseball used byCorey Kluber to record the 14th of his 18 against the Cardinals on May 13 last year was on display for a period of time. Kluber actually struck out those 18 on the day the Feller exhibit opened, and that total tied Feller's 1938 franchise record for strikeouts in a nine- game. Feller's widow, Anne, and two of Feller's sons were in attendance that day. "The same day we opened this exhibit," Feador said, "Corey then channeled his inner Bob Feller." "For our kids, when you think of Bob Feller, you think of the marbled statue," said Feador, referring to the statue outside Gate C at Progressive Field. "But when you look at his jacket or his glove, this was a real person. "Bob's your American story. That's the best thing about him. You couldn't ask for a better representation or an ambassador of your team. Bob's perfect. We're so lucky to have this stuff."

Indians aggressive in preserving team history Growing archives a labor of love for Tribe curator Feador By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 20th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- A thin layer of infield dirt remains scattered across the top of the base. A small, hard plastic plate on one of the sides has a severe crack, perhaps the result of a pair of sprinting spikes. The square piece of history was donated to the Indians by their rivals in Detroit. This base, which sits in a storage room in the bowels of Progressive Field, is the oneFrancisco Lindor tripped over on June 14 last season while recording the first of his Major League career, at . With the help of an authenticator, the Indians' public-relations team and the Tigers, Jeremy Feador, the Indians' team curator, was able to obtain the item for the team's growing archives. "With a player like Lindor," Feador explained, "you take a bet, you take a gamble that this guy is going to be great. He's a highly touted prospect, so something like this, it's cool. We could've gotten a baseball from that game and that would've been cool, but this is something that's unique. "It's a great piece and, hopefully, when Lindor becomes our next , it'll be, 'Hey, this is from his first hit.'" Feador, 29, who grew up in North Olmsted in Cleveland's west suburbs, fell in love with baseball with the help of the powerful Tribe teams of the '90s. He joined the Indians' organization prior to the 2014 season and has spent the past two years sorting and cataloging the incredible collection of historic items found throughout the stadium from various points in the team's 115-year history. Beyond the past, however, Feador has also been extremely proactive in the collection of items that will become historic artifacts over time. That has included obtaining bats and baseballs from significant events, collecting at least one version of each jersey worn by the Indians and securing other unique pieces that could become special over time. After all, the present will soon be the past. "We want to acquire artifacts as they happen," Feador said. "You might not think of last year being this great history year, but 20 years from now, it's going to be pretty amazing, or 30 years, depending on the careers a lot of these guys have. has already won a Award. So, preserving artifacts of his, in 50 years, it could be just as cool as Bob Feller artifacts." The Indians do not currently have a museum space at the stadium -- aside from a small exhibit honoring Hall of Famer Feller in the Terrace Club -- so the bulk of the team's historic collection is housed in a pair of storage rooms that are located off the main tunnel in the lower level of Progressive Field. Feador retrieves a box from one of the metal floor-to-ceiling shelves and carefully slides off the lid. Inside is a rosin bag used by rookie Cody Anderson in his Major League debut for the Indians last season. "You might whiff on some things too," Feador said. "I mean, will Cody Anderson be a Cy Young-caliber at some point? I don't know, but we have a ball and a rosin bag from his first game. Something like that, it's easy to store. It's small." Just inside the door of the room is a large wood box with a grid of square holes in the top. Most of the slots contain a baseball bat -- each marked with a small tag on a string. Feador pulls out a recent model with a brown handle, black barrel and ' name etched into the wood. The bat was used by Kipnis during his torrid May last season, when the second baseman became the first Indians player since 1938 to have at least 30 runs and 50 hits in a single month. There is also a broken bat that used to belong to Yan Gomes, who won a Silver Slugger Award in 2014. While collecting items, Feador is always thinking ahead to potential displays around the ballpark or possibly down the road in a museum. "Gomes was the first Brazilian player in baseball," Feador said. "So, getting more Gomes stuff would be good in case later on you want to do something on diverse Cleveland players, or something like that. You have to sort of think outside the box a little bit." On May 13 last season, the Indians officially opened the Bob Feller exhibit with his widow, Anne, and his sons on hand for the ceremony and game that day. Kluber then went out and struck out 18 batters, tying Feller's 1938 franchise record for strikeouts in a nine-inning contest. With Kluber's blessing, the team was able to secure the baseball used to record the 14th . Feador said having players understand what the team is trying to do is integral to the process. "Having that relationship with players," Feador said, "having them understand we're trying to preserve stuff towards history, is good. Corey also let us use his jersey in the Feller display. Ultimately, he wanted it back, and that's fine. You just try to build that rapport." The Indians also have a reproduction of Kluber's 2014 on hand. Teams often order duplicates of such awards for displays around the ballpark. Last year, for example, Kluber's plaque was on hand in The Corner bar at Progressive Field. There is a reproduction of former Indians player Nick Swisher's 2014 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award on display in the Feller exhibit, too. Before each season, Feador also notes what milestones are coming up for the club. Is there anything interesting coming this year? "We'll be playing our 18,000th game," Feador said with a smile. He'll surely secure a baseball to commemorate the event when it arrives in September. It's not every day a curator can land a unique piece like the Lindor base. "Once Lindor tripped over it," Feador said, "it made it a thing."

Aiken sets sights on healthy return with Indians Left-hander excited to be throwing off mound again By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 17th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- It was a strange feeling being on a mound again. thought back to the last time he threw a pitch from the rubber and the left-hander remembered the pain in his arm. That was nearly a year ago. Now, he was standing on slab of dirt at the Indians' spring complex. Aiken went through his windup, fired a and heard it pop into the catcher's mitt. "It was a very big moment for me," Aiken said from Arizona. That was on Monday at Cleveland's headquarters in Goodyear, Ariz. Aiken went through another conservative mound workout on Friday morning. He threw only , at only an estimated 50-percent effort level, but these were important pitches for the 19-year-old. They marked the next step in the road back to being an ace in the making. The Indians knew the risk when they picked Aiken with the 17th overall selection in the 2015 June Amateur Draft. He was in the early stages of recovery from surgery -- to repair an injury that supported Houston's fears from the previous summer. Aiken, selected first overall by the Astros in 2014, went unsigned after a bitter chain of events. That is all ancient history now. Aiken is thrilled to be in the Tribe's care, and the Indians have been impressed with how he has handled himself through the rehab process. "I think the very best thing you can say about Brady is the fact that he's just one of the guys," said Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player development. "There are 15 guys in that rehab group, and it'd be really easy, just considering the attention Brady's gotten -- the fanfare, the publicity -- for him to treat the process different than one of the other 14 guys. "But, really, the fact that he's fit in so well has certainly been impressive. And, the fact that as a young player, he's been able to go through the rehab process with such focus and dedication, that aspect of things has been very encouraging as well." Aiken officially signed with the Indians on June 19 -- 11 days after the Draft -- and was already in Arizona to continue his rehab with Cleveland when he signed his name on the dotted line. He was looking forward to turning the page on the episode with the Astros. Houston agreed to a $6.5-million signing bonus in '15, but then lowered its offer to $5 million after concerns stemming from a post-Draft physical. When Aiken opted not to sign with the Astros, he joined (1971) and (1983) as the only No. 1 picks in the Draft's history not to sign. After being picked by Cleveland, Aiken and his representatives went to work on looking into the team's medical staff and track record. The southpaw had sustained the elbow injury while pitching for IMG Academy's post-graduate team on March 26 last year and then underwent Tommy John surgery six days later. If Aiken was going to sign with the Indians, he wanted to know he was in good hands. "That was a big thing," Aiken said. "We saw that they've had success at the big league level with Tommy John guys. Obviously, the main thing in baseball, you can't play if you're not healthy. So, having a good rehab system and having good coordinators and things like that, knowing that they are successful in the Tommy John recovery, that was a very big thing for me." As he has gotten to know Cleveland's rehab and medical staff in Arizona, Aiken has increasingly trusted that he made the right decision when he signed. "I love it. I don't think there could be a better fit, especially right now," Aiken said. "I wanted to make sure that my rehab was going to be done correctly and not rushed. Everything they've done so far to this point has helped me achieve that." With Aiken, the Indians have the luxury of time. This is not a situation where the Major League team lost a key , nor is there motivation to get the player back to the big leagues as soon as possible. Aiken is a prospect who has yet to work in a professional game. Both he and Cleveland have a wide perspective to approaching his rehab schedule, knowing that they are planning for a career, not just a season. "There's no timeline specific to Brady, where we're saying we have to get him back on the mound," Hawkins said. "He's so young. He's got so much time. We're just going to do the rehab as efficiently as we possibly can and, as soon as he's ready to roll, we'll get him out there." Aiken, while surely frustrated at times by the monotonous and gradual nature of a Tommy John rehab schedule, which typically requires 12-18 months for recovery, is keeping the big picture in mind throughout the process. "You have to be smart," Aiken said, "because it's not about the next year. It's about the next 10, 15 and so on years. I haven't even thrown a pitch yet in . I'm trying to make sure that that's not my last pitch. I'm trying to make sure that I can last for a long time." That means not looking too far ahead. It means following the daily schedule without pushing harder than the rehab team instructs. "I think that's really a tough part," Aiken said. "It's just the waiting game and trying to hold back." Aiken can't wait for Monday. He'll be back on the mound again. And, this time, he can recall how healthy he felt the last time he toed the rubber. "Getting off the mound again and feeling good," Aiken said, "and just letting everything go nice and easy and fluid, it felt very exceptional."

Can Michael Brantley play catch up for in 2016? Hey, Hoynsie Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie. Hey, Hoynsie: Are you concerned that when Michael Brantley comes back from injury, his season will be like Yan Gomes of 2015 & Jason Kipnis of 2014? Also how long will Brantley be out? If Rajai Davis plays great while Brantley is out would he replace Abraham Almonte in center field or whomever wins the right field job when Brantley returns? – Andy Mees, Sandusky and Perry Van Hook, Surprise, Ariz. Hey, Andy and Perry: You guys double-teamed me on Brantley. Right now, Brantley is on schedule for his return, which could be sometime in May. Anytime a player misses time and has to play catch up during the season, it's difficult. Brantley did play, and played well, with back and shoulder issues last year so he has that going for him. I think the Indians see Davis more as a corner outfielder than a center fielder. did say that Davis could see sometime in center against lefties. Michael Brantley, who led the AL with 45 doubles in 2015, underwent surgery on his right shoulder Monday to repair a torn labrum. He will be sidelined five to six months and could miss the first month of the regular season. Hey, Mike: Having a healthy Gomes and for a full season will help. So will the additions of Mike Napoli and Davis. But I don't see the Indians winning the Central because they outscore their four divisional rivals. If they win it, they'll do it with pitching, defense and just enough offense. i think this offense is still suspect.

"Carlos can play first, DH and, who knows, he may even be able to play a few more positions," Francona said. "He's played third in the past." Hey, Hoynsie: How are the renovations going at Progressive Field? Is everything going as planned; does management expect the new additions/remodel to be ready for ? -- Nikolas Kolenich, Los Angeles. Hey, Nikolas: The renovations, stretching from the right field corner to the home porch in left field are going well. The mild weather in November and December certainly helped. Last week crews started installing panels on the new . The renovations and scoreboard are expected to be complete by opening day, April 4. Hey, Kevin: i never wrote that. Unless you find my finger prints at the scene of the crime, talk to my lawyer. Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think there would be any possibility Ian Desmond would consider moving to third base? If so, would the Indians be interested in a one-year deal while he re-establishes his value so he can test free agency next year? – Jeff Bowers, New Philadelphia. Hey, Jeff: Desperate times require desperate measures, but I think Desmond would be more inclined to sign a one-year deal with a team that needs a shortstop rather than switching to third base. Last year he finished second among National League shortstops with 19 homers and fourth with 62 RBI. I can't imagine making a position switch in 2016 would re-establish his value as a shortstop for 2017. Hey, 216Diehard: I think they'd love it if it happened, but Naquin would have to have a great camp and even that might not be enough to win the center field job from Abraham Almonte. Unless a team is in a full-blown rebuilding program, rookies usually don't win jobs based on spring-training performances. Antonetti and , like the majority of baseball decision makers, think spring training is one of the worst times of the season to make a serious evaluation on a player. That being said, Naquin needs to play well this spring. The last two years his development has been stalled by injuries. Hey, Hoynsie: Do you see the Tribe trying to catch lightning in a bottle again with or ? Having either one of them at 80- 90% is better than any option the Indians have as a No.5 starter. -- Steve Smith, Brooklyn. Hey, Steve: It's a great thing to catch lightning in a bottle, but the odds say you mostly catch air. Lee didn't pitch at all last year and didn't get his injured left elbow surgically repaired. Lincecum is coming off hip surgery. I'm betting the Indians take their chances on , Cody Anderson, Mike Clevinger, Adam Plutko and others to find a fifth starter. Hey, Lorenzo: Yes, I think there's a chance that could happen. Money will be the determining factor. Hey, Dion: The Indians had a problem with their defense in 2014, addressed it in spring training and became one of the top defensive teams in MLB in 2015. I'm not sure if the solution to better starts will be corrected so successfully. Since the 2016 schedule is already out, the Indians can't petition the commissioner to play the first two months of the season in the warm weather of Florida and California. The thing I like about the Indians under Francona is that they peak late in the season. The Indians will open the 2016 campaign against Terry Francona's former club, the , at Progressive Field on Monday, April 4. Still, April in particular has proven to be a difficult time. Poor April performances over the last two seasons have negated the Tribe's late-season rallies. One good thing about the 2016 schedule is that the Indians will play only nine games against the Central Division in April. Last year they played 17 and went 5-12, including 1-5 against Detroit. It was a staggering blow that they never recovered from. Hey, Bill: First things first. Get Yoenis Cespedes, then worry about the attendance. Ownership has to stop saying, "if you come, we'll build it" and start saying "build it and they will come." Hey, Steve: I support the pursuit of Juan Uribe or any other player who can supply offense to this team. I do not want to see another season of well-pitched games wasted because of a lack of runs. The addition of Uribe wouldn't mean a trip to the minors for Giovanny Urshela.Uribe can play all around the infield and Urshela could watch and learn from a veteran.

What the ' signing of means for the Cleveland Indians, AL Central: Zack Meisel's musings Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Detroit Tigers were already all in. What's another $132 million? Here are five thoughts on the Tigers' signing of Justin Upton, the landscape of the and what it all means for the Indians. 1. Deep pockets: The Tigers had committed to long-term contracts with , Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, and Victor Martinez. Scooping up Upton on a six-year deal doesn't really add to the risk the team has already accrued. As long as Mike Ilitch, 86, is Detroit's owner, the Tigers won't just fade into oblivion. The club finished at the bottom of the division in 2015 and yet, with a handful of free-agent signings and a few trades, Detroit could again be a force in the Central. As much as the Indians are hoping and wishing upon some offense (or a genie or a Powerball jackpot), the Tigers will be doing the same with their pitching staff. Francisco Rodriguez, and are nice acquisitions, but the Tigers have seemingly been addressing a maligned bullpen every winter since Ty Cobb was in uniform. The rotation's output could depend on the health of Anibal Sanchez, the ability of Verlander and the arrival of Zimmerman. The lineup has the fewest question marks. For all of the talk about its heavy lean to right-handedness, all of those right-handed hitters sure slapped around the Tribe's right-handed pitching last year. Cabrera posted a 1.165 OPS in 17 games against Cleveland. He and J.D. Martinez combined to sock 10 home runs and tally 34 RBI against the Indians. Victor Martinez, a 37-year-old switch-hitter who was limited to 120 games last year -- and logged a career-worst .667 OPS -- could prove key. 2. More money, more problems: With the stacks of cash the Tigers have guaranteed their core players, they might as well continue to spend. • The Tigers will pay Cabrera $32 million in 2023, when he's 40. • The Tigers still owe Verlander $112 million over the next four years. • Martinez will receive $54 million over the next three years. • Kinsler will earn $25 the next two years and either $12 million in 2018, or he'll receive a $5 million buyout. • Sanchez will earn nearly $34 million the next two years and either $16 million in 2018, or he'll receive a $5 million buyout. • Zimmermann will receive $110 million over the next five years. The Tigers already had $100 million committed to four players for the 2018 season, and at least another $10 million guaranteed in buyouts or player contracts. The club also owes former first baseman $6 million per year through 2020. Verlander, Cabrera and Zimmermann will combine to earn $83 million alone in 2019. They will be 36, 36 and 33, respectively. So why not throw Upton into the mix, too? What's another log in the bonfire? Upton has been worth 10.4 WAR over the last three years, with an average of 27 home runs (and 164 strikeouts) per season. 3. Different game: Free agency is full of inefficiency. Return on investment for a mega deal is rarely worth it in the long run. The Tigers, though, are always operating in the short run, the present tense. It'll likely catch up with them at some point, but they'll worry about that later. As for the Indians, it's an entirely different game. Upton's average annual value will equal about one-fourth of the Indians' entire payroll. He'd be a foreign entity on Cleveland's soil. In Detroit's clubhouse, his paycheck fits in. As has been written ad nauseam in this space, a larger payroll guarantees nothing. Breathing room never hurts, though, especially in a sport without a salary cap. 4. Long division: So how does this influence the AL Central? The Royals uncharacteristically handed a lot of cash to familiar face Alex Gordon and new face . As the defending champions, even without Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, they figure to contend for the division title. There could be some clutter, though. The Tigers don't seem to be headed for a second straight finish in the basement. The Twins' youngsters will be a year older. The White Sox added Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie and they acquired Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro to handle their catching. Each team has its flaws. The Royals might have the fewest (they survived without an imposing rotation last year). It could be a five-team crapshoot. 5. New gig: Shaun Marcum, who spent the last two years in the Indians' organization, retired at the end of the 2015 campaign and has joined the coaching staff at Northwestern Oklahoma State. Marcum logged a 5.40 ERA in seven outings for the Tribe in 2015. He made 24 appearances for Triple-A Columbus over the last two seasons following 2013 shoulder surgery. That's quotable "So if Verlander gets married will we have two Justin Uptons" -- a Miguel Cabrera parody account That's a fact The Indians will play their final 23 games in 2016 against AL Central opponents.

Matt Quatraro on Cleveland Indians prospect : 'He's a supremely talented guy' Paul Hoynes CLEVELAND, Ohio – This is the time of year for publications to unveil their Top 10 prospects for each team in the big leagues. When it comes to prospects, it's a lot easier to find a Corey Smith than a Mike Trout, but the Top 10 lists keep getting coming and their readers keep the faith that enough of those prospects will eventually reach the big leagues. One of those lists ranked outfielder Clint Frazier as the Indians' second-best prospect behind , another outfielder. It is one thing to rank a minor league player, but it is another to actually lay eyes on him. Frazier spent last season playing at Lynchburg (Virginia) in the . Fans can read his statistics -- .285 (143-for-501) with 36 doubles, 16 homers, 72 RBI, 88 runs and 15 steals – but it's not the same as being able to watch him every night at the ballpark or on television. Matt Quatraro, Indians assistant hitting coach, faced the same dilemma until last off-season. He'd seen Frazier a couple of times during spring training when he'd join the big-league club as a backup player for Cactus League games, but he didn't get a chance to work with him every day. That changed when Quatraro was named manager of the of the after last season. The Indians sent Frazier and seven others to the Scorpions. The Giants, Padres, Red Sox, Twins and Tigers added players to the roster as well. It turned out to be a rewarding experience for Quatraro, Frazier and the Scorpions. They won the AFL championship and Frazier, the Tribe's No.1 pick in 2013, was named as one of the league's top 10 prospects. In 22 games Frazier hit .281 (25-for-89) with three homers and eight RBI. Frazier, who spent most of his time playing center field and batting leading off, scored 15 runs, stole four bases in seven attempt and struck out 27 times. Frazier, one of six outfielders chosen, posted a .281/.347/.438 slash line across 98 plate appearances for the Scottsdale Scorpions, who captured the league's championship. ''He's talented,'' said Quatraro. ''To get to see him on a regular basis was pretty impressive. Tool-wise, strength-wise, he's supremely talented guy.'' The Indians drafted Frazier, 21, out of Loganville (Ga.) High School after he hit .485 with 17 homers and 45 RBI in 32 games his senior year. ''The No.1 thing that sticks out is the bat speed,'' said Quatraro. ''By far he had the most bat speed in the Fall League. He's very physical with a ton of natural strength and raw power. "The unique thing is a lot of his power is to right field and right center. He hit three home runs and they were all line drives to right. I think he has potential to be a high average hitter because his swing is flat and repeatable." Along with Frazier's power come strikeouts. He struck out 128 times in 501 at-bats last year at Lynchburg. The year before he struck out 161 times in 474 at-bats at Class A Lake County. The No.1 thing that sticks out is the bat speed. By far he had the most bat speed in the Fall League. "There is going to be some swing-and-miss at times because of his power, but with maturity I think that will go down as his quality of at-bats will gets better," said Quatraro. "When he struck out in the Fall League, it was as much approach based as mechanical." Zimmer and Frazier were scheduled to play in the AFL after last season with Zimmer being the 'priority player,' meaning he would play four out of every six games. When Zimmer suffered a broken bone in his right foot at the end of the regular season, Frazier because the Tribe's priority player. Zimmer, 22, split his season between High-A Lynchburg and Double-A Akron. In all, he batted .273 with a .368 on-base percentage and an .814 OPS, with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs and 44 stolen bases in 127 games. He posted a .308/.403/.493 slash line at Lynchburg and a .219/.313/.374 clip at Akron. "He's a great kid to be around," said Quatraro. "He wants to learn everything today. He knows where he wants to be and I think he has an idea of how good he can be." The timetable for Frazier's arrival in Cleveland depends on who is doing the talking. It took Francisco Lindor, another first-round high school pick by the Tribe, four-plus seasons to do it. Frazier will be entering his fourth season in 2016. ''Conservatively, you want to make sure he gets all the at-bats he needs," said Quatraro. Third baseman Yandy Diaz, outfielder Todd Hankins, catcher Jeremy Lucas and Antonio Romero, Perci Garner, Grant Sides and Jacob Lee were the Tribe's minor leaguers who played for Quatraro in Arizona. Here's what Quatraro had to say about them: Diaz, 24: "He's got a tremendous skill set. He's really strong. He looks like a body builder. He runs well. Has a good arm. He can play multiple positions. He played third in the Fall League, but we worked him at second base, too. ''He's kind of an unknown quantity. He's performed so well the first two years in the states, you kind of think the sky is the limit for this guy." Diaz, who defected from Cuba, hit .315 (150-for-476) with seven homers and 55 RBI at Class AA Akron last year. He hit .158 (3-for-190) at Class AAA Columbus. In the AFL, he hit .246 (16-for-61) with one homer and seven RBI. Hankins, 25: ''He's extremely versatile. He played exclusively outfield this fall, but that was more of the circumstances of the team we had. He played all three outfield spots, but worked all the time at second and third base. He's a plus runner, showed a good arm and played a great center field.'' Hankins, a 15th round pick in 2011, hit .261 (116-for-445) with six homers and 36 RBI at Akron. In the AFL, he hit .246 (14-for-57) with one homer and five RBI. Lucas, 25: ''He was one of our taxi squad players, meaning he could play only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He swings the bat well and did a nice job behind the plate. It's an interesting setting for because no starting pitcher goes more than five . So a catcher is going to catch five or six pitchers every game.'' RHP Romero, 25: "Romero pitches like a veteran. He throws a lot of off-speed stuff. The month-long layoff between the end of the minor-league season and start off the Fall League hurt his command. Once he got his command of off-speed stuff, he was much more effective." Romero, who defected from Cuba, went 1-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 27 appearances at Lynchburg last season. He made one start at Columbus. In the AFL, Romero went 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA in five starts. He struck out 17 and walked nine in 13 2/3 innings. RHPs Garner and Sides: "They each have mid-90s fastballs at times with really good movement. Like all pitchers, they need to throw quality strikes on a consistent basis. When they were in the zone, they were really tough to hit." Garner, 27, a former second-round pick of the Phillies in 2010, went 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA at Lynchburg. In the AFL, he posted a 5.59 ERA in nine appearances, striking out 11 and walking 11 in 9 2/3 innings. Sides, 26, a former 12th-round pick in 2011, was a combined 1-4 with a 3.26 ERA at Lynchburg and Akron. In the AFL, he posted a 7.15 ERA in nine appearances, striking out six and walking seven in 11 1/3 innings. RHP Lee, 26, a former ninth-round pick in 2012, went 5-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 37 games at Akron. In the AFL, he made three appearances before being injured. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.21.2016