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Indians Announce '16 Player-Development

Indians Announce '16 Player-Development

Indians announce '16 player-development staff By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 11th, 2016 -- John McDonald spent the better part of two decades putting dazzling defense on display on the big league stage. The Indians announced Monday that the former will now be charged with helping mold the developing infielders within their farm system. McDonald, who served as a special assistant to player development last year for Cleveland, will take over as the Tribe's Minor League infield coordinator this year. According to a release by the ballclub, the 41-year-old McDonald will be "the primary resource to Minor League coaches in the implementing and monitoring of individual infielder player plans." The Indians selected McDonald in the 12th round of the 1996 Draft, and he turned himself into one of 's elite infield defenders over the course of a 16-year career, which included parts of seven seasons with Cleveland. Dating back to 1990, McDonald is one of only 10 to register at least 51 Defensive Runs Saved. The Indians have also hired former Bruce , who retired in 2015 after a two-start stint with Cleveland, to be a Minor League cultural development coordinator. Chen pitched in 17 seasons in the Majors with 11 teams, appearing in 400 games. Chen -- a native of Panama who speaks multiple languages -- will assist all organizational players in the transition to , with a focus on Latin-born players. Cleveland also announced -A Columbus Chris Tremie, -A manager Dave Wallace and Advanced Lynchburg manager Mark Budzinski will all return to the same role in 2016. , who spent the past five seasons between three Class A teams, will manager Class A Lake County. Edwin Rodriguez, who managed the Marlins in 2010-11, will manage Class A Short-Season Mahoning Valley in his fifth season with the Indians. Another notable addition is the hiring of Steve McCatty to be the pitching at Lake County. McCatty spent the past seven seasons as the Major League pitching coach for the Nationals, who added him to their system after he worked as the big league pitching coach for the Tigers from 2003-05. Below is the list of Cleveland's 2016 player-development staff: Athletic trainer: Jeremy Heller Front office Strength and conditioning: Scott Nealon Director, player development: Carter Hawkins Lynchburg Assistant director, player development: Eric Binder Manager: Budzinski Assistant director, player development: Alex Eckelman Pitching coach: Rigo Beltran Director, administration: Wendy Hoppel Hitting coach: Larry Day Administrative assistant: Nilda Taffanelli Athletic trainer: Bobby Ruiz Coordinators Strength and conditioning: Juan Acevedo Field coordinator: Tom Wiedenbauer Lake County Pitching coordinator: Manager: Mansolino Assistant field coordinator: Julio Rangel Pitching coach: McCatty Lower level pitching coordinator: Hitting coach: TBD Hitting coordinator: Jim Rickon Coach: Junior Betances Catching coordinator: Scooter Tucker Athletic trainer: Matt Beauregard Infield coordinator: McDonald Strength and conditioning: Paul Synenkyj Cultural development: Chen Mahoning Valley Strength and conditioning: Todd Kubacki Manager: Rodriguez Rehab coordinator: TBA Pitching coach: Tighe Dickinson Pitching programs, rehab: Ken Knutson Hitting coach: Kevin Howard Strength and conditioning, Latin America: Nelson Perez Athletic trainer: Jake Legan Performance coach: Ceci Clark Strength and conditioning: Jake Sankal Performance coach: Brian Miles Arizona League (Rookie) Performance coach: Oscar Gutierrez Manager: Anthony Medrano Special assistant: Pitching coach: Mark Allen Special assistant: Travis Hafner Hitting coach: Dennis Malave Advisor: Jhonny Goryl Hitting coach: Bobby Magallanes Advisor: Minnie Mendoza Athletic trainer: Ted Blackwell Advisor: Tim Tolman Rehab strength: Pat Trainor Advisor: Travis Fryman Strength and conditioning: Cesar Yepez Columbus (Rookie) Manager: Tremie Field coordinator: Jose Mejia Pitching coach: Steve Karsay Pitching coach: Jesus Sanchez Hitting coach: Pitching coach: Carlos Jan Coach: Omir Santos Hitting coach: Freddy Tiburcio Athletic trainer: Chad Wolfe Infield coach: Carlos Fermin Strength and conditioning: Ed Subel Tryout coach: Jesus Tavarez Double-A Akron Strength and conditioning: Hasani Torres Manager: Wallace Assistant, strength and conditioning: Fernando Cabral Pitching coach: Tony Arnold Athletic trainer: Gabriel Garcia Hitting coach: Athletic trainer: Edwin Garcia

Arb-eligible Indians include Chisenhall, Allen By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 12th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- When was back in the Minor Leagues in July, it was fair to wonder what the future held for him with the Indians. His status as an arbitration-eligible player this winter made it possible that Cleveland would consider cutting ties with the former . Things changed dramatically when Chisenhall offered to try his hand in right field -- a decision that altered his career and breathed life into his place on the Indians' roster. On Tuesday, Chisenhall joined , , reliever Jeff Manship and starter in filing for salary arbitration with Cleveland. • Hot Stove Tracker "I'm not sure any of us could have expected him to go and be as good as he was right out of the gate," Indians president of baseball operations said of Chisenhall's move to right field. "We recognize how difficult position changes are. But to his credit, he really worked out there. ... He worked at it and took a lot of pride on it." Arbitration-eligible players and their teams must exchange 2016 salary figures on Friday. If necessary, arbitration hearings will be held from Feb. 1-21, though a deal can be reached at any point leading up to a player's scheduled hearing. Chisenhall, who projects to be the Tribe's , led players at the position with 11 Defensive Runs Saved in only 354 1/3 . Among all Major Leaguers with at least 300 innings in right field, he was tied for fourth in Defensive Runs Saved and ranked first in UZR/150 (35.3). That is the kind of defense that can result in Gold Glove Awards. After returning from Triple-A Columbus on July 30, Chisenhall also saw improvement in the batter's box. His batting average stood at .209 when he was sent back down to the Minors, but he at a .288 (.756 OPS) clip after rejoining the fold as a right fielder. Overall, Chisenhall hit .246 with a .667 OPS in 106 games for the Indians, making his case an intriguing one for the club. MLBTradeRumors.com projects that Chisenhall could command around $3 million in arbitration after earning $2.25 million last year. Allen, 27, is eligible for arbitration for the first time after a 2015 season that saw him lead all Major League relievers with a 2.6 WAR, according to FanGraphs.com. Right behind Allen were standout relievers (2.5) and (2.4). The right-hander had 34 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 in 69 1/3 innings last year, and he has logged at least 70 games with a 2.49 ERA in the past three years While MLBTradeRumors.com forecasts that Allen will net around $3.5 million for '16, the closer said at the end of the year that he is open to discussing a multi-year extension with the Indians. "I would absolutely love to," Allen said. "I think anybody in this clubhouse would love to. We have a great staff here, a great group of guys and the city of Cleveland has treated me very well. I would love to play here for a very, very long time. If that opportunity presents itself, I'd definitely be open to it." General manager addressed that scenario at the end of the season. "I couldn't comment on Cody in particular," Chernoff said. "With relievers it can be more challenging. You just don't see those contracts out there quite as much in the industry. It's a little bit easier to project out a 's role moving forward or a position player's role moving forward. That's harder to do in the . I think that volatility often leads to the challenge of both sides meeting on what a potential value could be." The 28-year-old Shaw, who earned $1.55 million through arbitration last season, had a 2.95 ERA in 74 appearances in 2015, following his 80- game showing in '14. In three seasons with the Indians, the right-hander has logged a 2.93 ERA in 215 1/3 innings, spanning 224 outings. MLBTradeRumors.com projects Shaw to make around $2.8 million this season. Manship is eligible for arbitration following a breakout showing in his first year with the Indians. The right-hander had a 6.46 ERA in parts of six seasons prior to joining Cleveland on a Minor League deal last winter, but he then fashioned a 0.92 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings out of the Tribe's bullpen. Among all Major League relievers with at least 30 innings, Manship led the way in ERA. Manship could earn around $700,000, according to MLBTradeRumors.com. Tomlin, who earned a $1.5 million salary in arbitration last year, is coming off a 10-start showing in which he went 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA for the Indians. The 31-year-old returned from right shoulder surgery last summer and also missed time in 2012-13 due to surgery. Tomlin, who is Cleveland's longest-tenured player, has gone 36-30 with a 4.65 ERA in 95 career games. MLBTradeRumors.com projects him to earn around $3.1 million.

Brantley among trio added to Tribe Fest By Jamal Collier / MLB.com | January 12th, 2016 Three Indians players have been added to the roster of current team members scheduled to be in attendance at this year's Tribe Fest. , Cody Allen and will appear at Tribe Fest 2016 on Jan. 30 at Aloft Cleveland Downtown, the club announced Tuesday. Brantley, Allen and Salazar join other current Indians , , , , Lonnie Chisenhall and Bryan Shaw, who are all scheduled to appear. , , Ellis Burks and are among the former Indians also expected to join. More players and executives are also expected to attend. The event is taking place at Aloft due to renovations to that made holding Tribe Fest at the ballpark untenable this year.

Indians, director of Latin operations part ways By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 11th, 2016 CLEVELAND -- The Indians are making a change atop their Latin American operations department. Cleveland has parted ways with Ramon Pena, its director of Latin American operations. The Indians announced their 2016 player development staff on Monday, but are still in the process of naming a replacement for Pena. Pena led the Tribe's Latin American scouting department since 2009. "Over the course of the past month, Ramon and I have had numerous and extensive conversations about the future direction of our Latin American operations," Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "Based upon those discussions, we both felt that it would be best to part ways at this point. "Ramon has made a great impact on the organization in his time with us. He's an outstanding and accomplished scout, executive and leader. We all wish Ramon the very best as he continues his distinguished career." In a report on , Pena added the the sides parted ways "in a mutual, friendly way. "I want to thank the Dolan family for the opportunity they gave me to work for a fine organization like the ," he was quoted as saying. "I enjoyed my time working with Chris Antonetti and [general manager] Mike Chernoff. I also enjoyed working with Mark Shapiro, who was responsible for bringing me to the Cleveland Indians, and I also would like to thank [former Indians farm directror] Ross Atkins and [senior director of scouting operations] John Mirabelli for their support. I enjoyed working with them." Shapiro left the Indians after the 2015 season to serve as the president of the Blue Jays and brought Atkins to Toronto to work as his general manager.

How Carlos Carrasco pitched his way into ace status for the Indians By Matt TruebloodBaseball Prospectus Carlos Carrasco is the ace, if not of the Cleveland Indians then at least of the PITCHf/x leaderboards we maintain at Baseball Prospectus. After years of inconsistent development and injury trouble, Carrasco has emerged in the past year and a half as one of the league's most dynamic starters. His raw stuff is impressive, but the fun thing is that he gets more interesting (and more impressive) every time you turn over his numbers and examine them from a new angle.

The first thing that jumps out, in perusing Carrasco's profile, is the depth of his arsenal. He has five distinct pitches: a four-seam , a sinker, a , a and a . Each has a distinct role in his approach to opposing hitters, and notably, he threw each with some substantial frequency in 2015. His curve, the least vital weapon in his repertoire, still made up nearly eight percent of the pitches he threw last season, and batters who fell behind in the count against Carrasco (the poor souls) saw the pitch almost twice that often.

That highlights one of the first remarkable strengths of Carrasco's repertoire: He has (not one, but) three offspeed out pitches. That curveball is one of the league's nastiest. Of the 90 who threw at least 200 hooks in 2015 (a threshold, admittedly, Carrasco narrowly cleared), Carrasco ranked fourth in average velocity (84.1 miles per hour), second in opponent swing rate (54.8 percent), and first in those opponents' whiff rate on those swings (51.7 percent). His slider (much more of a bread-and-butter offering for him) is similarly superlative. Eighty-seven hurlers threw at least 200 sliders last year, and Carrasco's ranked fifth in velocity, 11th in swing rate, and fourth in whiff rate.

His changeup was more of a situational offering, saved in large part for left-handed batters, but while the overall numbers on that pitch are less gaudy, one fascinating thing happened as counts progressed. With no strikes on opposing batters (a situation in which he threw the pitch somewhat sparingly, anyway), Carrasco induced a whiff rate of 26.3 percent on the change. With one strike, that rate jumped to 35.4 percent, and improbably, it climbed again with two strikes, to 35.7 percent. Even isolating left-handed hitters, who were twice as likely to see the pitch in those counts, a third of two-strike swings at that offering came up empty.

It's hard to achieve a higher whiff rate on pitches as the number of strikes on a batter increases. Despite the league-wide spike in rate and the frequent assertion that hitters aren't thinking defensively enough, most batters do maintain a two-strike approach predicated on making contact at a higher rate. Carrasco's shocking depth of options, though, keeps hitters badly off balance, even in counts wherein most pitchers become more predictable. The fact that he throws his slider a quarter of the time with two strikes on lefty batters is a perfect example: Few pitchers have the confidence to throw their slider so aggressively against opposite-handed batters.

Then there's that sinker, a weapon Carrasco deploys in fascinating ways. The pitch is another widow-maker. Of the 143 pitchers who threw at least 200 sinkers last year, Carrasco threw the 14th-fastest, got the fourth-highest swing rate, missed opponents' bats at the second-best rate, and got the fourth-highest rate of groundballs when batters did put it in play. The sinker, too, got more whiff-tastic as the counts got deeper: Batters swung and missed 16 percent of the time with no strikes, 21.5 percent of the time with one strike, and 22.1 percent of the time with two strikes. Carrasco used the pitch differently based on batter handedness, too, despite throwing the pitch 15 percent of the time to batters from each side. With lefties, the pitch was a get-ahead or catch-up offering, a fastball he was confident in throwing for strikes, but that he knew hitters wouldn't square up and smash. (His 73-percent groundball rate on the pitch really is remarkable, and explains his confidence in it.) Against righties, the sinker was more of an all-purpose tool, spread evenly across all counts.

All of those pitches, of course, work in support of Carrasco's four-seamer. It's not the league's most dominant heater, but he throws it an average of 95.7 miles per hour, good for 16th-best among the 116 pitchers who threw at least 500 such pitches. (Carrasco threw his over 1,100 times.) There's one other interesting thing: Opponents fouled off that fastball at a staggering rate in 2015. In fact, Carrasco's 51.6-percent foul rate on opponents' swings was the third-highest for any four-seam fastball in the league, trailing only Jake Peavy and Ryan Vogelsong of the Giants.

That's not necessarily a good thing: Carrasco had a below-average whiff rate on his heater, so he was probably allowing batters to stay in counts by fouling off pitches he might have hoped they would miss altogether. Indeed, unlike on those other pitches, Carrasco's whiff rate on opponents' swings at his fastball didn't rise with two strikes. While his other four pitches dominated opponents, Carrasco surrendered a .310 batting average and .531 slugging average on his four-seamer in 2015. He might consider throwing the sinker more, at the four-seamer's expense, this season. On the other hand, given the sheer velocity he has and the liveliness of most of his stuff, he could be just one adjustment from possessing a killer fastball, and ascending to the next level of performance. All of this permitted Carrasco to fan 29.6 percent of opposing batters in 2015, a rate that trailed (among starters) only , Chris Sale and Max Scherzer. Carrasco doesn't have the command of those hurlers (not yet, anyway), and he's not a workhorse of their caliber. But with such a wide array of pitches that can all beat hitters in different ways, he's just a little more consistency and durability from being in their class.

The 2016 Cleveland Indians: AL Central favorites? One projection system says yes Zack Meisel, cleveland.com on January 12, 2016 CLEVELAND, -- Last spring, the Indians were a trendy choice among postseason predictions. Sports Illustrated planted Michael Brantley and Corey Kluber on its cover and claimed Cleveland would end its championship drought with a victory against the in the . The Indians proceeded to finish 81-80. Their only October exploits were four regular-season affairs against the and . Plenty of projections and forecasts will be unveiled between now and Opening Day. FanGraphs revealed its projections for the 2016 campaign this week and it has the Indians sitting atop the . (Of course, those projections could be tweaked as the rest of the off- season unfolds and the remaining free agents sign.) The projections see the Indians as an 85-77 team, good enough for a four-game advantage on second-place Chicago. FanGraphs has the Indians registering the best prevention in the AL, with 4.06 runs per game allowed. Last season, the Indians surrendered 3.98 runs per contest, which placed them fourth in the AL. What about the defending World Series champions in Kansas City? FanGraphs pegs the Royals as a 79-83 team, which would position 's bunch in a tie for third in the division with the Tigers, only one game ahead of last-place Minnesota. The projection systems weren't too fond of the Royals last spring, either, but Kansas City cruised to an AL Central crown with a 95-67 mark. The Royals lost and -- a pair of midseason acquisitions in 2015 -- via free agency this winter. They did re-sign and obtained reliever Joakim Soria. Kansas City's gain is Cleveland's loss as Royals re-sign Gordon The system, which combines Steamer Projections with its own depth charts to account for playing time, forecasts the Red Sox as the AL's top squad, with a 92-70 record. The Cubs, with a 95-67 record, own the top projection in the league. The Indians last captured a division title in 2007. File away: Five Tribe players filed for arbitration on Tuesday. Teams and their arbitration-eligible players will exchange salary figures on Friday. Cody Allen, Lonnie Chisenhall, Bryan Shaw, Jeff Manship and Josh Tomlin all filed on Tuesday. The Indians avoided arbitration with Zach McAllister last week, as the two sides agreed to terms on a deal for the 2016 season. In all, 156 players across the league filed on Tuesday. VIP list: The Indians have added Allen, Michael Brantley and Danny Salazar to the list of attendees at Tribe Fest. They'll join fellow players Corey Kluber, Jason Kipnis, Yan Gomes, Francisco Lindor, Chisenhall and Shaw at the Jan. 30 event at the Aloft Cleveland hotel downtown. Indians alumni Mike Hargrove, Carlos Baerga, Jaret Wright and Ellis Burks are also scheduled to attend. Pumping iron: The Indians' first full-squad workout will be Feb. 23 at the club's complex in Goodyear, Ariz. Pitchers and are slated to report to on Feb. 17. They'll first work out on Feb. 19. The rest of the club has a Feb. 21 report date. Ex-files: Former Tribe infielder reportedly agreed to a deal with the on Tuesday. The Indians still owe the veteran $17.5 million over the next three seasons. Johnson, acquired from the in exchange for and last August, batted .289 with a .678 OPS in 27 games with Cleveland. The Indians designated Johnson for assignment and then released him earlier this off-season. Chris Johnson is depth and right-handed bat off bench to play some first and third #Marlins — Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) January 12, 2016

Kansas City's gain is loss for Cleveland Indians in re-signing of Alex Gordon: Paul Hoynes commentary Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio – Baseball seasons aren't decided during the winter. The games have to be played. Look what happened to the White Sox and Padres last year. They ruled in December and January with a flurry of trades and free agent signings. Then the season started and there was only disappointment and defeat. The White Sox lost 86 games, the Padres 88. So the Indians have that going for them. Until last week I thought they had a lot more than the calendar working in their favor in terms of winning the AL Central in 2016. Then the Royals re-signed left fielder Alex Gordonand the lights dimmed. This is just the kind of move I've been waiting for the Indians to make since they appeared in the 2013 wild card game. I'm still waiting. The Royals have been to the World Series for the last two years. They lost to the Giants in seven games in 2014 and blitzed the Mets in five games last season. But they appeared vulnerable headed into 2016. First, they've proved their point. Some people said that the Royals reaching Game 7 of the World Series in 2014 was a fluke. I'm not sure if those people really took a long look at Kansas City to see just how talented a team it was and still is, but that was the prevailing thought. So last season the Royals showed the non-believers that the fluke was on them. They delivered that message from the first day of spring training. But now what? Where does the motivation come from to be the first repeat World Series champion since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 through 2000? Re-signing Gordon could do it. He completes a deep and talented lineup that scores runs when needed and plays Gold Glove defense at almost every spot on the diamond. The rotation is pedestrian, but the lineup's ability to score and play defense and Wade Davis and the rest of the power arms in the bullpen protects it. This winter, however, Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, who helped fuel Kansas City's October run, signed with the Giants and Cubs, respectively. Ryan Madsen, who did some good work in the bullpen, signed with Oakland. , another reliever, is still a free agent. As is right-hander and Alex Rios. Then there was the approach of free agency. Davis, , , , and will be eligible for free agency after the 2017 season. That can be a distraction and divide a locker room. No doubt the Royals were still a strong team, but there was fraying around the edges. Then they spent $72 million to re-sign Gordon, 32 in February, to a four-year deal and another $21 million to sign Joakim Soria, just so no one got the idea that the bullpen had gone soft. It's true teams can't book a trip to the postseason in January, but they can certainly make a good case for it. The Royals have made their case. The Indians could have made a run at Gordon. Their biggest need is a run-producing outfielder. It would have cost them their No.1 in the June draft and a lot more cash than Gordon settled for to return to Kansas City. But that's the kind of player they need to become a real contender instead of a gutsy little team that gets sent home with a pat on the back once before the big boys start playing for keeps. The Indians have the top starting rotation in the division if not the American League. The bullpen had the second-best ERA in the AL last year and the defense went from worst to first in . But instead of going all in, the Indians have mastered the art of working baseball's back channels. They've signed veterans Mike Napoli and to one-year deals and will bring another 20 or so desperate non-roster free agents to spring training to see if there is a Scott Kazmir or Ryan Raburn lurking among them. Mike Napoli is anticipating starting at first base for the Indians in 2016. Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, is taking a wait-and-see approach. It's understandable that ownership is skittish after the free-agent flops of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, but this isn't the way division titles are won. This is how teams finish 81-80.

What free agent would the Cleveland Indians sign if no strings were attached? Hey, Hoynsie Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie. @hoynsie hey, hoynsie, who would be the one player the indians would give up a first round pick to sign? John Borkey, Cleveland. — Keep Manziel (@Borkkkk10) January 8, 2016 Hey, John: I can do you one better. If draft picks or money were no object, and they always are with the Indians, I think they'd sign Yoenis Cespedes. All he would cost was cash because he was traded during the 2015 season so the Mets weren't allowed to make him a qualifying offer and tie draft pick compensation to him. The Indians could put Cespedes in left or center field, retain their No.1 pick for the June draft, keep their pitching staff intact and have a legitimate chance to win the AL Central and make the postseason. @hoynsie do you think HOF ballots should be public? Those who didn't vote for Griffey owe an explanation-right? Upper Arlington — Max Eckenwiler (@maxeckenwiler) January 8, 2016 Hey, Max: It's up to the individual voter. Many of the ballots are available on the Baseball Writers Association of America's website -- bbwaa.com. The Hall of Fame does not make the ballots public. @hoynsie why do the Indians sign multiple veterans when they could use it all to sign one legitimate right handed bat? George medina — George Gordon (@ballu98) January 8, 2016 Hey, George: The Indians, like most teams, usually have more than one position to fill when they plan for an upcoming season. No matter how good a hitter is, he can only play one position at a time. Unless, of course, he's Bugs Bunny. @hoynsie have the Indians ever reached out to Jose Mesa to bring him back in some form? Seems like most teams eventually do. — ZABZC (@ZABZC) January 8, 2016 Hey, ZABC: I'd love to see that. I think Mesa should be in the Indians Hall of Fame. He was a important part of the 1995 team that won 100 games and reached the World Series for the first time since 1954. I'm not sure if Mesa would want to coach or not, but it would be nice to see him get invited to spring training ala and Carlos Baerga. .@hoynsie is still on the market, could the Tribe make a push for him? Robert Hayes, Youngstown, Ohio. — Robert Hayes (@GuitaristRobDog) January 8, 2016 Hey, Robert: The Indians would have to be the last team standing and Upton and his agents would have to be desperate. I don't see it happening, but it's nice to dream. The Indians would have to forfeit their No.1 pick if they signed Upton, but i think they could work him into the lineup, don't you? @hoynsie Hey, Hoynsie! Chances James Ramsey makes the MLB Roster out of Spring Training? Tom Cassity, Perrysburg — Tom Cassity (@tom_cassity) January 8, 2016 Hey, Tom: Ramsey is going to have to play well in camp and even then it won't be easy. With Michael Brantley injured, however, the state of the outfield is influx and there should be an opportunity for Ramsey to impress the right people. @hoynsie @nationwidejames hey hoynsie, know of any teams looking for a good backup qb? Asking for a friend. Billy Manziel, Cleveland — Brandon Deagle (@bcdeagle) January 8, 2016 Hey, Brandon: Does he play with or without a wig? @hoynsie Do you think Napoli will be the everyday 1st baseman? The front office has been somewhat ambiguous so far. Joe Lueck, Toledo — Joe Lueck (@CoolHand_Lueck) January 8, 2016 Hey, Joe: Front offices are always ambiguous at this time of year. No one wants to start handing out jobs in January. But when Napoli told reporters last week that he'd been told he was going to play a lot and he believed it was at first base, that's probably something you can bank on. And that sound you heard in the background was Carlos Santana putting his 's glove in cold storage. http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2016/01/whos_on_first_base_right_now_i.html @hoynsie any chance gets hired as the next coach of the Browns? Jim Willoughby, Ohio — James Hoynes (@nationwidejames) January 8, 2016 Hey, James: I think the have dibs on him. @hoynsie what was reason the tribe didn't pull the trigger on Frazier? Kyle, north Olmsted Ohio — Kyle Bellomy (@Kyle_Bellomy) January 8, 2016 Hey, Kyle: They didn't want to give up Danny Salazar or Cody Allen. Then when talks turned to the Tribe's prospects, the Reds never really asked for a specific package of players, but insisted that or would have to be included in any deal that was made. The Indians tried to get a third team involved, but it didn't work. http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/12/on_cleveland_indians_keeping_s.html @hoynsie Paul Meisel, Hurricane, WV Hey, what do you think 's chances are in HOF voting once eligible? — Paul Meisel (@PaulMeisel) January 8, 2016 Hey, Paul: Vizquel and will appear on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2018. I'm not sure if they're first ballot candidates, but I think they each have good chances of being elected. Vizquel won 11 Gold Gloves for his play at shortstop. He played more games at the position than any man in history and finished his career with 2,877 hits. @hoynsie isn't the span deal affordable by Indians he'd have made more sense then Davis given the value — Pete Angove (@ozwi80) January 8, 2016 Hey, Pete: I like Span and if he's healthy it sounds like the Giants made a good signing by locking him up for three years and $31 million. Regarding the Indians, perhaps they didn't want a sign a to a multiyear deal with , James Ramsey, Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier in the pipeline. @hoynsie hey hoynsie, is Juan Gonzalez the last FA signing of a position player who worked out well for the tribe? #notbourn #notswisher — Guppy (@Guppy1697) January 8, 2016 Hey, Guppy: No doubt about it. Gonzalez was an MVP-type player in 2001 for the Indians, but when they re-signed him in 2005 he was a long way from good. In Gonzalez's wake perhaps the best free agent position player the indians have signed has been , who turned into a solid third baseman with power. Ryan Raburn gave the indians a couple of good years as well. Blake and Raburn were signed as minor league free agents. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.12.2016

Cleveland Indians part ways with director of Latin American operations Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have parted ways with Ramon Pena, the organization's director of Latin American operations. Pena had a hand in the Indians' scouting endeavors in Latin America since 2009. Baseball America first reported the split. "Over the course of the past month, Ramon and I have had numerous and extensive conversations about the future direction of our Latin American operations," Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations, told cleveland.com. "Based upon those discussions, we both felt that it would be best to part ways at this point. "Ramon has made a great impact on the organization in his time with us. He's an outstanding and accomplished scout, executive and leader. We all wish Ramon the very best as he continues his distinguished career." The Indians have not yet named a replacement for Pena. A handful of the Indians' top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com, were signed under Pena's watch. They include Francisco Mejia, pitcher , Claudio Bautista and third baseman Yandy Diaz. Baseball America also revealed its latest list of the Tribe's top 10 prospects for the new year on Monday. Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, who could both begin the season at Double-A Akron, lead the unit. Left-handed pitchers and follow. Right- hander Michael Clevinger, who figures to open the season with Triple-A Columbus, checks in at No. 7. The Indians unveiled their organizational staffing for the 2016 campaign on Monday. The managers at Triple-A Columbus, Double-A Akron and High-A Lynchburg will all remain the same, with Chris Tremie, Dave Wallace and Mike Budzinski maintaining their posts. and Tim Laker have returned to the organization as a cultural development coordinator and the Double-A hitting coach, respectively. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.12.2016 Bruce Chen is back: Cleveland Indians announce organizational staff for 2016 season Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bruce Chen is back. The journeyman pitcher, who ended his 17-year big league career with the Indians last May, has rejoined the organization as a cultural development coordinator. Chen is one of many familiar faces who will assist the franchise in various roles during the 2016 season. On Monday, the Indians announced their staffing for each level of their player development system. Chris Tremie, Dave Wallace and Mark Budzinski will remain as the managers of Triple-A Columbus, Double-A Akron and High-A Lynchburg, respectively. Tremie directed the Clippers to their third championship in the last six years. Tony Mansolino will serve as the new manager at Class A Lake County. He has been a part of the staffs at Lynchburg, Lake County and short- season Mahoning Valley over the last five years. Former Tribe reliever Steve Karsay, who was Lake County's pitching coach in 2015, will hold the same position with Columbus in 2016. Steve McCatty, the Washington Nationals' pitching coach for the last seven seasons, will replace Karsay at Lake County. John McDonald, a special assistant in the player development department last year, will serve as an infield coordinator. McDonald, an infielder with the Indians from 1999-2004 and in 2013, will oversee individual plans for the organization's minor league infielders. Travis Fryman has shifted to an advisory role, alongside Johnny Goryl, Minnie Mendoza and Tim Tolman. Fryman spent last season as the manager at Mahoning Valley. He manned third base for the Indians from 1998-2002. Edwin Rodriguez, who managed the Florida Marlins in 2010-11, will assume the role of manager of the Scrappers. Alex Eckelman and Eric Binder will fill the roles of assistant directors of player development. Eckelman was the club's advance scouting coordinator each of the last four seasons. Carter Hawkins remains the club's director of player development. Julio Rangel, previously a lower- level pitching coordinator, will assist field coordinator Tom Wiedenbauer in 2016. Rangel will monitor the organization's new Dominican Academy. Matt Blake will take over as lower-level pitching coordinator. Travis Hafner and Tim Belcher remain special assistants in the player development department. Hafner clubbed 200 home runs over 10 seasons with the Tribe. Belcher, who logged 14 years in the majors as a starting pitcher, has served several roles with the Indians, including pitching coach. Former Tribe catcher Tim Laker has returned to the organization as the hitting coach for the Akron RubberDucks. Laker, a catcher in the Indians' organization from 2001-04, was a hitting instructor in the White Sox organization for the last five years. He also spent three seasons as a minor league manager and a catching coordinator with the Indians from 2007-09. The Indians were Chen's 11th team during a big league career that spanned parts of three decades. He started the 2015 campaign at Triple-A and joined the big league club in May as part of the Indians' revolving door at the end of their starting rotation. Chen made two starts, in which he posted a 12.79 ERA. He then called it a playing career. Chen, a native of Panama, will assist Indians minor leaguers in "the transition to professional baseball." He'll have a particular focus on Latin-born players. Though Chen was on his last legs as a major league pitcher, the Indians' brass enjoyed having him around the club. Said Tribe manager last spring: "He's a great guy to have in camp, just because of what he brings knowledge-wise. He isn't afraid to share it and he has a good way of doing it. A really bright kid." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 01.12.2016 Baseball | Chris Tremie to return as Clippers manager By Jim MassieThe Columbus Dispatch • Monday January 11, 2016 9:00 AM

Chris Tremie will return to the Huntington Park dugout for a fourth season as manager of the Clippers, the Cleveland Indians’ and the triple-A team’s management jointly announced this morning.

Tremie, 46, guided the Clippers to the International League West Division and Governors’ Cup championships in 2015. This marks his 11th season as a manager in Cleveland’s minor-league system. He knows better than to write a potential opening-day roster in ink.

“No, you always just have to wait until you get to spring training,” Tremie said. “A lot of that stuff depends on how things are going with the (Indians), what their depth is and the health of the players.

“But it is exciting when you look at the talent we have in the organization right now to fill out roster spots up there and in triple-A and double- A.”

The Clippers went through 193 roster moves last season, which included the promotion of shortstop and top overall Indians prospect Francisco Lindor to Cleveland, along with pitchers Danny Salazar, and Josh Tomlin.

Shortstop Erik Gonzalez replaced Lindor with the Clippers and should return this season, as will as third baseman Yandy Diaz and outfielders Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey. The organization’s new top overall prospect, outfielder Bradley Zimmer, likely will wear a Clippers uniform at some point this season.

Cleveland also has re-signed veteran catcher Adam Moore and utility man Michael Martinez for the upcoming season with invitations to the big- league camp for spring training.

Clippers president and general manager Ken Schnacke is happy to have Tremie back.

“He has done an outstanding job of both developing talent and teaching them how to win,” Schnacke said.

Hitting coach Rouglas Odor also is returning for a second season in Columbus, and Steve Karsay is joining the team as the pitching coach. Trainer Chad Wolfe and strength and conditioning coach Ed Subel also are returning.

The Clippers open the season at home on April 7 against the .

Tony Mansolino named manager of

By David Glasier, The News-Herald A familiar face will return to Eastlake as manager of the Lake County Captains.

Tony Mansolino, hitting coach for the Captains in 2013, will make managerial debut this season with the -A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

The 33-year-old California native and former Vanderbilt University standout’s appointment as manager was made official Jan. 11 when the Indians announced their minor-league managers and coaching staffs.

Mansolino was the hitting coach last season with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks. In 2014, he had the same job with the advanced Single-A . He joined the Indians player development staff in 2011 as hitting coach for the short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

“I’ll miss being a hitting coach, but I’ve always wanted to manage. My personality is geared to this role,” Mansolino said during a telephone interview from the home in Nashville, Tennessee, he shares with his wife, Adrianna, and 16-month-old son, Jackson.

He’s excited about the opportunity to begin his managerial career with the Captains.

“It’s a great ballpark for that level and a good community, very comfortable,” Mansolino said.

Mansolino is the son of Doug Mansolino, the minor-league field coordinator for the . The elder Mansolino has coached in the major leagues for the , , and Astros.

Selected by the in the 26th round of the June 2005 draft out of Vanderbilt, the younger Mansolino played in the minor leagues for six years before getting into coaching.

“As a manager, my job will be to focus on those 25 players and attend to every detail,” Mansolino said.

The Captains staff for 2016 includes pitching coach Steve McCatty, coach Junior Betances, athletic trainer Matthew Beauregard and strength and conditioning coach Paul Synenkyj.

McCatty has impressive big-league credentials as a player and coach. As pitching coach for the Washington Nationals from 2010 to 2015, he worked with , Max Scherzer and Jordan Zimmerman.

The 61-year-old Michigan native signed with the Oakland A’s as an amateur free agent in 1973. He made his big-league debut with the A’s in September 1977. In eight seasons with Oakland, he went 63-63 with a 3.99 ERA and 541 strikeouts.

His best season was in 1981, when he was 14-7 with a 2.33 ERA and finished second in voting for the American League Award behind Milwaukee and future Hall of Fame member . McCatty retired after the 1985 season and did radio and TV work for the A’s until signing on as a minor-league pitching coach with the Detroit Tigers in 2002.

When the Nationals parted ways with manager Matt Williams and his coaches after the 2015 season, McCatty said he was determined to stay in the game. When he interviewed with the Indians and was offered the job in Lake County, he didn’t hesitate to accept.

“Some people might view this as a step backward. But I don’t,” McCatty said during a telephone interview. “This gives me a chance continue to do what I love and be much closer to home,” McCatty said.

The Indians have yet to name a hitting coach for the Captains.

The Captains open the 2016 season on April 7 at Classic Park against the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

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