Tony%20Lastoria Archive

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with left-handed pitcher T.J. House. House had a forgettable 2011 campaign at High-A Kinston where he regressed and looked like a stalled prospect, but he rebounded in a big way last season in combined time at High-A Carolina and Double-A Akron and found his way onto the 40-man roster in the offseason. Tony provides the details on what contributed to his turnaround, what his future holds, and much more in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with left-handed pitcher Luis Lugo. Lugo is raw and inexperienced, but he has all the ingredients to be a big time Major League starting pitching prospect. Right now he is trying to put it all together, and Tony talks about what he is working on, what is so impressive about him, and much more in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with catcher Alex Monsalve. Monsalve is an exciting project for the Indians Player Development staff as he is still kind of figuring himself out as a player, but is the kind of player they believe can be molded into an everyday type of catcher at some point. because of his skills, size and strength. Tony breaks down all the good and bad with Monsalve in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with outfielder Tim Fedroff. Fedroff had a fantastic season last year and really solidified himself as an outfield prospect for the Indians, and found his way onto the 40-man roster in the offseason and is now in the big league outfield mix this coming season. Tony looks at what kind of asset he is for the big league team and what areas of improvement are needed to increase his chances of getting a Major League opportunity in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with catcher Eric Haase. He is a player that may take another year or two before his true talents show, but even so, he is one of the most interesting young prospects to follow in a system loaded with high upside talent in the lower levels. Tony provides all the details on his upside as a hitter and receiver behind the plate, and what roadblocks may stand in his way in this detailed scouting report.

Aloha from Hawaii! Tony is away on vacation but checks in this week with another Tribe Happenings and takes a look at how the Indians spending spree this offseason brings into question just how much room the Indians have - if any - to make roster moves next offseason. He also talks about the Michael Bourn and Diasuke Matsuzaka signings, the extreme makeover the Indians roster has undergone since the end of last season, and his optimism for a rebound from Drew Stubbs.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with outfielder Carlos Moncrief. Moncrief had one of the more under-rated seasons last year, and has become one of the most complete position players in the entire Indians’ system. With his wide range of tools and power he is exciting to dream on, but he is also very frustrating because of the strikeouts. Tony breaks down all of his pluses and minuses in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Kieran Lovegrove. Lovegrove is a young high upside arm the Indians picked up early in last year's draft, and he has the projection with his stuff, delivery and frame to be a durable starting pitcher for a long time. He is one of the more intriguing young players to watch this year, and Tony breaks down all of his stuff in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Felix Sterling. There is no doubt that Sterling has the arsenal and the talent to be a dominating starting pitching prospect, but his inconsistency and mental mindset has raised some questions and doubts as to whether he will ever reach his potential. Tony breaks down everything he has to offer and what problems he is struggling through in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with right-handed pitcher Austin Adams. Adams suffered a shoulder injury in spring training and then had surgery which wiped out his entire 2012 season. He is close to 100% this season though will be limited with his workload, and Tony takes a look at what is in store for him this season, what value he has, how good he can still be and much more in this detailed scouting report.

The Indians made another big splash this offseason on Monday when they agreed to terms on a deal with free agent outfielder Michael Bourn. The IBI's Tony Lastoria breaks down the deal and takes a look at how Bourn will help the team, how the Indians will align themselves defensively, how their draft plans will be affected, what may be coming next, and lots more.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with left-handed pitcher Elvis Araujo. The big lefty had a down year from a performance perspective last season and saw his prospect ranking drop as a result, but there is still considerable upside to him and there were some things behind the scenes he was asked to do all season which affected his performance. Tony discusses what those things were, what his future holds, and more in this detailed scouting report.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with second baseman Cord Phelps. He is a solid player that has proven to be a good offensive performer with the bat at the Triple-A level, but has yet to prove himself in limited opportunities at the big league level. He also lacks much versatility, which hurts since Jason Kipnis is entrenched at second base in Cleveland. Tony breaks down his offensive abilities, his defensive shortcomings, and what positions he may play in the near future in this detailed scouting report.

Smoke Signals is back on the cyberwaves tonight for a special half hour edition from 11:00pm – 11:30pm EST. Indians Baseball Insiders Tony Lastoria and Jim Pete talk about the stunning signing of outfielder Michael Bourn to a four year $48 million deal and talk about all the ways his deal impacts the team.

Tony is hard at work finishing up the new 2013 Indians Baseball Insider prospect book, and he shares a quick update today where he is at with it, when it may be available, and how it can be purchased. The book continues to grow every year, and this edition may be the first to feature 200 scouting reports.

The IBI's 2013 Indians Top 60 Prospect countdown continues on with outfielder LeVon Washington. Last season he once again struggled with injuries, and as a result he was unable to consistently stay on the field to develop his raw tools on offense and defense. He is a tremendous athlete with tons of ability, but needs a healthy season this year to realize his potential, and Tony breaks down all his abilities and some areas of opportunity in this detailed scouting report.