Indians Prospect Insider

A very promising bat comes in at #37 in the 2012 IPI Top 50 Indians Prospect countdown. Jordan Smith was picked up in the 9th round of the 2011 Draft and quickly impressed at Mahoning Valley and in Instructional League last year. He has the makings to become a lot more and Tony gives all the details.

The Indians are known to have a left-leaning lineup, but how much can this me mitigated and how much will this really hurt them? Through effective management of the hitters available to him, Manny Acta could put together a successful lineup that not only scores more runs, but also potentially "fresh" and off the DL.

Coming in at #38 on the 2012 IPI Top 50 Indians Prospects countdown is a pitcher the Indians added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, even though he had Tommy John surgery and hardly pitched the last two seasons and has never pitched above Low-A. Tony gives the details on his potential and what made the Indians roster him.

In this week's Sunday notebook recapping the week that was for the Indians, Tony takes a look at the recent Sizemore injury and what it means for the Indians, Garland not signing and alternatives the Indians may turn to, position battles, the De La Cruz trade, and lots more!

The 2012 IPI Top 50 Indians Prospects countdown continues with our first entry into the 30s with lefty Giovanni Soto coming in at #39. Soto was acquired for Jhonny Peralta back in July of 2010 and has been a nice pickup and has some upside, though battled some health issues last season. Tony talks about his future and more.

Young up-and-coming infielder Jorge Martinez checks in at #40 in the 2012 IPI Top 50 Indians Prospect countdown. Martinez has spent the last two seasons in Arizona working on his game, gaining experience, and maturing, and may be primed for a trip to Ohio sometime this season to play for Lake County or Mahoning Valley. Tony has the details.

In his continuing series at the IPI, Jeff Ellis takes a look at another advanced metric ultimate zone rating, also known as UZR. Jeff explains what it is, why it is useful, and why it is valued.

Coming in at the #41 slot in the 2012 IPI Indians Top 50 Prospect countdown is T.J. House, a young lefty that the previous three seasons was a Top 20 prospect in the organization. He struggled through an inconsistent campaign in 2011, but Tony provides details on his struggles and what he can do to rebound in 2012.

The new 2012 Cleveland Indians Prospect Insider book profiling the Indians' top 100 prospects and more is now available. All the details regarding the book, availability, pricing, and so on is inside. Get your copy today!

Former 1st round pick Beau Mills comes in at #42 on the 2012 IPI Indians Top 50 Prospect countdown. Mills once looked like the heir apparent at first base a few years ago, but after two rough seasons at Akron he became a forgotten man in that equation until last year when he came back with a strong season. Tony gives the details on whether or not he can still live up to his potential.

On Wednesday afternoon the Indians added yet another non-roster invite to their big league camp this spring when they officially inked free agent infielder Cristian Guzman to a minor league deal. He is a long shot, but he has the defense and experience to maybe be a big league utility option if he is healthy this spring.

The 2012 IPI Indians Top 50 Prospect countdown continues with another former Top 15 prospect that has slipped the past few years because of an arm injury. Perez missed all of last season, but had a promising showing in Instructional League in the fall and should be ready to pitch for a full season affiliate early on this year. Tony gives an update on his health, his stuff, and if his future is still bright.

Welcome new writer Jim Berdysz to the fold. He is a student at Cleveland State University and the sports editor of the CSU newspaper "The Cleveland Stater" and has been a feature reporter for The Bleacher Report. In his first offering he takes a quick look at Jason Kipnis and how second base is his job for as long as he continues to perform.

Here is a free non-premium view of left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz's 2012 scouting report in my new book. The Indians traded him on Tuesday to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations, and with that another once promising arm did not live up to his potential due to injuries and command issues.

The Indians traded left-handed pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz to the Texas Rangers today. So ends another career of a minor league pitcher in the Indians' system that had loads of potential but never realized it as an Indian.

According to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, the Cleveland Indians are nearing a minor league deal with SS Cristian Guzman with an invite to major league camp. The deal will likely become official on Wednesday.
Guzman stated he will play all over the infield, creating more versitility for the Tribe this season. This also marks a reunitement between Cristian Guzman and Manny Acta, who Acta managed...