Sunday Notes

[Beanpot]

Good stuff, JG. Nice to see you back.

Rich Lederer had an article about Harper after the Area Code games last August:

Remember This Name

By Rich Lederer

Let me introduce you to the No. 1 pick in the 2011 amateur draft . . . Bryce Harper. I know, that particular draft won't take place for three more years. As such, how in the world could I make this type of a prediction now? Well, if you watched the 15-year-old, lefthanded-hitting catcher take batting practice, infield, and two plate appearances on Tuesday at the Area Code Games, as I did, then I have no doubt that you would be as enthusiastic about this phenom as I am.

Harper is one of only six athletes from the 2011 graduating class competing in the 22nd annual Area Code Baseball Games at Blair Field in Long Beach, California this week. Of the remaining 172 players, 19 will graduate in 2010 and 153 in 2009. Although I have only seen two games and four of the eight teams thus far, I would be surprised if there is a player who rivals Harper's talent. Yes, I believe Harper just may be the most outstanding prep in the country right now.

I'm not the only one who feels this way about the 6-foot-2, 197-pound sophomore-to-be from Las Vegas. I spoke to a handful of the more than 300 scouts in attendance on the first day of the tournament about Harper and the responses – from those who have followed him closely to others who had seen him for the first time that day – ranged from "wow" to shaking head in disbelief to "the best high school hitter I've ever seen."

Using a wood bat, Harper put on a hitting clinic toward the end of BP, blasting one shot after another. Several hours later, the prized prospect hit the two hardest balls during the opening day of the six-day tournament in which pitchers dominated the action. In his first at-bat, Harper, serving as the designated hitter for the Cincinnati Reds, lined out to center field. He hit the ball about as squarely as possible, directly up the middle but straight into the glove of Washingon Nationals center fielder Kyrell Hudson.

In Harper's second trip to the plate, he jacked a towering shot off the right-field wall for a stand-up triple to open the sixth inning. It is important to note that Blair Field is a pitcher-friendly ballpark played at seaside altitude with 348-ft dimensions down the lines that exceed those of every major-league stadium in existence. He scored the only run of the game on a subsequent ground out to short. Harper was replaced in the ninth, ending the night with one of the only two hits in the contest as seven Reds pitchers combined to no-hit the Nats.

Harper has a power bat and a plus throwing arm that "already grades out to 70 on the 20 to 80 scouting scale," according to Dave Perkin of Baseball America. During infield prior to the game, Harper, in full gear, rifled the ball out of a crouch to second and third base with precision. Upon seeing him in action, I marked down "+ + arm" next to his name in my program. Although the rap on him is that he's not all that fast, I thought he ran very well from home to third on that triple, especially considering his age, size, and power. The kid is nothing if not impressive.

While I didn't witness Harper during the SPARQ (acronym for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, Quickness) testing that morning, he earned a score of 63.93, the 54th highest total out of 178 participants. It was the fourth-highest rating among the 25 underclassmen. Interestingly, he ran a 3.91 in the 30-yard dash, ranking in the top 10% in that category.

Check out Harper's explosive swing in the cage during a recent batting practice session.

You can also see Harper going yard in an actual game in this video clip.

As shown, Harper employs a slightly open stance with the right heel off the ground and his hands held high. He uses his body well, gets into a good position at the point of contact, and goes after the ball in a very aggressive manner. Bryce doesn't use batting gloves and tends to lean over and grab a handful of dirt before each at-bat. The youngster displayed a good eye and a mature approach on Tuesday, waiting for his pitch and peppering the offerings that he can handle.

I am planning on catching some more games between now and Sunday and will report back on Monday with added commentary on Harper as well as a number of other standouts. The Area Code Games, long considered one of the top talent showcases in the country, has produced more than 300 major league players in just over two decades. There may be 15 or 20 participants who will eventually don big-league uniforms, and the best of the bunch just might be a kid who is still too young to drive. While Bryce Harper has a long ways to go (three more years of high school for the Las Vegas Wildcats and a few years in the minors) before reaching the Show, the June 2011 draft couldn't come any sooner for the MLB team lucky enough to select him.

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2008/...mber_this_n.php

[Beanpot]

Here's Keith Law with an excellent take on Harper's decision to leave high school early. For all of the *experience-all-that-high-school-has-to-offer* crowd, I think this is a most terrific rebuttal:

Harper looking for a challenge

By Keith Law

Scouts Inc.

CARY, N.C. -- Bryce Harper recently announced he will take his GED, leave high school after two years and enroll at the College of Southern Nevada this fall. This should make the Las Vegas High School catcher eligible for the 2010 Rule 4 draft, when he'd be the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick.

This move -- expected among major league scouts and team executives since last summer -- has raised all manner of questions and stirred up controversy over who is making the decisions for Harper and whether he is making the right move.

Playing on Tuesday at the Tournament of Stars event held at USA Baseball's stunning complex, Harper is the nation's best high school player right now. The same was true a year ago, when he exploded onto the scene at the Area Code Games as a rising freshman, a 15-year-old facing and dominating competitors who were mostly 17 and 18. He's been hitting against older competitors for years; Harper has earned invitations to play on travel teams of older players since he was 10 years old.

He's played in prestigious events, including the Area Code Games -- which he called the biggest baseball challenge he's faced and a "phenomenal experience" -- and on the national team in the age 16 and under division. He's a potential five-tool talent who plays the most difficult position on the field. He puts on a display in batting practice, launching balls out to right field with a sound so loud it leaves bystanders looking for the shattered-bat remnants.

One problem extremely talented prep players like Harper can face is the lack of a challenge. Harper has had no trouble hitting against high school pitchers in Nevada or in summer ball, and in high school he finds himself pitched around frequently.

"High school was a great experience for two years, I loved it," Harper said Tuesday. "I just want to get out of there where I'm getting walked 40, 50 times a year."

His father, Ron, put it more bluntly: "I think his overall average was around .630 with the playoffs, and [he] didn't really get pitched to; that's not a lot of fun for him. There's a lot of frustration there."

Budget cuts in Nevada have made matters worse, according to Ron Harper, reducing the regular season for Las Vegas High to 18 games. At the College of Southern Nevada, Harper will be able to play 60 games, and will do it in a more challenging environment.

"College is going to push him academically, and also on the field it's going to push him," Ron Harper said. "He's going to play a lot of older guys, bigger guys, stronger guys, for 60 games."

At CSN, Harper will play in one of the top junior college baseball programs in the country. The 2009 nonconference schedule included games against most of the major two-year programs, including Central Arizona, San Jacinto (Texas), Miami-Dade and Chipola (Fla.). The school also uses wood bats, which should ease the transition into pro ball. Harper prefers wood bats -- "I've always wanted to swing the wood. If I could have swung the wood in high school, I would have" -- but couldn't use them in high school games.

Harper's readiness on the baseball field, at least for the jump to junior college, isn't really in question. His readiness for the emotional or mental challenges to come is more difficult to ascertain, although to his credit he recognizes that at some point he's going to fail.

"There's always going to be failure; baseball's a game of failure," he said. "If you K, you can't go back on that game and say, 'Oh, crap, I went 0-for-4.' There's a million more games to play. You've got to get better, you've got to progress. You can't say, 'Well, I K'd that game so I'll just quit.' It's a team game; as long as your guys won, that's what matters."

As for the increasing pressure as he moves up the baseball ladder, Harper isn't concerned.

"I love pressure," he says. "If there is any pressure on me, I thrive on it. Two outs, bottom of the ninth, I want to be that guy. We played Cuba last year, in the 16U [age 16 and under] championships. I came in the last inning. I pitched. It was the biggest pressure of my life -- don't lose the game for the USA -- but it was awesome, a great experience. I've had pressure on me since I was 8 years old."

Ron Harper has come under fire for what some members of the media argue is a dereliction of his parental duty. Bryce is still a minor, and Ron has ultimate responsibility for his son. Ron says he's happy to take the criticism if it allows Bryce to concentrate on playing, and for his part, argues that this was a family decision.

"I said, 'Are you sure you want to do all this? It's OK -- you can always go back to high school'," Ron said. "But he said, 'No, Dad, I want to do it. I want to do it.' And people say, well, you're the adult, you need to make that decision for him, but he's a pretty mature kid, and he's a good kid, and the level of baseball that he's been playing at, and the level of school he's been at, he needs to be pushed. And I believe that, and my wife and the coaches and the whole staff from the HS believe it too."

If Bryce wants to take this step, and all indications are that he is ready to do so, why would his father stand in his son's way?

In fact, much of the hue and cry over Harper's plan to leave high school two years early is rubbish. If Harper is eligible for the 2010 draft after his first year of junior college -- and he should be, although Ron indicated he has yet to receive a "100 percent answer" on that question from MLB -- he'll be 17 years and almost eight months old on draft day. That would make him just two months younger than Mike Trout and Randal Grichuk were June 9, when they were selected in the first round of the 2009 draft. The Marlins' third-round pick, Da'Shon Cooper, is one year to the day older than Harper. None of their fathers were criticized for allowing their sons to enter pro ball at such a young age.

Inevitably, there's also a backlash in the scouting community, among the same scouts who dropped what they were doing at the 2008 Area Code Games to watch every one of Harper's at-bats. On Tuesday, when one scout learned I was writing a piece about Harper, he said "Don't feed the machine," referring to the tremendous hype that already surrounds the player.

It's perfectly natural for a talented player like Bryce Harper to want to be challenged further when he has already shown he has mastered his current level. It's not the place for anyone, including MLB or the media, to deny him the chance to succeed or fail at a higher level of play. The smart money is on him succeeding.

Keith Law, formerly the special assistant to the general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, is the senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...&id=4283157

Beanpot

[kshutchins]

@beanpot said:

Here's Keith Law with an excellent take on Harper's decision to leave high school early. For all of the *experience-all-that-high-school-has-to-offer* crowd, I think this is a most terrific rebuttal:

Harper looking for a challenge

By Keith Law

Scouts Inc.

CARY, N.C. -- Bryce Harper recently announced he will take his GED, leave high school after two years and enroll at the College of Southern Nevada this fall. This should make the Las Vegas High School catcher eligible for the 2010 Rule 4 draft, when he'd be the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick.

This move -- expected among major league scouts and team executives since last summer -- has raised all manner of questions and stirred up controversy over who is making the decisions for Harper and whether he is making the right move....

It's always tough for parents of a genuinely gifted child to make these decisions. This kid appears to be the genuine article and the parents seem to know their child, his frustrations, and his motivations very well. It sounds like they've made a thoughtful decision.

[Beanpot]

Just a brief update on Bryce Harper. He passed his GED last month and is ready to play for Southern Nevada in a week or so:

College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper received his GED results in the mail yesterday and "passed with flying colors," according to CSN baseball coach and athletic director Tim Chambers. Passing the GED was required for Harper to play with the Coyotes this spring.

Harper took the test on Nov. 20, Chambers said—adding he wasn’t ever losing sleep over the results.

"I was one of the few people who weren’t worried," Chambers said. "He’s plenty intelligent."

Harper played well for Team USA and during CSN’s fall scrimmages. The Coyotes kick off their schedule in late January and February with some high-profile juco tournaments.

Playing at CSN should make Harper eligible for the 2010 draft, where he would be the top talent in the class.

Conor Glassey at BA wrote about Harper and the rest of his juco teammates back in November of 09:

This spring, all eyes will be on Las Vegas.

The last time the state of Nevada produced a first-round pick was in 2000 when the Brewers selected outfielder Dave Krynzel out of Green Valley High in Henderson. That was a great year for the state, with six picks in the top 10 rounds, but 2010 should be even better.

Of course the crown jewel for the Silver State will be catcher Bryce Harper, who skipped his final two years of high school to enroll at one of the nation’s top junior-college programs, the College of Southern Nevada, and become draft-eligible this season. He is the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick when the draft rolls around next June. The Nationals hold that pick, after going 59-103 in 2009.

It was a busy summer for Harper. He was with his new teammates for a couple weeks and then left for about six weeks to play for USA Baseball’s 18-and-under team, helping his country win a gold medal by hitting .294/.375/.588 with four doubles and two home runs over 34 at-bats. He also led the team with two stolen bases in as many attempts.

He continued to hit well when he returned to Southern Nevada for fall ball.

With about 35 scouts—including four high-ranking Nationals executives—and 350 fans in the stands for the team’s final fall game, Harper put on a show, hitting a triple off the center-field wall in his first at-bat and a double in his second at-bat. He grounded out in his third at-bat but saved the best for last, hitting an opposite-field blast over the trees beyond the left-center field wall, more than 400 feet away.

While Harper will certainly be the center of attention at CSN, he won’t be the only one to watch. The Coyotes’ pitching staff will rival many Division I programs—which is part of the reason why head coach Tim Chambers called this year’s class the best the school has ever had, on paper.

Sophomore righthander Tyler Hanks was extremely impressive this spring, pumping 94-97 mph fastballs and a 81-84 slider. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder from Spanish Fork (Utah) High is committed to transfer to Oklahoma State next season. However, with that kind of stuff, he shouldn’t last long in the draft.

Righthander Donnie Roach, a Top 100 draft prospect in 2008 out of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, transfered to CSN from Arizona this year and also looked sharp this fall. He was sitting 90-94 mph with his fastball and mixed in an above-average splitter, as well as a curveball. He and Bryce’s older brother—lefthander Bryan Harper—have committed to South Carolina next year. Bryan Harper’s fastball sat at 88-91 mph this fall with a curveball and a changeup.

Three more sophomore righthanders also lit up the radar guns: Joe Robinson, a Georgia signee, was 90-95 with his fastball, Aaron Kurcz, a transfer from Air Force, was 91-94 and Kenny McDowall, who is committed to Hawaii, was 90-92.

The Coyotes will also have some offensive talent. Outfielder Trevor Kirk was a 47th-round pick by the Brewers last year after hitting .366/.425/.466 with 30 stolen bases, but returned for his sophomore season. First baseman Marvin Campbell, catcher Ryan Scott and outfielder Jordan Keegan were all late draft picks out of high school in 2008. Campbell is a big, strong hitter that led the team in home runs last year with six. Kirk is so good behind the plate that he and Harper are expected to split time back there 50-50, with Harper spending the rest of his playing time in the outfield—although he also saw some time this fall at shortstop.

The 2010 Power Showcase HR Derby took place this week at the Trop and a familiar name finished second. Harper's distance record was bested by another kid:

At the fourth annual International High School Power Showcase Home Run Derby, over 70 prep hitters put their strength on display. Travis Flores, a third baseman from Desert Ridge High in Mesa, Ariz., hit nine home runs in the first round and eight in the championship to claim the 2010 power crown. An Arizona State signee, Flores sent his farthest home run 471 feet and had a total of 13 home runs that traveled over the 400 mark.

However, it didn't come easily. Dante Bichette Jr., a junior infielder from Orangewood Christian in Maitland, Fla. and 2009 finalist, led off the 2010 edition with 13 home runs. He fell just one long ball short of Flores in the championship round with seven, good enough for second place. Bichette's longest home run traveled 465 feet.

Bryce Harper, who is now a freshman at Southern Nevada, put on a spectacular show at the event in 2009, but his record 502-foot home run was broken this year. Travis Harrison, a junior third baseman/outfielder from Tustin (Calif.) High sent his best shot 504 feet.

The rest of the finalists were shortstop D.J. Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz., HS) with six home runs; outfielder Thomas Zengel (Annandale, N.J., HS) with five and third baseman Cole Gleason (Red Mountain HS, Mesa, Ariz.) with four.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1916

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=1912

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/high-...010/269385.html

Beanpot

[Beanpot]

Just like Harper last year, Bichette has his own highlight video from the showcase. Looks a lot like his dad, swing and all:

Beanpot

[BuckeyeBulldozer28]

Cleveland doesnt have a shot to get harper so why does this stuff keep getting posted?

[CIMO.]

@buckeyebulldozer28 said:

Cleveland doesnt have a shot to get harper so why does this stuff keep getting posted?

I can't speak for the Beaned one, but based on my time on the Tribe board, I'd say the answer to that question lies somewhere among the following....

1. We like baseball.

2. We read a lot about baseball.

3. Continuing numbers one and two, we care enough about baseball to recognize things more interesting than Mike Redmond

- and Mark Grudzielanek

- and Shelly Duncan

- and Austin Kearns

- and Mitch Talbot

- and Jason Grilli

4. The thread is "Sunday Notes"....not "IF U WERE GM...WHO WUD U DRAFT..."

But since you seem eager to read up on the Tribe....

Here's Pluto on our shiny new 38-year old backup catcher

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index....eland_brow.html

Here's Hoynsie wishing we would spend more on marginal, old, stopgap free agents

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2...gn_veteran.html

And here's Castro on our "big-name" free agent pickup

http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/archives/20...lanek_with.html

[BuckeyeBulldozer28]

@cimo. said:

I can't speak for the Beaned one, but based on my time on the Tribe board, I'd say the answer to that question lies somewhere among the following....

1. We like baseball. [/color]so find a MLB board im pretty sure this boards for Indians news

2. We read a lot about baseball. see 1

3. Continuing numbers one and two, we care enough about baseball to recognize things more interesting than Mike Redmond

- and Mark Grudzielanek

- and Shelly Duncan

- and Austin Kearns

- and Mitch Talbot

- and Jason Grilli see 1

4. The thread is "Sunday Notes"....not "IF U WERE GM...WHO WUD U DRAFT..."

But since you seem eager to read up on the Tribe....

Here's Pluto on our shiny new 38-year old backup catcher

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index....eland_brow.html

Here's Hoynsie wishing we would spend more on marginal, old, stopgap free agents

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2...gn_veteran.html

And here's Castro on our "big-name" free agent pickup

http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/archives/20...lanek_with.html

[CIMO.]

Well I guess I'd suggest you take it up with the forum mods. I'm sure one of them will know what to do with this "Beanpot" fellow.

[Beanpot]

@buckeyebulldozer28 said:

Cleveland doesnt have a shot to get harper so why does this stuff keep getting posted?

"Keep" getting posted? In addition to everything CIMO mentioned (thanks for that, BTW - dead on), the last time I posted anything about Bryce Harper was on June 24th of last year. I don't know if you're old enough to remember June 24th of last year, but the Indians had the worst record (Link) in the AL on that date. Mind you, I didn't care one whit about our chances of landing the kid when I posted that, I simply found it interesting and figured the few people here who read this board would do the same.

As for the latest post you seem to struggle with, the recent Power Showcase was covered here locally and Harper's name came to mind. Trust me, I thought long and hard before hitting the "add reply" button. I just knew there was someone out there who was sick of reading about this kid. What I didn't figure on was that his name would be "BuckeyeBulldozer28". Guy, that name brings up images of an Alpha Male deluxe. I know it worries me that you're upset about the topics discussed here. So what I'm going to do is never, EVER again post about Bryce Harper.

EVER.

You have my word.

Beanpot

[Beanpot]

BTW, Olney had a paragraph about Harper that was picked up on Rotoworld:

Bryce Harper, at this time, is considered the consensus No. 1 pick in next summer's draft. Scouts love his potential, and as with all players, there are areas of concerns, and in Harper's case, it's his size. "He's 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds at age 17," said one talent evaluator. "So you wonder how much bigger he can get." Another evaluator: "You worry that if he gets too big, his swing just won't be quick enough when he starts facing guys who throw harder." Joe Mauer is the prototypical big catcher. "But the thing about Mauer is that he's so athletic," said one evaluator. "He does everything with ease. He moves with ease, he swings with ease. Nothing is forced. Harper has a strong arm, but there is not nearly the fluidity that Mauer has."

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index...me=olney_buster

Beanpot

[kshutchins]

Beans,

Since our newest poster seems dissatisfied by the content here, I feel the need to intervene. Please post anything interesting you can find about baseball. Or else.

Oh... and I'd like to continue following that Harper kid. It's an interesting story.

You do an excellent job keeping us informed.

[CIMO.]

@beanpot said:

BTW, Olney had a paragraph about Harper that was picked up on Rotoworld:

lol.

And in Sunday Notes tradition....here's the latest example of the truly amazing discrepancy of the quality of PD beat writers. Brian Windhorst is one of the best in the business covering the Cavs, while Hoynsie is answering questions like these....

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any reason to have hope this season or are we in for a very long season? -- Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland.

Hey, Hoynsie: Mark McGwire made a dumb statement when he said performance-enhancing drugs did not help him hit more home runs. What do you think about such a stupid statement?-- Jim Jones, Las Vegas

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you feel that the Dolans misled MLB when they were allowed to buy the Indians? How does MLB police how a team or owner uses revenue sharing money? -- Justine Potter, Cleveland.

Hey, Hoynsie: Shouldn't the Tribe have tried to minimize its mistake by trying to trade for Kevin Kouzmanoff? -- Ken Powers, Cleveland

Hey, Hoynsie: Can you find out if Larry and Paul Dolan and the front office took pay cuts this year since money is supposedly so tight? -- Pierce Allen, Columbus

Hey, Hoynsie: I have followed the Indians since 1954. Are we seeing the same thing that we saw in the 1960s? We are the minor-league team for the rest of Major League Baseball. -- John Sandor, Marion, La.

Feel free to click through for his answers.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2..._answer_63.html

Side note - how long will it take for people to stop thinking they're clever by using the "we're the farm team to MLB" line?

Side note 2 - of all the things for Shapiro bashers to latch on to....why Kevin Kouzmanoff? The guy is a worse, older version of Jhonny Peralta...only Peralta played short.

[CIMO.]

As for good outlets for Tribe talk....here's another good Lazy Sunday from the Diatribe. Click for the full story/links

http://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/201...how-we-got.html

I'll highlight where he starts talking about the Tribe's front office strategy. He refers to a Baseball Prospectus article ranking Cleveland the #3 best-run organization of the 2000s in MLB, with Shapiro the #6 GM, and Oakland/Billy Beane getting high marks.

Both the Indians and Athletics realize what they are and while the off-season may be boring for Indians’ fans and may cause an inordinate amount of hand-wringing over Mike Redmond and his ilk (present company included), how does the alternative look for teams that aren’t nearly as self-aware of their place in the MLB pecking order?

Would you prefer an off-season where our team “adds” a guy like Rick Ankiel (who posted a .285 OBP last year…Trevor Crowe’s was .278) for $3.25M, leading Joe Posnanski to evaluate his Royals-related stages of grief?

It goes back to the Passan piece in that he asserts that “the disconnect between the Cleveland Indians and their fans has spread from fissure to full-fledged canyon, and this offseason is doing nothing to heal a relationship gone rocky” and while I don’t disagree with that, it points to the idea that people want activity for a team to point to in an attempt to show that the team is improving, even incrementally. However, the quiet offseason that “is doing nothing to heal a relationship gone rocky” shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who was around last July when Lee and Victor were dealt with a club option for 2010 on their contract. Debate all you like about whether adding those two to the 2010 Indians’ team makes it a contender, but in the case of Lee, there’s no question what he has his eyes on this coming offseason, at least according to Jayson Stark’s sources:

“Everyone in baseball knows,” said one AL executive, “that the two things Cliff Lee and Darek Braunecker will want next winter are a lot of years and a lot of dollars. This guy just played with a Cy Young (CC Sabathia) who got seven years on the open market. So why would anyone think he wouldn't be saying, ‘Why shouldn't I get that, too?’”

If that was the Lee’s position when he approached the Indians before 2009 about a contract extension and the Indians were sitting at 42-60 at the time he was dealt, is there any question that Lee wasn’t going to be around for 2010?

That being said, did the Indians get enough for him?

We’re not going to know for a while, though people are quick to forget that Carrasco, Marson, and Donald were among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects entering 2009 with Carrasco at 52, Marson at 66, and Donald at 69. While each started 2009 off slowly in the Phillies’ system (causing much of the consternation when the trade was made), the bodies of work that put them at that level in prospect rankings still exist.

In terms of why the Indians included Lou Marson and Jason Donald in the deal (in the context of the addition of Mike Redmond and, to a lesser extent, Brian Bixler and Mark Grudzielanek), I had an e-mail exchange with a consistently insightful reader (who asked not to be named) who had some interesting thoughts as to why the Indians opted to acquire Marson and Donald instead of OF Michael Taylor, who was reportedly available to them and has now been traded twice this off-season, once to the Blue Jays in the Halladay deal, then to the Athletics for Brett Wallace last month.

His thoughts on the inclusion of Marson and Donald (as well as perhaps why the Indians chose Carrasco) do make sense on a number of levels and it goes a little something like this…hit it:

The Lee trade ... I've been saving this one, but as a very belated baby shower gift, I'll give it to you...

A-21(A-): 227/300/365, 23:53 BB/K

B-21(A-): 263/347/362, 23:42 BB/K

A-22(A/A+): 346/412/557, 50:89 BB/K (671 mleOPS)

B-22(A/A+): 304/395/473, 64:109 BB/K (603 mleOPS)

A-23(AA/AAA): 320/395/549, 48:70 BB/K (730 mleOPS)

B-23(AA): 307/391/497, 47:86 BB/K (689 mleOPS)

You probably guessed: Player A is Michael Taylor, Player B is Jason Donald. The grains of salt here are that Donald is about 15 months older, and spent all of last year hurt. On the other hand, Donald is a middle infielder. Taylor's a left fielder. Taylor's numbers are gaudy, for sure, but his viability as a major leaguer will be contingent on his making the power translate; otherwise, he's Ben Francisco the Younger. Donald's defensive value -- and, look closely, his roughly equal effectiveness as a baserunner -- mean that even if his pop falls off a little against MLB pitching, he's still pulling his weight.

And remember the Andy Marte Rule: Do not get worked up because a minor leaguer hits 20 home runs.

So how's this for a trade narrative: The Phils offer Taylor, and the Tribe counters with Donald -- a legitimately better prospect but for the injury -- and Marson to make up the difference, thereby filling the need for a right-handed, MLB-ready middle infielder, and getting a young, solid, cost-controlled catcher who serves as Santana insurance, and whose presence allows the Indians to clear payroll and beef up the starting depth by moving Shoppach.

You could make a similar case for Carrasco/Knapp over Drabek, except, of course, for the fact that Carrasco compares favorably to Drabek already, as you've pointed out plenty.

So, Dave Cameron at FanGraphs (who ripped the deal saying Shapiro got “taken to the cleaners” or something to that effect) would be happy if we'd hauled in Drabek/Taylor. But the reality is, we needed two pitchers more than we needed one, and we needed skill position players more than we needed Yet Another GD Left-fielder, and Cameron, bless his heart, wouldn’t have to live with the Lee trade failing to equate to long-term MLB production.

Perhaps it was that idea of quantity in light of the attrition rate of these prospects (particularly the pitchers) and perhaps the Indians have put more stock into the idea that Carrasco, Marson, and Donald were “undervalued” a bit because they didn’t positively light up AAA Lehigh Valley in their first 3 months there. Perhaps it was the idea that a body of work longer than 3 months could be leaned upon more heavily in terms of taking a guy like previous flavor-of-the-month Carrasco over current flavor-of-the-month Drabek and likewise with Marson and Donald over Taylor (who did not appear among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects entering 2009) in that they put more stock in three years of performance over three months of performance.

At this point, only time will tell if the Indians chose the prudent path…

[Beanpot]

@cimo. said:

Side note - how long will it take for people to stop thinking they're clever by using the "we're the farm team to MLB" line?

Side note 2 - of all the things for Shapiro bashers to latch on to....why Kevin Kouzmanoff? The guy is a worse, older version of Jhonny Peralta...only Peralta played short.

I'd go with "forever" to your first side note. Now the second one gives me pause. Could well be the granny he hit in his first AB but more likely it had to do with his success in the minors. Once that success is attained and the player is dealt to another organization, that player is placed in the "what could have been" category. And it's nearly *impossible* to be removed from that category until retirement. Doesn't matter one bit if the current starter is performing better than the former player. No sir. That former player would surely have fit in "somewhere" on this team and Shapiro was an idiot to get rid of the guy.

It's an interesting dynamic that is most often presented without a bit of logical reason.

Beanpot