Finding players in the amateur draft is the key to the Indians contending again.
Until the Indians start getting first-round production out of draft picks such as 2009 top choice Alex White, the team will never be able to build the foundation for title contention, says Terry Pluto.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians spent about $9.3 million to sign their picks in this summer's amateur draft, and it's about time the Tribe begins to have something to show for all the money invested this decade on draft picks.
Who knows if Drew Pomeranz, LeVon Washington and Tony Wolters -- their top three selections -- were the right choices. Very few of us ever heard of these guys before the draft loomed.
So this is not a critique of the selections by scouting director Brad Grant. But it's a fact that the Tribe has been miserable this century, or at least from 1999-2007. Grant took over in 2008 and it's too soon to evaluate his picks.
But here's the good news. Top selections Lonnie Chisenhall (2008) and Alex White (2009) are delivering at Class AA Akron.
Expected to be Cleveland's third baseman in 2012, Chisenhall is hitting .273 (.789 OPS) with 15 homers in the pitching-dominated Eastern League. At 21, he's younger than some of the players drafted this June. White is in his first pro season. He's 7-6 with a 2.39 ERA at Akron. Like Chisenhall, he's 21.
Also at Akron is Jason Kipnis, a second baseman hitting .339 (.982 OPS). He was the second-rounder in 2009, and the 23-year-old may be a contender to play second in Cleveland sometime in 2011.
At second base for Class AAA Columbus is Cord Phelps, also 23. The third-rounder in 2008 is hitting .333 (.936 OPS), and could compete for second base in spring training.
The early returns from Brad Grant's first couple of drafts for the Indians are encouraging, but the next couple of years will tell the tale on whether the team has ended its discouraging rate of draft failures, says Terry Pluto.At the upper echelon of Grant's first two drafts, the only question mark is Trey Haley -- the 2008 second-rounder who is 9-16 with a 5.53 ERA in two seasons at Class A Lake County.
So Grant and his staff seem close to delivering exactly what the Indians need -- some impact players who are signed and developed by the farm system. But until that happens, the Indians can't hope to contend in what usually is a wide-open Central Division.
They do a good job of trading for and polishing other team's prospects, examples being Carlos Santana, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez, Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook. They also have been effective signing Latino players such as Victor Martinez and Fausto Carmona.
But the real problem for this team -- as much as a low budget forcing the trades of veterans -- has been one dismal draft after another.
Consider the current 25-man roster. The only players drafted by the Indians are Trevor Crowe (1st round, 2005), Chris Gimenez (19th, 2004), Josh Tomlin (19th, 2006) and Tony Sipp (45th, 2004). Reliever Frank Herrmann was signed as an undrafted free agent.
Where are all the first rounders, the million-dollar babies? C.C. Sabathia was the top pick in 1998. Here's the list from 2000-2007: Corey Smith, Dan Denham, Alex Horne, Jeremy Guthrie, Mike Aubrey, Brad Snyder, Jeremy Sowers, Crowe and Beau Mills. Only Guthrie and Crowe are in the majors. Not a single player drafted by the Indians since 2000 would be considered a star, although a few such as Luke Scott (Baltimore) and Kevin Kouzmanoff (Oakland) have been productive.
Here were the Indians' top picks from 1987-94: Albert Belle (second round in '87, as the team did not have a first-round pick), Mark Lewis, Charles Nagy, Calvin Murray, Tim Costo, Manny Ramirez, Paul Shuey, Daron Kirkreit and Jaret Wright.
There were some swings and misses, but also some huge hits with Belle, Nagy, Ramirez and Wright. Shuey was a solid reliever. They also struck gold deep in the draft: Jim Thome (13th, 1989), Richie Sexson (24th, 1993), Brian Giles (17th, 1989).
How about the first four picks in 1991: Ramirez, Herbert Perry, Chad Ogea and Paul Byrd.
Drafts like these were a major reason the Indians were a Central Division power from 1995-2001. Until the Indians begin to do that again, there will be more seasons such as this one.