Indians signings and transactions

[Cowtipper]

Instead of starting threads for each of the transactions, I'm just going to have one thread for all of them.

Big news to start this thread off:

The Indians released Joe Ness.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=2659

[Cowtipper]

Phoenix- The Indians sent 15 players to the minors Thursday. Fourteen of them weren't a surprise. Left-hander David Huff was.

The Indians spent all winter saying Huff had a real chance to make the starting rotation out of spring training. They weren't just blowing smoke.

Huff, however, developed soreness in his left biceps muscle and was never a factor in the competition for a starting job.

"If we were going to run David all the way to the end of this [competition], we would have had to speed him up," manager Eric Wedge said. "He's had a little soreness in the biceps from time to time. Nothing major, but enough where we had to pull him back a couple of times.

"With the way everyone else has thrown, the competition was between those guys. So we wanted to send David out and get him prepared for the regular season in case we need him."

The Indians optioned right-handers Adam Miller, John Meloan, Juan Salas, left-hander Tony Sipp and infielder Luis Valbuena to Class AAA Columbus. Right-hander Hector Rondon and catcher Carlos Santana were optioned to Class AA Akron. Right-hander Jack Cassel, Huff, catcher Armando Camacaro, outfielder Stephen Head and infielders Jordan Brown, Wes Hodges, Jesus Merchan and Beau Mills were re-assigned to minor-league camp.

Here are some of the players who made a good impression:

Sipp: He allowed one run in four appearances and gave every indication that he's recovered from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. Wedge said he'd still be in camp competing for the last spot in the pen if the Indians weren't being careful with him.

Valbuena: He hit only .095 (2-for-21), but looked good at second base, solid at short and has a compact swing.

Rondon: The 6-3 right-hander didn't allow a run in three innings over two appearances. The opposition hit .111 against him.

"He has a great fastball and he gets it easy," said Wedge. "His change-up is fantastic and his slider is coming."

Santana: The switch-hitter was rated as the Tribe's top prospect by Baseball America. He impressed Wedge with his raw catching talent and his ability to drive the ball with power from both sides of the plate.

"He needs to get out and get a better feel for handling a pitching staff," said Wedge.

Santana had two hits in 11 at-bats, but drew six walks for a .471 on-base percentage.

Hodges: He matched his scouting report, hitting well (.296), but still needing work at third base.

"He stands up there like a big-league hitter right now," said Wedge.

Mills: The left-handed hitter showed he can drive the ball the other way. His six RBI were tied for fourth on the club.

Salas: He was acquired from Tampa Bay early in camp. He didn't allow a run in three appearances, but the Indians want him to get in better shape so he could pitch out of the pen three or four times a week.

Carmona hit by liner:

Fausto Carmona was hit on the right forearm by a line drive while pitching in an intrasquad game Thursday at the Tribe's complex in Goodyear, Ariz. X-rays were negative.

Carmona is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA this spring.

Who's on first?

Team USA manager Davey Johnson is running short on first basemen in the World Baseball Classic. He said in a group interview earlier this week that Wedge asked him not to play Indians infielder Mark DeRosa at first before the start of the WBC.

Wedge said he had no problem with DeRosa playing first.

"I was only relaying how Mark felt about it," said Wedge. "That it wasn't his most comfortable position. I have no problem if Mark plays there . . . and knowing what kind of teammate Mark is I'm sure he'll play there if they need him."

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1237537961155520.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

[Cowtipper]

Padres right-handed pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians today.

Ryu, who the Padres claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on Jan. 15, went 0-1 with a 10.61 ERA (11 ER/9.1 IP) in eight spring training appearances with the Padres.

The Padres now have 40 players in big league camp, including 25 off the 40-man roster and 15 non-roster invitees. San Diego's 40-man roster is now at 39.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/padres/2009/mar/26/padres-lose-ryu-waiver-claim/

[Cowtipper]

To make room for Ryu on the 40-man roster the Indians placed RHP JAKE WESTBROOK (rehab from right elbow surgery) on the 60-day disabled list.

http://mlntherawfeed.squarespace.com/baseball-transactions/2009/3/27/cleveland-indians-reassign-infielder-andy-cannizaro-to-minor.html

[Cowtipper]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — A tough Tuesday outing in a minor-league game didn’t help his cause at all, and on Wednesday Allegany High School’s Aaron Laffey was informed by the Cleveland Indians he would at least begin the season at Triple-A Columbus as fellow Cleveland left-hander Scott Lewis was awarded the final spot in the Indians’ rotation, and will break spring training with the major-league club.

Laffey, who appeared to be the only challenger left between Lewis and the fifth starter’s job once Jeremy Sowers was demoted on Tuesday, was knocked around by Class AAA Charlotte, the White Sox’s top farm club the same day. Laffey allowed four runs on six hits in two innings, striking out one and throwing between 87 and 88 mph. He is said to have been inconsistent this spring with his sinker.

For the spring, Laffey is 1-2 in five starts, with a 6.92 ERA. In 13 innings he has given up 15 hits, 10 earned runs, has hit one batter, walked four and struck out nine.

Lewis told the Cleveland Plain Dealer he’d pitch the fourth game of the season, which would be the Tribe’s home opener against Toronto on April 10. Anthony Reyes will reportedly pitch in the fifth spot to give him some extra rest.

The rotation is expected to be left-hander Cliff Lee, right-hander Fausto Carmona, right-hander Carl Pavano, left-hander Lewis and right-hander Reyes.

This spring Lewis is 1-1 with a 3.52 ERA in five Cactus League appearances, including one start. He has 12 strikeouts and six walks in 15 1-3 innings. He’s allowed six earned runs and the opposition is hitting .241 against him.

“It says a great deal about Lewis in reference to what he did in big-league camp,” manager Eric Wedge told the Plain Dealer. “I told him today that he came in and won the job from people who have had, or will have, a lot of success in the big leagues.”

http://www.times-news.com/localsports/local_story_084235912.html?keyword=topstory

[Cowtipper]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians have sent left-hander Jeremy Sowers, outfield prospects Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley and four others to the minors.

Sowers, the sixth overall pick in the 2004 draft, lost out in the battle for Cleveland's No. 5 rotation spot. Lefties Aaron Laffey and Scott Lewis are still in the running for the final rotation berth.

LaPorta and Brantley were acquired in July in the blockbuster trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers. They were reassigned Tuesday to minor-league camp along with right-handers Kirk Saarloos and Greg Aquino and first baseman Michael Aubrey.

Sowers and catcher Wyatt Toregas were optioned to Triple-A Columbus.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCmhVlsr17KQPskw3YTRjA2A7hFAD974J5202

[Cowtipper]

GOODYEAR, Ariz.: The Cleveland Indians optioned outfielder Trevor Crowe and utility player Chris Gimenez to Triple-A Columbus of the International League on Saturday.

Crowe, drafted in the first round out of Arizona in 2005, lost a battle to veterans Tony Graffanino and Josh Barfield for the final position-player spot on the roster. The switch-hitter batted .289 with one homer and three RBIs in 17 spring exhibition games.

"He's had a nice camp," manager Eric Wedge said. "He's much improved. He's still not exactly where he needs to be, but he's getting there. He still has a tendency to play out of control, but it's always easier to pull somebody back than to push them forward."

The 26-year-old Gimenez hit .357 with two homers and seven RBIs in 20 games at catcher, first base, third base, left field and right field.

"He's put himself on the radar," Wedge said of Gimenez, a 19th-round pick out of Nevada in 2004.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/28/sports/BBA-Indians-Moves.php

[Cowtipper]

GOODYEAR, Ariz.: Infielder Andy Cannizaro has been assigned to the Cleveland Indians' minor league training camp.

Cannizaro hit .227 with one home run and two RBIs in 16 spring training games.

The Indians are the third organization for the 30-year-old, who has a .274 average in 734 minor league games. Cannizaro played in 13 games for the New York Yankees in 2006 and one game for Tampa Bay last year, then was purchased by Cleveland from the Rays last August.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/26/sports/BBA-Indians-Move.php

[Cowtipper]

The Indians purchased the contracts of seven players from their minor-league affiliates today. Left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz from Mahoning Valley, infielder Carlos Rivero, outfielder Nick Weglarz and right-hander Jeanmar Gomez from Akron and infielders Jason Donald and Wes Hodges and first baseman-outfielder Jordan Brown from Columbus were added -- putting Cleveland's roster at the 40-man limit.

http://georgiatech.scout.com/a.z?s=140&p=2&c=921700&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fgeorgiatech.scout.com%2f 2%2f921700.html