Indians in the system

After receiving some positive words on the Pirates in the system piece,I decided to work on an Indians post as well when I had the extra time.
If you are interested and are really nice to me (Insert laugh here),perhaps a Giants system glance could appear here in the future...

The Indians top farm club,the AAA Columbus Clippers have some interesting names,but none bigger than the Tribe's top prospect in catcher Carlos Santana.
Santana is off to a .375 and 4 homer start in his first eleven games and looks to be ready for Cleveland with the bat now.
The Indians are reported to want Santana to continue to work on his game calling and his English skills before a call up,although it is more likely that they want to delay his arbitration eligibility.
The remaining names of interest in Columbus are players that have dropped a bit for various reasons on the prospect radar.
Outfielder Michael Brantley made the opening day roster in Cleveland,but was sent down after swinging a not so hot bat.
Wes Hodges has been shifted from third to first base and seems to have trouble staying healthy and Jason Donald plays his first full season with the Indians since arriving in the Cliff Lee trade.
Former first round pick Trevor Crowe seems to have slowly faded from the Indians future and Jordan Brown hits everything in sight,but cannot seem to catch a break with the Wahoos.
Brown could be the next Brandon Phillips or Jeremy Guthrie as far as players that the Indians fumbled and became successful with new organizations.
Carlos Carrasco and Hector Rondon are the top starting pitchers for the Clippers and both are likely to see time in Cleveland before the end of the 2010 season.
The more experienced Carrasco is likely to get the first call if the Tribe needs a starter...
Keep an eye on former Cardinal Jess Todd and Steven Wright as both could be in the Indian bullpen before the season concludes...

The Akron Aeros won the Eastern League title in 2009 and return some of their stalwarts.
This usually does not occur as players move up the ladder after a title year,but between being blocked in some cases and needing more time in others,it is happening...
Former top pick Beau Mills returns at first base after a solid,but unspectacular year last season.
Mills is still just 23,although it seems that he should be older,but doesn't seem to be projecting as the impact bat that the Indians thought that they drafting in 2007.
The remainder of the infield all are prospects at various levels.
Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall dominated at High A Kinston in his first full season as a pro and ranks as the Indians top prospect not named Santana.
Toolsy shortstop Carlos Rivero returns after an average 09 and needs a top year to cement prospect status.Rivero seems to be a player with the ability to be a big leaguer,but never seems to put everything together.
Cord Phelps is exactly the type of infielder that Cleveland loves,college guy with intangibles,but his numbers at Kinston were nothing to get excited about and he'll have to show me more with the stick.
Jared Goedert and Josh Rodriguez were once touted prospects that have slipped down the scale a bit and are fighting for their future.
Nick Weglarz is back in Akron after a year that saw him hit just .227,but with 16 homers in an injury plagued year.
The Canadian looks to be a possible star,if he can raise his batting average a bit as everything else seems to be there with power and patience (75 walks last season).
A good six to eight weeks could have Weglarz in Columbus by Memorial Day.
Matt McBride works on a move to the outfield from catcher after a 2009 that saw him play at two levels and make the Arizona Fall League all-prospect team.
Zach Putnam and Eric Berger are the top homegrown talents pitching for the Aeros.
Both spent most of last season in Kinston,with the lefty Berger having the better numbers.
Putnam is the harder thrower with Berger having more of a feel for pitching.
Cleveland has accumulated arms in trades and some of them are in Akron.
Lefty Scott Barnes (Giants) and righties Connor Graham (Rockies) and Bryan Price (Red Sox) came to the Indians in trades and are on the radar.
Barnes looks to be a control pitcher with nice potential,while the hulking Graham (who looks like the late Gene Brabender) could eventually be moved to the bullpen,where Price has already been shifted to.

The High A Kinston Indians feature some high end arms,but are a little weak as far as position players go.
The three players that standout are outfielder Abner Abreu,second baseman Jason Kipnis and third baseman Kyle Bellows.
Bellows shows power potential and is skipping low A with his start at Kinston.Kipnis is converting to second from the outfield and also is skipping Lake County.
Kipnis fits the Indian college mold for sure.
Abreu was playing very well at Lake County before a mid season shoulder injury.
Every time that I saw Abreu last year,I thought that he might be the highest ceiling player in the Cleveland system.
The Kinston arms are much more intriguing.
Kelvin De La Cruz returns from a left elbow injury and is reported to be back to the form that made him a top prospect entering 2009.
Last year's top draft pick Alex White debuts with the K-Tribe and is in the rotation,although some project him as a MLB reliever.
Power armed Nick Hagadone was brought over from Boston in the Victor Martinez deal and has the largest high end of any players acquired last season.
The Indians are limiting his innings after Tommy John surgery in 2008.
T.J.House had a terrific ERA at Lake County,despite a 6-13 record and Alexander Perez showed promise as well.

Low A Lake County looks a lot like Kinston,lacking in bats,but some interesting arms.
The only two bats that seem interesting are both outfielders in Bo Greenwell and Delvi Cid,both of whom spent time with the Captains last season.
Cid is more of a speed player with 33 steals last season,while Greenwell projects as more of a versatile 4th outfield type.
Trey Haley returns after struggling as a Captain last season.The second rounder in 2008 walked more than he fanned last season and needs to work on control.
Clayton Cook and Marty Popham were strong for Mahoning Valley last season and Rob Bryson attempts come back from injury after being acquired from Milwaukee in 2008 in the CC Sabathia trade.

The Indians system is highly thought of by many with the better bats being at the higher levels and arms at the lower levels.
With a young major league roster,some of these players could be counted on Indian country very soon.