Unique 'split-change' highlights Salazar's arsenal 'It was really just luck that he throws it this way,' pitching coach Callaway

Transcription

1 Unique 'split-change' highlights Salazar's arsenal 'It was really just luck that he throws it this way,' pitching coach Callaway says By Jordan Bastian / February 26th, 2016 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians worked with Danny Salazar on developing a changeup, but the starter could not complete the task in the traditional sense. The pitcher gripped the baseball in the typical circle-change style and simply was unable to make it work the way it usually works. Salazar's arm angle, combined with the way he released the ball, created more of a tumbling action when he began working on the offspeed pitch years ago. No, Salazar could not throw a traditional changeup. Instead, he developed a pitch that is one-of-a-kind -- and now one of the best pitches in baseball. "It was really just luck that he throws it this way," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. "The way he pitches, it just turned it into something unique, and it comes out like kind of a forkball or split." According to data culled by Baseball Info Solutions, Salazar's changeup had a weighted runs above average rating of 19.3 last season. The only qualified pitcher in the Major Leagues with a better changeup was ace Zack Greinke (20.1), who has a Cy Young Award on his resume and signed a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the D-backs this past offseason. Salazar's changeup -- referred to as a "split-change" due to its movement -- has always been a good weapon for him, but it was a great pitch last season. The hard-throwing right-hander credits his improved pitch sequencing last year for the better results with his changeup. Salazar began featuring a two-seam sinker more, reduced his four-seam fastball and slider usage and learned when and how to best utilize the splitchange. "My changeup has always been there," Salazar said. "But as a young player, when you throw hard, you just want to blow everybody away with your fastball. But you learn that if you keep doing that, you're going to get damaged. So I just started mixing my pitches, using my secondary pitches more. My changeup, that's my second-best pitch, so I just started to use it more. The more you use it, the more you learn how to execute that kind of pitch." For instance, Salazar began using his split-change much more often in pitcher-advantage counts in 2015 compared to the '14 season. For example, when facing right-handed batters, he used the changeup 32 percent of the time when ahead in the count after using it 13 percent of the time when ahead the previous season. There were also jumps in usage in two-strike counts when facing lefties and righties. Overall, Salazar threw his split-change 20.8 percent of the time in 2015, compared to 12.1 percent of the time in '14. The higher volume also led to lower production by opposing batters, who hit.144 with a.213 slugging percentage against the pitch last season. The increase in both sinkers and split-changeups also led to a significant jump in ground-ball rate (46.2 percent in '15 and 34.3 percent in '14) for Salazar. "Another year of throwing and getting comfortable at the Major League level obviously had a lot to do with it," Callaway said. "But what I thought he really did a good job of was getting his fastball over and in better spots, to where it kind of opened up more chase and more swings at the changeup.... It's such a good pitch, and it's such an odd pitch, that it seems like it'd be hard to control, but he did a lot better job than I ever would've thought of getting it over and near the zone." Indians sign OF Venable to Minor League deal By Jordan Bastian / February 26th, 2016 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians general manager Mike Chernoff is more than familiar with outfielder Will Venable. When Chernoff was a middle infielder at Princeton University, Venable was one of his Tigers teammates. Chernoff and Venable are a part of the same team again. On Friday morning, Venable signed a Minor League contract with the Indians that includes a non-roster invitation to attend Spring Training with the big league club. The outfielder was on site at Cleveland's Arizona training complex and underwent a physical to complete the deal, and he is expectated to be on hand Saturday to begin working out with the Tribe. "I've known Will for 12 or 13 years, followed his career, stayed in touch with him," Chernoff said. "It was great to connect with him over the past several weeks and several days and talk about our opportunity here. He will come in and compete just like all of the other guys in camp." Venable will be thrown into the mix for one of the Indians' vacant outfield jobs, along with players such as Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Tyler Naquin, Zach Walters, Shane Robinson, Michael Choice, Robbie Grossman and James Ramsey. As things currently stand, only Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall are in line for starting roles in the outfield for the Tribe. Also on Friday, Abraham Almonte -- Cleveland's projected starting center fielder -- wassuspended 80 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Chernoff said the Venable signing was unrelated to the news about Almonte. "We've been in conversations with Will for a few weeks at this point," Chernoff said, "with obviously no knowledge of this situation. Now that he's here, he adds to that depth, and [now] we're finding out this news may open up some more opportunities for Will and may factor in for him and other guys in camp." The Indians anticipate that the makeup of their Opening Day outfield will be impacted by the ongoing comeback of left fielder Michael Brantley, who is rehabbing from November surgery on his right shoulder. While Brantley is making positive strides early in camp -- he has advanced to hitting off a tee -- it remains doubtful that he will be ready in time for the start of the regular season. The 33-year-old Venable has a.251/.317/.406 slash line in parts of eight Major League seasons with the Padres and Rangers. Last year, the left-handed-hitting outfielder batted.244 with 16 steals, 22 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs and 40 runs scored in 135 games (390 plate appearances) between tours with San Diego and Texas, which acquired him via trade on Aug. 18. Venable has experience in right (555 career games), center (322) and left field (91), and he has performed best against right-handed pitching. Even in a down year in 2015, Venable hit.256 (.710 OPS) against righties, compared to.159 (.377) against lefties. For his career, he has hit.256 (.745) versus right-handed pitching, compared to.222 (.610) versus southpaws. Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

2 Almonte suspended 80 games for PEDs By Jordan Bastian / February 26th, 2016 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians' outfield situation just became a little more complicated. On Friday, Major League Baseball announced that Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte has been suspended for 80 games due to testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. It marks the first positive test for Almonte, who is eligible to participate in Spring Training but must begin serving his suspension at the start of the regular season. Indians general manager Mike Chernoff said that he and manager Terry Francona met Friday with Almonte, who plans on addressing his teammates and speaking with the media on Saturday. "Tito and I talked to Abe as soon as we found out," Chernoff said. "Obviously, it's disappointing. We fully support Major League Baseball's program. The suspension is what it is: It's 80 games for a player that we had expected to contribute to the Major League team. At this point, we're just digesting the news as well, but we're going to have to rely on the depth that we have here and try to fill a hole that he otherwise would have filled." Chernoff declined to delve into the specifics of Almonte's suspension, and the Indians issued an organizational statement that read in part: "We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement." Boldenone is classified as an anabolic steroid and was the same substance identified in a positive test by former Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia. Earlier this spring, Mejia tested positivie for a third time, resulting in a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. A second positive test for a PED comes with a 162-game ban. Almonte will be placed on the restricted list and will not be eligible for pay during his suspension. Almonte, 26, was acquired from the Padres on July 31 last season in exchange for left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski, and the outfielder was initially sent to Triple-A Columbus. Almonte was soon in the lineup in Cleveland, and his first game (4-for-5 with two doubles, one homer From there, Almonte gave the Indians a solid replacement in center fielder for Michael Bourn, who was dealt to Atlanta, along with Nick Swisher, on Aug. 7 last season. The switch-hitting Almonte hit.264 with five home runs, nine doubles, five triples, 20 RBIs and a.776 OPS in 51 games over the final two months for Cleveland, while playing an above-average center field. Overall, Almonte hit.250 with a.719 OPS in 82 games between the Padres and Indians last year. "He paid attention to detail so well. I mean that in a complimentary way," Francona said of Almonte's showing with Cleveland last season. "It was just a really nice acquisition for us at a time when guys are leaving and some young kids are coming. He did a really good job of solidifying that." Almonte's showing was strong enough to put him into consideration as the Tribe's starting center fielder for the upcoming campaign. With left fielder Michael Brantley currently rehabbing from November surgery on his right shoulder, only outfielders Rajai Davis (left and center) and Lonnie Chisenhall (right) look like virtual locks for the Opening Day roster. Almonte fell into that category, too, before Friday's development. With Almonte effectively out of the mix until July, the spring outfield competition just became more interesting. To add an extra body to the fold, the Tribe agreed upon a Minor League contract Friday withwill Venable, who will join camp as a non-roster invitee. Other outfielders jockeying for jobs include Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Tyler Naquin, Zach Walters, Shane Robinson,Michael Choice, Robbie Grossman and James Ramsey. Brantley, who has advanced to hitting off a tee, is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. Asked if the Indians might look at the free-agent market for more outfield help, Chernoff said the Tribe's front office needed more time to digest and discuss the news about Almonte before reacting. Last week, it was reported that the Indians had shown interest in free-agent center fielder Austin Jackson. "That's something that we'll have to figure out," Chernoff said of potentially exploring the free-agent market further. "The fact that we have a decent amount of depth in camp in the outfield, the fact that Will Venable happens to have signed around the same time and adds to that depth, at least gives us some options for the immediate future. But that's something we'll have to work through internally." Indians OF Abraham Almonte suspended 80 games for failed PED drug test Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte received an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball on Friday for a failed drug test that reveled performance-enhancing drugs. Almonte was one of the front-runners in the competition in the Indians outfield, and was being penciled in as the Opening Day starter in center field. He had been limited this spring with back spasms but now will be away from the team for about half the regular season. We just found out about this today, Indians general manager Mike Chernoff said. [Manager Terry Francona] and I talked with Abe as soon as we found out. Obviously, it s disappointing. We fully support Major League Baseball s program. The suspension is what it is, it s 80 games for a player we had expected to contribute on the Major League team. Chernoff added that Almonte accepted full responsibility for the failed test. It s extremely disappointing, Chernoff said. We are here to support players and the team through tough times and good times. We re disappointed. We were hoping Abe would be a larger contributor and for the first 80 games, he can d to that. Along with Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall, Almonte figured to be on the Opening Day roster with a quality spring. Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Zach Walters, Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson, Michael Choice James Ramsey, Tyler Naquin and Will Venable, who the club signed on Friday to a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to camp, are all competing for spots on the roster, an important competition considering left fielder Michael Brantley is still expected to be out for roughly the first month of the regular season and additional playing time is available. This news could impact the Indians and the outlook on the outfield on several fronts. It could open the door to a greater extent for Cowgill, who could platoon with Chisenhall in right field and can play all three positions. It could also potentially heat up the Indians reported interest in free

3 agent center fielder Austin Jackson. Davis, who was most likely to play left field until Brantley returns, could be pushed to center field earlier than previously expected. And, it could create more of an opening for Naquin, a prospect long touted to play center field. Almonte last season hit.264 with five home runs, nine doubles, five triples, 20 RBI and six stolen bases in 51 games with the Indians while playing center field following his acquisition and the trade of Michael Bourn to Atlanta. Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte suspended 80 games for failed PED test; Will Venable signs as nonroster invite Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball on Friday for a failed drug test that revealed performance-enhancing drugs. Almonte was one of the front-runners in the competition in the Indians outfield, and was being penciled in as the Opening Day starter in center field. He had been limited this spring with back spasms but now will be away from the team for about half the regular season. We just found out about this today, Indians General Manager Mike Chernoff said. [Manager Terry Francona] and I talked with Abe as soon as we found out. Obviously, it s disappointing. We fully support Major League Baseball s program. The suspension is what it is, it s 80 games for a player we had expected to contribute on the major league team. Chernoff added that Almonte accepted full responsibility for the failed test. It s extremely disappointing, Chernoff said. We are here to support players and the team through tough times and good times. We re disappointed. We were hoping Abe would be a larger contributor and for the first 80 games, he can t to that. Along with Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall, Almonte figured to be on the Opening Day roster with a quality spring. Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Zach Walters, Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson, Michael Choice, James Ramsey, Tyler Naquin and Will Venable, who the club signed on Friday to a minor league deal with a nonroster invitation to camp, are all competing for spots on the roster, an important competition considering left fielder Michael Brantley is still expected to be out for roughly the first month of the regular season and additional playing time is available. This news could impact the Indians and the outlook on the outfield on several fronts. It could open the door to a greater extent for Cowgill, who could platoon with Chisenhall in right field and can play all three positions. It could also potentially heat up the Indians reported interest in freeagent center fielder Austin Jackson. Davis, who was most likely to play left field until Brantley returns, could be pushed to center field earlier than previously expected. And, it could create more of an opening for Naquin, a prospect long touted to play center field. Almonte hit.264 with five home runs, nine doubles, five triples, 20 RBI and six stolen bases in 51 games with the Indians last season while playing center field following his acquisition and the trade of Michael Bourn to the Atlanta Braves. Venable was in camp on Friday and passed his physical, making the addition official. Venable s possible role with the team, along with the other contenders, was elevated on Friday with Almonte s suspension. Chernoff said the timing of Venable s signing had to do with him debating a nonroster deal and not Almonte. Now that he s here, he adds to that depth, Chernoff said of Venable. Obviously now that we re finding out this news, it may open up more opportunities for Will and other guys in camp. Venable, a left-handed hitter with some speed, has traditionally been better against right-handed pitching, posting a career.256 batting average and.422 slugging percentage against righties. Against left-handed pitchers, he s hit.222 with a.329 slugging percentage. He s also stolen at least 16 bases in five of his six full seasons at the major league level. Venable has spent most of his career in center field and right field and has graded out better at the latter spot. He was also teammates with Indians General Manager Mike Chernoff while at Princeton. I ve known Will for 12 or 13 years, followed his career, stayed in touch with him periodically during that career, Chernoff said. It s really fun to watch some of the guys that you played with succeed and have the types of career that he, Chris Young, Ross Ohlendorf, guys like that, have had. He ll come in and compete just like all the other guys in camp. That doesn t hold any weight on anything. But it s certainly good to know someone s character, what he stands for and the type of guy he is when you bring in someone like that. Tickets on sale Monday Single-game tickets, including for opening day, go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Monday. The Indians encourage fans to purchase their opening-day tickets quickly because of anticipated high demands. There is no special access code needed for opening-day tickets, and transactions are limited to one with an eight-ticket limit. Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at Follow him on Twitter at and on Facebook at Indians in agreement with OF Will Venable on minor league deal with non-roster invite The Indians added another veteran to their outfield mix this spring, signing Will Venable with a minor league deal that includes a non-roster invite to Major League camp. Venable, 33, will join a crowded outfield competition that includes Abraham Almonte, Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler, Zach Walters (now focusing primarily on outfield work), Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson, Michael Choice, James Ramsey and Tyler Naquin. With Michael Brantley expected to be sidelined roughly the first month of the season, Rajai Davis and Lonnie Chisenhall look to have two slots nailed down until Brantley s return. Almonte, who manned center field for much of the second half of last season and Cowgill, who could platoon with Chisenhall in right field and has the ability to play all three spots in the outfield, could be the top two contenders in that field. Venable, a left-handed hitter with some speed, has traditionally been better against right-handed pitching, posting a career.256 batting average and.422 slugging percentage against righties. Against left-handed pitchers, he s hit.222 with a.329 slugging percentage. He s also stolen at least 16 bases in five of his six full seasons at the Major League level. Venable has spent most of his career in center field and right field and has graded out better at the latter spot. He was also teammates with Indians general manager Mike Chernoff while at Princeton. I ve known Will for 12 or 13 years, followed his career, stayed in touch with him periodically during that career, Chernoff said. It s really fun to watch some of the guys that you played with succeed and have the types of career that he, Chris Young, Ross Ohlendorf, guys like that have

4 had. He ll come in and compete just like all the other guys in camp. That doesn t hold any weight on anything. But it s certainly good to know someone s character, what he stands for and the type of guy he is when you bring in someone like that. The agreement was first reported by Fox Spor How Cleveland Indians can withstand losses of Michael Brantley, Abraham Almonte: Paul Hoynes Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's still February and the Indians are already down two starting outfielders. This is not a good thing. Left fielder Michael Brantley continues to recover from surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to miss most, if not all, of April and perhaps part of May. He's making progress, but there is no way the Indians will let him open the season on time. There is no gray area about how long center fielder Abraham Almonte will be out. He was suspended Friday for 80 games, basically half a season, for taking an anabolic steroid developed for use on cattle and horses. Whinny if you need some Boldenone. Potentially these are season-killing losses. If Brantley was gone for 80 games, the Indians could put a padlock on Progressive Field and a "Gone Fishing' sign inside every ticket window. It's going to be hard enough for the Indians to contend if he misses anything more than their 23 scheduled games in April. People can laugh off Almonte's suspension, but he was a solid contributor after being acquired at the end of July from San Diego for Marc Rzepczynski. Almonte was better on both sides of the ball than the man he replaced, Michael Bourn, and maybe now we know why. The only starting outfielder still upright and PED-free is Lonnie Chisenhall. This is Chisenhall's ninth year in the organization and for the first 8½ years, he was trying to figure out how to play third base. Okay, then. GM Mike Chernoff said outfielder Abraham Almonte will be taken off the 40-man roster following his positive test for steroids. Almonte will not be paid during his 80-game suspension, but can stay with the team during spring training. To counteract the losses of Brantley and Almonte, the Indians have three choices. No. 1: Sign Austin Jackson Jackson is the only legitimate center fielder still on the free agent market. Owner Paul Dolan would have to OK the expense because right now the money the Indians have spent on free agents Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis and Juan Uribe has left the piggy bank dry. Scott Boras represents Jackson. Bourn, the last center fielder the Indians signed for a large chunk of cash, was also represented by Boras. It's far from the perfect solution, but these are far from perfect circumstances. Jackson would give the Tribe protection in center, while Davis filled in for Brantley in left. It doesn't sound as if the rumors connection the Indians to Austin Jackson will bear fruit. No. 2: There's still time to trade a starting pitcher or prospect for a run-producing outfielder Is Miami's Marcell Ozuna, who played 111 games in center field last year, still available? No. 3: Start Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier in center The Indians have a pitching staff that could do serious damage in October. They need an offense to go with it. Everyone knows the Indians are conservative with their prospects. They didn't invite Zimmer or Frazier to big-league camp this year because the outfield was too crowded with guys named Michael Choice, Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson and Collin Cowgill. It would be a risk, maybe even a little reckless, to give center field to a rookie with no MLB experience. But what if Zimmer or Frazier gave the Indians one or two good months? What if they helped carry the team until Brantley returned and the front office was able to patch the hole in center? It could work. The Indians,with so many questions to answer in the outfield, decide not to invite top prospects Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier to big-league spring training. Zimmer or Frazier would get a taste of the big leagues and be that much farther along for their 2017 ETA. The Indians, meanwhile, would still be a factor in If not Zimmer or Frazier, the Indians should definitely give Tyler Naquin, their No.1 pick in 2012, every chance to replace Almonte. Naquin is in camp on the 40-man roster and the Indians need to find out if he can play. The Indians can make one of those three choices or stumble through the first two months of the season with a parade of fourth and fifth outfielders shuttling in and out of the lineup. There's a truckload of them in camp and apparently they're multiplying. Will Venable, 33, signed a minor-league deal with the Indians on Friday just after Almonte was popped. He played 63 games in center last year for San Diego and Texas. Cleveland Indians to sign outfielder Will Venable, Mike Chernoff's college teammate, to minor league deal Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Will Venable and Mike Chernoff played together at Princeton more than a decade ago. Now, the two are reunited. The Indians have agreed with Venable, a 33-year-old outfielder, on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring camp, a source confirmed to cleveland.com. The deal is contingent upon Venable's passing of a physical, which is to take place on Friday morning. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal first reported that Venable was expected to be at the Indians' complex in Goodyear, Arizona, on Friday. Venable joins a sizable cast of candidates who are competing for playing time in Cleveland's outfield. Across eight big league seasons, Venable owns a.251 batting average and a.722 OPS. He had spent his entire career with the Padres, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2005 amateur draft, until he was dealt to Texas last August. Venable pieced together his best major league showing in 2013, when he hit.268 with a.796 OPS, with 22 home runs, 22 doubles, 22 stolen bases and eight triples. The left-handed hitter carries a career.256/.324/.422 clip against right-handed pitching and a.222/.280/.329 slash line

5 in more limited action against southpaws. He is one of four non-roster invitees in camp to primarily play the outfield. Shane Robinson, Michael Choice and Robbie Grossman are the others. The Indians also added Joey Butler, Rajai Davis and Collin Cowgill to the outfield mix this offseason. The logjam was thinned Friday afternoon, when Abraham Almonte was suspended for 80 games for testing positive for a performanceenhancing drug, Boldenone. Venable played at Princeton from Chernoff, the Indians' general manager, manned the middle infield at the Ivy League school from Cleveland Indians' Abraham Almonte suspended for 80 games for PED violation Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Outfielder Abraham Almonte has been suspended for 80 games because of a violation of MLB's drug policy. Almonte was scheduled to be the Tribe's opening day center fielder. Almonte is the Indians first big league player to be suspended for PED use since Rafael Betancourt in A statement by MLB said Almonte tested positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steriod created for use in the horse and cattle industry. "We just found out about this today," said GM Mike Chernoff on a conference call with reporters from Goodyear, Ariz. "Tito (manager Terry Francona) and I talked to Abe as soon as we found out. "It's disappointing. We support Major League Baseball's program and the suspension is what it is. It's 80 games for a player we expected to contribute to the major league team." The Indians acquired Almonte from San Diego at mid-season last year for left-hander Marc Rzepczynski. He filled a void for them in center field, hitting.264 (47-for-178) with nine doubles, five triples, five homers and 20 RBI in 51 games. Almonte scored 30 runs and went 6-for-6 in stolen bases. "We're going to have to rely on the depth that we have here to fill the hole that Abe otherwise would have filled," said Chernoff. The Tribe's other center field options include Rajai Davis, Tyler Naquin, Zach Walters, James Ramsey and Shane Robinson. The Indians also just signed Will Venable to a minor league deal. Venable played 63 games in center last season with San Diego and Texas and is a former college teammate of Chernoff's at Princeton. Chernoff indicated that Almonte's suspension would not bring center field prospects Bradley Zimmer or Clint Frazier into play for the big league club at this time. It's unclear if the Indians will further explore the free agent market to replace Almonte. Austin Jackson is still available, but the Indians have indicated that they're tapped out when it comes to signing free agents to big league contracts. The Indians' outfield was already hurting because of Michael Brantley's surgically repaired right shoulder that is expected to sideline him for much of April. Almonte's suspension doesn't help. Manager Terry Francona has been pleased with the progress Michael Brantley has made swinging the bat, but it's still believed he'll open season on the disabled list. The timing of the Venable signing, said Chernoff, was more coincidental than planned regarding Almonte's suspension. "We've been talking to Will for a few weeks with no knowledge of this situation," said Chernoff. "Now that's he's here, he adds to our depth. Now that we're finding out this news clearly may open up some more opportunities for Will and the other guys in camp." Chernoff said Almonte, 26, took responsibility for the test results. "He plans to address his teammates and the media on Saturday," said Chernoff. Almonte was sidelined for the last several days with a stiff back. He did practice Thursday. MLB rules dictate that when a player is suspended for a PED violation he will not get paid. Chernoff said Almonte will be taken off the 40-man roster and placed on the restricted list. "He'll will stay in major league camp with us and can be a full member of major league spring training," said Chernoff. "The fact that he can't play for the first 80 games (of the regular season) means we'll be ramping him up on a different time frame than other guys. "After that, my understanding is, he can play in extended spring training games. But I have to get more details and a full understanding of what we can and can't do." Almonte is the second Tribe in big league camp to run afoul of baseball's testing program. Minor league right-hander Joe Colon was suspended for 50 games in January for his second violation for a drug of abuse. Colon, a spring-training invitee, is not dressing with the big league club. He's on a different condition program than the other pitchers in camp, but is receiving the financial benefits from being a spring-training invitee. Carlos Carrasco finally bubbles to surface for Cleveland Indians Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio Success in the big leagues can come at any point of a player's career. Some come to a boil fast. Others bubble slowly to the top, serving every day, and then some, of the required minor league apprenticeship. The men in the front office chart the progress and wait. Sometimes they don't wait long enough. Sometimes they wait too long. And sometimes they get it just right. "If you aren't patient, you never see these guys come out the other side," said manager Terry Francona. In the tumultuous career of Carlos Carrasco, the Indians could be credited with having the patience of Job. Or maybe they just forgot he was still around. This is Carrasco's eighth year in the organization after being acquired from Philadelphia during the 2009 season as part of the Cliff Lee deal. Before last season, his first full year in the big leagues, Carrasco pitched 268 innings in the minors and 372 1/3 in the big leagues for the Indians. That is not the mark of a can't-miss prospect. It's the mark of a guy who's not sure if he's coming or going.

6 There were so many times that it looked like Carrasco had thrown his last pitch for the Indians. He was suspended twice for throwing at batters Kansas City's Billy Butler on July 29, 2011 and Kevin Youkilis of the Yankees on April 9, Carrasco had just finished serving his suspension for throwing over Butler's head he missed the 2012 season because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and couldn't serve it at an earlier date when he hit Youkilis in the back in his first start in He said he slipped on the mound and didn't mean to hit Youkilis, but the Indians optioned him to Class AAA Columbus. He did not return until June. Indians starter Carlos CarrascoCarlos Carrasco talks about learning and competing with his fellow starters in the rotation. He also talks about meeting Joey Butler, the new teammate who ruined his no-hitter last year. By 2014 Carrasco was out of options and seemingly out of chances with the Indians. He opened the season in the rotation, but after four bad starts he was moved to the bullpen. He was 27 and still had a great arm, but to many the move to the bullpen was a prelude to finally being cut loose by the Indians. Carrasco, however, flourished in relief. Under the guidance of bullpen coach Kevin Cash, he relaxed and started getting people out. He rejoined the rotation in August and made 10 strong starts, going 5-3 with a 1.30 ERA, while striking out 78 batters in 69 innings. Carrasco penalized for hitting the Yankees' Kevin Youkilis with a pitch. Indians activate Jason Giambi and recall Nick Hagadone, place Matt Albers on paternity list and send Corey Kluber to Columbus. After 11 years as a professional, he was an overnight sensation. Well, there were a few more dips and turns to come. Carrasco underwent an operation to correct an irregular heartbeat after the 2014 season. At the end of spring training in 2015, he signed a fouryear $22 million extension with two club options. Then in his second start of the season, Carrasco took a Melky Cabrera line drive off the jaw in the first inning and had to be carted off the field. Carrasco didn't miss a start and went on to have a career season, going with a 3.63 ERA. He set career highs in victories, starts (30), innings (183 2/3) and strikeouts (216). On July 1, he came within one strike of throwing a no-hitter against Tampa Bay before Joey Butler, now a teammate, singled into right field with two out in the bottom of the ninth at Tropicana Field. In some preseason predictions for 2016, Carrasco has been mentioned as a Cy Young candidate. Carlos Carrasco lost his bid for a no-hitter with two out in the ninth inning Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Joey Butler ruined it with a clean single to right field. From headhunter to Cy Young candidate. Two years ago could anyone have seen that coming? "Some people take one day," said Carrasco, on his long and bumpy road. "Some people it takes two or three years. I think the most important thing is the Indians gave me an opportunity, and they gave me an opportunity a lot. Three or four times, I went up and down. Then I had Tommy John surgery. "That kind of delayed me a little bit maybe 14 to 16 months before I came back to the big leagues. It's not easy to be in the big leagues, but you have to make adjustments." Regarding the swirl of 2015, Carrasco said, "There was a lot going on last year. But I've been working with Ceci Clark, trying to be in the moment. Whatever happens today, happens today. Something that I did yesterday in the bullpen, something like that, I'm just trying to put in the past." Clark is a performance coach for the Indians. When the Indians claimed Butler on waivers in December, Carrasco welcomed him with a Tweet, saying all was forgiven. Now they talk almost every day in spring training. "The first time he saw me he just kind of put his head down and said, 'Hey, man, how are you doing?'" said Carrasco. "You know what? It's part of baseball. I made a mistake. I think I threw three sliders in a row. My slider was good, but I hung it just a little bit and he got a base hit. "Forget about it. Now we're here. Let's do it together." The Indians are all about their starting rotation. After No.1 starter Corey Kluber comes Carrasco. Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson and a long line of others follow. Carrasco, 29 on March 21, has never been in a better spot in his career. His financial future is secure. He's coming off a career season, he's another year removed from Tommy John surgery and he's getting some love on the preseason prediction lists. "That makes me feel good," said Carrasco. "They're starting to believe in me and in my teammates, too, because I have to have great teammates so they can make all the plays. I think we're in a good spot." Finally. Indians agree to minor league deal with outfielder Venable GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- The Indians have agreed to a one-year minor league deal with 33-year-old outfielder Will Venable. Venable, a college teammate of Indians general manager Mike Chernoff at Princeton, was at Cleveland's player development complex on Friday, where he will undergo a physical and is expected to sign with the team. Over his eight-year major league career, Venable has posted a career.251 average with 81 home runs, 387 RBIs and 135 stolen bases. He spent the 2015 season between the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers, hitting.244 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs. Venable will join Rajai Davis, Joey Butler, Shane Robinson and Robbie Grossman as offseason outfield additions for the Indians. Indians' Almonte suspended 80 games for failed drug test GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- With injured All-Star Michael Brantley likely out for the first portion of the season, the Cleveland Indians spent plenty of time this offseason looking for ways to fill the large hole he'll leave in the outfield. That search became more difficult Friday when Abraham Almonte was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Boldenone.

7 Indians general manager Mike Chernoff and manager Terry Francona had high expectations this season for the 26-year-old outfielder. ''It's extremely disappointing. Abe has accepted responsibility for the test results as he talked with me and Tito,'' Chernoff said. ''We were hoping that he would be a large contributor for our major league team this year and for the first 80 games, he can't do that.'' The Indians released a statement as well, in which the team supported MLB's stance on steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. Almonte was set to address his teammates on Saturday, before he is removed from the team's 40-man roster and placed on the restricted list. While he's out, Almonte won't be able to play in regular-season big league games until July. He will remain in the Indians' clubhouse throughout spring training. After he was acquired by the Indians at the 2015 trade deadline for left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski, Almonte played in 51 games for Cleveland, hitting.264 with five home runs and 20 RBIs. His on-field play impressed the team. So did his clubhouse presence. ''I think the best way I could describe it is, he paid attention to detail so well. I mean that in a complimentary way,'' Francona said. ''It was just a really nice acquisition for us at a time when guys are leaving and some young kids are coming. He did a really good job of solidifying that.'' Almonte is third major league player to be suspended for drugs this year. Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia drew a permanent ban and Cincinnati prospect Juan Duran got an 80-game penalty. With Almonte now out of commission for the first four months, Chernoff said the Indians will exhaust all options as they continue to put together their outfield. Brantley is sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. ''We need to work through internal, external options, anything, figure out the best path forward,'' Chernoff said. ''We're going to have to rely on the depth that we have here and try to fill a hole that he otherwise would have filled.'' The current options in Cleveland for the outfield spots include Rajai Davis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Zach Walters and Tyler Naquin, as well as nonroster invitees Joey Butler, Shane Robinson, Robbie Grossman and newly signed veteran Will Venable. While the Indians are open to many options in the outfield, it doesn't seem as if they'll insert top their top minor league outfield prospects, Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer, into the mix. ''We still have a lot of outfielders up here,'' Chernoff said. ''I don't know that it will have any impact on those guys.'' NOTES: There is no update from the Indians on the status of veteran infielder Juan Uribe, who agreed to a one-year contract with the team last week. He's still working through issues regarding his visa that won't allow him to travel to the United States and take a physical before signing with the Indians.... The Indians are having former manager Mike Hargrove in camp as a guest instructor. Francona said that he loves to have Hargrove around and indicated that he stays close with the former skipper in the offseason. MLB suspends Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte 80 games for using PEDs By Jeff Schudel, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal The Indians went to spring training knowing left fielder Michael Brantley would miss at least the early part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, and then on Feb. 26 five weeks before the opener they were hit with this stunning news: Center fielder Abraham Almonte, a spark for the final two months of 2015, is suspended without pay for the first 80 games of the season for using the banned performance-enhancing drug boldenone, according to a statement by Major League Baseball. The suspension leaves the Indians in a bind, especially with their determination to get off to a better start than when they went 7-14 in April last year. Almonte will not fight the ruling. He plans to speak to his teammates and the media in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 27. We fully support Major League Baseball s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game, the Indians said in a statement. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball s Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement. General Manager Mike Chernoff was asked during a conference call whether he feels betrayed by Almonte. I don t know that that s exactly the right word, Chernoff said. It s extremely disappointing. Abe accepted responsibility for the test results when he talked to me and Tito (Indians manager Terry Francona). We are here to support players through tough times and good times. We were hoping Abe would be a large contributor to our major-league team this year. For the first 80 games, he can t do that.

8 The Indians traded relief pitcher Marc Rzepczynski to the San Diego Padres for Almonte on July 31 last year. Almonte reported to Triple-A Columbus. He was called up a week later and went 4-for-5 with a home run, a pair of doubles and two RBI in a game against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 8. He finished the year batting.264 with five home runs and 20 RBI. Francona has until April 1 when the Tribe opens the 2016 season on the road against the Texas Rangers to find an outfielder. Rajai Davis can play left or center and Lonnie Chisenhall is the right fielder, but one spot is now open. That s something we re going to have to figure out, Chernoff said. We have to digest this information. The fact we have a decent amount of depth in the outfield at least gives us options for the immediate future, but that s something we re going to have to work through. Coincidentally, on the same day Almonte was suspended, the Indians signed veteran outfielder Will Venable, 33, to a minor-league contract with a non-roster invitation to the Tribe s major-league spring training camp. Chernoff said signing Venable and the suspension were not related and added negotiations with Venable were ongoing for about a week. Venable has played eight seasons in the majors, all but 37 games (Rangers) with the San Diego Padres. He has a.251 career batting average in 955 games with 51 home runs and 285 RBI. Indians No. 1 draft picks Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer are also possibilities, but Chernoff hinted the Indians would prefer they continue to develop in the minors. Indians: Outfielder Abraham Almonte suspended 80 games for positive PED test result by Chris Assenheimer - The Chronicle-Telegram GOODYEAR, Ariz. It s a good thing the Indians have been stockpiling veteran outfielders this offseason. They re going to need them. With Michael Brantley already sidelined for what is believed to be the first month of the regular season, Cleveland got more bad news Friday in the form of Abraham Almonte drawing an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Indians general manager Mike Chernoff said the Indians were informed of Almonte s positive test result Friday afternoon and that he and manager Terry Francona met with Almonte shortly after. Obviously it s disappointing, Chernoff said. We fully support Major League Baseball s program, and the suspension is what it is. It s 80 games for a player that we had expected to contribute to the major league team. Almonte, 26, had been limited this spring by back spasms and had just begun to participate in baseball activities days after the first-full squad workout Tuesday. Because of the suspension, Almonte will be removed from the 40-man roster and placed on the restricted list. He can participate in spring training and play in exhibition games, but he will not be paid while serving the suspension. Chernoff was asked if the team felt betrayed by Almonte, who was a strong candidate to open the season in center field, with Rajai Davis replacing Brantley in left and Lonnie Chisenhall playing right field. I don t know that that s exactly the right word. It s extremely disappointing, Chernoff said. Abe has accepted responsibility for the test results as he talked with me and Tito. We are here to support players and the team through tough times and good times. So I don t know that that s exactly the right word. We re disappointed. We were hoping that Abe would be a large contributor for our major league team this year, and for the first 80 games, he can t do that. Almonte played relatively well upon arriving in Cleveland late last year in a trade with the Padres for reliever Marc Rzepczynski. He batted.264 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 51 games a performance that seemed to solidify his spot in Cleveland s outfield. As late as Friday morning, Francona spoke glowingly of Almonte and his contributions in The native of the Dominican Republic is expected to address the media today in Goodyear. The Indians had already moved to add more outfield depth before the Almonte news broke. Will Venable was in camp for a physical examination Friday and officially agreed to terms on a minor league contract. We ve been in conversations with Will, with obviously no knowledge of this situation, Chernoff said. Now that he s here, he adds to that depth and obviously that we re finding out this news, clearly, that may open up some more opportunity for Will and may factor in for him and the other guys in camp. It really was more about when he was ready to commit on a non-roster deal and not anything about this situation. To bring in a guy with the type of track record and experience that Will has was a good opportunity for us and allowed for additional competition.

9 Venable, 33, is expected to compete with Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler and a host of non-roster invitees for a starting spot, and a potential extra outfielder job. Venable began last season with San Diego, hitting.258 with six home runs and 30 RBIs in 98 games, before being traded to Texas, where he batted just.182 with three RBIs in 37 games. The Indians could decide to add more outfield depth via free agency. They have reportedly shown interest in Austin Jackson. That s something we re going to have to figure out, Chernoff said. The fact that we have a decent amount of depth in the outfield at least gives us some options for the immediate future, but that s something that we re going to have to work through internally. A second positive PED test result would result in a 163-game suspension for Almonte. A third would mean a lifetime ban. Indians: Former manager Mike Hargrove at camp as guest instructor by Chris Assenheimer - The Chronicle-Telegram GOODYEAR, Ariz. Indians manager Terry Francona and former manager Mike Hargrove have a relationship that extends beyond baseball. Francona, who welcomed Hargrove to training camp Friday to serve as a guest instructor, said the two are friends outside the game and buddies on the golf course during the winter. I ve known him for a long time and I have a lot of respect for how he s done things, Francona said of Hargrove, who guided Cleveland to five consecutive American League Central Division championships ( ) and two AL titles ( 95, 97) during a tenure that spanned from Everybody in there looks forward to visiting with him, myself included. Grover knows that he is welcome any time he wants in this camp, love having him here. He s been in this chair more than I have, especially in Cleveland. He had a ton of success. Hargrove, 66, also managed the Orioles from , and the Mariners from , stepping down during the 07 season. Former Indians outfielder Cory Snyder is also in camp as a guest instructor, while Jason Giambi has already served a stint and is expected to return for another. Carlos Baerga is also expected to assist this spring. Still waiting Cleveland general manager Mike Chernoff provided no update on the status of third baseman Juan Uribe, who has an agreement with the team on a one-year contract worth around $5 million, but has yet to arrive in Goodyear for a physical examination. Uribe is reportedly having trouble obtaining a visa to return to the states from the Dominican Republic. I m not going to go into specifics on that, Chernoff said. Obviously you ve seen what s been reported. Uribe s acquisition won t become official until he passes the physical. If that happens, he is expected to open the season as Cleveland s starter at third. Crazy eights? Francona loves to have a full stock of arms in the bullpen, but would not commit to opening the season with eight relievers on the roster. I don t know that that s necessarily the case. We ll see, he said. I d love to have 12, but we ll see. I don t know how feasible it is to carry eight the whole year. So, whether we break with seven or eight, that will probably determined by the way we put our roster together. Though Cleveland s bullpen will undoubtedly house one left-hander, Francona said he wouldn t necessarily keep two. I don t ever want to have a lefty just to have a lefty, he said. If you have a lefty that you re not going to use, it doesn t do you any good. Among the left-handed candidates are Kyle Crockett and Ryan Merritt and non-roster invitees Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelany and Joe Thatcher. Crockett, 24, has appeared in 74 games for the Indians the past two seasons, posting a 2.64 ERA. Roundin third Newly signed outfielder Will Venable has Indians connections, playing college baseball at Princeton with Chernoff.