Morning Rundown: Tribe Continues Road Success, Improve to 4-0 over Detroit

[DRAFT RUNDOWN]

Days 1 & 2 of the MLB Draft has come and gone and the Indians made their first selection Monday night. The 15th overall pick was an outfielder, Texasm A&M's Tyler Naquin. It went away from the idea of them taking some pitching with the first pick, but as we would soon see in the following rounds, it didn't stop them from getting some young arms.

So far, reports on Naquin are that he's a good outfielder, with the ability to play any spot and a good throwing arm. You can go around and look at all the reports. He was previously drafted in 2009 by the Orioles and after a successful career as an Aggie, he's in the Tribe. He's signable with a price tag that won't eliminate the Tribe's $4.5 million allotment for the first 10 picks and give them some room to sign some of their pitchers.

Scouting director Brad Grant said that Naquin was the top guy left on their board. Showing again and again that we can predict and prognosticate and the Indians will always just end up taking their top guy on the board, regardless of position.

"We had our board up in order of how we would select them," said Brad Grant, the Indians' director of amateur scouting. "Tyler was the next guy up. He was the guy that we liked best and who was available on our board at the time."

He's in his early twenties and could be a quick-rise through the system. Honestly, I see some similarity as far as situation goes with Jason Kipnis. Just in terms of what he does in that we know he can hit, think he can hit for power, plays solid defense and is one of those polished college players. He could make quick work of some levels and be contributing sooner rather than later.

Or he could end up being more of a Brad Snyder, whatever. You just never know.

After Naquin, the Indians took pitchers with six of their next nine picks, all right handers. Mitch Brown and Kieran Lovegrove, second and third round, are both High School products that if signed, can infuse some young arms back into the system.

"It wasn't something we specifically looked for," said Indians scouting director Brad Grant. "I think it was the strength of the Draft this year. There was a lot of high school right-handed pitching. We certainly wanted to add starting pitching to our organization, and at the same time, I think it was the strength of the Draft as well." 

Perhaps the drafting is a strategy of the new system in place for pricing and signing drafted players under the new collective bargaining agreement. If the past few years are any indication though, this is where the Indians will spend their money and in terms of signing their high round picks, the Indians have been very good with it.

There's still another day left with rounds 16-40 left to go. So many names have still left to be called.

[WAKE UP THE MASSES]

"He's not in the top five?" Indians manager Manny Acta said of Kipnis. "Well, it is a popularity contest."

Such is the thought of every Cleveland Indians fan with a brain on this Wednesday morning. Jason Kipnis is not even in the top five in voting for starting second baseman of the American League in the All Star game?

It is a popularity contest, but Chris Getz is in the top five and I don't care if the game is in Kansas City. That has nothing to do with who represents the people voting for him. Maybe they'll try a little harder in KC to vote and get their guy in, even though it is ultimately futile.

The people that represent Jason Kipnis should be ashamed of themselves. Maybe we should try a little harder in CLE because not only is the team playing well, Kipnis has been this team's best player offensively. If anything, he deserves to be there and we're letting him down. Sure if he keeps it up, he'll get in via player vote or managerial selection (maybe...) but you can't put it up to chance with the names that are there.

Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Robinson Cano... They all carry some heavy weight not only with fans but managers and players.

Even such, the representation for the Tribe as a whole thus far? Pretty poor. Only Asdrubal Cabrera is in the top five of his position in voting. Can we not get Carlos Santana, one of the best catchers in the American League enough votes to be in the top five?

Is it really too much to get Jack Hannahan more votes than last year now that his name is actually on the ballot.

I was kidding with that one.

But we need to get the picture here. He won't catch or beat out any of those guys in the big markets, especially if they are having somewhat decent years. But that isn't the whole point. It's about supporting your guy who deserves the support. We at least have to show the support if anything. If the fans don't believe he should be there, his peers likely won't.

[RANDOM RUNDOWN]

It was good to see Carlos Santana back in the lineup at DH on Tuesday and he should be back behind the plate on Wednesday. Santana homered in his rehab game with Lake County, showing that he was more than ready in terms of hitting to play. The question of course was he healthy and in the right frame of mind after having dealt with a concussion.

Good move putting him at DH in the first game, but it's time to get back to where he normally plays.

"We have to put him back there," Acta said. "He's cleared [by MLB]. He passed everything. He's normal. He's our catcher and he needs to catch."