Chris Kline: Sorry for the 17+ hour delay with this chat, but a bout with what can best be described as the flu, as well as visiting Red Sox Nation's new Class A home in Wilmington, DE, kept me away. With the rain and the U.S. 95 corridor behind me, I can now begin . . . and thanks for your patience. James, who is going to step up? Good question. All indications are that it isn't going to be Smith. This year will be his last to lock down that title. Whitney has the highest ceiling if he can prove that he's healthy after all the leg problems. Kouzmanoff is a blue-collar guy who doesn't do anything pretty but makes all the plays and had a heck of a season in the Fall League before he got banged up with three weeks to go.

Chris Kline: I actually had Brown lower on my original list, but his power stuff is enough to make him a top 10 guy. He needs to prove that he's durable after wearing down in his first full campaign since 2002. His command wasn't the greatest at times and some in the organization questioned his desire and makeup, as well as his response to instruction. His velocity dipped down late in the season, so the plan is to get Brown to work on improving his stamina for next season. He could again start in Double-A, but Buffalo is more likely.

Chris Kline: Frank, John Mirabelli and his staff are one of the best in the game today, though they do not have the same number of blue-chip guys they had a couple of years ago. Most of that has been graduating talent to the big leagues though. There is enormous depth in the system and it's not just the scouting department that should receive all the credit. The Indians' scouting and player development departments are always on the same page with very open lines of communication, which improves and expedites players moving through the organization. As for Sipp, the Indians feel he is the real deal and will keep him working out of the bullpen to improve his strength. His stuff is likely to improve. At the end of last season, his fastball was in the low-90s with a decent slider. What will separate him separates a lot of guys . . . the development of his changeup.

Chris Kline: Miller not only wants to be the best he can personally be, but one of the best the game has to offer and you really have to take his internal desire and passion for learning the nuances of the game into account when discussing his ceiling. Several scouts and opposing pitching coaches I talked to in the Carolina League compared him to Kevin Brown. The only difference is Miller's makeup, which is off the charts. The term 'makeup' and the phrase 'off the charts' seem to be becoming commonplace in the industry these days, but Miller is a rare combination of power, intelligence and feel. And to have that kind of reputation at age 19 is anything but commonplace.

Chris Kline: This group has seemingly always been ranked together, along with righthander Travis Foley, but only Martin and Dittler made the cut for this year's list. Dittler struggled with minor back injuries in 2004 and lost the feel for his changeup, which he needed to have any kind of success in a starting role in Double-A. His changeup showed flashes of being all the way back in the Fall League and should be the Jake Dittler of old next season when he repeats in Akron. Martin had a great second half and was a key ingredient into Class A Kinston's championship run. His numbers the past two seasons have been near mirror images of each other in the same league, but his stuff was as good or better than it had been before he was shut down with elbow tendinitis in 2003. His curveball remains the best in the system.

Chris Kline: The jury is still out on Lofgren, Russ, and probably will be for some time. He didn't have the best season with the bat his senior year, which is why he fell in the draft and part of the reason why the Tribe sees him as a lefthanded starter. And the stuff is all there. In his first start, Lofgren's fastball hit 96 mph and sat in the 92-93 range throughout his debut. His curveball has the makings of a plus offering, though he needs to tighten it more and develop a changeup. Right now, he is a heel striker with his front leg landing somewhat violently and throwing off his command slightly. But still, he's only 18 and is one of those guys . . . a la Miller or Mariano Gomez . . . who could move quickly.

Chris Kline: Cruceta was left off the top 10 primarily because his role remains somewhat undetermined. Some in the organization still feel he can be a legit No. 3 or No. 4 starter, while others see him as a back of the bullpen guy right now. The problem is is fastball command, which he tends to elevate and gets hit hard as a result. His pure stuff compares better to Cabrera than Carmona, simply because Carmona is always around the zone. Personally, I like him better as a back end guy than a starter . . . but he developed a splitter last season, which might get him over the hump.

Chris Kline: I've heard a lot of talk on Gutierrez from various Indians websites and most of it has been down on him. And that's just an outrage. Gutierrez is the best defensive outfielder in the minors and the Dodgers hated to part with him. Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton worked long hours with Gutierrez during instructs making minor adjustments in the box and he should make a splash at Buffalo this year. His lone weakness is handling breaking pitches, which has led to the high K totals the past few seasons. He recognizes the pitches, it's just a matter picking out which ones to hit and laying off pitches out of the zone.

Chris Kline: It certainly is looking that way, although the numbers only tell part of the story. Francisco hit the ball hard all season, but had little to show for it. He is one of the better athletes in the system, slightly above-average speed and plays a solid CF. With the outfield depth, and especially after acquiring Gutierrez, Francisco's long term outlook in the organization is cloudy at best.

Chris Kline: A lot of it depends on his performance this spring and where he lands to start the regular season, not to mention how he adjusts to the grind of pitching every fifth day. He has certainly shown enough polish to make 2006 a real possibility, but I'll wait for his pro debut before putting it on the BA bet board.

Chris Kline: Interesting question and one that is likely to play itself out this spring. Peralta is better defenisvely at SS than Phillips, and I like Phillips better at 2B personally, though he is athletic enough and has enough arm to play either position. But his erratic play (28 errors) would lead me to believe that if Blake moves to 2B, Phillips is the everyday SS in Buffalo.

Chris Kline: Cooper is ahead of Conroy at this point. As for Valdez, what's not to like? A switch-hitter since he was 14, Valdes finishes his swing with power and both hands on the bat all the way around through the zone. He's good at making consistent contact with a level swing on a straight line to the ball. He is more advanced from the left side right now, and needs to make more consistent hard contact from the right side. He's an above-average runner and really just needs to add some more bulk to his wiry frame.

Chris Kline: Back to Cooper . . . it's tough to to get a read on those Buffalo numbers since he was called up after Akron's season ended, but it's definitely a concern after a disappointing year for the Stanford product. He's one of the most intense players in the organization, but some of that intensity played against him with the Aeros when he started pressing too much. But as an average runner who profiles as a corner guy, Cooper is definitely going to need to do more with the stick to make it.

Chris Kline: Brad . . . tough question. All three of these guys have high ceilings, obviously, and all three have the makeup and stuff to be frontline big league starters. But if I had to rank them, I'd go Miller, Cain, Billingsley . . . but that's just me. Most likely to reach their ceiling? Well, considering I was voted "Most likely to be on MTV," in high school, I can't put too much weight on a question like this; and it's difficult, considering the injury factor with pitchers. But all three certainly have the desire to be the very best in the game.

Chris Kline: Stuff-wise, sure, Brown has a much more dominant arm than Sowers, but the two couldn't be more different. First off, Sowers is throwing a low-90s fastball with deception from the left side, whereas Brown is humping up and blowing it by hitters at 96. As I said before in a previous answer, question marks regarding Brown's medical history, durability and makeup are questions enough to put him at No. 10.

Chris Kline: Matt, certainly Dittler, Cruceta, Lofgren, Valdes, Mike Butia, Justin Hoyman and Matt Whitney fall into that range. The Tribe tried Smith in right field during instructs, but he moved back to 3B before instructional league ended because of minor injuries at the position. There were different reports coming out of Florida on how well Smith was taking the move, but at this point, expect him to be back in Double-A to start the year, possibly splitting time between 3B and the OF.

Chris Kline: Love them. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Philly (again) . . . but this time will be different (Please, Lord, let it be different!)

Chris Kline: Arms, arms and more arms. Look out for righthanders Brandon Rickert, Cody Bunkleman, Mark Jecmen, Kyle Collins and Chris Neisel, and from the left side, Justin Pekarek and of course, Sipp. Positon-wise, Jonathan Van Every had a breakout year in Kinston; Cirillo Cumberbatch is intriguing; and the club loves Hawaii product Bryan Finegan at shortstop.

Chris Kline: Michael, Do I see him being as good or better than C.C.? I think everything is in the package to be as good, yes. But again, we're talking about a righthander vs. an established lefty who is one of the best in the game. MIller is an impressive talent who could make an impact in the big leagues for years to come. At this point in his career, he's already surpassed Bartolo Colon and Jaret Wright as far as arms in the system go, so saying he could be a dominant factor in the big leagues is not reaching at all.

Chris Kline: Right now, I'd have to take Carmona above Dittler, even though Carmona doesn't miss as many bats. As his slider improves, you'll see that number spike up; although that's what we heard last year and the results weren't staggering. Dittler needs to prove that A) his changeup is back to its old effectiveness and B) that he can be durable to withstand minor injury setbacks.

Chris Kline: Felix is definitely No. 1, but I'd take Miller above Jackson, Billinglsey, Capellan, Hamels, Floyd and Olsen on this very day, Nov. 23, 2004.

Chris Kline: All of them are, with the exception of Dittler, who was protected on the 40-man.

Chris Kline: Mike, I'd rate it as a smart gamble. The orgainzation regularly gets pillaged during the Rule 5 and this season will be no different . . . there are tough decisions to make. Denham is a guy that needs at least a year to make adjustments to become moderately effective, and got lit up in the Fall League this year . . . to the tune of a 14.68 ERA. Foley was moved to the bullpen permanently this season and while his stuff played well in a return to high Class A, the club no longer sees him in a starting role. As for Martin, yes, he finished strong, but never really showed any true consistent dominance in two seasons in the Carolina League.

Chris Kline: Perez certainly is ready to break out next year. Gomez, however, is another story with the strained ligament problem in his middle finger that has dogged him the past two seasons and put his development on hold. If he returns to form, he could move quickly, but the injury remains somewhat of a mystery and therefore, Gomez an enigma. They both fall in the 20-30 range.

Chris Kline: The biggest losses from that list are Church and Izturis in my opinion, but with the outfield depth, they could afford to let Church go. And Izturis and Luna would be buried right now too if they were both still in the organization. But to let both Church and Izturis go for Scott Stewart? Now that's really an outrage. That one didn't work out too well. Neither did the Jeriome Robertson deal, but I think long term, the club will regret letting Church and Stu go over Luke Scott and Taveras.

Chris Kline: Only as a DH, really, or if there's a way to get him ABs by splitting time at DH, C and 1B. He's just too fringy defensively right now. I like him better than Phelps and the word from club officials is that they are trying to find a way to get Garko in the big leagues permanently in 2005. The question is how, and where?

Chris Kline: Obviously they're high on Sowers, but the ones most coaches and managers were impressed with besides the lefty from Vandy are Hoyman and Lewis. Hoyman pounds the zone with a 90-92 mph fastball with late sink that he commands well. He also features a slurvy breaking ball and changeup with good deception. He has excellent lower body strength after adding 20 pounds since the spring. Lewis has some medical in his background with the Tommy John surgery, but his velocity was back to 90-92 mph at Mahoning Valley and his curveball and changeup were both plus pitches.

Chris Kline: Jason, Sorry to hear you're in Hell, but that should end soon as we close in on the 5 o'clock hour here in the Southeast . . . I see Gutierrez planted firmly in the OF picture at Jacobs Field . . . it remains where he'll be. He has all the speed and range to play CF with the arm to play right. Just for fun, let's say in 2006 Gerut will be in left, Sizemore in CF and Gutierrez in RF.

Chris Kline: If they don't land anyone via free agency, Cabrera will certainly get a long look, as will Brian Tallet, who pitched well down the stretch out of the pen for Buffalo.

Chris Kline: Cabrera is ready, though I'm nont sure the Tribe is going to want to throw him to the wolves as a closer in his first season in the big leagues. He certainly has the stuff and mentality to be a closer at that level, though. He might be better suited to start in the set-up role and become the stopper over time.

Chris Kline: I hit on Smith's move during instructs earlier, but didn't really get into his playability. Like a lot of things, it all comes down to his approach. Some in the organization said it was the best move for him to take off pressure that built up through mediocre performances at third throughout his career; and he certainly has the arm to play RF. Like I said before, he'll probably split time at third and the OF next season, at least to start. But make no mistake, his time is running thin. He needs to step up and be more consistent with the bat instead of starting strong, disappearing for two months and then have a great late July and August, as he's done the past three seasons.

Chris Kline: Pinckney was certainly considered for the list, but the fact that he isn't a true SS knocked him down. He played SS at Lake County all year and the majority of the 68 games he spent at Akron, but most in the organization see him moving to 2B or possibly third, where they tried him a few games last season. There is no question about the bat, however. He's hit at every stop. But he's a line drive spray hitter with little power.

Chris Kline: Elliot, You have to take Arizona performances with a grain of salt, though what Dittler was able to do out there certainly bodes well for his future. The AFL is traditionally a hitter's league and this year was no different, so keeping an ERA around 3.00 is pretty impressive. With Andrew Brown in the mix and with a strong draft, Dittler comes in at No. 11. The keys remain the consistency of his changeup and his ability to make it through a season completely healthy.

Chris Kline: Depending on the hamstring, I'd go with Aubrey first, possibly sometime this season. Gutierrez needs a whole season at Triple-A, whereas Aubrey has the ability to make quicker adjustments from level to level. If he's completely healthy again, and there's no reason to think that he won't be after skipping the Dominican Winter League and opting to rest and rehab the hamstring, Aubrey could be an impact guy soon.

Chris Kline: Martin, possibly Slocum.

Chris Kline: Eisentrager has solid stuff, but is a middle reliever type. While he posted impressive numbers in 2003, he got hit pretty good in high Class A last year with CL hitters sitting fastball when he couldn't locate his offspeed stuff. His ERA nearly doubled to 4.05. He'll move to Double-A next year where the challenges will only get tougher.

Chris Kline: Martin is the best of the bunch, with Slocum a tick behind. Neither miss a lot of bats and both tend to give up a lot of hits. Foley moved to the pen after being sent down from Akron and had his elbow scoped in the offseason, which might keep some teams at bay. Right now, Martin and Slocum are the two guys who should be voted "Most Likely To Go Via The Rule 5 draft."

Chris Kline: Come again? The Pirates never actually owned my rights, which means BA would have to work out a deal with the Tribe to get Smith, but little is known about his typing skills or the ability to edit org reports. Smith has all the tools in the field, he just needs to utilize them consistently. I, however, have none. And as for Denham and Martin, Denham has fallen off the list and Martin remains.

Chris Kline: All three would have easily made this list had they been eligible . . . and Sizemore would have ranked No. 1 for the second straight year.

Chris Kline: Of the three, Goleski has the best bat. Actually, Goleski and Kouzmanoff are total rats around the cage, often talking about their swings all day, every day. But Goleski is the best in this group with the highest power potential.

Chris Kline: Butia came in around 15-20. His power numbers increased in his senior season at James Madison, and while the power wasn't visibly evident during his pro debut at Mahoning Valley, he still made a smooth transition to hitting with wood. The Indians have worked with him to revamp his swing to get more load in his hands and use the whole field more by slightly opening his stance more. He has nice, natural loft in his swing that translates to plus power potential down the road.

Chris Kline: Ross Atkins revamped the club's operations in Latin America, with the Tribe being the first team to send its players to school when they aren't on the field. The player that stands out most in my mind right now is switch-hitting outfielder Jose Constanza, who led Indians I to the division title with a .444 average, 72 runs, 115 hits and 19 triples. Constanza is 20, which was about the league average in age this season and has outstanding bat control.

Chris Kline: The Indians still see Guthrie as a starter, even though they brought him out of the pen in the big leagues last year. He'll get every opportunity to prove them wrong this spring.

Chris Kline: Apparently I mentioned Adam Miller and Mariano Gomez in the same sentence and I am being raked over the coals now, so here's what I meant: If Gomez is healthy, he could move quickly in the same manner of a Carmona or a Miller . . . not that he has comparable stuff, at least to Miller. If the problem keeps lingering, there's always the chance he could move to the pen to work through it. The other factor to take into consideration is his routine. There were many concerns about how strictly he had been following his workout regimen during his downtime.

Chris Kline: I wouldn't be too hard on Mirabelli, whose job goes well beyond scouting director. He has input into nearly every decision the club makes on a daily basis, from the big leagues to player development to scouting. True, the club doesn't have the blue-chip prospects it once boasted, but is as deep or deeper than its been in a long time. And getting Miller in the supplemental round in 2003 could be the mark history remembers him for.

Chris Kline: I think you'll see the power numbers jump up next year in Double-A from Snyder. Potential All-Star is certainly not out of the question . . . Snyder carries himself with a quiet confidence you just don't normally see in Class A. I see him as an above-average major league talent that has the ability to play all three outfield spots. But with the outfield depth, there is no reason to rush him.

Chris Kline: Smith was shut down late in the year with minor forearm stiffness and pitched well in instructional league. He should return to Kinston to start 2005.

Chris Kline: Juan Valdes is certainly a guy to watch out for, as is Butia, positon-wise. As far as arms go, Hoyman could make some waves in his first full season as a pro.

Chris Kline: The comparison you hear the most recently is to Todd Helton, though there are questions as to how much power Aubrey will hit for in the big leagues. He has great bat control, but needs to utilize his lower half more to increase more power and better handle inside fastballs.

Chris Kline: If you've ever seen Wallace in person the simple answer is he is a physical specimen. He is very cerebral and handles the staff well, but his throwing skills are average at best at this point. But he has very limited experience behind the plate, spending more time under center at Vanderbilt than he did on the diamond. They feel like the more experience he gets, the better catcher he can be.

Chris Kline: Denney finally made it to the big leagues and should be a potential swing man No. 5 starter with the big league club this year. He comes in ranked in the 20-30 range.

Chris Kline: Pesco has great stuff, starting with a changeup that is the best in the organization. But that pitch is complemented by a heavy fastball clocked in the 90-94 mph range, slider and curveball. The slider is the one pitch that lags behind his other offerings at this point. OK, so this is it . . . thank you all for your questions and I'm sorry I couldn't take them all. Off to take some more medicine and catch some shut-eye. CK