Indians use outfield depth to get Stewart

By Will Kimmey
January 5, 2004

The Indians had seven outfielders 26 or younger on their 40-man roster this winter, so they dealt from a position of strength on Monday. Cleveland acquired Scott Stewart from the Expos in exchange for two minor leaguers: Ryan Church, the least-developed of those outfielders, and infielder Maicer Izturis.

Stewart, 28, will claim a key setup role as the most experienced reliever and only proven lefthander in Cleveland. He emerged as Montreal's closer in 2002, registering 17 saves. He had offseason elbow surgery that slowed him during spring training last year, enabling Rocky Biddle to take over as closer. Stewart wasn't as sharp as usual and missed seven weeks after an emergency appendectomy in mid-July. He finished 3-1, 3.98 with 13 holds in 51 appearances. He had a 29-13 strikeout-walk ratio in 43 innings, and his .307 opponent average was in stark contrast to the .207 mark he permitted in 2002. Stewart works with a sinking fastball in the high 80s, as well as a cutter and slider that induce groundballs and have helped him hold opponents to just 14 homers in 155 big league innings. Stewart holds a 10-4, 3.55 career record with 20 saves and 35 holds in 180 career appearances. He's eligible for arbitration for the first time, a factor in Montreal's decision to trade him.

Church, 25, was a 14th-round draft pick out of Nevada in 2000. He offers a nice all-around package of tools, but it likely wasn't going to be enough for him to crack a young Indians outfield that already includes Milton Bradley, Coco Crisp, Alex Escobar, Jody Gerut, Ryan Ludwick and Grady Sizemore. Church had yet to play above Double-A, where last year he hit .261/.325/.429 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs while nagging injuries limited him to 99 games. Church could use more consistency and better discipline at the plate. He's an above-average defender, with enough speed, range, and arm to play center or right field. He has very good instincts and gets good jumps and reads. He should begin the 2004 season in Triple-A but could see some major league action at some point for Montreal.

Izturis, 23, signed out of Venezuela in 1998. He boasts a profile similar to that of his brother Cesar, the Dodgers' shortstop. The younger Izturis isn't quite the same Gold Glove-caliber defender his brother is, but he has plus speed and average arm strength. He's a weak hitter with little power, and his limited offense makes him a fringe prospect with a ceiling as a utilityman. In 2003, Izturis hit .280/.351/.390 at Double-A Akron and .262/.317/.362 at Triple-A Buffalo. He combined for three homers, 49 RBIs and 28 steals in 139 games while splitting time between shortstop and second base. He's adept at handling the bat but can't do much with it. Izturis was assigned to the Triple-A Edmonton roster.