Indians Sign Felix Pie to Minor League Deal

by Ryan on Dec 11, 2011 3:12 PM EST in Transactions

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Indians have signed outfielder Felix Pie to a minor-league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Pie, who spent most of the last three seasons with the Orioles, was outrighted off Baltimore's 40-man roster last August. Like many "top" minor-league contracts, this one features an opt-out clause if he doesn't make the Opening Day 25-man roster.

Pie was half-way decent at the plate in 2009 and 2010, but fell off the face of the earth last season. He's been a fourth outfielder his entire career, and that's his upside with the Indians. If Cleveland doesn't sign a starting left fielder (like Josh Willingham), he would have a shot of making the Opening Day roster; if they do, Brantley's the fourth outfielder, and Pie is likely going to someone's AAA roster. UZR says that he's a good defender in center, which is where he'd play most often.

This signing also pushes Ezequiel Carrera down a notch on the depth chart.

Tweet Comment 43 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

For some reason I read the name of the reporter as “Don Cannoli” and I got really excited that a man was actually named this. It was a fleeting image of a man with alot of power over the cannoli industry.

by hans on Dec 11, 2011 3:41 PM EST reply actions

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Pie. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Cannoli.

"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter

by Denver Tribe Fan on Dec 11, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions

woah, no … this spelling is better.

by westbrook on Dec 12, 2011 12:37 AM EST up reply actions

I like the deal. I also like how this signing has somehow monopolized the site as it is now currently a fanpost, a fanshot, and a cover story.

by hans on Dec 11, 2011 3:48 PM EST reply actions

What Don Cannoli wants, Don Cannoli gets.

by YoDaddyWags on Dec 11, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs

It can’t really hurt the Tribe. So, therefore I’m in.

With or Without the H

by johnf34 on Dec 11, 2011 6:54 PM EST reply actions

It’s deep to right-center . . . Shin-Soo and Felix are in chase . . . It’s a Choo-Pie-Fly!

by playdoh on Dec 11, 2011 7:07 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

FOR THE LAST TIME IT’S PEE-AY!

by emd2k3 on Dec 12, 2011 12:08 PM EST up reply actions

I was hoping they’d get Jeremy Hermida, who was also DFA’d I believe, but Pie is a better athlete.

Doesn’t solve our OF woes, but provides much needed depth.

by mcrose on Dec 11, 2011 8:27 PM EST reply actions

Btw, this is case where there is a great discrepancy between defensive metrics and subjective reports. Pie is a great athlete with raw tools, but to the naked eye has a tough time in the field. See TangoTiger vs UZR.

We’ll certainly get a chance to make our own judgement come ST – barring another acquisition, he will be given a very fair chance to make the team come March.

by mcrose on Dec 11, 2011 8:41 PM EST up reply actions

He is more inspiring to me than Zeke. Plus, Zeke could go back to AAA for all or most of a year, which might be of benefit to him.

Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.

by USSChoo on Dec 12, 2011 12:37 AM EST up reply actions

I doubt that. He’s just stashed depth.

by Jay on Dec 12, 2011 4:30 AM EST up reply actions

Jim Palmer used to complain that he has bad instincts in the outfield.

by ken from alexandria on Dec 12, 2011 9:09 AM EST up reply actions

They look like much the same player. Both overestimate their defensive skills (at least they both try to look overly casual about it sometimes) and they both are bad hitters so far in the bigs. As bad as Pie hits LH pitching (.513 OPS career) he’s still been better than EZ (.482 last year), so there is that.

by MTF on Dec 12, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions

This is sort of an odd rabbit hole we’re in here, collectively. I see the comparison—the numbers are similar, as is the speed. However, Pie got to this point in a much different way. The clearest delineation between the two that I see is that Pie has now played in parts of 5 major league seasons, despite being only two years older than Carrera.

At this point, neither has any upside beyond fourth outfielder, but I wonder if Carrera might actually be the better bet because he never had the reputation as such a toolshed. All the way up the chain Carrera has been preparing for this role (or should’ve been, at least), and I think there’s some evidence he’s worked on some things as a result—for instance, how often he bunts. He also wasn’t ever a ‘power prospect’, which Pie once was, and he’s got much better plate discipline (there’s some implied causation there, but who knows).

Anyway, point being, Pie was trying to be an all-star as he came up through the minors, and that might have operated to the detriment of developing the odd, in-between sorts of skills that you want out of a bench player. I’ve never seen him bunt (I don’t watch a lot of Felix Pie at-bats, shockingly), but I know he’s a famously bad baserunner. Fangraphs “Speed” metric doesn’t seem to think there’s a huge gap between the two, but I don’t really know what to make of that stat.

Just sort of musing.

by afh4 on Dec 12, 2011 10:17 AM EST up reply actions

Sometimes (but not usually), when I watch him, Carrera looks like he has really good at-bats, and then I think maybe he has a chance to become a better hitter than he’s been so far. I suppose if he does start to see some improvement then the fact that he isn’t burdened by the failure of past expectations dashed, as you point out Pie might well be, means you are right and Carrera will be better able to see the positive for what it is. But he still must improve, for him to ever become even a legitimate fourth OF’er option. Then again, extending your point a little bit, maybe a change of scenery helps Pie too if he can leave the burden behind. A small drama to watch in the spring.

by MTF on Dec 12, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions

Isn’t this the old Casey Blake argument?

If he’s having really good at-bats and still sucks, then we know that his ceiling is low. LaPorta sucks without good at-bats!

by Jay on Dec 12, 2011 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

Will THOMAS NEAL never get a chance!!!!

by APV on Dec 11, 2011 8:49 PM EST reply actions

Jordan Brown syndrome.

by JP_Frost on Dec 11, 2011 10:34 PM EST up reply actions

About 4 years from that.

With or Without the H

by johnf34 on Dec 12, 2011 12:42 AM EST up reply actions

More than three years ago I began beating the convert Lofgren to OF drum. Now I’m finally rewarded.

by jhon on Dec 11, 2011 11:21 PM EST reply actions

I’m a Felix Pie fan.

by jhon on Dec 11, 2011 11:22 PM EST reply actions

This signing also pushes Ezequiel Carrera down a notch on the depth chart.

Does it? Obviously at some point (or actually many points) Felix Pie was a far superior prospect, but I’m not certain he slots in ahead of Carrera on the organization’s depth chart now. First, and most importantly, Carrera is already on the roster. As bad as he was, Carrera also outperformed Pie at the big league level last year (.243/.301/.312 vs. .220/.264/.280). Carrera is also younger and cheaper.

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 9:04 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, I hesitated over that as well. I think it’s more likely they are competing for the fifth (fourth? sixth?) spot on the depth chart.

by afh4 on Dec 12, 2011 9:44 AM EST up reply actions

But for the fact that Zeke’s play in the OF last year was that of a Navy man – Not just a job, but an adventure…

by stuart dean on Dec 12, 2011 10:19 AM EST up reply actions

I think it would be more appropriate to say this is a minor-league flyer signing of Pie. If he shows enough in spring training to earn a roster spot, then he enters onto the depth chart (and presumably above Carrera at that point). But given he has an opt-out if he isn’t rostered, and we already have Carrera and Neal on the roster, he can’t really be placed on the depth chart yet.

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

From a strategic standpoint, having Pie would allow the Indians to keep Carrera in AAA and try to smooth out some of the rough spots in his game. Plus there is some upside – he’s had some nice seasons in the past, and he’s only 27.

by Ryan on Dec 12, 2011 11:11 AM EST up reply actions

Wasn’t Pie supposed to be the future of the Cubs at one point? In a perfect world, he turns out to be our reverse-Brandon Phillps. In the likeliest of worlds, he ends up on the team as the next in a swinging door of fourth and fifth outfielders.

by M.J.D. on Dec 12, 2011 10:44 AM EST reply actions

In the likeliest of worlds, he doesn’t make the major league roster and opts to be a free agent, floating around for another few seasons before he drifts away from baseball altogether.

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

You’re so cruel.

by emd2k3 on Dec 12, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions

I suspect we’ll see some movement after tonight’s arbitration/non-tender deadline. The MLBTR folks have their list of non-tender candidates up, a number that could interest Cleveland (Loney, Scott, Barton…)

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 10:49 AM EST reply actions

Indians should be all over Daric Barton

I like ex-Phillies prospects.

by Gradyforpresident on Dec 12, 2011 11:56 AM EST up reply actions

I tend to agree.

A bunch of those pitchers interest me though: Gorzelanny, Howell, Kuo, Owings, Volstad, Saunders

by westbrook on Dec 12, 2011 4:42 PM EST up reply actions

WAIT A MIIINUTE: OWINGS FOR RIGHT-HANDED HITTING FIRST BASEMAN!

by westbrook on Dec 12, 2011 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

Have to imagine that, if Barton’s waived, they’ll be a bit of a scrum. Guy was fifth in the league in OBP in 2010.

by afh4 on Dec 12, 2011 5:07 PM EST up reply actions

A’s tendered him a contract

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 9:25 PM EST up reply actions

Benfran’s not gonna be happy if Sonnanstine ends up in the NL.

by westbrook on Dec 12, 2011 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

So Yardbarker says the deal is for 2 years. Did anyone else miss that?

Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.

by USSChoo on Dec 12, 2011 12:39 PM EST reply actions

Not sure how it can be a 2-year deal if it’s also a minor-league deal.

by Ryan on Dec 12, 2011 1:21 PM EST up reply actions

with a non-roster opt-out clause

by APV on Dec 12, 2011 1:27 PM EST up reply actions

Felix

Pie. Had a good feeling about that kid on his way up the ladder. Didn’t turn out very well, but I think he’s still young enough to become something decent. For y’all hopefully that happens in Cleveland. Personally, I’d enjoy that.

New Pirates Blog: Buried Treasure
#20 Pirates Prospect - Clay Holmes
Five Million Dollar Men

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Dec 13, 2011 2:17 AM EST reply actions