It appears we missed the memo on Tuesday, but we wanted to be sure to cover it today on Thanksgiving.
Earlier in the week, the Cleveland Indians announced a flurry of roster moves pertaining to the official 40-man as the Rule 5 Draft approaches on Dec. 6. Most notably, first baseman/outfielder Matt LaPorta was outrighted to Triple-A Columbus, ending his reign as an official member of the Indians roster. He cannot refuse the assignment and must report to Columbus, as the Indians still retain control over his MLB status. Utility man Brent Lillibridge also was outrighted to Columbus, but can opt out for free agency if he so chooses.
In the corresponding additions, the Indians added relievers Chen-Chang Lee and Trey Haley, outfielder Tim Fedroff and lefty starter T.J. House to the 40-man roster. Lee, likely the highest-touted prospect of the bunch, missed almost the entire 2012 season after Tommy John surgery in May. But Fedroff is likely the closest to the pros, as he’s hit .301/.383/.446 in 131 games with the Clippers over the past two years. Haley and House were both 2008 draft picks who pitched primarily with Akron in 2012.
[Related: Prospect ranking turnover shows that Indians might still be bad at drafting]
