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Indians Invite 6 From Player Development System

CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has extended non-roster invitations to Major League spring training camp to INF Francisco Lindor, CA Jake Lowery, OF Tyler Naquin, CA Roberto Perez, INF Joey Wendle and CA/INF Tony Wolters.

Lindor, 20, hit a combined .303 (122-403) with 22 doubles, 7 triples, 2 home runs, 34 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 104 games between Single-A Advanced Carolina and Double-A Akron. The Indians 1st round selection (8th overall) in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft enters his first Major League camp having been tabbed the organizations top prospect by Baseball America for the second consecutive season. The 5-11, 175 switch-hitting shortstop was promoted to AA Akron on July 16 after being named to the Carolina League midseason all-star squad and playing in his second straight XM future's game. His combined .303 average between A Carolina and AA Akron in 2013 led the entire Indians Player Development system.

Lowery, 23, was originally selected by the Indians in the 4th round (128 overall) of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft and split the 2013 campaign hitting a combined .264 (73-277) with 23 2B, 7HR & 33 RBI in 92 games between A Carolina and AA Akron. The 6-0, 200 catcher retired 28.1% (27-96) of the runners attempting to steal off him, and recently completed an 8 game stint for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League (.240, 6-25, 5RBI).

Naquin, 22, is coming off of a 27 game Arizona Fall League campaign where he hit .339 (39-115) with 4 doubles, a triple, one home run and 18 RBI in 27 games for the Surprise Saguaros. The former 1st round selection (15th overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft earned an AFL MVP nomination, and a spot on the AFL Top Prospects Team after finishing 8th in league in batting average, first in hits (39), 2nd in runs scored (22) and 4th in total bases (48). During the 2013 regular season, Naquin hit a combined .269 (142-528) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 126 games between A Carolina and AA Akron. Naquin was named to the Carolina League midseason All-Star squad and was elevated to Akron on August 14 where he played his final 18 games of the season. A native of Spring, Texas, Naquin enters the 2014 season ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America, and was labeled the Indians Best Defensive Outfielder in the publications annual Best Tools survey.

Perez, 25, hit a combined .200 (56-280) with 18 doubles, 2 home runs and 34 RBI in 99 games between AA Akron and Triple-A Columbus. Perez was named the Best Defensive Catcher in the Indians Player Development System by Baseball America after retiring 34.9% of attempted base stealers in 2013. A native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Perez was originally drafted by the Indians in the 33rd round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.  

Wendle, 23, was named the 2013 Lou Boudreau Award winner, symbolic of the top position player in the Indians Player Development system. The 5-11, 190-pound left-handing hitting infielder spent the entire season with the Carolina Mudcats where he hit .295 (122-413) with 32 doubles, 5 triples, 64 RBI and an .884 OPS. Originally drafted by the Indians in the 6th round of the 2012 First Year Player Draft, Wendle was selected to the Carolina League Postseason All-Star Team and enters the 2014 campaign ranked as the 17th best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America. Wendle hit .311 (19-61) with 7 extra base hits, 12 RBI and an .863 OPS for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League after the season.

Wolters, 21, enters the season ranked as the 25th best prospect in the Indians organization according to Baseball America after transitioning to catcher at the suggestion of skipper Terry Francona in 2013. Wolters spent the first month of the season at extended spring training before spending the remainder of the campaign with the Single-A Advanced Carolina Mudcats. Originally a 3rd round pick (87th overall) by the Indians in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Wolters threw out 28% of would-be base stealers, right in line with the Carolina League average of 30%. 

The Indians currently have 19 spring invitees:

#             PITCHERS (7)                     

48           ATCHISON, Scott, RHP

77           BANWART, Travis, RHP

55           CAPPS, Matt, RHP

65           CLOYD, Tyler, RHP

38           MARCUM, Shaun, RHP

66           RAMIREZ, J.C., RHP

58           ZAGUSKI, Mike, LHP

#             CATCHERS (4)                   

68           LOWERY, Jake

79           PEREZ, Roberto

12           TREANOR, Matt

81           WOLTERS, Tony

#             INFIELDERS (4)                 

25           GIAMBI, Jason

67           LINDOR, Francisco

76           ROHLINGER, Ryan

80           WENDLE, Joey

#             OUTFIELDERS (4)                             

26           CARSON, Matt

11           FRANCOEUR, Jeff

6             MORGAN, Nyjer

72           NAQUIN, Tyler

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