Tribe selects outfielder, 17, in draft’s second day

The second day of the three-day 40-round MLB draft concluded June 13 with the Indians drafting three pitchers, two outfielders, two infielders and one catcher in Rounds 3 through 10.

Brad Grant, Indians vice president of amateur scouting, offered a brief synopsis on each player the Tribe selected:

Round 3, pick 102 — Right fielder Jonathan Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran Academy, Puerto Rico: Rodriguez is 17 years old, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. The Indians have been scouting him for a year. “What we really like about Jonathan is just his age and his contact ability and the upside he has,” Grant said. “He’s the second youngest player in the draft this year. We think he can eventually hit for a lot of power in the future.”

Round 4, pick 132 — Second baseman/shortstop Ernie Clement, University of Virginia: “He’s a guy that can move around the infield and his contact ability in his bat,” Grant said. Clement, a righthanded hitter, struck out only 31 times in 754 college at-bats.

Round 5, pick 162 — Right fielder Austen Wade, TCU — “We like the versatility in the outfield,” Grant said. “He’s a plus runner. He’s playing right field now but he can play center, play left, and another guy we like the contact ability with.” Wade, 6-foot, 200 pounds, bats left-handed.

Round 6, pick 192 — Catcher Michael Rivera, Florida: “The big thing with him is his offensive ability,” Grant said. “He puts up very good numbers at the collegiate side. At the same time, he’s also an elite catch-throw prospect. He’s a very good framer, has a very good understanding how to call a game. He’s a great leader and a guy we’re excited about defensively behind the plate.” Rivera is 5-foot8, 200 pounds.

Round 7, pick 222 — Left-handed starting pitcher Kirk McCarty, Southern Miss.: McCarty was the first pitcher drafted by the Indians this year. “His ability to throw strikes is what stands out with him,” Grant said. “He has a three-pitch mix. He has the ability to locate. He has an average breaking ball, average fastball, average changeup.”

Round 8, pick 252 — RHP Eli Morgan, Gonzaga: “He’s another guy who has had a ton of success throwing strikes,” Grant said. “He’s a lead strike thrower with a changeup. He has an average fastball and breaking ball. His changeup has the chance to be an above-average pitch for him.”

Round 9, pick 282 — Starting RHP James Karinchak, Bryant University: MLB.com ranked Karinchak 163 overall. The Indians were able to get him 119 picks later because he had arm trouble as a junior in college.

The Indians thought he was worth the gamble in the ninth round.

Round 10, pick 312 — Shortstop Jessi Berrardi, St. John’s University: “He handles the bat well,” Grant said.