By Schuyler Dombroske

Billy Traber is a five-pitch lefty for the Indians that was included in the Roberto Alomar trade with the Mets. His initial signing was delayed last season when a physical turned up some old damage to the MCL in his pitching elbow, so Traber ended up missing out on the 2000 season. (and an extra $1.66 mill.) He really mirrored Brandon Claussen of the Yanks on his rapid ascent through the system this year: same build, same age, similar levels of success. Traber tore through the FSL, alternatively dominated and struggled in the Eastern League, and had one serviceable start for Norfolk at AAA. Even at three levels, the Mets limited him to 152 innings, and the elbow problems have not resurfaced at this point. Traber has three plus pitches in his arsenal: a fastball that he throws between 88-93 mph, a "slurvy slider", as a Mets’ scout termed it, and a nasty splitter. Traber also throws a different curveball (without nearly as much break) and a changeup, both of which need some polish at this point. Billy has excellent control, which is unusual for a fastball/split-based pitcher, at least in the youthful part of their career. In fact, his combination of velocity, control, and penchant for working the bottom part of the strike zone is nearly unprecedented in a lefthander. He hasn’t been nearly as impressive statistically as many pitching prospects thus far, but that combination of skills lends itself to a very high ceiling.