GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Prospect Chen-Chang Lee showed manager Manny Acta a little of what makes him tick as a pitcher on Tuesday against Kansas City when he saved the Indians’ 3-2 victory over Kansas City. It made an impression.

In the Cactus League opener against Cincinnati on Saturday, Lee started the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead, but allowed a one-out homer to Todd Frazier that tied the game. The game ended that way because both teams agreed not to play extra innings.

On Tuesday, Lee allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, but retired the next three batters for the save.

“I thought it was very important that he did that,” said Acta. “Those are the type of things you start looking for right away. How is he going to react the next time out?”

Lee, 25, was a combined 6-1 with one save and a 2.40 ERA in 44 relief appearances last season at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus. He struck out 99, walked 23 and allowed 53 hits in 71 1/3 innings.

When you hear a manager, coach or player say “it’s still early’ after a poor result in spring training, remember, nothing gets forgotten. Someone somewhere in the organization is keeping track. That’s why it was important to see Lee bounce back on Tuesday.

“Granted, it’s only spring training,” said Acta. “He blew a save. I can say that. A lot of the veteran guys can probably take it that way, but when it’s a kid like that coming into camp, he probably thinks that every pitch and every out count and that he’s getting evaluated on every one of them.

“In certain ways, you are. We’re not evaluating his stuff, but if he came in there and walked the ballpark because he was afraid of giving up another homer, we would have taken that into consideration.”

The Indians signed Lee in 2008. He was born in Peng-Hu County, Taiwan.

Acta thinks the 5-11, 190-pound right-hander can help the Indians at some point this season. Lee throws from a low three-quarter arm angle, and he throws hard. The Indians clocked him between 90 mph and 98 mph last year.

“I like his arm angle and his ability to keep the ball down there with that velocity,” said Act. “With that sweeping slider, I’m sure it’s not comfortable to anybody to stand at the plate and handle him.

Injury report: Rafael Perez (left shoulder) played catch at 120 feet Tuesday. . .Prospects Tyler Sturdevant and Austin Adams are both dealing with sore right shoulders. They share the same locker. Perhaps it’s cursed.

Today’s lineup:

Indians — CF Michael Brantley, 2B Jason Kipnis, RF Shin-Shoo, C Carlos Santana, 1B Casey Kotchman, LF Fred Lewis, 3B Jack Hannahan, SS Juan Diaz, LHP David Huff.

Diamondbacks: SS Willie Bloomquist, 2B Aaron Hall, RF Justin Upton, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, LF Jason Kubel, 3B Ryan Roberts, CF Gerardo Para, C Henry Blanco, RHP Trevor Cahill.

Next: Frank Herrmann, Hector Ambriz and Joe Smith are scheduled to follow Huff today against Arizona. . .Shelley Duncan’s two homers ties him for the Cactus League lead. He’s second with six RBI. . .Ubaldo Jimenez will face Dan Haren of the Angels in Tempe, Ariz. on Thursday. . .On March 13, Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to face the Indians at Goodyear, Ariz. when Texas visits. The Rangers spent over $100 million to acquire Darvish this winter.

In July in 2009 baseball season, the Cleveland Indians were going nowhere in the standings. With free agency still a year away on their best hitter, Victor Martinez, and best pitcher, Cliff Lee, the Indians decided to trade both players.

When they made the two controversial trades, then-Indians general manager Mark Shapiro talked about not contending again until 2012.

Well it’s 2012, and the Indians are talking once again about contending for the American League Central Division. Now that the dust has settled, let’s see if these two enormous trades have helped catapult the Indians back in to contention like Shapiro hoped they would.

The first of these two trades made that summer was the Lee trade on July 29, 2009. Lee was coming off a Cy Young year in 2008 and might have been baseball’s best pitcher again in 2009.

The Phillies sent the Indians pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp, and then two position players, Jason Donald and Lou Marson. The prize of the group was supposed to be Knapp. Knapp was a hard throwing right-hander who was only 18 years old. The critics at the time screamed loud that Shapiro should have gotten more back for a pitcher like Lee.

Now looking back three seasons later, it appears the critics were correct in saying the Indians should have gotten more back from Lee. Knapp hurt his shoulder again in 2011 and had his second major shoulder surgery since the Indians traded for him. The Indians are hoping he will pitch again in 2012.

Carrasco actually pitched for the Indians in 2011, but he was shut down with elbow soreness after starting 21 games. On Sept. 6, 2011, the Indians announced that Carrasco would need Tommy John surgery and could miss up to 18 months.

Marson and Donald actually look to be solid major-league role players. Marson is a solid defensive catcher but not a great offensive player. He will back up starting catcher Carlos Santana in 2012.

Donald has a solid bat and can pretty much play anywhere in the infield besides first base. During the winter, the Indians decided that Donald would learn how to play some outfield and make him a so-called super utility player.

The second trade was the Martinez deal on July 31, 2009. Martinez was a beloved player in Cleveland, and the Indians took a beating from the fans for trading him to the Red Sox.

In return, the Tribe received three pitchers: Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. This was a trade that was less criticized than the Lee trade. But many of the so-called experts said the Indians should have gotten much more back from the Red Sox.

Now looking back at this specific trade three seasons later, this trade is starting to look like a good one for the Indians. Masterson developed into a top-of-the-rotation starter last year for the Indians, winning 12 games and having a really nice 3.12 ERA. On March 2, Indians manager Manny Acta announced that Masterson would be his 2012 opening day starter.

Hagadone was considered the prize of this trade. The big southpaw made his major league debut late in the 2011 season. Before the Indians acquired him, he was already coming off Tommy John surgery, so that’s why it’s taken him a bit longer to get to Cleveland. The Indians have now made him into a left-handed, late-inning relief pitcher. After having a great season for Triple AAA Columbus in 2011, the Indians believe he could make the team and be coming out of the bullpen in 2012.

Price was the youngest of the three pitchers they received from the Red Sox, and he hasn’t made it to Cleveland yet. Price is just 25, and if not for the injury that sidelined him early in 2011, he too might be already in Cleveland. Once healthy, Price pitched well in Double AA Akron last year and should be in Triple AAA Columbus to start the 2012 season. If any injuries arise this season, Price could be an option to get called up.

There is no denying that both these trades have brought contributing players to the Indians. But so far, all you really have to show for trading one of baseball’s best pitchers in Lee is two role players in Donald and Marson.

But while the Lee trade might have bombed, the Martinez trade looks to be a winner. Masterson has developed into the Indians’ most reliable starter, and Hagadone and Price look to be valuable relief pitchers in the very near future.

Del Yates is a 3rd generation Cleveland Indians fan. He grew up watching the Indians and has attended hundreds of games Cleveland Indians games. @YahooYates.

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