American League Central Preview: Can Anyone Stop the Tribe?
#5 Minnesota Twins
The Twins were in contention for a second wild card spot going into the last week of the 2015 season. They fell just short, winning 83 games. The 2016 season appeared bright as their young core had more experience. The Twins regressed severely losing 103 games and finding themselves back in last place. 2017 will not be much different as the Twins future relies heavily on the performance of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano.
Both Sano and Buxton were former top prospects that have not touched the surface of their potential. They will be surrounded by face of the franchise Joe Mauer who the Twins cannot move due to his massive contract and lack of performance over the last few seasons. The Twins rotation is filled with middling veterans who have already went through the primes of their careers. Twins pitchers Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana, and Hector Santiago just to name a few. Minnesota’s bullpen is a nightmare as well. The only above average arm in their bullpen, left handed closer Glen Perkins, will be on the 60 day disabled list to start the season.
Minnesota’s objective this season should be to let their younger guys play and lose as much as possible in the process. If they get All-Star like years from Buxton or Sano, and are able to flip veteran arms at the deadline for a good prospect haul, Minnesota can continue their youth movement and hope to improve over the upcoming years.
#4 Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn made the decision to take the White Sox in a different direction this past offseason. After trading ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton, it became clear the Sox are committing to rebuilding in 2017. Hahn made many trades and free agent signings in 2015 & 2016 to try and get the White Sox back into the postseason for the first time since 2008. Just about every possible thing that could go wrong did, and now Sox fans are going to have to wait a little longer for a playoff team.
The Sox still have solid pieces going into 2017. Pitcher Jose Quintana, and power hitting infielders Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier. Having these three players are the reason why the Sox are not going to be as bad as the general public perceive them to be. That can all change as they could get traded and the Sox receive an incredible amount of young talent in return. The Sox lineup will be an eye sore. Melky Cabrera, Tim Anderson, Abreu and Frazier are at the heart of the Sox order that will have a hard time scoring runs.
The departure of Sale turns the staff over to Quintana. Him, along with young lefty Carlos Rodon could possibly head this rotation through this rebuild. An interesting core of starting pitchers in James Shields, Miguel Gonzalez, and Derek Holland fill out the rest of the rotation. Closer David Robertson and elite set-up man Nate Jones create a solid bullpen for the Sox this season. Two more trade pieces that Hahn can dangle with. Just like the Twins, losing seems to be in the cards for the White Sox in 2017.
Expect younger players and top prospects for the Sox to appear and contribute at some point during the season.Many veteran players will be leaving Chicago as a new era of White Sox baseball will begin in 2017.
#3 Kansas City Royals
Just two years removed from a World Series title in 2015, the Kansas City Royals enter the 2017 season with an interesting dilemma. They still have most of the core from their championship team, but almost every one of those players is in danger of testing the free agency waters after 2017. Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar, and Lorenzo Cain just to name a few.
Although attendance has been on the rise, Kansas City does not have the financial flexibility to bring back most of their major pieces. If the Royals are not in contention by the non-waiver July 31st trade deadline, it may be time to depart with some of their star talent. Kansas City’s lineup does not boast much power but relies on a classic contact and speed approach to score their runs. Hosmer, Moustakas, and catcher Salvador Perez provide the little power KC has in their lineup. The back end of their bullpen is not what it once was but it still stands as one of the better pens’ in the American League.
The problem for KC staying in contention will be their starting pitching. It will be hard to replace the late Yordano “Ace” Ventura in the rotation but the addition of Jason Hammel should suffice. Danny Duffy now emerges as the team ace with league average pitchers such as Ian Kennedy and Nate Karns to follow.
It would not surprise me to see the Royals give it one last push at the deadline to acquire pieces to get them to the postseason, but I hardly see that being the case. It appears that this could be the final year that Kansas City keeps their World Series winning core together. 2017 will be bittersweet for the Royal faithful.
#2 Detroit Tigers
The Tigers in a way have become a soon forgotten team in the AL Central. It was not too long ago when Detroit had rattled off four consecutive division titles. Their last coming in 2014, Detroit has not made the playoffs since. They are ready to roar in 2017 as they have a lineup filled with aging veterans that are still producing at a very high level.
Former triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and J.D. Martinez round out the three through five spots in the batting lineup for Detroit. While the Tigers will have no problem scoring runs, it will be starting pitching and most importantly bullpen struggles that will have the Tigers fighting for contention all year. Justin Verlander has returned to ace status and 2016 AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer poses as a strong number two for the foreseeable future. Jordan Zimmermann is in line to be a potential comeback of the year candidate and Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd round out a shaky fourth and fifth spot in the rotation. With a powerful offense and solid starting pitching that should be enough for Detroit right? Detroit’s bullpen has done them in several times over the last several seasons.
Aging closer Francisco Rodriguez is on the decline, and Justin Wilson will attempt the hold the late innings for Detroit. Although you can slate in Detroit as a number one wildcard seed if all goes as planned, the team from Ohio just has too much talent for Detroit to catch up too.
#1 Cleveland Indians
After falling just one game shy of becoming World Series champions, the Cleveland Indians immediately moved past that and look to be the class of the American League again in 2017. Cleveland has truly built itself something close to a super team in the past two years or so. Acquiring the best relief pitcher in the game Andrew Miller last season, and signing free agent power hitter Edwin Encarnacion this past offseason
Those two moves solidified the AL Central for the Indians and will indeed (barring a miracle) run away with this division. The starting pitching for Cleveland is quite possibly its best strength and weakness. A rotation headed by former Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber and backed up by strikeout specialists Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, Cleveland’s pitching will keep them in almost every game in 2017.
They have also formed a three headed monster in the back of their bullpen as well. The aforementioned Miller setting up games along with Bryan Shaw, and closer Cody Allen closing things down at the back end. If Cleveland appeared to have one weakness last season it would be their starting lineup.
Next: Carlos Rodon Out 5-6 Weeks Due to Injury
That weakness has now converted into a strength as the Tribe will receive (hopefully) a full and healthy season from Michael Brantley, and all-star level contributions from Encarnacion, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Carlos Santana. While the Cubs are considered a super team in the National League, two time World Series winning manager Terry Francona has the team he needs to go deep into October once again. And it all starts with dominating in the AL Central.