We're back for our second division analysis for the American League. Today we'll feature the AL Central and focus on the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians and then finish up tomorrow with the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.
The last-place Twins are up first.
Minnesota Twins (70-92), Last Place in AL Central
As we well know, the Twins have been a mess for quite some time now. They've suffered four straight 90-plus loss seasons, haven't made the playoffs since 2010 and haven't advanced past the division series since 2002. This ultimately forced general manager Terry Ryan to fire manager Ron Gardenhire after 13 seasons in Minnesota and now they're on the lookout for a replacement. But other than that, there aren't many needs because the payroll is expected to remain at $85 million and they only have two impending free agents (relievers Matt Guerrier and Jared Burton).
And to be honest, they're not too far off from a decent season. The offense was ranked 7th in the MLB in terms of runs scored (715) and 11th in batting average (.254). They'll just need to improve their pitching, which means they'll have to wait to develop their young guys (Kyle Gibson and Trevor May) and/or until some contracts expire. Their starting rotation had the worst ERA in baseball (5.06) and their bullpen was 21st with a 3.73 ERA. Terry Ryan is a diligent guy, so maybe he has some sort of plan up his sleeve.
Manager: Can't start the season without a manager. I mean, you probably could, but it wouldn't be the best of ideas. Ryan is doing his research because the team's past two managers (Gardenhire and Tom Kelly) spanned from 1987 until 2014. The Twins likely want to keep that tradition of a longstanding manager to provide stability and keep the organization's philosophy intact. Right now it appears Ryan's choices are infield coach Paul Molitor, Class A manager Doug Mientkiewicz and Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo. A number of other candidates interviewed for the position, but they were either hired by another team or informed they were no longer being considered for the job. My guess is that they go with Molitor, who is a Hall of Famer that played and coached for the Twins. He was also a finalist for the job back in 2001 when the team hired Gardenhire.
Starting Pitcher: You can't expect to do too much with Phil Hughes as your No. 1. Behind him are Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone and Trevor May. Gibson and May are very young and Milone was just acquired from the A's before the deadline and he's also only 27. He posted a 3.55 ERA in Oakland through 16 starts, so he could be a solid piece in the rotation. They won't sign one of the marquee free-agent starting pitchers, but there are some decent arms they might be able to afford if Ryan chooses to go in that direction. They include Chris Young, Ryan Vogelsong, Gavin Floyd, Jason Hammel, Justin Masterson, Brandon McCarthy and others. Minnesota also has a number of arms in the farm system and could be looking to gradually build a foundation in that manner.
Chicago White Sox (73-89), 4th in AL Central
Chicago is also in the same boat as Minnesota. They really aren't too far off from a solid campaign. They're looking to build their young outfield with Dayan Viciedo, Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia. Their infield is pretty much set with Jose Abreu at first base, Alexei Ramirez at shortstop, Conor Gillaspie at third, and a battle at second base between youngsters Carlos Sanchez, Marcus Semien and Micah Johnson. Their main issues are with the pitching staff. The starters logged a 4.26 ERA (25th in MLB) and the bullpen was even worse with a 4.38 ERA (28th). Although the offense performed fairly well, without Jose Abreu they would probably be next to inept. Could the team add another bat before next season and really put them over the edge? They have no pressing concerns with their impending free agents, so it's a possibility.
Designated Hitter: Paul Konerko retired, which means the team lost a leader and a great power-hitter. There are a number of ways the team can fill this void, but they may have to make some sacrifices. The MLB home run leader Nelson Cruz is scheduled to become a free agent, which would be a great fit because he could provide depth for the outfield, spend most of his time at DH and provide great power behind Abreu. Unfortunately, this will likely cost the White Sox a lot of money and/or hinder the development of one of their young outfielders if he really wants to play the field. They could also sign 35-year-old Victor Martinez who can spend most of his games at DH and give Jose Abreu some days off at first base. They can steal Martinez from the Tigers too, which would be helpful in their quest to win the division. However, this is an expensive option and the White Sox may look to spend their money elsewhere.
Starting Pitcher: They have prospect Carlos Rodon who could join the team in 2015, but if not, there are a plethora of starters and relievers the White Sox could sign. Additionally, if they really needed to, they could trade one of their three young second baseman for an arm in the rotation. They might need a right-hander, especially if Rodon joins the team, because then they'll have four lefties (Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and John Danks). This leaves Max Scherzer, James Shields, Edinson Volquez, Jason Hammel and Ervin Santana as solid options for this role. The options are endless if they're willing to spend, but they could just stick with Hector Noesi, who showed he's capable at times.
Relief Pitcher: With Matt Lindstrom likely leaving town, the White Sox are going to need to fill his role in the bullpen as setup man. They could also look for a closer if they don't see Jake Petricka panning out, but he finished the year with a solid 2.96 ERA and 14 saves in 73 innings pitched. Some big name relievers that are available include David Roberston, Casey Janssen, Jason Grilli, Sergio Romo, Koji Uehara, Chris Perez, Luke Gregerson, Pat Neshek, and others. Some can fill the closer role and others can step in as the setup man. It all depends what general manager Rich Hahn wants to do.
Cleveland Indians (85-77), 3rd in AL Central
The Indians were in the playoff discussion up until the last week of the regular season. Their offense disappeared in the second half of the season due to injury issues with Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis. Again, this is a solid team from top to bottom. The outfield has Bourn, Michael Brantley and Daniel Murphy with the infield boasting Carlos Santana at first and Kipnis at second with the looming full-time promotion of Francisco Lindor at shortstop. The 26-year-old Lonnie Chisenhall had a good season at third base as well. The starting rotation, led by Corey Kluber (18-9 with a 2.44 ERA), has other youngsters that are expected to move the team forward. Their bullpen was solid with a 3.12 ERA, which was good for 7th in the MLB. I think Cleveland needs one power bat that can DH and play first base, but the organization might not want to spend the money.
First Base/Designated Hitter: We partially covered this with the White Sox. Victor Martinez could make a return to Cleveland if the front office wants to give him the money, but that's not very likely. But here are some other interesting names: Billy Butler (if the Royals decline his $12.5 million option), Michael Cuddyer, Adam LaRoche (if the Nationals decline his $15 million option) and Adam Lind (if the Blue Jays decline his $7.5 million option). Nelson Cruz will be too expensive for them, but Alex Rios is available and they could sign him for a reasonable price and put him at DH and use him in the outfield as well. Michael Morse and Josh Willingham could be decent options too.
