2008 MLB Preview

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL DIVISION:

1. Detroit: Expectations couldn't be higher following the acquisitions of Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and Edgar Renteria, and rightly so, because these Tigers should light up scoreboards from coast to coast. Most of the questions involve health. If Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez and the rest stay on the field, the Tigers have every chance to rock. On the mound, the same holds true for Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman, each of whom missed significant time with injuries last summer. It also expected that Tigers will break the 1,000 run scored mark and set a new MLB record for runs and that is possible.

2. Cleveland: As the Indians report to camp, I wonder if they've yet to figure out what hit them last fall. Just one win away from a World Series berth before Boston zoomed back with three consecutive wins, the experience could make or break the Indians in '07. The feeling here is that they will benefit from getting so close and knowing what they lost. There's plenty that could derail them, though, starting with C.C. Sabathia's contract situation. Minnesota trading Johan Santana likely will be a harbinger of what's in store for Sabathia, whose game seriously declined last fall. It looked like a classic run-out-of-gas thing, except his velocity didn't dip. Masahide Kobayashi's spring will bear watching -- he's one of only three Japanese pitchers to have more than 200 saves. So just in case Joe Borowski wobbles ... really, either way, Kobayashi's addition will add depth to the back end of Cleveland's bullpen, which is a really good thing.

3. Minnesota: The Twins hung in the race just a bit longer than John Edwards but conceded before Mitt Romney during one of the more tumultuous winters in club history. There simply is no quick recovery from losing Torii Hunter (signed with the Angels) and Johan Santana (traded to the Mets). But don't believe everything you're hearing -- in trading for outfielder Delmon Young and adding a leadoff hitter (speedy outfielder Carlos Gomez) in a four-player package obtained from the Mets, Twins GM Bill Smith did well. The scouting staff is as respected as there is in the game, and though they may not see October this year, their retooling efforts are off to a solid start. Hold your breath each time Francisco Liriano pitches this spring. He says he's good to go, and the Twins are encouraged. A strong comeback from Liriano will go a long way toward keeping the team competitive. So will old standbys Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer.

4. Chicago: Now playing center field for the White Sox is ... uh, um. Rookie Jerry Owens? Eventually. Newly acquired Carlos Quentin? He's more of a corner guy. Alexei Ramirez? Try newly acquired Nick Swisher. First order of business for skipper Ozzie Guillen after the White Sox swung hard and missed on free agents Torii Hunter and Aaron Rowand after Brian Anderson flamed out is for Swisher to get his center field chops. On paper, the Sox are the weakest in the spring since probably '03 or '04, and it's exacerbated by the terrific offseason rival Detroit had. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera should have won a Gold Glove last summer and was a nice pickup, though Swisher and Rush Street could be a volatile mix. The important thing for him is to keep his priorities straight. The Sox need more than 10 wins from Mark Buehrle, and they can't afford to have Paul Konerko's on-base percentage drop another 30 points, as it did from '06 to '07. There are a lot of questions here, but there also are a lot of things that could reverse the Sox's '07 decline if those questions are answered.

5. Kansas City: That the Royals think they're ready to take another step forward was evidenced by their pursuit of free agent Torii Hunter over the winter. They were offering serious money. Alas, though, it won't be Gil Meche last year and Hunter this -- the center fielder signed with the Angels. Leaving the Royals ... Jose Guillen. Yikes, that's a gamble. Especially at $36 million over three years. But these are challenges the Royals have to take after years in the dumper. Everybody laughed at the Meche deal a year ago and, though he won only nine games, he worked 216 innings and compiled a sub-4.00 ERA. Both helped immensely as the Royals went from laughingstock to simply just another last-place club. There's more positive buzz around the league about this club, though, than you might imagine. Lots of work to be done, but some pieces are in place. Third baseman Alex Gordon suffered growing pains last year but really became comfortable in the second half. Starter Brian Bannister had an encouraging year. Zack Greinke started his comeback. GM Dayton Moore has collected lots of pitching, from Brett Tomko to Hideo Nomo. It can't hurt.