Post Winter Meetings, Part 1- AL Central

Tonight, I am starting the first of a 6-part series. Needless to say, the MLB Winter Meetings this year was very eventful, as we saw many players change teams. All of the trades and free agent signings over the past few weeks have changed the feel of each division, some more drastically than others. So, I have decided to take a look at each division and note the adds/reductions from each team in December and how this could effect the upcoming season. This is the first part in this series, beginning with the AL Central. Let's get to it!

1. Minnesota Twins

Additions
Torii Hunter- RF, 39
Shane Robinson- OF,
J.R. Graham- P, 24
Ervin Santana- SP, 32

Departures
Chris Colabello- 1B, 31
Sean Gilmartin- P, 24

The Twins didn't make a lot of noise the past few weeks, but they did land notable free agents Ervin Santana and Torii Hunter. Robinson is another free agent sign, and J.R. Graham joins the Twins after being selected from the Braves in the Rule 5 draft. Chris Colabello parted ways with the organization after being claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays, and prospect Sean Gilmartin was taken by the Mets in the Rule 5 draft.

The Twins haven't drastically improved nor weakened their team thus far in the offseason. The signing that got the most news was bringing Torii Hunter home on a 1 year, $10.5 million deal. While this brings a fan favorite back to the team he spent his first 11 professional seasons with, creating some warm feelings, this doesn't do a lot for the overall improvement of the Twins. Torii will get consistent playing time in right field. While he has shown he still has gas in the tank on offense (.286 batting average, 17 HRs, 83 RBIs last year), his range has drastically worsened since he last played for the Twins. This is not good news, as the Twins haven't had great defense in the outfield of late. That being said, he should help the Twins push more runs across this year and as a Twins fan, it is great to see Torii back home.

Ervin Santana is the 2nd of the two most notable moves this December. Santana will enter the 2015 season as the Twins 2 or 3 starter and should vastly improve their rotation with the ability to throw around 200 innings and strike out 150+ batters. However, Santana is still just a 2/3 starter, and the Twins still lack a true ace, something that they haven't had since the Johan Santana years. Furthermore, the Santana signing creates a surplus of pitchers competing for 2 rotation spots- Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone, Trevor May, Mike Pelfrey, and Alex Meyer will all compete for the final 2 spots in the rotation this spring. With this many arms competing for openings in the rotation, don't be surprised to see the Twins trade or release a pitcher or two yet this offseason.

The Twins haven't had a lot of action outside of the Hunter and Santana deals. They signed free agent outfielder Shane Robinson who has MLB experience, but likely won't play a huge role on the team. The Twins outfield is set with Hunter, Arcia, Danny Santana, and Jordan Schafer, but Robinson could see some time as in a backup role. The Twins landed prospect pitcher J.R. Graham through the Rule 5 draft, who is rated as a top 100 prospect, but likely won't play in the major leagues for another year or two.

Finally, the Twins have lost 2 players in December. First is Chris Colabello, who was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. While Colabello had a fantastic start to the season last year, he cooled down after the first few months and struggled to find his groove again, not seeing much playing time after the All Star break. Secondly, Sean Gilmartin, a AAA prospect, was claimed by the Mets in the Rule 5 draft. Neither move should have much of an effect on the Twins in the upcoming 2015 season.

Overall, the Twins have done a little bit to improve their team, but not a lot. However, they haven't been hurt either. Hunter brings another bat to the starting lineup, and Santana is a welcome addition to the starting rotation, but the Twins still have work to do if they want to compete with the rest of the AL Central.

Offseason grade thus far: B/B- (Brought back Torii Hunter and signed a quality starting pitcher)


2. Chicago White Sox

Additions
Matt Heindenreich- P, 23
Rob Brantly- C, 25
Jeff Samardzija- SP, 29
Michael Ynoa- SP, 23
David Robertson- CL, 29
Andre Rienzo- P, 26

Departures
Scott Snodgrass- P, 25
Scott Carroll- P, 30
Chris Bassitt- P, 25
Josh Phegley- C, 26
Rangel Ravelo- 1B/3B, 22
Marcus Semien- INF, 24
Dan Jennings- P, 27

The White Sox have made arguably the best additions of the AL Central. They added Jeff Samardzija, who is an instant upgrade to the starting rotation, and prospect starter Michael Ynoa, who could be a great pitcher in a couple of years. Claiming catcher Rob Brantly off of waivers from the Marlins allowed them to be comfortable trading for Samardzija and Ynoa, as they sent catcher Phegly, pitcher Bassitt, and infielders Semien and Ravelo to the Athletics in return.

Their biggest addition is obviously Jeff Samardzija. Despite the fact he has not posted a winning record since 2011, he is a great addition to the Sox's rotation. He racks up both innings and strikeouts, topping 200 in both categories in both 2012 and 2013. They also locked down a great closer by signing David Robertson to a 4-year, $46 million contract. While the majority of their other additions are minor leaguers that likely won't see time in the pros this year, the White Sox have done a great job adding talent to their team without losing much at the game time. They are making a strong push to contend for the AL Central division title very soon.

Offseason grade thus far: A- (Added All-Star pitcher and top-10 closer without giving up much in return)


3. Cleveland Indians

Additions
Destin Hood- OF, 24
Adam Moore- C, 30
Brandon Moss- 1B, 31
Jerry Sands- OF/1B, 27
Brett Hayes- C, 30

Departures
Joe Wendle- 2B, 24

The most notable (only notable, really) move this offseason for the Indians has been All-Star first baseman Brandon Moss. The slugger provides the Indians with a lot more power, as they add a 20+ HR, 80+ RBI man. They stole Moss, really, sending only Joe Wendle to the Athletics for their part of the trade. Wendle is not a loss at all, as he has never played above AA in the minors, and the Tribe have Jason Kipnis holding down 2nd base. Other than trading for Brandon Moss, the Indians have had a quiet offseason, moving largely minor league players. Cleveland missed the 2nd wild card spot in the AL last year by just a few games, and they didn't have many spots to fill in the offseason. I'm not sure if the Moss trade alone pushes them into the postseason, but the trade helped a bubble team a lot. The Indians should be at the top half of the AL Central once again this coming year.

Offseason grade thus far: B+ (With no gaping holes to fill, added top 1st baseman)


4. Detroit Tigers

Additions
Alberto Cabrera- P, 26
Shane Greene- P, 26
Yoenis Cespedes- LF, 29
Alex Wilson- P, 28
Gabe Speier- P, 19
Alfedro Simon- SP. 33

Departures
Domingo Leyba- INF, 19
Robbie Ray- P, 23
Rick Porcello- SP, 25
Eugino Suarez- SS, 23
Jonathan Crawford- P, 23

If the White Sox haven't had the best offseason so far, the Tigers make a strong case for the title. Their key additions have been slugger Cespedes and All-Star starter Simon. Like the White Sox, the Tigers have done a good job at getting a lot of talent without giving up a lot in return. While they traded away an above-average starter in Rick Porcello, they signed a good starter to replace him with Simon, and managed to land Cespedes as well. Outside of Porcello, the Tigers haven't given away much this offseason. They lose Suarez, who played in over 80 games at shortstop for them last year, but the Tigers should be much happier with their additions than their losses this far. Landing a young power hitting outfielder and an All-Star starter highlight a great offseason so far for the Tigers.

Offseason grade thus far: A- (Added All-Star starter and power hitting outfielder while really only losing 1 starter)

5. Kansas City Royals

Additions
Dany Geraldo- P, 19
Luke Hochavar- P, 31
Jandel Gustave- P, 22
Yohan Pino- SP, 30

Departures
Francisley Bueno- P, 33

The largest news that the Royals have made this offseason came when Billy Bulter signed with Oakland. Other than that, the Royals have pretty much done nothing notable. They have dealt mainly in minor league players this December. This is not good news for Royals fans, Although they made a World Series appearance this year, the way this offseason is going, they will not be back there next year. There is still a lot of offseason left, but this far, it has been disappointing for Royals fans.

Offseason grade this far: C- (Have done nothing to improve team in a division where all teams have gotten better since the end of the 2013 season)


And there you have it! My offseason grades of the AL Central this far. Here's a recap:

1. Chicago White Sox: A/A-
2. Detroit Tigers: A-
3. Cleveland Indians: B+
4. Minnesota Twins: B/B-
5. Kansas City Royals: C-

Here's a few quick takes on the AL Central based on the moves the clubs have made in December:

-Most improved team- Chicago White Sox (Samardzija, Robertson)
-Least improved team- Kansas City Royals (No significant adds)
-Best addition in the division- Brandon Moss, Indians (Fantastic first baseman added for just a minor league infielder)
-My pick for division champion- Detroit Tigers (Improved an already-great starting rotation and added a powerful outfielder)
-My predicted standings for 2015 season-

1. Detroit Tigers (Question marks in the bullpen, but one of the best starting rotations in baseball and lots of weapons on offense)
2. Cleveland Indians (Will jump over the Royals after adding power 1st baseman)
3. Kansas City Royals (Still a good team, but hasn't kept up with the rest of the division so far)
4. Chicago White Sox (Added a lot of weapons, but will need a year or two for it all to start to click)
5. Minnesota Twins (Moving in the right direction, but still waiting for prospects Buxton and Sano to lead the team back to the top)


And, there you have it! This has been my mid-December review of the AL Central after the MLB's winter meetings. I'm not sure when I will get the next review posted, but the next division up is the AL West. Thanks for the read!

Danny Santana's Rookie Season- Just How Good Was It?

Any follower of the Twins knows that Danny Santana had a fantastic rookie campaign. If not for Jose Abreu, I am a strong believer that Santana would have gotten serious consideration for last year's Rookie of the Year award. Abreu won the award unanimously, while Santana was overshadowed and only received 1 vote overall, a 2nd place vote. Regardless, his rookie year was great and Santana is already solidified himself in many minds as a core cog in the long term Twins roster. But just how good was Santana's rookie year in comparison to the best rookie seasons in Twins history? Today I'll be taking a look at that question based on Bleacher Report's list of the top 10 Twins rookie seasons (posted after the 2012 season). Here is their list:

10. Kirby Puckett
9. Doug Corbett
8. Danny Valencia
7. John Castino
6. Francisco Liriano
5. Chuck Knoblauch
4. Rod Carew
3. Marty Cordova
2. Kent Hrbek
1. Tony Oliva

Remember, this is solely a comparison of first year seasons, not a guess of who's careers or legacies is/will be better or worse. I'll compare the rookie season of each player in the above list to Danny Santana's rookie year and ultimately place Danny Santana among the others to determine, in my opinion, where his rookie season compares to the best in Twins history. Let's get to it!

Challenger #1- Kirby Puckett (1984)

Advantage- Santana, 11-4

Puckett had the advantage of 27 games and over 150 plate appearances which helped him accumulate 36 more hits than Santana, but Danny still managed to beat him out in doubles, triples, home runs, and RBIs. Santana had the edge on the base paths, stealing 20 bases to Kirby's 14, and getting throw out just 4 times to Kirby's 7. They were similar in both batting average on-base percentage, and wins above replacement (WAR), but Santana's stronger batting average and advantages in all extra-base hits categories give him the nod over Kirby. It remains to be seen if Santana will be able to have as large of an impact on the Twins organization as Puckett had, but his 2013 rookie season bests Puckett's 1984 rookie year.

Victor- Santana

Challenger #2- Doug Corbett (1980)

This is one of several trickier comparisons, as Corbett was the Twins closer in the 1980 season. He finished with a solid 23 saves, notably the same number of saves as Rollie Fingers that season. Corbett posted a solid sub-2.00 ERA and had a very strong 5.7 WAR. He had a shot at even stronger saves and strikeouts, but the Twins finished with a record under .500, finishing 3rd in the American League West Division and not providing Corbett with a lot of save opportunities. I'm giving Santana the edge in this round, due to a larger overall impact on the team and a larger role played during his rookie season.

Victor- Santana

Challenger #3- Danny Valencia (2010)

Advantange- Santana, 10-3-2

Many of Santana's and Valencia's rookies are very close- They hit the same number of home runs and RBIs, and were very close in batting average, walks, and on-base percentage. However, Santana owns the categories of games played, tuns, hits, doubles, steals, WAR, and he takes this round as well.

Victor- Santana

Challenger #4- John Castino (1979)

Advantage- Santana, 8-7

The matchup between Santana and the 1979 Rookie of the Year is a close one. They have very similar stats in triples, home runs, and trade off the advantages in key stats. While Castino played in nearly 50 more games than Santana, Santana manages to hold superior in hits, doubles and home runs. The extra at bats helped Castino hold the trples, strikeouts and walks categories, but may have deflated his batting average a bit. This round is close, but goes to Santana for his advantages in batting average, runs, and WAR.

Victor- Santana

Challenger #5- Francisco Liriano (2006)

While this is another tough comparison to a pitcher, this matchup is very, very close. As great of a season that Santana had, Liriano makes an argument for having a better season. His 12 wins tied Brad Radke for 2nd in the category of the Twins that year, and Liriano's 2.16 was the team's best. He allowed only 29 earned runs in 28 games, pitching Liriano missed chances to improve his numbers even further after injuring an arm and being placed on the disabled list in early August. To that point, he had been in discussion for the AL's Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards, but missing the majority of the second half of the season due to injury caused him to drop out of discussion. Still, he had a strong enough first half to earn an All-Star selection and finish 3rd in the AL ROY voting. Missing the 2nd half of the year is the main reason why Santana gains back points in this round and manages to tie Liriano's rookie season in my book.

Victor- None!

Challenger #6- Chuck Knoblauch (1991)

Advantage- Knoblauch, 8-7

The 1991 AL Rookie of the Year winner gives Santana is closest matchup yet. Knoblauch started off his Hall of Fame career very strong, playing in nearly all of the Twins games and posting a solid .281 batting average. He beats out Santana in runs scored, hits, RBIs, walks, steals and strikeouts, but Santana bests him in batting average, doubles, and WAR. As close as the matchup is, Knoblauch beats out Santana in this round due to his massive role in the Twins 1991 season, including key plays in the Twins 2nd World Series title (including bunting over the winning run in the bottom of 9th in Game 7). Santana's performance comes close but is beat out by Knoblauch's integral part of a World Series-winning team.

Victor- Knoblauch

Challenger #7- Rod Carew (1967)

Advantage- Even, 7-7-1

Danny Santana's rookie stats match up very well to Rod Carew's Rookie of the Year season. One would think that Carew's first of 18 straight All-Star years would leave Santana in the dust, but it is in reality very close. Carew managed to play in more games and earn more plate appearances, which helped him take the slight advantange in hits, home runs, and RBIs. However, Santana still manages to best Carew in runs scored, batting average, doubles, steals, and on-base percentage. This is another close matchup in which I am not entirely sure how to pick a winner. This time around, I have to give the slight edge to Rod Carew for a fantastic rookie year in a Hall of Fame career. It could go either way, but I have to give Carew the nod.

Victor- Carew

Challenger #8- Marty Cordova (1995)

Advantage- Cordova, 7-6-2

Cordova is another Rookie of the Year winner with eerily similar stats to Santana. They scored nearly the game about of runs, were only 13 hits apart from being even, hit the same number of two-baggers, stole the same number of bases, and were nearly dead-on in on-base percentage. Cordova takes the victory in this round, due to his power at the plate that didn't take away and speed on the base paths. Cordova hit many more home runs as Santana and drove in over double the number of runs While Santana is not a power hitter, Cordova still gets the nod as he was able to keep up with Santana in the steals department.

Victor- Cordova

Challenger #9- Kent Hrbek (1981)

Advantage- Hrbek, 8-7

Santana matches up well to the runner-up Rookie of the Year and All-Star first basemen in 1981. Hrbek is another player with a different role than Santana at the plate, hitting many more home runs and RBIs than Santana. While Santana owns Hrbek in doubles, triples, steals, and on-base percentage, this is another close matchup. Hrbek gets bonus points for finishing 2nd in AL ROY voting to Cal Ripken Jr, and narrowly takes the round from Santana.

Victor- Santana

Challenger #10- Tony Oliva (1964)

Advantage- Oliva, 13-2

This is the only matchup in which Danny Santana simply has no change. How is one supposed to top Tony Oliva's rookie year? Tony-O won the AL Rookie of the Year, was named an All-Star, and finished 4th in MVP voting. He led the league in batting average, runs scored, total hits, and doubles while playing in all but one of the Twins games that year. Oliva's first of 8 straight All-Star, MVP-vote earning seasons is simply no match for Danny Santana's rookie year.

Victor- Oliva



And, there you have it! In head-to-head matchup against Bleacher Report's top 10 Twins rookie reasons, Danny Santana posts a 5-4-1 record in many close matchups. If I had to rewrite the list of top Twins rookie performances including Danny Santana's 2014 season, I would have to come to the following conclusion:

11. Kirby Puckett
10. Doug Corbett
9. Danny Valencia
8. John Castino
7. Francisco Liriano
6. Chuck Knoblauch
5. Marty Cordova
4. Danny Santana
3. Rod Carew
2. Kent Hrbek
1. Tony Oliva

Multiple of these matchups have gone either way, but that list reflects my opinions as to the top Twins rookie seasons in history. If this is any indicator as to what Santana's career could produce, wow. Based on rookie seasons alone, he hangs right in there with current Hall of Famers. The only way to tell what will happen is to wait and find out, but if his rookie season is any indication as to what he may be able to do in the years to come, Twins fans everywhere are going to really enjoy watching Danny Santana in the future.