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!
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