Continuing with the early analysis on Major League Baseball's 2012 season, we take a look at the AL Central. There has been a lot of movement during the offseason in free agency, but it seems that one team has risen above the rest in this division. Another team is building through youth and is looking to become relevant, not only in the division, but in the rest of the league as well. The team in the Windy City has lost a lot over the span of the offseason, but will look to rebound with a new approach. The Central division will be powerful in a couple years, but until then, one team is running the show.
1. Detroit Tigers -
The Tigers made quite a splash this offseason landing possibly the second most coveted free agent on the market. Prince Fielder came with a hefty tag, a 9 year deal worth $214 million. The Tigers felt that this move was necessary due the loss of Victor Martinez, their prized catcher/designated hitter. The Tigers signed Fielder with hopes that he would play first and Miguel Cabrera would transition to play third. Questions linger as to whether or not Cabrera can make this move, but he has already played this position before. He primarily played third base when he was called up with the Marlins in 2003, so Detroit should not worry too much. The more relevant question with the acquisition of Fielder will be whether or not his power is affected by the move to Detroit. His power was aided by the hitter-friendly confines of Miller Park in Milwaulkee. Many say that he will be a glorified ground-ball hitter, but others suggest that he shouldn't have an issue with Comerica Park.
This team is World Series capable even while losing Martinez. The Tigers can get to the postseason on their pitching alone. Justin Verlander started 34 games winning 24 of them, an astounding feat by any means. He posted a 2.40 ERA with 250 strikeouts. Needless to say, he ended up dominating the Cy Young race. He should be able to replicate those numbers this season, and possibly win even more games with the offense that is behind him. Max Scherzer had a career high in wins going 15-9, but won primarily because of run support. Brad Penny and Rick Porcello more than held their own in the rotation combining for 25 wins. Doug Fister came via trade from the Mariners and provided excellent pitching going 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA.
The bullpen will be looking for another excellent year led by electric closer Jose Valverde. Valverde converted 49 saves out of 49 opportunities with a 2.24 ERA, a highly dominant mark. Setting him up was Joaquin Benoit who pitched in 66 games posting a 2.95 ERA. This duo looks really, really good. The rest of the bullpen should be able to hold their own, especially with the rotation handing them easier games.
Keys to Success - Look for Prince Fielder to get his power going. If he can't get it over the wall, the Tigers will have to alter their approach at the plate. He was catered to in Milwaukee given Miller Park, so it will be interesting to see how he responds at Comerica. With the loss of Martinez, Detroit will be much more reliant on Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.
Reason to Panic - The main reason to panic would be if Verlander or Cabrera go down with injury. Without these two key guys, the Tigers could struggle as they rely heavily on these guys. The Tigers have already lost Victor Martinez for the season; another injury could be devastating.
All-Stars - Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Valverde
2. Minnesota Twins -
Out of any team in the division, the Twins have the most question marks. They have plenty of people on their roster that would indicate that they can compete however many of them have not lived up to expectations or have been out with injury. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have been absent for majority of the last two years and have not been able to give Minnesota the offense it so desperately needed. The addition of Josh Willingham should more than satisfy the void left by Micheal Cuddyer leaving for Colorado, having posted 26 HR's with 98 RBI's with Oakland last season. The addition of Ryan Doumit provides depth at the catcher and designated hitter positions.
One can go far as saying that the Twins rotation is the best aspect of the team. Led by Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker, the rotation can hold its own. However, the rotation has not reached its full potential. Baker was highly touted as one of Minnesota's best prospects but has yet to put it all together. Adding Jason Marquis provides a consistent, veteran arm. Joel Zumaya was added during the offseason but recently went down with another arm injury, adding to his already present arm troubles. With the departure of Joe Nathan from the closer position, look for Matt Capps to lead the way. A stud closer previously with Pittsburgh has now settled in with Minnesota. With a few runs behind them, this staff has the potential to win games, something that has been missing with Mauer and Morneau out.
The Twins are poised for a playoff run this year but the question marks could come back to haunt them. Minnesota was picked to finish second for this reason. The second Wild Card is going to come out of the West, forcing Minnesota to miss the playoffs. Minnesota can be a contender in the years to come as long as the young players come to life and provide what they have been missing the last few years.
Keys to Success - The offense will be there with Mauer, Morneau, and Willingham leading the way, but it will be up to the pitching staff to keep other offenses at bay. It is still a young staff but they came highly regarded. They need to come together soon before Minnesota decides to dump them for other pitchers. The time is running out for this staff, forcing the issue this year or next.
Reason to Panic - The same pitching staff will be the reason to panic. As stated before, the runs will be there (pending injury), but it will be up to the pitching staff to get them to the promised land. Scott Baker will be looked at most to lead the way as he comes in as the number 1 starter. Look for the Twins to do remarkably well this year considering the departures of a few key players, including Joe Nathan.
All-Stars - Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano
3. Cleveland Indians -
The Indians are a budding young team that was almost able to put it together last year, but started falling off towards the end of the season. The Indians have since acquired Ubaldo Jimenez who has stated that he is looking to return to "ace" status. Jimenez coupled with the rest of Cleveland's young rotation should be able to blossom this year and begin to take shape as one of the best staffs in baseball. Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson have been stellar in their role with the rotation and are looking to do the same this season. The Indians have added the veteran leadership of Derek Lowe to the staff, one that has been missing since Cliff Lee left.
The Cleveland lineup is the most intriguing aspect of the squad. They have the ability to be a dangerous team. If Grady Sizemore can stay healthy, Indians become a top 10 offensive team in the AL. Shin Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Carlos Santana are all coming into their own and look to carry this budding young team into the postseason. Travis Hafner is looking to return to his 40+ home run swing but injuries have hampered the guy since then. If then Indians do not find power in their lineup, it will be hard to challenge anyone in any division. They have added a few pieces here and there including Casey Kotchman, who brings a magnificent glove and a recently above average bat. Felix Pie, from Baltimore, and Aaron Cunningham, from San Diego, both could be instrumental for depth on the bench.
The Indians are close; REAL close. However, Cleveland does not have all the pieces together to make a run in the Central. They won't finish last, but they will surely not finish first for a while, unless disaster strikes Detroit. Cleveland has their young guys stepping up and and could be poised at a playoff run, however, they lack key pieces in their lineup.
Keys to Success - Cleveland's power numbers need to increase in order to complement the rotation with run support. Singles hitters can only get a team so far. Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner need to lead the way in this department or Cleveland will find itself at the bottom of the barrel again.
Reason to Panic - The bullpen looks a little shaky on paper. A few additions were made to help strengthen the unit, but it could still lead to Cleveland's demise. Look for the Indians to be a little rocky in the beginning of the season, but come together late for a push towards the playoffs.
All-Stars - Carlos Santana, Asdrubal Cabrera
4. Kansas City Royals -
The Royals have some of the leagues most highly touted prospects who are looking to make the Opening Day roster. Eric Hosmer was considered by some to be the best first-base prospect with any team and was actually rumored to be in trade talks with several teams over the winter months. Hosmer brings in a high average, run producing bat and a consistent glove at first. He will surely look to make an impact for the Royals. Mike Moustakas comes in as another valued prospect at third base. He played 89 games last year and definitely had some ups and downs. He posted a .263 average with subpar power and only 30 RBI's. He is surely better than those numbers suggest. With Jeff Francouer and Billy Butler leading the way, the Royals can be one of the surprise teams to come out of the American League.
The rotation could use some work. Picking up Jonathan Sanchez will surely help but the rest of the crew is too inconsistent to get anywhere. There are no guarantees with this rotation when the best guy coming into this year is Bruce Chen. He had a career year last year going 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA. Decent but not spectacular numbers by any means. The Royals can use some help here, but you never know, they could also surprise people. The bullpen is a bright spot for Kansas City. Adding Jonathan Broxton, the Dodgers' previous closer, will give Joakim Soria protection going into the 9th as Broxton will serve as his setup man. Broxton can be lights out and coupled with Soria, the Royals have quite a combination to close out games. In the case that either goes down with injury, as they both have done before, both are capable of closing duties. Look for this bullpen to make a splash this season. UPDATE: Joakim Soria is exploring the possibilities of Tommy John surgery and if procedure is done, Soria could miss much of the 2012 season.
The future is bright for the Royals, who seem to be building their team in similar fashion to the 2007-2008 Tampa Bay Rays. Adding key veterans, loading up in the draft and plugging in superb prospects along the way. Kansas City fans will have a lot to root for, however, the present still appears to have a bleak outlook.
Keys to Success - The offense will be able to put up runs and the bullpen will be able to close out games. This we know. However, if either of these two dimensions falter, the club will struggle. It is up to the youthful core of the Royals to put runs on the board.
Reason to Panic - The pitching rotation does not have a solid number 1 starter. The closest they get is Bruce Chen who is not a desirable Opening Day starter by any means. Some of these young guys could surprise this year now that they could have some run support, but the Royals will rely heavily on this rotation to hand leads to the bullpen.
All-Stars - Joakim Soria, Billy Butler
5. Chicago White Sox -
Chicago has lost two key pieces to their team over the winter months, none more important than skipper Ozzie Guillen (Miami Marlins). The second key piece actually followed Ozzie to the Marlins. Mark Buehrle was consistent but posted marginal numbers during his stay in Chicago. He never really had a consistent offense backing him up and is not a power, strikeout pitcher. He was never able to dominate batters the way "aces" should. Chicago really isn't losing much by him leaving. They worked hard to retain Jon Danks and he should be Chicago's Opening Day starter. Following him is Gavin Floyd, who is set to breakout, and Jake Peavy, who is looking for his first full season in a number of years. Philip Humber came on strong last year and is looking to replicate that season. The rotation, if healthy, could actually surprise and become one of the league's best. A lot is dependent on Jake Peavy and whether he can return to 2007 form.
The lineup lacks consistency and could spell trouble. Based on the numbers Adam Dunn posted last year, Chicago fans really don't know what to expect out of Dunn. While never really hitting for average, Dunn posts higher power and strikeout numbers. He was in a funk that he was never really able to get out of, and ultimately led to one of the ultimate busts in MLB free agency history. Paul Konerko was resigned and he has been nothing but consistent and is the polar opposite of Dunn. Fans know exactly what to expect out of Konerko: an above .270 average, roughly 25 homers, and around 90-100 RBI's every season. He had one of his better seasons last year. With another season like this, Konerko can lead the offense into the playoffs with some support from role players Gordon Beckham, AJ Pierzynski, and Alexei Ramirez.
The White Sox are probably the most difficult team to figure out in the division. They've lost their emotional leader in Guillen, their most consistent starter in Buehrle, and have issues with the offense going into the season. The bullpen could also spell trouble for the Sox as none of these pitchers have really shown their worth, with the exception of Matt Thornton. The White Sox could be in a mess of trouble this season if the offense can't get it going to match what the rotation is capable of doing.
Keys to Success - The rotation is probably going to be holding this team above water this season. Led by Danks and possibly the resurrection of Peavy, the rotation could be tough to handle. This group, in its fullest potential, could all win over 10 games. It is possible for the White Sox to make a play at the division, but could easily crumble to fall into last place.
Reason to Panic - As just mentioned, a collapse is highly likely given a new manager, inconsistent offense and an unproven bullpen. The team is relatively young outside of Konerko and Dunn, and this could ultimately lead to the White Sox having their worst year in ages. A team that won a Series in 2005 could likely find itself at the bottom of the barrel for years to come.
All-Stars - Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez
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Crosby tried to return back in December, registering 12 points in 8 games, before experiencing the same issues that originally sidelined him. It was believed to be a concussion but new reports came out specifying a soft-tissue complication in his neck. Crosby missed more time and delayed his return until about a week ago. On March 5, Sid the Kid was cleared for contact and has never looked back. March 15 marked Crosby's return to game , on a night where he registered 2 assists and went +3 against the New York Rangers.
However, the Penguins need Malkin and Crosby to be effective in order to win in the playoffs. It seems that the Pens have gotten it together this year without Crosby, although lately his presence has been truly welcomed. Pittsburgh has put together a total team effort this year on the offensive end while providing the same consistent approach on the blue line. The Pens have seen several players reach career highs in scoring including the likes of Chris Kunitz, James Neal, and Jordan Staal. Evgeni Malkin is having an MVP season, scoring 95 points, tops in the NHL. He is currently second in goals scored with 45, second only to Steven Stamkos with 50. Malkin could easily catch Stamkos in the goal chase, now that Crosby has returned. Malkin can play less of a distributor and more of a scorer as Crosby looks to set up more than shoot. 
