By BILL MADDEN
After a 99 wins and a division title, capped off with the their first World championship in 88 years, it would have been easy for the White Sox to rest on their laurels, keep the payroll in check and trust in their superior talent to take them on another postseason ride. But GM Kenny Williams didn't see it that way.
"We are not standing pat," he said. "We will be aggressive in adding to what to what we've got because we understand to truly become No. 1 in this town we have to win it again."
Say this for Williams: He was a man of his word. There was no more active team this winter than the defending champs, who after re-signing franchise first baseman and team captain Paul Konerko to a five-year, $60 million contract, acquired Jim Thome to back him up and assume the DH duties, and traded for righthanded starter Javier Vazquez, handyman Rob Mackowiak and infielder Alex Cintron, all of whom represent significant upgrades at their respective positions. The White Sox's five-strong starting rotation - Mark Buerhle, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia and Vazquez - is potentially the deepest of any rotation in baseball. At the same time, the lineup of Konerko, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, shortstop Juan Uribe, third baseman Joe Crede, catcher A.J. Pierzynski, DH Thome and outfielders Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik and rookie Brian Anderson is solid.
If there are any questions about the White Sox, they are in the bullpen, where closer Bobby Jenks is still inexperienced and backup Dustin Hermanson continues to be plagued by chronic back problems.
If you didn't know better, you'd have thought Williams lost the division by six games last year, especially when compared to the curious offseason moves of runner-up Cleveland. The Indians failed to re-sign starting pitchers Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton (replacing them with junkballer Paul Byrd and journeyman Jason Johnson) and traded up-and-coming outfielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox for hot prospect third baseman Andy Marte, who is ticketed to spend much of the season at Triple-A. That's because of the presence of .243-hitting veteran Aaron Boone, to whom the Indians are committed for one more year at $3.75 million. Still, the Indians are loaded with enough young talent - catcher Victor Martinez (.305 average), first baseman/DH Travis Hafner (33 HRs, 108 RBI), second baseman Ronnie Belliard (78 RBI), shortstop Jhonny Peralta (24 HRs), center fielder Grady Sizemore (22 HRs), 18-game winner Cliff Lee and 15-game winners C.C. Sabathia and Jake Westbrook - to be a significant presence in the Central, although, creaky 37-year-old Bob Wickman is a concern at closer.
Prior to last year, the Twins had managed to win three straight Central Division titles despite a limited budget, a tribute to the resourcefulness of GM Terry Ryan. But the financial pinch under which the Twins always have to operate appears to be catching up to them. Last year, they could not recover from Torii Hunter's broken ankle, which limited the franchise center fielder to 98 games, or the subpar (9-12) season from No. 2 starter Brad Radke, or the lack of production at third base. Ryan has sought to remedy the latter with the signing of veteran Tony Batista, who hit 27 homers in Japan last year, and it is hoped that Hunter, who has a $12 million option for 2007, will put together the kind of career season to warrant picking up that option.
Otherwise, the Twins need too many big things to happen - a breakthough by highly touted starter Francisco Liriano, a vintage top-of-the-order catalyst season from fading Luis Castillo (obtained in a trade with Florida) and a significant year from first baseman Justin Morneau - to have any chance of competing with the White Sox.
One team in the Central that almost certainly will be better is the Tigers, under new manager Jim Leyland. Leyland, a 61-year-old taskmaster who knows how to win, is precisely what the young Tigers need. He'll have the benefit of veteran Kenny Rogers providing some stability to a rotation headed by 23-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, and dependable, if unspectacular, Todd Jones (40 saves with Florida) filling a major void at closer. At the bottom of the division, the Royals, who tried to make do with a cast of mostly Double-A caliber kids last year, can't help but improve on 106 losses, although it remains to be seen if it will be acceptable enough to save GM Allard Baird's job.
PREDICTED FINISH
White Sox 102-60
Indians 90-72
Twins 88-74
Tigers 80-82
Royals 66-96
[SIZE=+1]Jesse Spector's Capsule Preview[/SIZE]
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
LAST YEAR: 99-63, first place, won World Series
GOING, GOING, GONE: Jon Adkins (Padres), Geoff Blum, Joe Borchard (Mariners), Jamie Burke (Rangers), Raul Casanova (Athletics), Carl Everett (Mariners), Dan Haigwood (Phillies), Willie Harris (Red Sox), Orlando Hernandez (D-Backs), Damaso Marte (Pirates), Timo Perez (Reds), Aaron Rowand (Phillies), Frank Thomas (Athletics), Luis Vizcaino (D-Backs), Chris Young (Diamondbacks).
FRESH BLOOD: Rob Mackowiak, Jim Thome, Matt Thornton, Javier Vazquez.
THE BATS: "The White Sox brought back (Paul) Konerko," one GM said. "Everything else is gravy." If Thome can bounce back from injuries, they'll be savoring the gravy on the South Side. It's a textbook lineup with a speedster on top, power in the middle and guys at the bottom who are capable of coming up with big hits. Throw in Mackowiak, who doesn't have a regular spot, but should see plenty of action, and the White Sox have a lineup that's very tough to get through.
THE ARMS: Jon Garland won 18 games, finished sixth in the Cy Young voting and enters the season as Chicago's No. 5 starter. Jose Contreras, who was untouchable down the stretch, is No. 4. That's because of Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Vazquez. The rotation allows Ozzie Guillen to manage his bullpen more effectively.
UP-AND-COMER: Brandon McCarthy, 22, was 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA in his first major league stint. "Somebody will have to get hurt for him to go out there a lot," said one GM, but the Sox didn't part with McCarthy in the offseason.
HERE'S THE PITCH: As the defending champions, nothing short of another World Series will do. Making only a few changes from last year to this year, the White Sox clearly feel they're in position to return to the playoffs and succeed once they get there.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
LAST YEAR: 93-69, second place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Josh Bard (Red Sox), Coco Crisp (Red Sox), Juan Gonzalez, Bob Howry (Cubs), Scott Elarton (Royals), Jose Hernandez (Pirates), Kevin Millwood (Rangers), David Riske (Red Sox), Arthur Rhodes (Phillies).
FRESH BLOOD: Paul Byrd, Einar Diaz, Danny Graves, Todd Hollandsworth, Jason Johnson, Steve Karsay, Andy Marte, Lou Merloni, Jason Michaels, Guillermo Mota, Eduardo Perez, Kelly Shoppach.
THE BATS: Grady Sizemore is on the verge of stardom, and with Michaels and Casey Blake also in the outfield, GM Mark Shapiro felt comfortable trading Crisp. "It was opportunistic with similar skill guys in Crisp and Sizemore," Shapiro said. "In the long term, it set us up down the road with the Michaels move and other pieces of the Coco trade," including third baseman Andy Marte. Shapiro called Travis Hafner "as dominant as any guy in the entire League." With Hafner sandwiched between Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez in the middle of the order, Cleveland has a very dangerous lineup.
THE ARMS: "I think we addressed the needs in our rotation," Shapiro said. That point is debatable - it's hard to say that Byrd will be a suitable replacement for Millwood, but Johnson has been a staff leader in the past and could be an upgrade over Elarton. The Indians will count on Fernando Cabrera to replace Arthur Rhodes in the setup role. Bob Wickman returns for another year as closer. At 37 and never known for his athleticism, there is cause for concern.
UP-AND-COMER: First baseman Ryan Garko played four years at Stanford, so after two-and-a-half seasons in the minors, he's 25. Garko hit .303 with 19 homers at Triple-A.
HERE'S THE PITCH: The Indians were right in the mix for the playoffs until the end. As Shapiro said, "The next step would be getting in.
MINNESOTA TWINS
LAST YEAR: 83-79, third place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Brent Abernathy (Brewers), Grant Balfour (Reds), Travis Bowyer (Marlins), Jacque Jones (Cubs), Joe Mays (Royals), Terry Mulholland (Diamondbacks), J.C. Romero (Angels), Scott Tyler (Marlins).
FRESH BLOOD: Tony Batista, Luis Castillo, Ryan Glynn, Darrell May, Pete Munco, Tim Raines, Dennys Reyes, Ruben Sierra, Gabe White, Rondell White, Shawn Wooten.
THE BATS: The Twins' 688 runs scored last year were the fewest in the American League, which is hard to believe with the talent Minnesota had, and still has, in its lineup. Justin Morneau needs to make a bigger contribution this season, and one GM said, "I think he had a lot of reasons for the poor year he had last year. He's a lot better than that, he's going to be healthy from the start this year. The talent's there." Meanwhile, Batista returns from Japan - "He usually drives in runs, so I'm anxious to see him here," said GM Terry Ryan.
THE ARMS: Johan Santana is a Cy Young candidate and the Twins know what they'll get from Brad Radke, Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse, while Ryan is happy to fill the fifth spot with a pitcher from the farm system, most likely Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker. "It's a good situation to be able to bring a guy into the majors to pitch in that fifth spot," he said. "They have an idea what they're getting themselves into." In the bullpen, Joe Nathan continues to silence doubters.
UP-AND-COMER: Jason Kubel hit .300 in 23 games with the Twins in 2004, then blew out his knee. "He's a good-looking player when he's right," Ryan said. The Twins will hope he looks right in their outfield this season.
HERE'S THE PITCH: White in the cleanup spot is not a good sign. Nobody's saying the Twins need to hit a lot of homers to win, but from top to bottom, their lineup doesn't match up with Cleveland's or Chicago's. Even with Santana, it will be tough to get back to the top of the division.
DETROIT TIGERS
LAST YEAR: 71-91, fourth place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Chris Booker (Phillies), Vic Darensbourg (Orioles), Bob Higginson, Jason Johnson (Indians), John McDonald (Blue Jays), Matt Roney (Athletics), Fernando Vina (Mariners), Rondell White (Twins).
FRESH BLOOD: Todd Jones, Matt Mantei, Kenny Rogers, Ramon Santiago, Bobby Seay.
THE BATS: The Tigers had higher hopes for last season, but the injury bug bit hard. "Having Magglio Ordonez in our lineup, he had the sports hernia last year, Carlos Guillen healthy like he was in 2004 with his knee, Dmitri Young being back, I think those three are all important injury bounce backs to keep in the lineup and healthy," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "That will really make a big difference." It will have to - only the Royals, Mariners and Twins scored fewer runs than the Tigers last year.
THE ARMS: Jeremy Bonderman might have the talent to be a staff ace now, but the Tigers don't want to throw that much pressure his way yet, which was one of the reasons for signing Rogers. "Signing Kenny, we think is important for a guy to be a leader for our starters, to be in a position to go out there and win ballgames," Dombrowski said. Jones returns as the closer - since the Tigers traded him in 2001, Jones has pitched for six teams, finally regaining his form with the Marlins last season.
UP-AND-COMER: Curtis Granderson had eight homers in 162 at-bats for Detroit as a 24-year-old last year, and now is ready to be the everyday center fielder. "He's a pretty good player," one GM said. "He might have a chance to make a name for himself." Especially if he gets more of a chance to showcase his speed.
HERE'S THE PITCH: After five straight seasons with at least 90 losses, the expectations have to be modest. "We're looking to improve," Dombrowski said. It's a legitimate goal for Detroit.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
LAST YEAR: 56-106, last place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Brian Anderson (Rangers), Jonah Bayliss (Pirates), Shawn Camp (Devil Rays), Jaime Cerda (Rockies), Seth Etherton (Padres), Nate Field (Rockies), Denny Hocking, Jose Lima (Mets), Terrence Long, Scott Sullivan.
FRESH BLOOD: Paul Bako, Elmer Dessens, Scott Elarton, Esteban German, Mark Grudzielanek, Bobby Madritsch, Joe Mays, Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Redman, Joel Peralta, Reggie Sanders.
THE BATS: The Royals hit 126 homers, 11 fewer than the combined total of Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams. The lineup has a few more recognizable names this year - or, at least, longer names with Grudzielanek in town. Sanders comes to the AL for the first time after playing for seven different National League teams in the last eight years. Getting a new uniform, though, that's just Reggie being Reggie. But so is hitting 20 homers, which Sanders has done each of the last five years. His 21 last season were a little more than half of Albert Pujols' total in St. Louis, but would have tied Mike Sweeney for the team lead in K.C.
THE ARMS: Runelvys Hernandez pitched a career-high 159.2 innings, and while he can be excellent when he's on, he hasn't been on his game or on the mound nearly often enough over the past three years. Elarton's 11 wins were his first time in double figures since 2000. Zack Greinke left spring training under mysterious circumstances. Redman is coming off a 5-15 season.
UP-AND-COMER: Between Double-A and Triple-A, Justin Huber hit 23 homers with 97 RBI last season, but had no homers and six RBI in 78 major league at-bats. The 23-year-old Aussie catcher/first baseman deserves a longer look. What do the Royals have to lose but more games? HERE'S THE PITCH: Losing 100-plus games for the fourth time in five years is far from out of the picture. The offseason moves didn't make sense - the staff and lineup remain weak.
Originally published on March 30, 2006
[SIZE=-1]Paul Konerko hopes the White Sox are still the one this season. [/SIZE]
After a 99 wins and a division title, capped off with the their first World championship in 88 years, it would have been easy for the White Sox to rest on their laurels, keep the payroll in check and trust in their superior talent to take them on another postseason ride. But GM Kenny Williams didn't see it that way.
"We are not standing pat," he said. "We will be aggressive in adding to what to what we've got because we understand to truly become No. 1 in this town we have to win it again."
Say this for Williams: He was a man of his word. There was no more active team this winter than the defending champs, who after re-signing franchise first baseman and team captain Paul Konerko to a five-year, $60 million contract, acquired Jim Thome to back him up and assume the DH duties, and traded for righthanded starter Javier Vazquez, handyman Rob Mackowiak and infielder Alex Cintron, all of whom represent significant upgrades at their respective positions. The White Sox's five-strong starting rotation - Mark Buerhle, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia and Vazquez - is potentially the deepest of any rotation in baseball. At the same time, the lineup of Konerko, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, shortstop Juan Uribe, third baseman Joe Crede, catcher A.J. Pierzynski, DH Thome and outfielders Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik and rookie Brian Anderson is solid.
If there are any questions about the White Sox, they are in the bullpen, where closer Bobby Jenks is still inexperienced and backup Dustin Hermanson continues to be plagued by chronic back problems.
If you didn't know better, you'd have thought Williams lost the division by six games last year, especially when compared to the curious offseason moves of runner-up Cleveland. The Indians failed to re-sign starting pitchers Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton (replacing them with junkballer Paul Byrd and journeyman Jason Johnson) and traded up-and-coming outfielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox for hot prospect third baseman Andy Marte, who is ticketed to spend much of the season at Triple-A. That's because of the presence of .243-hitting veteran Aaron Boone, to whom the Indians are committed for one more year at $3.75 million. Still, the Indians are loaded with enough young talent - catcher Victor Martinez (.305 average), first baseman/DH Travis Hafner (33 HRs, 108 RBI), second baseman Ronnie Belliard (78 RBI), shortstop Jhonny Peralta (24 HRs), center fielder Grady Sizemore (22 HRs), 18-game winner Cliff Lee and 15-game winners C.C. Sabathia and Jake Westbrook - to be a significant presence in the Central, although, creaky 37-year-old Bob Wickman is a concern at closer.
Prior to last year, the Twins had managed to win three straight Central Division titles despite a limited budget, a tribute to the resourcefulness of GM Terry Ryan. But the financial pinch under which the Twins always have to operate appears to be catching up to them. Last year, they could not recover from Torii Hunter's broken ankle, which limited the franchise center fielder to 98 games, or the subpar (9-12) season from No. 2 starter Brad Radke, or the lack of production at third base. Ryan has sought to remedy the latter with the signing of veteran Tony Batista, who hit 27 homers in Japan last year, and it is hoped that Hunter, who has a $12 million option for 2007, will put together the kind of career season to warrant picking up that option.
Otherwise, the Twins need too many big things to happen - a breakthough by highly touted starter Francisco Liriano, a vintage top-of-the-order catalyst season from fading Luis Castillo (obtained in a trade with Florida) and a significant year from first baseman Justin Morneau - to have any chance of competing with the White Sox.
One team in the Central that almost certainly will be better is the Tigers, under new manager Jim Leyland. Leyland, a 61-year-old taskmaster who knows how to win, is precisely what the young Tigers need. He'll have the benefit of veteran Kenny Rogers providing some stability to a rotation headed by 23-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, and dependable, if unspectacular, Todd Jones (40 saves with Florida) filling a major void at closer. At the bottom of the division, the Royals, who tried to make do with a cast of mostly Double-A caliber kids last year, can't help but improve on 106 losses, although it remains to be seen if it will be acceptable enough to save GM Allard Baird's job.
PREDICTED FINISH
White Sox 102-60
Indians 90-72
Twins 88-74
Tigers 80-82
Royals 66-96
[SIZE=+1]Jesse Spector's Capsule Preview[/SIZE]
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
LAST YEAR: 99-63, first place, won World Series
GOING, GOING, GONE: Jon Adkins (Padres), Geoff Blum, Joe Borchard (Mariners), Jamie Burke (Rangers), Raul Casanova (Athletics), Carl Everett (Mariners), Dan Haigwood (Phillies), Willie Harris (Red Sox), Orlando Hernandez (D-Backs), Damaso Marte (Pirates), Timo Perez (Reds), Aaron Rowand (Phillies), Frank Thomas (Athletics), Luis Vizcaino (D-Backs), Chris Young (Diamondbacks).
FRESH BLOOD: Rob Mackowiak, Jim Thome, Matt Thornton, Javier Vazquez.
THE BATS: "The White Sox brought back (Paul) Konerko," one GM said. "Everything else is gravy." If Thome can bounce back from injuries, they'll be savoring the gravy on the South Side. It's a textbook lineup with a speedster on top, power in the middle and guys at the bottom who are capable of coming up with big hits. Throw in Mackowiak, who doesn't have a regular spot, but should see plenty of action, and the White Sox have a lineup that's very tough to get through.
THE ARMS: Jon Garland won 18 games, finished sixth in the Cy Young voting and enters the season as Chicago's No. 5 starter. Jose Contreras, who was untouchable down the stretch, is No. 4. That's because of Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Vazquez. The rotation allows Ozzie Guillen to manage his bullpen more effectively.
UP-AND-COMER: Brandon McCarthy, 22, was 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA in his first major league stint. "Somebody will have to get hurt for him to go out there a lot," said one GM, but the Sox didn't part with McCarthy in the offseason.
HERE'S THE PITCH: As the defending champions, nothing short of another World Series will do. Making only a few changes from last year to this year, the White Sox clearly feel they're in position to return to the playoffs and succeed once they get there.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
LAST YEAR: 93-69, second place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Josh Bard (Red Sox), Coco Crisp (Red Sox), Juan Gonzalez, Bob Howry (Cubs), Scott Elarton (Royals), Jose Hernandez (Pirates), Kevin Millwood (Rangers), David Riske (Red Sox), Arthur Rhodes (Phillies).
FRESH BLOOD: Paul Byrd, Einar Diaz, Danny Graves, Todd Hollandsworth, Jason Johnson, Steve Karsay, Andy Marte, Lou Merloni, Jason Michaels, Guillermo Mota, Eduardo Perez, Kelly Shoppach.
THE BATS: Grady Sizemore is on the verge of stardom, and with Michaels and Casey Blake also in the outfield, GM Mark Shapiro felt comfortable trading Crisp. "It was opportunistic with similar skill guys in Crisp and Sizemore," Shapiro said. "In the long term, it set us up down the road with the Michaels move and other pieces of the Coco trade," including third baseman Andy Marte. Shapiro called Travis Hafner "as dominant as any guy in the entire League." With Hafner sandwiched between Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez in the middle of the order, Cleveland has a very dangerous lineup.
THE ARMS: "I think we addressed the needs in our rotation," Shapiro said. That point is debatable - it's hard to say that Byrd will be a suitable replacement for Millwood, but Johnson has been a staff leader in the past and could be an upgrade over Elarton. The Indians will count on Fernando Cabrera to replace Arthur Rhodes in the setup role. Bob Wickman returns for another year as closer. At 37 and never known for his athleticism, there is cause for concern.
UP-AND-COMER: First baseman Ryan Garko played four years at Stanford, so after two-and-a-half seasons in the minors, he's 25. Garko hit .303 with 19 homers at Triple-A.
HERE'S THE PITCH: The Indians were right in the mix for the playoffs until the end. As Shapiro said, "The next step would be getting in.
MINNESOTA TWINS
LAST YEAR: 83-79, third place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Brent Abernathy (Brewers), Grant Balfour (Reds), Travis Bowyer (Marlins), Jacque Jones (Cubs), Joe Mays (Royals), Terry Mulholland (Diamondbacks), J.C. Romero (Angels), Scott Tyler (Marlins).
FRESH BLOOD: Tony Batista, Luis Castillo, Ryan Glynn, Darrell May, Pete Munco, Tim Raines, Dennys Reyes, Ruben Sierra, Gabe White, Rondell White, Shawn Wooten.
THE BATS: The Twins' 688 runs scored last year were the fewest in the American League, which is hard to believe with the talent Minnesota had, and still has, in its lineup. Justin Morneau needs to make a bigger contribution this season, and one GM said, "I think he had a lot of reasons for the poor year he had last year. He's a lot better than that, he's going to be healthy from the start this year. The talent's there." Meanwhile, Batista returns from Japan - "He usually drives in runs, so I'm anxious to see him here," said GM Terry Ryan.
THE ARMS: Johan Santana is a Cy Young candidate and the Twins know what they'll get from Brad Radke, Carlos Silva and Kyle Lohse, while Ryan is happy to fill the fifth spot with a pitcher from the farm system, most likely Francisco Liriano or Scott Baker. "It's a good situation to be able to bring a guy into the majors to pitch in that fifth spot," he said. "They have an idea what they're getting themselves into." In the bullpen, Joe Nathan continues to silence doubters.
UP-AND-COMER: Jason Kubel hit .300 in 23 games with the Twins in 2004, then blew out his knee. "He's a good-looking player when he's right," Ryan said. The Twins will hope he looks right in their outfield this season.
HERE'S THE PITCH: White in the cleanup spot is not a good sign. Nobody's saying the Twins need to hit a lot of homers to win, but from top to bottom, their lineup doesn't match up with Cleveland's or Chicago's. Even with Santana, it will be tough to get back to the top of the division.
DETROIT TIGERS
LAST YEAR: 71-91, fourth place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Chris Booker (Phillies), Vic Darensbourg (Orioles), Bob Higginson, Jason Johnson (Indians), John McDonald (Blue Jays), Matt Roney (Athletics), Fernando Vina (Mariners), Rondell White (Twins).
FRESH BLOOD: Todd Jones, Matt Mantei, Kenny Rogers, Ramon Santiago, Bobby Seay.
THE BATS: The Tigers had higher hopes for last season, but the injury bug bit hard. "Having Magglio Ordonez in our lineup, he had the sports hernia last year, Carlos Guillen healthy like he was in 2004 with his knee, Dmitri Young being back, I think those three are all important injury bounce backs to keep in the lineup and healthy," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "That will really make a big difference." It will have to - only the Royals, Mariners and Twins scored fewer runs than the Tigers last year.
THE ARMS: Jeremy Bonderman might have the talent to be a staff ace now, but the Tigers don't want to throw that much pressure his way yet, which was one of the reasons for signing Rogers. "Signing Kenny, we think is important for a guy to be a leader for our starters, to be in a position to go out there and win ballgames," Dombrowski said. Jones returns as the closer - since the Tigers traded him in 2001, Jones has pitched for six teams, finally regaining his form with the Marlins last season.
UP-AND-COMER: Curtis Granderson had eight homers in 162 at-bats for Detroit as a 24-year-old last year, and now is ready to be the everyday center fielder. "He's a pretty good player," one GM said. "He might have a chance to make a name for himself." Especially if he gets more of a chance to showcase his speed.
HERE'S THE PITCH: After five straight seasons with at least 90 losses, the expectations have to be modest. "We're looking to improve," Dombrowski said. It's a legitimate goal for Detroit.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
LAST YEAR: 56-106, last place
GOING, GOING, GONE: Brian Anderson (Rangers), Jonah Bayliss (Pirates), Shawn Camp (Devil Rays), Jaime Cerda (Rockies), Seth Etherton (Padres), Nate Field (Rockies), Denny Hocking, Jose Lima (Mets), Terrence Long, Scott Sullivan.
FRESH BLOOD: Paul Bako, Elmer Dessens, Scott Elarton, Esteban German, Mark Grudzielanek, Bobby Madritsch, Joe Mays, Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Redman, Joel Peralta, Reggie Sanders.
THE BATS: The Royals hit 126 homers, 11 fewer than the combined total of Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams. The lineup has a few more recognizable names this year - or, at least, longer names with Grudzielanek in town. Sanders comes to the AL for the first time after playing for seven different National League teams in the last eight years. Getting a new uniform, though, that's just Reggie being Reggie. But so is hitting 20 homers, which Sanders has done each of the last five years. His 21 last season were a little more than half of Albert Pujols' total in St. Louis, but would have tied Mike Sweeney for the team lead in K.C.
THE ARMS: Runelvys Hernandez pitched a career-high 159.2 innings, and while he can be excellent when he's on, he hasn't been on his game or on the mound nearly often enough over the past three years. Elarton's 11 wins were his first time in double figures since 2000. Zack Greinke left spring training under mysterious circumstances. Redman is coming off a 5-15 season.
UP-AND-COMER: Between Double-A and Triple-A, Justin Huber hit 23 homers with 97 RBI last season, but had no homers and six RBI in 78 major league at-bats. The 23-year-old Aussie catcher/first baseman deserves a longer look. What do the Royals have to lose but more games? HERE'S THE PITCH: Losing 100-plus games for the fourth time in five years is far from out of the picture. The offseason moves didn't make sense - the staff and lineup remain weak.
Originally published on March 30, 2006
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