AL Central preview: Twins look to bash competition again

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL(in predicted order of finish)MINNESOTA TWINS2020 outlook: The Twins will try to win back-to-back division titles for the first time in a decade when their shortened season begins Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Minnesota is coming off a 101-win regular season in 2019, its highest victory total since 1965, but the Twins’ World Series dream fizzled in the playoffs as they were swept by the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. Manager Rocco Baldelli will try to recapture the magic in his second season with the slugging Twins, who set a major league record with 307 homers a year ago.New faces: Minnesota doubled down on its long-ball strategy by signing veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson to a four-year, $92 million deal in January. Donaldson clubbed 37 homers with the Atlanta Braves last season, and he joins five other Twins players who hit 30-plus home runs in 2019: Nelson Cruz (41), Max Kepler (36), Miguel Sano (34), Eddie Rosario (32) and Mitch Garver (31). On the pitching side, Minnesota brought in Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill and Homer Bailey to round out its rotation.Key subtractions: Starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez left via free agency, as did reliever Sam Dyson. The biggest subtractions came on the right side of the infield, with first baseman C.J. Cron and second baseman Jonathan Schoop both departed as free agents. The Twins will slide Sano to first base and plug in Luis Arraez at second base to fill those voids, with Donaldson taking over Sano’s former spot at the hot corner.FLM predicts: The Twins have the talent and the muscle to win another division crown in 2020. But nothing is guaranteed, particularly with a rotation that could thin out in a hurry if Jose Berrios or Jake Odorizzi miss any significant time. The Yankees squashed the Twins’ title hopes last year and could do so again this time around.CLEVELAND INDIANSNew faces: Domingo Santana carries a big stick, and the Indians figure to give him an everyday spot in the lineup to do the most damage possible in a 60-game campaign. Santana hit 21 homers in 121 games last season with the Seattle Mariners, and he is three years removed from a 30-homer performance with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 27-year-old from Dominican Republic likely will spend the bulk of the season at designated hitter, but he has plenty of career experience in the outfield with 330 games in right field, 80 games in left and 27 games in center.FLM predicts: The Indians pose the biggest threat to the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central crown. Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Oscar Mercado and others comprise a lineup that can score runs on any given night. Some questions linger about the rotation without Kluber, but Mike Clevinger has shown ace potential in the past.CHICAGO WHITE SOXNew faces: Robert, a 22-year-old Cuban outfielder, turned heads during spring training (and later during summer camp). He ripped 32 homers in 122 games in the minor leagues last season, and he could make an instant difference when he joins Chicago’s starting lineup. The White Sox also brought in some savvy veterans, including hurlers Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez, both of whom could feature prominently in the rotation. They could serve as a mentors to Giolito and others. Another important addition is catcher Yasmani Grandal, who has pop at the plate and is known for his expert handling of pitching staffs.Key subtractions: The White Sox decided not to bring back versatile infielder and clubhouse favorite Yolmer Sanchez this season. Chicago also lost right-hander Ivan Nova and catcher Welington Castillo, but none of the departures leaves a huge hole in Chicago’s pitching or hitting ranks. Starting pitcher Hector Santiago and outfielder Jon Jay also will not be back.FLM predicts: In a 60-game season, the White Sox likely have a better chance to make a run at the playoffs than they would over the marathon of a 162-game campaign. Renteria has a good handle on the team, and if Robert blossoms into the superstar that he could be, Chicago could nip at the heels of Minnesota and Cleveland in the division.DETROIT TIGERS2020 outlook: The Tigers have nowhere to go but up after finishing the 2019 season with the worst record in baseball at 47-114. The ugly performance gave Detroit the No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s draft, and the team upgraded its hitting depth by selecting slugger Spencer Torkelson out of Arizona State. It probably will be at least a couple seasons before Torkelson arrives, so the Tigers will have to regroup with much of the big league roster that struggled so badly last year. One candidate for a bounce-back season is third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who hit 19 homers during his first full season in 2018 but regressed last season with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 94 games.New faces: Detroit upgraded its infield by adding a pair of former Twins, first baseman C.J. Cron and second baseman Jonathan Schoop. Catcher Austin Romine also is a new arrival after hitting 18 homers over the past two seasons in part-time duty with the New York Yankees. Romine should start behind the plate with Grayson Greiner backing him up.Key subtractions: Southpaw relievers Blaine Hardy and Daniel Stumpf both were not brought back, so the Tigers must find a way to replace their combined 87 appearances from a year ago. Another player who left Detroit was catcher/first baseman John Hicks, who had 13 homers and 35 RBIs in 319 at-bats in 2019.FLM predicts: It will be another rough season in Detroit, but there is reason for optimism with young pitchers such as Casey Mize and Matt Manning approaching their debuts. The Tigers will try to take the first step forward by avoiding a last-place finish in the division.KANSAS CITY ROYALS2020 outlook: It was only five years ago when the Royals won the World Series after locking up back-to-back American League championships. But that seems like a distant memory now, especially as the Royals look to regroup from a 59-103 season that marked the final year at the helm for Ned Yost. Kansas City looked across the state for Yost’s replacement, hiring former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny to try to lead the club back to relevance. Matheny told reporters he wants to place a greater emphasis on analytics in his second skipper gig after largely managing on gut instinct during his tenure with the Cardinals.New faces: The Royals brought in third baseman Maikel Franco, who never quite fulfilled his potential as a young player with the Philadelphia Phillies. At age 27, Franco still has time to establish himself as an upper-tier player in the majors. He hit .234 with 17 homers and 56 RBIs in 123 games last season, giving him 102 career homers in 656 games. His bat could figure prominently into the Royals’ lineup alongside those of Jorge Soler, Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield and other established veterans.Key subtractions: There were no eye-popping subtractions for Kansas City during the offseason, but some familiar faces such as Cheslor Cuthbert and Jorge Bonifacio will not be back. Cuthbert spent parts of five seasons with the Royals, and he hit .246 with nine homers and 40 RBIs in 87 games last season.FLM predicts: Matheny had playoff-ready teams in St. Louis, but he will need to take on more of a teaching role in his first season in Kansas City. How he handles the pitching staff could determine whether the Royals stay relevant or if they end up plummeting toward the bottom of the league along with the Tigers.