AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
Lingering issues: After an offseason in which left-handed pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton were traded, general manager Rick Hahn has made it clear he is willing to deal more veterans to acquire younger players for a massive rebuilding project. Among those who could be traded during the season are left-handed pitcher Jose Quinta
na, closer David Robertson, third baseman Todd Frazier and left fielder Melky Cabrera. Veteran Peter Bourjos or prospect Jacob May will be the center fielder after rookie Charlie Tilson suffered a stress reaction in his right foot early in spring training.
X factor: The White Sox acquired three of the top prospects in baseball when they got infielder
Yoan Moncada from the Boston Red Sox as part of a four-player package for Sale and right-handers Lucas Giolito and Rey
naldo Lopez from the Washington Nationals as part of a three-pitcher package for Eaton. All three will begin the season at Class AAA Charlotte, and the team hopes they will contribute at the major league level later in the year. Manager watch: Rick Renteria was promoted from bench coach at the end of last season to replace Robin Ventura. Renteria will be asked to oversee the beginning of what likely will be a major rebuilding effort, and he figures to be around longer than his oneyear stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2014.
Cleveland Indians
Lingering issues: Second baseman Jason Kipnis probably will miss at least the first month of the season because of a strained right rotator cuff. The Indians are considering having rookie Erik Gonzalez fill in at second or shifting third baseman Jose Ramirez to second with
Giovanny Urshela playing third. While Urshela is considered an above-average defender, he struggled offensively as a rookie in 2015, then spent last season at Class AAA Columbus (Ohio). Right-handed pitcher Cody An
derson, who likely would have
served as rotation depth at Columbus, will miss the season after having Tommy John elbow surgery.
X factor: Left fielder Michael Brantley was limited to 11 games last season, and his return to health would add a power hitter to a lineup bolstered by the offseason free agent signing of first baseman Edwin Encarnacion and would stabilize an outfield that was in flux throughout 2016. In 2014, Brantley was selected to the All-Star Game and was third in the AL MVP voting. Manager watch: Terry Francona has plenty of job security after guiding the Indians to the postseason twice in his first four seasons, including last year’s run to the World Series, where they lost in seven games to the Cubs. He is signed through 2018, and the Indians hold options for 2019 and 2020.
Detroit Tigers
Lingering issues: Already undecided on their starting center fielder, the Tigers will be without right fielder J.D. Martinez for at least the first month of the season while he recovers from a sprained left foot. The most likely scenario is left-handed hitter Tyler Col
lins will platoon in center field with right-handed hitter Mikie
Mahtook, acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in an offseason trade, while journeyman Alex
Presley plays right. But powerhitting Steven Moya also could factor into the right-field picture, though he has been inconsistent in previous major league stints. X factor: Right-handed pitch
ers Jordan Zimmermann and Anibal Sanchez would bolster the Tigers’ playoff hopes with bounce-back seasons. Signed to a five-year, $110 million contract in free agency the previous winter, Zimmermann won his first five starts last season before suffering multiple injuries. Sanchez is 33 and coming off two poor seasons, but adjustments to his pitching mechanics this spring seem to have helped him get on track. Manager watch: Brad Ausmus nearly was fired late in the 2015 season, and his seat remains warm after the Tigers missed the postseason for the second consecutive year following a run of four AL Central titles in a row. He enters the final season of his contract and needs a good start this season.
Kansas City Royals
Lingering issues: Whit Mer
rifield appears to be the favorite to win the four-man competition to be the starting second baseman. Christian Colon and
Cheslor Cuthbert are out of minor league options, which means they likely will make the opening-day roster in reserve roles while Raul Mondesi begins the season at Class AAA Omaha (Papillion, Neb.). With third baseman Mike Moustakas and shortstop Alcides Escobar eligible for free agency at the end of the season, Cuthbert could be starting at third and Mondesi might be at short next year.
X factor: Left-hander Danny Duffy has the responsibility of being the No. 1 starter after signing a five-year, $65 million contract extension in the offseason. He pitched well after moving back into the rotation last season. The Royals hoped right-hander Yordano Ventura would develop into their ace, but he died in an automobile accident in his native Dominican Republic in January.
Manager watch: Last year’s 81-81 finish did nothing to change
Ned Yost’s legacy in Kansas City after he led the Royals to back-toback World Series berths in 201415, including a title against the New York Mets in 2015. There is speculation Yost, 62, will retire when his contract expires after the 2018 season.
Minnesota Twins
Lingering issues: The fifth spot in the pitching rotation will go to rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia or right-hander Tyler Duffey after the competition for the spot pretty much fizzled during spring training. Trevor May tore an elbow ligament and had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery after trying to move back to starting from relieving. Veteran Ryan Vogelsong was released, and Jose Berrios was optioned to Class AAA Rochester (N.Y.) after pitching sparingly for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
X factor: Right-handers Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson and left-hander Hector Santiago all need to pitch better behind veteran righty Ervin Santana after a season in which Twins starters were last in the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Hughes is healthy again after missing the final 31⁄ months last season be2 cause of surgery to remove a rib.
Manager watch: Owner Jim Pohlad kept Paul Molitor last season when he fired general manager Terry Ryan and replaced him with the duo of chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM
Thad Levine. The trio reportedly is working well together. Nevertheless, Molitor is a St. Paul native and very popular in the Twin Cities, but he is entering the last year of his contract.