AL CENTRAL

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Cleveland hopes this isn't how Fausto looks at the end of 2008.

1. CLEVELAND INDIANS:

JUST THE FACTS:

• Pronk's got the power.The Tribe won 96 games even though Travis Hafner, their best offensive player, struggled (.266 BA, 24 HRs). Insiders blame contract negotiations. But now Pronk is locked into a multiyear deal and ready to mash.
• Rafael Pérez's stuff is filthy.So nasty, in fact, that coach and former catcher Joel Skinner says even the reliever's fastball breaks six inches.
• They're tough against the run. Opposing basestealers succeeded on 82% of attempts in '06, but just 68% last season. Credit Víctor Martínez for improving his throwing mechanics.

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HEARSAY:
"I'd worry about Joe Borowski as closer, but they have a lot of choices if he fails," says an AL advance scout. "Other than Martínez and Grady Sizemore, you can say that about every part of their team. They don't rely too much on one guy."

HOUSE CALL:
"Naming rights are one of the biggest frauds on the fans, because for the most part the public is paying for these stadiums. Progressive Field [formerly Jacobs Field] ought to be called Taxpayers Stadium."
-Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)

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Curtis will be all over the bases this year in the new Tigers lineup.

2. DETROIT TIGERS:

JUST THE FACTS:

• Dontrelle needs to be money.Jeremy Bonderman has had trouble developing a third pitch, and Kenny Rogers just gets older. The Tigers traded much of their young pitching depth this winter, so they're praying that Willis makes a smooth transition to the AL.
• Fear for the bullpen.Joel Zumaya could be out until midsummer, and Fernando Rodney has been dogged by shoulder tendinitis for a year. At 39, Todd Jones might fall off the cliff. No doubt the Tigers will score a lot of runs, but can they hold leads?
• Édgar Rentería is unarmed.Scouts say Rentería's weak arm makes him a liability at short. He's tried playing shallow to compensate, but that just allows more balls to zip on by.

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HEARSAY:
"This is the best lineup I've seen since the Yankees' teams of the late '90s," says an opposing catcher. "Any pitcher who faces them better be on top of his game, or else he's going to have a lot of trouble in a hurry."

HOUSE CALL:
"I was joking with GM Dave Dombrowski at an event that he was silly to sign a guy named Pudge and an older pitcher named Rogers. I'm 44 years old, and if he had signed me, I could have given him both those things for a fraction of the price."
-Mike Rogers (R-Mich.)

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This posed photo of Nick Swisher may represent real danger for the rest of the AL Central.

3. CHICAGO WHITE SOX:

JUST THE FACTS:

• The Cabrera deal was shortsighted. GM Kenny Williams sacrificed pitching depth in swapping Jon Garland for Orlando Cabrera, but it was necessary. "Cabrera is tons better defensively than what they've had at short," says one scout. "Plus, he could become the vocal leader they've needed."
• The pen is supposed to be mightier. The Sox spent $30 million on Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel in the hopes of lowering a 5.47 bullpen ERA.
• Nick Swisher gets left out. He'd be better suited playing first base, but the Sox haven't found a suitor for the available Paul Konerko. Meanwhile, Swisher won't help the outfield D.
• The South Side Hit Men live again. The Sox boast five regulars capable of hitting 30 dingers, augmented by the homer-haven known as The Cell.

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HEARSAY:
"Ozzie [Guillén] keeps saying he's going to be tougher and send a message," says an AL scout. "It's like verbal testosterone. It's entertaining, but I don't know if it will make a difference."

HOUSE CALL:
"If Ozzie were a congressman, even the sergeant at arms would stay out of his way. He lets people know what's on his mind, and he's fiercely competitive. He has that Chicago spirit."
-Danny Davis (D-Ill.)

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Zach Greinke and LL Cool J are both not fond of calling it a comeback.

4. KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

JUST THE FACTS:

• The bats are heating up. The Royals ranked 27th in runs scored last year, but Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are ready to roll. Free agent signee José Guillén (23 HRs in '07) will help too.
• They have a numbers guy. But he's not in the front office. Before each start, Brian Bannister studies stats to look for hitters' tendencies, such as their aggressiveness on the first pitch.
• Call it a comeback. Social anxiety cost Zack Greinke most of '06. He reentered the rotation in '07 and had a 2.42 ERA in the second half, with a fastball that reached the high 90s.
• Trey Hillman is a breath of fresh air. The former Nippon Ham Fighters manager, who took that club to two straight Japan Series, is infusing a team-first attitude in the Royals.

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HEARSAY:
"Every report on the Royals I get from my scouts this spring is filled with lines about how Billy Butler is turning into a beast," says an AL GM. "He's hitting everything."

HOUSE CALL:
"The powder blue uniforms are back, and people are excited. Plus, we've got a new manager. Anything can happen—at least when it's spring."
-Sam Graves (R-Mo.)

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Well, if you win once every five days, that's not horrible, right?

5. MINNESOTA TWINS:

JUST THE FACTS:

• Maybe Bert Blyleven can still throw. In the past 17 months, the Twins have lost Johan Santana, Matt Garza, Brad Radke and Carlos Silva via trades, retirement and free agency.
• Carlos Gómez has more tools than Home Depot. The 22-year-old former Mets speedster could justify the Santana deal. But first, scouts say he must learn to repeat his swing.
• Delmon Young is restless. To become an elite hitter, he needs to improve his plate discipline (26 BBs in 681 PAs). Young has impressed the Twins so far by accepting instruction.
• There's a big drop-off. Minnesota has stars at catcher and first base, and the outfield looks promising, but the rest of the regulars are placeholders.

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HEARSAY:
"With Francisco Liriano coming back and the Tigers having pitching problems, they would have had a real shot to contend—if they had kept Santana and Garza," says an AL GM.

HOUSE CALL:
"You don't know how happy I am not to talk about the Iraq war. One of my staffers was at spring training in Florida and called to say, 'Francisco Liriano looks healthy, like he was in 2006.' I've always liked that eternal optimism of spring, especially in Minnesota."
-Tim Walz (D-Minn.)

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