Casey Greer's 2008 MLB Season Preview
AL Central
All baseball season previews have been compiled by Casey Greer.
Send Casey an e-mail here: caseymgreer@gmail.com
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
Chicago White Sox (72-90)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 67-95
Key Additions:
Orlando Cabrera, SS
Octovio Dotel, RHP
Scott Linebrink, RHP
Carlos Quentin, OF
Nick Swisher, OF
Key Losses:
Chris Carter, 1b
Darin Erstad, OF
Jon Garland, RHP
Scott Podsednik, OF
Summary: The Pale Hose made a lot of solid moves for the future this offseason. Carlos Quentin has a lot of potential, and like Nick Swisher, the Sox other big outfield acquisition, Quentin walks a lot. Plate discipline is bound to become a more expensive trait soon, but at the moment, both of these players were great value pickups. After trading for Orlando Cabrera, Juan Uribe appears to be headed across the infield to second base. Losing Jon Garland certainly will thin out the once mighty White Sox rotation, but Garland has had limited success since his breakout 2005 season. Ozzie Guillen, one of the best managers in baseball, is constantly on the chopping block. Guillen's way of dealing with the press, and his ability to get the best from his players is reminiscent of a young, though more vulgar Lou Piniella, who coaches the crosstown rivals. Guillen has threatened to run through the streets naked if the Sox win the 2008 World Series. Fortunately for Chicago residents, while the Sox have improved, Ozzie will likely remain clothed in 2008.
2008 Projection: 76-86
Cleveland Indians (91-71)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 96-66
Key Additions:
Brendan Donnelly, RHP
Masahide Kobayashi, RHP
Jorge Julio, RHP
Key Losses:
Trot Nixon, OF
Chris Gomez, INF
Summary: Cleveland signed the second-most famous Kobayashi now in America; the other one is now the second-best hotdog-eater in the world. The Indians had a very good 2007 season, despite a down year from Travis Hafner. C.C. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award, nearly by default, but had a very good season. Grady Sizemore is arguably the best leadoff hitter in baseball, better than Ichiro. That could be an argument for another time, but Grady Sizemore was a huge reason for the Indians' 2007 success. Brendan Donnelly and Jorge Julio will offer some bullpen depth, though both are currently signed to minor league deals. The Tribe had a strange year in their pen; their closer, Joe Borowski, posted a 5-plus ERA, and the Indians rode great years from Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, and Aaron Fultz to decent bullpen success. To say that Borowski earned 45 saves shows how loosely baseball uses the word "earn." Unfortunately for the 2008 Indians, the Tigers have made huge improvements.
2008 Projection: 90-72
Detroit Tigers (88-74)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 89-73
Key Additions:
Francisco Cruceta, RHP
Miguel Cabrera, 3b
Dontrelle Willis, LHP
Edgar Renteria, SS
Jacque Jones, OF
Freddy Guzman, OF
Key Losses:
Sean Casey, 1b
Chad Durbin, RHP
Omar Infante, INF
Cameron Maybin, OF
Andrew Miller, LHP
Chris Shelton, 1b
Summary: The Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade was almost forgotten in the circus that surrounded the eventual trade of Johan Santana. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they had to give up Andrew Miller in the trade, who will probably be a better pitcher than Willis as soon as 2008. However, the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera, a 25-year-old third baseman in an MLB which has very few elite third basemen, was worth it. Cabrera got fat last year, and lost a lot of lateral range at third base, but is supposedly 30 pounds lighter this season. As long as Cabrera doesn't have the drop-off that Jeff Cirillo had leaving Colorado, he's at worst an All-Star candidate at first base for the next decade. The Tigers have done a lot to improve their team, and are a World Series contender in 2008.
2008 Projection: 93-69
Kansas City Royals (69-93)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 74-88
Key Additions:
Jose Guillen, OF
Ron Mahay, LHP
Miguel Olivo, C
Brett Tomko, RHP
Yasuhiko Yabuta, RHP
Key Losses:
Emil Brown, OF
Jason Larue, C
Odalis Perez, LHP
David Riske, RHP
Mike Sweeney, 1b
Summary: For the second straight offseason, the Royals overpaid for a former Mariner. Jose Guillen signed a three-year, $36M contract, and won't produce up to his above-average output last season. Two other former Mariners, Brett Tomko and Miguel Olivo offer the Royals a few low-risk solutions at need positions. The Royals have begun to make themselves more appealing to high-dollar free agents, which could be the best thing to come out of the Guillen signing, as well as the Gil Meche acquisition last year. The Royals will remain the Royals in 2008, but in the next three or four years, if they maintain their commitment to improving, they could contend for the AL Central.
2008 Projection: 66-96
Minnesota Twins (79-83)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 80-82
Key Additions:
Adam Everett, SS
Carlos Gomez, OF
Livan Hernandez, RHP
Philip Humber, RHP
Mike Lamb, INF
Craig Monroe, OF
Delmon Young, OF
Key Losses:
Jason Bartlett, SS
Matt Garza, RHP
Torii Hunter, OF
Johan Santana, LHP
Carlos Silva, RHP
Summary: The Land of 1,000 Lakes found a few shallow spots this offseason. The best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, was traded to the Mets. Carlos Silva and Matt Garza are both gone. So, the only remaining member of the Twins rotation who started 20-plus games in 2007 is a guy who legally changed his first name to Boof. That screams promise. The Twins picked up two talented young outfielders to help replace Torii Hunter, one being the super-prospect Delmon Young, sent from Tampa Bay in part for throwing his bat at an umpire in a minor-league game, and the other Mets prospect Carlos Gomez. The Younger of two swinging Young's, Delmon, Dmitri's brother, is primed for a breakout year. Despite having only 13 home runs last season, he had 38 doubles, which is excellent considering he's only 21 years old. The Twins will struggle this year, as their pitching staff has been turned upside down, and Francisco Liriano will be in his first year removed from Tommy John Surgery, but this team has done a lot to set themselves up for the future.
2008 Projection: 68-94
*Note (per BaseballReference.com) - The Pythagorean Theorem of Baseball is a creation of Bill James which relates the number of runs a team has scored and surrendered to its actual winning percentage, based on the idea that runs scored/runs allowed is a better indicator of a team's (future) performance than a team's actual winning percentage.
Back to the 2008 MLB Season Preview Home Page.
Send Casey an e-mail here: caseymgreer@gmail.com
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
Chicago White Sox (72-90)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 67-95
Key Additions:
Key Losses:
Summary: The Pale Hose made a lot of solid moves for the future this offseason. Carlos Quentin has a lot of potential, and like Nick Swisher, the Sox other big outfield acquisition, Quentin walks a lot. Plate discipline is bound to become a more expensive trait soon, but at the moment, both of these players were great value pickups. After trading for Orlando Cabrera, Juan Uribe appears to be headed across the infield to second base. Losing Jon Garland certainly will thin out the once mighty White Sox rotation, but Garland has had limited success since his breakout 2005 season. Ozzie Guillen, one of the best managers in baseball, is constantly on the chopping block. Guillen's way of dealing with the press, and his ability to get the best from his players is reminiscent of a young, though more vulgar Lou Piniella, who coaches the crosstown rivals. Guillen has threatened to run through the streets naked if the Sox win the 2008 World Series. Fortunately for Chicago residents, while the Sox have improved, Ozzie will likely remain clothed in 2008.
2008 Projection: 76-86
Cleveland Indians (91-71)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 96-66
Key Additions:
Key Losses:
Summary: Cleveland signed the second-most famous Kobayashi now in America; the other one is now the second-best hotdog-eater in the world. The Indians had a very good 2007 season, despite a down year from Travis Hafner. C.C. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award, nearly by default, but had a very good season. Grady Sizemore is arguably the best leadoff hitter in baseball, better than Ichiro. That could be an argument for another time, but Grady Sizemore was a huge reason for the Indians' 2007 success. Brendan Donnelly and Jorge Julio will offer some bullpen depth, though both are currently signed to minor league deals. The Tribe had a strange year in their pen; their closer, Joe Borowski, posted a 5-plus ERA, and the Indians rode great years from Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, and Aaron Fultz to decent bullpen success. To say that Borowski earned 45 saves shows how loosely baseball uses the word "earn." Unfortunately for the 2008 Indians, the Tigers have made huge improvements.
2008 Projection: 90-72
Detroit Tigers (88-74)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 89-73
Key Additions:
Key Losses:
Summary: The Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade was almost forgotten in the circus that surrounded the eventual trade of Johan Santana. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they had to give up Andrew Miller in the trade, who will probably be a better pitcher than Willis as soon as 2008. However, the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera, a 25-year-old third baseman in an MLB which has very few elite third basemen, was worth it. Cabrera got fat last year, and lost a lot of lateral range at third base, but is supposedly 30 pounds lighter this season. As long as Cabrera doesn't have the drop-off that Jeff Cirillo had leaving Colorado, he's at worst an All-Star candidate at first base for the next decade. The Tigers have done a lot to improve their team, and are a World Series contender in 2008.
2008 Projection: 93-69
Kansas City Royals (69-93)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 74-88
Key Additions:
Key Losses:
Summary: For the second straight offseason, the Royals overpaid for a former Mariner. Jose Guillen signed a three-year, $36M contract, and won't produce up to his above-average output last season. Two other former Mariners, Brett Tomko and Miguel Olivo offer the Royals a few low-risk solutions at need positions. The Royals have begun to make themselves more appealing to high-dollar free agents, which could be the best thing to come out of the Guillen signing, as well as the Gil Meche acquisition last year. The Royals will remain the Royals in 2008, but in the next three or four years, if they maintain their commitment to improving, they could contend for the AL Central.
2008 Projection: 66-96
Minnesota Twins (79-83)
2007 Pythagorean* Record: 80-82
Key Additions:
Key Losses:
Summary: The Land of 1,000 Lakes found a few shallow spots this offseason. The best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, was traded to the Mets. Carlos Silva and Matt Garza are both gone. So, the only remaining member of the Twins rotation who started 20-plus games in 2007 is a guy who legally changed his first name to Boof. That screams promise. The Twins picked up two talented young outfielders to help replace Torii Hunter, one being the super-prospect Delmon Young, sent from Tampa Bay in part for throwing his bat at an umpire in a minor-league game, and the other Mets prospect Carlos Gomez. The Younger of two swinging Young's, Delmon, Dmitri's brother, is primed for a breakout year. Despite having only 13 home runs last season, he had 38 doubles, which is excellent considering he's only 21 years old. The Twins will struggle this year, as their pitching staff has been turned upside down, and Francisco Liriano will be in his first year removed from Tommy John Surgery, but this team has done a lot to set themselves up for the future.
2008 Projection: 68-94
*Note (per BaseballReference.com) - The Pythagorean Theorem of Baseball is a creation of Bill James which relates the number of runs a team has scored and surrendered to its actual winning percentage, based on the idea that runs scored/runs allowed is a better indicator of a team's (future) performance than a team's actual winning percentage.
Back to the 2008 MLB Season Preview Home Page.
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