2K8 MLB Preview: AL Central (Part 4 of 6)

(Written by White Boy)

Detroit Tigers 101-61

This team looks to be the best team in all of baseball. They made the single best trade that baseball has seen in many years. They traded talented but novice outfielder Cameron Maybin and some other people who I don’t know anything about for frontline starter D-Train “It’s Dontrelle, cuz” Willis and All Star 3B Miguel Cabrera. Although I think Cabrera has a lot of dog in him, his talents and power at the plate are unquestioned. Willis has been mired in mediocrity for the last several seasons but might feel rejuvenated pitching on a serious title contender. The Tigers lineup is absolutely scary. This lineup is better than the one Torre filled in on his scorecard prior to game 1 of the 2006 ALDS. That lineup featured rising super star Robinson Cano as the 9 hitter. Well, the Tigers lineup is even deeper this season. Miguel Cabrera, Garry Sheffield and Magglio “I should have just given Canseco the movie money” Ordonez and Carlos Guillen coalesce into the sexiest middle of the order that many of us have ever seen on a lineup card. As long as Justin Verlander does his thang and Bonderman doesn’t fuck it up, this team will be incredible.

Cleveland Indians 90-72

I hate this freaking team. No, not because they beat my Bronx Bombers in the playoffs (though that doesn’t help), but because they choked away a 3-1 series lead to the hated Red Sox. Seriously, did Carmona have to give up that grand slam to J.D. Drew? Anyway, The Tribe is a very good team. If the American league could invite a 5^th team to the post season dance, it surely would invite the Indians. They have an excellent top of the rotation and a strong middle of the lineup with Travis Hafner, Jhony “my mom and Dywane Wade’s mom apparently have the same baby names book” Peralta and slugging 1b/Catcher Victor Martinez. Maybe I’m picking them to just miss the playoffs because I can’t bear the thought of the Yanks not being in the dance during their final season in the Stadium. However, I really believe that and Borowski’s 5+ ERA will cost them meaningful games down the stretch of the season and their head to head matchups with the Tigers will take a lot out of them in the standings. If Sabathia gets traded away mid-season, this team may fall south of 80 wins by the end of the year.

Minnesota Twins= 81 wins, third place

No team that was in a pennant race last year had a more disastrous off-season than the Twinkies. They traded away the game’s best pitcher for some minor league trash from the Mets. This defies logic given that the Yanks were willing to offer them phenom Phillip Hughes and that Boston was willing to offer them future star CF Jacoby Elsebury and pitcher John Lester. They also, as expected, lost Web Gem master Torri Hunter in free agency to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of North America of Planet Earth. (Editor's note: this joke has been amazingly played out by bloggers/writers across America) The only thing the Twins have going for them as they enter the 2008 season, other than a nice young offensive tandem of 1b Justin Mourneau and Catcher Joe Mauer, is the return of the immensely talented Francisco Liriano to headline an otherwise weak rotation. They did resign potential future hall of fame closer Joe Nathan to a multi-year deal as well. Still, a weak rotation and average lineup won’t be enough in a division with two very talented teams at the top.

Chicago White Sox 78 wins

The White Sox have had quite a fall from grace following their 2005 championship season. Jose Contreras has returned to his Yankees form, Mark Buherle has never been the same pitcher after throwing an obscene amount of innings during the 2005 run and slugger Jermaine Dye had a miserable 2007 season after having an MVP caliber 2006 campaign. They did acquire Nick Swisher who has some power but who is largely overrated. Bobby Jenks is an excellent finisher but he won’t get the chance to do it enough with the wildly inconsistent Contreras and Javier “ Grand-slam’’ Vasquez filling out the 2^nd and 3^rd slots in the rotation. The lineup is good enough to win a bunch of games for them and Orlando Cabrera, whose mission on this earth is to plays well against the Yankees, was an excellent signing. I just don’t think their lineup is strong enough to carry a mediocre pitching staff.

Kansas City Royals 70 wins

They have some nice young players. Alex Gordon will hopefully rebound from his rocky 07 season and the Mets will probably wish they never let go of emerging quality starter Brian Bannister. Bannister is carving out a nice little niche as KC’s #2 starter. As much as we all love saying Dejesus or as Devo calls him De Jesus, and as fun as it is to make fun of YES for the 150,890,875 camera shots of Tony Pena when his son is batting against his father’s team, this team just sucks.