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April 13, 2008

What we’ve learned about the AL Central so far

By Edward Thoma

Two weeks do not a season make. But they do represent about 8 percent of the season, so there are some things to be gleaned from such a sample.

Lessons from the Twins’ rivals in the AL Central:

1. Something is wrong with C.C. Sabathia.

Last year’s AL Cy Young winner has made three starts this season, pitching just 14 innings and compiling an ERA of 11.57. On Friday he gave up nine runs in four innings to Oakland.

Sabathia insists he’s healthy, and his strikeout rate is still solid (13 Ks in 14 innings). But put this string of struggles together with his inferior October last season, and one has to wonder.

Sabathia is eligible for free agency after this season, and he broke off talks with the Cleveland Indians during spring training. He figures to be the big prize in the open market this winter — but that assumes he straightens himself out.

2. The things that could go wrong for the Detroit Tigers, have gone wrong. So far.

The Tigers have the second-highest payroll in the game, behind only the Yankees. Oddly, both this year’s Tigers squad and the Yankees of recent vintage have little depth. They pay for front-line talent and skimp on the supplementary pieces.

But many of the Tigers’ stars have lengthy injury histories, are old, or both. And that doesn’t combine well with a lack of reliable reserves or Plan Bs in the minor leagues.

And so the Tigers have a rash of injuries, an unreliable bullpen and the worst record in the AL (2-10).

Detroit won’t finish the season with the worst record in the league — but the Tigers are not the powerhouse many expected this spring either.

3. The Kansas City Royals really are better.

Only Cleveland (in the division) has three obviously better starters than the Royals’ top three of Gil Meche, Brian Bannister and Zach Grienke. In Billy Butler, Alex Gordon, Mark Teahen and Jose Guillen, the Royals have a very talented, if young, middle of the order. And in Trey Hillman, they have a smart, articulate, aggressive manager.

Those things haven’t been true in Kansas City for at least two decades.

I don’t think they’re a contender yet, but stranger things have happened.

4. The Chicago White Sox remain inscrutable.

Despite Ozzie Guillen’s reputation for playing little ball, this remains a lineup heavy on ponderous sluggers and light on mobility — capable of embarrassing mediocre pitching but still vulnerable.

Chicago was last in the league in runs scored last year despite all the home runs. They needed somebody to get on base in front of the Jim Thome-Paul Konerko-Jermaine Dye-Joe Crede muscle men, and they added Nick Swisher — another slugger who does draw walks, and Orlando Cabrera, a good shortstop who hits for a decent average.

Even if that resets the offense — and the early returns are positive — the Sox still have a lot of questions in their pitching staff. Playing Swisher in center field isn’t going to help in that area.



Edward Thoma is a Free Press staff writer. He is at 344-6377 or at ethoma@ mankatofreepress.com. He also has a baseball blog.

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