American League Central (Last Year's Record) Projected Record for 2009

1.  Cleveland Indians (81-81) 90-72

Added:  Kerry Wood, Carl Pavano

Addition by Subtraction:  Joe Borowski

How this team managed to achieve a .500 record last season despite starting the season with a closer named Joe Borowski who has thrown so many games in the past few seasons he should have a "Shoeless" nickname somewhere, in addition to losing their co-ace Fausto Carmona, and their two best power hitters in Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner, all to injuries, is beyond my comprehension.  

However, Cleveland addressed their most serious need this offseason by adding newly-turned closer Kerry Wood to their roster.  Indians fans can now lower the terror warning level in the ninth inning from "Imminent Threat" to "Hey, we just might win this!"  Losing C.C. Sabathia doesn't help anything, but they still have co-aces Cliff Lee (40 wins in his last two healthy seasons) and Fausto Carmona (Healthy again and looking great in Spring training), and have added Carl Pavano to the mix as well.  Granted, adding Carl Pavno to anything doesn't necessarily mean anything good, but hey, sometimes a change of scenery (e.g. getting out of New York to pitch in a much lower-pressure stadium in Cleveland) can do a body a world of good.

Also, the Indians will also get back surgically-repaired sluggers Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner this year.  Rejoining five-tool wonderboy Grady Sizemore and Jhonny "Hilariously too fat to play shortstop" Peralta immediately transforms the top half of the Indians' lineup into something dangerous instead of something that resembles Grady Sizemore and some guy with an awful typo on his birth certificate.  Barring any further health issues, and if Masahide Kobayashi and Kerry Wood can continue on their path to being a very-above-average 8th/9th inning combination, Cleveland just may take this division back again.  Since I can't think of any more jokes to make at Jhonny Peralta's expense, let's move on...

2.  Chicago White Sox (89-74) 88-74

Added:  Bartolo Colon

Lost:  Javier Vazquez, Joe Crede

I honestly don't know what the Chicago White Sox announcers will do this season without Joe Crede, whom they insist is the greatest third baseman in the game, and possibly in the history of Major League Baseball.  Josh Fields at third, and Bartolo Colon in place of Javy Vazquez are sub-par replacements, but I suppose you can't fault them for trying.

The fact is, the White Sox still have a solid pitching staff including the likes of Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd, and a reliable closer in Bobby Jenks.  Additionally, they still have power-hitters galore in the middle of their lineup with Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin, and the emergence of Alexei Ramirez at second (or possibly short, wherever they choose to put him this season) only makes them more dangerous.  However, I'm afraid Chicago hasn't done quite enough this offseason to break the 90-win mark, which they will certainly need to do for a shot at the wild card (although this division could probably be won by an 85-win team).

Assuming great health, yeah this team could run away with this division.  However, you simply can't assume that with a 35-year-old Jermaine Dye, a 38 1/2-year old Jim Thome, and a rapidly declining 33-year-old Paul Konerko swinging those darned heavy bats over the course of a six month season.  Man, what some of these guys wouldn't do for a course of the Sosa-McGwire-Bonds-Sheffield-Giambi Juice or some vine-ripened HGH right about now.

3.  Kansas City (75-87) 77-85

Added:  Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Jacobs, Coco Crisp

Kansas City is very quietly improving in their own little world down there in the middle of the country.  With Billy Butler ready to start contributing at the Major League level, Mike Aviles starting off the season at short instead of Tony Pena (who hit only about 250 points lower than Aviles), Alex Gordon continuing to develop, and the addition of Coco Crisp (low-pressure rebound season, anyone?), the offense finally seems to resemble something almost kind of like a formidable lineup.  If Coco Crisp can return to his .300, 15 home run, 40 SB ways of his two years before three injury-riddled seasons with the Red Sox, he may just be the catalyst at the leadoff spot the Royals have sorely lacked since Johnny Damon left from there almost a decade ago.

Assuming their pitching staff holds together health-wise, young talent (Zack Grienke and Luke Hochevar), cagey veteran Gil Meche and top-3 AL closer Joakim Soria could be just enough to get the Royals out of the basement of the Central once and for... well... a while.

4. Detroit Tigers (74-88) 76-86

Added:  Brandon Lyon, Edwin Jackson, Gerald Laird

Lost:  Justin Verlander's Mojo

What is there to say about the Detroit Tigers?  It seems as though every time they do something right, something else goes horribly wrong.  Collecting young talent (or what most people had assumed was talent) turned into a rotation now comprised of Justin Verlander's corpse (By the way, I see a huge bounce back year for this guy, but MAN was he gawd-awful last season), Jeremy "Remember when everyone said I was one of the best young pitchers in the game and now I can't get my ERA lower than my jersey number?" Bonderman, Nate "Betcha I can allow more home runs than BALCO this season!" Robertson, and the previously-shed skin of the pitcher formerly known as Dontrelle Willis.  What in the world happened to these guys?  Detroit's giant stadium and endless foul territory was supposed to be a pitcher's haven, but now seems to be the place hurlers go to die.

If at least two of these guys can't make big turnarounds this season, it's going to be a very, very long summer for Tigers fans everywhere.

5.  Minnesota Twins (88-75) 72-90

Added:  Joe Crede

In previous seasons, it always seemed as though no matter who Minnesota lost to free agency or trades, they had a young gun waiting in the wings to take his place, fill the gap and keep the team on pace for playoff contention.  However, with losses over the past few seasons of future hall of famer Johan Santana and team leader Torii Hunter, in addition to incessantly waiting for the arrival of lefty phenom fireballer Francisco Liriano, I just can't see it happening again this season.  A rotation comprised of guys who should be #2-#3's on other teams such as Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Scott Baker doesn't exactly inspire great confidence, especially if Liriano isn't ever allowed to smell the air inside a major league stadium.  

Add that to a lineup comprised of former power prospect Delmon Young, who hit all of 10 home runs last year, Carlos Gomez, who started out swiping bases at a Hendersonian pace then fell off the planet at the halfway point, and we have a recipe for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of about 4 or 5 years ago.  Once these guys develop, they may be great, unfortunately Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and "Greatest Third Baseman to ever Play at any Level in the History of Baseball, Cricket or Ladies Field Hockey" Joe Crede will have moved on by then.  If the Twins can recover from the lack of firepower on the tops and bottoms of the 2009 innings, you can give "Coach of the Year" to Ron Gardenhire for the next 27 years in a row as far as I'm concerned.