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American League Central

Chicago White Sox
1. Kenny Lofton, CF
2. Ray Durham, 2B
3. Frank Thomas, DH
4. Magglio Ordonez, RF
5. Paul Konerko, 1B
6. Jose Valentin, 3B
7. Carlos Lee, LF
8. Sandy Alomar, C
9. Royce Clayton, SS

Bench
Mark Johnson, C
Jeff Liefer, CR, LF/RF
Tony Graffanino, IF
Aaron Rowand, OF

Rotation
1. Mark Buehrle
2. Todd Ritchie
3. Dan Wright
4. Jon Garland
5. Jon Rauch

Bullpen
Closer: Keith Foulke
Setup: Gary Glover
Righty: Antonio Osuna
L1: Kelly Wunsch
L2: Mike Porzio
Middle Relief: Bob Howry

Injury Notes

Rocky Biddle will start the season on the DL following shoulder surgery last September to repair a torn labrum. Chicago is not rushing him back; I don't believe he has thrown off a mound since the surgery and there is no specific schedule for his return. He may rejoin the team in August or September in some capacity.

Jim Parque, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum last May, will start the season in the minors as he continues to rehab. He has progressed to throwing in game situations but has suffered a substantial loss of velocity, so the timing of his return is uncertain.

Offense Notes: The White Sox still have a couple of question marks on their bench. They are still considering carrying Josh Paul as a third catcher, because Alomar is returning from knee surgery and Johnson has had troubles with a hamstring injury this spring. Willie Harris could still beat out Rowand for as the outfield reserve, but if he spends a year at AAA he should be ready to start next season, and Rowand needs to stay on the team to keep his trade value high. They could keep two of Rowand, Paul, and Harris if they begin with 11 pitchers. However since they want two lefties in the pen, it looks like they will carry the extra pitcher.

Pitching Notes: By the end of the season, I expect Glover to be back in the rotation and Osuna to be the primary setup man. Howry has lost velocity on his fastball and will primarily be a mop-up man until he manages to move past the dead arm period in which he seems to be stuck. Barcelo might have had a better chance at the 5th spot in the rotation if he weren't still recovering from the shoulder surgery that ended his season last June. However, unless there are serious health problems in the Sox's rotation, I don't expect him to leave his post in the bullpen this season.

Cleveland Indians
1. Matt Lawton, RF
2. Ricky Gutierrez, 2B
3. Ellis Burks, DH
4. Jim Thome, 1B
5. Travis Fryman, 3B
6. Russell Branyan, LF
7. Milton Bradley, CF
8. Omar Vizquel, SS
9. Einar Diaz, C

Bench
Eddie Perez, C
Mike Lansing, IF
Brady Anderson, OF
Wil Cordero, UT

Rotation
1. Bartolo Colon
2. C.C. Sabathia
3. Chuck Finley
4. Danys Baez
5. Ryan Drese

Bullpen
Closer: David Wickman
Setup: Paul Shuey
Righty: Mark Wohlers
Lefty: Ricardo Rincon
Middle Relief: David Riske
Middle Relief: Jerrod Riggan
Long Relief: Charles Nagy

Injury Notes

Alex Escobar had surgery earlier this month to repair a torn ACL. Before he can return to play, he will need to rest for five or six months. He should be ready to play at some level next year but will likely miss the entire 2002 season.

Eddie Taubensee will miss at least two months because of three degenerative disks in his back. Both his season and his career as a catcher are endangered by this condition.

Jolbert Cabrera will likely begin the season on the DL in extended Spring Training or rehabbing in the minors. He was not able to participate in the majority of camp because he was still recovering from the gunshot wound to his behind, sustained in an off-season carjacking during a visit to Columbia. While there was no nerve damage and he has begun to take at-bats, he will likely need the additional time to get back in shape for the regular season. He should return sometime in May.

Sean DePaula appears to have recovered from last April's elbow surgery, which kept him out all of last season. However, he will likely begin the season in AAA.

Jake Westbrook had surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow in late February. He should begin throwing again in mid-April but beyond that point there is no schedule for his return. If everything goes smoothly, he should be able to pitch at some point this season.

Jaret Wright's chronically injured shoulder has been troubling him again this spring. At this point Cleveland does not know if it is just tendinitis or something more serious, so he will undergo an MRI in the near future. Given Wright's history, I wouldn't be surprised if he missed the season or at least large parts of it.

Offense Notes: Brady Anderson will receive regular playing time, though he does not have a set position. Manuel plans to alternate starts between Anderson, Bradley, and Branyan. Anderson will reportedly receive more time than the other two and is likely to bat leadoff when he is in the lineup.

John McDonald has a chance of beating out Lansing for the reserve infielder's position. McDonald was slowed by an appendectomy, but Lansing was troubled by some back problems early in the spring. Also, while the Indians seem likely to take 12 pitchers that has not been confirmed. They may opt to take both Lansing and McDonald; Riggan may not make the team. When he returns, Jolbert Cabrera will probably displace Lansing, McDonald, or the 12th pitcher.

Pitching Notes: Nagy is attempting to pitch with little to no cartilage in his elbow. His career may be over in the near future, but with a salary of $6M, the Indians are going to try to get something out of him. He will likely be used primarily as a mop-up man. Shuey's elbow problems appear to have disappeared, though he has had to hold back a bit this spring due to a bad hip. If he falters, David Riske should be very capable of taking over as the setup man.

Detroit Tigers
1. Bobby Higginson, LF
2. Jose Macias, CF
3. Mitch Meluskey, DH
4. Dmitri Young, 1B
5. Robert Fick, RF
6. Mike Rivera, C
7. Shane Halter, SS
8. Craig Paquette, 3B
9. Damian Easley, 2B

Bench
Damian Jackson, MI, OF
Dean Palmer, CR
Wendell Magee, OF
Jacob Cruz, OF

Rotation
1. Jeff Weaver
2. Steve Sparks
3. Jose Lima
4. Mark Redman
5. Nate Cornejo

Bullpen
Closer: Matt Anderson
Setup: Danny Patterson
Righty: Jose Paniagua
L1: Matt Miller
L2: Matt Perisho
Middle Relief: Juan Acevedo
Long Relief: Jeff Farnsworth

Injury Notes

Randall Simon, who already had a chipped bone in the little finger on his right hand, strained his hamstring on Sunday. Though neither injury is overly serious, I think the Tigers will use this opportunity to DL Simon for a few weeks and take 12 pitchers, allowing them to keep at least one of their two Rule 5 picks.

Although he is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Fick has missed almost a week with a hamstring injury. He should break camp with the team, but unless he makes it back tomorrow, he won't have much time to finish preparing for the regular season and will likely start slow.

Dean Palmer has had problems with a sore neck, shoulder, and back this spring. He has not had many spring at-bats. While he did take part in a minor league game on Monday, there is a possibility that he will not break camp with the team and a very strong likelihood that he will be limited to DHing when he returns.

Brian Moehler had surgery last July to repair tears in both his rotator cuff and labrum. He wants to begin rehab starts in May and could be ready by June. One of the Detroit starters will likely be struggling or injured at that point, so Moehler will probably step into their place in the rotation when he is healthy.

Adam Pettyjohn will miss the entire season. Due to a battle with colitis, he had a series of surgeries earlier this month to remove his colon. He's lost 60 pounds and will be unable to participate in baseball activities for several months. There is no current schedule for his return.

Offense Notes: Detroit is being cautious with Mitch Meluskey. In order to avoid stressing his surgically repaired shoulder, he will only play part time at catcher this season, while DHing during many of games he is not catching. During Spring Training, Rivera has frequently remained in the lineup as the DH when Meluskey catches, although that arrangement is subject to change with the health of the rest of the team.

Pitching Notes: The Tigers acquired RHP Jose Paniagua from the Rockies for RHP Victor Santos and MI Ronnie Merrill on Monday. Paniagua will be an upgrade over Santos in Detroit's pen. He's had some problems with homers in the past with which Comerica should assist.

Santos has also had some problems with dingers, so he's unlikely to have success in Colorado. The 23-year-old Merrill split last season between A West Michigan and AA Erie, playing SS the majority of the time but also spending 32 games at 2B. He's demonstrated better plate discipline than most players at his level, though his power and speed skills are limited. He might be able to advance to AAA to start the season, but he certainly needs a little more time in the minors. Considering the Rockies talent at the major league level, Merrill may be limited to the bench when he makes the team in a few years.

While Paniagua should be a significant upgrade over Santos, I don't expect the Tigers to be in a close pennant race this season, so the upgrade does not seem overly relevant. Consequently, despite the recent improvements to their farm system, I'm not sure they should have sacrificed a decent minor leaguer.

Closer Matt Anderson has been troubled by a sore shoulder, which has caused him to experience a bit of a dead arm. The Tigers are convinced that the injury is not a problem other than hindering his spring preparation. I think the young reliever has a lot of potential, and he should have a great year as long as he can work past this.

Danny Patterson has been troubled by back problems this spring, so he too has been unable to get in much work.

Kansas City
1. Chuck Knoblauch, LF
2. Neifi Perez, SS
3. Carlos Beltran, CF
4. Mike Sweeney, 1B
5. Michael Tucker, RF
6. Joe Randa, 3B
7. Raul Ibanez, DH
8. Brent Mayne, C
9. Carlos Febles, 2B

Bench
A.J. Hinch, C
Dave McCarty, 1B, LF/RF
Luis Alicea, INF
Dee Brown, OF

Rotation
1. Jeff Suppan
2. Dan Reichert
3. Paul Byrd
4. Darrell May
5. Chad Durbin

Bullpen
Closer: Roberto Hernandez
Setup: Jason Grimsley
Righty: Cory Bailey
Lefty: Jeremy Affeldt
Middle Relief: Doug Henry
Long Relief: Kris Wilson
Swingman: Blake Stein

Injury Notes

Mark Quinn will miss the start of the season with a cracked rib acquired while practicing kung-fu with his brother. He's begun swinging a bat, so he's making progress, but I don't expect him to return until some time in May. If Michael Tucker starts the season hot, Quinn could have difficulty finding playing time when he returns.

Offense Notes: Brandon Berger reportedly still has a chance at pushing Dee Brown off the team. Donnie Sadler is in competition for the same roster spot unless the club decides to go with only 11 pitchers.

Pitching Notes: Chris George still has a small chance of beating out Durbin for the last spot in the rotation. Kris Wilson has had troubles with both a sore elbow and a sore shoulder this spring, which have hindered his progress, so he may not break camp with the team. If Wilson doesn't make the team, then the Royals may take Rule 5 pick Miguel Ascencio or opt not to go with 12 pitchers and take the extra offensive player.

Minnesota Twins
1. Jacque Jones, LF
2. Cristian Guzman, SS
3. Doug Mientkiewicz, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Torii Hunter, CF
6. Corey Koskie, 3B
7. Brian Buchanan, RF
8. A.J. Pierzynski, C
9. Luis Rivas, 2B

Bench
Tom Prince, C
Denny Hocking, UT
Jay Canizaro, MI
Dustan Mohr, LF/RF
Bobby Kielty, OF

Rotation
1. Brad Radke
2. Eric Milton
3. Joe Mays
4. Rick Reed
5. Kyle Lohse

Bullpen
Closer: LHP Eddie Guardado
Setup: Bob Wells
Righty: Jack Cressend
Lefty: J.C. Romero
Middle Relief: Mike Jackson
Long Relief: Matt Kinney

Injury Notes

Mike Duvall stopped pitching in late February because of a sore elbow. While he has begun to rehab the elbow, he will probably start the season on the DL before going to the minors.

Offense Notes: Denny Hocking has missed several games with a sore knee and may start the season on the DL. If Hocking does not break camp with the club, Warren Morris is first in line for his roster spot.

Morris is technically in competition with Kielty and Matt LeCroy for the final bench spot. However, I think that LeCroy has the edge over Morris although Kielty will probably beat them both out for the final slot.

While Michael Cuddyer has made a very strong case for breaking camp with the team over Brian Buchanan, Minnesota would rather he crush AAA for a time than make the Opening Day roster and slump, causing them to decide between benching and demoting him. Therefore, since Buchanan hasn't given them a reason not to carry him and he's out of options, I think he will begin the season as the starter and Cuddyer will be called up later. They may make a trade to clear roster space, as they have several talented players worthy of major league jobs.

Pitching Notes: The Twins may choose to keep LaTroy Hawkins over Matt Kinney rather than cut Hawkins and his $2.75M. However, Hawkins has struggled this spring and the Twins really like Kinney. The third option is to continue to try to trade Hawkins and take 12 pitchers, in which case Kielty would likely be left off the team.

I don't expect Guardado to hold onto the closer's role. While he is capable of handling the job, Gardenhire will likely quickly realize that he's more valuable when not tied to the role. I think Cressend has a good shot at taking over as the closer by the All-Star break.

Division Ranking
Chicago
Minnesota
Cleveland
Detroit
Kansas City