A look at what American League Central teams did in the offseason

The Guardians surged to 92 wins and an AL Championship Series appearance in former Brave Stephen Vogt’s debut season as manager. They project strongly again in 2025, though it’ll be without infielders Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, who were traded to the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays, respectively.

They re-signed Shane Bieber, giving them another potential frontline starter with Tanner Bibee when Bieber rejoins the group, but rotation questions remain. The offense will look largely the same with Naylor replaced by veteran Carlos Santana.

Cleveland is a well-run organization despite its limited resources. It was one of many teams that opted not to make substantial external improvements this winter, but the Guardians remain a force that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Kansas City Royals

After a successful spending splurge last winter, the Royals took a more measured approach in the past few months. The noteworthy move was trading starter Brady Singer to Cincinnati for infielder Jonathan India, a Gator-for-Gator swap that Kansas City hopes will upgrade its lineup. The Royals also spent in retaining starter Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen, and recently adding standout reliever Carlos Estevez.

Former Braves starter Kyle Wright, sidelined last season, is expected to join a group that’s headlined by 2024 Cy Young contenders Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo. The bullpen should be superb. And shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is a perennial MVP candidate.

In a division that featured little improvement, the Royals stand to benefit. They could catch Cleveland; they also could finish third or fourth. But the Royals should be applauded for pushing at a time many franchises are content with stagnation. If the pitching stays healthy, Kansas City is a legitimate postseason contender again. Perhaps they can acquire another bat at the trade deadline, too.

Detroit Tigers

There will be a lot of hype around the Tigers, who surpassed expectations not only to qualify for the postseason in 2024, but in eliminating the big, bad Astros in their appearance. Detroit, ripe with young talent and oozing confidence, could logically jump from 86 victories into the 90s.

Coming off their first postseason appearance since 2014, the Tigers added starters Jack Flaherty — traded at the 2024 deadline, he’s back — and Alex Cobb, infielder Gleyber Torres and reliever Tommy Kahnle. They’re still in the mix for free agent Alex Bregman, which would be the biggest signing in this division, but even without him, the Tigers are an AL Central contender.

A young core headlined by Riley Green, Colt Keith, Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Kerry Carpenter and Parker Meadows is complemented by a rotation led by Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and the up-and-coming Jackson Jobe. Detroit is loaded with youth, has several veterans mixed in, and is led by a manager — A.J. Hinch — who’s overseen consistent success. The Tigers are back and look like they’ll be around for a while.

Minnesota Twins

As delighted as Royals and Tigers fans were with their club’s 2024 results, Twins fans must’ve been comparably disgusted. An 82-win campaign left them out of the postseason despite preseason expectations of winning the Central. Their offseason won’t help anyone feel better.

Restricted by payroll constraints, the Twins have added outfielder Harrison Bader, infielder Ty France and reliever Danny Coulombe. Any further additions are expected to be of similar ilk, depth signings who won’t require any sizable financial commitment.

Still, there’s enough talent here that the Twins could compete for a playoff spot. Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa is a strong starting point for any lineup if those players are healthy — which is an important caveat with them. The rotation is solid, led by Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan. The bullpen has depth questions, but the known commodities, like Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and Cole Sands, are pretty good.

Health always is the story around the Twins. If their best players can remain on the field, there’s no reason this team can’t compete for a postseason spot in a division that lacks separation (at least as we view it entering the season).

Chicago White Sox

It can’t be worse than last season, presumably, after losing a record 121 games. This is what a deep rebuild looks like, and the White Sox are going to be terrible again. That’s good news for the rest of the division, which can continue padding wins against baseball’s most lifeless franchise.

The bright side: Top prospects catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery arrive from Boston via the Garrett Crochet trade. Other prized prospects like infielder Colson Montgomery and starters Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith could form the nucleus of their next competitive iteration. But that time feels years away.

Chicago spent its winter acquiring cheap veterans — former Braves righty Bryse Wilson among them — who are trying to rejuvenate their careers. Maybe one or two do, and the White Sox flip them for more prospects.