AL Central

Miguel Cabrera fought through the last month of the season and then the playoffs while dealing with an amorphously defined injury.

Here's what'll go down in Cleveland once the season ends. The Indians will exercise Ubaldo Jimenez's $8 million club option. Jimenez will then exercise his right to decline, however, as stipulated in his contract.

Heading into each respective League Championship Series, the Detroit Tigers felt like the team that most needed to capture a World Championship in 2013.

The year still looms there, like the cheese that stands alone.

1984.

It used to be 1968. That was the year that all Tigers fans would reference, sometimes happily, sometimes wistfully, sometimes pessimistically.

It seemed like we waited eons after the Tigers' 1968 World Series triumph for that feeling to come again. But it was only 16 years, which in retrospect is nothing, really.

When Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn signed Jose Dariel Abreu, he instantaneously ignited the fan base.

Twitter timelines erupted in support, praise, admonishment and utter anger over Abreu’s signing. Like it or love it, though, Hahn and the White Sox signaled to everyone who is paying attention that they would like their return to relevance to be as quick as possible.

The Minnesota Twins have a lot on their plate this winter. As they ponder a dive into MLB Free Agency, general manager Terry Ryan needs to decide whether Joe Mauer is their 2014 catcher, if they really can trust Brian Dozier at second base and if some of the bright prospects in the organization are ready for the leap to Minneapolis.

However, there is one glaring need that must be addressed.

It's impossible to imagine the opening three games of the American League Championship Series playing out any better for the Detroit Tigers. And yet, it's impossible to imagine the outcomes being any worse.

Despite a third straight unequivocally dominant effort by a starting pitcher, the Tigers somehow trail the Boston Red Sox two games to one.

After a dramatic two-game split in Boston, the Detroit Tigers return home for a crucial Game 3 in the first of three consecutive games to be played at Comerica Park.

Despite a late-game collapse in which Detroit allowed five Boston runs over the final two innings of Sunday’s Game 2 loss, a combined one-hitter from Tigers’ pitchers in Game 1 gives Detroit a theoretical chance to win the ALCS at home.

The dust has finally settled after the Boston Red Sox mounted a glorious comeback against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway in Game 2. The ALCS is officially knotted up at one game apiece as both teams travel to Detroit for three more meetings as they decide who will represent the American League in the 2013 MLB World Series. 

MLB's revised instant replay rules aren't in play yet, but replay certainly played a role in a critical situation during Game 4 of the ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and Oakland A's Tuesday evening.