AL Central

The Chicago White Sox are not averse to a little turnover on the 25-man roster. It actually seems to be an annual occurrence that the White Sox part ways with at least one veteran who was a long-time fan favorite.

In 2011, it was Mark Buehrle. Last year, A.J. Pierzynski bid the White Sox a fond farewell.

Will longtime captain Paul Konerko be this offseason’s veteran departure?

What about the rest of the active roster?

The Twins can’t sell beer at Target Field anymore this season. Why? Because they lost the opener!

That joke is admittedly juvenile, but what the heck. In April you can joke a little bit about a 4-2 loss. In life you need to laugh, especially if your life is a baseball season. Baseball is a marathon of 162 games; if you can’t kick back and joke or relax, you’re going to drive yourself insane.

The Detroit Tigers showed the Minnesota Twins and the rest of the American League what they can expect all season with a 4-2 Opening Day victory.

The Tigers got timely hits, manufactured runs, unveiled the closer-by-committee experiment and as expected, got outstanding starting pitching from the ace, Justin Verlander.

As the Detroit Tigers go through the 2013 season, a lot will be made of the $148,693,600 salary they have on the payroll.

That is a substantial number. Sports Business Daily estimates that the Tigers will have the sixth highest payroll in Major League Baseball this year, an increase of 13.4 percent over 2012.

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins introduced Major League Baseball to Target Field. The new stadium replaced the dump that was the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome as the home for the franchise.

It's been hard to get a ticket to a Twins game since, as the team ranked 12th in the major leagues in total attendance in 2012, according to ESPN.

The funny thing about baseball’s unwritten rules is that they find themselves written down eventually.

And, just to be sure, I’ll prove it:

Don’t steal a base when leading by six runs in the eighth inning.

Don’t try to break up a no-hitter with a bunt.

Don’t make the first out at home plate.

Don’t walk the leadoff hitter.

Don’t walk the pitcher, no matter where he’s hitting.

Don’t swing at the first pitch if you make an out doing so.

According to MLB.com's Jason Beck on March 26, pitcher Rick Porcello won the Detroit Tigers' competition for the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

The competition to become the No. 5 starter for the Kansas City Royals in 2013 began with five names: Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza, Will Smith and Yordano Ventura. With less than a week before Opening Day, the team has announced a winner.

After being offered to anyone that wanted to pay the right price this offseason, Rick Porcello has won the fifth spot in the Detroit Tigers' starting rotation over left-hander Drew Smyly.

Matthew Mowrey from The Oakland Press tells us more:

Coming into spring training, the Kansas City Royals had very few position battles to work out as the 2013 season approached—which is remarkably odd for a team coming off a 72-win season.

Other than the perennial lobbying for bullpen spots, the Royals were primarily focused on who would be the team’s No. 5 starting pitcher and who would emerge as their starting second baseman.