AL Central

Justin Verlander is one of the top pitchers in baseball, and the Detroit Tigers have to ensure that he spends his whole career in a Tigers uniform.

The Detroit Tigers have never had a player go into arbitration since Dave Dombrowski became the general manager in 2002, and they shouldn't start with Max Scherzer.

The Chicago White Sox have lineup questions that must be answered before the 2013 season begins. It will be up to second-year manager Robin Ventura to squeeze every ounce of offensive production out of the White Sox batting order.

It will not be an easy task.

See, a lot has changed for the White Sox offense since the end of the 2012 season.

The Detroit Tigers have quietly hired baserunning consultant Jeff Cox to assist the Tigers on running the bases, attempting to give them an edge on their opponents.

Minnesota Twins prospect Alex Meyer has a tall order on his hands as he attempts to climb the ladder for his new team in 2013.

As the prospect sent over from the Washington Nationals in the Denard Span trade, Meyer was the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Brett Myers may not be Zack Greinke, David Price or, even, Justin Masterson, but the signing of a veteran, free agent starter was fantastic news for Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona and the fans of the team.

September baseball is all-or-nothing baseball. It is baseball that is played either in front of swelling crowds with palpable tension or in a cold ballpark sparsely dotted with paying customers where the peanut vendors are the loudest voices.

September baseball is either rich with meaning, where every pitch is hung on, or it’s merely an exercise of formality, played out because the schedule says so.

September baseball is either “must win” baseball or “must play,” nothing in between.

It's a travesty. It's a downright shame. Why is minor league closer Anthony Slama still just that—a minor leaguer?

In six seasons spanning from rookie ball to Triple-A Rochester, Slama has put up a ridiculous 1.99 ERA. He's racked up 100 saves and 446 strikeouts in 325 innings. His career WHIP sits at a cool 1.089. 

The Minnesota Twins' crop of young players in 2013 is much more exciting than years prior simply because they won't be filling in for injured or ineffective big leaguers. Instead, there will be a team full of healthy, young competition vying for spots on the major-league roster.

Nearly every position player will have a battle on their hands during spring training. This is good, because competition breeds success—and success is something Minnesota needs dearly.

The Cleveland Indians signed left handed starting pitcher Scott Kazmir to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, according to Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.