AL Central

As soon as free agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, all eyes shifted to Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke.

Amid questions of anxiety disorder, the list of teams able to trade for the 2009 Cy Young winner was short.

The New York Yankees, having lost out on signing Lee, seemed likely to target Greinke, but the idea of Greinke being able to handle pitching in New York was a bit far-fetched.

With Zack Greinke only two seasons away from free agency, it was obvious that the Royals would have to deal their ace pitcher. The 27-year old righty would inevitably command a massive salary that Kansas City could not afford to match and hoped to acquire a package of elite prospects rather than risk losing Greinke for nothing.

Following this weekend's trade of Greinke to Milwaukee for four of the organization's top ten prospects, many questions were answered but even more were raised.

The Minnesota Twins, long known for their patient approach to the offseason, have quietly rebuilt their middle infield, and added new, intriguing arms to a retooled bullpen. 

There are many questions still needed to be answered for the Twins this offseason. Here's a look at the moves made so far this winter by the Twins.

Who's Gone

JJ Hardy, SS: Traded to Baltimore Orioles

After much speculation, the Kansas City Royals finally traded their star pitcher Zack Greinke on Sunday morning, sending shock waves through the rest of the baseball world.

He was traded along with Kansas City's starting shortstop from last season, Yuniesky Betancourt, in exchange for four players. Many have begun to wonder who ended up getting the better end of the deal in this one, but it is just way too early to tell at this point.

On Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins formally introduced 26-year-old middle-infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. He toured the stadium (which was snow covered), chose the No. 1 to wear in the upcoming year, and became the first Japanese import to sign with the Twins.

The deal is for three years, $9.25 million, with an option for a fourth year, 2014, for $4 million. According to mlb.com's report he "charmed" in his first press conference.

But the question still begs: Who is this guy?

When the Milwaukee Brewers traded four prospects for CC Sabathia in 2008, they knew they were getting a player who could propel them into the playoffs but also one who may elect not to sign an extension.

Yesterday afternoon, I talked about the potential trade destinations for Kansas City Royals’ ace Zack Greinke. One of the teams that I thought could be a possibility for Greinke were the Milwaukee Brewers.

Once it was announced that Cliff Lee was signing with the Philadelphia Phillies, Zack Greinke began to receive the most attention among pitchers, with various teams attempting to acquire the 2009 Cy Young winner.

In 2001, the Minnesota Twins (along with the Montreal Expos) were threatened to be contracted from Major League Baseball.

Take a look at where this team has come in the time since.

Rather than folding like a cheap suit, the Twins have risen back to becoming a potent catalyst in the sport in the last decade.

The 2010 season was a special year for the Twins, as highly anticipated Target Field opened for business.

Just one week ago, Minnesotans found themselves in the midst of one of the biggest blizzards in the state's history. Twenty inches of snow and one collapsed Metrodome roof later, the impact of the storm left a mark on the Twin Cities. But just as people in the Twin Cities finally moved past the storm, a tsunami that goes by the name of "Yoshi" or "Nishi" rolled into town.