Kuzul

Are the Cleveland Indians contenders or pretenders?

It’s an impossible question to answer, with the club hanging around the outskirts of the playoff race despite having a losing record and a negative run differential, which makes the Indians one of the more intriguing teams to follow as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline draws near.

They could become buyers, looking to bolster a roster that has more than a few flaws, or they could look to sell, moving pending free agents for something rather than let them walk away after the season with nothing to show for it.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Indians, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Tribe looks to either bolster the roster for the stretch run or position themselves for future success.

Begin Slideshow

Few teams in baseball have enjoyed the kind of recent success that the Detroit Tigers have.

Winners of three consecutive American League Central crowns, the Tigers have a legitimate chance to make it four in a row in 2014.

But a World Series title has remained elusive, and the pressure is on general manager Dave Dombrowski to figure out how to best position his club to claim baseball’s biggest prize.

While Justin Verlander’s struggles have been concerning, Detroit’s bullpen remains the team’s biggest weakness, as has been the case for a number of years. Will Dombrowski look to add a few hard-throwing arms to the mix before the trade deadline arrives? 

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Tigers, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Tigers try and fend off the hard-charging Kansas City Royals in the AL Central.

Begin Slideshow

Kansas City’s stay atop the American League Central standings last month may have been fleeting, but it was a sign that the Royals may finally be ready to break a nearly 30-year absence from postseason baseball.

With a strong starting rotation and an excellent bullpen, the Royals are perhaps the only real competition Detroit will face for the division this season. But if they hope not to squander their opportunity, general manager Dayton Moore is going to have to address some weak spots on the major league roster.

As trade chatter surrounding the team picks up, keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Royals as well as analysis and everything else that comes with it.

While the post date on this tracker will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Royals look to improve their chances to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1985.

Begin Slideshow

While things haven’t exactly gone as anyone associated with the Minnesota Twins would have liked in 2014, things aren’t all doom and gloom.

The club has a farm system full of impressive young talent, including the currently injured Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, and some young players on the major league roster—second baseman Brian Dozier, starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Phil Hughes and catcher Josmil Pinto—that look like long-term building blocks.

Along with one of the best bullpens in baseball, the once-proud franchise may not be as far away from returning to the land of contenders as some believe.

Not expected to be buyers at the deadline, Minnesota has a handful of veteran pieces that could be attractive to contending clubs, though how much of a return it’ll be able to extract remains to be seen.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Twins, along with analysis and everything else that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 1, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as Minnesota tries to add additional pieces for the future.

Begin Slideshow

One thing that can be said about the 2014 Chicago White Sox is that they have certainly been more fun to watch than they were last season, but then again that’s not saying much.

In 2013 the White Sox were one of the worst offensive (or most offensive, depending how you look at it) teams in all of baseball, which made for some long days at U.S. Cellular Field. This ineptitude led general manager Rick Hahn to desperately start searching last off season for somebody, anybody, who could come in and help reignite the stagnant offense.

Hahn had actually begun that process during last season when he acquired the highly regarded Avisail Garcia from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. However, Garcia was lost to injury early this season. Thankfully, Hahn hadn’t stopped there in his quest to rebuild the lineup, and the additional moves he’s made have helped turn around the offense.

According to TeamRankings.com, the 2014 White Sox are averaging the most ninth-inning runs scored (.59) of any team in baseball, and they have also averaged the second-most runs scored (1.04) from the eighth inning on. 

In other words, they don’t quit—which seemed to be a problem last year.

Overall, the team is scoring 4.31 runs per game (ninth in MLB), which is a vast improvement on what they averaged last season (3.69) when they were the lowest-scoring team in the American League and second-lowest scoring team in all of baseball.

So things have definitely improved offensively in 2014 for the White Sox. Unfortunately, however, there are two other important aspects of the game: pitching and defense. And there is definite room for improvement in both areas.

The top three in the starting rotation have been solid, but the four and five spots have been inconsistent. More importantly, the bullpen has been a mess for most of the season as guys have failed to find their roles.

And defensively, well, let’s just say that things can improve there as well.

As we head into July and towards the All-Star break, let’s take a look at five things we have learned about the White Sox so far this season.

Begin Slideshow

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu slugged two home runs in Friday night’s contest against the Toronto Blue Jays to become the first player in MLB history with 25 homers through the first 67 games of his career, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Abreu led off the fifth inning of Friday’s game with his 24th home run of the season. He hit his 25th of the year and second of the game in his next at-bat in the seventh inning.

Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion also hit home run No. 25 Friday night, creating a three-way tie atop MLB’s home run leaderboard. The third player, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nelson Cruz, went deep in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays.

With his 25 home runs in only 67 games, Abreu has shattered the previous record of 72 games needed to reach 25 homers, set by Rudy York of the 1937 Detroit Tigers. Mark McGwire was second fastest, needing 77 games to reach the mark during his rookie campaign with the Oakland Athletics in 1987. Wally Berger of the 1930 Boston Braves now drops to fourth on this list, hitting 25 home runs in his first 79 career games.

AL Home Run Derby Captain Jose Bautista should be looking forward to this year’s Derby, as Abreu, Encarnacion and Cruz are all American Leaguers. Florida Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton currently paces the National League with his 21 homers, while Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki sits in second with 18.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Cleveland Indians Systems Check video offers a quick overview of the team’s farm system, addressing its strengths and weaknesses and how it can improve moving forward.

The video also provides a breakdown of the Tribe’s top prospects for 2014, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielders Clint Frazier and Tyler Naquin, including each player’s ETA in the major leagues and potential long-term role within the organization.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Lack of Bench Depth

The Indians‘ lack of bench depth is becoming a rather big problem for the club. Though they’re not faced with the same types of pinch-hitting decisions that National League teams face, the level of production the Tribe have received from their bench has been deplorable.

From non-everyday players currently on the active roster, the Indians have received offensive contributions that include a .241/.280/.342 slash line, 11 doubles, seven home runs, 39 RBI and 34 runs scored.

The Indians have very little to turn to when they need a player to work as a spot starter, or in any other capacity, really.

While it may not be something the team chooses to address via trade, the unimpressive performances by Indians’ bench players have been a big problem for Cleveland.

How to Clear Space for Francisco Lindor

This, in essence, is a nice way of saying the Tribe need to trade Asdrubal Cabrera. Although he’s been much more productive this season than he was last season, the 28-year-old still isn’t the same player we thought he could be after making back-to-back All-Star Game appearances between the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Behind him on the organizational depth chart is one of the top shortstop prospects in all of baseball, Francisco Lindor. The 20-year-old has quickly worked his way through the minor league ranks and is now putting forth an impressive effort at Double-A Akron, where players’ average age is 4.7 years greater than his—per Baseball-Reference.com.

Over a combined 89 games at Double-A—67 games this season and 21 last year—Lindor boasts an impressive stat line, including a .284/.375/.398 slash line, six home runs, five triples, 11 doubles, 47 RBI, 59 runs scored and 24 stolen bases.

Though he’s been solid at the plate, Lindor does his best work in the field.

Lindor has plus instincts in the field and takes clean, aggressive routes to the ball. That and his plus arm make the Florida prep product one of the game’s premier defenders, despite having yet to play a game at the big league level—his 4.33 RF/G at Double-A is evidence of that.

Trading Cabrera is really the only way to get Lindor regular at-bats at the big league level—he’s definitely ready for them. It’s been speculated for the better part of a year-and-a-half now that Cabrera could be traded to a contending team in need of a shortstop—think Oakland or Pittsburgh.

Lack of Production from the Starting Rotation

Not only would trading Cabrera open up a spot for Lindor on the 25-man roster, but it could also help the Indians shore up what has been a rather shaky starting rotation here in 2014.

As a group, the Tribe’s starting rotation has allowed a paltry 4.67 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP and season averages of 8.7 K/9, 3.20 BB/9, 2.71 K/BB and 9.6 H/9. The team has seen would-be aces like Justin Masterson and Danny Salazar—both of whom were expected to assume major roles with the team this season—struggle mightily.

In addition to those two extreme disappointments, Zach McAllister has been a disappointment in his own right, allowing a 5.89 ERA over 10 starts, spanning 47.1 innings pitched. In short, the rotation has been pretty bad outside of Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin.

So, why not get them some help?

The Indians have a ton of middle-infield depth—something I highlighted in my recent top-15 prospect rankings. They could look to deal from that middle-infield wealth, while a few right-handers—Dace Kime and Corey Anderson—could help sweeten the deal.

The Indians don’t appear to have the depth to bring in someone like David Price or Jeff Samardzija—unless they’re willing to do the unimaginable and deal off Francisco Lindor and Danny Salazar.

The front office will have to get creative if they’re hoping to land a starter at the deadline and may have to settle for a starter like Ian Kennedy or Dillon Gee—both are possible deadline targets according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here come the Kansas City Royals. After getting off to a troublesome 29-32 start, the AL Central contenders have caught fire by winning eight games in a row. The latest—an 11-8 victory over the Detroit Tigers—has put the defending division champions on notice.

By taking the first of a four-game set at Comerica Park, the Royals exited the night with the most wins (37) of any team in the AL Central. In the process, the hottest team in baseball continued to roll on the strength of solid starting pitching, a rising offense and team-wide confidence that permeates onto the the field. 

Let’s start with the pitching, led by James Shields at the top of the rotation. As Jason Vargas (7-2, 3.25 ERA) continues to be a better-than-advertised addition, and Yordano Ventura (70.1 IP, 3.20 ERA) and Danny Duffy (54.0 IP, 2.83 ERA) work through growing pains to showcase high-end talent, it is Shields’ right arm that has carried the Royals through two mediocre months. 

Without the durable force atop the rotation, Kansas City may have been buried before June arrived. Now, with a winning streak in tow, Shields’ recent efforts—12 IP, 3 ER, 11 SO—have been good enough for two personal victories.  

When the Royals traded for Shields prior to last season, sacrificing top prospect Wil Myers in the deal with the Rays, this was the type of rotation-carrying excellence expected and needed from the now 32-year-old righty. As his free-agent year continues, few starters in baseball have been more valuable in setting an example for an entire rotation to follow.

In Kansas City, success stems from pitching. From Shields’ fellow starting staff to a hard-throwing, overpowering bullpen, the Royals can pitch with any team in baseball. Offense, however, has eluded an organization that built a foundation on young position players.

From first baseman Eric Hosmer to catcher Salvador Perez to third baseman Mike Moustakas to left fielder Alex Gordon, Kansas City’s front office seemingly put together enough of a talent base to profile as an above-average offense. Entering play on June 2, that couldn’t have seemed more off base.

At 26-30, the Royals were underachieving in large part because of an offense that couldn’t average at least four runs a game, displayed an alarming lack of power and failed to generate enough to support a very good rotation. After Monday night’s 11-run outburst in Detroit, the tide has shifted. 

Over the last 13 games, Kansas City’s bats have generated 77 runs, good for 5.92 per contest. Although hard-pressed to find a .500 slugging percentage in manager Ned Yost’s everyday lineup, the Royals just pounded out 17 hits in a game Justin Verlander started. Even when factoring in Verlander’s struggles in 2014, that represents a significant change to Detroit and the entire AL Central.  

Finally, there’s the personality and demeanor of Yost. The Royals haven’t been to the postseason since their 1985 World Series title, but Yost led the team to their first winning season since 2003 last season. On the path to that 86-win season, the Royals suffered through an awful May (8-20), including the process of firing a hitting coach. When an identical scenario presented itself last month, Yost leaned on recent history to exude confidence from the dugout.

Last summer, the Royals won 64 games after May 31 and set the stage for big expectations in 2014.

Through 60 games this season, Yost’s club sat at 29-31 and was seemingly lost. Instead of panic, Yost reflected past experience and predicted the run his club is now on, per Jeffrey Flanagan of Fox Sports Kansas City.

“But we came back from the All-Star break and we took off. This club is going to take off again. No doubt about it,” Yost said.

There’s no doubt about how good this group has been since the start of last June. Even when factoring in the uneven beginning to 2014, the Royals have now posted a 101-78 record since June 1, 2013. That mark is good for a .564 winning percentage, a number that amounts to a 92-win season over 162 games.

To be fair, not everything is suddenly perfect in Kansas City. After nearly three full decades of empty Octobers, the Kauffman Stadium ticket operators shouldn’t send invoices out for playoff tickets at this juncture of the season. But, for the first time in a long time, the idea isn’t crazy.

When the Royals walked off the field on Monday night, only five teams—Toronto, Oakland, Milwaukee, St. Louis and San Francisco—owned higher win totals. Furthermore, AL wild-card contenders like the Yankees and Orioles both owned negative run differentials, well below Kansas City’s current plus-11 mark.

Over the next month, Kansas City will be tested. After three more in Detroit, a stretch of 16 of 22 games against winning teams will commence. With dates against the Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Indians, Yost’s crew will be tested.

Finally, a four-game rematch against the Tigers puts a wrap on the first half of the season. If the Royals continue to display big-time pitching, emerging offense and Yost’s suddenly steady hand, the words “first place” and “Kansas City Royals” could become synonymous during the Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Target Field.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs and ESPN, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Roster projections via MLB Depth Charts. 

Agree? Disagree? 

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2014 MLB draft has come and gone, and it’s time to re-rank the Indians‘ top prospects.

The team made one of the best selections in the entire draft when University of San Francisco outfielder Kyle Zimmer fell to it at No. 21 overall. The Tribe followed that up with two more solid selections in lefty Justus Sheffield and University of Virginia outfielder Mike Papi.

The Indians had a fantastic draft and made some major additions to a rather weak farm system.

The three names mentioned above all fit into this list, along with a few other newcomers from within the system.

The farm system is still rather top heavy, and it’s loaded with middle infielders, but it’s improving, and this draft went a long way toward continuing that trend.

All stats are current through play on June 12, 2014 and are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.

Begin Slideshow