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The Kansas City Royals and Luke Hochevar were dealt a significant blow earlier in the week when it was reported by Dick Kaegel of MLB.com that the right-hander would miss time with a sprained pitching elbow. 

It turns out things were much worse than that, as Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star spoke to Royals manager Ned Yost who confirmed that Hochevar will need elbow reconstruction surgery. 

Luke Hochevar will have Tommy John surgery, Yost says.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) March 7, 2014

This puts a significant dent in Kansas City’s pitching rotation. Hochevar was competing to be the fifth starter in the rotation, though his track record in that role didn’t make it seem like a good fit. The 30-year-old has a 5.44 career ERA in 128 starts, compared to a 2.06 ERA in 62 relief appearances. 

McCullough reported more of Yost’s comments:

“He’s one of my favorite players,” Yost said. “So it hurts knowing that he’s been through this whole process of the rebuilding, gotten to a point where now we have a chance to compete. He’s not going to be a part of it on the field. But with his personality, and who he is, he’s still going to be a big part of it off the field.

The Kansas City Star reporter also talked to Hochevar about what the injury meant: 

“The toughest part about it is we’re primed this year to win,” Hochevar said during an emotional session with reporters. “You want to be part of that dog pile in September. The way the team’s shaping up, we’re going to win. That’s not a doubt. From every standpoint, I want to be a part of it. It’s just not going to happen.”

McCullough also wrote about Hochevar’s injury in the Kansas City Star, saying the Royals reliever made a point to ask teammate Bruce Chen, who had Tommy John surgery in 2007, what he should do. 

It’s hard. You have been training all offseason for the season. And then one day, one pitch, you feel something. And the next day you don’t feel as good. Your whole thing, all your goals shift directions, and now you don’t know where you want to go.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore spoke about Hochevar’s injury, impending free agency and what it means for his future with the franchise, via 610 Sports Radio’s Josh Renier.

#Royals Dayton Moore “We wouldn’t rule Luke out for the future…We’ll hopefully be able to keep him in the organization going forward.”

— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier) March 7, 2014

Hochevar is scheduled to become a free agent after this season. He’s spent his entire career in Kansas City. 

The Royals built one of the best bullpens in baseball last season, which Hochevar was a huge part of. They had the best ERA in the American League (2.55), highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.07) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.57) in baseball. 

Hochevar had his best season in 2013, posting a 1.92 ERA in 70.1 innings with just 41 hits allowed and an 82-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

If there is a silver lining for the Royals, it’s that they have plenty of power arms with Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera, Tim Collins and Aaron Crow to absorb the loss of Hochevar without a huge drop off. 

Still, it’s an unfortunate situation for a pitcher who never lived up to the hype as a No. 1 pick in 2006, but finally found a successful niche as an MLB pitcher. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter. 

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On January 17, Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star reported that the Royals avoided arbitration with first baseman Eric Hosmer by agreeing with him on a one-year deal worth $3.6 million.  

Although he is not a free agent until 2018, now might be the time for Kansas City to offer Hosmer a contract extension.  

The 24-year-old first baseman has been one of the cornerstones of the up-and-coming Royals team. His Gold-Glove defense and ability to come up with timely hits were key factors that played into Kansas City’s 86-76 record in 2013.  

Over 159 games last season, Hosmer batted .302 with 17 home runs and 79 runs batted in. His 188 hits ranked second among all American League first basemen, trailing only the great Miguel Cabrera.  

So, now may be the right time for Kansas City to lock up a key player to the future of the club by extending his contract before the end of the season.  

The Royals have continued to improve on offense over the past few seasons with the emergence of prospects such as Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas, catcher Salvador Perez and outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Veteran Billy Butler has also continued to put up All-Star seasons, and this lineup is set up to contend for years to come.  

With the signing of second baseman Omar Infante during the offseason, the Royals have a complete lineup.

However, without Hosmer the lineup will suffer, and that is why the organization should look into extending his contract immediately.  

Hosmer will be eligible for arbitration again at the end of 2014, but offering him a contract now that would carry him through arbitration and a few seasons past free agency would be beneficial for both sides. That may be tough considering his agent is Scott Boras, who is notorious for pushing the limits for his players in free agency.  

The answer for the Royals is to be even more aggressive in pursuing a new contract for Hosmer, as he has all the makings of becoming the face of the franchise.  

Of course, we have seen plenty of long-term deals prove to be huge mistakes over the last ten years, but extending a young star’s contract like this one would be extremely smart for the Royals.

One thing is for sure: Kansas City is ready to compete this season, due in large part to Hosmer‘s bat in the middle of the lineup.  If the Royals do not extend his contract, he will receive huge offers in free agency in a few years (barring any sort of catastrophic injury).  

So, while 2014 is the time for Kansas City to contend for a playoff spot, now is the time for them to lock in their brightest young player.  

*Statistics Courtesy of Baseball Reference 

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I’ve been referring to the blockbuster that the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers pulled off in November as “the Prince Fielder trade.” Beyond having a nice ring to it, it’s struck me as appropriate to name the deal after its principal component.

But right now, it’s hard to ignore that Ian Kinsler was also a pretty important part of the deal. And come the end of 2014, it’s possible he’ll have done enough to make me start calling it “the Ian Kinsler trade.”

If you haven’t caught wind of the day’s drama, Robert Sanchez of ESPN the Magazine has a piece out on Kinsler’s thoughts on the deal, and the big takeaway is that the veteran second baseman is not too happy and, well, kind of a jerk about it.

The highlights include:

• Kinsler calling Rangers general manager Jon Daniels a “sleazeball.”
• Kinsler complaining that he felt “bogged down” by a new leadership role in 2013.
• Kinsler wishing an 0-162 record on the Rangers in 2014. 

[For those interested, Kinsler also spoke of Nolan Ryan as one might speak of Tywin Lannister. Let’s just say they apparently produce gold the same way.]

If the drama aspect of the story interests you, B/R’s Mike Chiari has you covered. Here and now, however, we’re going to skip ahead to some of Kinsler’s less sensational comments that concern how motivated he is to prove himself.

You can find those in the latter half of Sanchez’s article, including the following summarizing remark:

I haven’t been this excited about baseball in years. I’ve got a stomach-butterfly feeling…I want to prove to myself that these last two years are not the direction I’m going. Plus, I want to prove to everybody who thinks it is that I’m still an elite ballplayer.

For the record, FanGraphs says Kinsler was worth 3.0 WAR in 2012 and 2.5 WAR in 2013. This after being worth an average of 5.0 WAR between 2008 and 2011.

Now, sure, every player who’s ever been traded has been motivated in much the same way. The “I’ll show them!” instinct is strong in all athletes.

What makes Kinsler’s case special, though, is that he actually has some specific ideas for how he’s going to get back to being a superstar. These specific ideas also happen to be the right ideas.

Kinsler’s aware that it won’t be easy for him to rebound as an offensive force after being roughly average over the last two years (101 OPS+). He is moving from Globe Life Park in Arlington to Comerica Park, after all. That’s a switch from an awesome offensive environment to a less-awesome offensive environment that, specifically, will make it hard for Kinsler to get back to being a top-notch power hitter.

But as Kinsler said…

I don’t want to go 30/30. That’s not ideal in that ballpark. I want to be more of a gap-to-gap hitter. I’d rather have 10 triples, 40 doubles and 30 bags and score over 100 runs. If I can get on base and steal and put myself in scoring position for great hitters behind me, that’s the goal.

It’s Kinsler’s desire to become more of a “gap-to-gap hitter” that’s important here. Given the circumstances, he’s due for that sort of transformation.

FanGraphs has Kinsler’s career fly-ball rate at 44.8 percent. He’s traditionally been a fly-ball hitter. And while that was fine when he was still capable of putting a charge into the ball, this home run and fly-ball data from BaseballHeatMaps.com says Kinsler’s ability to do that is dwindling:

Trends don’t get more alarming than that, and what this trend suggests is clear: the fewer fly balls, the better.

But here’s the good news: That’s a path Kinsler’s already on.

The 39.4 FB% Kinsler posted in 2013 was the lowest of his career. Even better is that it came paired with a 23.7 line-drive percentage that nearly matched his career-best rate of 24.2 from 2008.

Even then, however, Kinsler wasn’t distributing his line drives as evenly as he did in 2013:

Kinsler was much better about spraying line drives all over the field last season. And while it’s not a big gap, maybe that had a hand in him posting a better overall BABIP on line drives.

Further, his spray chart from Brooks Baseball shows a decent number of line drives into the gaps:

We can look at this as a seed for the type of hitter Kinsler has his eye on becoming with the Tigers, which is encouraging. He doesn’t have a complete reinvention process ahead of him.

One guy whom Kinsler can learn from is Torii Hunter, with whom Kinsler just so happens to be very excited to play.

“I can’t wait to pick that dude’s brain,” said Kinsler. “His style is very similar to mine: very aggressive, takes a lot of chances — educated, calculated chances.” 

Hunter has undergone a transition very much like the one Kinsler’s looking to make. After spending the bulk of his career as a power hitter, he’s spent the last two years as more of a line-drive hitter with gap power. If anybody can give Kinsler pointers on the process, it’s Hunter.

I’m not sure about Kinsler’s idea that he can get back to being a 30-steal guy again. But if he makes good on his mission to alter his hitting style, he’ll settle into a groove in which he’s inflating his on-base percentage with BABIP and rescuing his dwindling power with a steady diet of doubles and triples. And considering the relative offensive weakness of his position, a groove like that would absolutely make him a dangerous offensive force once again.

However, Kinsler’s not content to stop there. He wants to improve on defense as well, and he has Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski to thank for that as well.

“He’s an all-around player. He’s not known for his outstanding range, but we think he’s a real steady second baseman,” Dombrowski told reporters at one point, according to Sanchez.

If we look at UZR’s measure of Kinsler’s range over the last five seasons, we’ll see that part is true:

Kinsler was known for his range on defense. But Dombrowski‘s right. These days, Kinsler’s not known for his range on defense.

Kinsler did, however, go about getting his range back the right way this offseason. He told Sanchez he’s lost 15 pounds. Ideally, being lighter will mean being quicker.

“I want to prove Dombrowski wrong,” said Kinsler. “I want to surprise you. I’m going to impress you with my range.”

And you know what? Maybe he will. Subtract 15 pounds from his listed weight of 200 pounds, and you’re pretty close to the 175 pounds Kinsler weighed when he was still a prospect. Provided he keeps the weight off, improved swiftness on his feet in the field is possible.

Between what Kinsler might do on offense and what he might do on defense, you are left with the sense that he can be better than expected in 2014. If you take Steamer’s word for it, that means he can be better than a 3.7-WAR player. 

And that’s an interesting thought, as that projected WAR is already better than the 3.4 WAR Steamer is projecting for Fielder. If all goes well, Kinsler’s 2014 production is going to completely overshadow that of his blockbuster counterpart.

Look past all the jerky things Kinsler had to say and all you’re looking at is a guy who’s determined to make sure that the Tigers got the better end of “the Prince Fielder trade.” And since he knows how to go about doing that and indeed can go about doing that, we might just be calling it “the Ian Kinsler trade” after 2014.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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The Kansas City Royals finished the 2013 spring training with a record of 25-7, and fans were excited to see the potential of the young guns on this team.  

By the end of the 2013 season, the Royals had a record of 86-76, and if it wasn’t for an epic 10-game winning streak from the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City would have finished right behind the Detroit Tigers for second place in the American League Central.  Furthermore, they even could have won a wild-card spot.

This season, Kansas City returns for another shot at the playoffs, and the chances are definitely greater.

After adding right fielder Norichika Aoki and the ever-so-reliable Omar Infante at second base, Kansas City’s lineup is now very dangerous.  

Aoki brings a great bat to the lineup, coming off a season with the Milwaukee Brewers in which he batted .286 in 155 games.  With Infante, the Royals are getting a guy who batted .318 in 118 games with the Detroit Tigers in 2013, and he has proven that he is a great major league player.

Add those two to a lineup that already consists of Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler, and you can see why there is reason to believe 2014 will be the season the Royals breakthrough.  

Butler has been a staple in the Royals lineup ever since he came up, owning a career batting average of .298 with 118 home runs in seven seasons with Kansas City.  Butler has been so reliable for the Royals, playing all 162 games in 2013 and missing only one game in 2012.  Expect him to be extremely determined to take his team to the playoffs, as they now have a legitimate shot in 2014. 

In 138 games in 2013, young catcher Salvador Perez proved he deserved the starting catcher role, batting .292 with 13 home runs.  In 253 career games, Perez owns a .301 batting average, which is very impressive for a catcher.  

James Shields sits atop the starting rotation for Kansas City in 2014.  In 34 games started in 2013, Shields went 13-9 with a 3.15 ERA.

After Shields, the Royals have Jeremy Guthrie, who won 15 games for Kansas City in 2013.  Although his 4.04 ERA in 2013 could have people questioning his effectiveness, he continues to win ballgames, which is a huge plus for that rotation.  

The third slot in the rotation belongs to Jason Vargas, who pitched in only 24 games in 2013, piling up a record of 9-8 on the year.  The Royals signed him to a four-year, $32 million deal during the offseason because they felt he has the stuff to win ballgames for them.  A bounce-back year for Vargas will give the Royals a great shot at making the playoffs.  

Next, the Royals have 15-year veteran starter Bruce Chen, who bounced back in 2013 after a rough 2012 season.  In 15 games started and 34 games pitched overall, Chen went 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA for the Royals, helping them come just shy of the playoffs.  

The fifth spot in the rotation will likely go to Yordano Ventura, who is a top prospect for Kansas City.  In 2012, he was the starting pitcher for Team World in the MLB Futures Game on All-Star Weekend.  

In five minor league seasons, Ventura owns a strikeout-to-walk ratio of an outstanding 9.9.  His ability to strike batters out has stood out to the organization, and he is only 23 years old—he has his whole career ahead of him.  If he performs in 2014, the Royals will have a pretty stable rotation, backed by a lineup full of young, talented hitters.  

While they will have to compete with the Detroit Tigers in the NL Central, there is plenty of reason to believe the Royals will finish with a better record in 2014 than the Cleveland Indians, who surged ahead of them in the standings at the end of last season.  If all goes according to plan for the Royals, we will see them competing with Detroit for the division title in September.  

So as the 2014 season quickly approaches, the Royals are excited to get it under way and to pursue the organization’s first playoff birth in 29 years.  With added experience and a few heavy bats in the lineup, there is reason to be excited if you are a fan of the Royals.  

*Statistics Courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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The Minnesota Twins got the news they were dreading Saturday morning. Their top prospect, Miguel Sano, will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2014 season, as reported by ESPN.com.

While Tommy John surgery has a shorter recovery period for position players than it does for pitchers, who obviously throw more, a lost season and a possible position change could change the fortune of the player ranked No. 6 in the game by Baseball America.

An MRI and exam confirmed that Sano has torn his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow). Sources tell me that there is still some worry that there is more extensive damage inside the elbow and that the surgeon, when chosen, will need to check it thoroughly when he goes in.

One source told me that the biggest fear is damage to the articular cartilage of the elbow, which could affect his long-term ability to throw with power. This could necessitate a position change.

The elbow was checked immediately after Sano injured his elbow in an intrasquad game on a simple throw. The doctors were concerned that the UCL had been compromised. Sano had previously hurt his elbow during winter ball, but he had cleared his physical coming into camp.

Since the team knew about the winter injury and monitored it, it is hard to believe that it would not have checked this in addition to the normal pre-camp physical. These physicals are often superficial, but known problem areas are usually checked thoroughly in order to maintain a paper trail for possible insurance and worker’s compensation issues down the line.

The normal recovery time for a pitcher having Tommy John surgery is between 10 and 12 months. For a position player, it can be less, as little as six months but normally closer to eight or nine. For more information on the surgery itself and its background, please read this award-winning series of articles.

The Twins’ Rob Antony, the assistant general manager who is running the club while Terry Ryan is recovering from cancer surgery, told the media that the team believes Sano will be back to hitting in four months.

Here is Sano himself discussing the upcoming surgery, courtesy of Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

But they do not expect Sano to play this season. He may need winter ball again next season, though teams are often reluctant to let rehabbing players play outside close supervision of their own medical staff.

The list of position players who have had Tommy John surgery isn’t as extensive as it is for pitchers—but it’s not short either. Players like Jose Canseco, Luis Gonzalez, Tony Womack, Shin-Soo Choo and Kyle Blanks have had the procedure. All returned normally and without significant change to their game. However, there’s not many in the way of plus-throwers in there. 

While Albert Pujols did not have Tommy John surgery, he did damage his ulnar collateral ligament. It forced his move from third base, initially moving him to left field. He was limited in throwing so much that Tony La Russa devised a new relay system, sending shortstop Edgar Renteria deep into the outfield to shorten any throw.

Pujols quickly moved to first base after the throwing because of untenability. He later had nerve transposition surgery on the elbow, but refused to have Tommy John surgery.

The downside for Sano is that he no longer has as many options as Pujols did. Joe Mauer’s shift to first base from his previous catcher slot makes it nearly impossible to move Sano there. In fact, Mauer’s position was switched in part because Sano was expected to play third. Mauer is athletic enough to hold the position, so those plans may have to shift somewhat if Sano shows any throwing deficits.

The rehab process is very similar for position players as it is for pitchers. Sano should be able to recover, but for a player who has already overcome so much to be in this position, he can’t make up the time lost. Along with Byron Buxton, Sano is the vanguard of Terry Ryan’s team remake; losing a year won’t help, while positional issues may alter the plan altogether.

While Sano should return, there are more questions than answers at this stage.

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All eyes were on Jose Abreu Friday afternoon, as the Cuban slugger made his highly anticipated White Sox debut after signing a four-year, $68 million contract during the offseason.

Although the 27-year-old went hitless in two at-bats and was replaced in the bottom of the fourth inning, he certainly didn’t disappoint in his first taste of stateside baseball, lining to left field in his first at-bat and seeing 11 total pitches on the day.

Granted two at-bats is a ridiculously small sample on which to evaluate a player, but Abreu showed a defined approach in both trips to the plate on Friday. Suffice it to say it was a pleasant surprise for onlookers expecting a raw, free-swinger cut from the same mold as Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes.

Here’s what we learned about Cuban superstar Jose Abreu in his spring debut.

He isn’t afraid to work the count

Though Abreu is known for his vicious swings and prodigious power, the truth of the matter is that he’s more disciplined than given credit for, with a consistent approach and strong feel for the strike zone. Earlier this spring, White Sox manager Robin Ventura raved about his new first baseman’s approach and work ethic, via Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com:

He has more of a professional approach for being a big guy, hitting the ball the other way, more aware of his pitch. That’s stuff you like to see, the way they work, they go about it. He knows how to practice. He’s played before, so you know he knows how to do that.

…

You’re watching him practice, and he’s not worried about trying to hit every ball over the fence. He’s moving it around the field and hitting it on the barrel. Even fielding stuff, you’re watching him do things for a reason. He has a way to go about it that’s very professional.

Abreu’s mature approach was on display Friday against the Dodgers, as he saw a total of 11 pitches between his two at-bats. The right-handed batter quickly worked a 2-1 count by taking the first three pitches he saw from starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, and he later pushed the count full with another take on 2-2 before roping a line-out to left field.

After facing Ryu in his first at-bat, Abreu drew a more challenging arm his next time up in Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. However, the slugger showed the same plate discipline against the right-hander; he appeared to see the ball well out of Jansen’s hand and tracked it deep into the zone.

Specifically, Abreu had a pair of impressive takes during the at-bat, both of which came after he swung through the first pitch. Jansen tried to make Abreu expand his zone with an elevated, 0-1 fastball, but the 27-year-old was able to lay off and even the count. Jansen’s next pitch was his trademark cutter just off the outside corner, which looked like a strike until it sliced off the plate.

Amazingly, Abreu was able to spit on the offering, tracking it all the way to the catcher’s glove off the outside corner. He could have probably put the barrel on the ball—Abreu hardly appeared tempted by the offering, which suggests he was looking for something on the inner half. Though he ended up grounding out to second base on a 2-2 pitch to end the at-bat, the patience he showed along the way was very, very impressive.

He doesn‘t get cheated

Listed at 6’3”, 255 pounds, Abreu is an enormous human being with enormous power. The 27-year-old posted a .621 slugging percentage with 184 home runs in 2,686 plate appearances during his 10-year career in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, and that doesn’t include his strong track record in international tournaments.

Abreu’s first swing as a member of the White Sox was certainly memorable, albeit for the wrong reasons. After taking the first three pitches against Ryu, the big man finally cut it loose on a 2-1 changeup.

However, because he was sitting on a fastball, Abreu was way out in front of the pitch before losing grip of his bat and launching it toward the third-base dugout. Luckily, he would make up for the ugly hack later in the at-bat.

After working the count full, Abreu put a nice swing on a Ryu slider that caught too much of the plate, lacing it on a line to Chone Figgins in left field, who ultimately ran it down just before the warning track.

As you can see, Abreu was able to get the barrel on the ball. However, his swing was still a bit early against the slider, and it caused him to work around the ball on a flatter plane rather than staying inside so as to generate extension. Still, the fact that Abreu managed to hit a rocket to the track is a testament to his sheer strength.

Abreu took another monster hack in his second at-bat of the game, but once again he came up empty, this time swinging through a first-pitch cutter against Jansen. He ultimately worked the count back to 2-2 before grounding out to second base with a protective swing.

*All screenshots courtesy of MLB Advanced Media, MLB.com.

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Updates from Saturday, March 1

LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has the latest on Sano and the news isn’t good:

The highly-touted third base prospects has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and will need Tommy John surgery. Sano will fly to Minnesota next week to have the surgery.

[…]

Tommy John rehab for position players isn’t as extensive as pitchers, but indications are that Sano’s season could be over.

The team later confirmed Neal’s report on their official Twitter feed, and added that Sano’s season was over before it started.

Neal provided more info on Sano’s timeline:

Original Text

Minnesota Twins third base prospect Miguel Sano is experiencing lingering soreness in his right elbow that raises concerns about his major league future, according to TwinCities.com’s Mike Berardino.

Sano’s agent Rob Plummer doesn’t appear to be very optimistic after Sano recently asked whether he should undergo surgery on the problem area, per Berardino:

“I have a feeling this is more than nothing. We have to wait for the MRI to be read, but it feels like this is more than nothing.”

Until the examinations are complete and doctors can determine what it is exactly that’s ailing Sano, a timetable on his return to full strength remains unknown. For now, both player and club will be waiting anxiously and hoping for the best possible news. 

As Berardino points out, the Twins are likely to take a patient approach to Sano’s recovery if it turns out that his ulnar collateral ligament is still intact. Otherwise, surgery will be the only option.  

The 20-year-old third baseman is a native of the Dominican Republic and signed a deal with the Twins back in 2009 as a teenager. He’s spent recent seasons developing in the minors and was showing promise ahead of his recent setback.

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Last year, the Kansas City Royals were playoff contenders for much of the season.

After winning 86 games during the 2013 campaign, KC is looking to build on that in 2014.

In order to get there, the Royals will need several players to step up and play at a higher level this season.

Here are five players the Royals need big contributions from this year.

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The Detroit Tigers have won three straight American League Central titles, as they have sandwiched ALCS eliminations around an AL pennant in 2012 that saw them swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

Despite that recent run of success, they parted ways with a pair of key contributors this offseason, trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister with an eye on saving money for future extensions for Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera.

Ian Kinsler was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Fielder trade, and he gives the lineup a completely different outlook out of the top spot. The team also signed All-Star closer Joe Nathan and appears ready to turn an everyday job over the Nick Castellanos.

Drew Smyly will move from the bullpen to the rotation to replace Fister, with Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain joining Nathan as newcomers in the bullpen.

Through all of that shuffling, they still look like the team to beat in the AL Central and one of the best all-around teams in the American League. Time will tell if they can get over the hump and win it all this season.

For now, the team is in Lakeland, Fla. preparing for the upcoming season. We’ll use the following space to track the latest game results and other key news on a daily basis, so be sure to check back here for all the latest Tigers news leading up to Opening Day.

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Spring training is finally here.

While many players reported to camp last week, Monday marks the first official day of workouts for the Cleveland Indians. What this also marks is the beginning to another magical season on Lake Erie. 

Absent the major free-agent signings from a year ago, the Tribe are poised to challenge the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central crown during the 2014 season.

There is a lot to look forward to this spring.

Perhaps the most versatile player on the Indians roster, Carlos Santana will get some looks at third base and allow manager Terry Francona to make the decision as to whether or not his primary catcher in 2013 is ready to make the jump to the hot corner.

Nick Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera have returned to camp free of the injury bug that led to a modest season despite the Tribe’s triumphant return to the postseason.

Michael Brantley (and his new contract) and Jason Kipnis will look to improve upon their impressive campaigns a year ago to take the Tribe back to the promised land this October.

Justin Masterson begins his argument for a long-term deal, too, as he looks to anchor a promising, young pitching staff.

That only scratches the surface of the excitement.

Can Mickey Callaway rejuvenate the career of Shaun Marcum or Aaron Harang the way he did for Scott Kazmir last season? Can Jeff Francoeur or Nyjer Morgan return to contribute at the big league level the way Ryan Raburn did last season?

There are so many questions to ask, and there are so many questions that will go unanswered.

Without looking too far ahead, let’s see what Twitter is saying about the Tribe’s first official day of camp this spring:

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