On The Wire: AL Central Preseason

By Jim Higgins

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As we enter the second week of Spring Training, let’s take a look at some guys in the AL Central that could potentially become keepers for the 2011 season. Again, some of these players you may have to trade for but hopefully they come with a low price tag.

Chicago – John Danks – SP
Danks only turns 25 this year but with three full seasons as a starter under his belt, he seems primed to make a move from a solid starter to rotation anchor within the next year or two. He did seem to lose steam as the season wore on but that should only help lower his asking price.

Cleveland – Justin Masterson – P
Masterson started the season off solidly but his surface stats took a big hit once he reached Cleveland. Posting a 1-7 record with a 4.55 ERA in his new home, the biggest question with Masterson is how he will be used. He seemed more effective coming out of the pen for the Red Sox but maybe coming into 2010 with a defined role as a starter will help him properly prepare for the 2010 season.

Detroit – Scott Sizemore – 2B
There has to be something special about this 25-year-old for the Tigers to throw a consistent .300 hitter back on the streets and if your league has the same scarcity perceptions mine does, you will want to nab up Sizemore before anyone can determine if the Tigers are right. He had solid BA and SB numbers in AA and AAA last year and as long as you don’t need him to be a starter this year, he should be a great speculative pick to help build for the future.

Kansas City – Mike Aviles – SS
While there may be more depth at the position than in recent years, I truly believe MI spots are hard to fill on a yearly basis so most of my fliers tend to focus on guys at those positions that I can stash away and Aviles is one of those guys. Injuries derailed his 2009 after 120 AB and while most of them weren’t pretty (only a .183 BA), he did have a strong rookie debut. I don’t believe Aviles will be a .325 hitter again but I do believe he will provide a .280-.290 BA with 15-15 potential. He won’t set the world on fire but that could be useful in your quest to win your league.

Minnesota – Francisco Liriano – SP
Liriano is one of the toughest players to gauge in fantasy – both in terms of production and how others in your league feel about him. The latter is now even tougher given that Liriano is now being mentioned as a darkhorse candidate to fill Joe Nathan‘s role this year. This may make him tougher to get but I do believe he has soured enough owners the last two years that you can get him for below market valuse. But that’s besides the point so let’s keep this to what we know. In 2006, Liriano was as dominant as they come before being derailed by injury. Needing Tommy John surgery, Liriano missed all of 2007 and struggled in three April starts in 2008 before being sent to the minors to regain what he’d lost. He came back with a vengence, going 6-1 over the last two months of the season and giving owners hope for 2009. He then followed that up with a 5-13, 5.80 2009. Give the Liriano owner in your league this history and see if you can’t nab him for low. If this guy turns it around, he could be elite again.

Agree? Disagree? Is there a better candidate we overlooked? Let us know in the comments section below.