Ranking the offseasons of AL Central teams so far

The Detroit Tigers have had a solid offseason so far, all things considered. They've addressed several needs with quality big league talent. There's still work to be done *cough cough* third base *cough cough*, but to call this offseason a failure, even if they don't add another bat, would simply be false.

And when you look at the other teams within the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers' offseason looks fantastic in comparison.

As the offseason hits a lull, we're going to rank the offseasons of the teams in the AL Central so far to see how the Tigers stack up. There really hasn't been a team in the division that has taken steps to separate themselves from the pack, leaving the division up for grabs.

So how have the Tigers fared this offseason compared to their divison rivals? Let's find out.

5. Chicago White Sox

There's no way to sugarcoat this. The Chicago White Sox are a complete dumpster fire. They were a disaster last season, finishing fourth in the AL Central with a 61-101 record. Just two years ago, they won the division. It's been quite the fall from grace for the south siders.

This offseason, they haven't done nothing, but the players they've added aren't going to help them win games. They acquired a couple of young starters from the Braves in Mike Soroka and Jared Shuster, both of whom have a lot of upside. But they also signed Paul DeJong to be their shortstop. He hasn't been good since 2019.

Other addions include SP Erick Fedde from the KBO, C Martin Maldonado, RP Tim Hill, and SP Chris Flexen. Woof.

On top of a lot of uninspired moves, you have the constant Dylan Cease trade rumors. It sounds like he's certainly going to be moved. Who knows? They could be moving other pieces as well, though it sounds like star OF Luis Robert Jr. is staying put for now.

The White Sox are entering another teardown. It's amazing that it's happened so quickly after all those years of tanking in the 2010s. It's going to be another long, dark period for Sox fans.

4. Cleveland Guardians

Another year, another offseason where the Cleveland Guardians have done absolutely nothing. The highlight has undoubtedly been landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery. That's obviously huge for the future, but the current big league roster just isn't very good.

Their offseason additons so far consist of SP Ben Lively and the return of C Austin Hedges. They also traded for Yankees' prospect Estevan Florial the day after Christmas. Exciting, I know.

Much like the White Sox, you also have trade rumors surrounding their ace as well. Shane Bieber could easily be on the move, as he only has a year left before free agency, and you know Cleveland isn't going to pay him.

They also have a new manager in Stephen Vogt. He's your typical former backup catcher turned big league manager. He takes over for longtime manager Terry Francona, who retired after the 2023 season. We'll how he pans out.

One thing Cleveland will always have is their pitching development. They'll always find a way to get more out of guys than most teams would. But their offense is almost as bad as the Tigers, if not worse. Unless they all of a sudden throw some money at a bat or two, Cleveland likely won't pose much of a threat in 2024.

2. Kansas City Royals

What kind of world are we living in where the Kansas City Royals have been active in free agency? We have truly reached the end times.

The Royals have added two starting pitchers in Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. They gave Lugo a three-year, $45 million contract, so they feel pretty good about him. They've also added relievers Chris Stratton and Will Smith.

They've also brought in utilityman Garrett Hampson and OF Hunter Renfroe on one-year deals. So they've done a lot this offseason. But I'm also weirdly not moved by what they've done.

Lugo and Wacha are both backend starters. Smith is a fine lefty, and Renfroe is coming off a down year. These are all being added to a roster that lost 106 games in 2023. Call me crazy if I'm not really convinced all these signings are going to make a difference.

So the Royals get props for trying, but ulitmately this is still going to be a bad team in 2024.

1. Detroit Tigers

Again, no team in this division has had an amazing offseason. But the Tigers get the top spot kind of by default here. The moves they've made, for the most part, address their needs with quality big leaguers.

Mark Canha provides the team with a veteran outfielder with great on-base skills. Andrew Chafin gives the team a great lefty out of the bullpen who can also pitch in high-leverage situations. Kenta Maeda is a really solid middle of the rotation guy who will also give the young arms on this team a veteran who can mentor them. Shelby Miller is a cheap, potential high-leverage option for the bullpen.

The only move that has been questionable is the Jack Flaherty signing. I've already said my piece on this move, but everything points to Flaherty being cooked. The only upside left is that he's still just 28 years old. Sadly, he also has a long injury history and a fastball that has no life on it anymore.

But other than that, this has been a successful offseason so far for the Detroit Tigers. To call it a failure would just not be true. They've addressed almost every need. If they were to get a third baseman, or any other bat, it would put them over the top, and possbily make them the favorites in this division in 2024.

So there you have it. The Tigers have had the best offseason in the AL Central so far. There's still roughly six weeks left for the other teams to catch up, but the Tigers have done well so far. Not bad, Scott Harris. Not bad.