Morning Phil Up – 2/10/2014 – American League Central Roundup
By Mike Lacy
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
A collection of links from around the American League Central:
Southside Sox – Mitchell Boggs Battled Problems Aplenty in Lost Season
The White Sox signed former Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs, and are hoping that he can recover from a disastrous 2013 season. There are many theories why he had such a poor season after being so spectacular in 2012, but regardless of the cause, the Sox will need him to rebound.
Wahoo’s on First – Indians Win Arbitration Case Over Vinnie Pestano
For the first time in over 20 years, the Indians went to arbitration with a player. The player in question is setup man Vinnie Pestano who had a very disappointing 2013 season. As a result, the Indians won the case and will pay Pestano $975,000 in 2014.
Fantasy Baseball Crackerjacks – Max Scherzer: Major Regression Not Likely
Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer came out of nowhere to win the 2013 American League Cy Young Award, leading some people to think that he will regress a bit in 2014. Taking a look at several factors shows that while it might be unrealistic to expect another Cy Young caliber season, Scherzer will still probably have a good year.
Twins Daily – Gilmartin Excited for New Opportunity
Seth Gilmartin is a former first round pick of the Atlanta Braves who the Twins acquired via trade this offseason. Various problems – most notably shoulder tendonitis – resulted in a poor 2013 season. Gilmartin is expected to begin the season at either AA or AAA and hopes that with an organization switch, he can put last year’s problems behind him.
Around the Horn in KC – Royals Name Mike Sweeney Special Assistant to Baseball Operations
The Royals have named their longtime former star Mike Sweeney to the front office and he will join the team’s baseball operations group. Sweeney – who finished his career with the Phillies in 2010 – ranks in the top six all-time in Royals history in 17 offensive categories, including second in average (.299) and home runs (197).