AL Central: Cleveland Indians

The Tribe were in position to earn their first playoff berth since the days of Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel last year, only to see their hopes dashed on the season's final weekend. They made some moves this offseason, but they lost several key components of their pitching staff, and that will prevent them from earning a playoff spot this season.

Lineup: Victor Martinez, the top catcher in baseball, and Travis Hafner anchor the Indians lineup, which is good, possibly the best in the division, but isn't going to carry the club to a playoff berth. Grady Sizemore broke out as a star centerfielder last year, and if he can cut down on his 132 strikeouts, will become a very good leadoff hitter for years to come. His calm demeanor in center field and good bat remind me of former Orioles center fielder Brady Anderson. Newly acquired Jason Micheals had a .399 OBP last season, and if he can repeat those numbers, the Indians won't regret losing Coco Crisp. Jhonny Peralta is another young Indian who should shine for years to come, his .520 SLG last year was tops among shortstops. The heart of the Indians lineup is very good, but right field, third base, and first base are problem areas. Casey Blake is not a bad hitter, but for a corner position, better than a .746 OPS is needed. Aaron Boone is penciled in as the starter at third, but if his OPS remains under .700, don't be surprised if prospect Andy Marte gets a chance at first. Ben Broussard saw his OBP drop 63 points last season, and the Indians signed Eduardo Perez to back him up. Broussard may find himself in a platoon if he doesn't improve his numbers. Ronnie Belliard has good power for a second baseman. The Indians don't have much speed however, ranking 11th in the AL in stolen bases.

Starting Pitching: The Indians staff was very good last year, led by Kevin Millwood and his 2.86 ERA. However, Millwood is gone, and to replace him is Paul Bryd, who was a mediocre third or fourth starter for the Angels last year. The new ace is Cliff Lee, who won 18 games last year, but had an ERA over 3.75. Veteran C.C. Sabathia is the second starter, and has proven he can be relied upon, but he's not going to have a Millwood-esque ERA. Jake Westbrook is fourth, but his 4.49 ERA was more than a point higher than 2004, when he was an All-Star. Jason Johnson was signed to replace the departed Scott Elarton, and while Johnson is a decent back-end pitcher, his career WHIP of 1.47 is a concern. The Indians still have a good rotation, with solid guys 1-5, but it will likely be worse than what Cleveland put on the field last season.

Bullpen: The Indians bullpen was among the best in baseball last season. Closer Bob Wickman was re-signed, but he may start to tire at age 37. Two key components of last year's bullpen, Bob Howry and Arthur Rhodes, will not return, and will replaced by Guillermo Mota and one the team's free agent signings, Danny Graves or Steve Karsay. The main setup men figure to be Fernando Cabrera, Scott Sauberbeck, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Miller, and Mota. Losing Rhodes and Howry shouldn't be a huge issue for a deep and talented bullpen. The biggest question is Wickman's age, but closers have been effective at an old age before.

X Factor: Cliff Lee. He hadn't been a reliable starter before last season, when he won 18 games. With Kevin Millwood gone, he'll need to repeat his performance, or the Indians rotation will suffer.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Bullpen/Speed

Projection: 2nd place in the AL Central.

Win Range: 83-88