The Chicago White Sox ran away with the American League Central last season, but a few teams are making a concerted effort to prevent that from happening again in 2022.
In particular, the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins have loaded up this offseason. They most certainly had ground to make up in the talent department, and the moves they made this offseason suggested they think they’re ready to really compete.
The Twins made waves over the weekend when they, somewhat surprisingly, landed one of the top free agents in Carlos Correa. That came after their additions of Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela in a blockbuster trade with the Yankees days earlier.
It’ll make things harder on the White Sox, but their ace, Lucas Giolito explained on the "Chris Rose Rotation" podcast why isn’t fretting over the added star-power in the division.
"I was (surprised),” Giolito responded when asked about the Twins landing Correa. “But for me … my thought on it is it’s welcomed. For us, you’re preparing to try to get to the World Series, right? And when you get to the postseason you’re playing the best of the best, like focused, at the top of their game like every single game counts.
“So, over the course of 162 games, wouldn’t you want to practice against the best of the best? Not practice, every game counts, but get those games in against really, really good, talented players just to keep everyone locked in. Instead of going into a series and you look at the lineup or you look at the other team you’re facing and it’s like oh, OK, and there’s that little edge that maybe you lose. Competition is always a good thing.”
The American League is shaping up to be as fun as ever. The Twins and Tigers will be better, while the East is absolutely loaded. The Rangers and Mariners made some nice additions this offseason, and perhaps this is the year the Angels finally get their act together – especially after some big losses for the Astros.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram