Detroit Tigers:
The Detroit Tigers made the biggest splash in the division when they signed 1st Baseman Prince Fielder. Fielder was the second biggest prize in the free agent pool, coming from Milwaukee. Fielder had 38 home-runs and 120 RBIs last season. Fielder will man first for the Tigers, moving incumbent Miguel Cabrera to third. The Tigers also added reliever Octavio Dotel who had a 3.50 ERA in 65 appearances for the Blue Jays and Tigers. The Tigers lost Carlos Guillen, who saw a reduced role in 2011, to the Mariners. Victor Martinez is also out for the year after suffering a knee injury in the offseason. The Tigers will be the team to beat in the American League Central. It will be interesting to see how they fare on defense after making a move that trades solid infield defense for offensive fire power.

Chicago White Sox:
Kosuke Fukudome is making his way through the American League Central. His current stop is with the Chicago White Sox. After a disappointing start to his career, he will once again get a chance for revival in Chicago, the very city his MLB journey began. It will be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets at Wrigley when the White Sox visit the Cubs on May 18th. The White Sox will have a tough time replacing their ace Mark Buehrle, who chose to join Jose Réyes in Miami. The Chicago White Sox are in rebuilding mode and it will be interesting to see how their team plays when they’re down and out in the middle of the summer.

Cleveland Indians:
The Cleveland Indians silently had a pretty good offseason. They added a trio of players that can come on and make an instant impact. Casey Kotchman comes to Cleveland from Tampa Bay where he hit .306 with 36 extra base hits in 500 at-bats. Fred Lewis regressed in a reduced role in Cincinnati, but he’s a veteran player that can help guide the young tribe. Andy LaRoche is 28 years old and at a crossroads in his career, expect him to be at 100% effort and have a bit of a breakthrough season. The Indians will be an interesting squad this season. I expect them to exceed expectations a little bit this season due to their willingness to try different lineups and play who’s hot.

Kansas City Royals:
Is this the year? Is this the year all the young talent the Royals have been hoarding for years “grows up.” With Gordon, Butler, and the recently-extended Perez, they’ll have a formidable lineup. They took a chance on Jonathan Broxton. Broxton missed most of last season with an injury, but when healthy, Broxton can be a dominant reliever. If he was to come back to form, it would definitely be a huge boost for the Royals. I have a soft spot for Royals fans and hope things really click this season.

Jamey Carroll
Old Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Jamey Carroll comes to Minnesota from the Dodgers. The Twins added him for a reasonable price (2 years, $6.5 million dollars) to replace Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who struggled in his first year in Minnesota. Last season, Carroll hit .290 in 510 plate appearances, with only twenty extra-base hits. I think Carroll could thrive in Minnesota if Joe Mauer, Denard Span and Justin Morneau are healthy and can bring some power to this lineup. If not, we’ll see not just Carroll, but all the Twins hitting into double plays and leaving runners on base.

Ryan Doumit
Old Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Ryan Doumit is a great fit for the Twins. While technically listed as a catcher, I doubt he’ll see much time there. He was signed by the Twins to be a designated hitter. His fielding skills are suspect. He’s 16th amongst active catchers in errors and 24th in stolen bases allowed. Thankfully, Drew Butera is also expected to be on the opening day roster, so we will probably only see Doumit behind the plate in an emergency situation. Last year, Doumit hit .303 with 21 extra-base hits in only 218 at-bats. I’m excited to see what he can do with a full season and how he adjusts to being a designated hitter.

Josh Willingham
Old Team: Oakland Athletics
Josh Willingham was brought to the Twins to replace Michael Cuddyer. Commanding a nice salary, (three years, $21 million) Willingham will be a great fit in this lineup. Last season, Willingham hit .246 with 29 home-runs and 98 RBIs. Willingham will bring some much needed power to this lineup. If Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau remain healthy, Willingham will make this a tough lineup for even the most skilled of pitchers. His fielding is solid. Willingham, Span, and Revere will be the best defensive outfield in recent memory.

Jason Marquis
Old Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Jason Marquis gives the Twins a much needed starter after last year, when no Twins pitcher reached double digit wins for the first time in team history. Jason Marquis is not going to blow anyone away, but he’s a solid starter. He was 8-6 last year with a 4.43 ERA, which would be second amongst Twins starters (Only Baker’s 3.14 was better). Marquis is definitely a journeyman, but the Twins only committed to him for one year and his expertise could be valuable in the younger pitcher’s progression.

Joel Zumaya
Old Team: Detroit Tigers
Joel Zumaya was signed by the Twins as a reliever, but sadly the injury-plagued relief man tore his UCL in Spring Training and is considering retirement. Zumaya could elect to undergo Tommy John surgery and attempt another comeback. Either way, we wish Zumaya the best of luck and are disappointed we couldn’t share the season. My favorite Zumaya memory is in the 2006, when he was just 21 years old. Zumaya went and punched out the Yankees in the ALDS.

Joe Nathan
New Team: Texas Rangers
Joe Nathan is the Twins all-time saves leader and while he struggled to return to form after missing the 2010 season with injury, he was still one of the only solid bullpen options for the Twins last season. Nathan chose to go to Texas because he feels it provides him with best chance to win and he’s chasing that elusive World Series ring, seeing as it is the latter part of his career.

Michael Cuddyer
New Team: Colorado Rockies
Michael Cuddyer was the Twins only All-Star in 2012. He has been an important part of the Twins organization for the past ten years. Losing Cuddyer was definitely a blow to most Twins fans, but hope springs eternal. Cuddyer is on the back end of his career, being 32, and the Twins were unwilling to pay the $10.5 million dollars required to keep him.

Jason Kubel
New Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Jason Kubel has been very important to the Twins in the past few years. While he’s provided some great moments over the last three years (Grand Slam off Rivera?), the Twins decided it was best to move on. The Arizona Diamondbacks liked what they saw and offered Kubel a two year, $15 million dollar contract for his services.

José Mijares
New Team: Kansas City Royals
Normally, José Mijares wouldn’t warrant a mention in a significant losses column, but Mijares had been a pretty good relief pitcher for the past three seasons. Mijares struggled a bit last season and the Twins decided to move on, so Mijares joined the Kansas City Royals. I was surprised the Twins were so quick to move on from Mijares considering how thin the bullpen was last year and with the loss of Nathan this year.

Jim Thome
New Team: Philadelphia Phillies
I know Jim Thome did not finish the season with the team, but he’s such a fan favorite an update should be included. Thome signed a one-year deal with the Phillies. Thome, like Nathan, is chasing a World Series ring. Thome is five home-runs away away from seventh on the all-time home-run list. If the Twins don’t happen to win the World Series this year, I’d love to see Thome get a ring. Thome is truly one of the greats.

Check back tomorrow to see how the Twins are planning on replacing the massive holes left by some of these guys. Check back often for everything Twins as the summer heats up.

So long, Cuddy! Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE