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AL Central: Team needs, possible fits for 2016 MLB draft

Hard-throwing pitcher Carson Fulmer, from Vanderbilt, fits the mold of the type of player the White Sox like to draft early. Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports

For the fourth straight year, we're doing a comprehensive audit of every organization in baseball leading up to the MLB draft.

By examining where each team's strengths and weaknesses lie -- and with a working knowledge of its typical draft strategy and tendencies -- we can get a sense of which player each team will select when the draft begins.

Click on the player names of the possible fits to get a full scouting report for that player. Also, the number in parentheses in the bonus-pool area is their rank among MLB teams, from most money (Reds are 1st) to least (Cubs at 30th).

Division-by-division draft outlook

AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West


Chicago White Sox
First pick: No. 10 overall
Bonus pool: $9,416,600 (7th)

System strength: Power arms and power bats. Carson Fulmer, Jordan Stephens and Robinson Leyer will all touch 96 mph, and Blake Hickman might do the same once he has recovered from Tommy John surgery. Micker Adolfo, Corey Zangari and Franklin Reyes all have plus power projection, and Courtney Hawkins is starting to pick it up at Double-A.

System weakness: Few of the White Sox's arms are no-doubt starting-pitcher prospects, even Fulmer. We're still waiting on some of the recent high-profile international signings to get going. Adolfo struggled for two years against Arizona League (rookie ball) pitching while Amado Nunez has been hurt.

Recent rop picks
2015: Carson Fulmer, RHP, No. 8
2014: Carlos Rodon, LHP, No. 3
2013: Tim Anderson, SS, No. 17
2012: Courtney Hawkins, OF, No. 13
2011: Keenyn Walker, OF, No. 47

Possible fits

Dakota Hudson, RHP, Mississippi State: The White Sox have drafted college pitching each of the past two years, and with Florida lefty A.J. Puk likely to be gone by the time they pick, Hudson likely will be the best college arm on the board at that point.

Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade College Prep (West Hills, California): Now that Mickey Moniak has passed Rutherford on most teams' draft boards, Rutherford could get to pick No. 10 if just one or two teams in front of the White Sox are in love with a prep arm like Braxton Garrett or Matt Manning, or if someone is engaging in some underslot shenanigans with a college bat like Zack Collins. He'd be great value at 10.

Robert Tyler, RHP, Georgia: The White Sox pick again at 26, where college pitching will again be within selection range. Tyler is a two-pitch guy with control issues, but so was Carlos Rodon during his junior year. Jordan Sheffield could make sense at 26 if the Sox think he can start. Alec Hansen could be an option here or at pick 49 with the right financial maneuvering.


Cleveland Indians
First pick: No. 14
Bonus pool: $7,499,600 (16th)

System strength: Cleveland's lower levels are packed with projectable pitching, including Triston McKenzie, Juan Hillman and Justus Sheffield. The bats at the top of the system could end up hitting 3-4-5 in the lineup someday.

System weakness: There are some interesting low-level middle infielders, but not any that are locks for shortstop. Yu-Cheng Chang can hit, but he belongs at 3B, Tyler Krieger's shoulder injury has suppressed his arm strength and Luke Wakamatsu is smooth but might outgrow the position. Of course, I do realize they, uh, have a pretty good shortstop at the big league level right now.

Recent top picks
2015: Brady Aiken, LHP, No. 17
2014: Bradley Zimmer, OF, No. 21
2013: Clint Frazier, OF, No. 5
2012: Tyler Naquin, OF, No. 15
2011: Francisco Lindor, SS, No. 8

Possible fits

Matt Manning, RHP, Sheldon HS (Sacramento): Manning is a monstrous, athletic righty who has been into the mid-90s and flashes a plus slider. He's a top-10 talent but could fall simply because prep pitching is so loaded this year. Each of Cleveland's past two first-round picks fell for one reason or another, were pounced on and now look like inspired selections.

Cody Sedlock, RHP, Illinois: After focusing on prep pitching last year, Cleveland could go in a more mature direction and pursue college pitching. Dakota Hudson is likely to be done at this point, which leaves arms like Sedlock, Justin Dunn or Jordan Sheffield in the next available tier.

Bryan Reynolds, OF, Vanderbilt: If Reynolds or Zack Collins get this far, they too would constitute good value the way Bradley Zimmer did a few years ago. Collins will probably go somewhere between 9 and 18, as all 10 of those picks are being made by AL teams who can live with him becoming a 1B/DH.


Detroit Tigers
First pick: No. 9
Bonus pool: $5,424,300 (25th)

System strength: The Tigers have no shortage of velocity in the system, with Beau Burrows, Michael Fulmer, Montreal Robertson, Joe Jimenez and others throwing in the mid-90s. The Tigers prioritize and cultivate arm strength.

System weakness: There isn't a prospect in the system who has a complete offensive profile. Derek Hill has the best shot to make an all-around impact, but Christin Stewart and Steven Moya swing and miss too much, while lefty-hitting Mike Gerber has platoon concerns.

Recent top picks
2015: Beau Burrows, RHP, No. 22
2014: Derek Hill, CF, No. 23
2013: Jonathon Crawford, RHP, No. 20
2012: Jake Thompson, RHP, No. 91
2011: James McCann, C, No. 76

Possible fits

Riley Pint, RHP, St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Overland Park, Kansas): Pint is the platonic ideal of a Tigers pitching prospect and would almost certainly be the pick if he were still on the board at 9. Matt Manning, Ian Anderson, Braxton Garrett or even Forrest Whitley and Joey Wentz also fit that archetype.

Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer: There's a general consensus about who are the top nine players in this draft, which means the Tigers can essentially draft whomever of those nine fall to them and then chill out until their next pick all the way down at 155 (lost picks due to Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann signings). Lewis is heavily connected to the Reds at No. 2 but doesn't fit anywhere except for maybe Milwaukee after that, so there's a chance he falls to nine. Blake Rutherford and Delvin Perez are the other two most likely to get here.


Kansas City Royals
First pick: No. 67
Bonus pool: $3,225,300 (29th)

System strength: The Royals' farm is full of arms. They used four of their first five draft picks on pitchers last year, which added to the oft-injured Kyle Zimmer, Miguel Almonte and Scott Blewett.

System weakness: Bubba Starling has made some small strides and Hunter Dozier is back to hitting, but the system doesn't have a no-doubt everyday position player despite having some interesting young players at the lower levels.

Recent top picks
2015: Ashe Russell, RHP, No. 21
2014: Brandon Finnegan, LHP, No. 17
2013: Hunter Dozier, 3B, No. 9
2012: Kyle Zimmer, RHP, No. 5
2011: Bubba Starling, OF, No. 5

Possible fits

Jon Duplantier, RHP, Rice University: Projecting a pick as late as the Royals' is foolhardy. They don't exactly have a lot of money to play with, so it seems likely they go with someone signable to avoid a potential catastrophe. Duplantier is having a solid season after being injured all of last year. He's a potential back-end starter -- which is good value at 67 -- who might fall because of his injury history.

Brett Cumberland, C, California: Cumberland can hit but probably won't catch for long in pro ball. He likely moves to left field, where it will be tougher for his bat to profile every day. Still, he'd hold some appeal for the Royals here.


Minnesota Twins
First pick: No. 15
Bonus pool: $8,153,300 (11th)

System strength: This is a diverse system with some upside on the infield in Trey Cabbage, Nick Gordon and Wander Javier, as well as some potential mid-rotation starters up top in Jose Berrios and Tyler Jay.

System weakness: The Twins have selected an abnormally high number of likely relievers in recent drafts and now have lots of prospects who throw in the mid-90s but don't project as starters. Jake Reed, Michael Cederoth and Nick Burdi are all good arms, but can't start.

Recent top picks
2015: Tyler Jay, LHP, No. 6
2014: Nick Gordon, SS, No. 5
2013: Kohl Stewart, RHP, No. 4
2012: Byron Buxton, OF, No. 2
2011: Levi Michael, SS, No. 30

Possible fits

Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Vanderbilt: This would be a bit of a reach at pick 15, but it fits the Twins' recent modus operandi. Sheffield is small and has control that will wax and wane, but he's athletic and has tremendous stuff. With Dakota Hudson likely off the board, Sheffield and Justin Dunn best fit the Twins' recent strategy.

Joey Wentz, LHP, Shawnee Mission East HS (Prairie Village, Kansas): Wentz, or really any of the prep arms that could slip out of the top 10, like Matt Manning or Ian Anderson, would be solid values at 15 and still easily signable there.

Buddy Reed, OF, Florida: The Twins pick again at 56 and then have back-to-back selections at 73 and 74. If a college player whose stock has fallen because of an up-and-down spring slips to 56, the Twins can go way under slot at either 73, 74 or both and get something done with a player who might otherwise end up back at school to rebuild their stock as a senior. Reed, Connor Jones or even Daulton Jeffries are possibilities. The Twins tried this last year with Kyle Cody.