AL Central Preview: Guards try defending lackluster division

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

The Guardians were a surprising AL Central champion a year ago when one of the youngest clubs in baseball overtook the slumping Twins down the stretch. Now, they’ve added Josh Bell and Mike Zunino to a team that returns largely intact, and that makes them the favorites to win the division again. The Twins hope to avoid another late-season swoon, while the White Sox intend to bounce back from one of their most disappointing seasons in years. The Tigers and Royals, meanwhile, are in the midst of rebuilding efforts with new general managers and could be fighting to stay out of the AL Central basement.