AMERICAN LEAGUE PREVIEW

Minnesota (88-75)

Open-air Target Field replaces Metrodome next season. Today’s forecast: snow showers, high of 36.

Cleveland (81-81)

Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez combined for 49 HRs and 214 RBIs in 2007, then 7 HRs and 62 RBIs in 2008.

Chi. White Sox (89-74)

Most powerful heart of order -- Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome -- combined for 104 HRs last year.

Kansas City (75-87)

David DeJesus led majors last season by hitting .419 with runners in scoring position (.279 otherwise).

Detroit (74-88)

New closer Brandon Lyon, a culprit in Arizona’s collapse last season, gave up four consecutive homers in one spring game.

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KEY PLAYER

Bad back puts Mauer in question

Joe Mauer, C, Twins

It’s hard to say anyone on the Twins is indispensable, since they lost Johan Santana and Torii Hunter a year ago and still got into a one-game playoff for the AL Central championship, but Mauer might be as close to indispensable as the Twins get. Mauer won the AL batting title last year, finished second in on-base percentage, won a Gold Glove and finished fourth in the most-valuable-player race. Mauer had kidney surgery in the off-season and a bad back this spring, and he’ll open the season on the disabled list. If he returns, the Twins have as potent a 3-4 punch as any team in the league, in Mauer and Justin Morneau. If he does not, well, it’s a steep drop to backup catcher Mike Redmond.

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HOT TOPIC

Royals could be surprise this season

The Royals as this year’s Rays? The Royals aren’t nearly that talented, but they do play in a division in which any team might reasonably be picked to finish first or last. The Royals have a great closer in Joakim Soria, who saved more games than any AL reliever except Francisco Rodriguez, a pretty good top three in Zack Greinke, Gil Meche and Kyle Davies and some useful lineup parts in outfielders Jose Guillen, David DeJesus and Coco Crisp, first baseman Mike Jacobs and catcher Miguel Olivo. But they need -- and still await -- the greatness promised by third baseman Alex Gordon, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, and designated hitter Billy Butler, drafted just ahead of Stephen Drew in 2004.