AL Central Notes: Indians, Tigers, Twins, Avila

The Indians called up top prospect Jason Kipnis today, hoping that his .281/.363/.485 batting line in Triple-A will provide a boost for their big league offense. Let's see what else is going on around the division…

• The Indians need a starter and a bat, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says (on Twitter) that they are taking a conservative approach to the trade deadline.
• Meanwhile, SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) that the Indians' top two trade targets are Hiroki Kuroda and Aaron Harang. Earlier today we heard they were looking at Coco Crisp as well.
• The Tigers are still not talking to the Astros about either Wandy Rodriguez or Brett Myers, reports Morosi (on Twitter). Earlier today we heard Houston is "making it clear" that they're willing to move Wandy.
• Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Twins are dipping their toe in the bullpen market, and seek a reliever to pair with Joe Nathan and Matt Capps at the end of the game.
• The AL Central is up for grabs, and MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the trade deadline could play a big part in determining who eventually wins the division.
• ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wrote about the rise of Alex Avila, the Tigers 24-year-old All-Star catcher.