AL Central Notes: Indians, White Sox, Twins

Last summer, the Indians discussed a deal that would have sent prospects to the Brewers for Jonathan Lucroy, but those plans were scuttled when Lucroy blocked a trade to Cleveland. Months later, those prospects are still in the Indians’ system, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian notes. “There were a whole lot of unknowns,” says Greg Allen, one of the prospects reportedly included in the deal (along with Francisco Mejia, Yu-Cheng Chang and Shawn Armstrong). “When I saw he had vetoed the trade, I obviously didn’t really know what was going to happen next, if there was going to be a counter offer or different things like that. It was pretty crazy to be a part of.” Indians GM Mike Chernoff says that assistant GM Carter Hawkins (then the team’s farm director) joined various members of the team’s front office and coaching staff who helped explain what happened to the players who ultimately weren’t dealt. “They definitely reiterated that message — the fact that it wasn’t getting rid of guys, but more so a compliment to those guys that were involved,” says Allen. “Especially in that trade with myself, Yu-Cheng Chang, Francisco Mejia, guys who have pretty good resumes on their own. It just kind of speaks to that.” Here’s more on the AL Central.

• The White Sox acquired the top four prospects traded this offseason, as MLB.com’s Mike Rosenbaum notes (perhaps not surprisingly). Rosenbaum’s list of the top prospects to be dealt this winter begins with Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez, and also includes two other new White Sox, Luis Alexander Basabe (who’s at No. 6 and who came with Moncada and Kopech in the Chris Sale deal) and Dane Dunning (who’s at No. 7 and who arrived in the Adam Eaton deal with Giolito and Lopez).
• The Twins have agreed to bring Jeff Pickler aboard to join their big-league coaching staff next year, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes. Pickler previously served as a special assistant for pro scouting and player development with the analytically inclined Dodgers, and he’s expected to serve as a liaison between the team’s front office and its coaching staff. Pickler played eight years as an infielder in the Brewers system and has also worked in scouting with the Padres and Diamondbacks.