The past week was a big one in regards to Central Division teams' long-term futures. Here's a look:

Cleveland: The Indians are pulling away in the division race but made a move toward their future by calling up Francisco Mejia, the top-rated catching prospect in baseball, from Class AA. Mejia may see some action if Cleveland keeps expanding its lead, but manager Terry Francona mostly wants the 21-year-old to watch and learn.

Kansas City: With postseason hopes dimming, the Royals made some hard choices. Reliever Neftali Feliz was released, and slump-ridden Alex Gordon was benched for a couple of days. They also learned that Ian Kennedy, 4-10 with a 5.47 ERA, has no intention of opting out of the three years and $49 million remaining on his contract.

Detroit: The Tigers finally gave up on winning a title with the nucleus that won four division titles, trading Jason Verlander and Justin Upton just before this week's deadline. Moving Upton gives them salary relief, and Verlander brought an impressive package of prospects. The offseason question: Can they move Miguel Cabrera?

Chicago: The White Sox expunged the final veteran pitcher with any trade value, shipping Miguel Gonzalez to Texas for a 21-year-old infielder. With their midseason overhaul complete, only 30-year-old Jose Abreu is older than 26 among the players they intend to form their roster over the next two or three seasons.