On May 6, Chris Sale missed a start because of a sore elbow, and the White Sox wondered if he needed to go back to the bullpen. Now, the 6-6 lefthander has emerged as the second-best pitcher in the AL Central, behind Justin Verlander. Sale entered the weekend leading the league with a 2.34 ERA and had a 15-strikeout performance against Tampa Bay last Monday. "He's special," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

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The Royals gambled last offseason when they signed Jonathan Broxton to a one-year, $4 million contract to be Joakim Soria's setup man. But with Soria lost to Tommy John surgery, Broxton has a 1.74 ERA in 21 appearances and 12 saves in 14 chances. The former Dodgers closer had surgery to clean out his right elbow last September but looks strong again and could make an excellent trade chip.

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The Tigers might have to trade for a second baseman after finally shipping Ryan Raburn to Class AAA. Raburn had a terrific spring training but was batting just .146 before his demotion. Internally, the Tigers have Danny Worth and Ramon Santiago to play second base. The trade market could be thin on middle infielders, but one possibility would be Colorado's Marco Scutaro.