Spring training is underway, and the AL East figures to be one of the best divisions in the majors – as per usual.
In 2024, the Junior Circuit’s easternmost group of teams produced two playoff teams – the Yankees and Orioles. New York won the pennant for the first time since 2009, and Baltimore’s young studs produced a competitive but ultimately disappointing showing against the Royals in the wild card round. The Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Rays all missed the postseason.
To the astonishment of no one, the AL East was heavily involved in free agency and the trade market. The Yanks and BoSox, however, were far more fruitful in their roster construction than their division rivals, and both clubs were two of the most active teams in the off-season overall. Such circumstances should reignite a rivalry that has been stagnant for some time.
While Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Toronto were not inactive during free agency, they all left much to be desired. With that being said, this 56-year-old division still figures to have a contentious title race, beginning with an outside-looking-in team.
Six years ago, the Blue Jays had three highly-touted prospects, two of whom were next-generation ballplayers. That trio consisted of Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The front office was aggressive, and brought in Marcus Semien, George Springer, Robbie Ray, Hyun Jin Ryu, and Kevin Gausman.
That entire group combined for a Cy Young Award, multiple Cy Young votes each, and 10 All-Star selections. Despite all of the hardware, that distinguished crop of players produced zero AL East titles, and not one single playoff win – despite the supreme confidence of Guerrero Jr.
Fast forward to 2025, the Blue Jays have developed a keen sense of buyer’s remorse since hauling in some of those aforementioned players. Biggio has been a journeyman, Ryu has not pitched since 2023, and Ray, along with Semien, left in free agency.
The remnants of that amalgamation of talent are Guerrero Jr., Bichette, Springer, and Gausman. Guererro and Bichette are both in a contract year, and will almost certainly test the free agent market next year. While “Vladito” finished sixth in MVP voting last year and posted a .940 OPS, Bichette was one of the worst players in all of baseball.
After earning a third-place finish in Cy Young voting in 2023, Kevin Gausman regressed precipitously in 2024. Overall, the entire team is in a flummoxed state – but not all hope is lost.
The Blue Jays have been the laughingstock of the AL East for the past couple of years, but they did address some needs in the beginning of the winter. They signed former Oriole Anthony Santander, and also acquired the services of Jeff Hoffman, Andres Gimenez, and future Cooperstown inductee Max Scherzer.
Hoffman was an All-Star last year, and will be the closer for a bullpen that finished 29th in ERA and last in FIP. Scherzer brings in his sagaciousness and veteran pedigree. He is not who he once was, but he will clearly anchor the rotation. Santander had a career-best season, and was handsomely rewarded for it.
At the end of the day, Toronto has missed out time and time again on marquee free agents – whether it’s Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto. Corbin Burnes and Alex Bregman also spurned the team, despite getting more lucrative offers. This is an aging team with a still-weak bullpen, a plethora of big free agents next year, and just too many deficiencies to really contend. Look for the Blue Jays to win 75-80 games, and then embark on a Herculean effort to convince Guerrero Jr. to stay.
In 2023, the O’s got into the playoffs for the first time since 2016, clinched the AL East for the first time since 2014, and had their best win total since 1979. They were swept in the ALDS, but a foundation was laid for the future, especially with a new owner in David Rubenstein.
One year later, the Orioles narrowly finished second in the division, and played October baseball for the second straight year. The Birds had not accomplished that since 1996-1997, the good ‘ole days of Rafael Palmeiro, Robbie Alomar, and Cal Ripken Jr. Yet again, though, they were swept out of World Series contention – this time by the upstart Royals.
The aforementioned foundation has been built by former first round picks Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser, in addition to top-ranked prospect Gunnar Henderson. Jackson Holliday, also a first overall pick like Rutschman, has struggled to adjust to MLB pitching, but is still widely expected to blossom into a superstar. Holliday has only logged 190 MLB at-bats.
As if their young bucks weren’t enough, Baltimore also boasts Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, and free agent signee Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill is the team’s first multiyear free agent acquisition in general manager Mike Elias’s stint. Bottom line, this lineup is athletic, fast, and formidable, even with the loss of Anthony Santander to free agency.
Negligible losses in free agency are one thing, though. Another thing is to allow Corbin Burnes to walk away. Burnes, who has received Cy Young votes in five straight campaigns and won the coveted accolade outright in 2021, when he joined forces with the Diamondbacks in Arizona. He finished fifth in voting last year, and anchored a strong Baltimore rotation.
In order to compensate for Burnes’s departure, the O’s inked Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals. They also traded for Seranthony Dominguez to fortify a susceptible bullpen that finished 23rd in ERA in 2024, and they are hoping that closer Felix Bautista can remain healthy.
There is no question that the Orioles had a mostly underwhelming off-season, but they are still prime contenders for the AL East crown. Their lineup is deep and versatile, but their bullpen remains a liability.
Losing Corbin Burnes and replacing him with a quadragenarian and a pitcher who has not faced MLB hitters is a shaky maneuver, but this scrappy flock will still be a very good team. It’s time for Baltimore to take the next step. The Orioles will win between 89-95 games.
It’s been a tough past few years for the Rays. Former top prospect Wander Franco is unlikely to ever play in another Major League game, for very morbid reasons. That situation is exacerbated by the fact that the Rays’ home ballpark, Tropicana Field, was ravaged by Hurricane Milton.
Per ESPN, “The Trop” faces repairs that will cost $55.7 million, rendering the facility unavailable for this year. The circumstances echo back to when the New Orleans Saints were displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
As a result, the Rays “home” field for 2025 will be George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of their AL East rival Yankees. Manager Kevin Cash and his players aren’t allowing adverse circumstances to hinder them, though.
Being dormant in free agency is a staple of Rays baseball, but not this time around. The team successfully got super-utilityman Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Danny Jansen to come aboard the Tampa train. Those two represent modest improvement, but the team has always operated that way.
Shane McClanahan is healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing all of last year. He’ll be the lifeblood of an arsenal of starting pitchers that is comprised of Drew Rasmussen, Zack Littell, and Shane Baz. If healthy, this rotation can be among the best in The Show. Pete Fairbanks will take on a similar role in a bullpen that was a massive liability in 2024.
As far as hitting goes, the team will be curtailed. The core of the lineup from last year – a lineup that produced the second-lowest team OPS – is still somewhat intact. Yandy Diaz, Bradon Lowe, Jose Caballero, and Christopher Morel will have to do much more for this team to fight for a postseason spot.
Tampa Bay didn’t make enough moves to fortify a leaky bullpen, and the lineup will be below average on its best day. They better hope for a healthy rotation, or it’ll be another lost year. The Rays will win 75-84 games.
The Red Sox are, historically, major players in free agency. That wasn’t the case for the last few years, but they are back with a vengeance in 2025.
Looking to bolster its rotation, Boston went out and acquired ace southpaw Garrett Crochet via trade. They also signed former Dodger Walker Buehler to a one-year pact. Combined with 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford, the BoSox have a deep rotation. Coming into the bullpen are Aroldis Chapman, Patrick Sandoval, and Justin Wilson.
Boston’s biggest move, though, was its signing of star third baseman Alex Bregman, who held firm right until spring training. With him in tow, the Red Sox will have one of the best lineups in the majors, ranging from Bregman himself and Triston Casas to Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Wilyer Abreu.
It’s no secret – the rivalry with the Yankees is on again. The Fenway Faithful will witness a 90-95 win season, and an airtight division race in the AL East.
The sting of losing Juan Soto in a prolonged bidding war to the crosstown rival Mets didn’t linger for too long in Yankees Universe. A previous article summarizes the bulk of the Yankees’ off-season transactions.
Since the publishing of said article, general manager Brian Cashman has brought back lefty reliever Tim Hill on a one-year, $2.85 million contract, with a 2026 club option for $3 million. Carlos Carrasco was also inked to a minor league deal.
The AL East will be a sprint between the defending American League champions, the Orioles, and the resurgent Red Sox. The Yankees’ lineup will regress, but their rotation and back end of the bullpen will compensate. New York will win 89-96 games, and they are still the American League favorite. This is the end of my AL East rant.
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