A look at what American League East teams did in the offseason

The Yankees pivoted immediately after losing out on Juan Soto, adding former Braves lefty Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million deal. They acquired another two All-Stars — outfielder Cody Bellinger and closer Devin Williams — via trade, and signed former MVP first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, among numerous others to bolster depth. The team also recently signed a minor league deal with beloved former Braves reliever Tyler Matzek, who will try to rejuvenate his career in pinstripes.

Will these moves result in the Yankees being a better team in 2025? They came up short in the World Series and lost a mega talent, but this roster looks deeper on paper. Health will play an important role, as it always does. And if Aaron Judge stays on the field, he’ll be an MVP candidate. If Gerrit Cole stays healthy, he’ll be a Cy Young candidate. He and Fried should be a powerful 1-2 punch.

The Yankees are the favorites in this division and probably the league entering the season, but it feels like they would benefit from another addition or two. Maybe that’s not coming since owner Hal Steinbrenner feels it’s “difficult” to spend like the Dodgers; yes, the owner of the New York Yankees is downplaying the franchise’s financial might. Such is baseball’s state.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles seemed primed for a flashy winter, but they opted to spread their wealth and pass on bigger-name additions. Their $60 million haul of offseason imports include outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson, catcher Gary Sanchez, starters Charlie Morton — that’s right, reminder that Chuck is still pitching, just not in Atlanta — and Tomoyuki Sugano, along with reliever Andrew Kittredge. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson should be in the MVP mix. Catcher Adley Rutschman will try to rebound from a rough second half. There’s young talent galore, including outfielder Colton Cowser and infielder Jackson Holliday.

Perhaps the O’s can still swing a trade for a front-line arm like Luis Castillo or Dylan Cease, but their roster seems mostly complete. Baltimore will contend for the division crown and again seems like a probable postseason participant, but will this team be good enough to achieve what the past two couldn’t? The Orioles’ homegrown talent isn’t going to remain cheap forever. The pressure is beginning to increase as the team remains in this great window of opportunity.

Boston Red Sox

While ownership has been routinely blasted recently – justifiably — the Red Sox are on the cusp of sustained competitiveness with their improved major-league roster and star-studded farm system. The Red Sox acquired Garrett Crochet to be their No. 1 starter. Their rotation was further solidified with former Dodgers righty Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito returning from injury. Newcomer Patrick Sandoval, a former Angels lefty who’d flashed some upside, could return in the second half.

Prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer are on the way. But the Red Sox could use another bat. They’ve been connected with free agent Alex Bregman, whom manager Alex Cora knows fondly from their Houston days, and trade candidate Nolan Arenado, who’d reportedly approve a deal to Boston. Like the Cubs in the NL, the Red Sox could alter their outlook with another move.

The Red Sox could still spend more — it’s been years since they’ve behaved as a financial behemoth — but their immediate and long-term future is starting to look encouraging.

Tampa Bay Rays

Unfortunately, this was another Rays offseason dominated by stadium talk. Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field, so the Rays will play at the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Long term, it remains unclear where the Rays will call home. Commissioner Rob Manfred has reiterated his desire to stay in the Tampa market, but the most exhausting storyline in sports persists.

In the field, the Rays unsurprisingly haven’t invested much in free agency — catcher Danny Jansen being the notable add – and surprisingly haven’t pulled off the creative trades we’ve come to expect from them. They traded Jeffrey Springs to the A’s, dealing from a rotation surplus that includes ace Shane McClanahan (who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery), Shane Baz, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepio, Zack Littell and the newly extended Drew Rasmussen.

At the plate, the Rays could use more pop. They’re counting on top prospect Junior Caminero to continue his star trajectory. If healthy, Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe supply power. Could a flier on White Sox/Orioles castoff Eloy Jimenez prove fruitful? If the season unravels, there are some veterans who’d hold value here, too, such as Yandy Diaz.

The Rays could go multiple directions. This could be a wild-card team. It also could be a last-place one. Tampa Bay has continued to find a pathway in a ridiculously difficult division, and with its pitching healthy again, the Rays could surprise some.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays’ story seems always to be about who they couldn’t get rather than who they did. That said, after missing on stars like Soto, Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki, Toronto has improved its talent this offseason. It added former Orioles slugger Anthony Santander, starter Max Scherzer — a risky flier — and pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia. The team took on infielder Andres Gimenez and outfielder Myles Straw in separate salary dumps from Cleveland. Toronto has remained linked with Bregman, which would obviously be a significant addition at this juncture.

But the Blue Jays’ future will loom over their campaign. Face of the franchise Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set for free agency after the season (Guerrero reportedly has a Feb. 18 deadline on extension talks). Shortstop Bo Bichette also is ticketed for free agency. If the Jays struggle out of the gate, calls for a fire sale will be loud. The Jays are staring at a potential rebuild if this season goes poorly and/or Guerrero departs. There are a lot of eyeballs on Toronto. They’re one of the stories of the season, and Guerrero’s future will be the most discussed among impending free agents.