Article: Red Sox Week in Review: A Look at the AL East

[Caleb Kohn]

Some big-time pitching deals headline the week's activity as one of the toughest divisions in baseball improves across the board. 

Well, it turns out that there is still life after Juan Soto. With the superstar finally ending the drama and inking a megadeal with the New York Mets, the hot stove reached a boiling point. While teams across the board had some roster shakeups, the tremors ran deepest in the American League, and the balance of power appears to have shifted. Last season, the AL Central surprisingly sent three teams to the playoffs. The AL East, which has been a powerhouse, is apparently determined to not let that happen again. Today we are recapping some of the major moves and rumors around the division and divining who might be poised to make some noise in the market this week.

Yankees Pivot To Pitching
After the Yankees sufferred the indignity of being beaten out for one of their own players by their crosstown rivals, everyone was waiting to see where the team would turn for reinforcements. Having saved $700 million on Soto, general manager Brian Cashman didn’t waste any time, signing lefty Max Fried to an eight-year deal worth $218 million. The contract is the largest ever given to a left-handed pitcher. Gerrit Cole and Fried give the Yankees a formidable one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Over the past five seasons, Fried has a 2.81 ERA, the lowest among all pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched. 

The rotation depth allowed the Yankees to make another significant move, trading World Series standout Nestor Cortes (if you know you know) and prospect Caleb Durbin to the Brewers in exchange for closer Devin Williams. Williams is known for his devastating changeup and his ability to completely shut down opposing teams. Since his debut in 2019, he has been one of the best in the game, earning two All-Star selections, getting MVP votes in two seasons, and winning the National League Reliever of the Year award in 2021 and 2023. Williams has a career 1.83 ERA and has struck out nearly 40% of the batter's he's faced.

The Yankees have some major holes to fill in the outfield and first base, but they have been connected to a player who could fill either one. Cody Bellinger was already rumored to be available before the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker, but that trade likely makes Bellinger a necessity. The Yankees need a left-handed bat and were rumored to be in on Bellinger as a free agent before he eventually signed with the Cubs. Bellinger has been inconsistent (to say the least), but he has superstar potential at his best. Perhaps the short porch in right field would be a good fit, and his defensive versatility would be a bonus. The Yankees have also been mentioned as potential destinations for Pete Alonso or Christian Walker.

The Red Sox Get an Ace
After losing out on Juan Soto and Max Fried in a matter of days, Red Sox fans were getting a little bit antsy. If Craig Breslow was capable of making a big move, he needed to act. Thankfully Breslow didn’t disappoint, as the Red Sox were able to swing a trade for coveted White Sox ace, Gerrit Crochet. The 26-year-old immediately slots in at the top of the Boston rotation, bringing a league leading 12.6 K/9 with him. While the trade came at a sizable cost, including first-rounders Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, the deal did prove one thing: The Red Sox mean business.

The Red Sox also swung a deal with the Yankees, giving up highly-ranked pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz in exchange for catcher Carlos Narváez. The trade has been widely regarded as a minor one, not even earning a writeup by MLB Trade Rumors, but if Narváez slots in as the backup catcher behind Connor Wong, the move could have an outsized effect on the results of the 2025 season. While there are still holes to fill, the Red Sox have been linked to multiple big-name players in both free agency and the trade market. A big-time bat like Teoscar Hernandez, Alex Bregman, or Anthony Santander would play well at Fenway Park and would bring some much needed thump to the lineup from the right side. Ken Rosenthal listed the Red Sox as a possible destination for starter Jack Flaherty, mentioning that the Red Sox were interested in him before he signed in Detroit last offseason. The trade market opens up all kind of interesting possibilities, from bringing in Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals to prying some pitching away from the Mariners (Luis Castillo has been mentioned) or Pirates (Jared Jones?). Craig Breslow has a lot of options right now, but it definitely feels like the team is on the cusp of another big move. They need to be.

Orioles Do Nothing…Again
The Orioles have built a young core that is the envy of almost every fan base. Led by the likes of Gunner Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, and Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles should be the class of the American League for the next five years or so. After all, the Astros have gone on an incredible run after their rebuild, and the Orioles are built in much the same manner by many of the same architects. After back-to-back playoff appearances, Baltimore is still just a piece or two away from making a deep playoff run, but free agency rumors have them been linked to…[checks notes]…absolutely no one. Ken Rosenthal reported one rumor: That they don't want to sign anyone encumbered by Qualifying Offer. It's not ideal for the most prominent rumors to be about the players you don't want to sign (though Baltimore was listed as one of the teams that checked in on Castillo). The only deals they have made so far simply replaced like for like. They signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract to take the place of Anthony Santander and signed Gary Sánchez to a one-year deal to replace the departing James McCann. Aside form that, the Birds have been quiet so far. With the team leader in home runs (Santander) and the ace of the rotation (Corbin Burnes) reaching free agency and division rivals making serious moves, the Oriole’s chances at winning the division suddenly look a lot worse.

The offseason is young, but the market is moving much faster than it has in previous years. If the front office is planing on making serious moves to keep pace in the increasingly competitive AL East, they need to do it quickly. Orioles fans have waited a long time for their competitive window to open up, and it won’t be here forever. They have a young, exciting core and a brand new ownership group. The time to spend is now.

Toronto Faces a Crossroads 
The Blue Jays were finalists for Juan Soto’s franchise-altering services, a year after being finalists for the unicorn himself, Shohei Ohtani. The problem is they can’t seem to get past the last stage, and after being spurned for two consecutive years by the best free agent on the market, the franchise appears to be at a crossroads. The last two major pieces of their young core are reaching free agency after the 2025 season, and it is unlikely that either Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette will want to miss out on the open market after seeing how Soto got paid. So what now for Toronto? They could follow the Yankees playbook and pivot to pitching. The Blue Jays have been linked to Corbin Burnes, who will likely get the largest contract of any pitcher on the market this offseason. They could also look to recoup some value from Vlady, especially after the Astros netted Cam Smith, the Cubs' electric 2024 first-round pick, in exchange for one more year of Kyle Tucker. They were able to swing a major move, landing defensive superstar Andrés Giménez and right-hander Nick Sandlin from Cleveland in exchange for cost-controlled slugger Spencer Horwitz (whom the Guardians promptly traded to Pittsburgh). The team is rumored to be looking for a starter and a right-handed bat, likely a corner outfielder. One thing is for sure, the Blue Jays need to pick a direction and run with it. 

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[Nick]

Only thing I can figure out about the Orioles is that they will have 16 arbitration eligible players at the end of 2025. They have about 10 this year.

Are they afraid that payroll is going to get hit with higher arb numbers in two years?

[Nick]

Let's hope Sox don't stop playing ball this winter. Crochet is a start. We need to see a right handed bat, a reliever and maybe another starter.

[Brock Beauchamp]

37 minutes ago, Nick said:

Only thing I can figure out about the Orioles is that they will have 16 arbitration eligible players at the end of 2025. They have about 10 this year.

Are they afraid that payroll is going to get hit with higher arb numbers in two years?

Maybe? But my biggest question about the Orioles is why haven't they locked up a single one of those players yet? I really don't understand what they're doing over there.

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Maybe? But my biggest question about the Orioles is why haven't they locked up a single one of those players yet? I really don't understand what they're doing over there.

The old ownership didn't want to spend any money. The new ownership didn't fully take over until last August. They are either currently working on extensions or have cash flow issues IMO. 

Maybe they are just deeply unserious people? Who knows?

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The old ownership didn't want to spend any money. The new ownership didn't fully take over until last August. They are either currently working on extensions or have cash flow issues IMO. 

Maybe they are just deeply unserious people? Who knows?

Teams refusing to hand out pre-arbitration extensions to incredible talent to avoid "spending money" is missing the ****ing forest for the trees, IMO.

[Caleb Kohn]

I feel like its already too late. Gunner Henderson just put up a monster season, I don't see any way he doesn't touch free agency now. Jackson Holiday is going to break out this year, and Adley is one of the games best catchers. They should have done what the Brewers did with Churio 

[bkzwhitestrican]

No write up on the Rays? I guess teams without a stadium don't count. 

[mvp 78]

12 hours ago, bkzwhitestrican said:

No write up on the Rays? I guess teams without a stadium don't count. 

What is going on in Tampa is pretty laughable. I'd feel bad for the Rays fans, but they were going to build the new stadium right next to the old one and still not draw anybody. Dave Stewart needs to buy them ASAP. 

[Bellhorn04]

12 hours ago, bkzwhitestrican said:

No write up on the Rays? I guess teams without a stadium don't count. 

You have a pretty good sense of humor for a Yankee fan. 😊

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

You have a pretty good sense of humor for a Yankee fan. 😊

Helps when the Rays are actually. paying them for once.