Hot Stove Update: AL East

American League East:

Well all hail the Yankees in 2009, congrats, you bought the best team you’ve had since 2000. How sad is it that a decade is considered a draught in New York, and that we began and ended the decade with Yankees’ championships. At least now they have to begin defending their championship and while their core players haven’t moved, the supporting staff has left the champs. Boston has righted the ship and become a competitive force in the American League making themselves the perennial favorite for the East Title or the Wild Card. Since taking the East by storm two years ago, building a team from the ground up (and a name change) finally paid off for the Rays, though they were unable to replicate their American League title success though put together consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Orioles and the Blue Jays are in a perpetual rebuilding mode though the talent found in the O’s is starting to rejuvenate their fan base. Baseball in Toronto is waning and the departure of All Stars Roy Halladay and Alex Rios leave a vacuum of lackluster and aging talent.

Yankees:

Here’s the real question to all you Yankees’ fans, did your team improve this offseason? You’ve lost Matsui, Damon, and Cabrera while adding Curtis Granderson and Javy Vazquez. Once the spotlight is on Vazquez, he will always wet the bed; he proved that in his first stint with the Yankees, than brought his off-Broadway piddle-fest to Chicago and wilted in the 2008 playoff run and divisional series for the White Sox. Good luck with him, even though I expect him to be dropped of at Grand Central by the non-waiver trading deadline. Having seen Granderson play on a semi-regular basis, Detroit wasn’t doing him any favors. He’s a competitive five tool player though can struggle mightily against good pitching though will thrive in the spotlight and hit with pizzazz. He will be in a better lineup and will see better pitches. His defense is above average from what I can remember and is a superior upgrade from both Damon and Matsui because he can play everyday.

This year the Yankees have a target on their back and I fully expect them to be favored heads-up against Boston and Tampa for the division title. The biggest question will be how the pitchers will look after playing an extra five weeks after the regular season. All of the big signings last year paid dividends for their fans and could this be makings of a new dynasty?

Boston:

The Red Sox aren’t going to outspend the Yankees, frankly no one will, so this means that Boston has to out play New York. Boston has made some smart fundamental baseball decisions by not signing Jason Bay, while a solid offensive player, he’s as good as a brick of Swiss cheese in left field, and signing Mike Cameron as their center fielder allows Ellsbury to move to left field, which should make things easier for him. John Lackey, while pricey, was as good of a decision they could have made without mortgaging the farm for Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee.

Boston certainly doesn’t have the potent offensive combo of yesteryear and I would expect the Red Sox to look to trade for a bat by the end of May because Fenway is as much of an offensive field as it is a pitcher’s and they need to find a balance. Rumors have been churning since the winter meetings about the Red Sox acquiring the Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez. This would be a wonderful offensive move for the Carmines because this would allow Victor Martinez to be the primary catcher, Gonzalez the first baseman, and Youkilis the third basemen.

Rays:

Tampa isn’t going to wow anyone with blockbuster free agent signings and it isn’t a sexy destination for players. The best comparison I can make is that the Rays are Twins of the AL East; they draft good talent and have a strong focus on fundamentals and team spirit. Whether the Rays like it or not, they still a couple pieces away from making a strong stand against the East’s Elite. Those pieces would be an ace pitcher and a superstar infield presence. Evan Longoria may become that infield talent though he can’t do it alone.

The Rays made a couple of surprising moves early in the off-season, specifically in trading for Kelly Shoppach, former Indians catcher and signing former Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Rafael Soriano. After making these moves will allow Dioner Navarro to have more days off and/or have playing time at first base where as Carlos Pena can have more time and at bats at DH, or vice-versa. If Soriano can perform to his career statistics, this will be a solid addition to the back end of the bullpen, and the Rays haven’t been shy about sharing details of Soriano taking over fulltime closing duties.

The Rays fare well in their dome though the move to an outdoor park should be beneficial in a couple years. While the team is fundamentally sound that won’t be enough in this division. If the Rays were in any other division, they would certainly be competing for the top of the division on a perennial basis.

Orioles:

Ever since the departure of Cal Ripken Jr., the O’s have struggled, and struggled mightily to compete with the rest of the division. After years of mediocrity, they’re finally putting together the team for the future lead by the talented outfielder Nick Markakis. They’re upstart catcher seems to be leading the minor league pack soon to be bound for Baltimore, though poor front office decisions have hurt the organization.

Baltimore isn’t close to winning, and they know it. They’re focused on developing young talent and taking their cue from the Rays. The O’s best friend right now is their scouting staff. They can find great quality players and draft them early. Baltimore’s front office won’t shy away for an offer and took Seattle to the cleaners in trading Erik Bedard for Adam Jones among others. They have locked up their core players to fair contracts and if the right deal comes along, I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded some of their better players for rising stars.

Blue Jays:

Oh Canada, how your love for the American pass-time has fallen. Toronto was a force to be reckoned with in the early-mid 90’s in winning consecutive championships. Too bad that momentum has all but putter out, and Toronto is at the bottom of the East, even though north of the border. The Blue Jays are an aging team, Vernon Wells no longer has the protection of Alex Rios and their ace pitcher is now with the Phillies. They have a slugging second baseman in Aaron Hill, but that’s about it right now.

They’ve lost their two best pitchers in consecutive years leaving a gapping canyon in their wake. The best that the Jays can hope for is to draft well and maybe unload their best talent for some top prospects. Free agents have only gone to Toronto in recent years for the money, and right now, they’re not spending any of it. Vernon Wells’ contract has the front office handcuffed and I’m sure they’d gladly entertain any offers for him as long as they could get a team to pick up the remainder of his contract. Management showed their hand when they let the White Sox snatch Alex Rios for the contract and as soon as Rios was gone, Halladay had his passport in hand and was all but waiting at the airport wondering which city was next for him. In today’s economy I don’t expect MLB to buy back the franchise and move, only because there isn’t another market for them currently.

There is a clear divide between the five teams in the AL East: Two will via for the division title and wild card, two will be in a race for the bottom, while the other may compete or may join in the race for the bottom. The Yankees have tightened their diamond-studded belts, to the extent that the Yankees can, while the Red Sox are relying on good old fashion pitching and defense to win. The Orioles and the Blue Jays are years away from being competitive, and the Rays are out to prove they can compete with the big boys and weren’t just a flash-in-the-pan.

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