While the American League had one of its weakest seasons in years, the AL East was by far the best division. It was the only division with three teams with a better-than-.500 record. The division winner, the Tampa Bay Rays, had the best record in the AL and the second-best record in MLB. They also won the pennant and were three wins short of a World Series championship. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox also clinched two of the three wild card spots. While the AL East performed better than the rest of the American League, plenty of work remains. Here is one move every AL East team should make in order to get better this offseason.
What Should Each AL East Team Target?
Tampa Bay Rays: Find Another Starter: The Rays won the AL East and the pennant because of their starting pitching. To keep that advantage, they will need to invest in it this offseason. With Nick Martinez and Freddy Peralta both free agents, they will need to bring in at least one starter. They could easily re-sign one or both of them and run it back. They also could go after someone like Tyler Mahle. He had a great second half after he was traded to the Atlanta Braves, but struggled to start the season. He’s not an ace, but he can be a solid mid-rotation arm that should be right in the Rays’ price range.
New York Yankees: Improve Defense: For years, the Achilles’ heel of the New York Yankees has been fundamentals. Everyone remembers the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series scouting report: just put the ball in play and let them make mistakes. Many teams have implemented this strategy successfully. If the Yankees want 2027 to be different, they need to get better defensively. Brandon Lowe should be their main target, as he has made major defensive improvements and would add some contact to the lineup. Luis Arraez is another target. He may be known for his contact, but he was in the 97th percentile in Outs Above Average.
Boston Red Sox: Bring in a Middle of the Order Bat: While the Boston Red Sox shocked everyone with their 15-game winning streak and made the playoffs after everyone thought the season was over, that is not repeatable. If the Sox want to build off last season’s success, they need to lengthen the lineup. Bring in someone like Seiya Suzuki, who had a 131 OPS+ in 2026 and hit almost 30 home runs. If they want a bigger splash, they could go after Randy Arozarena. He quietly had a career season last year, slashing .281/.381/.484 with 26 home runs and 79 RBIs. Doing this mostly in the most pitcher-friendly stadium, T-Mobile Park, is even more impressive.
Baltimore Orioles, Find a Front Line Starter: Despite being aggressive last offseason, the Orioles had a disappointing season and ended up selling at the trade deadline. Once again, the starting pitching struggled to find consistency. If the Orioles want a bounce-back season, they need to be aggressive and find an ace. They probably won’t be able to land Tarik Skubal, but they should push all their chips in on Michael King. King is the second-best pitcher in this class and had a strong season with the San Diego Padres. He had a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings with 159 strikeouts to 70 walks and a 127 ERA+. He’d be the pitcher they are missing.
Toronto Blue Jays, Protection for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: The biggest reason the Toronto Blue Jays were such a disappointment last season was their offense. They ranked dead last in runs scored and home runs. If they want to be competitive in the AL East next season, they will need to fix this issue. Suzuki would be the perfect guy to put into this lineup. Putting him in front of Guerrero Jr. would give him much better pitches to hit. It could help him take the next step in his game. They also could get creative and trade for someone like Jeremy Pena or Ketel Marte.
