2022 Offseason Preview- AL East
The American League East boasted four 90-game winners in 2021, with the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees all earning spots in the postseason. With the Blue Jays expected to be even stronger in 2022, the division race is shaping up to be another heavyweight battle. Baltimore is entering the sixth year of its rebuild, and is likely to once again be a feeding ground of wins for the rest of the division this season.
Tampa Bay Rays
There isn’t much to be done in Tampa this offseason. The Rays won 100 games in 2021, and full seasons of Wander Franco, Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz and Luis Patiño should put them in a position to possibly improve upon that number.
Tampa has already picked up Mike Zunino’s option and dealt away Mike Brosseau and Louis Head to clear 40-man roster spots. It will likely need to shed a few more pieces in order to protect some of its most prized Rule 5-eligible players, but any splash moves over the next few months are unlikely-- unless this is finally the offseason Kevin Kiermaier is shipped away.
Prospects Vidal Bruján, Taylor Walls and Josh Lowe are waiting in the wings for an opening on the big league club, and can all contribute at some point this season.
Ryan Yarbrough and Drew Rasmussen figure to slide into the rotation behind the young trio of McClanahan/Baz/Patiño, but adding a not-too-expensive veteran -- perhaps Anthony DeSclafani or Jon Gray -- could be on the table.
Tampa continues to boast incredible depth at every level, and is primed for another playoff run in 2022 without overhauling its roster.
Projected Moves:
-Add Ford Proctor, Blake Hunt, Dalton Kelly, Esteban Quiroz, Jonathan Aranda, Ruben Cardenas, Tommy Romero and Calvin Faucher to 40-man roster
New York Yankees
This is a pivotal offseason for the Yankees, with several key players set to hit free agency a year from now. Locking up Aaron Judge long-term should be a priority, while trading some of their underperforming arbitration-eligible players -- notably Gary Sanchez, Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres -- is a possibility.
Most importantly, the Yankees need to improve up the middle if they want to make a World Series push. They are certain to be major players in this unprecedented shortstop market, with Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Trevor Story very much on the table. As for catcher and center field, exploring trade options -- Willson Contreras, Mitch Garver, Byron Buxton and Ketel Marte come to mind -- is the way to go. Additionally, finally moving away from Clint Frazier and Miguel Andújar is a must, even if the returns are disappointing compared to what they may have been able to get a few years ago.
New York can certainly stand to add another reliable starter via trade or free agency, but it wouldn’t be shocking if it stood pat and hoped for the best from its group of young, Major League-ready arms-- Deivi García, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Michael King, Luis Medina.
On the offensive side, there isn’t much in terms of knocking-on-the-door prospects, but young shortstops Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are fast approaching.
The Yankees’ window of contention isn’t closing anytime soon, but there may need to be a roster shake-up if they want to snap their 12-year World Series drought.
Projected Moves:
-Sign Corey Seager
-Trade Gary Sanchez, Deivi García to Cubs for Willson Contreras
-Trade Gleyber Torres to Tigers for Byron Buxton, Tyler Duffey (3-team)
-Trade Miguel Andújar, Clarke Schmidt to Reds; Clint Frazier, Anthony Siegler to Pirates for Tyler Mahle, Mike Moustakas, Sam Howard
-DFA Rougned Odor, Rob Brantly, Wandy Peralta
-Add Oswaldo Cabrera, Everson Pereira to 40-man roster
Boston Red Sox
Boston can certainly contend with the same offensive unit it threw out there in 2021 -- which, of course, requires re-sign midseason pickup Kyle Schwarber -- and improvements from the speedy Jarren Duran would make it all the more dangerous. Other than adding a couple of depth pieces -- Brad Miller stands out as a left-handed bench bat to complement Enrique Hernandez, Bobby Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe -- there isn’t much to tinker with here, especially considering highly-touted prospects Ronaldo Hernández, Triston Casas and Jeter Downs should be able to help out at the big league level by midseason.
In order to continue to compete with Tampa and New York, Boston must address its pitching staff. The bullpen -- led by Rule 5 pick Garrett Whitlock -- was strong down the stretch, but will definitely require fortification this offseason. Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale are locked into the rotation, but replacing Eduardo Rodriguez won’t be cheap. There are plenty of options, however-- Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodón and Jon Gray are free agents, while Sonny Gray, Chris Bassitt and Tyler Mahle may be available via trade.
Boston is set up nicely for another postseason run, but a couple of splash moves are needed to fight for the division title.
Projected Moves:
-Sign Kyle Schwarber, Brad Miller, Carlos Rodón, Eduardo Rodriguez, Yimi García
-DFA Austin Davis
-Add Jeter Downs, Gilberto Jimenez, Durbin Feltman to 40-man roster
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto enjoyed a strong breakthrough season, but ultimately fell short of making the postseason. And now, two of its stars from 2021 — Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray — look to cash in as free agents. This team has an incredibly strong foundation and a bright future, but there is definitely a long way to go before it becomes a World Series contender.
The young offensive core isn’t going anywhere, and George Springer is signed for the next five years. Kyle Seager, Eduardo Escobar and Chris Taylor fit the bill as potential replacements for Semien. With a crowded infield at the big league level, one of Jordan Groshans, Orelvis Martinez and Otto Lopez could be a trade chip. Top prospect Gabriel Moreno looks to be the long-term answer behind the dish, but for now, Reese McGuire, a left-handed hitter who is out of options, figures to slide in behind Alejandro Kirk, making Danny Jansen expendable. Additionally, this right-handed-heavy roster could use a lefty bat— bringing back Corey Dickerson to platoon with Randal Grichuk would make sense.
Alek Manoah and Nate Pearson should crack the Opening Day rotation behind Hyun-Jin Ryu and recently-extended José Berríos, leaving one spot up for grabs. Mark Shapiro will likely bring in someone from the outside rather than take a chance with Ross Stripling, Anthony Kay and Thomas Hatch. Bringing back Marcus Stroman is an option, as is trading for one of Sonny Gray and Chris Bassitt. None of these pitchers should be expected to replicate Robbie Ray’s 2021 success, but any of them would round out a strong Toronto rotation.
The Blue Jays should once again be in the postseason mix if they can plug a couple of holes. And their competitive window is just opening.
Projected Moves:
-Sign Kyle Seager, Corey Dickerson, Kenley Jansen
-Trade Otto Lopez, Danny Jansen, Anthony Kay for Sonny Gray
-Add Leo Jimenez, Chavez Young, Bowden Francis, Joey Murray and Eric Pardinho to 40-man roster
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore projects to remain at the bottom of a loaded AL East in 2022, so its primary focus should be gearing up for the future. Priority number one this offseason should be extending face-of-the-franchise Trey Mancini.
The young offensive core -- led by 2021 MVP candidate Cedric Mullins -- showed plenty of promise this past year, and that should only be boosted by the impending debut of über-prospect Adley Rutschman. Greater consistency from Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays and Anthony Santander could go a long way, as well.
John Means leads a hapless pitching staff of mostly uninspiring arms with poor track records and minimal upside, so it’s important for the front office to somehow piece together a respectable five-man rotation while prospects Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall climb the ladder.
As always, part of being a rebuilding team is adding veteran reclamation projects with the goal of flipping them for prospects at the deadline. Three notable options are Andrelton Simmons, Yusei Kikuchi and Carlos Martinez.
There’s still plenty of darkness ahead, and Baltimore must begin to show signs of life in 2022.
Projected Moves:
-Sign Andrelton Simmons, Yusei Kikuchi, Michael Pineda, Carlos Martinez, Adam Ottavino
-Trade Tyler Nevin, Michael Baumann for Harold Castro, Jaime Barría
-DFA Jorge Mateo, Kelvin Gutierrez, Jorge López, Brooks Kriske
-Add Adley Rutschman, Brett Cumberland, Terrin Vavra, D.L. Hall, Kyle Bradish, Kevin Smith, Blaine Knight to 40-man roster