The offseason in the AL East was highlighted by the fact that neither the defending world champion Boston Red Sox nor the high-spending New York Yankees pursued in earnest any of the industry’s top free agents. However, the Yankees did strengthen both their starting rotation and bullpen via trades and free agency, and the Red Sox did a quality job in trying to keep their team intact. The small-market Tampa Bay Rays were aggressive after winning 90 games last year, while the biggest moves by the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles ended up being the hirings of GMs and/or managers. Here are my final grades for each AL East team based on their offseason moves.



Baltimore Orioles



Grade: C



Offseason goals: 1. Hire a GM and manager 2. Rebuild front office 3. Rebuild farm system



Key acquisitions Staff: Hired GM Mike Elias and manager Brandon HydeFree agents: RHP Nate Karns, 1 year/$800kTrades: Traded INF Breyvic Valera to...