Sure, they misplaced out on retaining Juan Soto, however in case you have been to grade the Yankees on their offseason, you’d nonetheless have to present them a “B” for greater than adequately addressing their major wants — Cody Bellinger for heart subject to hopefully offset quite a lot of the misplaced offense from Soto, Max Fried for the highest of the rotation and Devin Williams for nearer.
Credit score the Yankees’ aggressiveness for preserving themselves within the driver’s seat of the American League East the place their different 4 rivals proceed to tip-toe — or within the case of the Blue Jays, downright flounder. Let’s look at:
BLUE JAYS
Can anybody clarify what the heck the Blue Jays are doing and the way group president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins preserve their jobs? When you ask me, the Blue Jays group demise underneath Shapiro started a few years in the past after they parted methods with Wealthy Griffin, their esteemed, extremely revered media relations director. To date this winter they’ve executed nothing to enhance final yr’s 74-win final place group aside from to embark on one other excessive stakes wild goose chase for the No. 1 free agent, this time Soto, after final yr’s equally futile pursuit of Shohei Ohtani.
In the meantime, they proceed to disregard their very own celebrity, Vlad Guerrero Jr., who settled on a $28.5 million arbitration deal final week, however has had little or no overtures from them in regard to his pending free company. Reportedly, Shapiro has indicated to Blue Jay officers that he doesn’t contemplate Guerrero a franchise-type participant which, if true, is preposterous. Not solely is Guerrero solely 25 and simply now coming into into the prime of his profession, he was born in Canada when his daddy was taking part in for the Expos.
Earlier this winter, Guerrero implored the Blue Jay brass to convey again his pal Teoscar Hernandez, however they apparently made no effort to take action. A pissed off Guerrero has set Opening Day because the deadline for a contract, however with every passing day of no progress, and with a moneyed group just like the Purple Sox looming for a right-handed energy hitting first baseman subsequent yr, it’s trying increasingly sure he’ll be gone. It’s onerous sufficient for the Blue Jays to lure good gamers to Canada. With out Guerrero, why would anybody signal with Toronto — and making issues worse, the Blue Jays’ participant improvement system underneath Atkins has constantly been one of many lowest rated within the majors. Grade: F
ORIOLES
If Atkins has been arguably the worst GM in baseball, the Orioles’ analytics guru Mike Elias will be the most overrated. Two years in the past, when the Orioles emerged from 5 years within the AL East doldrums to win the division with 101 victories, Elias was voted Government of the 12 months. However the Orioles’ enchancment was on no account the results of superior scouting and analytics experience on Elias’ half however somewhat his subjecting Oriole followers to 4 years of tanking that resulted within the drafting of no-brainer No. 1 picks in Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg. However in his six years on the job, Elias has but to develop a single fine quality beginning pitcher and it’s harm them badly within the postseason the place they’ve but to win a sport. This winter they have been unable to retain their ace Corbin Burnes and Elias crammed out what was already a really mediocre rotation with 41-year-old Charlie Morton (who thought he was executed) and 35-year-old soft-throwing Japanese import Tomoyuki Sugano. Grade: D
RED SOX
The Purple Sox addressed their major want — beginning pitching — with their commerce for the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet and their signings of latest Tommy John surgical procedure recoveries Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval. However they nonetheless have loads of query marks. Do they actually imagine after letting Kenley Jansen go, they will adequately and constantly shut out video games with 37-year-old Aroldis Chapman and Liam Hendricks, one other Tommy John surgical procedure comebacker? And there are holes within the lineup that weren’t fastened. Connor Wong is a beneath common catcher. Triston Casas stays an enigma at first base. Emmanuel Valdez hit .214 at second base and so they desperately want Trevor Story to lastly get by means of a season with out one other main harm. And all of the whereas, the larger query stays: Will the Purple Sox actually open up John Henry’s purse strings and pay what it takes for Guerrero subsequent winter? Grade: C
RAYS
