American League East

Well, obviously the Yankees are going to buy. They're on a mission after returning to the World Series in 2024 only to go title-less for a 15th straight season. And as good as they are, they could still be better.

They've had a wonky infield all season, and no position is riper for an upgrade than second base. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. now back at third, the keystone has been left undefended against what it left of DJ LeMahieu.

One catch is that the Yanks already have a super-sized payroll, with another being their farm system is frankly terrible . All the same, these things won't stop them from at least trying to buy.

The Rays never fail to do Rays things. They never really went away in 2024 despite never really being a good team, and now they have better than even odds to make the playoffs in 2025.

And yet, going all-in or all-out is not their style. They have a bunch of wares they're sure to listen on, including Brandon Lowe, Yandy Díaz, Pete Fairbanks and Garrett Cleavinger. Any one of the four would be an impact addition elsewhere.

Yet even if one, two, three or all four of them are gone come July 31, the Rays are sure to keep sticking around. This is a franchise with a weird sort of split vision, with one eye on today and one eye on tomorrow.

The Blue Jays probably aren't as good as they looked amid their 12-2 run from May 28 to June 11, but you might say they're in too deep on trying to contend. A season like this was the whole idea after they extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

They should also feel emboldened right now. With Rafael Devers no longer in Boston, their primary pursuer in the AL East should be less of a threat to beat them to a wild-card spot. The best way to make sure is to press harder on the gas.

To this end, the Blue Jays reportedly want a starting pitcher . More help in the bullpen would also be welcome.

At least on paper, the Red Sox made a good deal when they offloaded Devers (more specifically, his contract) to the Giants.

As to their contention chances, well, it's a disaster. They subtracted their best hitter and didn't add much in the way of immediate impact, and you naturally have to wonder about whether the team will come to miss Devers' bat even if it doesn't miss his attitude.

The guess here is the Red Sox are in for some short-term pain, which could facilitate the availability of Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman and maybe even controllable types like Wilyer Abreu.

The O's have come around with 11 wins in their last 16 games, but it feels like too little, too late. Their playoff odds are in the single digits .

This said, there will surely be a limit on what they're willing to deal. Teams can ask about the controllable guys, but their time would be better spent on inquiring about rentals. On that front, Cedric Mullins and Zach Eflin are enticing options.