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The gauntlet, more commonly known as the AL East, is unrelenting.
Featuring three major-market teams and two others considered to be some of the most forward thinking in the game, the division is oft-considered the best in baseball. Stars are acquired and developed at a medal pace.
As such, the Orioles have done their best to keep up with that torrid stride this offseason, signing one of the best hitters the game has to offer in Pete Alonso, and trading for another power threat in Taylor Ward. The rest of the AL East hasn’t fared as well.
Among players with at least 100 games in Boston in 2025, Alex Bregman led the team in both batting average, at .273, and OPS, at .821. They’ll be without his services in 2026, as Bregman is reportedly heading to the north side of Chicago on a five-year deal.
Boston also won’t get 73 games out of Rafael Devers, who, ironically, was dealt to San Francisco due, in part, to Bregman’s presence at third. Now, the Sox are left with neither. Former top prospect Marcelo Mayer projects to slot in at third, while Boston will look to the newly-acquired Wilson Contreras to replace Bregman’s production in the middle of the lineup.
Contreras’ addition, plus a full season of Roman Anthony, will still have Boston’s offense firing on plenty of cylinders, but Bregman’s absence will certainly be felt.
The same can be said for Cody Bellinger’s potential void in the Bronx. According to a recent report from Buster Olney, the Yankees’ talks with the slugging outfielder are “at an impasse." Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. were the Bombers’ best offensive players not named Aaron Judge last year, combining for 60 home runs and nearly 180 runs driven in.
Bellinger’s importance goes far beyond the stat sheet, too. His versatility in the outfield gave the Yankees flexibility with Judge’s elbow injury, and his powerful, left-handed bat provided some much-needed protection for the MVP.
The team did retain Trent Grisham on a qualifying offer on the heels of his career year. Plus, perhaps Jasson Dominguez will take the next step, Ben Rice will continue to ascend to stardom, or the team will pivot to a bigger fish like Kyle Tucker. But Bellinger could be playing elsewhere.
As could Bo Bichette, who, despite his postseason heroics in Toronto, could take his services to a different home city. Ken Rosenthal recently reported that the Phillies are the favorite for the shortstop who helped the Blue Jays ascend to World Series heights.
Bichette was injured down the stretch in 2025, but has accumulated 21.0 bWAR since his debut in 2019 as a staple of Toronto’s lineup. Outside of a rocky season in 2024, Bichette has posted a batting average of at least .290 and an OPS of .800 or better in each of his seven years in the bigs.
Toronto, unlike Boston and New York, has been very active on the free agent market, inking deals with players like Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. Outside of a bounceback season from Anthony Santander, though, their lineup could take a turn for the worse.
The Orioles, undoubtedly, have improved this offseason. Additions like Alonso and Ward should make the lineup one of the best in the American League. The lineups in Boston, New York and Toronto may not be able to say the same.
