With the offseason rolling on for the Tampa Bay Rays, they recently saw a division rival get even better with a massive addition to their starting rotation.
Coming into the winter, the Rays knew that their division was going to be active and trying to improve. Last year, the American League East saw three teams make the postseason, with the Toronto Blue Jays nearly beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Of the teams that made the playoffs, there is reason to believe that they will be able to return in 2026. Furthermore, the Baltimore Orioles are also expected to be aggressive this winter and will try to have a bounce-back campaign.
Breaking: Dylan Cease to Blue Jays. $210M, 7 years
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 26, 2025
Recently, the division got even better with the Blue Jays making a splash addition to their starting rotation. This was a unit that they focused on improving last year at the trade deadline with the addition of Shane Bieber. Now, they have reportedly signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal, further solidifying their attempts to be the team to beat in the AL East.
Rays Contending Becomes Harder
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Tampa Bay is a team that isn’t going to operate in the same capacity as the other teams in the division can. While new ownership has taken over, the Rays aren’t expected to see increased spending just yet. This is a team that is focused on finding a long-term home, and roster decisions like letting Pete Fairbanks go to free agency indicate that they aren’t going to spend big this winter.
Even though the team might not be able to hand out a $200 million deal to Cease as the Blue Jays can, they have always found a way to put a good product on the field. The Rays rely on their scouting and player development to find and improve young players. Coming in 2026, there is some good talent on the team, and mostly, it will be returning the same core as in 2025.
Despite finishing under .500, this was a team that had a positive run differential last year and was a contender in the first half. Unfortunately, with the Boston Red Sox recently improving their rotation and Toronto making a big splash, it is going to be an uphill battle for the Rays to contend.
As free agency and the offseason continue, it will be interesting to see what the plan is going to be for Tampa Bay going forward. With the division seemingly getting better and better, it is shaping up to be a hard year for the Rays.
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