With the offseason well underway for the Tampa Bay Rays, recent moves by division rivals have further created a need for them to upgrade in a key area.
Coming into the winter, the Rays had some precise needs that they wanted to address. This was a team that fell apart a bit in the second half of the year and was simply outmatched in the American League East. So far, their division has only gotten better this winter, and that is a scary thing for Tampa Bay.
Last season, the AL East sent three teams to the playoffs with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays all making the postseason. The Blue Jays came inches away from beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, and they are very much looking like a perennial contender now.
So far, the Red Sox and Toronto have already started to improve their starting rotation with a couple of big names joining the AL East. Sonny Gray was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Red Sox, helping them improve their rotation. Furthermore, the Blue Jays made the big splash with Dylan Cease signing a seven-year deal to head north.
Starting Rotation Needs Help to Keep Up