The American League East is often one of the tightest divisions in baseball and the Boston Red Sox just made the competition even closer. The good guys rattled off a 15-game winning streak to thrust themselves out of last place and into a Wild Card spot at the same time.
The Red Sox have plenty of elite talent that could've — and would've — been dealt at the trade deadline had they not turned things around. Stars like Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman could've been game-changers for another contending team. Now, Boston is a buyer alongside many of its division rivals.
Since the AL East is so close as the trade deadline looms just over a week away, it will be hard for the lower-placed teams in the division to make decisions. The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees are definite buyers after being the two best teams in the AL for months, but the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays' positions are less certain.
The Red Sox, Rays and Yankees could all use a boost in offensive production in their infield. All three clubs have been linked to catchers in recent days and the race to trade for Shea Langeliers, Hunter Goodman and Ryan Jeffers will be a tight one, if the backstops are made available at all. The Yankees, just like the Red Sox, are also targeting an impact righty bat.
The AL East is still tough competition for the Red Sox, but Rays and Yankees remain the biggest threats on trade deadline market
The Orioles (50-53) and Blue Jays (47-56) sit in fourth and fifth place, respectively in the AL East. The Red Sox snapped a seven-game Baltimore winning streak during their own 15-game tear and crushed some of their momentum toward buying territory.
The Orioles will probably wait out the week to see where their record goes before committing to a deadline strategy. If the end up buying, they could use some infield help with Adley Rutschman, Samuel Basallo and Blaze Alexander on the injured list. Bullpen help could also be a priority since their relief pitchers have a combined 4.20 ERA, which ranks around the middle of the league but won't fly in the postseason.
The Jays have fallen seriously hard, losing seven of their last nine games, which could convince them to pivot to selling. They'll probably wait until closer to the trade deadline to make their final call, with which the Red Sox could help — Boston is headed to Toronto for a three-game series beginning July 24 and another series win could force the Blue Jays to make their decision quickly.
If the Blue Jays manage to sneak back into the Wild Card race, they could seek out an impact bat and starting pitching. Like the Red Sox, the Jays are one of the worst power hitting teams in the league and a little extra thump could go a long way for them. Starting pitching could also be a priority, as their starters have a combined 4.47 ERA this season, which ranks 21st in the league.
The Red Sox have certainly established themselves as buyers in the last few weeks but they are by no means out of the woods within their division. The AL East is always competitive and even the bottom teams can surge at any time, as Boston has. For the moment, though, the Rays and Yankees remain the biggest threats while the Orioles and Blue Jays are still fighting for their chance to buy.
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