The American League East is one of the strongest divisions in baseball and it's only gotten better after being one of the most active divisions so far this offseason. The Boston Red Sox, alone have made 10 trades to get to where they are at the start of the new year, but some of their rivals have done even more.
The Baltimore Orioles traded for slugging outfielder Taylor Ward and signed Pete Alonso from right under Boston's nose (although it seemingly had no intention of signing him anyway). The Toronto Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a huge, seven-year contract, added veteran Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, Tyler Rogers and Cody Ponce.
MLB insider Jim Bowden in his latest for The Athletic has named the Orioles as the most improved team so far this offseason and the Jays at the third most (subscription required). The Red Sox didn't come in far behind in fifth place, but it's clear they still have work to do to catch up.
Bowden notes that Boston is still eyeing a few moves to fully boost its offense above last season's. He reports that the Red Sox remain "in" on Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Eugenio Suárez and more. They've checked in with trade candidates Ketel Marte, Isaac Paredes and Brendan Donovan.
The Athletic ranks Red Sox as fifth most improved team this offseason, but two division rivals rank ahead
Reuniting with Bregman has allegedly been the Sox's No. 1 priority since the Winter Meetings and their acquisition of Johan Oviedo, and he's the infielder best suited to their needs. Not only is he a consistent hitter who can hammer the Green Monster in a full, healthy season, he's stayed a great defender into his 30s.
Bregman also plays a position of need at third base (which, funny enough, became vacant long-term to accommodate Bregman). The Red Sox could easily justify signing Bichette or trading for Marte to play second base, but Bichette will be more expensive (not that his asking price should be a deterrent for one of the biggest markets in MLB) and Marte would cost players and prospects from Boston's roster which has already been shortened by other trades.
The Red Sox need to add at least another infielder to match up with their other division rivals, especially since they likely aren't done adding yet. The Blue Jays are still reportedly interested in reuniting with Bichette and signing Kyle Tucker while the Orioles are pursuing high-end starters like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez. Even the New York Yankees could get in on the action soon — they're still linked to Cody Bellinger as well as Freddy Peralta and Edward Cabrera.
The Jays and Yankees have made it to the World Series in consecutive years and the O's aren't going to let one last-place season get them down while their competitive window is still wide open. Boston's window is open, too, and it'll go by faster than you think. The Red Sox need to add one more infielder to the roster to match their success from last season in the AL East.