Rays Face Uphill Battle With Aggressive Moves Expected From These AL East Rivals
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The Tampa Bay Rays know what parts of their roster they need to upgrade to get back into the playoff picture in the American League.
Their lineup needs to be improved. Scoring runs was a challenge in 2025, with third baseman Junior Caminero, first baseman Jonathan Aranda, second baseman Brandon Lowe and designated hitter Yandy Diaz the only players who were above-average performers.
The Rays have already begun talking trades with teams, looking for help in the outfield. Catcher is another position they are seeking an upgrade at, and shortstop isn’t out of the question for a shake-up as well.
There are some good building blocks in place, but there is a gap that exists between them and some of their AL East rivals. Unfortunately, that gap looks like it could get even bigger this winter.
Yankees, Blue Jays and Orioles expected to be aggressive in free agency
Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared some MLB hot stove updates with the General Manager Meetings getting underway this week in Las Vegas.
One topic he covered was which teams are expected to be the most aggressive in free agency. Sadly for Tampa Bay, three of their divisional foes landed on the list: the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
The Rays finished in fourth place in the AL East in 2025, two games ahead of the Orioles. Baltimore was arguably the most disappointing team in the league, and cannot afford a repeat performance.
They have hired Craig Alberanz to take over as manager. He is someone Tampa Bay’s organization is familiar with. Expectations are going to be high, and the pressure is on Mike Elias to oversee a playoff team again. Their need is clear: add a front-line starter.
The Yankees and Blue Jays finished with identical records in the regular season, going 94-68. Toronto was crowned divisional champs because of a tiebreaker and was the No. 1 seed in the postseason, riding that right into the World Series.
Blue Jays predicted to land Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette
New York hasn’t spent as aggressively in years past, but that needs to change. Otherwise, they will get lapped in the division.
The Boston Red Sox weren’t mentioned as projected aggressive spenders, but they are looking to make a splash with their rotation. Toronto is a legitimate contender and will do whatever it takes to restock and defend its AL pennant.
People around the league who Nightengale spoke to believe the Blue Jays are going to come away with two of the biggest prizes in free agency this offseason as well.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker and shortstop Bo Bichette are both being linked to Toronto a lot. That is bad news for the Rays. Their rivals will only pursue other players even more aggressively if the Blue Jays land arguably the two best hitters available this winter.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.