Assessing how the offseason went for the rest of the American League East

The Toronto Blue Jays offseason has been anything but boring. From disappointment and bewilderment to celebration, Blue Jays fans have experienced every emotion over the past couple of months.

Amidst all of the commotion, it can be easy to forget that there are four other clubs in the American League East also having offseasons of their own.

And, per usual, the four AL East clubs all made moves this winter to improve their overall standing; there aren't any "rebuilding" organizations in this division. All the rest of the clubs have varying resources at their disposal, but they all seem to be leaning into their contention windows.

Having said that, the pecking order in the division may remain the same in 2025, though there could be some change at the bottom. The New York Yankees still seem superior to the Baltimore Orioles while the Boston Red Sox have improved. The Tampa Bay Rays will be palying their games in a minor league ballpark and seem poised for a long-awaited regression, which should help the Blue Jays should escape the basement in the division.

Without further ado, let's examine what the clubs did this winter and what their ceiling looks like for the upcoming season.

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles made the postseason for a second straight year. But that's where the good news comes to an end. The Orioles have lost five straight postseason games thanks to their offense going cold when the season is on the line. Still, this is a young and talented team with postseason experience under their belt that should only make them more dangerous in the future.

The big question now is whether the Orioles have an ownership group that is willing to financially support their growth. The Orioles spent money this winter, hiking the payroll to levels not seen since the latest roster rebuild. They lost Corbin Burnes to the Diamondbacks in free agency and countered by signing 41-year-old pitcher Charlie Morton. They also took a swing on Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, who has pitched in the Nippon Professional Baseball for the past 12 years. Sugano will join a rotation comprised of Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer .

The Orioles nabbed Tyler O'Neill to hit home runs out of a park that's smaller than last year. O'Neill mashed 31 home runs last season and should help offset the loss of Anthony Santander's 44 home runs. O'Neill has to stay healthy and cut down on a 33.6% strikeout rate while continuing to bash left-handed pitching.

The Orioles made various tweaks to the edges of their roster by bringing in catcher Gary Sanchez as Adley Rutschman's backup. Sanchez has been disappointing since leaving the Yankees, but will be fine as a backup catcher. Reliever Andrew Kittredge was added to a bullpen that will welcome back Felix Bautista, while Dylan Carlson and Ramon Laureano were brought in as outfield depth.

The Orioles are still sitting the catbird seat. They have a roster filled with talented young players who aren't making a ton of money. Having said that, the departures of Burnes and Santander will sting. The additions to this roster will be helpful, but the Orioles need to be playing well once October rolls around.