Best team in the AL East?

**pwaldo** · 12-18-2012, 09:29 PM

There have been a lot of trades and signings by teams in the AL East. So who has the edge for 2013 right now?

**gladdyontherise** · 12-18-2012, 10:37 PM

Rays, but I think the AL East overall won't be nearly as most would assume.

**dirtydistance** · 12-18-2012, 10:40 PM

Rays. Joe Maddon doesn't need to have the most talent on his roster, but he gets the most out of his players talent and that is what makes the difference here. Also imagine if Longo stays healthy for a full season and Myers is what everyone thinks he could be.

**mberger718** · 12-19-2012, 02:31 PM

Rays pitching will win the East. Just missed the playoffs last year with a horrendous offense. We will miss Shields and Davis but Archer has shown promise, Price and Hellickson are solid, and Matt Moore will hopefully have a comeback year. Ditto from the above Longoria comment, who missed over half the season due to injury. It's going to be a TOUGH year with all of Toronto's roster moves, the Orioles progression over the past few years, and the big dollar spending of Boston and New York.

**baseballboy2** · 12-19-2012, 03:23 PM

Honestly, I don't think the Rays are going to be that great. Losing Shields was a big hit to that rotation, as I felt he was the most dependable pitcher on that team. The Yankees will win the division, but not by much. I think Baltimore and Toronto will be right on their heels all year. The Sox will finish last. I have a feeling we may see both wild cards come out of the East.

**pwaldo** · 12-19-2012, 08:39 PM

I'm kinda surprised so many people are picking the Rays since the Blue Jays seem to be the sexy pick right now. I disagree with both and will say the Yankees take the AL East title. I think the pull it out just by a hair ahead of the Blue Jays. I think too many new players added to the Jays mix will hamper them enough for the Yankees to take over. Baltimore collapses in the standings since they won't duplicate being unbeatable in 1 run games. Boston won't do much all year and the Rays will regret moving Shields in the short term. Long term it will help them but I think the Yankees and Jays still have more than them even with Longoria playing a full season (which isn't a given).

**cal91697** · 12-19-2012, 08:48 PM

Don't count the Sox out yet. Completely new team, hard nosed players that want to win. Should be interesting.

**metsmagic18** · 12-20-2012, 07:32 AM

This is a division that could have 4 teams over .500...
I think the Yankees will finally take a major step back as their core of Jeter and A-Rod fades away for some new faces... 80-85ish wins? 3rd place

Red Sox are not there yet. Their team is depleted, but they are filling holes 75-80 wins? 5th place

Orioles were a stroke of luck... I haven't figured out why they did so well. 80-85 wins? 4th place

The Blue Jays are shaping up to be an awesome team, but do dream teams ever really work out? I think this one could. Second place, 85-90 wins?

Rays have a great staff, even with the loss of Shields, the thought of a healthy Longo with maybe Myers put into that lineup later sounds exciting. First place 90-95 wins?

**pwaldo** · 12-20-2012, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by cal91697

Don't count the Sox out yet. Completely new team, hard nosed players that want to win. Should be interesting.

Somebody in that division will have to take a beating and I also believe management will dump Lester and or Jacoby if the team is out of it by the trading deadline which will make it even harder for Boston if the rest of the AL East is buying and they are selling.

**baseballboy2** · 12-20-2012, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by pwaldo

Somebody in that division will have to take a beating and I also believe management will dump Lester and or Jacoby if the team is out of it by the trading deadline which will make it even harder for Boston if the rest of the AL East is buying and they are selling.

I agree 100%. With all the powerhouses in the East and how often these teams will face eachother, one team is going to take a good beating. To me, it's going to be the Sox. To start, they aren't marching out a very talented club, plus they have a track record of injuries. If they can't stay healthy, they will sink fast. So fast, that they could be done by early June.