What to Expect in the A.L. East in 2009

The American League East is arguably the toughest division in Major League Baseball. Red Sox Nation and the Yankee Empire, alone, are enough to earn that reputation, but now you can add the pennant winning Tampa Bay Rays to the A.L. East’s impressive resume. If you’re still not convinced, after a mid-season managerial change, the Toronto Blue Jays finished 10 games above .500 to become the best 4th place team in the wildcard era. As for the Baltimore Orioles…well, someone had to finish last.

The Tamp Bay Rays are young and inexpensive—they have less than $50 million in 2009 commitments. They also have a farm system overflowing with talented prospects, giving the defending A.L. Champs plenty of options to fix weaknesses.

Their biggest weakness is hitting left-handed pitching (see the World Series). With Rocco Baldelli, Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd testing the free agency waters, Tampa Bay will try to add a bat that can improve the league’s third-worst OPS against lefties.

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