Latest Al East Stories
Posted: Nov 26th 2009 9:00AM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed under: AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Media Watch

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
Just because something is corny, doesn't mean it can't be done. Saying what you are thankful for on Thanksgiving is an American tradition. Sure, it may be a bit played out -- and some would even say lame -- to write a column about things we're thankful for in a given sport. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna spit in the face of all the great Americans before me who began the tradition and kept it alive for all these years. So, let's do it, baseball-style.
Posted: Nov 24th 2009 4:31PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Dodgers, AL East, AL West, NL West, MLB Rumors, MLB Hot Stove

According to a report from the
Los Angeles Times,
both L.A.-area teams are in pursuit of
Blue Jays' ace
Roy Halladay via trade. The report cites sources familiar with talks from both teams and places the chances of the
Dodgers getting the right-hander a "long shot," but it sounds like the
Angels have a realistic chance at acquiring Halladay.
Reportedly, Halladay would cost the Angels a young starting pitcher, such as
Jered Weaver or
Ervin Santana, in addition to a prospect. New Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous is also said to be willing to allow a potential trading partner to negotiate a contract extension with Halladay before any deal is finalized.
Posted: Nov 19th 2009 1:20PM ET by Josh Alper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Red Sox, AL East, MLB Rumors

To no one's surprise, Jason Bay has decided to see what the 29 other teams in the big leagues have to offer before deciding whether or not he wants to return to the Red Sox. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that Bay turned down
a four-year contract offer worth approximately $60 million just before free agency officially kicks off a minute past midnight on Friday morning.
It would have been quite a surprise if Bay had decided to skip the free agency process, something that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein admitted to Heyman.
"It's not a surprise that a player that's gone this far wants to see what's out there."
Bay, who hit 36 home runs and posted a 921 OPS in 2009, figures to draw a lot of interest on the open market. The Red Sox offer was decent, but the paucity of other strong bats on the free agent landscape would suggest that he could get either more years or more money once several bidders are in the mix.
Posted: Nov 16th 2009 10:00AM ET by Josh Alper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Yankees, AL East
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
When you're the Yankees, the only acceptable end to a season is one that ends with a dogpile on the pitcher's mound and a champagne-soaked locker room. The 2009 season had quite an acceptable ending, then, although it isn't one they'll be able to celebrate for too long.
The nature of expecting a championship every year is that the work toward building the next champion begins before Broadway is cleared of confetti. This year's decisions will revolve around a trio of aging stars from the title squad as well as figuring out how they'll use their leverage as baseball's richest team to improve themselves for run at a 28th title.
As always, the latter means that you'll be seeing a lot of Mad Lib headlines with "The Yankees are interested in _______," and, as always, just about any one of them could wind up being true.
Posted: Nov 16th 2009 9:00AM ET by Andrew Johnson (RSS feed)
Filed under: Red Sox, AL East
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
It's been quite a decade for the
Red Sox, who flipped an 86-year-old script in 2004 by winning a World Series and a second in 2007, but they enter this offseason behind a very familiar eight ball.
Yes, Boston made the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons in 2009, but after getting swept by the
Angels in the American League Division Series and watching the
Yankees win their 27th World Series just weeks later, it is once again the chaser.
The Red Sox have redefined success at Fenway Park over the last few years. Now the trick is to keep duplicating it, a task that's harder than ever with their more monied rivals to the south apparently rejuvenated.
Posted: Nov 16th 2009 8:00AM ET by Ed Price (RSS feed)
Filed under: Rays, AL East
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
The
Rays could not build upon their surprising 2008 AL East title and run to the World Series last year, falling from 97 wins to 84. The lineup was at least as good as the year before, but both the rotation and bullpen suffered a steep dropoff.
The offensive core is still young and in its prime and should continue to produce. And 2009 might have been the usual fall-back season that teams experience after a large jump forward.
Still, making the playoffs in the AL East means beating out the
Yankees or
Red Sox (or both). With Tampa Bay's payroll, that leaves little margin for error.
Posted: Nov 16th 2009 7:00AM ET by Andrew Johnson (RSS feed)
Filed under: Orioles, AL East
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
Thanks to an infusion of young talent, there are some good vibes floating around Camden Yards -- no small feat considering the fact that the local nine hasn't had a winning record since 1997.
Of course, an infusion of young talent won't be enough on its own in the enormously challenging AL East. The
Orioles need immense improvements on the corners of their infield and especially in their pitching staff -- which ranked last in the American League in ERA in 2009. That can't all come from the maturation of a select group of youngsters groomed on the Baltimore farm, though, so there will be plenty on general manager Andy MacPhail's plate as he tries to take the next step in turning the O's into legitimate challengers.
Posted: Nov 16th 2009 6:00AM ET by Josh Alper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Blue Jays, AL East
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
The man in charge of personnel may be new --
Alex Anthopoulos replaces his former boss
J.P. Ricciardi as general manager -- but the two crucial questions for the franchise remain intact. How do you contend in a division stocked with the behemoths in Boston and New York as well as the young and talented Orioles and Rays? And, perhaps more pressing, what to do with
Roy Halladay?
The answers to the two questions have some common ground. The only way the Jays will be able to compete with the Sox and Yankees over the long haul is to stock every level of their organization with talent, like the Rays did, and then use those pieces to build a consistent winner. When Halladay leaves, whether by free agency or trade, they need to maximize the return by either paying above slot for the top available draftees or acquiring high-quality players at positions where talent is scarce.
Easier said than done, to be sure, but so is competing in the AL East.
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 3:00PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Fans
From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday. It has returned from a playoffs-induced hiatus. Though I'll admit I was rooting for the
Yankees to win the World Series last week, a part of me was sad that
Alex Rodriguez would get a World Series ring. No, I don't hate A-Rod, nor do I wish anything bad on him. I'm not one of those "haters."
This was selfish. My friends and I had now lost a main component of a storied -- and heated, at times -- bar debate. If you were starting a major league team and had the choice between the two, would you rather have A-Rod or
Derek Jeter?