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Unfinished Business: AL East

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 29, 2010 at 8:21pm CST]

MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has already examined the remaining needs for teams in the AL Central, AL West, NL East, NL Central and NL West. To round out the series, I'm going to take a look at the remaining needs for the AL East clubs:

Orioles: First baseman, right-handed reliever, left-handed reliever, starter. The Orioles are targeting Derrek Lee, and Adam LaRoche has been on their radar all offseason. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Andy MacPhail move on to DH types if he doesn't sign Lee or LaRoche. The club is also interested in right-handed relievers like Kevin Gregg, Jon Rauch and Grant Balfour and could bring a lefty like Will Ohman or Mark Hendrickson aboard. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reported ten days ago that the O's would like to add a veteran pitcher and had spoken to Marcus Thames' agent.
Red Sox: left-handed reliever. Felix Doubront, Rich Hill and Andrew Miller give the Red Sox three southpaws, so they may have all the left-handed relief they need. But Boston has been linked to Brian Fuentes all month and could pursue him. Jed Lowrie's strong finish to the 2010 season means the Red Sox don't have a pressing need for infielders, but MLB.com's Ian Browne recently suggested that the team could add a utility type player. Boston could also listen to offers for Mike Cameron, but he does provide value to the Red Sox.
Yankees: starter, right-handed outfielder. The rest of the Yankees' offseason centers on Andy Pettitte's decision, since that will determine whether Brian Cashman has to pursue a Jeff Francis/Freddy Garcia type or rely on Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre. The team will likely add a fourth outfielder who bats right handed and consider utility infielders and relievers.
Rays: closer, DH/first baseman. The Rays' biggest need is for back-end bullpen help, and they have expressed interest in a number of free agents. Rafael Soriano will sign elsewhere, but the Rays could look for a bargain arm. They could enter the season with some combination of Matt Joyce, Justin Ruggiano and Leslie Anderson at DH, but many free agent bats are available and DHs like Jim Thome and Johnny Damon would be fits in Tampa. The Rays have limited resources, and it seems like they're content to open the season with the relatively inexperienced Elliot Johnson as the backup middle infielder. The rotation is deep enough for the Rays to consider trading a starter, such as Matt Garza or James Shields.
Blue Jays: hitter, left-handed relief help. The Blue Jays will likely add a bat at some point, and they have the flexibility to add one at a number of positions. Adding a first baseman or DH could limit playing time for Adam Lind or Edwin Encarnacion, but the two would create a strong offensive platoon. If the Blue Jays want to play Lind and Encarnacion every day, they can add a third baseman or right fielder and play Jose Bautista at the vacant position. The team lost Scott Downs this winter and could puruse left-handed relievers. David Purcey, Brad Mills, Rommie Lewis and Jesse Carlson give the team internal options, but Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that the Jays have some interest in Brian Fuentes.