What will these American League teams do this offseason?

What could some of the powerhouses in the American League do this offseason? What about those AL teams who could look to make a splash in 2023? Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities.

Diving into some thoughts on the American League heading into the offseason

AL East

The New York Yankees must retain Aaron Judge at all costs. They can’t afford to let his production and leadership leave New York. Their lineup struggled without him and, when he didn’t hit, the Yankees were dead. They could also look to add outfield depth with Japanese lefty Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida hit 21 home runs with 89 RBI and an OPS over 1.000 last season. He only struck out 42 times in 417 at-bats in 121 games in the NPB. This is the exact type of bat the Yankees need. To bolster their rotation, they could also make a trade for Miami Marlins starter Pablo Lopez.

The Baltimore Orioles made a huge leap and, if they signed Carlos Correa (which could make a lot of sense), he could complete their lineup. They still need another starting pitcher or two as well. Jose Quintana would seem to be a good fit.

Elsewhere in the division, the Tampa Bay Rays have already traded first baseman Ji-Man Choi and declined center fielder Kevin Kiermaier’s option. The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to make a splash and could trade one of their catchers. Could they steal Nathan Eovaldi from the Boston Red Sox? The Red Sox approach remains unknown, but they could lose a lot of talent this offseason.

AL Central

This was the worst division in baseball so every team could stand to improve. The Cleveland Guardians set the pace, but their offense remained lackluster. The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox were amongst the biggest disappointments in MLB. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals remain well behind both teams.

The White Sox could look to sign Josh Bell to replace Jose Abreu and could be interested in signing infielder Jean Segura. For outfield help, could they possibly kick the tires on Wil Myers or Michael Conforto?

The Twins will probably lose Correa and they need to add some pitching as well. Could J.D. Martinez or Chris Bassitt make some sense for them?

For the Guardians, they should add some offense with Brandon Drury, even if they have to shuffle their infield around. For outfield help, they could explore a reunion with Michael Brantley.

The Tigers have explored the catching market, but it’s unknown if they would make the splash for Wilson Contreras. The Royals probably won’t be very active this offseason.

AL West

The biggest decision for the Houston Astros will be bringing back Justin Verlander or letting him walk. They could look to add some first-base help as well and have expressed interest in Willson Contreras behind the plate. Whatever the champs do, they’ll be in a good position to repeat next year.

The team to watch in this division is the Seattle Mariners. Could they make a few big moves to close the gap? They’re searching for outfield help and Brandon Nimmo could fit the bill. Perhaps they go big game hunting for Trea Turner. Could trades involving Marco Gonzales and Chris Flexen happen? If so, Seattle could need help in the back of the rotation. A Taijuan Walker reunion could make sense.

The Texas Rangers are big game hunting and could land Jacob deGrom. They are actively seeking a big-time pitcher. They already traded for Jake Odorizzi. After hiring Bruce Bochy as manager, the Rangers will look to improve quickly. They could even be a dark horse for Judge.

The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics are a mess. Shohei Ohtani won’t be dealt this offseason. The A’s could revisit selling catcher Sean Murphy.

With free agency officially underway, get ready for some action!