What was expected to be a busy MLB offseason has more than lived up to the hype. Plenty of big names have already changed teams, and the competition has been particularly fierce within the AL East.

Now with Christmas approaching and the sport seemingly catching its collective breath after the Winter Meetings, how do the Red Sox stack up against their AL East rivals so far?

Boston Red Sox

Added: LHP Garrett Crochet, LHP Aroldis Chapman, LHP Justin Wilson, C Carlos Narvaez

Lost: OF Tyler O’Neill, C Danny Jansen, LHP James Paxton, INF Enmanuel Valdez

Unsigned: RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Chris Martin, RHP Luis Garcia, RHP Lucas Sims

Even if the Red Sox didn’t do anything else the rest of the offseason, they would already go into next year a much improved club. The team has significantly upgraded its rotation by effectively swapping out Nick Pivetta for Garrett Crochet, and Lucas Giolito’s return from injury should give the club a solid five-man group to start with.

The Red Sox have also brought in a pair of new left-handers to help offset the expected losses of Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin, along with a new backup catcher in Carlos Narvaez to work alongside Connor Wong. The club has yet to significantly improve its lineup after allowing Tyler O’Neill to sign with the Orioles, and more additions to the pitching staff are expected, but so far the Red Sox have gotten off to a great start.

New York Yankees

Added: LHP Max Fried, OF Cody Bellinger, RHP Devin Williams

Lost: OF Juan Soto, LHP Nestor Cortes, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Cody Poteet, INF Caleb Durbin

Unsigned: 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Gleyber Torres, OF Alex Verdugo, RHP Tommy Kahnle, INF Jon Berti, RHP Lou Trivino, LHP Tim Hill, LHP Tim Mayza

Losing Juan Soto was a massive setback. The perennial MVP candidate was one of the most productive players in the league last year and formed a historic power tandem with Aaron Judge in the heart of the Yankees lineup. You can’t replace someone like that, and losing Soto is going to leave a mark.

That being said, the Yankees have done an impressive job pivoting since he announced his departure.

Over the past two weeks the Yankees have signed one of the top starting pitchers on the market, traded for one of the game’s best closers and acquired another former MVP to fill Soto’s spot in the outfield. Fried and Gerrit Cole should give the Yankees a terrifying one-two punch atop the rotation, and if Carlos Rodon gets back to his San Francisco form they might even have a bona fide Big Three. Williams will be an upgrade over Clay Holmes, who’d worn out his welcome with the fanbase, and even if Bellinger’s no Soto, he’s still a great defensive player with huge upside who should benefit from Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch.

How the Yankees wind up will depend on what other moves they make from here, but they should at least still be factors come playoff time next year.

Baltimore Orioles

Added: OF Tyler O’Neill, RHP Tomoyuki Sugano

Lost: OF Austin Slater, RHP Jacob Webb

Unsigned: RHP Corbin Burnes, OF Anthony Santander, C James McCann, OF Eloy Jimenez, LHP John Means, LHP Danny Coulombe, RHP Matt Bowman

With Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander still unsigned, the Orioles are in a bit of a holding pattern. Baltimore has protected itself from losing Santander by signing Tyler O’Neill, who led the Red Sox with 31 home runs last year, but failing to re-sign Burnes would leave a massive void in the club’s starting rotation.

If the Orioles can bring back Burnes or replace him with another top arm they should remain top American League contenders, especially with standout Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano now in the fold. If they don’t, they’ll really be counting on their elite young core to keep them in the hunt.

Tampa Bay Rays

Added: C Danny Jansen, RHP Joe Boyle, RHP Eric Orze, LHP Nathan Lavender, RHP Mike Vasil

Lost: LHP Jeffrey Springs, LHP Jacob Lopez, OF Jose Siri

Unsigned: OF Manuel Margot, LHP Colin Poche, OF Dylan Carlson, RHP Erasmo Ramirez, LHP Richard Lovelady

This is looking like it could be a rebuilding year for the Rays. After five straight playoff appearances Tampa Bay took a big step back in 2024, and with Tropicana Field still unplayable after having its roof torn off by Hurricane Milton, the club is looking forward to a year playing in the Yankees’ spring training complex.

But there is some hope for the Rays. Ace Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen should both rejoin the starting rotation after completing their recoveries from elbow surgery, fortifying a young group that also includes Zack Littell, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz. That group made it possible for the Rays to trade Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics, netting an impressive collection of prospects who should impact the big league club before long.

Tampa Bay’s lineup probably won’t score a lot of runs, but given the club’s track record developing pitchers, we shouldn’t count out the Rays entirely.

Toronto Blue Jays

Added: 2B Andres Gimenez, RHP Yimi Garcia, RHP Nick Sandlin, RHP Angel Bastardo

Lost: INF Spencer Horwitz, RHP Jordan Romano

Unsigned: LHP Ryan Yarbrough, RHP Dillon Tate

The Blue Jays have taken some big swings recently but have so far come up empty. They missed out on Juan Soto after also falling short in their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani last winter, and to this point the biggest move Toronto has made this year has been acquiring second baseman Andres Gimenez from Cleveland, a nice pickup but not one that will lift the Blue Jays out of the basement on its own.

But the real question facing the Blue Jays is whether it even makes sense to try and force open a window that may have already closed.

Toronto’s core is aging and its two franchise cornerstones, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, are entering their final years before hitting free agency. Guerrero in particular is expected to be the top position player on next year’s market, and if the Blue Jays can’t extend him then they risk losing him for what would probably only be a compensatory draft pick after the second round.

Even if they do retain Guerrero, the Blue Jays were already a last place team with him in their lineup. So at what point would it make sense to trade him and Bichette to jumpstart the inevitable franchise rebuild? That’s the big decision Toronto faces, and a few short-term splashes won’t make the Blue Jays’ long-term outlook any more certain.