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Offseason team needs: AL East

Welcome to theScore's MLB offseason team needs, in which we'll break down every club's roster and its key free agents, along with how holes could be filled in free agency. Up first is the AL East.

AL EAST | NL EAST I AL CENTRAL I NL CENTRAL I AL WEST I NL WEST

Baltimore Orioles

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2018 Record: 47-115 (5th in division)
Projected 2019 payroll: $82.5M
Key free agents: Adam Jones
Needs: Starting pitcher, outfielder, closer, third baseman

Projected Lineup

Order Player Pos Age
1 Tim Beckham 2B 28
2 DJ Stewart RF 24
3 Jonathan Villar SS 27
4 Trey Mancini LF 26
5 Mark Trumbo DH 32
6 Chris Davis 1B 32
7 Renato Nunez 3B 24
8 Austin Wynns C 27
9 Cedric Mullins CF 24

Projected Rotation

ROLE PITCHER THROWS AGE
1 Dylan Bundy R 26
2 Alex Cobb R 31
3 Andrew Cashner R 32
4 David Hess R 25
5 Josh Rogers L 24

Following one of the worst seasons in baseball history, the Orioles are expected to lose stalwart Adam Jones in free agency as they shift into a rebuild. The team could use an affordable closer or setup man, depending on its plans for Mychal Givens. A reunion with Brad Brach could fill the need and give Baltimore a trade chip in July.

Boston Red Sox

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2018 Record: 108-54 (1st in division)
Projected 2019 payroll: $222M
Key free agents: Craig Kimbrel, Nathan Eovaldi, Joe Kelly, Ian Kinsler, Drew Pomeranz
Needs: Closer, starting pitcher

Projected Lineup

Order Player Pos Age
1 Mookie Betts RF 26
2 Andrew Benintendi LF 24
3 J.D. Martinez DH 31
4 Xander Bogaerts SS 26
5 Mitch Moreland 1B 33
6 Dustin Pedroia 2B 35
7 Rafael Devers 3B 22
8 Christian Vazquez C 28
9 Jackie Bradley Jr. CF 28

Projected Rotation

ROLE PITCHER THROWS AGE
1 Chris Sale L 29
2 David Price L 33
3 Rick Porcello R 29
4 Eduardo Rodriguez L 25
5 Brian Johnson L 27

Re-signing Craig Kimbrel and Nathan Eovaldi would be wise decisions that fill two of the team's needs, but neither will come cheap. Otherwise, the return of reliever Andrew Miller would be a solid backup plan. The Red Sox should also look at a free-agent second baseman like DJ LeMahieu based on Dustin Pedroia's unpredictable health.

New York Yankees

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2018 Record: 100-62 (2nd in division)
Projected 2019 payroll: $156.2M
Key free agents: Zach Britton, J.A. Happ, Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson, Lance Lynn, Neil Walker, Adeiny Hechavarria
Needs: Second baseman or shortstop, first baseman, starting pitcher

Projected Lineup

Order Player Pos Age
1 Brett Gardner LF 35
2 Aaron Judge RF 26
3 Aaron Hicks CF 29
4 Giancarlo Stanton DH 29
5 Gary Sanchez C 25
6 Miguel Andujar 3B 23
7 Gleyber Torres SS 21
8 Luke Voit 1B 27
9 Tyler Wade 2B 24

Projected Rotation

ROLE PITCHER THROWS AGE
1 Masahiro Tanaka R 30
2 Luis Severino R 24
3 CC Sabathia L 38
4 Sonny Gray R 29
5 Domingo German R 26

With Didi Gregorius set to miss half the season, the Yankees need a shortstop (or a second baseman if they shift Gleyber Torres over to fill in). They could go after Manny Machado if the price is right, but GM Brian Cashman insists he's seeking pitching. Patrick Corbin, J.A. Happ, and James Paxton have all been linked to the Yankees.

Tampa Bay Rays

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2018 Record: 90-72 (3rd in division)
Projected 2019 payroll: $36.1M
Key free agents: Carlos Gomez, Sergio Romo
Needs: Designated hitter, closer

Projected Lineup

Order Player Pos Age
1 Kevin Kiermaier CF 28
2 Tommy Pham LF 30
3 Joey Wendle 2B 28
4 C.J. Cron 1B 28
5 Ji-Man Choi DH 27
6 Willy Adames SS 23
7 Austin Meadows RF 23
8 Mike Zunino C 27
9 Matt Duffy 3B 27

Projected Rotation

ROLE PITCHER THROWS AGE
1 Blake Snell L 25
2 Tyler Glasnow R 25
3 Ryan Yarbrough L 26
4 Yonny Chirinos R 24
5 Jalen Beeks L 25

The Rays addressed their need for a starting catcher by acquiring Mike Zunino, but could still use a DH. With very few dollars committed to their 2019 roster, that could mean taking a run at a premier player like Nelson Cruz or Josh Donaldson. Tampa's reportedly interested in Cruz, while Donaldson, who was born in Florida and is familiar with the AL East, might be looking for a short-term deal to rebuild his value.

Toronto Blue Jays

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2018 Record: 73-89 (4th in division)
Projected 2019 payroll: $108.4M
Key free agents: Marco Estrada, Tyler Clippard
Needs: Starting pitcher, relief pitcher, outfielder

Projected Lineup

Order Player Pos Age
1 Billy McKinney LF 24
2 Randal Grichuk RF 27
3 Justin Smoak 1B 31
4 Kendrys Morales DH 35
5 Troy Tulowitzki SS 34
6 Danny Jansen C 23
7 Kevin Pillar CF 29
8 Aledmys Diaz 3B 28
9 Devon Travis 2B 27

Projected Rotation

ROLE PITCHER THROWS AGE
1 Marcus Stroman R 27
2 Aaron Sanchez R 26
3 Ryan Borucki L 24
4 Sean Reid-Foley R 23
5 Thomas Pannone L 24

The Blue Jays are a mix of young and old, as they'll begin their rebuild while playing out the expiring (and expensive) contracts of veteran players. Their best course of action in free agency would be acquiring affordable bullpen help who could be flipped to another team at the trade deadline. Ryan Madson, Sergio Romo, Shawn Kelley, and Joakim Soria are options who come to mind.

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