Deadline Breakdown: AL East

With the July 31st trade deadline just a few days away, I figured I would break down each division and the needs of its teams. Starting with the AL East and and ending in the NL West.

AL East – This is probably the strongest division in baseball – with the exception of the Orioles – and also one of the most amorphous. The Red Sox and Yankees are changing every year and you’d be hard pressed to find one year where all of the teams stayed static at the deadline.

1. New York Yankees – As always, the Yankees are likely to be big spenders at the deadline. I’m not familiar with a lot of their prospects that will likely be dealt; however, I do know that they need an extra bat. Granderson has been disappointing in his first season in pinstripes and they could also use a bat in the DH spot so that Posada can assume his regular catching duties.
   Possible Players: 1B/DH/OF Adam Dunn - Washington Nationals, OF - David DeJesus - Kansas City Royals, 3B/1B/DH Mike Lowell - Boston Red Sox (yea right, like we'd help them).
   
   
2. Tampa Bay Rays – Maddon and his club are not known for doing major deals at the deadline; but, as the Sox get healthy, the Rays are going to need a power, left-handed bat in the middle of the order to secure the Wild Card spot. I’m not sure how much longer they can survive with a .200 hitter – Carlos Peña – hitting cleanup.
   Possible Players: Dunn, Lowell, 1B/DH Prince Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers.
   
   
3. Boston Red Sox – How’s this for a deal at the deadline, an all-star and former MVP/Rookie of the Year at second base, a .300 lead-off hitter who stole 70 bases last year and a strong young 23-year-old reliever. By late August the Sox should be getting Pedroia and Ellsbury back from injury. Also, it’d a much better move for Theo Epstein to retain his young talent and call up young right-hander Michael Bowden to replace the ineffective, Hideki Okajima. I don’t foresee any big deals for the Sox this year.
   Possible Players: RHP Leo Nunez - Florida Marlins, LHP Scott Downs - Toronto Blue Jays, DeJesus.
   
   
4. Toronto Blue Jays – If their GM is smart, he’ll know that there’s no possible way that Bautista repeats his ridiculous numbers next year in Toronto. They already made a huge splash landing a much younger Yunel Escobar and some prospects for Alex Gonzalez; if he could pull off a deal for more young talent – preferably starting pitching – then they’d be in a much better position to win next year.
   Possible Players: It's hard to tell, right now, what the market is for Bautista; but, his last 2-HR game puts him at 30 for the year so they should get something good.
   
   
5. Baltimore Orioles – Sorry @kylegrantham, but you guys just need a solid hiding spot or something. It’s hard to establish team needs on the field, when you don’t know who’s going to be managing the team next season. Hire Buch Showalter, then we’ll talk trades.
   Possible Players: I hear they're holding tryouts (not really, but they should...go for it Kyle)