It’s the most wonderful time of the year! December is a time full of giving and receiving gifts to celebrate the holidays.
Now that the winter meetings have passed, only a few days remain before Christmas and turning the page to 2025. Each team has question marks worth answering, some with presents under the tree for you and me.
Without further ado, here are some of the most pressing topics surrounding each American League team.
AL EAST
Baltimore Orioles – Return or Replace Corbin Burnes
The Baltimore Orioles won 91 games a year ago after 101 in 2023 but once again were bounced early from the playoffs. Baseball’s fourth-highest-scoring offense possesses stars everywhere around the diamond, but it’s the mound that leaves the most questions. All’s quiet on the free agent front for star righty Corbin Burnes. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner posted a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 181 strikeouts, and a 15-9 record in 32 starts spanning 194.1 innings. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Thursday it’s likely Alex Bregman and Burnes sign after Christmas. The Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays are the main teams to watch for Burnes. The Orioles can’t afford to lose Burnes and not replace him with a front-line starter. A reunion with Jack Flaherty would be the most high-profile add outside of Burnes. Baltimore needs to do everything it can to bring back its ace.
Boston Red Sox – Top of the rotation arm
The Red Sox have been busy adding to their pitching staff this offseason but may be looking for more. Boston has already added lefty Garrett Crochet in a trade with the White Sox and this week inked former Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler to a one-year deal. They may still be looking for more though. The Red Sox are among a handful of teams that have been linked to Seattle right-hander Luis Castillo. Top free agent Corbin Burnes is still on the board as is veteran Jack Flaherty.
New York Yankees – Bullpen Help and Good Health
The Yankees wasted no time addressing their roster after losing outfielder Juan Soto to their crosstown rival the New York Mets. The Yankees responded by signing left-hander Max Fried to an eight-year, $216 million deal and then traded for former NL MVP Cody Bellinger (Chicago Cubs) and closer Devin Williams (Milwaukee Brewers). The team also added veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal.
It has to be strange for Yankee fans to watch the Mets poach Soto and Holmes, but Bellinger, Williams, and Goldschmidt are high-profile veterans capable of adding stability where the Yanks need it. Will Gleyber Torres return? Regardless, the Yankees may turn their attention to the bullpen and solidify a solid group from a real ago. More than anything, the Yankees need good health for Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and others to return to the promised land.
Tampa Bay Rays – Comfort in New Facilities
Hurricane Milton ravished Tropicana Field and left the enclosed stadium with damage too extreme to host baseball games in 2025. As a result, the Rays will play at George M. Steinbrenner Field, home of the New York Yankees spring training affiliate. It won’t be easy to adjust to a new environment and stadium with 11,000 people, similar to what the Blue Jays needed to do during the pandemic. Tampa traded Isaac Paredes to Chicago for Christopher Morel and added an answer at third base. Shortstop remains an area of need and a compliment to Danny Jansen behind the plate can help increase the offense. Jose Iglesias and Paul DeJong could be potential fits.
Toronto Blue Jays – Should I Stay or Should I Go?
The popular song by The Clash remains a popular song years later, but also applies to the state of the Blue Jays franchise. The course of baseball in Toronto will be shaped by two decisions in 2025. Will Vlad Guererro and Bo Bichette remain Blue Jays long-term, walk in free agency, or be traded at the deadline? Faint rumors swirled that the organization would listen on their two stars but neither reportedly was close to dotting I’s and crossing T’s. Impending free agents combined to make an estimated $46 million, Guerrero and Bichette are the backbone of Jays baseball and two of the best offensive players in the game. Guerrero mashed 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, hit .323 (2nd in the AL), and recorded a .940 OPS. Bichette only played 81 games due to injury as Toronto finished last in the division at 74-88. Committing significant capital to both may be off the table, but the two exiting would signal a rebuild underway in a strong AL East.
AL CENTRAL
Cleveland Guardians – Starting Pitching
The Guardians have been busy this winter retooling their roster for cost savings while trying to remain competitive in the Central. Cleveland traded Andres Gimenez to Toronto in what was largely a cost cutting move. They also dealt first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Guardians replaced Naylor by agreeing to a one-year deal with Carlos Santana. Shane Bieber will be back from Tommy John in June to solidify the rotation, but still could add an established veteran. The Guardians are in a great spot but need more thump in their lineup as the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers knocked down the playoff door last year and tightened the division. Whit Merrifield or Brendan Rodgers would look good in a Guardians uniform.
Chicago White Sox – Acquire top prospects for Luis Robert
The Chicago White Sox had maybe the worst season in MLB history a year ago. Finishing 41-121, the White Sox joined the Cleveland Spiders in the bottom of baseball’s all-time basement. Under contract for potentially three seasons, Luis Robert is Chicago’s most attractive trade piece to acquire talent to speed up a slow rebuild. Coming off his worst season, Robert hit only .224 with a .657 OPS, 14 home runs, and 35 RBIs through 393 at-bats. Robert struck out 141 times in 100 games but mashed 38 home runs and drove in 80 en route to an All-Star bid two years ago. Passan believes Robert is available and speculation surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies and Yankees adds increased speculation the Sox will deal Robert, ideally for two top 100 prospects, and give fans hope for the future.
Detroit Tigers – More Offense
The Tigers shocked baseball by making a late run to the playoffs and upsetting the Houston Astros. Tarik Skubal won the AL Cy Young with 228 strikeouts over 192 innings and a 2.39 ERA. The rotation could use some help to complement Skubal but remains a strength, especially if former No. 1 pick Casey Mize figures it out. Detroit needs to add more offense to a unit that posted the 23rd-best OPS and a .234 team average. Alex Bregman remains a plausible fit and the Tigers haven’t been shy about adding payroll in the past. Bregman and an outfielder can take the Tigers back to the playoffs.
Kansas City Royals – Bats to Help Witt
What a time to be a Kansas City sports fan. The Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls and look to lock in the No. 1 seed. The Royals reached the playoffs a year after losing 100 games and possess one of baseball’s brightest stars in Bobby Witt Jr. at short. KC needs help at third base and the outfield to take some of the pressure off Witt. Could Alex Bregman be a dark horse candidate? The bullpen finished 20th in baseball with a 4.13 ERA and may use a facelift to reach the back end.
Minnesota Twins – Outfield Help
Max Kepler signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia Manuel Margo is a free agent, leaving a pedestrian Twins offense looking for answers. Minnesota ranked in the middle third of most offensive categories and may want to add a few bullpen pieces, but have impactful players like Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez, Jhoan Duran, and Carlos Correa to carry the load. In a tough division, the Twins aren’t far off from returning to the playoffs but need to stand out in the pack offensively. Jason Heyward and Jurickson Profar both make sense and Profar can bounce around the field with a dependable hit tool.
AL WEST
Houston Astros – Remake the outfield
The Astros have also had a busy offseason and surprised everyone by sending outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith. Houston nearly traded for Nolan Arenado but was blocked when he invoked the no-trade clause in his contract. As a result, they pivoted by signing first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year deal. The additions of Paredes at third and Walker appear to have brought an end to the Alex Bergman era.
While losing Tucker stings, the Astros have done a good job of retooling. There is still opportunity to improve in the outfield where Taylor Trammell, Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick are the projected starters.
A’s – Find an Identity
Oakland is no more. That’s going to need some getting used to. The A’s will play in Sacramento for the next three seasons before moving to Las Vegas in 2028. Until then, they will only be referred to as the “A’s” with no location attached. What will the culture of the A’s look like in 2025? Fans crying in the stands of the Oakland Coliseum and watching the end of an era was tough to watch, but the man on the mound to close the game brings hope and optimism. Mason Miller needs to grab control of the team’s culture and leadership. Flirting with him as a starter is risky but could pay dividends with a 100 mph fastball like Paul Skenes and electric offerings. Signing Luis Severino to the biggest deal in franchise history was a huge start, but who do the A’s want to be with questions surrounding the franchise and roster?
Seattle Mariners – Get Over the Hump
Seattle should ask Santa for anything that can get them to stop striking out as much and put the ball in play. The Mariners need to reshape their offense and add a couple of pieces to complement a great rotation with Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert. The team ranked No. 1 in starting rotation ERA (3.49) but first in strikeouts (1,625) and second to last in batting average (.224). The large gap in success hampered Seattle with 85 wins instead of what could have been 90+. Cut down on the offensive gasps and the Mariners become the favorite to win the AL West.
Los Angeles Angels – Mike Trout’s Future
One of the greatest baseball players of all time has reached a breaking point in his career. Mike Trout enters his age 33 season without a playoff series victory and in jeopardy of becoming the best to never advance to a league championship series. Injuries ravished Trout’s career in three of the last four years in 2021 (36 games), 2023 (82 games), and 2024 (29). He hit 10 home runs before reinjuring and tearing his meniscus. Trout hit 40 home runs two years ago but the three-time MVP seems to be in an impossible situation. He’s under contract through 2030 making $35 million per season. Even though his value isn’t the highest, the Angels could receive a king’s ransom for Trout. It might not work financially and Trout might not want to leave the place he’s spent his entire career, but a separation might be best for both sides.
Texas Rangers – Jacob DeGrom Healthy and Add Pitching
The Rangers offense poses a significant power threat but waivered for portions of the season. Jacob DeGrom’s health at 36 is something worth anything but a lump of coal. Since signing a five-year, $185 million deal, DeGrom has pitched 41 innings. The Rangers need to supplement him with more pitching help, but the two-time Cy Young winner needs to be on the mound for Texas to turn things around. Whit Merrifield may also fit in Texas, needing a player who hits for a high average at the top of the lineup. DeGrom and a bat under the tree will light the Rangers torch again.
