lol how is a year and a half of Austin Jackson more valuable what the Rays got in return... Smyly is a free agent in 2019, and Franklin still has a massive amount of service time.
The Rays made their 2015 worse, but it's not by massive amounts. They have to manage themselves in a way where they downgrade but grab extra quantity/service time - they don't have the financial flexibility to let people walk and need to hedge their present consistently with the future. That being said, they're still an average team, and with the lack of amazing teams in the AL they can make the playoffs (I mean, the Royals made the playoffs, and they were a pretty mediocre team that went all the way to the world series).
While the wins-loses column may not reflect it just because of how things can vary over the course of the year, there's an incredible amount of parity in baseball, and the AL especially (clear best two teams are Dodgers/Nationals), in a sorta freaky way. I'm trying to think of a team that I can't see any way that they manage to make the playoffs from the AL. The Twins? I may be gravely missing something but I think they're the worst team this year in the AL.
But outside of that? Every team could win their division theoretically (may be stretching with Astros but I think there is a non zero probability that they could, though it approaches zero quite rapidly) It's an exciting time.
To join with all the AL East talk cause obviously go Jays, it's a really interesting division. The Red Sox have the highest floor with just an amazing amount of average-above average position player surplus, I don't see much upside on the pitching but idk why people think their rotation is bad.
Jays lack both position player/pitching depth - they have interesting upside in their rotation (and holy crap a full year of Marcus Stroman) and while I think I'd be comfortable with having them as the best team in a fantasy world with no injuries they easily have the widest variation of potential outcomes in the division.
fuck if I know anything about the Orioles. They aren't any better than the Rays but I've given up saying anything more negative than that in fear of gratifying
zorbees