DID THE RAYS MAKE TRADES THAT BENEFIT THE YANKEES?

Now this could make for a good debate.

I came across an interesting piece from Dan Martin at the New York Post HERE, and I can't say that I feel the same way necessarily. I always look for the positives in life but I don't share in this enthusiasm. I don't like complacency at all so I don't get excited by his theory that the Yankees "get better" due to the Rays trading away Blake Snell and Charlie Morton signing with the Braves. I can't get excited that the Yankees improve only because the Rays got rid of their big game pitchers. The Yankees only improve when they make changes that take the team to the next level. In this case they did nothing.

And what about this thought:
"The Yankees, if they bring DJ LeMahieu back, seem set to go with a similar roster to the one they had last season, which wasn’t good enough to get past the Rays in the playoffs, but looks more formidable compared to how Tampa Bay is currently constructed."

IF the Yankees bring DJ back they look more formidable to the NEW Rays team as it stands. That's a big IF at this point because the Yankees and DJ are still pretty far apart in their negotiations. So IF we get him back, we keep our best bat in the lineup against their weaker rotation which again doesn't make me confident or excite me. 

And let's not lose sight of the rest of the division. Even the New York Post mentions them:
"And perhaps Toronto will make one of the significant moves they’ve been tied to — from stealing LeMahieu away from the Yankees to signing Trevor Bauer or George Springer. So far, though, the Blue Jays have been quiet."

Yes, the Rays won the division last year and made it to the World Series - but that doesn't mean they are the only competition. They might be a pain in our side again, or they may not be. I don't think the Yankees should disregard any team at this point, especially when the Blue Jays are anxious to spend some money. I think Toronto is going to be very good this year. They gave us a run for our money towards the end of the season and there's no reason to believe they can't do it again, especially if they make significant moves.

There's a lot of time left for any team to make changes. The AL East might not look so tough right now, but a lot will change between now and the start of the season. The Yankees won't get better by doing nothing. We have some holes to fill. 

We only get better when we make improvements. Once we do that, then we can really debate about if we are in a better place in the division.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj