#al-east

#al-east

Another star player is joining an already stacked American League East division. On Sunday evening (Dec. 21) the Boston Red Sox reportedly acquired Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals. The 33-year-old right hander is the latest in a series of moves by Blue Jays division rivals over the weekend that have strengthened a couple of teams heading into 2026.

The Toronto Blue Jays addressed their pitching by signing Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and also had Shane Bieber take the option on his contract to play with Toronto in 2026. Both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles have also made moves with the former grabbing Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the latter picking up reliever Ryan Helsley off the free agent market while also getting Taylor Ward in a trade with the LA Angels.

The Brewers stay in the top spot after splitting a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays. They are still 6.5 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and cruising toward a playoff berth. Jackson Chourio returned from the injured list to excellent results, with six hits in two games. He will be key to Milwaukee breaking its playoff slump, with no series wins since 2018.

This feels REALLY early for baseball, doesn't it? We do this once a year on Patriot's Day but to do it in August? It just feels strange.

In recent discussions, the Padres have explored trading Dylan Cease, with interest from AL East teams such as the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees.