The AL East teams are set on improving their rosters for the years to come while the division is perhaps the most competitive it has ever been. The Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are those who are obviously doing so right now.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, outfielder Nelson Cruz and the Baltimore Orioles express mutual interest in a contract extension. Baseball's home run leader was signed by the O's in the offseason for a bargain one-year, $8 million deal solely because Cruz was suspended for 50 games in 2013 for violating the MLB's drug agreement after being linked to the Biogenesis Scandal. With the Texas Rangers last year, Cruz belted 27 home runs and 76 RBIs in just 109 games before missing the rest of the year. The 33-year-old is now batting .256 with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs in 130 games this year.
While the Orioles are speaking with Cruz about a deal, the Red Sox are one step ahead of them with their latest singing, Rusney Castillo, despite being out of playoff contention. The 27-year-old Cuban defector signed a seven-year, $72 million contract last week - a record for a Cuban player - and Boston is looking to get him into action as soon as possible. The Red Sox out-bid the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, who were reportedly the other front-runners, and now Castillo has obtained a work visa from the U.S. government and is allowed to play baseball in the states. It's believed he could play in a minor league game as soon as this weekend and eventually join the roster in September.
The New York Yankees are more so preparing for right now as opposed to the future. The team traded for left-handed reliever Josh Outman of the Cleveland Indians yesterday and will send off a player to be named later or cash considerations once it's agreed upon. Outman was designated for assignment back in June after posting a 4-0 record with a 3.28 ERA in 31 relief appearances. The Yanks will likely use him as a specialist in the bullpen, as it's well known Joe Girardi loves his lefty vs. lefty matchups. New York remains seven games behind the Orioles for the division lead but just three games behind the Seattle Mariners for the second AL wild card spot.
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