The American League East was front and center at the Winter Meetings, both for positive and negative reasons. On the positive front, the Baltimore Orioles signed Pete Alonso. Who expected that? On the negative side, the Boston Red Sox whiffed on their top power-hitting targets, and teams like the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays did nothing of note.
As disappointing as the Winter Meetings were for most of the division, there's still ample time for all five teams to make key moves, particularly in the trade market. Here's one player each team should be set on acquiring.
Baltimore Orioles
Trade target: MacKenzie Gore
The Baltimore Orioles have been hyper-aggressive this offseason, dramatically bolstering their lineup by trading for Taylor Ward and signing Pete Alonso, and improving their bullpen by signing Ryan Helsley. As exciting as those additions are, the Orioles have yet to touch their starting rotation, which was their greatest weakness in 2025. In fact, by trading Grayson Rodriguez for Ward, their rotation is in worse shape than it was, even with Rodriguez's durability concerns. Trading for MacKenzie Gore would change things, though.
Gore might not be an established ace, but he was an All-Star in 2025, is only 26 years old, and would come with two years of control. Plugging him into the rotation alongside Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers, in addition to the other moves they've made, could make Baltimore a serious threat in the AL East, and they've got the prospect capital to get a deal done.
Tampa Bay Rays
Trade target: Ronny Henriquez
The Tampa Bay Rays are in an interesting spot. On one hand, they have a good amount of talent, and if things break their way, they can find themselves in Wild Card contention. On the other hand, the AL East is a behemoth. The chances of the Rays being super competitive in this division in 2026 are rather slim, and they should look to sell high on some of their assets as a result. Yandy Diaz, a 34-year-old DH on a very reasonable contract, is an example of that.
The Miami Marlins figure to be a team that expresses interest in Diaz given their need for a big bat, and if the Rays can acquire a guy like Ronny Henriquez, how do you not do that if you're Tampa Bay? Henriquez broke last season with the Marlins, posting a 2.22 ERA in 69 appearances and 73 innings of work and striking out 32.3 percent of the batters he faced. He was one of the best relievers in baseball.
Henriquez can solidify the back end of the bullpen for Tampa Bay, and he's under control through 2030, meaning he'd be in the mix for a very long time. Getting him as a centerpiece in a Diaz deal would make a lot of sense for Tampa Bay.
Boston Red Sox
Trade target: Ketel Marte
The Boston Red Sox were as disappointing as any team in the Winter Meetings, failing to sign Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, the two best power-hitting free agents available. They could go the cheap route and sign a free agent like Eugenio Suarez, but they should really be going all-out for a player of Ketel Marte's ability.
Marte is the best offensive second baseman in the game, and he's under contract for the next half-decade on very reasonable terms. He's received MVP votes in each of the last two seasons and was even an MVP finalist in 2024. Sure, there are some clubhouse concerns, and he's 32 years old, but there is not a bigger difference maker position player-wise out there.
The Red Sox can be a force if they add a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat, and they have the money and assets to get a deal done. It's on Craig Breslow to get over his fear of long-term deals and get this deal done before another team snags Marte first.
New York Yankees
Trade target: Freddy Peralta
It's been a very quiet offseason for the New York Yankees thus far. It's been almost too quiet. Sure, they're waiting for Cody Bellinger to complete their outfield, but the Yankees have other needs too, particularly in their rotation. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt are all expected to begin the season on the IL, so the Yankees should really be adding a starter. Why not aim high and go after Freddy Peralta, perhaps the best option on the market not named Tarik Skubal?
Peralta, a two-time All-Star, is set to make just $8 million in 2026, making him even more attractive to a Yankees team that (for whatever reason) is eager to save every penny possible. Now, he is a rental, and he's going to cost more in a trade than fans are comfortable parting with for a rental, but he's also a clear-cut frontline starter, has been durable in recent years, and is obviously a guy the Yankees could extend or pay next offseason in free agency.
A rotation featuring Peralta, Cole, Rodon, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, in whatever order you want to put them, would be the best in the American League. Acquiring Peralta would make the Yankees tougher to beat, and ensuring that teams like the Red Sox and Orioles, who have been linked to Peralta, don't acquire him, would just be the icing on the cake.
Toronto Blue Jays
Trade target: Brendan Donovan
The Toronto Blue Jays have been busy this offseason, bolstering their rotation by signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, but they still have a bullpen and lineup to take care of. There's a plethora of relievers for the Jays to sign in free agency, but on the lineup front, what about Brendan Donovan?
Donovan is as underrated as they come. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2025, plays all over the diamond, and fits the Jays' lineup perfectly in the sense that he rarely strikes out. The St. Louis Cardinals are open to trading him for the right return, and while it'd cost a ton, the Jays are in a win-now window and could use a bat.
Donovan's defensive versatility allows the Jays to continue their pursuits of Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette in free agency, and the fact that he's projected to make less than $6 million in 2026 and has another year of cheap club control keeps the door open to the Jays making a huge free agency splash.
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