Two Months To Go: AL East

The homestretch begins now. Each team in contention has had a chance to improve, and now that we see which teams did so, and which teams stood pat, it is time to forcast how the rest of the season will play out.

The Yankees recently leapfrogged into first place, overtaking Boston. I see no reason why the Yankees will relinquish that lead. Both teams have questionable starting staffs, with guys like Cory Lidle and Jason Johnson set to get the ball every fifth day. However, the moves the Yankees made will propel them over Boston. Craig Wilson is a vast improvement over Andy Philips at first base, and even though Philips will recieve some at bats, any way to get a guy with a .679 OPS not playing first base on a regular basis is a positive development. While Cory Lidle bombed the last time he played in the American League, at least he is not Sidney Ponson. The Yankees rotation is at the very least stable, which cannot be said for that of the Red Sox.

The Red Sox were unable to pull off a deal at the deadline, reportedly because they were reluctant to trade valued prospects. While that may be well and good, Boston is in deep trouble with their starting staff. Tim Wakefield's return can't be soon enough for a team that features Johnson and David Wells in the rotation. The bullpen could also have used help, as it is nowhere as deep as that of the Yankees. Admittedly the Red Sox currently have many pitchers on the DL, but Keith Foulke and Wakefield are really the only ones who figure to help the team, and Foulke far from what he was in 2004. The Red Sox are in even worse shape now that Jason Varitek is out for over a month. Although he was having a down season, he is far better then Doug Mirabelli, who is best suited as a catcher for Wakefield, and not an everyday player.

Toronto also failed to make a move at the deadline. They were expected to be major players for Julio Lugo, but watched as he went to the Dodgers, leaving them with a middle infield of John McDonald and Aaron Hill. Furthermore, they lost Shea Hillenbrand without recieving any replacement in the lineup. However, their offense is the least of their problems. The back end of the rotation is a mess, although getting Gustavo Chacin back should alleviate some of that. Roy Halladay may be the best starter in the league not pitching for Minnesota, but the rest of the rotation is painfully average, including $11 million A.J. Burnett. The Blue Jays were able to add Jeremy Accardo in getting rid of Hillenbrand, helping to solidify the bullpen, but the Yankees still have the top pen in this race.

The Yankees made vast improvements to their pitching staff and lineup. Bobby Abreu and Craig Wilson will help save Yankee fans from seeing Bobby Crosby and Andy Philips regularly in the lineup, making an already imposing offense even better.

Boston is facing serious trouble with injuries, and Toronto, which was looking in from the start, failed to make the deal that would put them in serious contention.

So here's how I think it will play out in the end:

1. New York (99-63)
2. Boston (94-68)
3. Toronto (85-77)