Orioles insider points out uncomfortable truth that should have AL East fans nervous

By virtually every measure, the Baltimore Orioles have had a successful offseason so far. They made one of the biggest signings of the year when they landed Pete Alonso, and the rotation, bullpen, and lineup have all seen meaningful additions. Even if they don't end up landing a frontline starter as has long been speculated, this is a significantly improved Orioles team.

However, it is still fair to wonder if Baltimore has done enough to be a serious contender in the AL East again. Yes, they are better and already had a strong young core, but the Blue Jays have been even busier this offseason than the Orioles, and both the Yankees and Red Sox can't ever really be counted out. The wild card in the division remains the Rays, who have struggled a bit lately, but who tend to be much better than they have any right to be.

According to Orioles insider Jake Rill, the AL East is still very much up for grabs even after all of Baltimore's progress this offseason. In fact, even if the Orioles add an ace, the division is shaping up to be a bloodbath.

Orioles' strong offseason gives them a real chance in the AL East, but boy does the division still look tough

Now, Orioles fans should not take this or Rill's column as a source of doom and gloom. Again, the Orioles have had a great offseason, and Rill makes sure to note to himself that there is a very realistic path for Baltimore to go from worst to first in the AL East this coming season. With real strength on both sides of the ball, no team in baseball is going to be excited to see the Orioles in the opposing dugout.

But the rest of the division is shaping up to be a problem. Toronto is fresh off a World Series win, and they immediately went out and added Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, and Cody Ponce, with more big names possibly to come, though it does look like they will lose Bo Bichette. The Yankees have been pretty quiet, but they still have a loaded roster, including Aaron Judge. As for the Red Sox, they pivoted in the direction of Ranger Suarez after missing on Alex Bregman, and they have made some notable trades already and will get a full season of Roman Anthony.

Lets say you add Framber Valdez to Baltimore's rotation, that is still a really tough road to winning an AL East title. Clearly, the front office is aware of the situation and is making strong moves to keep pace, but nothing is going to come easy in 2026, even if the Orioles spend the money fans want them to.