The perennial contenders in baseball's toughest division sat out much of the frenzy of this past offseason. The top clubs in the American League East watched the Angels, Marlins, Tigers and Rangers dominate the headlines and spend the big dollars.

That doesn't mean they were idle, though. Quietly, the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays all had effective winters, addressing their needs and reloading to take shots at one another while trying to stave off challenges from Toronto and Baltimore. Perhaps baseball's balance of power has shifted to the AL West somewhat, but the sun has assuredly not set on the AL East's empire.