Zach Wilt: Moves by GMs could be key in AL East race

Simply put, the American League East is an absolute mess this season. The Yankees remain atop the division with their 29-25 record, but even the last-place Orioles are just five games out of first. Around the rest of the najors, cellar-dwelling teams aren't nearly as fortunate. The last-place Oakland Athletics (22-33) are 12 ½ games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. The last-place Milwaukee Brewers (18-36) trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 17 1/2 games in the NL Central.

On June 4, 2014, the Jays were atop the East with a 36-24 record, seven more wins than the Yankees have today. Right behind Toronto were the O's at 30-27, 4 1/2 out of first place. Tampa Bay had dug itself in a 13-game hole at 23-37 at this point a season ago.

The AL East might be the worst division in baseball in 2015, but it's also the land of opportunity for all five teams. As a baseball fan, I prefer to use the word "parity" over "mediocrity" to describe it. I think whichever team wins this thing can make a run in the playoff. Remember, we saw two wild card teams in the World Series last season, and the tight race in early June makes the rest of this season even more exciting.

It's also the reason I remain optimistic about the Orioles. While they haven't looked good in Houston, there's still no reason to think that they can't win this darn thing. Remember where they finished a year ago, the man leading them in the dugout and the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays (who finished in third at 83-79) reeled off a nine-game winning streak a season ago. Baseball is a weird game.

The team that ultimately ends up on top could be the one that puts together that streak, but in my opinion, it's all going to come down to the moves each general manager makes to improve their clubs. The Yankees' formula for success has been homers - they're third in the major leagues with 67 - and an awesome bullpen (2.97 ERA in 53 games). Their starters leave a bit to be desired and the relievers are carrying a heavy workload. If general manager Brian Cashman is able to add a top-of-the-rotation guy, they'll be a far more dangerous threat than they are today.

Tampa Bay's rotation has held hitters to a league-low .222 average this season. They're the real deal, but their offense in the lower third of the majors in batting average, hits and runs scored. Matthew Silverman is in his first season as the Rays' GM after Andrew Friedman left for L.A. last winter. Will he be more aggressive than Tampa Bay has been in the past or follow the traditional stand-pat approach?

The Boston Red Sox spent $183 million on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, but have still struggled to hit for average and score runs. They knew when they entered the season that the rotation would be average and were relying on their offense to carry the arms. That plan hasn't quite worked. Things could change quickly though, GM Ben Cherington's farm system ranks second in Baseball America's organizational rankings for 2015. They have some pieces to move and I expect them to do so to improve the major league roster.

The 2015 campaign feels like an all-or-nothing season for the Blue Jays. After making blockbuster trades to bring in Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle from Miami and RA Dickey from New York in 2012, the Jays have failed to make the postseason. They may have a GM and manager on the hot seat, which means big moves could be on the horizon. Toronto leads the league in runs scored with 283, but is third in runs allowed with 248. Their problem is clear as day. Will they address it with a Cole Hamels/Johnny Cueto type?

And that leaves our Orioles. They're missing a bit of the power they possessed last season with just 57 home runs, but have gotten solid results from the rotation and bullpen. The O's could use some corner outfield help and a bat that will provide some spark in their order. History has shown that Dan Duquette isn't afraid to make those types of moves.

In a tight race in the AL East, the winning formula might not come on the field. It could be brewed in the front office. Keep an eye on the transactions over the next four months of the season.

Zach Wilt blogs about the Orioles at Baltimore Sports Report. Follow him on Twitter: @zamwi. His views appear here as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our pages. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.