Camden Chat · Dec 22, 2022
How much tougher has the AL East competition gotten?
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesYou don’t need me to tell you that the soundtrack to this Orioles offseason so far has been a big “whomp, whomp” trombone noise.
The “big market/small market” team divide has never felt greater. The Mets will pay $111 million—about twice the Orioles’ entire payroll—in luxury tax penalties after their splurge this offseason. The Yankees dropped $360 million on Aaron Judge and $162 million on Carlos Rodón in the same offseason. And although next season’s schedule will be more balanced, so that the Orioles only play their AL East foes 14 instead of 19 times in a season, it’s hard not to look sideways and feel like everyone is getting nice things … but us.