As Deadline passes, questions loom in AL East

The Trade Deadline has come and gone in the American League East with plenty of action. These weren't necessarily the expected moves, though, with the Yankees staying fairly quiet atop the division and the Red Sox standing pat as they continue to battle with the Rays in the AL Wild Card race.

Toronto and Tampa Bay made its share of moves -- including one with each other -- to set the stage for the final two months of the season. With the lone Trade Deadline now passed, these are the biggest remaining questions facing each team.

Blue Jays: Which young pitchers will step forward?

The Blue Jays targeted pitching heavily at the Deadline, and general manager Ross Atkins expects that to continue into the offseason. Atkins believes that the Blue Jays have 20 young arms who "check all the boxes" to be starters, but they'll need multiple names from that group to surpass expectations, especially given the trades of Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and Ryan Borucki's return to the injured list.

Trent Thornton, Jacob Waguespack, Thomas Pannone and Sean Reid-Foley will be in that initial group as the Blue Jays enter August with some opportunities open behind them. Anthony Kay, who came over in the Stroman deal, is nearby at Triple-A along with prospects T.J. Zeuch and Andrew Sopko. Nate Pearson, the club's No. 2 prospect, is pitching very well with Double-A New Hampshire, but 2020 remains likelier for his debut.

Orioles: Which young players get opportunities over the season's final few months?

There are no new names here, as the Orioles didn't swing a deal at the Trade Deadline and acquired two far-off teenagers in their only move -- the mid-July trading of Andrew Cashner to Boston. Instead, the focus shifts to which blue-chippers already in-house are about to bubble up to the big leagues.

Of those brought in at last year's Deadline, perhaps recently-promoted Dillon Tate makes an impression. DJ Stewart and Hunter Harvey appear primed for call-ups this September, if not before. Austin Hays could come up as well, and perhaps Cedric Mullins will be back at some point. In the meantime, the Orioles will continue giving regular playing time to youngsters like Anthony Santander, Renato Nunez and Chance Sisco with the hope they continue to develop at the big league level.

Rays: Did the they do enough to improve the bullpen?

Coming into the Trade Deadline, the big question was just how much activity the Rays would engage in to improve a bullpen that blew eight saves in July. Like they usually do, the Rays approached it in a very unique way, dealing five arms that pitched out of the bullpen this season, but adding Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to the mix. Tamapa Bay believes that those additions, plus the return of Jose Alvarado in a couple of weeks, will be enough to carry it into October. Now we'll just have to wait and see.

Red Sox: Is the bullpen good enough?

Dave Dombrowski pulled off a bit of a stunner by not addressing Boston's need for bullpen help at the Trade Deadline. That puts the team's current relievers under pressure to prove they can get the job done. A big part of the equation is Nathan Eovaldi and how much comfort he gains in the bullpen. Of Eovaldi's first four relief appearances, only one was less than 24 pitches. The good news is that he's hitting 101 mph with his fastball. Brandon Workman has been an unheralded stud all season, and the hope is that he continues to perform at a high level. Matt Barnes is out of his June slump, which is certainly an encouraging sign. No. 6 prospect Darwinzon Hernandez has an electric arm. The Red Sox need better performances from Heath Hembree and Colten Brewer, and a successful return by Ryan Brasier from Triple-A could also make a difference.

Yankees: Can they go toe-to-toe with the Astros?

The Yankees exit the Trade Deadline in a tight race with the Astros for the best record in the AL, but Houston took another giant step on Wednesday by trading for former AL Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Zach Greinke. Add that to a rotation already featuring Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, and the Astros are set up to be a formidable challenge come October.

Now that the Yankees are banking on what is in-house, they really need Luis Severino and Dellin Betances to come back healthy on the pitching side. Severino is moving toward getting on a mound, but can he build up enough stamina to be a starter come October?