Opening Day is a time for hope. General managers have spent the past few months -- or years, in some cases -- to build a roster they hope will take the next step toward bringing a World Series title to their fan base.
But what happens when things don't go as planned? Each year, an injury or two can derail even the most accomplished club from its goal. A couple of ice-cold bats can transform a ferocious lineup into one that struggles to score runs with any regularity. And let's not even talk about pitchers, whose fragile arms can betray them at any time, spoiling the hopes for a franchise with championship aspirations.
The problem, of course, is that regardless of what happens during the grind of the long, grueling season, teams must still play 162 games. Adjust, adapt and advance. There's no other choice.
So what course will American League East teams take in the event that Plan A doesn't pan out as expected? We present some Plan B possibilities.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles' lineup is stacked, anchored by Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Adam Jones. The ball should be flying out of Camden Yards with regularity. The rotation -- topped by the injured Chris Tillman -- is shaky, but the bullpen is one of the league's best, so whatever leads are given to them should be secured.
If things don't go as planned, the Orioles don't have many impact players in the Minors to bring up as reinforcements, but it's unlikely executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette would hold a fire sale, either. Machado, Jones, Tillman, Zach Britton and J.J. Hardy will all be free agents after the 2018 season, so the window for the O's to win appears to fall during the next two years.
Impending free agents Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez and Seth Smith could be moved for prospects, though the most intriguing name that could move would be Britton, the All-Star closer who has emerged as one of the game's best relievers. Given the haul the Yankees brought back last summer for both Albertin Chapman and Andrew Miller, Baltimore could move its closer in an effort to restock the system, with All-Star setup man Brad Brach (also a free agent after 2018) sliding into the closer's role and Darren O'Day still in tow to get him the ball.
Another option would be to deal away either or both of their top prospects, catcher Chance Sisco (who is blocked for the next year or two by newcomer Welington Castillo) and right-hander Cody Sedlock, in an effort to add a big league piece or two to bolster a postseason run.
Boston Red Sox
Following the offseason acquisition of Chris Sale, Boston's mission statement for 2017 was crystal clear: Anything short of a World Series title will be a disappointment. Sale, David Price and reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello present a formidable 1-2-3 punch atop the rotation, while their Papi-less lineup still features plenty of talent with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi.
Price's $217 million left elbow could be the key to Boston's season, while Sale must make an adjustment to a new city and Porcello will have to prove that last year was the beginning of a premier prime rather than an outlier season.
If the pitching falters -- or if the lineup misses David Ortiz more than it thought -- the Red Sox will do what they can to reinforce their roster to make a run. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about trading away prospects, though the staples of Boston's young core (Betts, Bogaerts, Benintendi and Bradley) aren't going anywhere. Prospects Rafael Devers and Jason Groome, on the other hand, could be flipped to fill any holes that may exist.
Top prospect Sam Travis could be summoned to Boston if either Ramirez or Mitch Moreland falter or get hurt, while Blake Swihart remains in the wings as the club's catcher of the future, providing an insurance policy for starter Sandy Leon.
New York Yankees
The Yankees are taking aim at a postseason berth this season, but in reality, it's all about the kids. Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird and Aaron Judge should get their chance to hold down everyday jobs, giving New York a look at its future core. Luis Severino should also have an opportunity to regain his 2015 form, putting last season's disaster in the rear-view mirror.
For the Yanks to get back to October, however, returning veterans Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Chase Headley must bounce back with strong seasons, while Carsten Sabathia and Michael Pineda have to provide some quality innings behind ace Masahiro Tanaka.
That's a lot to count on. If the veterans can't turn the clock back and become the productive hitters the Yankees need, general manager Brian Cashman could find himself holding a fire sale for the second consecutive summer. Sabathia, Pineda, Matthew Holliday and Tyler Clippard will all be free agents at the end of the season, and while none figure to bring back the types of packages the Yanks got for Chapman, Miller and Carlos Beltran last summer, they should be able to add to their resurgent farm system by dealing some of these veterans. Headley and Gardner, both free agents after 2018, could also find themselves on the move if things go south.
And who knows? Last year's team went on a run after the trades, led by rookie phenom Sanchez. Perhaps the appearance of Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier would provide a similar spark and thrust the Yankees back into the playoff race.
Tampa Bay Rays
Things haven't gone well for the Rays the past few years, but after adding several new faces, including Colby Rasmus, Wilson Ramos and Jose De Leon, Tampa Bay believes its strong pitching staff and existing core players should keep it in the mix in the AL East.
If the pitching and defense -- the Rays just inked stalwart center fielder Kevin Kiermaier to an extension to keep him in St. Petersburg into the next decade -- can get some help from Evan Longoria, Brad Miller and Corey Dickerson, they could bounce back from their 68-win showing last season.
If, however, the bullpen doesn't solidify itself, Alex Cobb doesn't return to form and Chris Archer gets off to another slow start, the Rays could find themselves out of it in their ultra-competitive division. At that point, the front office could begin retooling for 2018 by trading pending free agents Rasmus and Cobb, while Erasmo Ramirez could also be on the move as he's headed for his third year of arbitration.
Tampa Bay's top prospects -- shortstop Willy Adames, first baseman Casey Gillaspie and outfielder Jake Bauers -- could find themselves at Tropicana Field if lineup holes present themselves.
Toronto Blue Jays
After falling short of reaching the postseason since their championship years of 1992-93, the Blue Jays have restored a winning tradition over the past two years with back-to-back AL Championship Series appearances. Despite the loss of Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto's lineup remains one of the best in the AL, with Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki now joined by Kendrys Morales.
A deep rotation led by Aaron Sanchez, last season's AL ERA leader, and World Baseball Classic MVP Marcus Stroman should keep the Blue Jays in most games, while the bullpen may not have the sexiest names, but it did a good job getting the ball to closer Roberto Osuna.
The pieces are there, but with more than a half-dozen players set to hit free agency next season, there are plenty of movable pieces for general manager Ross Atkins if things go sour. Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano could be solid deadline rotation acquisitions for other teams, while Jason Grilli has shown the ability to help a contender's bullpen.
The Blue Jays won't embark on a big-time fire sale -- the core is signed through at least 2018, with all but Donaldson and Bautista under contract beyond that. And given the nature of the double Wild Card, Toronto would likely try to retool its own roster -- prospects such as Rowdy Tellez and/or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. could be part of that equation -- rather than sending its players elsewhere. After all, who knows better about what a hot two months can do than the Blue Jays?