Now that the Baltimore Orioles, coming off of a 102 win season, have acquired star pitcher Corbin Burnes, can the New York Yankees still be considered favorites in the American League East?

The answer is no, at least according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network:

Said Heyman on the Yankees vs. Orioles competition for the top spot in the division, “No NY bias here: Orioles should be favored in AL East”

He continued, “The Orioles beat the Yankees by 19 games last year. I don't understand why las Vegas has favored the Yankees over the Orioles. 19 games is a lot of games. The Orioles have a young player at every position, the Yankees are getting older. They're frequently injured. I know they got Soto, he's a 7 WAR player, has one of his best seasons, that's 19 wins to begin with…To me, the Orioles should be the favorites in that division.”

The Yankees did get better this offseason, but if New York truly wants to contend with the Orioles, they need to see bounce back production out of their lineup and probably add another starting pitcher.

Star pitcher Blake Snell is still available, despite spring training being just around the corner.

The Yankees have already made an offer to Snell, who, according to rumors, wants $100 million more than what New York put on the table. With or without Snell inking a deal with New York, the Yankees have already made a splash in free agency to boost their rotation, having signed former Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman. New York has also been linked to trade rumors involving Dylan Cease, Jesús Luzardo, and Shane Bieber.