DALLAS -- It was a busy week for the American League East. Over three days at the Winter Meetings, the Yankees lost Juan Soto but added Max Fried. The Blue Jays swung a deal for Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez. The Orioles officially signed slugging outfielder Tyler O¡¯Neill and catcher Gary S¨¢nchez. And the Red Sox traded for ace left-hander Garrett Crochet as everyone was leaving the Hilton Anatole lobby.

The Rays weren¡¯t quite as active. They already addressed their most glaring need, agreeing on Friday to a one-year, $8.5 million deal with catcher Danny Jansen that should be made official this week, and they picked up two pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.

Here¡¯s a look at what went down and where the Rays stand now that the Winter Meetings are over:

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1) More offense: The Rays might not make any more major additions after agreeing to sign Jansen, but they¡¯re fully aware they need to score more runs after featuring one of the Majors¡¯ least productive lineups last season. They could be opportunistic on this front, although most of that improvement will have to come from within.

2) Trade market resolution: With free-agent pitchers signing lucrative contracts -- and not just at the top of the market -- the Rays are in position to potentially turn one piece of their deep rotation into a nice return. If Tampa Bay is comfortable with its options, this seems like an ideal market for a team that has more starting pitchers than rotation spots.

RULE 5 DRAFT
The Rays selected left-hander Nate Lavender from the Mets¡¯ Triple-A roster in the first round of the Rule 5 Draft. A 14th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Lavender quickly ascended to Triple-A in 2023 and was the Mets¡¯ No. 24 prospect entering last season, according to MLB Pipeline.

The reliever made only five appearances this year before going on the Minor League injured list in April and moving to the full-season IL in May, when he underwent an internal brace procedure to repair ligament damage in his left elbow. He¡¯ll start the season on the 60-day IL and likely won¡¯t be ready to pitch in the Majors until June or July, but that will give the Rays plenty of time to get to know the 24-year-old and work with him through the final stages of his recovery.

¡°We¡¯ve always liked him,¡± Rays assistant general manager Kevin Ibach said. ¡°Multiple pitches to get guys out, [we] like the fastball, like the deception that he provides from the left-hand side. Obviously would like a healthy version of the player, but this was an opportunity to get someone that we can take over the throwing program, get him into Spring Training and develop under our hood until he¡¯s ready to take the mound again.¡±

The Rays also acquired right-hander Mike Vasil for cash considerations after he was selected by the Phillies from the Mets¡¯ system. The 24-year-old right-hander once appeared to be on the fast track with New York, as he appeared in the 2023 Futures Game, but he¡¯s recorded a 5.78 ERA in 207 innings over 45 games (43 starts) at the Triple-A level since then.

Vasil, who was the Mets¡¯ No. 18 prospect, could come into camp to compete for a job in the rotation or bullpen, depending on what else the Rays do before Spring Training. His history as a starter could prove useful in the likely event that Tampa Bay deals a starter this offseason.

¡°You can never have too much pitching. Not sure what¡¯s going to happen between now and when the players report to Port Charlotte, so there might be some opportunity that doesn¡¯t exist today for someone like Vasil to come in and take the bull by the horns,¡± Ibach said. ¡°The versatility he provides with that profile is probably what¡¯s most appealing for him.¡±

The Rays also lost slider-specialist reliever Evan Reifert to the Nationals in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Fully healthy after an impressive season in Double-A, Reifert was likely bound for a spot in the Triple-A Durham bullpen; now, he¡¯ll get a chance to crack Washington¡¯s Opening Day bullpen.

MANAGER¡¯S BOTTOM LINE
Facing the unusual situation of playing next season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa with little clarity regarding what the future holds after that, Rays officials spoke often this week about leaning into the uncertainty and using it as further motivation to bounce back from a disappointing 80-win season.

¡°This is not COVID. It's definitely not. But the change and the transition that we're going to have to make in this organization is going to be similar to maybe what 30 other teams had to do in 2020,¡± manager Kevin Cash said. ¡°We did a really good job embracing that, and I think we can pull from maybe some of those experiences.

¡°I certainly am going to hear what [players are] going to say and want them to have their voices and be as accommodating as possible. But there is going to have to be some tunnel vision put on and some motivation, inner motivation and group motivation. Is it ideal? Is it perfect? Probably not. It's not going to be, but we still can make the most of a tough situation.¡±