While
The Bronx Embalmers have certainly made Boston's road to the post-season tougher, two other members of the AL East fraternity were seriously weakened today. First, the Orioles lost their premier closer
Zach Britton for six months with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Second, the Tampa Bay Rays traded away
Evan Longoria—
the cornerstone of their franchise—to the San Francisco Giants. It's unclear who the Rays will get back from the Bay Area in compensation for Longoria, or how Baltimore will fill the huge void created by the Britton injury. Thus, at least a Wild Card path has been made a little easier for the Red Sox—although they are still in
desperate need of another big bat. [
UPDATE—EDITOR'S NOTE: Rays get
Christian Arroyo,
Denard Span,
Matt Krook and
Stephen Woods in exchange for Longoria].
