AL East slugfest

With about 60 games remaining, the best divisional race is in the AL East where the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays will fight it out for one - maybe two - postseason slots. The three teams are almost deadlocked heading into the weekend with the Sox and Yanks playing this weekend in Fenway. The Rays have been the story of baseball this year, led by a brilliant young rotation and surprisingly good defense. The Sox have maintained their lead despite losing David Ortiz for the last six weeks. The Yankees have been beseiged by injuries, losing Chein Ming Wang, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez at various points. Most recently, the Bombers saw Jorge Posada go down and his season remains in the balance. Despite all the adversity, the Yanks have stayed in the thick of contention. As the deadline looms, each team could use some complimentary pieces.
The Rays could use another bat in the outfield and if they count on anything from oft-injured slugger Rocco Baldelli, they will probably be disappointed. Their best bet would be a trade with San Diego for veteran outfielder Brian Giles.
The BoSox have struggled getting the ball to Jonathan Papelbon late in games and could use a shutdown eighth-inning man. Trading Justin Masterson to Colorado for Brian Fuentes makes a lot of sense.
The Yankees most glaring need is in the outfield, though another starting pitcher would be welcomed too. Adam Dunn would be a great fit. A win-win trade with the Reds could be Humberto Sanchez and Ian Kennedy for Bronson Arroyo and The Donkey. Perhaps Brian Cashman could get David Weathers thrown in as well.
The Rays have never been in this position, so we really don't know what they'll do. We can, however, be certain that the Yanks and BoSox will be making trades next week.
So how will this break down?
Well, there's one huge discrepancy among the three teams. Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Papelbon will make the difference. The Rays are going with Troy Percival in the ninth and he's already broken down twice. Not only that, Percival is nowhere near as good as Paps or Mo. In the end, look for the Red Sox to win the East with 95 wins, while the Bombers claim the wildcard with 93 wins. The Rays will finish third at 91-71.