A look ahead at the surprise team of the AL East
The first of many dominoes fell a week before the beginning of the 2014 World Series, when it was announced that longtime general manager Andrew Friedman was leaving for the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was a major blow, as Friedman had been the mastermind that dragged the Rays out of the dregs of the AL East and turned them into a force to be reckoned with in 2008, when they shocked the world (well, except Baseball Prospectus) with a 97-win season. The Rays sustained competitiveness each year until 2014's disappointing finish.