With the trade deadline just about a week away, the pressure is starting to hit every front office in the league. The American League has three division races that are still tight, and both leagues have wild card battles that feel like a seven- or eight-team free-for-all for the last two spots. That leaves general managers with a simple but brutal question: buy or sell?
At the bottom of the board, the picture is mostly about planning ahead. The Colorado Rockies are trying to avoid a fourth straight 100-plus loss season, and they’re on pace for 63-99.
The Los Angeles Angels are the AL version of that story, except they still have a first-ballot Hall of Famer on the roster who remains fun to watch. Kansas City has Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone, but little else has gone right, with Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, and Cole Ragans all having miserable seasons because of injuries.
The Athletics had a brief stretch that hinted at something better, but the pitching staff has fallen apart. The Mets are slogging through another lost season in Flushing.
San Francisco is a team to watch on the trade market, with Logan Webb and Luis Arraez drawing attention. Toronto’s season unraveled early because of injuries, and it never really recovered.
Cincinnati has talent, but the Reds have slipped too far back in the wild card chase, which points them toward a reset built around a better bullpen and less swing and miss. Detroit fans are stuck wondering what they’re even supposed to root for now, with Tarik Skubal trade talk hanging in the background even though the club is going nowhere this year.
Baltimore has won 8 of its last 10 and is right in the AL wild card mix, but the bullpen looks like the thing that will eventually cap the ceiling. San Diego could use Mason Miller as its biggest trade chip, either to restock the farm or clear out bad contracts.
There are still a handful of teams living in the gray area between hope and reality. Houston’s record is ugly and the roster looks mediocre, but the Astros are still hanging around in the AL West.
Minnesota probably should be selling, yet it’s only 2.5 games out of a postseason spot. Washington has hovered around .500 for about a month and has a nucleus to build around, though the Nationals could still move CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia in search of pitching.
Miami has lost 9 of its last 10 and appears to have slid back to where it was before the recent hot streak, which makes selling the sensible route. St.
Louis is in the middle of the NL wild card race, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Cardinals dealt pitching instead of adding it, even with a rotation that has done admirable work despite the lack of enough starters to matter in October.
The teams in the playoff hunt have a little more urgency, but not much more certainty. Pittsburgh finally moved on from early-season closer Dennis Santana, and the bullpen still needs help if the Pirates want to chase a National League wild card spot.
Arizona has been hot and now sits in the final NL wild card position, though four teams are within 2 games. Cleveland got through the absence of its best hitter and now has Jose Ramirez back as it pushes toward the Central Division title.
Boston looked finished three weeks ago, then ripped off every win it could find and climbed into the final wild card spot; no team has been hotter over the last month. Seattle and Texas are both stuck in the AL West mess, with the Mariners and Rangers occupying the “nobody wants to win this thing” lane.
Chicago’s Cubs are holding the top wild card spot in the National League, with enough bats and gloves to win games, but the pitching question still hangs over them. On the South Side, the White Sox have made this season a lot of fun, and while a move to keep it rolling would be interesting, Tarik Skubal on that roster is just a fantasy.
At the top, the contenders are still sorting themselves out. Philadelphia is a little farther back than expected after fading a couple of games behind Atlanta, and the Phillies need to wake back up if they want to chase the East.
The Yankees get a boost from Max Fried’s return, but they still need the big guy back in the lineup, and he’s not swinging a bat yet, so that’s still at least a couple of weeks away. Atlanta has stopped the bleeding and rebuilt its lead to 4.5 games over Philly, with Ronald Acuna expected back soon and pitching help likely coming at the deadline.
Tampa Bay still leads the East by 2 games, though the question is whether the Rays will actually add to the roster. Milwaukee remains the second-best team in the National League and the second-best team in baseball overall, which means the Brewers ought to be active on the phone.
And at No. 1, the Dodgers are still coasting, protected by a double-digit lead in the West while Edwin Diaz works his way back and Shohei is being rested.
In Other News...
Astros Suddenly Have Another Rotation Concern After Arrighetti Scare
Spencer Arrighettis rough stretch had already put his place in the Astros rotation under pressure, and now the club has another layer to sort through after he was forced out of a game early. The right-hander had been trending the wrong way for weeks, a sharp contrast to the strong May that briefly made him look like a stabilizing presence, and Houston has been weighing its options as the deadline approaches.
Hayden Wesneski is one of the names that fits naturally if Arrighetti needs to miss a turn, especially with the right-hander building back on a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land. Even so, Dana Brown still has broader roster business to handle, with the Astros looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder and help in the bullpen, which means this rotation question could end up being only one part of a much busier stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Could Be Losing A Key Offensive Voice At Worst Time
Dan Hennigan has become one of the more important behind-the-scenes figures in Houstons offensive operation, which is why his name surfacing in college coaching circles matters more than a typical staff rumor. As the Astros major-league director of hitting and offensive coordinator, he has been part of the coaching group under Joe Espada and has had a hand in the clubs approach at the plate, from preparation to the day-to-day work that shapes how the lineup functions.
Now, Hennigan is reportedly in discussions to leave for Wake Forest University, putting the Astros in the uncomfortable spot of trying to keep a key voice in place while weighing the possibility of another staff change. The organization has made efforts to retain him, and Dana Brown has already shown a willingness to fight to keep valued personnel around, but the situation remains unsettled at a moment when Houston would prefer as much continuity as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Lineup Has A Problem That Could Haunt This Playoff Push
The Astros have done enough at the top of the order to keep their offense afloat, with Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker giving them a steady core. Even so, the lineup has not been nearly as balanced as Houston would like, and the issue is showing up in the lower half, where production has lagged far behind the rest of the club.
Jake Meyers was recently sent down to Sugar Land after a rough stretch, Brice Matthews is on the injured list while still trying to find his rhythm, and Christian Vazquez has seen his early-season start give way to a long slump. With the final two months approaching, the Astros may have to decide whether the safest path is to keep patching the bottom of the order or look for help that can lengthen the lineup before the Aug. 3 deadline. [Read more 🡒]