Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- All 30 MLB teams face a critical trade deadline with specific weaknesses that could define their 2026 playoff chances.
- From rotation depth to bullpen reliability, each franchise has unique gaps that must be addressed by August 3.
- The decisions made this summer will reshape rosters and determine which teams contend immediately and which build for future success.
We've officially reached Speculation Season around MLB, where teams begin to take a stock of where they are in the standings, how they're playing and whether they're in a position to buy at this summer's trade deadline. But this time of year isn't just about the contenders; even if you're currently mired in the basement, this is a singular opportunity to infuse your organization with young talent that could bring you back to relevance much sooner than anyone expects.
What does your team need to accomplish in all of its wheeling and dealing? We've identified one crucial weakness — some short-term, some long-term — that all 30 front offices have to address by the time the sun sets on Aug. 3.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Lefty bat with team control
Arizona seemingly always needs bullpen help, but while they're currently in second place in the NL West, it would make more sense for the D-backs to see what happens this year while keeping an eye on 2027 — when Corbin Burnes will (hopefully) be back at full health. Right now, there are very few lefties in this lineup with significant pop beyond Corbin Carroll; even switch-hitters like Ketel Marte are more threatening from the right side. Serious contention this season might not be in the cards, but if they can land a difference-maker — especially one who plays third base or left field — for 2027, this team could make real noise.
Athletics: Controllable starting pitching
A 14-20 record since May 1 might at least bring some clarity for the A's, who have a solid young nucleus but aren't quite ready to make real noise. To take that next step, they're going to need a much better rotation than what they have now, even with top prospect Gage Jump now in the Majors and Jamie Arnold and Wei-En Lin not far behind. Is it worth flipping a big-league bat, like Max Muncy or even Lawrence Butler or Brent Rooker, for an arm that can help contend in 2027?
Atlanta Braves: Rotation depth
The success of Atlanta's rotation has been one of the stories of the season so far. But given the sketchy injury histories of everyone from Chris Sale to Spencer Strider to Grant Holmes — and with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep still question marks as they rehab from elbow issues — do you really want to leave this group as-is for the stretch run? We know the Braves will hit; get one more reliable big-league arm, and we'll really be in business.
Baltimore Orioles: Back-end reliever
The Orioles are as healthy as they've been all year, and now they're hitting as well as they have all year; funny how that works. Pitching will be the big issue for Mike Elias to solve, and while you can certainly focus on the rotation if you'd like, I'm even less certain of a bullpen that has already lost Felix Bautista and currently has Ryan Helsley on the IL. Baltimore needs more bullets in high-leverage situations if they want to make a real playoff run.
Boston Red Sox: Complete lack of pop (especially in the infield)
The song remains the same in Boston, even after the Red Wedding: Where will the offense come from? Boston ranks either dead last or close to it in every meaningful power category this season, and the picture is even bleaker in the infield, where Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer have been busts so far and Trevor Story has regressed after 2025's bounce-back year. Someone like Ketel Marte would be the dream scenario, but whoever the target, Craig Breslow needs to find someone who can hit the ball over the fence in 2027 and beyond.
Chicago Cubs: Starting pitching
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. While Chicago's offense has blown hot and cold, it's hard to be too worried considering the talent in that lineup. The rotation, on the other hand, has been decimated by injuries, with Cade Horton out for the year and Justin Steele still rehabbing from Tommy John. Even if Steele, Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera and Shota Imanaga are all healthy at the same time at some point this season, how effective will they actually be? Jed Hoyer needs to get aggressive in searching for a frontline arm.
Chicago White Sox: Starting pitching (for 2027)
It's hard not to feel great about the future of the White Sox offense, with Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Miguel Vargas already here and Braden Montgomery not far behind. Chicago needs to keep adding arms behind Davis Martin and Sean Burke, especially considering that top prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith and Tanner McDougal have given some cause for concern this season about their future viability. Chicago is ready to contend as soon as next season, and how aggressive Chris Getz chooses to be will be fascinating to monitor this summer.
Cincinnati Reds: Offense, offense, offense
Even amid down years from Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and others, I still have faith in this pitching staff long term, especially once Hunter Greene comes back. If Cincy wants to nab a Wild Card spot, though, they're going to need to do something to fix an offense that's gotten very little outside of Sal Stewart, JJ Bleday and the now-injured Elly De La Cruz. Will that come in the form of a corner slugger? Another outfielder? It almost doesn't matter; the Reds just need another reliable hitter.
Cleveland Guardians: Lack of righty bats
Offense is not actually as pressing a need in Cleveland as it's been in recent years; the Guardians lineup still isn't overwhelming, but with Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana here, they can at least hover around league average. "Better" does not mean "good enough," though, and Cleveland could still use one more righty to supplement Rhys Hoskins among a group that can still skew very left-handed at times. Even a platoon bat like, say, Austin Hays, plus one more reliever, would put this team in great position to finally get over the hump in the AL.
Colorado Rockies: Pitching prospects
Look, they're the Rockies. There's a more stable foundation in place with a new front office, and there are some exciting hitters in the Minors like Charlie Condon and Ethan Holliday. Outside of Chase Dollander, though, are there any pitchers for this organization to build around moving forward? That's been the riddle Colorado has struggled to solve for pretty much its entire existence at this point; adding prospect capital at the deadline would be a great place for Paul DePodesta to start.
Detroit Tigers: Starting pitching, either for now or the future
It almost doesn't matter what happens with Tarik Skubal, or this team's fortunes between now and late July. If Skubal comes back and the Tigers get back into Wild Card contention, they're going to need another starting pitcher for the postseason rotation. If Skubal can't return on time, or if his return doesn't move the needle enough to avoid a cataclysmic trade ... well, Detroit will still need starting pitching, only this time it'll be for 2027 and beyond. The Tigers' farm system is loaded with interesting young pitchers; the arms are another question entirely.
Houston Astros: Pitching of all kinds
Speaking of which! Houston's pitching staff has been among the league's worst all year long, sabotaging an offense that has been pretty solid all things considered. The Astros will no doubt try to get Hunter Brown back into the fold and make a playoff push, but no matter whether they're buying or selling at the deadline, finding a starting pitcher or two will be paramount. There's just not enough here to rely on behind Brown, although Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows have shown flashes of late.
Kansas City Royals: Another middle-of-the-order bat
We're on year three now of wondering how Kansas City will manage to build a viable offense around Bobby Witt Jr., quite possibly the best position player in baseball right now (and for the foreseeable future). Even if you remain optimistic about Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen moving forward, that's not enough. The Royals need to find at least one more bat, maybe by flipping Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and/or Kris Bubic from the rotation.
Los Angeles Angels: Young talent
Really, it would be easier to list the areas that weren't weaknesses for this Angels team, which remains the height of dysfunction under Arte Moreno. The good news: This is no longer the very worst farm system in the sport! The bad news: It's still not a good one, and there are precious few long-term building blocks in place around shortstop Zach Neto. The only mission? Acquire as much young talent as possible, then figure out how to develop it for a change.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Another reliever (and maybe a time machine to October)
What do you get the team that already has pretty much everything? Well, one more reliever couldn't hurt, and then a clean bill of health come the postseason. The Dodgers have precious few holes in this lineup and more starting pitching than they know what to do with. You can never have enough bullpen depth for October, of course, but other than that, just get everyone there in one piece.
Miami Marlins: Another healthy starter for 2027
Weirdly, I find myself more concerned about the Marlins' rotation than their lineup moving forward. Assuming Sandy Alcantara is in fact finally traded at the deadline, there are precious few known quantities for 2027, with Eury Perez struggling through a nightmare year and top prospects Robby Snelling and Thomas White both dealing with major injuries. Miami looked primed to take a step forward next season, but to do that, they'll need to find a sure thing to anchor their young guys around.
Milwaukee Brewers: Left side of the infield
Milwaukee's NLCS loss to the Dodgers last fall revealed a team without enough firepower to hang with a truly elite pitching staff. The Brewers need to change that ahead of a potential rematch this postseason, and the left side of the infield is the most obvious area to target, with both shortstop Joey Ortiz and third baseman Luis Rengifo struggling mightily. If a center fielder like Byron Buxton became available, that would work too, but right now an infielder who could even just be above league average at the plate would make a real difference.
Minnesota Twins: Ownership clarity
The Twins have been better than many expected after their deadline fire sale last year, but that's a far cry from actually being good. In order to chart a sustainable path forward, though, Minnesota needs to finally get a handle on how much money it has to spend. Can it afford to build around the current core in place? Or are they better off dumping Joe Ryan and trying to convince Byron Buxton to waive his no-trade clause? There's still real talent here in a weak division, but if the Pohlads insist on holding this payroll hostage, a full teardown should be in order.
New York Mets: Get healthy
Are we sure we even know what this Mets team really is? Sure, the offense has been a mess, but things have been trending upward with the rise of rookies Carson Benge and AJ Ewing. They've dug themselves quite a hole, but you could also convince me that this team has a run in it if Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, Francisco Alvarez and Luis Robert Jr. can come back in time. The worst-case scenario would be for David Stearns to arrive at the deadline needing to decide to buy or sell (or have to split the difference) without having a clear sense of what he has and what he needs.
New York Yankees: Fix the bullpen
The rotation remains dynamite, and should get even better once Max Fried returns. The lineup has enough talent to stay afloat until Aaron Judge comes back later this summer. Health can send things sideways, but New York should have all the pieces it needs to get back to the World Series ... provided that Brian Cashman finally treats this bullpen with the urgency it deserves. He neglected to do so over the offseason, and the Yankees have paid the price so far. This team needs multiple relief arms in support of David Bednar and Fernando Cruz.
Philadelphia Phillies: Lack of righty bats (especially in the outfield)
Philly has been looking for a right-handed hitter — in particular a right-handed outfielder — to supplement Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh for years now, to no avail. Trea Turner and Alec Bohm just aren't getting it done right now, and that leaves the bottom of this lineup very vulnerable against lefty starters. Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of options available who fit that description; can Dave Dombrowski find a way to pry Taylor Ward away from Baltimore?
Pittsburgh Pirates: A flagging bullpen
We know the Pirates have the rotation, and the offense has been better than expected. This bullpen has started really leaking oil since May began, though, and it's cost this team valuable ground in a tight NL Central race. (When Gregory Soto is your most reliable option at the end of games, you know youi've got problems.) Even with an average offense, Pittsburgh's starters will provide plenty of late leads to protect. How many of them this bullpen can protect might determine the team's ceiling.
San Diego Padres: Rotation depth
San Diego's offense has been just as big a bugaboo during this recent skid, but the reality is that the Padres are tied to core guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth, leaving precious few avenues for upgrading the lineup. The rotation is another matter, though, with real depth concerns due to injuries to Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish. We know AJ Preller wants to put this team in contention; it's hard to imagine them doing so without more reliable options behind Michael King.
San Francisco Giants: A starting pitcher for 2027
Fun fact: The Giants have been a top-five offense by wRC+ since May 1. Another fun fact: They've gone 14-21 over that span all the same. San Francisco has very little reliable pitching right now, and with Robbie Ray set to hit free agency this winter, the picture looks even bleaker in 2027 — when Buster Posey will no doubt try to make one more run at the postseason. For that to happen, he needs better depth behind Logan Webb, Landon Roupp and youngster Trevor McDonald.
Seattle Mariners: Lack of righty hitters
The Mariners are looking like a more and more complete team these days, the kind we thought they'd be before the season began. The pitching staff remains among the league's deepest, and the offense is rounding into form since top prospect Colt Emerson's arrival. One area for improvement? Finding better production against left-handed pitchers, as Seattle currently lacks compelling platoon partners for guys like Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone. Get a righty like, say, Jo Adell at the deadline, and you're cooking with gas.
St. Louis Cardinals: Young starting pitching
St. Louis continues to punch well above its weight in the NL Central, but while Chaim Bloom shouldn't pull the plug on this team entirely, the focus should remain on 2027 and beyond. And that starts with the rotation, as there are very few compelling options at the big-league level right now. The Cardinals have the offensive nucleus in place to become a contender very quickly; get some arms around Dustin May, Michael McGreevy and prospect Liam Doyle, and there's no telling where the ceiling is.
Tampa Bay Rays: Rotation workload
Tampa's rotation has been the engine powering it to the top of the AL East this season. But for as good as Shane McClanahan, Griffin Jax and Steven Matz have been so far, they all come with pretty hard workload limits. Heck, even Drew Rasmussen has been handled pretty carefully over the past two years. You wonder how the Rays will simply come up with enough quality innings to get from here to October, which would make even a credible No. 4 or 5 starter a huge boon at the deadline.
Texas Rangers: Second base
The Rangers' pitching has been pretty good, all things considered, and there's still upside left to be tapped in the trio of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore. Texas will rise and fall based on its ability to score runs, and while the returns of Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford will help a lot there, Chris Young still has more to do. In particular, there's a big void at second base in the absence of the injured Josh Smith, which would make someone like Luis Arraez a perfect deadline candidate if the Rangers are still sniffing a Wild Card spot by then.
Toronto Blue Jays: A lefty-heavy outfield
The Jays pitching staff has been hammered by injuries, but I'm still a believer provided Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Patrick Corbin and others can all be healthy at the same time eventually. The offense feels like a more pressing concern, as there's just enough oomph here — lots of pretty good hitters without star power around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It's hard to identify an obvious area to upgrade, but what about a right-handed platoon partner for the lefty quartet of Nathan Lukes, Daulton Varsho, Jesus Sanchez and (if he can ever get off the IL) Addison Barger? Toronto feels like another ideal Adell fit.
Washington Nationals: Young starting pitching
The Nationals still lead all of MLB in runs scored; clearly offense has not been the problem, and should only get better provided Washington doesn't decide to flip CJ Abrams at the deadline. The priority for Paul Toboni is fixing the starting rotation, which features Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin and not a whole lot else to build around for 2027. With health concerns continuing to linger around top prospects Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, this organization needs more arms to build around.
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