The calendar has turned to July, but the Aug. 3 trade deadline is still more than three weeks away, the latest it can be under MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the time since our first Urgency Index, we’ve not seen a single blockbuster deal, likely a byproduct of the later date, plus how many teams are in contention for at least a wild-card berth.

We have, however, seen the landscape change for several teams, whether it be their contention status or needs. Urgency Index 2.0 is a mix of immediate needs, as well as projections of where teams might find themselves in the coming weeks.

This week, it’s Tim Britton on starters, Chad Jennings on bats and Eno Sarris on relief arms.

Starting PitchersChicago Cubs

Although the Cubs have the best playoff chances among these five teams (with odds above 70 percent, per FanGraphs), they might have the most dire rotation situation in the here and now. With Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown and Jameson Taillon all on the IL, Chicago already made one short-term move to add 2025 All-Star David Peterson from the New York Mets. (Peterson looked good in his first start, less so in his second.) Cabrera is unlikely to return until August, and there’s no timeline for Brown right now. Elsewhere, Justin Steele is unlikely to make it all the way back to starting by season’s end.

The Cubs’ intent this season wasn’t just to make the postseason but to make noise within it, and this rotation needs a major boost to do that.

Chicago White Sox

Look, we’re past the midseason point, and the White Sox are in first place. They represent a legitimate threat to make the postseason, either by winning the American League Central or claiming a wild card in a league lacking obvious postseason contenders. Their odds sit at better than 40 percent, according to FanGraphs.

Davis Martin has had an All-Star-worthy season, but the White Sox could still use another arm. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)

And while Chicago’s offense sure looks solid, it needs at least one starting pitcher. Davis Martin and Sean Burke have been terrific at the front of the rotation, but they’re on pace to smash their career highs in innings and the Sox have been searching for fits at the back end for much of the season. Adding another arm, preferably one capable of starting a postseason game, should be a priority.

St. Louis Cardinals

Like the White Sox, the Cardinals are contending ahead of schedule in 2026. St. Louis’ playoff odds reside around 35 percent in the competitive National League Central, and despite pristine health, its starting rotation has been its weakness since the season started.

The projections like Dustin May going forward and think Michael McGreevy will fall back to earth a bit. Matthew Liberatore has been the most disappointing piece in that rotation, and the Cardinals could benefit by adding an arm toward the top of the quintet to push everyone down a notch — and prep for the inevitable IL stint.

Houston Astros

While the Astros have fought their way back into the playoff hunt in the AL, their rotation remains a muddle. Hunter Brown’s return provides a huge boost, and Spencer Arrighetti has had a nice year. But Mike Burrows was just optioned to Triple A, and it’s impossible to know what Tatsuya Imai is going to bring every time he takes the mound. Ronel Blanco, Lance McCullers Jr. and Hayden Wesneski are all potential options to help in the second half. But few front offices have as much urgency at this deadline as Houston’s, and the rotation is where those efforts need to be focused.

Miami Marlins

Don’t look now, but Miami was the sport’s hottest team in June, emerging as a threat not just to make the postseason but even to win the NL East. And uncharacteristically for the Marlins, that run has been predicated on the strength of their offense. The rotation behind Max Meyer has left a bit to be desired, with Miami cycling through fifth starters all season. Losing Robby Snelling for the season was a major blow. That leaves an opening for a starter, preferably one that could slot into a playoff rotation should the Marlins get there.

Honorable mentions: Orioles, Twins, Diamondbacks

BatsAtlanta Braves

The Braves’ offense is slipping, so much so that in the past week their season wRC+ fell below 100 (meaning below league average). That’s surely triggering alarm bells as the Brewers have seized the second-best record in the NL while the Phillies and Marlins gain ground in the NL East. The Braves could still use another starting pitcher, but they’ve rocketed to the top of our offensive urgency ranking.

So, what’s their offensive problem? Well, Ronald Acuña Jr. is hurt again, so is Ha-Seong Kim, Austin Riley is still not hitting much (Kim wasn’t hitting, either), and Mauricio Dubón can only play one position at a time. Left field is probably the easiest place to add a bat, but the Braves don’t really have a full-time DH, which gives them a lot of flexibility in their search for offense.

New York Yankees

In the three weeks since we last did this exercise, the Yankees have collectively hit below .200 while producing the worst wRC+ in baseball. They’re supposed to be the AL favorites, but their offensive issues have become too glaring to ignore, and they can’t wait for Aaron Judge’s rib to heal before they fix it.

Judge is going to be on the IL for several more weeks, Giancarlo Stanton still can’t run, Austin Wells hasn’t hit, and much of the infield — outside of first base — has underperformed. The Yankees have the lowest ERA in the American League, but their lineup has been inconsistent, and there are plenty of avenues they could explore in search of upgrades. Judge is 34, and the Yankees have gotten to the World Series with him only once.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are trending in the right direction. Bryson Stott and Trea Turner have been better lately, Derek Hill has been a good fit as a role player, and the team has moved into an NL wild-card spot and the NL East is within reach. With that turnaround, the Phillies have gained clarity. Right field and third base have long been weaknesses, but in the past three weeks, those holes have become especially glaring in a lineup that otherwise looks ready to make a long-awaited run at a championship.

The right kind of upgrade could propel Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies into true World Series contention. (Hunter Martin / Getty Images)

The Phillies’ urgency is not so much in the fact that things are slipping away. Quite the opposite. Their urgency is in the fact their season isn’t lost after all. They have an opportunity to finally make the most of this core group of players, and addressing a need that’s lingered for years could create their best chance to finally break through in October.

Cleveland Guardians

In their rest-of-the-season projections, FanGraphs expects the Guardians to have the least productive offense going forward. That’s not especially surprising — the Guardians always get by with a relatively weak lineup — but the fewest projected runs per game is pretty bad, even by Guardians standards. The Detroit Tigers’ brutal first half has left the AL Central up for grabs, though, and FanGraphs has the Guardians as the favorite to eventually overtake the White Sox and win the division.

Almost any kind of bat would help. Superstar third baseman José Ramírez and surprisingly productive utility man Angel Martínez are currently on the IL and scheduled to return around the All-Star break, but the Guardians’ DH spot has been a revolving door, giving the team flexibility to go after some offensive punch and try to secure their fourth division title in five years.

Tampa Bay Rays

We could give this fifth spot to the Seattle Mariners (but their internal options might mitigate their urgency), or the San Diego Padres (they were No. 1 on this list three weeks ago, but their playoff odds have fallen to 10 percent) or the Pittsburgh Pirates (their offense has been pretty good, but injuries are catching up to them).

Instead, we’ll single out the Rays, who have their usual strong pitching staff — which has been especially good lately — but a relatively weak lineup. Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda are productive bats to build around, but there’s ample room to get more from their outfield and middle infield. With the best record in the AL, the Rays should feel both opportunity to win and urgency to get better.

Honorable mentions: Mariners, Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Athletics

RelieversChicago Cubs

Among teams with at least a one in three shot of making the playoffs, the Cubs have the worst bullpen as projected by FanGraphs. Part of it is injury — Daniel Palencia is once again on the injured list with elbow tendinitis – but part of it is an insistence of shopping in the bargain bin when it comes to relief pitching in the offseason.

If you prefer results to projections, they’re not much better off there. They’ve been 20th in strikeouts minus walks, and though their excellent defense has kept their ERA middle of the pack, they just don’t have the stuff to blow batters away — they’re bottom half in Stuff+ and bottom third in fastball velocity. They need arms in the rotation, sure, but they need one (maybe more) in the bullpen just as much if not more.

Texas Rangers

This is either the worst or third-worst bullpen among playoff hopefuls by projections. The urgency to improve the relief squad is tied most closely to the team’s place in the standings, because the need is obvious.

The park helps keep the ERA down — exactly why a dome would suppress offense is an open mystery — but the Rangers’ bullpen has been 24th in strikeout rate so far. Beyond their great find of a closer in Jacob Latz, they’ve been searching for the right combination behind him. With lefty Jalen Beeks out for the season and lefty Robert Garcia currently hurt, maybe they’ll go get a southpaw if the next three weeks are kind to their record. But someone who can strike batters out is the most important thing.

Seattle Mariners

Different projection systems see the Mariners’ need for relievers as more or less urgent. FanGraphs’ composite depth chart projections have the Mariners’ group as fifth-worst among the 15 teams with at least a one-in-three chance of making the playoffs. OOPSY projections, which use Stuff+, see eight teams worse than Seattle. Either way, though, those aren’t great projections for a team with dreams of a championship.

Despite some of the struggles of Andrés Muñoz so far this year, they may not need a closer. They have good lefties, too, in José A. Ferrer and Gabe Speier. Another righty — perhaps one with a good four-seamer instead of a sinker — would take a lot of pressure off the rest of the unit.

Pittsburgh Pirates

There’s something going on in the Pirates’ bullpen, as they’ve been below replacement with an ERA near five over the last thirty days. The top three guys on the depth chart now have an ERA that starts with a four. They’re bottom half of the league in WAR, bottom 10 in reliever walk rate, and bottom three in Location+, which judges their ability to command the ball.

They’re probably looking for a certain profile. Gregory Soto has great stuff, but is a lefty with a sinker, which is a rare mix for a closer that has to get opposite-handed hitters out all the time. Mason Montgomery has great stuff, but his lack of command makes him an iffy closer as well. Could a lower-stuff, higher-command righty like Luke Weaver be the exact right fit?

Houston Astros

This is a team that’s under .500 and projected to be around .500 going forward, so there’s more than a few holes they need to plug if they want to get back into the race. The ’pen might not be a priority.

All the same, it’s a little scary behind Josh Hader. Bryan Abreu used to be one of the league’s best-kept secrets, but his velocity has dropped a full two ticks and his walk rate has ballooned. Bryan King is fine, but he does it more with command than stuff and doesn’t have the strikeout rate of a setup guy. That’s the open position, really, even if they’ve had different people man it to different levels of success.

Honorable mentions: Yankees, Rays, Cardinals, Brewers