With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, it becomes increasingly difficult to address major roster needs.
For the purposes of this exercise, we’ve excluded the six current division leaders—the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers—and the two teams currently in control of the top wild-card spots in each league (the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs).
It’s not that they aren’t contenders, but those teams will almost certainly be in the playoffs in some form. Let’s instead focus on the lengthy list of clubs, particularly in the AL, fighting just to get into the postseason.
Here’s a look at how these contending teams can fix their biggest issues and reach the postseason.