The non-waiver trade deadline has passed, and with two months until the postseason begins, you might think this is a bit of a down period for each team's front office. But in reality, GMs never really get a day off, and regardless of where their teams are in the standings, there are always things to be done. Let's take a look at some of the top priorities for every team in baseball before the 2017 season ends.
American League
Baltimore Orioles: Change the organizational approach to international spending. The most repeated phrase during July was "acquired international spending bonus pool money from the Orioles." In 2017 alone, the Orioles have made nine trades sending away money allocated for signing free agents from other countries. While the team clearly doesn't value 16-year-olds who are a long way from the majors, the team's barren farm system is a direct result of the team's neglect of a significant portion of the talent pool. Whether it's a front-office or ownership decision, the best thing the Orioles can do for their long-term success is devote themselves to building a legitimate international scouting department, and then allowing that department to actually spend their pool money on young talent.
Boston Red Sox: See if Rafael Devers wants to sign a long-term deal. Sure, he has played only eight games in the majors, but Evan Longoria had played only six games when he signed a six-year contract (with three team options) with the Rays back in 2008, so starting talks this early isn't unprecedented. Devers looks every bit a franchise player right now, with his remarkable offensive abilities carrying over to the majors more quickly than anyone could have expected. For elite young players, the price only goes up the longer you wait to try to sign them. If Devers is interested in signing a long-term deal to guarantee his financial future, Boston's best chance to get him to sign the kind of deal that Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts have avoided might be to get it done before he's widely acknowledged as a star.