By this point of the season, teams have begun to sort themselves out. Still, with several weeks between now and the MLB trade deadline, there are more questions than answers about what approaches the teams will take.
As we take a snapshot of where all 30 teams are positioned right now -- separating them into four categories: October locks looking to fill postseason holes, contenders making a postseason push, fringe clubs and teams that should look to the future -- we'll focus our attention on what each of them needs to do to clarify its status by the time the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET on July 30.
Jump to:
Arming for October | Positioning for a push
Not out of it ... yet | Building for better days
Arming for October
Teams with high enough playoff probabilities that they'll start considering possible postseason roster holes.
1. New York Yankees
Win average: 103.4 (Last: 95.0, 6th)
In the playoffs: 99.8% (Last: 89.3%)
Champions: 19.7% (Last 10.4%)
What they need to do before the deadline: The Yankees are on pace to post their best per-game run differential since 1998, a season that looms large in the memories of history-minded Bronx fans. Before that, you have to go back to the early days of Mickey Mantle to find a Bombers squad that clubbed opponents with such ferocity. The Orioles are so good that New York isn't likely going to be able to coast until late September, if then, in the quest for the AL's top seed. Still, the Yankees have banked enough wins that they should be able to manage the workloads of some of their oft-injured veterans while working Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Jasson Dominguez back into regular duty. A team can never have enough relievers, but this Yankees squad has been so successful that the primary objective between now and the deadline is simply to remain as healthy as possible. Because let's face it, none of this really matters in New York unless the Yankees are the last team standing when November arrives.