Jason Martinez | MLB Trade Rumors

GM Matt Klentak On Phillies’ Quiet Trade Deadline

By Jason Martinez | August 1, 2016 at 6:24pm CDT

There’s no question that the Phillies are rebuilding, with some of their better prospects—see J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams and Jake Thompson—closing in on the Major Leagues. As a result, there was an expectation that general manager Matt Klentak would, at the least, trade away free agents-to-be Jeremy Hellickson and David Hernandez, both of whom are having strong seasons, and veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has a $4.5MM club option in 2017. But the first-year general manager came up empty during his first trade deadline.

As Klentak explained on a conference call earlier today, he was open-minded to making a deal and had dialogue with quite a few teams on a number of their players.

“We had offers out to other teams that, if accepted, we would have done,” Klentak said. “At the end of the day, there was nothing we felt made sense for the organization at this time.”

Citing a focus on appropriately balancing the present and the future, Klentak believes that Ruiz and Hellickson are playing a key role in the development of their younger players.

“We want to make sure our young players are being mentored by the right veterans,” Klentak explained. “Chooch has had a great career with the Phillies, and we value what he means to the organization and to the younger players. We like what he brings to this team.”

With regard to the 29-year-old Hellickson, who was acquired from the Diamondbacks last winter, Klentak stressed the importance of having a reliable innings-eater with many of the Phillies’ young pitchers beginning to approach innings totals that they haven’t reached in their careers.

“The reason we went out and acquired him last offseason is to provide stability to our rotation and mentor our young pitchers,” Klentak said. “I think he’s been outstanding in that role.”

While Klentak said that they have not determined whether Hellickson will be given a qualifying offer, which is estimated to be $16.7MM, they are mindful that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement could be in place by the offseason. With a very supportive ownership group and few future commitments, however, he wouldn’t rule it out. He also didn’t rule out the possibility of an August trade, although there are more hurdles to clear that would make it complicated.

As far as opening up playing time for young prospects, Klentak said that he never looked at the trade deadline as the platform that would allow them to play. The important thing, he said, is to call them up when they’re ready and never have to send them back because they’re not ready.

“[The lack of trades] doesn’t set back the timeline for any promotion,” he says. “We will promote them when they’re ready. If we need to create room, we will do so. There’s a decent chance we’ll see another somewhat notable promotion of a first-time big-leaguer before the season’s up.”

Updated MLB Depth Charts At Roster Resource

By Jason Martinez | July 31, 2016 at 7:54pm CDT

Whether you need to refer to the current state of a team’s roster or farm system in the midst of an interesting trade rumor or want to have a look at an updated lineup projection immediately after a roster move is announced, Roster Resource has got you covered.

Now under the Trade Rumors umbrella, Roster Resource has a number of great improvements planned for the near future that will make your browsing experience even better. At this time, we offer up-to-the-minute rosters and depth charts with a ton of additional information to help give you a solid understanding of each organization.

Below, I’ve linked to depth charts for each of the 30 teams — with all of the recent trades and other transactions reflected — along with links to some other useful features to check out as the deadline draws near.

MLB Team Info Tracker (40-man roster counts, “how acquired” breakdown, projected payroll)
MLB Team Info Pages (Team Payroll, Service Time, etc.)
MLB Transaction Tracker (official roster moves and future expected moves)
MLB Injury Report (DL’d players, retroactive date, rehab assignments, injury updates)

Trade Market For Relievers

By Jason Martinez and Jeff Todd | July 29, 2016 at 8:35pm CDT

Pitching is the priority for most contenders. Starting pitchers, however, are costly and there aren’t many good ones available right now unless a team has and is willing to trade away an elite prospect or possibly even two.

The alternative is to trade for a reliable reliever or two, which could help a team who isn’t getting enough quality innings out of their starting pitchers. As the Royals have proven, you don’t need six or seven innings from your starting pitchers to succeed as long as your bullpen can pick up the slack. Three dominant relievers to cover the 7th, 8th and 9th innings helped in their case, but they also had several others who made a strong contribution to the team’s success.

This is the time for a contender to assess how much help their bullpen needs and ensure that they’re stocked up for the stretch run. Here are some relievers who are likely available on the trade market.

Premium Relief Arms

Andrew Miller (Yankees), Wade Davis (Royals), Mark Melancon (Pirates), David Robertson (White Sox), Alex Colome (Rays), Arodys Vizcaino (Braves), Jeremy Jeffress & Will Smith (Brewers)

Miller and Davis represent the top of the class, but much like the many controllable starters we’ve heard so much about, it’s not clear that either is available for anything less than a true haul. The Yankees already dealt away Aroldis Chapman, and have seemingly put an immense price tag on Miller, who is now unquestionably one of the very best relievers in baseball. The same can be said of Davis, though he hasn’t been quite as excellent this year as last and has one less season of control on his contract, which runs out after 2017.
There were rumblings before the year that the Bucs could look to swap out Melancon and his $9.65MM salary. The cash probably isn’t a major concern at this point, but the Pirates are in a somewhat difficult position for contention and have reportedly considered a deal for a pending free agent. Melancon is still trucking along with a 1.51 ERA and 8.2 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9, all within range of the new standard he set for himself beginning in 2013. Since Pittsburgh is still a plausible post-season threat, it seems that the team would be looking for a somewhat unique scenario — the ask is for a solid set-up arm to plug onto the MLB roster as well as a prospect haul to make up the difference in value and bolster the organization’s future.
Robertson is having a fine season and is surely a late-inning upgrade for some contenders. But he’s still due close to $30MM through the 2018 season and he’s just not the same pitcher he was when he signed his current deal with the White Sox. If the Sox were willing to take on some of Robertson’s remaining salary, however, they could well generate a solid return — especially if the names just listed prove too expensive to change hands.
If the Rays are willing to trade away one of their controllable starting pitchers, as the rumors indicate, then they’d certainly trade All-Star closer Colome. Even with four years left of club control remaining after 2016, Colome won’t have as much value to the Rays until they’re ready to contend again. Still, the price will be high for the 27-year-old and the Rays won’t be motivated to move him unless they’re blown away with an offer.
Jeffress and Vizcaino are in the same boat as Colome with their respective teams. Young, controllable and talented closers with teams that aren’t competitive now and might not be for at least a couple more years. The price is high, but these guys are definitely available. The question with Jeffress is whether another team will value his groundball-driven approach as highly as do the Brewers. As for Vizcaino, some recent stumbles and a DL stint have significantly reduced the likelihood he’s dealt.
That leaves Smith, who missed a big chunk of time earlier this year and has been more solid than great since returning. The 27-year-old southpaw owns a 3.60 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over twenty innings, representing a drop-off from the 3.79 K/BB ratio he ran up a season ago. With three remaining seasons of arbitration eligibility, Milwaukee may choose to see if he can build up value over the next several months before exploring a deal in earnest.

Click to read below for the rental relievers and other pen arms with future control:

Pure Rentals

Righties Joe Smith (Angels), Daniel Hudson (Diamondbacks), David Hernandez (Phillies), Jim Johnson (Braves), Ross Ohlendorf (Reds)

The 32-year-old Smith isn’t nearly as effective as he once was, but he’s a pending free agent and one of the Halos’ few obvious trade pieces. Smith’s K rate has fallen off a cliff, but he still gets groundballs and has turned in seven appearances running without allowing a run (or recording a single strikeout or walk).
Hudson’s chief appeal at this point is velocity, as he continues to run up a consistent mid-nineties heater. But the results haven’t been there (6.08 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 over 37 frames) after a solid bounceback 2015 following years of arm troubles. Hudson is an obvious trade piece as a soon-to-be free agent for a disappointing D-Backs club that will probably just need to get what it can for him.
There was a point earlier in the year where Hernandez was looking like he might be a nice trade piece for the Phils, but he has come back down to earth as the season has gone on. Over 47 1/3 innings, he owns a 4.37 ERA that largely mirrors his career results. The double-digit strikeouts per nine is appealing, as is a fastball that sits around 94 mph, but Philadelphia won’t expect a ton in return.
Johnson may or may not be traded within minutes of this post going live. He’s not producing like the closer of yore, and his fastball velocity continues a slow decline, but he’s still generating a 56.4% groundball rate.
Though he’s over-extended in his current late-inning role in Cincinnati, Ohlendorf is recording more than a strikeout per nine, bringing a mid-90s fastball, and carryig a usable 4.27 ERA in 46 1/3 innings. Plus, given his history as a starter, teams could conceivably use Ohlendorf for multiple innings if needed.

Lefties Boone Logan (Rockies), Marc Rzepczynski (Athletics), Eric O’Flaherty (Braves)

Logan looks to be the prime rental LOOGY on the market, with a rather remarkable 17.0% swinging strike rate and — finally — the results to match. Those numbers have been mostly achieved against same-handed hitters, as Logan has nibbled against righties and put on too many via the walk, but he could be a nice weapon down the stretch.
At thirty years of age, “Scrabble” (that’s Rzepczynski) carries a 3.19 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9. He has always been deployed mostly against lefties, but has actually been better against right-handed hitting thus far in 2016.
O’Flaherty has posted some of the game’s ugliest earned-run marks over the last two years, but ERA estimators think he’s been much better this season. Over 22 2/3 innings, he has struck out 6.8 and walked 2.0 batters per nine with a 53.8% groundball rate, with a .355 BABIP and 55.2% strand rate telling heavily in his results.

Future Control

Righties Jeanmar Gomez (Phillies), Huston Street (Angels), Tyler Clippard (Diamondbacks), Brandon Kintzler (Twins), Tyler Thornburg (Brewers), Erasmo Ramirez & Brad Boxberger (Rays), Ryan Madson (Athletics), Brandon Maurer (Padres), Blake Wood (Reds)

It’s unlikely that any contending team would view Gomez as their closer. As effective as he’s been for the Phillies, he has a 5.6 K/9 and throws his fastball in the low 90’s. Not exactly the prototypical late-inning reliever. There should be solid interest, though reports suggest Philadelphia isn’t terribly interested in moving Gomez with another year of control remaining.
Street has been injury-prone the past few years and hasn’t been very good in 2016. With a 4.79 ERA, 11 walks and 11 strikeouts in 20.2 innings, it’s doubtful that there will be a ton of interest even if the Angels were to keep a majority of the estimated $13MM remaining on his contract. In all likelihood, he’ll be kept in hopes of a turnaround.
Clippard may have hit a wall at 31 years of age after years of heavy usage. He’s striking out batters right at his career-peak rate of around 11 per nine, but he’s giving up more line drives and less lazy flyballs than he used to, leading to a dramatic rise in the batting average on balls in play against him. He’s available, but is also expensive with a $6.15MM salary on the books for 2017.
In a down year for the Twins, Kintzler has been a nice surprise. He is outperforming his peripherals with a 1.99 ERA, and doesn’t get many strikeouts, but he also basically doesn’t walk anyone and draws a ton of worm-burners (63.6% groundball rate). Kintzler will be entering his last year of arbitration at an appealing price tag, so he’s a solid piece.
Thornburg has worked his way into the elite class of setup men and appears destined to be a closer in the near future. With three years left of club control, that opportunity will probably come with the Brewers once they trade Jeffress. But you also can’t rule out a team being more aggressive to acquire Thornburg, who has a 2.21 ERA, 18 holds and a 12.6 K/9 in his 42 appearances.
The Rays have already drawn calls on Ramirez, who offers a swingman option and three years of cheap future control. He’s carrying a 3.90 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9, all right at his career numbers. It’s quite a different situation for Boxberger, who has missed almost all of the season with arm issues but was just activated from the DL. The 28-year-old offers plenty of upside with his typically high whiff rate and three years of arb years to come, but he’s a big injury risk and we haven’t really heard him mentioned as a trade candidate.
Madson was great in a setup role with the Royals in 2015, but has struggled as the A’s closer this season. If a team thought he’d be more effective once moved back into a setup role, they’d better be very confident about it because he’d be one of the highest paid setup men in the game. He’s due close to $20MM through the 2018 season.
Long an intriguing arm, Maurer has shown new life and recently took over the closer’s role in San Diego. If you look behind his 4.59 ERA, you’ll see a useful 10.5 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 49 innings. Better still, his velocity is moving in the right direction. Maurer comes with three arb-eligible years.
Though he isn’t drawing any headlines, Wood has checked in with a 3.42 ERA over 47 1/3 innings. Thing is, he’s also coughing up 5.3 free passes per nine, which makes his 8.6 K/9 mark decidedly less appealing than it would be in isolation.

Lefties Fernando Abad (Twins), Zach Duke (White Sox), Jake McGee (Rockies), Xavier Cedeno (Rays), Ryan Buchter & Brad Hand (Padres), Ian Krol & Hunter Cervenka (Braves), Tony Cingrani (Reds)

Abad is one of the prime trade pieces on this market, though Minnesota doesn’t have to deal him with another year of cheap control left to go. The 30-year-old carries a 2.53 ERA on the year, though his once sparkling peripherals have fallen off a bit (7.9 K/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).
Though Duke isn’t cheap — he’s earning $5MM this year and $5.5MM next — he should hold solid appeal. Since his reinvention began in 2014, he’s running a 2.88 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. While he struggled against righties last year, moreover, the former starter has returned to posting neutral platoon splits this season.
It’s been a struggle for McGee since he arrived in Colorado, with notable declines in virtually every area. In particular, he is striking out about half as many hitters he did last year (with a career-low 7.8% swinging strike rate) and has lost a tick on his already-diminished fastball. With a $4.8MM salary for 2016 and a raise coming, he’s nothing close to the asset he once was.
With arbitration beckoning, the 29-year-old Cedeno could become a trade piece for the Rays. He hasn’t been quite as good in the results department this year as he was last, but Cedeno is still putting up a 3.62 ERA with impressive peripherals — 8.9 K/9 with 2.5 BB/9. He has allowed less than a hit per inning and just one home run. Cedeno has to have the game’s best 88 mph heater; he’s racked up about a 14% whiff rate over the last two campaigns while relying heavily on his cutter, mixed in oft-changing ratios with a hook.
Buchter has been a revelation since getting a chance with the Friars, but with gobs of control remaining he won’t come cheap. Hand, meanwhile, has long been a useful swingman, but he has been a different pitcher since changing homes. Over 55 1/3 innings, he’s running up a 3.09 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 — both of which are much higher than he has typically shown. Hand has relied more on his two-seamer and, especially, his curve while largely dropping his change, with generally promising results.
With arbitration beckoning, the 25-year-old Krol has impressed. He’s sitting with a 3.14 ERA and 10.1 K/9 vs. 3.1 BB/9 to go with a 51.3% groundball rate over 28 2/3 frames. Teams will still be wary of the track record — control has long been fleeting — but Krol is sitting at a career-best 94.0 mph with his average fastball, carries a double-digit whiff rate, and has managed to get his first pitch over for a strike much more frequently than he has in the past. Cervenka is actually a year older than Krol, but only just debuted. His double-digit punches per nine is impressive but he’s also walking more than five batters per regulation game. Brandishing a slider in over half of his pitches, Cervenka has permitted just 20 hits in 31 1/3 innings and owns a 2.87 ERA. With a full slate of control remaining, though, Atlanta has little reason to deal him — and teams probably won’t pay much of a premium in hopes of slotting him into their pen down the stretch given the risks.
Though he has a 3.20 ERA on the year and a solid prospect pedigree behind him, Cingrani has recorded just 6.4 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 in his 45 innings on the year. His results are propped up by a .238 BABIP, though it’s fair to note that Cingrani is not permitting a ton of hard contact or line drives. He’s also pushing 94 mph with his average fastball, well above his velo as a starter; that’s particularly important since he uses the pitch over 80% of the time. Cingrani will reach arb eligibility after the year, and the budget-conscious Reds could see this as a reasonable time to try to cash him in — if another organization has interest.

Rangers GM Jon Daniels On Trade For Lucas Harrell, Dario Alvarez

By Jason Martinez | July 27, 2016 at 11:20pm CDT

The Rangers addressed their pitching staff earlier today when they acquired pitchers Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from the Braves for second base prospect Travis Demeritte. The price was seemingly high—Demeritte was a starter in this year’s All-Star Futures Game—for two pitchers who had very little value when picked up by the Braves in late May. Harrell was signed to a Minor League contract four days after he was released by the Tigers. Alvarez was claimed off waivers from the Mets. But with pitching being the Rangers’ top priority, general manager Jon Daniels was able to acquire two pitchers who could help in 2016 and are not yet eligible for arbitration. In a conference call earlier today, Jon Daniels explained his thinking behind the deal.

Described by Daniels as “a sinker-baller who’s going well right now,” the 31-year-old Harrell will be reunited with current Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail, whom he knows from his days with the Astros. Daniels said that Brocail’s assessment of Harrell was “more of a confirmation of what we thought” and the expectation is that he’ll be a part of their rotation. After tossing six shutout innings in his final Braves start on Tuesday, Harrell is lined up for a home start against the Royals on Sunday.

In regards to his new lefty reliever, Daniels called the 27-year-old Alvarez, who has allowed five earned runs in his 15 innings of work with an amazing 28-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a “real interesting guy” with “deceptive delivery and plus velocity.” He also mentioned that this was Alvarez’s first time with an extended run in the Major Leagues. “Sometimes you have to take a chance before a guy’s a household name”, said Daniels, who did just that when he traded for Sam Dyson on the last day of the 2015 trade deadline and has seen him blossom into a successful late-inning arm.

Asked if he was done addressing his pitching staff and if there was a possibility that he would acquire a non-pitcher before Monday’s deadline, Daniels said that he wouldn’t rule anything out. “We’re still having additional conversations”, he said, adding that pitching remains his team’s top priority.

Knocking Down The Door: Austin, De Leon, Diaz, Williams, Wren

By Jason Martinez | July 25, 2016 at 6:20pm CDT

This week’s installment of Knocking Down the Door features only one player ranked as an organizational Top 10 prospect heading into the season, but that doesn’t mean the other four aren’t interesting. One is a former prospect who has done a very good job rebuilding his value in 2016. One just played in the Futures Game. Another is a former 2nd Round draft pick who has been overshadowed by an abundance of pitching talent in his current organization. And the last is the son of a former big league general manager.

Tyler Austin, 1B/OF, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

With the possibility that the Yankees will eventually cut bait and move on from struggling veterans Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, top prospect Aaron Judge had positioned himself for a call-up a month ago. But a knee injury has him on the shelf, opening up the possibility for someone else to step up. Look no further than the guy who has 19 hits in his last 48 at-bats, including four homers, five doubles and 12 walks. That would be former prospect Tyler Austin.

Heading into the 2013 season, Austin was the 77th ranked prospect in the game, according to Baseball America. He was a 22-year-old right fielder coming off of a big season, mostly between High-A and Low-A, and ready to take his talents to the upper minors. Three seasons later, Austin had failed to impress not only his own organization, who designated him for assignment last September, but the 29 other teams who let him pass through waivers and remain with the Yankees.

Primarily a first baseman these days, the 24-year-old Austin has resurrected his chances to reach the big leagues thanks to an impressive showing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Promoted from Double-A in early June, the right-handed hitter has a .320/.417/.654 slash line in 42 games while finally showing the power (11 homers) that has been absent during his long stretch in the upper minors. Now that the Yankees appear to be “sellers” this week, the likely trade of Carlos Beltran could further enhance Austin’s chances of reaching the Bronx in the near future.

Yankees Depth Chart

Jose De Leon, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Triple-A Oklahoma City)

When Jose De Leon was “Knocking Down The Door” way back in mid-June, he was just working his way back from injury and had dominated in a few short stints. I mentioned him as a potential late-inning power reliever, which the Dodgers lacked at the time.

Things are different these days, though. Joe Blanton and Adam Liberatore have been quite effective in setup roles and the hard-throwing Pedro Baez has been very good as of late (11.1 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 12 K in last 9 appearances). It’s the Dodgers’ rotation that has major concerns, especially if Clayton Kershaw’s back injury keeps him out much longer.

While the Dodgers are very likely looking very hard at the trade market for an upgrade, they could also turn to the 23-year-old De Leon, who is now adequately stretched out to start and still dominating. The right-hander tossed four-hit ball over eight scoreless innings his last start for Triple-A Oklahoma City with no walks and 10 strikeouts. He’s also thrown just 43.1 innings this season, so shutting down the young pitching prospect early might not be necessary. It might be a combination of starts and relief stints, but De Leon could play a key role down the stretch for the injury-plagued Dodgers.

Dodgers Depth Chart

Yandy Diaz, 3B, Cleveland Indians (Triple-A Columbus)

For an up-and-coming team like the Indians with little post-season experience on their roster, a veteran like Juan Uribe is a great fit in the clubhouse. It’s not working out on the field, however, as the 37-year-old is having a miserable season at the plate (.605 OPS). With Michael Brantley’s latest setback, super-utilityman Jose Ramirez is needed more in the outfield, which means that the Tribe needs more production at the hot corner.

Meanwhile, third base prospect Yandy Diaz continues to be a hitting machine down in the minors. The 24-year-old, who signed out of Cuba prior to the 2014 season, has limited home run power but has accomplished the rare feat of compiling more walks (185) than strikeouts (163) in his Minor League career and has also slashed .308/.408/.412. Since a mid-May promotion to Triple-A, Diaz has a .915 OPS with 16 doubles, three triples and five homers. He has two hits in four consecutive games and has multiple hits in 15 of his last 23 games.

A lot can happen this week as the Indians look to bolster their roster, especially at bullpen and the catcher position. But the addition of Diaz could also have an impact as they try to capture their first division title since 2007.

Indians Depth Chart

Trevor Williams, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Triple-A Indianapolis)

It’s hard to stand out pitching in a rotation with two of the best prospects in baseball—Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon—and two others, Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl, also doing everything possible to earn a promotion to the big leagues. But that’s exactly what Trevor Williams is doing.

Since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for much of the first two months of the season, the 24-year-old right-hander has slowly worked his way into form with an amazing run over his last five starts (34 IP, 3 ER, 16 H, 3 BB, 24 K), including back-to-back scoreless outings.

With Jeff Locke and Jon Niese currently banished to the Pirates’ bullpen, Glasnow on the MLB disabled list and Kuhl pulled from his last Triple-A start with triceps discomfort, Williams has worked his way from 10th or 11th on the starting pitching depth chart to possibly next in line.

Pirates Depth Chart

Kyle Wren, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (Triple-A Colorado Springs)

Some combination of Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Keon Broxton and Ramon Flores was supposed to be keeping the center field job warm until top prospect Brett Phillips was ready to take over, likely at some point this season. It hasn’t worked out on either front, though, as that trio, despite Nieuwenhuis’ recent two-game hot streak (4-for-5, 3 HR) has struggled mightily at the plate and Phillips has not done enough with Double-A Biloxi. He’s probably pushed his big league ETA back to 2017.

I’m not sure what “Plan B” was when the season started, but Kyle Wren has played himself into position to be just that. Acquired from the Braves prior to the 2015 season — not long after his father was fired as Atlanta’s GM — Wren has the ability to play all three outfield spots, get on base and steal some bags.

Since a promotion to Triple-A in early June, the 25-year-old Wren has a .914 OPS with more walks (26) than strikeouts (23) and 11 stolen bases in 13 chances. With Domingo Santana slow to return from an elbow injury that has sidelined him for nearly two months, not to mention again how unproductive Niewenhuis, Broxton and Flores have been, there’s no reason why Wren shouldn’t get a look over the final two months of the season.

Brewers Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

9 Potential Top Prospect Trade Chips

By Jason Martinez | July 22, 2016 at 12:55pm CDT

When discussing top prospect trade chips, it’s important to note the difference between those who simply have the most value versus those who are most likely to be traded due to an abundance of organizational depth or talent ahead of them at the Major League level.

For example, Red Sox infield prospect Yoan Moncada might have more value than any prospect in baseball. His Double-A teammate, Andrew Benintendi, isn’t far behind. Yet, neither is on this list. Both have a pretty clear path to the MLB roster with their current organization in the very near future—Moncada as the starting third baseman and Benintendi in left field—which makes that the more likely scenario. Of course, if the Red Sox really wanted to make a splash and acquire an impact player signed beyond 2016—think Chris Sale—they’d have to be willing to part with at least one of them.

The players listed below might not be completely blocked from a starting job in the big leagues, as was the case with the recently-traded Dan Vogelbach, but some of them have obstacles for at least the next couple of seasons. Likewise, the players’ respective organizations are in a position to take the risk of a trade, because of sufficient depth, in order to improve their chances to win a championship in 2016.

1. Austin Meadows, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Even for Austin Meadows, who has quickly become one of the best outfield prospects in the game, there isn’t a spot available in the Pirates’ outfield for the foreseeable future with Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco locked up to long-term deals and Andrew McCutchen signed through 2017 with a very team-friendly club option for 2018.

After missing time with an orbital fracture suffered during Spring Training, Meadows posted an impressive .976 OPS with 16 doubles, eight triples, six homers and nine stolen bases in only 45 Double-A games. He had a 24-game hitting streak when he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on June 18th. If not for a hamstring injury that’s sidelined him for the entire month of July and the fact that he’s blocked by three of the best outfielders in baseball, there would be plenty of buzz surrounding his potential call-up for the stretch run.

The Pirates have been hesitant to trade away any of their top prospects in recent years. But with the 21-year-old Meadows capable of contributing at the Major League level no later than mid-2017, it could finally be the right time to cash in on one of their biggest chips.

Pirates Depth Chart

2. Joey Gallo, 3B, Texas Rangers

When the Rangers gave Adrian Beltre a two-year contract extension through the 2018 season, it was clear that Joey Gallo wouldn’t be their starting third baseman anytime soon. His future big league position, at least with the Rangers, appeared to be as a first baseman or designated hitter. This meant that he’d have to leapfrog either Mitch Moreland, who had an .812 OPS in 2015, or Prince Fielder, who the Rangers are paying $18MM per season through 2020.

At this point of the season, it appears that this possibility is less likely than anticipated. Jurickson Profar’s return to health, position versatility and immense talent has resulted in another roadblock for Gallo. The former top prospect in baseball, Profar had worked his way into the mix as a utilityman with semi-regular playing time around the infield and at the designated hitter spot. With Fielder out indefinitely with a neck injury, Profar will take his at-bats while Moreland is still in Gallo’s way. Before you decide that Moreland should be benched in favor of Gallo, I should let you know that he has an OPS over .900 with seven homers since early June.

With Fielder facing an uncertain future if he has to undergo what would be his second surgery in three seasons for a herniated disc in his neck and Moreland eligible for free agency after the season, Gallo’s value to the Rangers is still high. But with first base prospect Ronald Guzman having a terrific season in Double-A, the Rangers could still be comfortable enough to deal the 22-year-old Gallo for an impact player who can help the 2016 team hold off the talented Astros for the AL West crown.

Rangers Depth Chart

3. Clint Frazier, OF, Cleveland Indians

Lonnie Chisenhall and Rajai Davis, who have been getting most of the starts in the corner outfield spots for the division-leading Indians, aren’t major roadblocks for a guy with Clint Frazier’s skill set. But it’s not that difficult to picture an outfield of Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin and Chisenhall in 2017 with top prospect Bradley Zimmer pushing for playing time and super-utilityman Jose Ramirez also in the mix. Same for 2018, which would be Brantley’s last year under contract by virtue of an affordable $11MM club option.

It’s also easy to make a case for Brantley-Zimmer-Frazier being the most talented outfield combination in the organization. Why break that up? Because this might be the best Indians roster since the mid-to-late 90’s. Their starting pitching is championship-caliber. The bullpen, however, is suspect and they can also use a catcher. If they have a chance to significantly upgrade both areas in the same deal—Jonathan Lucroy, Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith are said to be available—Frazier is the kind of prospect that can make that deal happen.

Indians Depth Chart

4. Francis Martes, SP, Houston Astros

I’m only going to write this one time, although it does apply to all three pitchers on this list: You can never have enough starting pitching! However, young starting pitchers with six years of team control have a ton of trade value, especially because the “sellers” typically don’t have nearly enough of it.

With Doug Fister likely to depart as a free agent after the season, the Astros have several good internal candidates to replace him in 2017. Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz, David Paulino, Francis Martes and Brady Rodgers could all be in the mix. Those are all very good pitching prospects. All will be in the Major Leagues someday—Feliz is already there and has pitched very well out of the Houston bullpen—but not all will break into the Major Leagues with the Astros.

Aside from Rodgers, who profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter, all of the aforementioned pitchers have at least mid-rotation potential. Because Martes has the highest ceiling—he’s holding his own in Double-A as a 20-year old (4.08 ERA, 81.2 IP, 75 H, 37 BB, 80 K)—he’d probably net them the biggest return in a deal.

Astros Depth Chart

5. Gleyber Torres, SS, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs’ position players aren’t just talented. They’re also versatile, which has allowed them to work some younger hitters into the mix who would otherwise be blocked if not for their ability to play multiple positions. Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist, All-Stars at their regular spots, have also helped the cause with their ability to play several positions. Still, this is a roster that presents very little opportunity for an infielder hoping to break in the Major Leagues anytime over the next few years. That wouldn’t normally apply to a 19-year-old, but Gleyber Torres is on a faster track than most.

Torres is thriving in High-A with a .791 OPS and 18 stolen bases. Keep in mind that he started the year off with only six hits in his first 53 at-bats and has been one of the best players in the league since.

After acquiring Mike Montgomery to fill their need for a power lefty out of the bullpen, the Cubs might not need much more. But if they decide to do something big this month or in the offseason, Torres would be a nice centerpiece for any deal that would bring back an impact player.

Cubs Depth Chart

6. Cody Bellinger, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers

It wouldn’t be unrealistic for first base prospect Cody Bellinger to finish off the 2016 season in Double-A, where he currently has a .778 OPS and 11 homers, play in Triple-A for at least the majority of 2017 and break into the Major Leagues as a 22-year-old in 2018. He could play in the outfield as a rookie—he’s spent time at all three outfield spots this season, but has Gold Glove potential as a first baseman—before taking over as Adrian Gonzalez’s successor the following season.

As easy as it is for me to look ahead to see how and when Bellinger fits in with the Dodgers, teams with close to a $250MM payroll are always in “win-now” mode. And the “win-now” Dodgers are also in serious need of some help with best pitcher on the planet Clayton Kershaw out indefinitely with a back injury. That means that Bellinger, who shot up the prospect ranking lists after hitting 30 homers and 33 doubles in his age-19 season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, and any Minor Leaguer who isn’t expected to help in 2016 could very well be used as a trade chip.

Dodgers Depth Chart

7. Reynaldo Lopez, SP, Washington Nationals

Reynaldo Lopez’s big league audition as a starting pitcher did not go well, and that shouldn’t come as a total shock. He’s not ready to be a successful Major League starter. As a reliever in shorter stints, however, many believe that the 22-year-old can help the Nats right now. In fact, it’s more realistic to think he’ll be the team’s future closer rather than a starter in a rotation that doesn’t have a spot for him anytime soon.

Even if the Nats decline Gio Gonzalez’s $12MM club option for 2017, top prospect Lucas Giolito is next in line for a spot and there is still plenty of depth behind him, with Erick Fedde, A.J. Cole and Austin Voth each still in the mix as well. Lopez’s chances to break into the Major Leagues as a starting pitcher are better elsewhere, and a team that believes he can be a part of its rotation in the near future will place a high value on him in trade talks.

Nationals Depth Chart

8. Tyler Beede, SP, San Francisco Giants

Since drafting and winning championships with first-rounders Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, the Giants have been unable to produce another great homegrown pitching star. They might not need one in 2016, especially if Cain can finally remain healthy, but there are a few that could make a case for a spot in the 2017 rotation, including Tyler Beede, Clayton Blackburn and Adalberto Mejia.

But with only one expected opening—Jake Peavy will be a free agent after the season—the Giants find themselves in a position of strength with the ability to deal a young starting pitcher with upside in order to improve their chances of winning a fourth World Series title this decade. Beede, a former first-round pick out of Vanderbilt that could pitch near the top of a rotation, is the one that teams will be asking for the most during trade talks.

Giants Depth Chart

9. Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets

The offseason signing of Asdrubal Cabrera, the mid-season return of Jose Reyes and a second consecutive strong season in the upper minors from former first-round pick Gavin Cecchini hasn’t overshadowed the season that shortstop prospect Amed Rosario is having. In 90 games between Double-A Binghamton and High-A St. Lucie, the 20-year-old has put together a .323/.374/.466 slash line.

If the Mets, who are only 1.5 games out in the Wild Card race, don’t believe that they can overcome their injury woes and make another run similar to 2015, they won’t make any major trades before the Aug.1 non-waiver deadline. But if that’s not the case and they’re not ready to give up on their playoff hopes, they’ll need to add some talent to the roster. Rosario will net the best return out of any of their minor league assets.

Mets Depth Chart

Knocking Down The Door: Berrios, Crawford, Dahl, Haniger, Peterson

By Jason Martinez | July 18, 2016 at 7:02pm CDT

This week’s installment of Knocking Down the Door features five 1st Round picks from the 2012 and 2013 drafts, three of which were recently named to Baseball America’s Midseason Top 100 Prospect list.

Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins (Triple-A Rochester)

When we last discussed Jose Berrios here three weeks ago, he had just tossed eight shutout innings in his 10th Triple-A start of the season while a couple of Twins’ starters were hanging on to rotation spots by the skin of their teeth.

Since, Berrios has allowed just four earned runs in 27.2 innings with seven walks and 27 strikeouts in four starts. In 11 of his 14 starts, the 22-year-old has allowed two earned runs or less. He’s allowed four hits or less in 10 of those starts.

In the meantime, the Twins’ rotation hasn’t been horrible over the past few weeks. But they’re not exactly inspiring increased ticket sales or excitement for what the future holds.

Now that general manager Terry Ryan has been fired, interim general manager Rob Antony’s first line of business should be to add a very talented young pitcher and future staff ace to one of the most pedestrian rotations in baseball.

Twins Depth Chart

J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)

Expectations for any highly-touted shortstop prospect will be immense thanks to Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Corey Seager. All were top prospects. All became MLB superstars almost immediately. That pressure could soon fall on J.P. Crawford, the No. 3 overall prospect in Baseball America’s recently-released Midseason Top 100 and No. 1 shortstop ahead of Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman.

After a slow start to his Triple-A career, the 21-year-old Crawford has been on fire with a .314 batting average (44-for-140), nine doubles, one triple and three homers since June 11th. He’s also sporting a nifty 52-to-53 walk-to-strikeout ratio between Double-A and Triple-A in 2016, which I’m pretty sure will translate to much better than what Freddy Galvis is currently doing with the Phillies (13 walks, 73 strikeouts).

While there is a benefit of starting Crawford’s service time clock a few weeks into the 2017 season instead of anytime this season—assuming he is in the Major Leagues for good, he would be under team control through 2023 instead of 2022—the expectations and pressure would be minimal with his team no longer in playoff contention. Call him up now and he could have nearly a half-season of big league experience under his belt by next April.

Phillies Depth Chart

David Dahl, OF, Colorado Rockies (Triple-A Albuquerque)

Regardless of whether the Rockies trade Charlie Blackmon or Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl will very likely be in the Rockies’ starting lineup in the near future. At least he deserves to be, even if it means that Gerardo Parra will be a very expensive fourth outfielder once he returns from the disabled list.

The 22-year-old Dahl has been able to put the 2015 season, in which he lost his spleen in an outfield collision, behind him. After posting an .867 OPS with 13 homers and 16 stolen bases for Double-A Hartford, Dahl has turned it up a few notches since a promotion to Triple-A. In 10 games, the left-handed hitting center fielder is 21-for-41 with five homers, four doubles and one triple.

Dahl also has six walks and five strikeouts, which is encouraging, even in such a small sample size, considering that he had a 39-to-84 walk-to-strikeout ratio in Double-A. He also walked 11 times with 81 strikeouts at the same level last season, so he seems to be making adjustments as he closes in on the big leagues.

Rockies Depth Chart

Mitch Haniger, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno)

The window might be very small with Chris Owings and David Peralta close to returning from the disabled list, but Mitch Haniger has earned a chance to show the Diamondbacks what he can do before he’s buried on their outfield depth chart for good.

Acquired from the Brewers along with Futures Game selection Anthony Banda in the July 2014 trade for Gerardo Parra, the 25-year-old Haniger had put up solid numbers across the board in High-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile. Now with Triple-A Reno, he’s making it difficult for the D’backs to ignore him much longer.

With Michael Bourn, Brandon Drury and Yasmany Tomas doing very little in the competition for the lone outfield spot that won’t be filled by Owings and Peralta in the near future, Haniger has put together a .367/.432/.719 slash line while playing all three outfield spots in 35 Triple-A games. Hitter-friendly league or not, that kind of production should open some eyes within the organization.

Diamondbacks Depth Chart

D.J. Peterson, 1B, Seattle Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma)

Adam Lind’s disappointing season has opened up an opportunity for D.J. Peterson and he’s taking full advantage. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2013 draft has homered in back-to-back games for Tacoma, giving him five in 15 games since being promoted from Double-A Jackson, where he posted an .805 OPS with 11 homers and 21 doubles in 73 games.

The 24-year-old Peterson was primarily a third baseman until last season, when he started more games at first base. Not coincidentally, Kyle Seager had signed a long-term extension during the previous offseason so any chance of Peterson ever being the Mariners third baseman were pretty much eliminated. His chances of ever making it to the big leagues at all also suffered. After all, there’s no future for a first baseman who posts a .636 OPS in Double-A.

But the right-handed batter has bounce back nicely in 2016 and could find himself in Seattle — particularly if the club isn’t able to turn things around in the next two weeks.

Mariners Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Playoff Contender Needs (National League)

By Jason Martinez | July 15, 2016 at 5:36pm CDT

Yesterday, I analyzed the most pressing needs for the 11 American League playoff contenders just in time for the Red Sox to fill their starting rotation void with the acquisition of Drew Pomeranz. If we’re lucky, one of these eight National League contenders will follow suit and give us another early Trade Deadline present this weekend.

NL EAST

Washington Nationals
54-36, 1st Place, +6
CENTER FIELDER/LEADOFF MAN

Ben Revere has a .268 on-base percentage and still has the privilege of being the starting center fielder and leadoff man for a 1st place team that is 18 games over .500. What does that tell us? For starters, Nationals manager Dusty Baker apparently doesn’t care if his leadoff man gets on base or not. It also means that the Nationals’ lineup and most of the 25-man roster is filled with talent, which is why Baker probably doesn’t lose much sleep over his leadoff man’s inability to be good at the most important aspect of his job.

In all seriousness, the Nats are well aware that they are in need of an upgrade, which is why Trea Turner, who is blocked by Danny Espinosa at the shortstop position, was playing center field in Triple-A before he was recently called up to replace an injured Ryan Zimmerman on the roster. While he could be given a shot as the Nats’ regular center fielder at some point, general manager Mike Rizzo is likely to first explore the trade market, where Charlie Blackmon, Peter Bourjos, Coco Crisp, Jon Jay (likely to return from the disabled list sometime in August) and Melvin Upton Jr. are all likely available. And all are having much better seasons than Revere or his platoon partner, Michael Taylor.

Nationals Depth Chart

Miami Marlins
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

Mention the Marlins to a baseball fan and the first thing that comes to their mind is the amazing power of Giancarlo Stanton. It really is quite breathtaking, after all. But the most interesting part of this up-and-coming young team is that they have five regulars not named Stanton hitting over .300. Even 42-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who has played on a semi-regular basis, is hitting .335 and having his best season since he was in his mid-30’s. The bullpen, which now includes Fernando Rodney setting up for All-Star closer A.J. Ramos, is also talented and a lot of fun to watch.

Unfortunately, unless Jose Fernandez can pitch more than once every five days, the Marlins’ rotation isn’t good enough to make a legitimate run for a Wild Card spot. The fact that they’ve pushed Fernandez back a few times to limit his workload makes the rotation that much more of a priority. Wei-Yin Chen, who signed a potential $80MM free agent deal in the offseason, can’t seem to string together more than one good start. If not for Adam Conley, there’s no way the Marlins would be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Rich Hill and Jake Odorizzi are on their radar, as was the recently-traded Drew Pomeranz, but it’s likely that they’ll cast a wide net in hopes that they can acquire some help despite a farm system that is currently light on talent.

Marlins Depth Chart

New York Mets
47-41, Wild Card (2nd-T), +1
STARTING PITCHING

David Wright could miss the season with a herniated disc in his neck. Lucas Duda is out for an extended period with a stress fracture in his back. Michael Conforto was sent to the minors because he stopped hitting. So can you believe that the Mets’ top priority might be starting pitching?

While they are reportedly prioritizing their bullpen at the moment, they will need to address their very fragile rotation at some point. Matt Harvey’s season-ending surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Zack Wheeler’s delayed return from Tommy John surgery—he’s not expected back before late August—and bone spurs in the elbows of young stars Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz should have the Mets looking to land at least one reinforcement and possibly two.

Mets Depth Chart

***Click below to read breakdowns of all the other NL contenders***

NL CENTRAL

Chicago Cubs
53-35, 1st Place, +7
RELIEF PITCHING, IF THAT

On paper, the Cubs probably have the best 25-man roster in baseball. They’re pretty good between the lines, too, as they’ve compiled the second best record in baseball. But a team that won just six of 21 games heading into the break isn’t without a weakness.

Jason Heyward is probably the most disappointing Cub, although Miguel Montero and Justin Grimm have also underperformed. But with rookie Willson Contreras in the mix at catcher and in the outfield, and Heyward likely to figure things out—he’s 10-for-28 since being moved down in the order to the No. 6 spot—I doubt that the Cubs are too worried.

While Travis Wood has pitched effectively in the 7th inning setup role that Grimm failed to hold down and Joe Nathan has shown well in his Minor League rehab assignment and could join the team soon, it probably wouldn’t hurt to add one more reliable late-inning arm to pair with Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop.

Cubs Depth Chart

St. Louis Cardinals
46-42, Wild Card (4th), -1
RELIEF PITCHING, IF THAT

Carlos Martinez continues to move closer to “ace” status, but the other four starters in the Cardinals’ rotation have ERAs over 4.00. Trevor Rosenthal lost his closer’s job and Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk, who were expected to take big steps forward in ’16, were both demoted to the minors for short periods of time due to poor performance. And yet, the Cardinals have quietly hung around in the pennant race.

When Brandon Moss and Matt Carpenter return from the disabled list, this is a very balanced and productive offense. Wong and Grichuk have been better since returning. The lineup should be fine, as should the rotation. Their starting five is healthy, which is more than most teams can say, and they’re talented and battle-tested.

Seung-hwan Oh has been terrific in his first MLB season and that should continue regardless of whether he’s the closer or setup man. Kevin Siegrist and Jonathan Broxton are reliable setup men. Top prospect Alex Reyes is also an intriguing option in a late-inning role just in case Rosenthal cannot regain his form. Or they can trade for one more proven reliever. Not a very convincing case, but this is still an impressive roster despite the less-than-stellar results.

Cardinals Depth Chart

Pittsburgh Pirates
46-43, Wild Card (5th), -1.5
STARTING PITCHING

Since dropping to five games under .500 on June 23rd, the Pirates have gone on a 13-4 run to re-introduce themselves as legitimate playoff contenders once again. Interestingly, the’ve called up three top prospects in recent weeks who could play a major role in the 2nd half.

If this trio — first baseman Josh Bell and starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon — are the reinforcements, then the Pirates could pass on adding any more talent via the trade market. In fact, indications are that they’re shopping Jon Niese and Jeff Locke, which would ensure that at least one of Glasnow and Taillon have spots. Niese being moved to the bullpen today also makes it a pretty good bet.

However, Gerrit Cole, who is set to return from the disabled list on Saturday, has been the team’s lone reliable starter and leaning heavily on rookie starting pitchers in a pennant race isn’t ideal. A veteran rental who can at least do better than what Niese and Locke are giving them could improve their chances to return to the post-season for a fourth consecutive season.

Pirates Depth Chart

NL WEST

San Francisco Giants
57-33, 1st Place, +6.5
STARTING PITCHING, MAYBE

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Giants have the best record in baseball. They’re a solid team with plenty of talent and leadership and a great manager. And despite the injury gods doing everything possible to stop the trend of the Giants winning the World Series every other season, they still keep rolling along.

Most of the major players with health concerns seem to be on the mend, but the rotation remains a bit of a question mark. If they can get a healthy Matt Cain back in the 2nd half—he’s currently on a rehab assignment—I don’t see any reason to mess with a good thing. That’s a big “if”, though, since the veteran righty is increasingly removed from his days as a top-of-the-rotation workhorse.

With such a big lead in the NL West, they have time to wait out Cain. But if he struggles upon returning, general manager Bobby Evans might set his sights on the trade market.

Giants Depth Chart

Los Angeles Dodgers
51-40, Wild Card (1st), +2.5
OUTFIELDER

The Dodgers have plenty of depth and talent at the Major League level and down on the farm, which has helped them during their current 23-10 run despite a string of injuries to key players. At full strength, they might not necessarily have a glaring need, unless you really aren’t a believer in the unbelievable job that Joe Blanton and Adam Liberatore have done as the setup men for All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. But a closer look at the offense, which is ranked 25th in the majors in OPS, points out the weakness — which is in the corner outfield.

Yasiel Puig’s production since returning from the disabled list (19-for-60, 2 HR, 8 BB, 10 K) is encouraging and Howie Kendrick finished the 1st half on a high note by going 13-for-37 with six doubles in his last ten games. But Trayce Thompson has struggled over the past month and we don’t know how productive Andre Ethier will be when he finally makes his 2016 debut.

In a quote provided by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says that the team is focused on acquiring “elite-level” players. That doesn’t sound like they’re planning a few tweaks here and there to shore up the bench and bullpen. Jay Bruce and Josh Reddick would fit nicely in the Dodgers’ lineup, although it wouldn’t surprise me to see a blockbuster deal, possibly involving a third team with Puig and others going elsewhere.

Dodgers Depth Chart

Playoff Contender Needs (American League)

By Jason Martinez | July 14, 2016 at 11:41am CDT

Heading into the 2nd half of the season, 19 teams are within 5.5 games of a playoff spot while maintaining a .500 or better record. These are what we call the “playoff contenders” and, as of right now, they are potential “buyers” on the trade market in the coming weeks.

On the other end of the spectrum, those teams with sub-.500 records don’t appear to have what it takes to get back into contention. The Phillies and Rockies aren’t that far behind—they’re six and seven games behind the second Wild Card spot, respectively—and neither is a walk in the park on the schedule for opponents. But at six and eight games under .500, respectively, I’d be surprised if either front office isn’t ready to wheel and deal right now. If not already, these 11 teams will be in selling mode very soon.

Starting with the American League, let’s take a close look at each contending team’s biggest areas of need and some potential trade targets that could help down the stretch.

AL EAST

Baltimore Orioles
51-36, 1st Place, +2
STARTING PITCHING

The good news for the divison-leading Orioles is that they have the 6th best record in baseball despite having one of the worst starting rotations in baseball. The bad news is that, barring a trade or two, they still have to play 75 games with one of the worst rotations in baseball.

Sure, the O’s are very good at hitting home runs and closing out games. That formula could work in the post-season. But very bad starting pitching will eventually wear a team down, making it very difficult to finish strong and actually make it into the post-season.

Chris Tillman is having a nice season. Kevin Gausman has been very good at times, but doesn’t appear quite ready to be the frontline starter the O’s need to carry them into the playoffs. Yovani Gallardo has been a disappointment. Ubaldo Jimenez continues to be awful. Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson have been serviceable, although both have an ERA over 5.00. Help isn’t on the way, either.

The O’s might not have the farm system to land a controllable top-of-the-rotation starter, but they have enough intriguing prospects—former 1st Round pick Hunter Harvey, Futures Game catcher Chance Sisco and 1st baseman Trey Mancini (.882 OPS between Triple-A and Double-A) all have value—to compete for the top rental available (Rich Hill) or a very good mid-rotation starter with control (Drew Pomeranz, Hector Santiago or Drew Smyly).

Orioles Depth Chart

Boston Red Sox
49-38, Wild Card (1st-T), +2
STARTING PITCHING

The Sox struck early to solidify their bullpen, acquiring Brad Ziegler last week with Craig Kimbrel expected to miss 3-6 weeks. The offense is already one of the best in baseball and, if they choose, could possibly get better with internal options like Andrew Benintendi and/or Yoan Moncada.

Like the Orioles, though, this is a team that’s lucky to be where they’re at considering the state of their starting rotation.

They’re nowhere near as shaky as the Orioles’ starting rotation—David Price has mostly been himself aside from a few bad outings, Rick Porcello has been solid and Steven Wright was a well-deserved All-Star selection—but this is a team that had journeyman Sean O’Sullivan penciled into the No. 4 spot in their rotation before he recently landed on the disabled list.

A handful of young pitchers could potentially step up and help out in the 2nd half—Eduardo Rodriguez will return from Triple-A to start on Friday—but this is a team in desperate need of some stability. With so much minor league talent, the Sox have the means to go after Hill and a controllable frontline starter like Chris Archer or Julio Teheran, although it would be tough to get the Rays or Braves to budge on either of their staff aces without the inclusion of Benintendi or Moncada.

Red Sox Depth Chart

Toronto Blue Jays
51-40, Wild Card (1st-T), +2
LATE-INNING RELIEF PITCHING or STARTING PITCHING

Even with Marcus Stroman having a disappointing season, the Jays clearly have the best starting rotation in the division. And if Stroman’s last two starts are any indication that he’s turning things around (14.2 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 12 K), the Jays have the potential to overtake the Orioles and run away with the division. The bullpen, however, might not have enough talent to help the cause.

While Jason Grilli has given the ’pen a big boost since his acquisition last month (2.63 ERA, 13.2 IP, 6 BB, 23 K, 4 holds, 1 save), they’ll need another reliable arm to help bridge the gap to closer Roberto Osuna. Drew Storen hasn’t done enough to regain a high-leverage role and Brett Cecil is also no longer a trustworthy option with the game on the line.

The answer could already be on the 25-man roster, but Aaron Sanchez is no longer a lock to move to the bullpen later in the season. Pitching well enough to be named to the All-Star team might have altered those plans. Manager John Gibbons said recently, however, that he still thinks Sanchez will shift to the bullpen at some point to limit his workload.

If the Jays do plan on moving Sanchez back to the bullpen—he posted a 2.39 ERA in 30 appearances last season while limiting opponents to a .178 batting average—they would likely pursue a trade for a starting pitcher. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd wrote about the Trade Market for Starting Pitchers on Wednesday.

Blue Jays Depth Chart

New York Yankees
44-44, Wild Card (8th), -5.5
STARTING PITCHING and OUTFIELDER

As difficult as the Yankees are to beat if they can get to the 6th or 7th inning with a lead—see Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman—they’re probably not good enough to do it often enough to make the necessary leap of six teams in order to make the playoffs. In fact, they could join the list of “sellers” if they fall any further back in a week or two.

A lack of good starting pitching has been an issue. Masahiro Tanaka continues to shine despite pitching with a partially torn elbow ligament, but he’s not getting much help. CC Sabathia’s career resurgence has taken a turn for the worse. After lowering his ERA to 2.20 with a quality start on June 16th, the 35-year-old lefty has allowed at least five earned runs in four consecutive starts. Nate Eovaldi and Ivan Nova have ERAs over 5.00. So does Michael Pineda, although his strong peripherals (2.5 BB/9, 10.7 K/9) are encouraging.

If you’re looking at the offense to carry the team, that’s probably not going to happen either. Carlos Beltran, Didi Gregorius and Brian McCann have all been very good. Jacoby Ellsbury has been OK. Everyone else on the roster, aside from maybe backup catcher Austin Romine, has underperformed.

The best internal option who could’ve potentially brought some firepower to the offense was Triple-A outfielder Aaron Judge, who made my “Knocking Down The Door” list a few weeks back. The 24-year-old right fielder is expected to miss 3-4 weeks, however, after suffering a knee injury last week.

While you can’t rule out the Yankees from making a trade now as a last-ditch effort to stay in contention, it’s likely that they go with what they have and hope that someone like Luis Severino, who has pitched much better since a demotion to Triple-A in late May, could light a fire under the team and get them a few games closer to a playoff spot by late July. If that happens, they could look to add one of the several big-name outfielders that could be available (Jay Bruce, Carlos Gonzalez, Josh Reddick), as well as a lower-cost starting pitcher—Andrew Cashner and Jeremy Hellickson come to mind—to help take some pressure off of Tanaka and the bullpen.

Yankees Depth Chart

***Click below to read breakdowns of all the other AL contenders***

AL CENTRAL

Cleveland Indians
52-36, 1st Place, +6.5
CATCHER and SETUP MAN

If you think the Indians are good now, just wait until they get their best hitter back. Michael Brantley is currently on a rehab assignment and should be back very soon. He’d be joining a lineup that already includes five players with an OPS over .800.

Of the lineup regulars, only catcher Yan Gomes is having a bad season. Actually, it’s a lot worse than “bad.” He has a .516 OPS. Since he’s due close to $20 million from 2017-2019, the Indians might not want to go after Padres catcher Derek Norris, who would be under control through the 2018 season. But maybe they’d pay the price to add Jonathan Lucroy, who has a very cheap $5.25MM club option for 2017.

It would likely cost the Indians one of their top two hitting prospects, Clint Frazier or Bradley Zimmer, but the lineup could be equally as talented as the starting rotation with Lucroy and Brantley hitting in the middle of the order. That could be worth the risk.

Adding Lucroy would be a major splash, but the Indians would also be smart to shore up the back of their bullpen. Cody Allen has been very good and Bryan Shaw has been much better as of late after struggling earlier in the season. Adding another proven setup man to the mix, however, would make their path to the post-season much smoother. Hudson or Madson would be strong additions, although Jake McGee could be a better fit with only one lefty reliever (T.J. House) currently on the roster.

Indians Depth Chart

Detroit Tigers
46-43, Wild Card (4th), -4
STARTING PITCHING and SETUP MAN

With recent injuries to Jordan Zimmermann (strained neck) and Daniel Norris (strained oblique), the Tigers’ priority could shift from late-inning relief help to the starting rotation. In reality, they probably need both if they’re going to stick around in this playoff race.

The Tigers’ best pitcher has been Michael Fulmer, who has been dominant as a rookie. The 23-year-old might not be around for the stretch run, though, as young pitchers are typically shut down at some point late in the season. He’s thrown 92 innings so far in 2016 after throwing a total of 124.2 innings in the minors last season. Even with a healthy Zimmermann and Norris, the Tigers could use some help if they’re going to finish the season strong.

Francisco Rodriguez has done his job as the closer and Justin Wilson has also been very good in a setup role. If they’re to make it into the post-season, however, and not have their bullpen be the cause of their playoff struggles, they’ll need another reliable arm to pair with Rodriguez.

A weak farm system could make it difficult to make a significant upgrade, but there are plenty of rentals that should be affordable. Relievers Jim Johnson of the Braves and David Hernandez of the Phillies would be in that category, as would starting pitchers Jorge De La Rosa and Tim Lincecum.

Tigers Depth Chart

Chicago White Sox
45-43, Wild Card (5th-T)
OUTFIELDER or DESIGNATED HITTER

After back-to-back MVP-caliber seasons to start his MLB career, Jose Abreu’s production has fallen in 2016. He hasn’t been bad. He’s just not carrying a lineup that has probably needed to be carried. White Sox hitters have been, for the most part, underwhelming despite not having multiple players who are having poor seasons.

Replacing Avisail Garcia, who has a .633 OPS while playing on a regular basis as the designated hitter with a lefty slugger to hit between Abreu and Todd Frazier—Jay Bruce would fit well in front of his former Reds teammate—could be the move that jump starts this team.

Or if they don’t have the prospects to pull off a Bruce deal, they would be smart to add another top-of-the-order hitter like Coco Crisp or Jon Jay (if it appears that the latter could return from the disabled list in early August) so that current leadoff man Tim Anderson and his 1-to-37 walk-to-strikeout ratio could hit at the bottom of the order.

White Sox Depth Chart

Kansas City Royals
45-43, Wild Card (5th-T)
STARTING PITCHING

We know that these Royals hitters can turn it on in the post-season. We know that a Royals bullpen led by a healthy Wade Davis—he’s currently on the disabled list with a strained forearm—and Kelvin Herrera can make it very difficult for opposing hitters in a seven-game series. It’s becoming clear, though, that this Royals team probably doesn’t have enough starting pitching to make it to the playoffs.

Danny Duffy, who was supposed to be the left-handed complement to Davis and Herrera in the bullpen, has been their best starter and Ian Kennedy has been about what was expected. But Edinson Volquez has taken a few steps back. Yordano Ventura’s inconsistency remains an issue. Chris Young has been moved to the bullpen after pitching poorly. Kris Medlen is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and was recently shut down with a new shoulder injury. Dillon Gee and Brian Flynn are not the answers and there is no help on the way. It’s trade market or bust for the World Champs.

Royals Depth Chart

AL WEST

Texas Rangers
54-36, 1st Place, +5.5
STARTING PITCHING and CATCHER

Injuries to Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis have forced the Rangers to give 12 of their 90 starts to Cesar Ramos, Nick Martinez, Chi Chi Gonzalez and Kyle Lohse. The results are even worse than you can probably imagine.

The Rangers are set at the top of their rotation with Cole Hamels and Darvish, who is expected to come off of the disabled list on Saturday. It’s Lewis’ steady production from the middle of the rotation that they’re missing, though. Ervin Santana could be a capable replacement, although the Rangers could opt for a low-cost rental like Andrew Cashner. The 29-year-old is injury-prone and inconsistent, but he can be very good at times. Maybe a return to his hometown state in the middle of a pennant race would bring out the best in him.

While they’re at it, they might as well make it a package deal and bring Cashner’s battery-mate Norris along for the ride. The 27-year-old catcher, who has an .821 OPS with 11 homers since May 5th, would be an upgrade over the current duo of Robinson Chirinos and Bobby Wilson. Of course, that Lucroy guy is also available and the Rangers certainly have the talent in their farm system to make it happen. Stephen Vogt could also make sense if they could pry him away from the division rival A’s.

Rangers Depth Chart

Houston Astros
48-41, Wild Card (3rd), -2
LEFTY RELIEF SPECIALIST

Does a team that has won 31 of 44 games have needs? Maybe not major needs, but the surging Astros can certainly get better.

The expectation is that they will upgrade their lineup in the near future by promoting Alex Bregman, who has proven in a very short period of time that he is way too good for the Minor Leagues.

The starting rotation hasn’t been as good as expected, mostly due to Dallas Keuchel having an ERA near 5.00, but they’ve been able to stay relatively healthy while No. 6 and No. 7 starters Scott Feldman and Chris Devenski have been solid when called upon. Triple-A starters Joe Musgrove and Brady Rodgers have also been very good and appear ready to contribute. That’s a pretty good recipe for success over a 162-game regular season.

As long as Keuchel continues to pitch well—he has five consecutive quality starts—the Astros are one of the few teams that does not need a starting rotation upgrade.

The bullpen, despite some ups and downs, isn’t a weak link by any means. They might not have had everyone clicking at once, but that should be a scary thought for opponents. What if Will Harris, Luke Gregerson, Ken Giles, Tony Sipp, Pat Neshek and Michael Feliz are all pitching well at the same time in August, September and into the post-season?

The inconsistency of this group, however, even by relief pitcher standards, is a bit concerning. The lone lefty Sipp’s inability to get lefty hitters out (.935 OPS) is a huge concern. I wouldn’t expect Jeff Luhnow to give up very much to acquire another relief pitcher—see Giles-for-Vincent Velasquez—but it wouldn’t cost a lot to add Twins lefty and former Astros reliever Fernando Abad, who has held lefty batters to a .163 batting average.

Astros Depth Chart

Seattle Mariners
45-44, Wild Card (7th), -5
SHORTSTOP and CLOSER

Headed in the opposite direction of the Astros with 22 losses in their last 36 games, the Mariners need to do something. All of a sudden, a roster that looked strong in all areas has several holes.

Felix Hernandez is expected back from the disabled list next week. That will help. But not enough.

Taijuan Walker, who has appeared on the verge of a breakout season at times, is now on the disabled list with foot tendinitis. Offseason acquisitions Wade Miley (5.44 ERA) and Nathan Karns (moved to bullpen) have struggled. Ditto for veteran relievers Joaquin Benoit (4.57 ERA) and Joel Peralta (5.40 ERA; released). Closer Steve Cishek has five blown saves. It doesn’t stop with the pitchers. Adam Lind (.699 OPS) and Norichika Aoki (optioned to minors) haven’t impressed. Leonys Martin hasn’t hit since coming off the disabled list last month.

Jerry Dipoto’s first offseason as the Mariners’ general manager has been a disappointment—Dae-Ho Lee has been the lone bright spot—but it’s not too late for him to make up for it. His team is over .500 and still has plenty of talent, even though the players he acquired to surround King Felix, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager haven’t done the job.

While rookie Edwin Diaz is quickly making a case to be the closer, there are a lot of veteran options available on the trade market. While general manager of the Angels, Dipoto acquired Huston Street two seasons ago. He could look to do the same this July, which would enable the Mariners to move Cishek into a role where he can pitch almost exclusively to right-handed hitters (.152 batting average).

Ketel Marte’s rough sophomore season could also have DiPoto shopping for shortstop help with Eduardo Nuñez and Eduardo Escobar of the Twins and Zack Cozart of the Reds potential targets.

Mariners Depth Chart

Knocking Down The Door: Arcia, Benintendi, Bregman, Lopez, Reyes

By Jason Martinez | July 11, 2016 at 2:26pm CDT

This week’s installment of Knocking Down the Door features a top prospect whose older brother is already in the Majors, two players selected in the top 10 picks of the 2015 draft, and a pair of starters that could add some flames to the back of the bullpen with their organization’s big league club.

Orlando Arcia, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (Triple-A Colorado Springs)

Arcia cemented his spot as the Brewers’ shortstop of the near future when he posted an .800 OPS with 25 stolen bases while playing most of the 2015 season as a 20 year-old in Double-A Biloxi. Now he’s on the verge of claiming that starting job before he reaches his 22nd birthday on August 4.

While Jonathan Villar’s breakout season (.806 OPS, 31 steals) has played a part in pushing back Arcia’s estimated time of arrival in Milwaukee—it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he was called up in early May—the recent trade of Aaron Hill opens up third base for Villar while Arcia is putting the finishing touches on his Minor League career with eight hits in his last 20 at-bats, including three doubles, a triple, a homer and seven runs batted in.

Brewers Depth Chart

Andrew Benintendi, OF, Boston Red Sox (Double-A Portland)

The Red Sox have already patched up their bullpen by trading for Brad Ziegler, and they’re almost certain to acquire a starting pitcher before the non-waiver trade deadline on August 1 to shore up their shaky rotation. Their offense, meanwhile, is already the best in baseball and they could be even better once the Andrew Benintendi era begins.

I’m not certain that the 22-year-old Benintendi will be the first first-rounder (No. 7 overall) from the 2015 Draft to get the call to the big leagues—see Alex Bregman—but he shouldn’t be far behind. Coincidentally, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently hinted that Benintendi is close and might not need a stop in Triple-A.

Since a promotion to Double-A in mid-May, the left-handed-hitting center fielder has an .844 OPS in 47 games, including a .310 batting average since a 2-for-19 start. He’ll man left field once he arrives in Boston with Brock Holt moving back into his valuable role as a super-utility man.

Red Sox Depth Chart

Alex Bregman, INF, Houston Astros (Triple-A Fresno)

If you watched the Futures Game on Sunday, you know that I’m not the only person that thinks Alex Bregman should be in the Majors by now, including Bregman, who declared, “I’m ready,” when asked on MLB Network what he wanted the world to know about him.

The 22-year-old continues to tear the cover off of the ball in Triple-A and obviously didn’t have any problems with the elite talent on the mound yesterday, as he was a home run shy of the cycle after just three at-bats. Opening a spot in the Houston’s lineup is really as simple as moving Luis Valbuena to first base and allowing A.J. Reed and Evan Gattis to platoon in the designated hitter spot—Gattis has an .802 OPS versus left-handed pitching and a .641 OPS versus right-handers.

The surging Astros will be fun to watch in the second half, especially with Bregman manning third base and hitting in the No. 2 spot between George Springer and Jose Altuve.

Astros Depth Chart

Reynaldo Lopez, SP/RP, Washington Nationals (Triple-A Syracuse)/Alex Reyes, SP/RP, St. Louis Cardinals (Triple-A Memphis)

I’ve lumped Lopez and Reyes together since the theme here is very similar. They’re two of the best pitching prospects in the Minor Leagues, both with limited experience in the upper minors—Lopez has 14 Double-A starts and two Triple-A starts; Reyes has made eight Double-A starts and nine Triple-A starts—and still a lot of room to develop as starting pitchers. But most will agree that they could dominate in the Major Leagues right now in one-to-two inning relief stints.

At 22 and 21 years of age, respectively, Lopez and Reyes could find themselves in the thick of the 2016 playoff race and pitching in plenty of meaningful games. Both can hit 100 mph on the radar gun as starters—I wouldn’t be surprised to see 102 mph in games where they’re only needed for a few batters. And, most importantly, their respective organizations could each use some help in the bullpen.

Nationals Depth Chart

Cardinals Depth Chart

“Knocking Down the Door” is a weekly feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.