Every team's biggest need at the MLB trade deadline

Arizona has been a surprise team this year despite major offseason losses, but the odds of sticking around are still against it with Luke Weaver unlikely to return from injury any time soon. The D-backs have an opportunity to sell high on Robbie Ray and add young pitching to Weaver and Jon Duplantier, which is even more important with the way top prospect Taylor Widener has struggled at Triple-A this year.

Atlanta has more than made due with its makeshift bullpen despite the loss of closer Arodys Vizcaino. Unknowns like Luke Jackson and Jacob Webb have helped the Braves post the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball. However, there should be some nervousness with this inexperienced group entering the playoffs, and the team might be able to add quality middle relief experience at minimal trade cost. 

The Orioles have already traded Andrew Cashner and look to be headed for their second consecutive 100-loss season and likely first-overall draft selection in 2020. Baltimore has a long way to go to revive its farm system, even after adding first-overall draft choice Adley Rutschman. Unfortunately, the trade assets on the current roster are limited, but Baltimore should be able to get returns for Mychal Givens, Jonathan Villar and Dylan Bundy, to name a few.

Boston's pitching remains dire as the team tries to win an AL wild-card spot. The Red Sox have already acquired Andrew Cashner to serve as their fifth starter and expect to have Nathan Eovaldi back from injury to aid a leaky bullpen. With Rick Porcello's ERA above 5.00, the Red Sox shouldn't close the door on adding another starter, and their pen needs more arms to help Eovaldi, Brandon Workman and Matt Barnes late in games.

Cole Hamels is working his way back from an oblique injury, and the Cubs have struggled to plug his hole in the rotation. Unfortunately, Tyler Chatwood has been ineffective as a spot starter again, and top prospect Adbert Alzolay didn't seem ready. The bullpen is markedly improved after signing Craig Kimbrel, at least on paper, but has still struggled to find reliable middle relief arms to set up Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler and Pedro Strop. A quality swingman would be a perfect fit.

The White Sox rebuild continues, but there have been more injury setbacks this year with Carlos Rodon and top prospect Dane Dunning going down. With Lucas Giolito's emergence, the White Sox still have a chance to compete in 2020 if they can add more pitching in tandem with the arrivals of top prospects Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal. Alex Colome, Jose Abreu, Welington Castillo and Jon Jay are a few of the team's potential trade assets.

Cincinnati's season hasn't gone as planned. Surprisingly, its pitching has been far superior to its hitting, and the team is set to lose Scooter Gennett, Yasiel Puig and Jose Iglesias in free agency this offseason. With Joey Votto looking well past his prime, the Reds need firepower elsewhere and have a chance to add it by selling high on Tanner Roark or their other free agents. Ranking 26th in runs scored, there are plenty of areas that need addressing.

Cleveland has clawed its way back to playoff contention despite the absence of Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, but the lineup remains a work in progress. There have been few reliable options beyond Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana, and the Indians rank 20th in runs scored. Adding more punch in the outfield or second base could help Cleveland secure a return to the playoffs.

Starting pitching was a strength for Colorado last year, particularly German Marquez and Kyle Freeland, but that duo has struggled this year. Jon Gray has been reliable again, but the juiced ball has been a nightmare at Coors Field with the Rockies rotation sporting a league-worst 5.74 ERA overall. It's no easy task finding starting pitching that will be successful in Colorado, but the Rockies have to try if they want to compete for the wild card again.

The Tigers are in the cellar again, but brighter days are ahead. Detroit is loaded with pitching in the upper minors, including Casey Mize, Alex Faedo, Matt Manning and Beau Burrows, but definitely needs more hitting to complement it. The Tigers should be able to get nice future value from their trade assets, which include Matthew Boyd and Shane Greene.

Houston's starting rotation was unbelievably reliable last year. While Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole have been great again in 2019, the rotation hasn't been nearly as deep. That's been compounded with Brad Peacock's shoulder issue, so the team could use two starters as it closes out the year and gets ready for the playoffs. Long-term pitching is also a concern, with Cole a pending free agent and top prospect Corbin Martin undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Royals have already started the sell-off by trading Homer Bailey and Martin Maldonado earlier this week, and the trades should continue. The farm system has made progress over the last year but still has a long way to go, and the Royals should be able to cash in on Ian Kennedy and Billy Hamilton, at the very least.

The Angels have gotten hot recently, and their lineup is finally healthy with the returns of Justin Upton and Andrelton Simmons. A wild-card push is a strong possibility but not without more starting pitching. The tragic death of Tyler Skaggs has left a major void both on and off the field for the team. The Angels need more reliable starting pitching, which is nursing an ERA above 5.00, and the return of Matt Harvey seems unlikely to patch up the blemishes based on his recent history.

The Dodgers remain loaded and with plenty of versatility. They'll hopefully get Rich Hill back for the stretch run, but there is no major help on the way for a bullpen that has been inconsistent, ranking 10th in ERA. Joe Kelly has pitched better recently, but another pitcher or two to bridge the innings between the dominant rotation and Kenley Jansen would be welcome.

Miami has been terrible this season, as expected, but there have been some bright spots. In particular, the starting rotation has done well, ranking eighth in the NL in ERA (4.31) with the help of youngsters Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, Zac Gallen and Jordan Yamamoto. With Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera and Braxton Garrett not far away in the minors, the future is bright. The organization still lacks hitting firepower in the minors beyond Isan Diaz and Monte Harrison, and that should be the priority as it cashes in on veterans this month.

Milwaukee's pitching looked thin entering the season, and not much as changed. The Brewers are getting consistently good outings from starters Zach Davies and Brandon Woodruff, but the rotation has struggled behind them. The bullpen is also showing signs of wearing down and doesn't have much in the way of reliable innings beyond Josh Hader. While the Brewers specialize in short starts, an innings eater like Madison Bumgarner could be their most pressing need.

Minnesota has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this year, and the improvement of its bullpen despite the lack of a true closer has been especially satisfying. Unfortunately, some of its relievers, like Tyler Duffey and Mike Morin, have regressed recently, and top relief arm Taylor Rogers has been worked heavily. The Twins would do well to add an elite reliever, but even a quality middle reliever or two to give their top arms a rest would help as we get closer to October.

It's been a disappointing year, to the say the least, after the Mets spent major future equity to acquire Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz in the offseason. New York has a chance to get value in return for Zack Wheeler, Todd Frazier and Jason Vargas, who all could depart in free agency this offseason. Adding to the core of Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil should be the priority.

The Yankees still have a comfortable lead in the AL East despite injuries to Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino, among others. The team still hopes to get Stanton back next month, but Severino's return looks more in doubt. The Yankees rank 10th in rotation ERA due in large part to Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and James Paxton, but that trio could put the team at a disadvantage in the playoffs against Houston, Minnesota and Tampa Bay. With a team that's otherwise elite, the Yankees should be looking at the top starting pitchers available on the market.

Oakland has weathered some major pitching issues, most recently an 80-game PEDs suspension for ace Frankie Montas. The acquisition of Homer Bailey should help, but the bullpen remains a concern as long as Blake Treinen continues to struggle. The A's have enough prospect firepower to acquire an impact player, but based on history it would seem more likely to make incremental moves to complement Yusmeiro Petit and Liam Hendriks.

The Philadelphia starting rotation was a concern entering the year, and the problems have only gotten worse. Nick Pivetta continues his disappointing season, while Jake Arrieta is pitching through loose bodies in his elbow, a potential ticking time bomb. Philadelphia's lineup is certainly playoff-worthy, but the Phils won't go far without adding a reliable starter or two behind Aaron Nola.

Pittsburgh's lineup has been a pleasant surprise this year due in large part to breakout seasons from Josh Bell, Kevin Newman and Bryan Reynolds, but the pitching has gone equally in the wrong direction. The Pirates should be able to get a viable return for Chris Archer as he starts to pick up steam and could also get something for Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson and Melky Cabrera as potential free agents. Pittsburgh needs more depth for next year, hopefully in conjunction with Jameson Taillon's return from injury.

San Diego is loaded with top-end prospects and young players at nearly every position and has a viable shot at challenging the Dodgers in the near future. The Padres do have an excess of young outfielders and pitching that they could use to add quality in other areas, and next season could be a fun year with this young group, along with Garrett Richards' return from injury.

First-year GM Farhan Zaidi has been in search of hitting, making minor moves all season, and that will certainly continue to be a priority as he tries to revitalize one of the weakest hitting teams in the league. There are some interesting young arms at the major league level but not enough to build a contender. With pending free agents Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith, Tony Watson and Pablo Sandoval, among others, the Giants should be busy at the deadline.

Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto has slowly but surely been in a sell-off since the offseason, and the job isn't finished yet. There remain some attractive pieces, like Mike Leake, Tommy Milone, Roenis Elias and Dee Gordon, who could help contenders.

The Cardinals are caught in between, with a roster that has underachieved but still a shot at winning the NL Central. The next week of games will be key for their direction at the trade deadline. However, it's become clear that the team needs more starting pitching, for both the short and long term. Top prospect Alex Reyes has been completely unable to stay healthy, and the back end of the rotation has been a problem, particularly Michael Wacha. Another reliable starter should be a priority unless the team believes Dakota Hudson and Daniel Ponce de Leon can somehow keep up the pace.

It seems odd to recommend more pitching for what has been the best pitching team in baseball, but Jose Alvarado's oblique injury and Tyler Glasnow's continued arm setbacks have made it so. The small-market Rays have seen remarkable contributions from Emilio Pagan and Diego Castillo, but the Alvarado void really hurts them late in games.

Texas continues to hang around in the playoff picture and could be a buyer if the team can wrap up July on a high note. The lineup has been elite this season, while Mike Minor and Lance Lynn have been revelations atop the rotation. Unfortunately, the Rangers continue to struggle finding reliability in the rotation behind them, and the pen ranks 19th in ERA. Texas needs several more arms if it hopes to stick around.

Toronto has seen some nice flashes out of its early rebuild this year, including rookies Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio, along with youngsters Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Danny Jansen. The team is certainly lacking on the pitching end behind Marcus Stroman, however, and there isn't much in the farm system on that end beyond top prospect Nate Pearson. Stroman is likely to move this July as a pending free agent, along with Freddy Galvis, Justin Smoak, David Phelps and Daniel Hudson. The team should prioritize pitching prospects, particularly in return for Stroman.

After a slow start, Washington's starting pitching and star hitters have helped the team work into wild-card contention. The front office has tried to address a leaky bullpen by adding Fernando Rodney, but the team needs to do much, much more as the pen has a pitiful ERA near 6.00 for the year. Finding two to three reliable relief pitchers could make the Nats a scary playoff team with Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg atop the rotation.