Ranking the World Series contenders after the trade deadline

Houston made quite the splash as the clock struck 4 p.m., acquiring Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks for four good prospects. That addition gives them one of the fiercest starting rotation trios in recent memory with Greinke added to Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Houston also brought on Joe Biagini to replace the injured Ryan Pressly, added an interesting pitching lottery ticket in Aaron Sanchez and even upgraded its backup catcher with Martin Maldonado. It all amounts to a great deadline for GM Jeff Luhnow with an elite pitching staff and lineup that's tearing the cover off the ball after Yordan Alvarez's promotion. The Astros look like the clear team to beat in the AL.

The Dodgers didn't do much at the deadline beyond adding Jedd Gyorko and some back-end relief help, but an argument can be made that they didn't have to with an elite farm system that will help immediately. Top pitching prospect Dustin May is set to be promoted this week, and shortstop prospect Gavin Lux could be soon behind. L.A. entered with a league-best plus-165 run differential and should still get a bullpen jolt if Kenta Maeda is shifted to the pen for the third straight season. The only big question mark is Kenley Jansen, who has been frustratingly inconsistent after returning from offseason heart surgery.

The Yankees had a quiet trade deadline — basically doing nothing — that George Steinbrenner probably wouldn't have stood for. But the organization seems more interested these days in building a dynasty than going all in for one year. The lack of movement at the deadline also might say something about their confidence in the returns of Luis Severino and Dellin Betances from injury. The team has weathered quite a storm of injuries that continues with Luke Voit and Gary Sanchez, but the lineup remains scary with Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Co. The return of Giancarlo Stanton would be the ultimate exclamation point, but the Yankees can't count on him after his many injuries this season.

Minnesota didn't make the splash its fans wanted, but the addition of Sam Dyson does help a bullpen that has started to struggle on its fringes. There remain few distinct weaknesses on the roster now that Michael Pineda is pitching better, complementing breakout years from Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi. The team is still holding its breath that C.J. Cron's thumb can get healthy, but power hitters Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz and Eddie Rosario continue to hold down the fort in the meantime.

Atlanta's clear weakness going into the deadline was its bullpen, and GM Alex Anthopoulos was able to address it with the additions of Chris Martin, Mark Melancon and Shane Greene while still retaining its blue-chip prospects. Adam Duvall's recent performance likely convinced the team that it didn't need a replacement for the injured Nick Markakis, but Austin Riley's recent struggles are still a concern. It also shouldn't be forgotten that the team signed Dallas Keuchel in June, giving the pitching staff a chance even if Kevin Gausman and Mike Foltynewicz don't rebound. While the Braves should be a tough out in the NL, their talent doesn't quite stack up compared to the Dodgers.

The Trevor Bauer rumors came to fruition the evening before the deadline, and Cleveland made out like bandits by adding two immediate power-hitting outfielders in Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes, along with intriguing lefty Logan Allen. Cleveland's willingness to make the deal says a lot for its confidence in Corey Kluber's return from injury, as well as Carlos Carrasco's return from leukemia this year. With Jose Ramirez on fire since the break, Cleveland has a great shot to jump the Twins in the AL Central and ais looking like the team opponents won't want to face in the playoffs with a big three of Kluber, Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger and now also with a now formidable lineup.

The Cubs front office was under the radar with several small moves that should pay dividends. Nicholas Castellanos was the headliner, but the team's depth got better with Tony Kemp and reliever David Phelps. With the pending return of Cole Hamels, the rotation is in fine shape. If Craig Kimbrel can get on track after his late signing, the Cubs should be the favorites to claim the NL Central and in a position for an intriguing playoff run.

Washington's bullpen was dead last in ERA going into the deadline, and GM Mike Rizzo did his best to remedy that weakness by adding Daniel Hudson, Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland. It remains to be seen if that will be enough, but it certainly does give the pen more experience. Ultimately, Washington's hopes in the NL East and playoffs will be determined by the starting rotation's health. Max Scherzer is currently on the IL with a back injury, and the injury track records of Stephen Strasburg and Anibal Sanchez before this season weren't great. However, if Scherzer can return soon and the rest of the top four with Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Sanchez can stay intact, Washington is a dangerous team in any playoff matchup.

The defending World Champs stood pat on deadline day. It was a bit of a surprise that they didn't address the leaky bullpen, but the hope is that Nathan Eovaldi can plug the hole at the end of games after his recent return from injury. The rotation has all the talent in the world but continues to underachieve across the board, led by Chris Sale. Mookie Betts' three home run game last week could be the spark he needs to put the offense on his back and secure the AL wild card, but the performance of the pitching staff will determine the team's playoff viability.

Oakland comes under the radar every year, and that's been the case again this season with a surprising pitching staff, great defense and a capable lineup. Billy Beane and Co. added starting depth with Tanner Roark, and the A's could also get help from top pitching prospect A.J. Puk. However, the loss of star center fielder Ramon Laureano to a shin injury is a major blow to both the lineup and defense. Oakland remains a team that's easy to cheer for, but the ceiling of the lineup and pitching staff doesn't match that of other major AL contenders.

As usual, the astute Rays front office made several small moves that could pay off big in aggregate. Among the additions were first baseman Jesus Aguilar and pitchers Trevor Richards and Nick Anderson. The problem the Rays face is that almost any addition wouldn't compensate for the loss of Blake Snell, who is shelved until September. Admirably, the team remains in the hunt for the AL wild card and clearly got better without any major losses from its acclaimed farm system. Injury returns from Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Brandon Lowe and Kevin Kiermaier would make the Rays a sleeper in the playoffs if they can get there, but the road ahead in the regular season won't be easy.

The Cardinals have come out of the break on fire, yet the front office didn't do anything of significance at the deadline. It's a slap in the face for a team that's been desperate to find a capable fifth starter and back-end bullpen help in recent weeks and could very well cost the Cardinals an opportunity at a playoff spot. The offense has come alive recently with Paul Goldschmidt's hot streak, and the returns of Marcell Ozuna, Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter in early August will be bonuses. However, it's tough to see the Cardinals competing even if they make the playoffs with their current lack of pitching depth and struggles from the starting rotation overall, ranking 13th of 30 in ERA.

Philadelphia won the offseason, but the moves haven't translated on the field with several subpar seasons and a lack of starting pitching. The addition of Drew Smyly last week is already paying dividends, and there's hope new addition Jason Vargas can do the same behind Aaron Nola. The lineup added Corey Dickerson and is too talented to be in the middle of the pack in runs scored, but even if that issue is remedied, the starting rotation (4.54 ERA) simply doesn't stack up unless Smyly's early performance (one run allowed in 13 innings) is real.

It's been a nightmarish two weeks for the Brewers starting staff, losing Brandon Woodruff, Jhoulys Chacin and Gio Gonzalez to injuries. The bullpen is also among the league leaders in innings, so the additions of Jordan Lyles, Jake Faria, Drew Pomeranz and Ray Black can't be understated. Still, the Brewers now have a negative run differential and will need a lot to go right without Woodruff. Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura have paced the lineup, but the team needs Lorenzo Cain, Orlando Arcia and several others to step up to gain a wild-card spot.

San Francisco led quite a charge before the trade deadline, effectively keeping expiring contracts Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith and Pablo Sandoval. The team did move Sam Dyson, Drew Pomeranz and Mark Melancon from the MLB pen but arguably still got better at the deadline with the additions and upsides of infielders Scooter Gennett and Mauricio Dubon. Still in the wild-card race, this Giants squad could be one of retiring manager Bruce Bochy's biggest feats if it pulls off a playoff berth after the team was 11 games under .500 on July 1.

The Angels have been streaky over the last month, but their recent disappointing series against Baltimore and Detroit have pushed them more than a handful of games back in the AL wild-card race. The front office stood pat in the midst of the team's recent losing in what looks like another wasted year despite having the best player on the planet in Mike Trout.