Five AL teams under the most pressure before the MLB trade deadline

With Major League Baseball's trade deadline approaching on Aug. 3, these five American League teams are under the most pressure before the big day.

Boston Red Sox

Once thought to be a seller at the trade deadline, Boston has stormed back into the postseason conversation, entering the All-Star break winning nine consecutive games.

At 46-48, the Red Sox are 10 games out of the top spot in the AL East but only a half-game out of a wild-card spot. Knowing that, Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman may not be going anywhere as the Red Sox try to stay hot in the second half.

But can they keep momentum going after the break? Boston opens the second half with 10 consecutive games against AL East competition, including the first four of those being at home against the division-leading Rays. 

New York Yankees

The Yankees stand between the Red Sox and Rays in the AL East standings and are still trying to figure out how to win on a consistent basis without Aaron Judge in the lineup.

The Yankees open the second half with three games at home against the Dodgers, which could set the tone for just how desperate the Yankees will be heading into the trade deadline. 

It's clear they need help...but how aggressive will they be adding to the roster?

Tampa Bay Rays

Everyone in the AL is chasing the Rays, who hold the league's best record at 56-38. They will be tested immediately after the break with an eight-game road swing through Boston and Toronto, and the results of that stretch could cement just how seriously the rest of the league should take the Rays.

Will the Rays take a big swing at the trade deadline? There are rumors they are interested in acquiring Detroit's Tarik Skubal to bolster their rotation, and that would require a huge prospect investment from the Rays to make it happen.

Detroit Tigers

Speaking of Skubal, Detroit has to quickly figure out how to handle the ace and his near-term future. With Skubal currently on track to become a free agent at the end of the season, Detroit's front office must decide if it will sign him to a very lucrative long-term deal, trade him for a haul at the trade deadline or keep him through the end of the season and try to keep him long-term or trade him in the offseason (which has plenty of questions attached to it with the potential of a lockout).

Oh, and the Tigers are 44-52 but just 6.5 games out of the AL Central lead and 3.5 games out of a wild-card berth...so there is more to decide than just Skubal's future. Do the Tigers believe they can get to the postseason and do some damage?

Seattle Mariners

In the Pacific Northwest, Seattle's pitching staff is among the MLB's best in ERA at 3.61 (sixth), but that hasn't equated to wins this season.

At 48-49, the Mariners are in control of their own wild-card fate and sit 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. A potential trade chip is starting pitcher Luis Castillo, a pitcher that MLB insider Bob Nightengale said could be on the move, if the Mariners are looking to boost their stock ahead of the season's final stretch.

Seattle has a seven-game road trip coming up through Texas to face the Rangers and Los Angeles to meet the Dodgers. Coming right before the deadline, those games could move the needle in Seattle's trade deadline plans and urgency.