Perhaps no trade deadline quandary in recent memory typifies the dilemma front offices face at the end of every July like that of this year's Los Angeles Angels.
The team's best player -- Shohei Ohtani -- is the best player in the sport but is headed for free agency. As the deadline approached, the club was not in great playoff position, but neither was it hopelessly out of the chase. The Halos' second-best player -- Mike Trout -- was on the injured list, and while there was hope of getting him back, you didn't know when, or indeed if, that would happen.
The Angels, as we now know, responded aggressively. They not only kept Ohtani on board, but they traded for Lucas Giolito, C.J. Cron and others. By forgoing the considerable return they could have received in an Ohtani deal, they were taking on a great deal of risk. But the Angels hoped the strategy would spur a winning spree and, just maybe, bolster their case to keep Ohtani when he reaches free agency.
The outcome was a mélange of worst-case scenarios, not the least of which is that the Angels have the worst record in the majors since the deadline. Things got so bad that on Tuesday, L.A. made the unprecedented decision to cut loose Giolito, Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lopez, Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk They just let them go. Perhaps the hope was to save some coin. Perhaps the Angels wanted to let the veterans hook on to a surviving contender while they can still get onto a postseason roster. Whatever the reason, the news was shocking.
Despite it all, it still doesn't mean that the Angels chose the wrong direction at the time, but it does mean, given how things have turned out, that if the Angels knew then what we all know now, things would have played out differently.
Ever since MLB and the MLBPA agreed to eliminate August waiver-wire trades, the end-of-July/beginning-of-August trade deadline has become an all-or-nothing proposition. Teams have but one shot at getting things right, and invariably, some teams are going to choose the wrong direction.
We can know who lands where only in hindsight, and it is with hindsight that we are going to revisit the directions all 30 teams chose at the trade deadline a month ago.
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Would have done less | Would have done the same | Would have done more
Would have done less
Los Angeles Angels
Then: 12% chance at the postseason
Now: Sirens blaring from every corner
Deadline direction: Aggressively added (acquired Lucas Giolito, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Reynaldo Lopez, Dominic Leone)
If we only knew then ... Los Angeles would have done it all very differently.
They will be writing operas about this mess, and Tuesday's mass waiver move ensures that it would look something like the end of Don Giovanni. And despite it all, you still have to admire the Angels' bold decision to go all-in when they did it. Not even Cassandra herself could have seen that things would not just go wrong, but they would go wrong right freaking now. The Angels' season-killing seven-game skid began on deadline day. Trout came back, but perhaps he shouldn't have and now he's back on the IL. Ohtani's elbow injury has us all reconsidering our love for the game. It's really easy now to say the Angels should have traded a then-healthy Ohtani for the prospect bounty he would have landed, but -- at the time -- most of us were patting L.A. on the proverbial back. If you really, really want to dig deep for a silver lining, perhaps it's this: Maybe Ohtani will decide that staying put, perhaps on a short-duration deal, is his best play, and that would give the Angels another shot at this. For now though, for the Angels to flop so badly that they pulled the plug on the season less than a month after the deadline ... oof.
Then: 41% chance at postseason
Now: 7% chance at postseason
Deadline direction: Aggressively added (acquired Garrett Cooper, Rich Hill, Scott Barlow, Ji Man Choi)
If we only knew then ... A.J. Preller would have been cast as the black knight in a remake of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
Perhaps there is a way to quantify this, but for now, I'll just float the question: Has any MLB season featured as much aggregate underperformance against expectation as this one? The Padres, Cardinals, Mets, White Sox and Yankees ... it's a staggering amount of disappointment. The Padres' probabilities at the deadline were boosted by forward-looking projections of their roster that suggested that, yes dammit, this team has talent. At this point, the talent has been swamped by actual on-field losses, and when Manny Machado started bashing that water cooler in the dugout in Milwaukee, he was giving voice to the entire nation of Padres baseball.
Would have done the same
Then: 32% chance at playoffs
Now: 47% chance at playoffs
Deadline direction: Boldly added (acquired Tommy Pham, Jace Peterson, Paul Sewald)
If we only knew then ... Arizona would have done things the same way.
The D-backs were winning an average of 83.1 games in my simulations on deadline day; that's up to 83.7. The result is more or less treading water, but declines elsewhere in the NL playoff race -- particularly in San Francisco -- have boosted Arizona's odds even though its already-narrow path to the NL West crown has closed off altogether. Arizona might have done more to help its bullpen, especially as Sewald has struggled since his arrival. Overall, the Diamondbacks' deadline approach seems appropriate to where they were then and where they are now.
Then: 15.7% shot at championship
Now: 15.9% shot at championship
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Nicky Lopez, Brad Hand, Pierce Johnson)
If we only knew then ... Atlanta would have done things the same way.
The Braves didn't need to do much and they didn't. They had the best run differential in the majors leading up to the deadline; they have the best run differential in the majors since the deadline. With Ozzie Albies back from his hamstring injury and Kyle Wright working recently on a rehab assignment, the Braves should be in good shape for the stretch run. And while Atlanta added only at the margins, two of the players it picked up (Lopez and Johnson) have been fantastic. There's nothing here that needs to be rethought.
Then: 54.4% chance at postseason
Now: 80.2% chance at postseason
Deadline direction: Boldly added (acquired Jeimer Candelario)
If we only knew then ... Chicago would have done things the same way.
Even though the Cubs have played so well since the deadline, their chances to win the NL Central have actually dropped because the Brewers caught fire in the latter part of August. The teams are meeting this week at Wrigley Field, so the Cubs still have a shot to swing the probabilities back their way. Overall, the Cubs went from possible deadline offloaders to a solid bet for a wild-card slot. As I wrote at the deadline, the Cubs didn't do much in terms of quantity, but in bringing Candelario back into the organization, they perhaps landed the best player to change teams around that time. Indeed, Candelario has upgraded the offense and provided an additional middle-of-the-order threat. The Cubs' upswing might just be getting started.
Then: No chance at the postseason
Now: Really no chance at the postseason
Deadline direction: Aggressively subtracted (dealt Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Kendall Graveman, Jake Burger)
If we only knew then ... Chicago would have done things the same way.
The White Sox recognized their season was a disaster at the deadline and behaved accordingly, mostly dealing away their tradable free agents-to-be and even adding Burger to the outflux although he had controllable years remaining and was second on the team in home runs. While Chicago came away with a nice haul of prospects, the Burger aspect of this does make you wonder about one thing: Should those who designed the Titanic determine who gets to float away in lifeboats? As it turns out, the final acts of the Kenny Williams/Rick Hahn front office were to make the first moves in the pivot toward whatever comes next.
Then: 19.7% chance at the postseason
Now: 2.2% chance at the postseason
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Aaron Civale, Josh Bell)
If we only knew then ... Cleveland would have done things the same way.
I was fairly hard on the Guardians at the deadline. But I'm in a more forgiving frame of mind at this point. Cleveland does have quality pitching and defense and was certainly very much in the mix for first place in the AL Central at the beginning of the month. The offense has been punchless all season and that has not changed. My softening has to do with two emergent realities. First, Cleveland's excellent pitching has been built entirely on young arms, and for the Guardians to maximize a run at the division, they might have had to push those young pitchers harder than they'd prefer. And, yes, the offense very much could have used a couple of legit power bats. But they were not there to be had at the deadline. The Guardians landed quality prospects in Kyle Manzardo and Kahlil Watson, so it's not like they came away with nothing. I might feel differently if the Twins hadn't opened the gap in the Central, but they did and that makes Cleveland's decision-making at the deadline look that much more sound. That seems true even though subtracting at the deadline -- because you don't think your contention probabilities will hold up -- too often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Then: Looking forward to Broncos season
Now: Given all the Broncos' receiving injuries, looking forward to Nuggets season
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Pierce Johnson, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Brad Hand)
If we only knew then ... Colorado would have done things the same way.
The direction (offloading) was obvious, and the Rockies saw that. It's way too soon to know how well they scouted the prospects they acquired, so, for now, we give them the benefit of the doubt. Since the deadline, the Rockies also released head-scratching offseason signing Jurickson Profar. According to my AXE system, Profar has been the worst player in the big leagues this season.
Then: Less than 1% chance at the postseason
Now: Still less than 1% chance at postseason
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Michael Lorenzen)
If we only knew then ... Detroit would have done things the same way.
You can make a case that the Tigers would have done well to maintain the status quo at the deadline. Detroit has played .500 ball since the deadline but hasn't gained any ground on Minnesota. That's the big factor. But Lorenzen threw a no-hitter for the Phillies, and maybe if he'd done that for the Tigers, it would have been a catalyst for a Detroit run. Back here on planet Earth, though, the Tigers' best trait at the deadline was playing in a bad division and that's not much to go on. Moving Lorenzen for a quality prospect in Hao-Yu Lee still makes sense. The Eduardo Rodriguez situation is complex. The Tigers tried to trade him, but he exercised his no-trade rights in order to stay put. He also sounded after the deadline like someone who isn't a sure bet to opt out of his deal after the season because Detroit suits him fine. We'll see.
Then: 88% chance at postseason, 34% shot at division title
Now: 83% chance at postseason, 30% shot at division title
Deadline direction: Boldly added (acquired Justin Verlander, Kendall Graveman)
If we only knew then ... Houston would have done things the same way.
If Michael Brantley can complete his rehab successfully and return to the Houston lineup, he might prove to be the addition the Astros need on the hitting side. Perhaps he will give them the flexibility to decide that Jose Abreu is simply done, if the veteran doesn't get things rolling soon. On the pitching side, well, thank goodness for the Astros that they pulled off the Verlander deal. He hasn't just upgraded the rotation but, along with Framber Valdez, has kept it afloat. Pretty much all the other starters have struggled since the deadline. If the non-Verlander and Valdez starters pick up the pace, the Astros will be in a good spot, but that needs to happen because the stunning rise of the Mariners has made things very uncomfortable for the defending champs.
Then: Runaway train to oblivion
Now: Perhaps the locomotive is losing steam?
Deadline direction: Aggressively subtracted (dealt Ryan Yarbrough, Scott Barlow, Nicky Lopez, Aroldis Chapman)
If we only knew then ... Kansas City would have done things the same way.
The Royals traded who they could, as they should have done, and we are far from knowing how all the prospects will pan out. In the near term, one of the young hurlers Kansas City acquired -- former Ranger Cole Ragans -- has pitched extremely well, going 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings over six starts since being acquired for Chapman. In general, the Royals have played better baseball since the deadline. The bar for that is very, very low, but there have been some genuinely exciting developments. Topping that list is Bobby Witt Jr., who, over the past few weeks, has been one of the best players in baseball.
Then: 98% chance at postseason, 86% chance at division title
Now: 100% chance at division title
Deadline direction: Aggressively added (acquired Enrique Hernandez, Amed Rosario, Lance Lynn, Ryan Yarbrough, Joe Kelly)
If we only knew then ... Los Angeles would have done things the same way.
Why would any baseball analyst ever doubt the Dodgers? Lynn had a 69 ERA+ for the White Sox; for the Dodgers it's been 216. Rosario had three homers in 94 games for Cleveland. It took him 11 games to hit that many for the Dodgers. Kelly got hurt, but Yarbrough has three wins and a save during his first month as a Dodger. This is what a dynasty looks like.
Then: 24% chance at postseason
Now: 6% chance at postseason
Deadline direction: Aggressively added (acquired Jake Burger, Josh Bell, David Robertson)
If we only knew then ... Miami would have done things the same way.
The Marlins' deadline direction was not an obvious choice. Their one-in-four chance at the playoffs was undergirded by metrics that strongly suggested a regression in the won-lost category, which is pretty much what has happened. Still, the Miami fan base has been through a lot and deserved to see its team try to capitalize on its place in the standings. So the direction the Marlins took, I'm fine with. The execution of the strategy has been a mixed bag. Burger and Bell have been outstanding. But Robertson has struggled so badly he had to be removed from the closing role. Given that, the one critique we can make of the Marlins' direction is that they might have targeted a different reliever.
Then: 56% chance at postseason, 35% chance at division title
Now: 97% chance at postseason, 69% chance at division title
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Mark Canha, Carlos Santana, Andrew Chafin)
If we only knew then ... Milwaukee would have done things the same way.
The Brewers believed in what they had at the deadline, and it has paid off. Milwaukee has emerged as one of baseball's hottest teams. Since the deadline, its once-floundering offense has ranked eighth in the majors by runs per game. This hasn't been because of Canha or Santana, though both have had their moments. It's happened because holdovers like Tyrone Taylor, Brice Turang and Willy Adames have been more productive, and recently Rowdy Tellez has joined that group. With Brandon Woodruff back in the rotation and very much pitching like Brandon Woodruff, the Brewers are set up for a strong stretch run, though, chances are, that's only going to keep them where they are already in the NL playoff seeding race.
Then: 3% chance at postseason
Now: Looking up at the Nationals
Deadline direction: Aggressively subtracted (dealt Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Mark Canha, David Robertson, Dominic Leone)
If we only knew then ... New York would have done things the same way.
Well, it had to be done. This season was going nowhere. The Mets ate a lot of money, but the deepening of their prospect base will help them going forward, either on the field or in the trade market. That's if the young talent develops, and it's way too soon to know if that's going to happen.
Then: Race to ignominy
Now: It's going to be a photo finish
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Sam Moll, Jace Peterson)
If we only knew then ... Oakland would have done things the same way.
It's a bit surprising still that the A's couldn't find takers for Trevor May or Ramon Laureano, but the team's direction was set at the deadline and it acted accordingly. Laureano ended up being waived after the deadline, allowing him to hook on with Cleveland. That's not likely going to get Laureano back into the postseason, but it has seemingly given him a boost, at least on offense.
Then: 75% chance at postseason
Now: 96% chance at postseason
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Michael Lorenzen)
If we only knew then ... Philadelphia would have done things the same way.
The Phillies own baseball's fourth-best run differential since deadline day, justifying Dave Dombrowski's decision-making at the beginning of the month. They've done it on both sides of the ball, with the homer-laden offense outscoring every team in baseball except the Braves and the pitchers doing their part as well. That includes Lorenzen, who, of course, threw a no-hitter. Pretty sure when I graded that acquisition, I wrote something about Lorenzen being a potential member of the Phillies' postseason bullpen. I'd check but, you know, we're short on time.
Then: No shot
Now: Cannonball still not coming
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Carlos Santana, Ji Man Choi, Rich Hill, Austin Hedges)
If we only knew then ... Pittsburgh would have done things the same way.
The Pirates are an improved team and have continued along the same track even after dealing away some veterans. The offense has actually picked up, though the run prevention has fallen off, perhaps as much due to the loss of Hedges as anything. The Pirates deepened their long-term talent base at the deadline, and you can argue they might have done even more, perhaps by dealing closer David Bednar. But Bednar has three more years of team control beyond this one, and in the NL Central, there just isn't that much distance between where the Pirates are and a push for the division crown. Pittsburgh just needs to keep moving the ball down the field.
Then: 11% chance at postseason, 1% chance at division title, <1% shot at title
Now: 73% chance at postseason, 20% chance at division title, 6% shot at title
Deadline direction: Straddled the fence (Traded Paul Sewald for Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone)
If we only knew then ... Seattle would have done things the same way.
Jerry Dipoto could have traded from his depth of starting pitching. He could have dealt free agent-to-be Teoscar Hernandez to take advantage of a deadline light on quality power hitters. Instead, Dipoto mildly shuffled the deck. At the time, some saw the decision to deal Sewald as a signifier that Seattle was offloading. It's hard to look at it that way now, as Rojas and Canzone have played key roles for the Mariners since coming in from Arizona. Given what's happened this month, it's hard to believe Dipoto would change a thing about the deadline. And what's happened? The Mariners have had a month for the ages and turned their fringe contention status into a bona fide push to end Seattle's forever streak of not making the World Series.
Then: <1% chance at the postseason
Now: Chasing the Pirates
Deadline direction: Aggressively subtracted (dealt Jordan Montgomery, Paul DeJong, Chris Stratton, Jordan Hicks, Jack Flaherty)
If we only knew then ... St. Louis would have done things the same way.
The Cardinals turned the page on the season with their deadline offloading. The team has looked dispirited since then, as St. Louis has posted the second-worst run differential in baseball this month. As for the question of collective disappointment, here's an example of just how odd this year's standings have turned out: In 123 years of mutual existence, the Cardinals and Yankees have finished last in the same season just twice -- 1908 and 1990. The Cardinals, Yankees and Mets have never finished last in the same season. These facts are due to be updated after the regular season is complete.
Then: 94% chance at the postseason, 64% chance at division title; 11.6% shot at championship
Now: 88% chance at the postseason, 50% chance at division title; 10.9% shot at championship
Deadline direction: Aggressively added (acquired Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery, Aroldis Chapman, Chris Stratton, Austin Hedges)
If we only knew then ... Texas would have done things the same way.
It's funny how things work out. The Rangers were anointed as my "biggest winner" at the deadline. And why wouldn't they be? A team with a chance for all the marbles added two frontline starters, bolstered its bullpen and covered for the defense part of the short-term loss of starting catcher Jonah Heim. Texas' roster responded to the excitement by treading water over the course of the subsequent month. And when a losing stretch reached seven games, it looked like it might get even worse. The problems were an offense that suddenly stopped hitting with runners in scoring position and a division foe -- Seattle -- that went on an epic hot streak. Through it all, as we head into the last full month of the season, everything remains on the table for this year's Rangers. Chances are, they will not regret their aggressive deadline stance one iota.
Then: 60% chance at the postseason
Now: 49% chance at the postseason
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Paul DeJong, Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrera)
If we only knew then ... Toronto would have done things the same way.
Thanks to the rise of the Mariners, the Blue Jays have spent the past week on the outside looking in at the AL playoff picture. Toronto has played .500 ball during August even though the pitching and defense have been splendid. The offense has lagged, and you could argue the Blue Jays could have pursued a bat. However, as I've mentioned a number of times, there just weren't many quality bats on the market. (The one hitter they acquired -- DeJong -- was a temporary fill-in for Bo Bichette. DeJong went 3-for-44 for the Jays before being waived. He then got three hits in his first game with the Giants.) Bringing in an all-or-nothing masher could have messed with the Blue Jays' well-functioning run-prevention apparatus. A different direction at the deadline would not have changed Toronto's going-forward reality: The Jays need their core hitters to come up big down the stretch.
Then: Zero chance
Now: Zero chance but the zero is a smiley face
Deadline direction: Subtracted (dealt Jeimer Candelario)
If we only knew then ... Washington would have done things the same way.
Candelario was having a fine season, but he's a free agent after the season, the Nationals aren't contending and Washington has younger players it needs to assess. Meanwhile, Washington has become of those out-of-the-race teams contenders don't want to face. Since the Nats fell to a season-worst 20 games under .500 on July 19, they've got the fourth-best winning percentage in the majors. Now a push for .500 is not out of the question. All of this, and the Nationals' resurgent minor league system is preparing to turn out even more star-caliber talent. Things look a lot better in D.C. than they did at the beginning of the campaign.
Would have done more
Then: 7.2% shot at championship
Now: 9.7% shot at championship
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Jack Flaherty, Shintaro Fujinami)
If we only knew then ... Baltimore would have added more pitching depth.
The Orioles have played great since the deadline, especially on the run prevention side, so there's really no worries there. But that's despite Flaherty, not because of him, as the veteran righty has struggled. Elsewhere in the rotation, Kyle Gibson continues to flounder and Tyler Wells was moved to the bullpen. The Orioles have still gotten terrific starting pitching elsewhere -- Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish -- but you would like to see more of a veteran presence when thinking ahead to October. Then there is the injury to star closer Felix Bautista. The Orioles couldn't have foreseen that, and he can't really be replaced. But maybe the O's would have injected a little more depth into that unit ... had they seen that blow coming.
Then: 30.3% chance at the playoffs
Now: 7.5% chance at the playoffs
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Luis Urias)
If we only knew then ... Boston would have added more pitching.
With an uptick in the power department, the Boston offense has been going along just fine. Urias hit two grand slams (on consecutive pitches) but hasn't done anything else. Still, the Red Sox have been turning the scoreboard even with some key hitters like Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran struggling since the deadline. The pitching hasn't been good, however, especially the non-Kenley Jansen sectors of the bullpen. Meanwhile, James Paxton and Chris Sale have a combined 5.59 ERA over eight starts since the deadline, leaving it to the youngsters to prop up the Red Sox's rotation. Boston has been .500-ish over the month of August, and since the Sox had to make up ground just to get into wild-card position, that mark isn't going to cut it.
Then: 53.9% chance at the postseason
Now: 37.1% chance at the postseason
Deadline direction: Status quo (acquired Sam Moll)
If we only knew then ... Cincinnati would have added veteran pitching.
The Reds remain very much alive in the playoff race, but things have slipped since the deadline. Cincinnati's roster has been fueled by young players, and the kids remain the Reds' best hope for continuing this breakout season into October. But the run prevention has sagged badly since the deadline, and the rotation has been one of the worst in the game. Perhaps the Reds should have seen this coming given the load young pitchers were carrying in that starting pitcher group. One or two midlevel veteran starters would make the Reds' stretch run outlook a whole lot brighter. Moll, incidentally, has been one of their best pitchers since they acquired him from the A's, so the one move the Reds did make appears to be a deft one.
Then: 80% chance at division title
Now: 97% chance at division title
Deadline direction: Status quo (acquired reliever Dylan Floro)
If we only knew then ... Minnesota would have added more to the bullpen.
In a sense, the Twins made a great deal of progress at the deadline by running in place. That's because everyone else in the division went into a voluntary backpedal at the time. Minnesota has played winning baseball since then, and while the Twins haven't set the AL afire, playing over .500 has been enough to solidify their hold on the Central. But the outlook would be even better for what lies beyond the division if the bullpen had not struggled over the past month. The group of struggling relievers includes Floro, who represented the entirety of Minnesota's deadline haul. Still: The signing of Dallas Keuchel doesn't figure into this, as the Twins plucked him off the scrapheap. It's been only a couple of outings, but Keuchel has been sparkling over his past two appearances. If that keeps up, the Twins' in-season maneuvering will look a lot more impactful.
Then: 10% chance at postseason
Now: A race for mediocrity
Deadline direction: Status quo (acquired Keynan Middleton, Spencer Howard)
If we only knew then ... New York would have hired Crazy Eddie to promote the teardown.
This has been the longest month the Yankees have endured in a long, long time. At the deadline, things didn't look particularly rosy, but at least the team was still over .500 and a hot streak away from making a push for a wild-card slot. That's all gone, and what remains is the question of whether the franchise's epic streak of winning seasons means anything to this particular group of Yankees. That stated, it's fair to ask whether or not the Yankees could have gotten back anything of substance or, indeed, anything at all if they had gone into offload mode. Still, the optics of doing nothing while the ship goes down aren't great.
Then: 60% chance at playoffs, 8% chance at division title
Now: 31% chance at playoffs, no shot at division title
Deadline direction: Status quo (acquired Mark Mathias and A.J. Pollock)
If we only knew then ... San Francisco would have added more offense. A lot more.
Well, the Giants probably would have done more, but it's also possible I'm projecting my own feelings on the matter. This organization seems pretty steadfast in its ways. There's no arguing whether or not the results have been good since Frisco's quiet deadline. The Giants rank 20th in run differential since the trade deadline and only three clubs have scored runs at a lower rate. The problems at the plate started well before that point, and so perhaps hindsight isn't required in this case. Through the end of June, San Francisco ranked 10th in runs per game. Since then, the Giants are last in runs per game, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Other than that, the attack has been fine.
Then: 99% chance at postseason, 61% chance at division title, 12.6% shot at championship
Now: 99% chance at postseason, 35% chance at division title, 11.3% shot at championship
Deadline direction: Gently added (acquired Aaron Civale)
If we only knew then ... Tampa Bay would have added another starting pitcher.
The Rays, so far, have withstood the absence of Wander Franco, and even if they hadn't, there wasn't a starting-caliber shortstop to be acquired at the deadline. So far, Osleivis Basabe has been solid, and a continuation of that performance is Tampa Bay's best short-term hope at the position. After a mild downturn during the middle of the season, the Rays' offense has been prolific during August and that's been the main reason they've continued to push the Orioles in the AL East. The rotation, on the other hand, lost Shane McClanahan for the season since the deadline. Civale has been top notch for Tampa Bay, but with McClanahan on the IL with Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen, the Rays are a little too reliant on openers.