MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Contenders That Don't Need to Make a Deadline Deal

As you may have noticed, there are an awful lot of MLB trade rumors floating around out there. It must be that time of year...

Gadzooks! It is that time of year! Major League Baseball's July 31 trade deadline is just a couple weeks away. Let the wheeling and dealing begin!

As is the case every July, all of us are concerned about which players our favorite teams might go out and add. This is especially true of those who to bow to teams that are contending for a division title. And because there are more close division races than usual this year, the market will be chock full of buyers.

However, not all buyers are created equal. While there are some teams that definitely need to make a deal in order to ensure a serious postseason run, some teams are going to be just fine even if they decide to stand pat.

This list is dedicated to the latter. As I see it, there are five teams that are in pretty good shape as we careen towards the trade deadline. So much so, in fact, that making a deal is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Before we begin, please note that "don't need to make a deal" does not mean "won't make a deal."

Enjoy.

5. Milwaukee Brewers

Needs: Third base, rotation help?

Because the race in the National League Central has turned into a dogfight, you can rest assured that there will be a few players joining (and leaving) the fight at the trade deadline. There are four teams in the mix, and none of them are perfect.

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of those teams. They have talent all over their roster, yet are only leading the division by a half-game (as of this moment, anyway). If they really want to take hold of the central, they need to go out and find at least one more upgrade, preferably at third base.

However, making a deal is not imperative. The Brewers already made a big deal by acquiring Francisco Rodriguez from the Mets, and their pitching as a whole got that much better because they did. You could make the argument that they need another starter, but you get the sense that they're content to wait for Zack Greinke to recover his 2009 form.

As for third base, finding somebody to step in for Casey McGehee and his .225 average would definitely be nice. But seeing as how they're supposedly looking at Wilson Betemit as a possible option, I find myself wondering why they're even bothering.

Once again, the Brewers are far from perfect. But compared to their compeition, they're okay.

4. Texas Rangers

Needs: Bullpen help

There are two things we learned about the Rangers last year. The first is that they can absolutely mash on offense. The second is that their starting rotation is severely underrated.

Because those two things are staying true to form in 2011, it stands to reason that the Rangers would have a clear path back to the World Series. Unfortunately, it's never that easy. Especially when your bullpen chooses to make life difficult.

Such is the Rangers' plight. Their rotation has a very solid 3.49 ERA, but the bullpen ERA is 4.50. That's not so solid.

No need to tell general manager Jon Daniels. He's been on the phone with pretty much every club in the league, and he's been rumored to be after stud relievers like Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Andrew Bailey, and Tyler Clippard.

If I was a betting man (and I am), I'd put my money on the Rangers getting at least one reliever. But if they don't, I don't think it will be the end of the world. They have a four-game lead over the Angels, and I'd be shocked if they miss out on the division simply because their bullpen wasn't up to par.

Once they get to October, well, I'll admit a little extra bullpen help is going to be pretty vital. But as long as they have Neftali Feliz doing work in the ninth, things could definitely be worse.

3. San Francisco Giants

Needs: Offense, and lots of it.

The good news for the Giants is that they have the third-best ERA in the National League. Given the arms they get to trot out there on a daily basis, we all knew this was going to be the case.

The bad news is that the Bruce Bochy's club couldn't hit water if they fell out of a freakin' boat. They are 26th in baseball in runs scored (351), and 25th in team batting average (.242). That's what happens when Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez suffer serious injuries and players like Andres Torres, Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff struggle all season long.

By now, you've no doubt heard about the one cure for what ails the Giants: Carlos Beltran. The veteran switch hitter has 14 homers and 59 RBI on the season, and many fans pretty much think he already has one foot in a Giants uniform.

However, don't take it for granted that Beltran will ever put his other foot in a Giants uni. Same goes for any other hitter.

Crazy, right?

Nope. The Giants have been playing good baseball in recent weeks, and it's looking more and more like the rest of the NL West is not up to challenging them for the division crown. Because of that, GM Brian Sabean could decide to let it ride, with the idea being just to get into the postseason and then rely on pitching to win it all.

Hey, it worked last year.

2. Boston Red Sox

Needs: Starting pitching, outfield, shortstop (?)

You would think that a team in first place in the AL East that also happens to have the best record in the American League would be in pretty good shape. But the Red Sox have more than their fair share of problems to address, especially with the starting rotation still suffering from a nasty bite by the injury bug.

Of course, the Sox could use some outfield help too, particularly in right field. Ideally, they would acquire a right-handed hitter with power that they can platoon with J.D. Drew, while also providing some thump off the bench in pinch hitting situations.

Because this is Theo Epstein and the Red Sox we're talking about, there has been no shortage of trade rumors involving the Sox. Judging from his track record, Epstein will make good on at least one of them.

However, he doesn't have to. The rotation may be a wreck right now, but Jon Lester is supposed to be back a week from Monday. Clay Buchholz is going to need a little longer to rest his ailing back, but he's supposed to be making progress. Instead of filling their spots via trade, Epstein could just wait for Lester and Buchholz to get healthy.

As for the right field thing, let's be mindful of the fact that this is a very minor gripe. This is a team that is more than set at two outfield spots, and the Sox are also the highest-scoring team in baseball. They'll be fine even if they have to keep sending J.D. Drew out there.

Worst comes to worse, the Sox are going to finish behind the Yankees. But at this point, it's pretty obvious that the AL wild card team will come out of the East, and the Rays probably don't have enough to keep pace down the stretch.

Long story short, the Red Sox are good.

1. Atlanta Braves

Needs: Right-handed hitting

Much like the Giants, the Braves have pitching to spare. The team's 3.16 ERA is the third-best in all of baseball, and their 2.87 bullpen ERA just isn't fair.

Also like the Giants, the Braves are offensively challenged. They are ninth in the National League in runs scored with 387, and 14th in team batting average at .237.

In a perfect world, the Braves would go out and get some right-handed thunder to plug into the middle of their lineup. That job was supposed to be Dan Uggla's, but he's still south of the Mendoza line. To fix this problem, some think they'll part ways with Derek Lowe.

But they don't have to. The Braves have the second-best record in the National League, and it's looking like the wild card will be all theirs if they can't catch the Phillies in the NL East.

One way or another, the Braves are a lock for the postseason. And once they get in, their pitching is going to make them a serious threat. They may not have enough oomph on offense, but their pitching staff as a whole is good enough to win the World Series. The same is not true of the Phillies.

Yeah, I said it.