2012 MLB Trade Deadline: 10 Teams That Need Facelifts

The 2012 MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and there are several teams that will need a facelift in order to make the postseason.

At this point in the season, sifting through the sellers to get to the buyers is becoming easier. While not all of the buyers will need complete makeovers, a majority of teams in contention will be looking to make some sort of upgrade.

Buyers that are interested in improving their teams can be assured that there will be plenty of options to explore in the next month. This makes the possibilities endless and potential makeovers nearly impossible to predict.

Even if I can't predict the exact moves for each team, I can tell you the teams that are in need of a facelift.

*To keep the list even, I have chosen five teams from both the American League and the National League.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox may be the most underwhelming team in the American League so far in 2012.

Bobby Valentine's club is in last place in the competitive AL East and is beginning to see its playoff hopes dwindling as we approach the deadline.

In order for that to change, the Red Sox will have to make a few moves.

The starting rotation is an obvious area of the team to improve, as is the outfield. Kevin Youkilis and his inevitable availability may help to improve the team's outfield through a trade, but I see it difficult to acquire an impact starting pitcher in exchange for the struggling third baseman.

Instead, Boston may have to part with top-level prospects to acquire a quality starter.

Regardless of the moves the team makes or doesn't make, there's obviously no denying the fact that they need some help—and fast.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of this season's biggest surprises, and there's a very good possibility that they are here to stay.

That being said, they definitely need to make some moves if they want to make a deep playoff push.

Starting pitching should be the team's first priority, as the likes of Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen cannot be relied upon to sustain their levels of production.

At 7-2 with an ERA of 2.87, Hammel has greatly outperformed the expectations put upon him when the team acquired him for Jeremy Guthrie.

Chen, at 6-2 with an ERA of 3.68, has performed well in his first MLB season.

If the Orioles are serious about competing this season, they'll have to acquire a couple quality starters at the deadline.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers were considered amongst the American League's elite during spring training. Now, they are 32-34 and three games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox.

The duo of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera have been pedestrian up to this point, and Jose Valverde has regressed significantly from his incredible 2011 season.

While those three will be mainstays in Detroit—at least at this deadline—the Tigers have clear needs at second base and in the bullpen.

Ramon Santiago, Ryan Raburn and Danny Worth have all played second base for the Tigers this season. Combined, they sport an unspectacular batting average of .188 with three home runs and 23 RBI.

Detroit doesn't need a star at second base, but they most definitely need somebody who can get on base for their big bats to drive in.

The bullpen owns a 3.99 ERA. While that's respectable, the team would like to have a more shut-down group of relievers. The addition of another setup man or quality middle reliever could work wonders for this team. 

Chicago White Sox

Even though the Chicago White Sox are leading the AL Central, they'd be wise to look into a few upgrades over the course of the next month.

There are two glaring holes in the otherwise solid team—a quality innings eater and a productive third baseman.

A quality innings guy would help to stabilize a rotation that is currently without John Danks, may be without Chris Sale come playoff time if his innings are limited and features a not-so-perfect Philip Humber with an ERA of 6.01.

The White Sox don't need a dominant pitcher, just someone who can provide consistent innings and limit the damage.

Third base is just as important of a need. Orlando Hudson and Brent Morel have combined to hit a putrid .182 with one home run and 15 RBI.

Adding another bat to a lineup that already features Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski, Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn would propel the White Sox from playoff-hopefuls to playoff-favorites.

Toronto Blue Jays

With Brandon Morrow, Drew Hutchison and Kyle Drabek all sidelined with injuries, the Toronto Blue Jays will undoubtedly look to patch up their ailing rotation.

The Jays were extremely interested in acquiring Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs earlier this month, but there's been no word on the status of those talks as of late.

Garza would be a great compliment to the Jays' other starters. With Ricky Romero, Morrow and Garza atop a rotation that is backed by an explosive offense, the Jays could instantly become serious contenders for either the AL East crown or one of the two AL Wild Card spots.

While general manager Alex Anthopoulos will no doubt be making some calls regarding a variety of positions, there are some holes he'll be able to fill through his farm system.

Colby Rasmus could become expendable if center fielder Anthony Gose continues to rake in Triple-A. Rasmus could be used to acquire an arm for the bullpen or to acquire some mid-level talent for the minors.

While the Jays may not make many moves at the deadline, the quality of the moves they do make will be the key.

Pittsburgh Pirates

At 34-31, the Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a very good start. To avoid a collapse like they experienced last season, they'll need to make a few moves to bolster the roster.

Pittsburgh is seventh in all of baseball with a team ERA of 3.52, so the pitching staff really doesn't need to be touched. Acquiring a power bat should be their top priority.

While the Pirates have up-and-coming stars at many positions, left field is an area of need. If they can find a power hitting left fielder and get him at the right price, I'd say that the Pirates have an outside shot at a wild card.

The key for the Pirates will be to simply find that type of bat.

Alfonso Soriano could be had if the Chicago Cubs decide to clean house, but questions about his durability and shotty play in left field could scare the Pirates away.

St. Louis Cardinals

The defending world champions are a team that is capable of competing again this season for the World Series.

But, at 34-33, they'll have to leap-frog the Pirates in their division if they want a better chance of making it there. 

While the Cardinals have a great rotation, their bullpen needs some work. They own a 4.35 ERA and continually blow leads that the starting pitchers give them.

Acquiring one or even two pieces could be all the Cardinals need to repeat. They have one of the best starting staffs in baseball and their offense is very explosive. They have proved that their lineup can still score runs without the presence of Albert Pujols.

Now, in order to keep the team moving in the right direction, they should look to acquire some bullpen help for the stretch run.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks have really disappointed in 2012 after a 94-win season in 2011.

While the pitching hasn't been terrible, it has been very inconsistent. The same goes for the offense, as production as been hard to come by.

Third base has given the D'Backs much trouble. The combination of Ryan Roberts and Josh Bell has yet to get it done this season.

Combined, they are hitting .205 with five home runs and 29 RBI. Although Roberts' .242 average is right on par with his .249 from last season, he has experienced a noticeable drop in production.

A third baseman with some pop could be on Arizona's radar. Kevin Youkilis could fit that mold, and it was rumored a few days by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic ago that the Diamondbacks were interested in his services.

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are in good shape to make the playoffs as a wild card with their 37-70 record. That being said, there's still room for improvement.

If Tim Lincecum begins to pitch like everyone expected him to, then the team will be even deeper. As far as facelifts are concerned, though, the Giants really don't need to do too much.

While Brandon Crawford may be the shortstop of the future, he has not gotten it done by any means this season. His .231 average, one home run and 19 RBI prove his lack of production. If his on-base percentage were respectable, I'd be able to live with the average. But, at .287, his OBP is just as lackluster as the rest of his offensive numbers.

The Giants love this kid's glove, but they'll need some more offensive firepower for the playoffs. Shortstop is an easy area to diagnose a need.

They could also look to upgrade in right field. Even though Gregor Blanco hasn't been terrible, there may very well be better options available come July.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Just because the Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball doesn't mean that they couldn't benefit from a little pre-playoffs facelift.

The Dodgers are a very well-built team with solid depth around the diamond, but two positions stand out to me as clear areas to upgrade—second base and third base.

Jerry Hairston, Jr. is currently hitting the cover off the ball at second base with a .315 average, but it's unlikely that he will keep that up. He's only hit over .300 twice, and both instances were in seasons where he played less than 90 games.

A more consistent threat that provides solid defense would work wonders for the Dodgers.

At third base, Juan Uribe has been underwhelming through 30 games. He has just one home run and 11 RBI to go with a .242/.294/.326 line.

Kevin Youkilis could solve that problem, and he's been linked to the Dodgers this past month as a possible option at the hot corner.