MLB Teams That Are One Pickup Away from Seriously Contending

By this point, teams are probably well-aware that they might not have enough talent on their roster to contend for very much longer. In some cases, there isn't a thing they can do about it. They'll eventually go into "sell" mode and start looking ahead to 2014.

On the other hand, there are the teams that have just enough to hang around for a couple more months while the front office tries to figure out how to make them serious contenders. Here are five of those teams.    

Cleveland Indians

"The Tribe" had won 19 of 25 games before a current five-game losing streak has them back at 27-24 and 2.5 games out in the AL Central. It may have been their starting pitching that keyed this turnaround, but that rotation is nowhere good enough to stay anywhere close to the Detroit Tigers in the division.

While the "good" Ubaldo Jimenez showing up every five days would make a huge impact, I'm not quite ready to bank on that happening.

He's teased Cleveland Indians fans, posting a 2.05 ERA over 30.2 innings with only 21 hits and 12 walks allowed with 35 strikeouts over his last five starts (if you throw out the one where he allowed six earned runs in four innings on May 22). But, it's a very small sample size considering how consistently bad he has been since he was acquired in July 2011.

Prospect Trevor Bauer is equally unreliable for 2013, in my opinion, with his 35 walks and 49 strikeouts between his three big league starts and six Triple-A starts.

Corey Kluber has been terrific over his past three starts, allowing seven earned runs in 19 innings with one walk and 23 strikeouts. His ERA was over 5.00, though, in his previous 89.2 big league innings. 

What the team needs is a reliable workhorse to go along with Jimenez, Justin Masterson and Zach McAllister. It does employ someone who used to be—Brett Myers—but he's on the disabled list with a mild UCL tear and might require elbow surgery.

My suggestion is to go after New York Mets starter Shaun Marcum (pictured), who has allowed eight earned runs in 19.2 innings over his last three starts with two walks and 22 strikeouts. He'll cost the Tribe a mid-level prospect, but it's a small price to pay for a starter who could stabilize the back of the rotation.  

Pittsburgh Pirates

The trade deadline acquisitions of the past two seasons haven't been enough as the Bucs faded out of contention down the stretch. They weren't bad pickups, and top prospects weren't sacrificed in any case, but none of the players made a huge impact.

The 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates team might not need much help, though. They're 32-20 and have a good mix of veterans who have been to the playoffs before and talented young players who have experienced the collapses of the past two seasons. There's still room for one more bat, though.

Shortstop Clint Barmes (.540 OPS) is the weak link in the lineup, although it will be tough to find an offensive upgrade at the position.

A handful of corner outfielders will likely be available, though, and the Travis Snider (.746 OPS)/Jose Tabata (.744 OPS) platoon in right field would be pushed to the bench if the Bucs can acquire a big bat like Michael Morse or Josh Willingham (pictured). 

Neither of the team's top three prospects, pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon and center fielder Gregory Polanco, would likely be required to make a trade for one of the right-handed sluggers. Fortunately, the Bucs have a lot more on the farm system and could probably get a deal done without including a top prospect. 

A sneak peek at a Pirates lineup with a right-handed power hitter in the middle of the lineup:

1. Starling Marte, RF
2. Neil Walker, 2B
3. Andrew McCutchen, CF
4. Josh Willingham/Michael Morse, LF
5. Garrett Jones, 1B
6. Russell Martin, C
7. Pedro Alvarez, 3B
8. Clint Barmes, SS 

San Diego Padres

Unlike many of the years since the San Diego Padres have moved into Petco Park, the team's offense isn't completely awful through the first two months of the season. Maybe it's the effect of the fences being moved in and the hitters feeling more confident in a slightly less pitcher-friendly home park. Maybe they're just a better hitting team.

Whatever it is, they're 18-13 since April 23 and don't appear to be inferior to any other teams in the division. While they're 6.5 games out in the NL West, they are too good to go away any time soon. At the same time, their starting rotation doesn't match up with the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, and that makes it tough for them to catch up.

Andrew Cashner (4-2, 3.38 ERA, 50.2 IP, 45 H, 17 BB, 38 K in seven starts) has emerged as the team's ace, while Jason Marquis and Eric Stults have been solid at the back of the rotation. Edinson Volquez and Clayton Richard, the team's No. 1 and 2 starters, haven't pitched well consistently. 

The farm system has a lot of good young pitchers, but only lefty Robbie Erlin provides any near major league ready help. That won't be enough. Utilizing some of the depth on the farm to acquire a more reliable No. 2 starter could give the Padres the edge in the second half of the season if they can stay close.

Ricky Nolasco (pictured) of the Miami Marlins won't cost much in terms of prospects as long as the Padres are willing to take on some of his remaining $11.5 million contract. The 30-year-old has just one bad outing on the season and 10 strong starts, including back-to-back gems (15.2 IP, 2 ER, 13 H, BB, 17 K). 

San Francisco Giants

With the lineup the Giants were going with to start the season, we knew that a less-than-dominant pitching staff would magnify some offensive deficiencies.

The pitchers haven't performed. And so we notice that the Gregor Blanco/Andres Torres platoon in left field isn't very good at hitting a baseball. 

There isn't any help on the way, so general manager Brian Sabean will have to go outside the organization if he wants to upgrade his offense. He's been amongst the best in baseball at in-season trades, so it will be interesting to see if he can do it again. 

He might not want to give up any of his best prospects, mostly lower-level pitchers, but he won't get a Hunter Pence-type corner outfielder unless he does. Pursuing a veteran free agent-to-be, such as Raul Ibañez of the Seattle Mariners, might be the most realistic option.

A better option could be Corey Hart (pictured) of the Milwaukee Brewers, who isn't expected back until sometime in June as he recovers from knee surgery.

He can play first base or a corner outfield spot and has 87 homers over the past three seasons. Milwaukee is falling out of contention fast, so it'll likely be open to moving Hart in hopes of landing a promising pitching prospect, which it has very little of right now.  

Tampa Bay Rays

Without ace David Price, who is on the disabled list with a strained triceps, and with the pre-2012 version of Fernando Rodney closing out games for them, the Tampa Bay Rays have still managed a 27-24 record and are only four games out in the AL East.  

An overall look at their 25-man roster, even with unexpected contributions from Kelly Johnson and James Loney on offense, shows a team that will be hard-pressed to remain in contention beyond the next month or two.

Outfielder Wil Myers is starting to heat up down in Triple-A Durham (11 for last 28, 5 HR, 15 RBI), so there's a strong possibility he joins the lineup within the next few weeks. That will help.

You know what would help more, though? Another reliable starter to go with Price, Matt Moore and Alex Cobb.

Jeremy Hellickson and Roberto Hernandez have each been consistent. Jake Odorizzi, Price's replacement, doesn't appear quite ready for the majors—he was optioned to the minors after Tuesday's game—and Chris Archer, the team's top pitching prospect, hasn't been that great down in the minors.

The Rays do have depth, however, with several good pitching prospects in the upper minors. They're not going to push the Rays to the top, but they could possibly bring back someone in a trade who can make them contenders.

Along with Archer and Odorizzi, Alex Colome (2.60 ERA, 55.1 IP, 46 H, 22 BB, 61 K in 10 starts) and Alex Torres (3.52 ERA, 46 IP, 34 H, 21 BB, 61 K in nine starts) are each pitching well for Durham.

Trading one, or possibly two, of the aforementioned pitching prospects, could be enough to bring Matt Garza (pictured) back into town. And that could be enough to get the Rays back into the playoffs.