MLB Waiver Wire 2013: Teams That Have Work to Do After Quiet Trade Deadline

The 2013 MLB trade deadline was a bit of a disappointment for a number of teams and fans alike. 

While teams like the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves went out and scored big on pitching acquisitions, squads like the Philadelphia Phillies and the free-falling Los Angeles Angels failed to address pressing needs. 

With that said, let's take a look at the teams that have to make moves through MLB waivers. 

Philadelphia Phillies

It's no secret that the Phillies are old. And after the trade deadline, nothing has changed. 

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, 36-year-old third baseman Michael Young was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox.

However, the team refused to bite the bullet and make a move. 

Young is hitting .279/.345/.411 with eight home runs and 34 RBI on the year. That type of production would be a welcome addition on any squad looking for a consistent and reliable bat.

Honestly, with the talent that Young possess, the team could have made a move with a number of squads looking to make a deep postseason run, which could have resulted in a promising young player.

Who knows, if the Phillies can add a quick, relatively young batter through waivers, maybe they can mount a surge in the second half of the season. 

Los Angeles Angels 

Leading into the regular season, many looked at the Angels as favorites to be playing in October. However, the aforementioned thoughts quickly went away. 

To this point, the Angels are fourth in the American League West with a record of 48-58, largely as a result of horrid pitching (4.35 ERA this season).

Throughout most of the first half of the season, the Angels had been linked to Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes as an option to rejuvenate the pitching staff, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. 

Nonetheless, the Angels did not strike a deal to bring him to the West Coast. 

If the Angels have any aspirations of making a late climb to the top tier of the division, searching for a suitable pitcher through waivers would be a wise thing to do. 

Texas Rangers

The Rangers failed to bring in an additional bat to bolster the lineup.

Sure, there was not a number of heavy hitters on the market, yet they could have looked at someone like the Chicago White Sox's Alex Rios and the San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence as options.

Although the Rangers are 10 games above .500, making a move to ignite the lineup would have fueled the Rangers to embark on the oh-so-prevalent second-half runs we have grown accustomed to seeing over the years.

If a team is desperate to move a quality batter through the waiver wire, don't be surprised if the Rangers show up at its door.