MLB Teams Who Could Be Surprise Buyers in 2015 Trade Season

The advent of the second wild card upended the MLB trade deadline. If more teams make the playoffs, more will be in contention come July or at least believe they're in contention. That means a glut of buyers and fewer sellers; it's simple supply and demand.

This season, something else has scrambled the picture. Multiple squads that came into spring looking like also-rans are very much in the mix. Some are even in first place.

Pair that with the new, expansive postseason format and you have a recipe for surprise shoppers, clubs that will likely be in the market for upgrades as the July 31 non-waiver cutoff approaches.

Who are they? Let's take a look, keeping in mind that we're defining "surprise" based on preseason expectations, so a team like the Houston Astros makes the list, even though they've sat atop their division nearly all year.

Atlanta Braves

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Entering play Sunday, the Atlanta Braves sit at 34-35, so it's not as if they've been setting the world on fire.

But they're also just two games out in the National League East and have refused to go away after a hot start that many predicted would fizzle.

Will they try to add pieces to get over the hump? On the surface, it seems like an awkward pivot for a club that traded All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the San Diego Padres at the outset of the season—a move that appeared to signify a full-scale rebuild was underway.

But in late May, the Braves acquired veteran third baseman Juan Uribe. That wasn't exactly a blockbuster, but it was evidence that they'll consider short-term additions.

Like virtually every contender (and pretender), Atlanta could use bullpen help and possibly another starter. Late Friday, it sent infielder Phil Gosselin to the Arizona Diamondbacks for veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo and minor league pitcher Touki Toussaint, per MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

Arroyo is recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn't expected back until August, Bowman notes, so the trade is more about Toussaint, ranked the No. 83 prospect in the game by MLB.com.

"With all the trades we've made we've tried to walk two roads," Braves assistant general manager John Coppolella said, per Bowman. "One is, help our team this year, which we feel like we have done. We felt like with Arroyo, when he ends up healthy he can help us win. Two, we are trying to build for the future and we think Toussaint is a huge, huge piece for the future."

Are more moves in the offing? A lot will depend on the next few weeks. If the Braves rip off a modest winning streak or two and maintain their position on the edge of the postseason picture, they might be compelled to push some chips in. 

If, on the other hand, they regress to also-ran status, the rebuild should continue apace.

Tampa Bay Rays

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The American League East is easily the murkiest division in baseball; it's a collection of flawed contenders who could come out on top just as easily as they could fall by the wayside.

So far, the Tampa Bay Rays are the best of the bunch with a 40-30 record. At this point, can they afford not to go all in?

Last year, the Rays dealt ace left-hander David Price at the deadline. They won't likely swing a trade of that magnitude in the other direction this season, but they could look for an arm to augment the potent rotation combo of Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi or a bat to jolt an offense that's 25th in baseball in runs scored.

Under former general manager Andrew Friedman, the Rays rarely made significant deadline splashes, opting instead to hang on to their prospects and seek modest upgrades.

Now, however, Friedman is in Los Angeles. Will his successor, Matt Silverman, take a more aggressive tack? We'll know soon enough.

Houston Astros

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As noted, the Astros have been the first-place club in the AL West for most of the season, so calling them "surprise" buyers feels like a stretch.

Still, virtually no one tabbed them as contenders before the 2015 campaign began.

Now, the question isn't if the 'Stros will go shopping, but what they'll shop for and how much they're willing to spend.

The sky is the limit if you believe CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, who claimed that "Johnny Cueto is at least on their radar." 

Here's more from Sporting News' Joe Rodgers:

"

Talks between the Astros and Reds could get interesting given the icy relationship Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow and Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty had when together in St. Louis, but the Astros need to add a pitcher before the trade deadline. ...

With one of the best farm systems in MLB, the Astros have plenty of talent they could ship to Cincinnati for Cueto, who may not be back next season anyway.

"

Even if Houston doesn't pull off a swap of that scale, expect the squad tied for the best record in the AL to throw around its newfound weight, preseason prognostications be damned.

Texas Rangers

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The Texas Rangers aren't flying as high as their Lone Star State cohorts. But after suffering through a snakebitten 2014 season and losing ace Yu Darvish to Tommy John surgery in the spring, the Rangers were supposed to be an afterthought at best in the AL West.

Instead, they're 37-32, just 2.5 games back of those soaring 'Stros and 0.5 games out in the wild-card race.

Texas could use—surprise, surprise—pitching help, particularly in the pen. Here's a thought: What about Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, a known malcontent with solid potential upside?

The Rangers aren't averse to such swaps, as they proved by reacquiring prodigal son Josh Hamilton from the Los Angeles Angels.

Will they take another risk before July 31? At this point, with all they've been through, why not?

Minnesota Twins

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

This list was made for the Minnesota Twins, who were supposed to be an inexperienced, wait-until-next-year work in progress and have instead refused to go away in the AL Central.

Minnesota owns a 37-31 record, which is good for second place in the division, behind only the defending American League champion Kansas City Royals.

There's still time for the Twins to fade. Rookie skipper Paul Molitor admitted as much when he told Fox Sports' Tyler Mason, "The only day the standings really matter is the last day of the season."

Still, the Twins could consider upgrades to their bullpen and "a middle-of-the-order bat, preferably one who plays the outfield," per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.

Minnesota already called up top prospect Byron Buxton and isn't likely to surrender any of the elite talent from its well-stocked farm.

But every day the Twins buck the odds and remain in the running is a day they move closer to full-blown, improbable "buyer" status.

All statistics current through June 20 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.