MLB Teams at Serious Risk of Flopping in Trade Season

So, um, what happened last night? 

In case you missed it, a whirlwind of trades have taken place within the last 24 hours. Cole Hamels will be a Ranger. Alex Wood and Mat Latos will be Dodgers. Carlos Gomez was going to be a Met, until he wasn't. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as there are still plenty of available targets.

But while teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals have solidified their postseason chances, there are a handful of teams in danger of flopping before the deadline. 

Contenders that don't address key weaknesses throughout their rosters can be considered failures come August 1. The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants desperately need pitching help, but that market has shrunk significantly with recent signings. The Detroit Tigers still haven't decided on a deadline approach, while the San Diego Padres still have a multitude of tradable assets that need to be shipped away.

Over the next few slides, we'll identify teams that are in serious need of an impact move over the next 24-plus hours. We'll also include any relevant rumors pertaining to each organization and focus on potential fixes still on the market. 

Are you happy with your team's performance at the trade deadline? Do you still think your squad has work to do? Leave your comments in the section below!

San Diego Padres

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General manager A.J. Preller must find creative ways to better his team's chances over the next 24 hours.

The San Diego Padres and general manager A.J. Preller were the darlings of the winter, acquiring the likes of Matt Kemp, Craig Kimbrel, James Shields, Justin Upton, Wil Myers and Derek Norris all before the season began.

On paper, San Diego looked like a serious threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the National League West. But a strikeout-prone lineup, no true center fielder, horrid shortstop play and an underachieving pitching staff have kept the Padres from challenging those two teams. 

Now Preller must find a way to address his team's glaring weaknesses and depleted farm system with players from his current roster. The problem is that San Diego hasn't done anything of consequence to this point.

To be fair, rumors can materialize quickly at the deadline, and plenty of teams have been linked to the Padres. But there has also been speculation that Preller isn't as keen to wheel and deal like he did in the offseason. 

"But while the Padres general manager has been very active in discussions with other teams, he is looking for 'substantive' value in potential deals and might take a more measured approach than he did seven months ago, a source familiar with the team's thinking said," said Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

The previous quote is worrisome for Padres fans. Impending free agents like Justin Upton, Will Venable, Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit should and will be dealt, but Preller shouldn't stop there. 

That's not to say San Diego should put an "everything must go" sign in front of Petco Park, but the organization should at least listen on Kimbrel, Shields, Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner. If Preller can use those players to find a long-term shortstop or center fielder, then parting them should be a no-brainer.

But hey, this is A.J. Preller we're talking about. The baseball world saw how creative and aggressive he was on building a "winner" this offseason. 

However, he now must prove he's just as adept at reconfiguring a flawed roster, and he's running out of time.

Detroit Tigers

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Will David Price be leading the Tigers in the second half or pitching for another contender?

It's decision time for Dave Dombrowski and the Detroit Tigers. 

Where does Detroit stand just hours before the deadline ends? Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported July 29 that Dombrowski said the club was "willing to listen to offers on their players" and "termed their trade deadline approach a 'rebooting.'"

But while there have been plenty of calls for free agents-to-be David Price and Yoenis Cespedes, Dombrowski has waffled on the team's deadline strategy multiple times. The latest report from Fenech is encouraging, but a decision must be made and acted upon immediately. 

In fairness to Dombrowski, choosing Detroit's fate isn't an easy decision to make. The Tigers haven't played well lately, but they are just 3.5 games back of the second American League wild-card spot—3.5 games. It's not crazy to think a team as talented as this one can overcome that gap and sneak into the playoffs once again.

But to do that, the Tigers desperately need starting pitching help. Detroit starters have the fifth-highest ERA in the majors. Adding another starter is a necessity if Detroit has any chance of a second-half resurgence. 

But while staying in the hunt will tempt Dombrowski, it's much more prudent to use Price and Cespedes to improve the long-term vision of the organization. 2015 will be lost, but allowing players with that type of trade value to walk at the end of the season for nothing just doesn't make sense. 

An argument can be made for buying or selling, but Dombrowski needs to commit one way or the other. However, rebooting the organization seems to be the better of the two options. 

San Francisco Giants

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Brian Sabean and the Giants want to make an impact move, but do they have the prospects to get it done?

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most active teams on the trade market, NL West rival San Francisco Giants have been equally as quiet. 

San Francisco seems to be a pretty safe bet for at least a wild-card spot, but the Giants' current crop of starting pitchers won't get it done in October. Madison Bumgarner and rookie Chris Heston may give San Fran consistency every fifth day, but that's where the dependability ends. 

Despite the worries regarding the rotation, there's not a hotter team in baseball than the Giants. San Francisco is 10-2 since the All-Star break and has climbed to within a half-game of the Dodgers in the NL West.

That recent stretch of good play and L.A.'s busy deadline should be all the incentive general manager Bobby Evans and executive vice president Brian Sabean need to make a splash before the deadline closes. 

If recent reports are true, making an impact acquisition is something San Francisco is very interested in. 

“I think they’re aggressive, to be honest, because I’ve been up there, talking to them about different situations, deals and things like that,” manager Bruce Bochy told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. 

Being aggressive is always a positive thing, but potential options are becoming few and far between.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported the Giants had discussed a Cole Hamels blockbuster with the Phillies, but talks faded as the week progressed. Jeff Samardzija is another name out there, but the Chicago White Sox are suddenly right in the thick of the AL playoff picture. David Price? The Giants will have their say, but so will plenty of other interested teams. 

There's no doubt the Giants will do something before Friday, but would someone like Mike Leake be enough to significantly improve a shaky rotation? With a limited farm system, Sabean, Evans and San Francisco may be resigned to less quality upgrades. 

Toronto Blue Jays

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Trading for Troy Tulowitzki definitely created waves around MLB, but the Blue Jays won't win anything without pitching upgrades.

To be fair to the Toronto Blue Jays, general manager Alex Anthopoulos hasn't exactly sat on his hands over the last week. 

Anthopoulos and Toronto pulled off the most shocking trade of the deadline, acquiring All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies. With Tulo on board, Toronto's top-ranked offense will become even more dangerous. 

That's terrifying for the rest of the American League East.

But Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and the rest of the Blue Jays offense can't pitch. Toronto's 4.02 team ERA is the ninth-highest mark in baseball. That total includes a 4.34 starters ERA. 

In other words: Tulowitzki is a fantastic player, but Toronto is going nowhere without pitching upgrades. ESPN.com's David Schoenfield has the numbers to prove it: 

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There's also this: The Blue Jays have outscored their opponents by 100 runs, the second-highest figure in the majors, despite which they're just .500 at 51-51. That doesn't necessarily mean they're due for better luck; after all, those games are in the bank. It could suggest, however, that the true talent level of the Jays is better than a .500 team. Their biggest failings have come in the middle innings: They're 44-0 when leading after eight innings but they've lost nine games when leading after six innings, four more than the MLB average of five such losses. That suggests picking up another reliever (they did get LaTroy Hawkins in the Tulowitzki trade) could also be beneficial.

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David Price has been mentioned with virtually every team on this list, which indicates a bidding war is about to ensue if the Detroit Tigers finally decide to sell. Tyson Ross, Mike Leake, Carlos Carrasco and Mike Fiers are other names to keep an eye on as well. 

Regardless, Toronto must find pitching upgrades to make the playoffs in 2015. Improving a strength isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Tulowitzki won't be enough to overcome Toronto's glaring weakness.  

New York Yankees

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Apr 24, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks during a press conference where former player Bernie Williams officially retired from baseball as a Yankee before a game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium. Manda

Something fishy is going on in New York. 

The Yankees are in first place in the AL East and haven't made a trade? What's going on? 

But the silence shouldn't last too much longer. As Billy Witz of the New York Times notes, general manager Brian Cashman has an extensive track record at the deadline:

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In Cashman’s 17 years, only twice have the Yankees not made any deals in July — in his first season in charge and in 2011. Last season, there was a flurry of activity in the final month. The Yankees picked up Brandon McCarthy and Headley in the weeks leading up to the deadline and then acquired Stephen Drew, Martin Prado and Esmil Rogers in separate deals on the final day.

"

Judging by those statistics, it's a pretty safe bet to assume the Yankees will do something of consequence before the deadline ends.

For Cashman, improving the starting rotation is a great place to start. The Yankees have the ninth-highest starters ERA in baseball. Of hurlers who have double-digit starts, Adam Warren's 3.59 ERA is the best mark on the team. 

While top prospect Luis Severino could be promoted to help the cause, the Yankees have serious issues with their rotation. It may be good enough to win the division, but producing in the postseason is a whole different animal. 

Fortunately, there are a few impact starters still available. Again, Price would be a fantastic acquisition for the Yankees, but he won't come cheap or without competition from other contenders. Samardzija, a former Notre Dame football star, also wouldn't shy away from the bright lights of New York. 

There's something to be said for the Yankees employing a more conservative approach at the deadline, but how long will that last? The organization has never sacrificed winning now for winning tomorrow, and it's unlikely to start now.

Regardless, the Yankees don't have a rotation sturdy enough to overcome the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels or Houston Astros in the AL. But landing Price or Samardzija would completely alter the AL landscape and could push the Yankees to the front of the pack.

Without that significant upgrade, the Yankees will just be one in a field of extremely competitive teams in the AL. 

Stats courtesy of FanGraphs and accurate as of July 29.