How will tight division races impact Deadline moves?

With one week remaining until the Trade Deadline on July 30, four of the six divisional races are relatively tight, with second-place teams entering the week no more than five games behind the leaders.

What might the first-place clubs look to accomplish before the Deadline, and what will the second-place teams try to do in order to make up ground on the leaders?

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Let’s take a look at the six division leaders and the second-place teams trying to chase them down with two-plus months remaining in the regular season.

American League East

Orioles (60-39)
Baltimore should be one of the more aggressive buyers in baseball as general manager Mike Elias looks to supplement his talented young roster for the stretch run. Injuries have ravaged the rotation, so adding one (or two?) starting pitchers to insert behind Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez figures to be the main priority. The Orioles will likely try to add another arm or two to their bullpen, as well.

Yankees (60-42, 1 1/2 games back)
Juan Soto’s impending free agency has created some urgency for the Yankees, who have a number of issues for general manager Brian Cashman to address in the next week. The bullpen is a clear need -- specifically a swing-and-miss arm or two -- but the rotation could probably use an upgrade, too. Then there’s the infield, which currently includes underperformers Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu, giving the Yankees a chance to upgrade the lineup at second or third base.

American League Central

Guardians (59-40)
Cleveland will likely look to bolster its starting rotation, though the need for an offensive upgrade in right field and/or at shortstop figures to be the No. 1 goal. The Guardians have been one of the biggest surprises to this point in the season, and while it’s unlikely that Cleveland will add significant salary to its payroll, there are a number of low-cost options out there that would bolster the club’s chances of winning the division title.

Twins (55-44, 4 games back)
Even after a tough weekend against the Brewers, the Twins entered the week in a tie for the second AL Wild Card spot. It remains to be seen whether Minnesota can add much to the payroll, but acquiring a rental starting pitcher would make sense for the Twins, whose 4.47 rotation ERA ranks 23rd in the Majors. Adding a left-handed reliever and a right-handed bat could also be in the cards for Minnesota.

Royals (56-45, 4 games back)
Kansas City has had a need for bullpen help for much of the season, and even after trading for Hunter Harvey, the club would benefit from additional help in that area. Third base and the outfield are two other areas the Royals could address, and if they could land a leadoff hitter, that would be a bonus. Although Kansas City has been a surprise contender this season, general manager J.J. Picollo is likely to seek controllable players who can help in 2025 and beyond.

American League West

Astros (52-48, T-1st)
Remember when all Astros talk revolved around when they would begin their summer fire sale? That’s no longer the case after Houston erased a 10-game division deficit in a month, thrusting the club firmly into the postseason picture. The rotation is the clear need for the Astros, who have lost Cristian Javier, José Urquidy and J.P. France for the season and dealt with injuries to Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia. Adding an arm or two that can take the ball every five days should be the priority. First base is another spot Houston will likely try to upgrade.

Mariners (53-49, T-1st)
Seattle is in desperate need of offense, but it remains to be seen whether any of the big bats that have been rumored trade candidates -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Luis Robert Jr. and Pete Alonso, for example -- will actually get moved. The Mariners could try taking several bites of the apple by making moderate upgrades at multiple spots, and given president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s track record, he’s unlikely to be shy while trying to address his needs.

Rangers (48-52, 4 games back)
Texas is in a tricky spot given its sub-.500 record and the fact that it is trying to chase down two teams in the division. While there is enough talent for the Rangers to make a run, it just hasn’t happened yet. It feels more likely that either the club will stand pat and hope its roster is good enough (and healthy enough) to get back in the race -- or impending free agents such as David Robertson, Kirby Yates and even Max Scherzer could be put out there as trade candidates.

National League East

Phillies (63-37)
The Phillies appear to have few holes to fill as MLB’s best and most complete club, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn’t one to stand pat when he feels his team can win a World Series. Adding a right-handed bat in the outfield (center field, in particular) would seem to be the top priority along with a bullpen arm, but Philadelphia might be the one team in the Majors that can feel confident with its current roster if no major additions are made.

Braves (54-45, 8 1/2 games back)
Atlanta entered the week with a 2 1/2-game lead over St. Louis for the NL’s top Wild Card spot, so while the gap between the Braves and Phillies is wide, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is unlikely to stay quiet before the Trade Deadline. The rotation has been superb -- three of the Braves’ starters were All-Stars -- but adding another pitcher to the back of it could be in play. The outfield is the most obvious area for the club to address, though we’ll see if Anthopoulos can repeat the magic act he pulled off back in 2021.

National League Central

Brewers (57-43)
As has been the case all year, the Brewers will continue looking for starting pitching. The Dallas Keuchel experiment didn’t work out, though Milwaukee already made another move with its trade for Aaron Civale from Tampa Bay. The bullpen, which will have a built-in acquisition when Devin Williams returns from the injured list, will also likely be a focus for general manager Matt Arnold.

Cardinals (52-48, 5 games back)
There will be no repeat of last year’s fire sale in St. Louis, because the Cardinals should be buyers over the next week. Starting pitching will likely be the primary focus, though president of baseball operations John Mozeliak will also be looking for a right-handed bat to add to the lineup. The Cardinals have a half-game lead for the second NL Wild Card spot, but with four teams hot on their heels, what happens by the Deadline could be the difference between playing into October or going home early.

National League West

Dodgers (60-41)
Despite their sizable lead in the division, the Dodgers have a number of holes to address in the next week if they can. Acquiring one (or two) starting pitchers seems like the biggest need, though Los Angeles will be getting Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw back this week. Jason Heyward is back from the injured list, while Mookie Betts and Max Muncy are targeting returns sometime in August, but adding a bat to help lengthen the bottom of the lineup also figures to be of interest.

Padres (52-50, 8 1/2 games back)
Padres general manager A.J. Preller didn’t wait for the Deadline to start swinging big deals, having traded for Dylan Cease during Spring Training and Luis Arraez in early May. San Diego could still use some pitching upgrades in both the rotation and bullpen, though there probably isn’t a need to shop at the top of the market. Then again, it’s tough to rule out anything with Preller, who is one of the most aggressive and creative execs out there.

D-backs (51-50, 9 games back)
Winning the NL West might not be a realistic goal for Arizona, but the D-backs know from last year that you only need to get into the postseason for a magical run to happen. The bullpen should be the priority for general manager Mike Hazen, though the club could look to acquire a starting pitcher, too.