10 players who need to step up for contenders post-Deadline

Every year, we see contenders around baseball shop for upgrades prior to the Trade Deadline to address their biggest weaknesses for the final stretch of the season.

However, with only a handful of clearly defined sellers in 2024, the demand for impact players far outweighed the supply. So while many teams did get better via the trade market, a number of contenders had holes that went unfilled. As a result, these teams will now be placing more of an onus on certain players who were on their rosters pre-Deadline to step up.

The 10 players below are among the biggest X-factors for teams that weren't able to address a weakness at the Trade Deadline.

All stats are through Tuesday.

Nolan Arenado, 3B, and Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals
The Cardinals added pitching (Erick Fedde, Shawn Armstrong) at the Trade Deadline while also replacing Dylan Carlson (traded to the Rays) with Tommy Pham in the outfield, but Pham alone may not be enough to boost an offense that has the seventh-worst scoring average (4.14 runs per game) in MLB. St. Louis’ main issue is the same one the team has dealt with all season -- it needs more from its two star corner infielders.

Just two seasons ago, Goldschmidt and Arenado combined for a .937 OPS and a 163 wRC+ in 1,271 plate appearances. They finished first and third, respectively, in the NL MVP Award voting. This year, the duo has a .688 OPS and a 95 wRC+. Goldschmidt looked to be heating up a bit when he posted six homers with an .887 OPS from July 8 through Aug. 1, but he’s gone hitless in his past 18 at-bats. Arenado, meanwhile, hasn’t homered in his past 10 games after going deep three times with an .870 OPS in his first seven games coming out of the All-Star break.

Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
First base has been a problematic spot all season long for the Astros, who rank last in MLB in OPS (.596) at the position. However, Houston didn’t end up acquiring anyone at the Deadline to replace Jon Singleton, the team’s starting first baseman since it released José Abreu in June. It’s going to be tough for the Astros to make the postseason if they’re also getting substandard production from third base, where Bregman has had an up-and-down season (career-low .720 OPS).

After a slow start, Bregman appeared to be turning it around when he hit .292 with 11 homers and an .857 OPS in his final 55 games before the All-Star break, but he has struggled coming out of the break (.666 OPS in 17 games).

Kutter Crawford, SP, Red Sox
After tying for sixth in the Majors in ERA (3.63) prior to the All-Star break, Red Sox starters have recorded a 5.62 ERA since the break, and their only rotation addition at the Deadline was James Paxton, who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers and owns a 4.42 ERA over 20 starts.

Crawford has been one of Boston’s best starters this season, but he just had a three-start stretch in which he allowed 12 homers -- the most by any pitcher over a three-start span since at least 1901 -- and 16 runs over 15 innings. If Crawford continues to struggle, it’s going to be all the more difficult for the Red Sox to earn a playoff berth.

Clay Holmes, RP, Yankees
While the Yankees did make a few Trade Deadline additions, acquiring infielder/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos, they didn’t address what has been one of their most glaring issues lately: the closer role. Holmes made the AL All-Star team, but he has posted a 5.51 ERA with six blown saves over his past 17 games. Lacking an obvious replacement, New York needs Holmes to get it together.

Pablo López, SP, Twins
With Chris Paddack on the IL and rookie Simeon Woods Richardson nearing a professional career high in innings, the Twins were reportedly in the market for a starting pitcher prior to the Trade Deadline. However, they only came away with reliever Trevor Richards. Minnesota’s rotation was dealt another blow on Wednesday, when Joe Ryan exited his start due to right triceps tightness.

Amid this uncertainty, the Twins need their Opening Day starter, López, to be a source of stability. The right-hander has been plagued by inconsistency all year long, allowing four runs or more nine times (including Tuesday) and posting a 4.74 ERA -- more than a run higher than last year’s 3.66 mark.

MJ Melendez, OF, Royals
The Royals fortified their pitching staff with trades for Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg and Michael Lorenzen, but outside of a deal for veteran infielder Paul DeJong, they didn’t address a lineup that has been heavily reliant on Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino. Kansas City’s outfield has been especially unproductive, ranking 28th in MLB with a .636 OPS.

The Royals’ best hope for generating more production on the grass is that Melendez continues his recent turnaround. The left fielder missed time in July with a left ankle sprain but has produced eight homers with an .815 OPS in his past 38 games. The positive stretch has come on the heels of a massive slump that saw Melendez hit .115 (15-for-131) with two homers and a .373 OPS in 42 games from April 12-June 6.

Joey Ortiz, 3B, Brewers
The Brewers have a six-game lead in the NL Central, but they’re just 13-15 since the start of July and will be without All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich for the foreseeable future as he deals with a back injury that could require surgery. Despite Yelich’s absence, the Brewers didn't acquire a bat at the Deadline, leaving their lineup a bit thin around William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins, Willy Adames and Jackson Chourio.

While Chourio has broken out after struggling over the first two months, the team needs more from its other rookie regular, Ortiz, who has produced a .429 OPS in his past 21 games after previously recording an .842 OPS.

Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Braves
The Braves initially had trouble finding a replacement for Spencer Strider after the ace righty underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April, but Schwellenbach has solidified that spot with a 2.52 ERA and a 38-to-1 K/BB ratio over his past five starts. With Max Fried getting hit hard by the Marlins on Sunday in his first start back from the IL and Reynaldo López now sidelined by an injury of his own (right elbow inflammation), Schwellenbach has become increasingly important for a Braves team that didn’t make a rotation addition at the Deadline.

Gavin Williams, SP, Guardians
The Guardians still have the best record in MLB, but they’ve quietly played sub-.500 baseball (16-19) in 35 games since they had a seven-game winning streak in late June. As a result, the AL Central race has gotten a little too close for comfort. While Cleveland’s offense hasn’t been great during the aforementioned stretch, the club’s starting staff is arguably the bigger concern, especially after Tanner Bibee was skipped in the rotation due to right shoulder soreness.

The Guardians do have recent acquisitions Alex Cobb (acquired in a trade with the Giants) and Matthew Boyd (signed as a free agent) on the way back, but those two can only be expected to do so much after missing the entire season. With the team’s rotation on shaky ground, it is counting on Williams to recapture the form (3.29 ERA) he showed over 16 starts as a rookie in 2023. The 25-year-old, who missed the first three months of the year with right elbow discomfort, has posted a 4.91 ERA over seven starts in 2024.