Just because the Trade Deadline has now passed, that doesn't mean that questions don't abound for teams as they head into the stretch run toward October and the offseason. In the National League West, the key questions as the calendar flips to August are diverse given the position of each club, from the powerhouse Dodgers comfortably perched atop the division, to the Rockies, who are coming off a franchise-worst 6-19 month and are fading from contention.

Here's a look at the biggest question facing each NL West team moving into the final two months of the regular season.

D-backs: Can they still compete for a Wild Card spot?

Yes, they traded their ace, but general manager Mike Hazen is still convinced that the D-backs can stay afloat in the NL Wild Card race after adding starters Zac Gallen from the Marlins and Mike Leake from the Mariners. Arizona has stubbornly hung around the .500 mark for most of the season. While the Dodgers are too far ahead to catch in the division, the D-backs are still within shouting distance of the Wild Card lead, but whether they can stay there is the thing that’s on the minds of most fans right now.
-- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: How can they improve a bullpen that lost the last two World Series?

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman insists there’s enough in-house talent, but the next two months will be used to “sync up” existing arms into a more reliable combination for Los Angeles. Top pitching prospects Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, now in the Minor Leagues, will join the conversation. Joe Kelly will need to continue his recent improvement. While Friedman did add situational lefty Adam Kolarek on Wednesday, Julio Urias might need to remain in the bullpen instead of joining the starting rotation. And Kenta Maeda is likely to make his usual October transition to relief.
-- Ken Gurnick

Giants: After holding onto Madison Bumgarner at the Trade Deadline, could they pursue an extension with their longtime ace?

Bumgarner is guaranteed to remain with the Giants through the end of the season, but the passing of the Trade Deadline hasn't eliminated all of the uncertainty surrounding his future in San Francisco. The big left-hander is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season and will likely be extended a qualifying offer, allowing the Giants to receive Draft pick compensation if he signs with another team this winter. The Giants could attempt to re-sign Bumgarner, but no negotiations appear to have taken place thus far and the club already has a lot of money tied up in older veterans. Bumgarner, for his part, said he isn't worried about what might lie ahead, as he remains focused on helping San Francisco make another push toward the postseason.
-- Maria Guardado

Padres: How do they land a starter?

The Padres like the direction in which their rotation is headed. Chris Paddack is a budding ace. Top prospect MacKenzie Gore will arrive next season. Joey Lucchesi, Dinelson Lamet, Cal Quantrill and Eric Lauer are all interesting back-end pieces.

But general manager A.J. Preller clearly wants to add a frontline arm to that mix -- particularly someone with multiple years of control. Expect the Noah Syndergaard rumors to persist this winter. Perhaps the Padres check in on Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd again, too. They could also explore some free-agent options.

“We're always going to be on the lookout for that,” Preller said. “We'll get to the offseason, and it'll still be a focus. Every year, you're always going to look to see if there's a way to add on the pitching side.”
-- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Where does the starting pitching stand?

The struggles of lefty Kyle Freeland and the inability of younger pitchers such as Antonio Senzatela and Jeff Hoffman to step up showed what can happen when talented young pitching shows its youth. Do the Rockies look next year to increase the experience quotient? Freeland finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting last year but has a 7.48 ERA and has given up 20 home runs in 77 innings this year. They can take heart in the improvement of righty Jon Gray after a disappointing 2018 campaign, but he needs to be better, and Senzatela and Hoffman need to prove they are Major League-quality pitchers. Does adding a veteran lessen the need for these pitchers to take these steps?
-- Thomas Harding