Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images
The MLB trade deadline is approaching, set this year for July 30 so that it’s on a weekday. That leaves two weeks to go.
The Oakland A’s are contending for the fourth straight summer, and if the season ended today they’d make the playoffs in the second Wild Card spot. However, there are still several teams hot on their tail, with the Blue Jays, Mariners, Yankees, Indians, and Angels all within 5.5 games. The A’s should obviously be buyers.
Furthermore, their most pressing needs have come into sharp focus. Oakland has a strong and deep starting rotation, but they could use some help in their thin bullpen setup crew. And their lineup has been slumping for a month and could use a new bat to jumpstart them, especially in the DH or corner outfield spots.