MLB trade deadline preview: American League West

With the MLB trade deadline only weeks away, let’s take a look at what each team in the American League West could be planning.

With the All-Star break nearly upon us, baseball will soon enter its midsummer intermission. It’s a chance for a brief respite during the grueling 162-game season. But once play resumes at the end of next week, teams will turn their attention to the next big item on the calendar: the MLB trade deadline.

The five clubs that make up the American League West should have varying levels of participation in the trade chatter over the next three weeks. While there are still plenty of games left to play this season, it’s not unreasonable to say this division already has a clear winner. The Houston Astros have been steamrolling the competition since April, and their AL-best 59-29 record has staked them to a very comfortable 15.5-game lead over their nearest rivals.

Even such a seemingly well-rounded team can make improvements to its roster, however, and the Astros will be as clear a buyer as you can find on the market. Though the other AL West clubs don’t have much of a chance of winning the division, the league’s Wild Card is still a very close race.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few of these teams pursue an addition or two before the deadline in hopes of making a second-half push for one of the AL’s final two playoff spots. Performances immediately following the break could determine just how much each club is willing to go for it.

So without further ado, let’s take a team-by-team look at the AL West and what the strategy of each front office might be heading toward July 31.

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