There is no such thing as a perfect team in baseball. Each and every one of MLB's 30 franchises—contenders and non-contenders alike—has at least one glaring weakness. Many of those teams will look to address that weakness before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline arrives.
Sellers are going to be placing high prices on their most valuable trade chips, especially starting pitchers, given how light the upcoming free-agent market is expected to be on quality starters. Bidding wars are going to ensue, and some contenders won't be able to get the arms they need for a playoff push.
Speaking of contenders, a team must be within five games of a playoff spot—and have at least a .500 record—to qualify as one for this exercise. While there's plenty of time for teams to make up ground, the idea of a team with a losing record in the playoffs bothers us as much as it bothers you.
What follows is a look at each contender's biggest weakness and, in some cases, players those teams could potentially target to make those weaknesses disappear.
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