To buy or not to buy? That is the Trade Deadline question.
However, it's not a binary choice for everyone. A team's record, payroll and place in the playoff picture are just a few of the factors considered before one decides to go all-in as buyers, look toward the future as sellers or do something in between. The path can be different for each club.
With that said, here is every team's strategy leading up to the Aug. 1 Deadline.
AL EAST
Blue Jays: Buy … selectively
The Blue Jays should be aggressive, as rosters with this much talent don’t stick around forever, but where is the area they need to upgrade over an everyday player? The rotation will be a major priority as Toronto lacks depth, and another strong right-handed bat is on the list, but these moves could be more complementary than blockbuster. Keep in mind that the Blue Jays are always looking a year or two down the road, as most of the pitchers they’ve acquired at recent Deadlines had multiple years of control remaining.
Orioles: Buy -- for real this time
Last year, Baltimore was 52-51 at the Trade Deadline and in the thick of the American League Wild Card race. Some expected the O’s to be buyers for the first time since Mike Elias became general manager prior to the 2019 season. Yet, they again acted as sellers, dealing All-Star closer Jorge López to the Twins and fan-favorite slugger Trey Mancini to the Astros. The ‘23 Deadline should be different, as Baltimore is 57-35, giving it the second-best record in the AL and the third-best mark in MLB. In order to bolster their postseason push, the Orioles should trade for pitching, and there’s a good chance they could do so, given their wealth of position-player depth. But Elias isn’t going to overpay, so it will depend on how the trade market develops.
Rays: Buy pitching and more pitching
The Rays have the American League’s best record (60-36) and one of the best ERAs in the Majors (3.70). How much pitching could they possibly need? Plenty, as the first half showed. They can feel great about the top three arms in the rotation – Shane McClanahan, Zach Eflin and Tyler Glasnow – as long as they stay healthy. And they believe rookie starter Taj Bradley will continue to get better. But they could use another mid-rotation arm after officially losing Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen for the season. They pursued help in the bullpen during the first half, adding experienced relievers in Jake Diekman, Robert Stephenson and Zack Littell. Right-hander and 2021 All-Star Andrew Kittredge will soon return, a huge boost, but they could use another high-leverage arm to bolster the group in front of Pete Fairbanks.
