Part two of the 2013 MLB season premiered last night, and while the season is already 60 percent complete, there is still two-thirds of the league vying for 10 playoff spots.
In the American League, the East is stacked with talent, pitting four teams within seven games of each other. The Central and West Divisions are largely two team races at the moment, but a key deadline move or winning streak could bring teams like the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels back to life.
The National League features a rejuvenated Central Division where three teams—the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds—stand just five games apart. The Atlanta Braves are in control of the East while the West Division is completely up for grabs, as the top four teams are separated by just five-and-a-half games.
The following 10 teams were deemed fringe playoff teams or teams that have underachieved despite high preseason expectations. Each may make a move (or more) at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline that could be the missing piece to kick the squad into high gear.
The creative fixes are current knowledge-based rumors, my own personal opinions or a combination of the two.
Rumor information is courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors, and stats and contract information are courtesy of Team Rankings and Spotrac, respectively, unless noted otherwise.