August: Say Goodbye To The Pretenders
by Keith Glab, BaseballEvolution.com
August 2, 2008

With the non-waiver deadline past, it has become much easier to separate the contenders from the pretenders.  Teams like Texas and Toronto might have convinced us that they were still in it had they acquired a pitcher and a hitter, respectively.  The Tigers might have floated above the Line of Death had they not traded one of their most valuable players for a middle reliever.  As it is, more than half of the teams in baseball now find themselves with no hope for playoff contention.

Likewise, there were a handful of teams that remained in contention due to injured players getting healthy.  The Twins, Cardinals, and Marlins each notably failed to make deals in July (unless Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins counts), but also each get starting pitchers with upside back into their rotations.  The Mets and Rays did not add players either, but the Rays have the third best record in baseball and the Mets are hot, with the potential for additional heat if Pedro Martinez ever regains his form.

On the other hand, no one can ever accuse Houston GM Ed Wade of scoreboard watching, because he keeps adding players as though his team is in the thick of things.  The White Sox added Ken Griffey Overrated, but the jury is still out regarding whether he will hurt the team in centerfield more than he helps them at the plate and whether taking at bats from Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Nick Swisher makes more sense that taking them away from Joe Crede, Juan Uribe, and Alexei Ramirez.

 So behold the 14 teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot and the 16 teams who might still deal a free-agent-to-be in the coming weeks.  As always, feel free to comment.