MLB playoff rankings: Top eight World Series contenders after trade deadline

Major League Baseball’s silly season has passed. And now the many contenders for the World Series are largely helpless to improve their club.

Tuesday’s trade deadline was the last chance for executives to make significant external improvements to their franchises, and even then, there’s only so much they can control.

After all, it takes two to make a deal happen, and the players not dealt at the deadline – from Garrett Crochet and Yandy Diaz to Blake Snell and Brent Rooker – only...