Free-agent forward Jeff Green has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million veterans minimum contract with the Utah Jazz, league sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The Jazz also reached agreement with free-agent point guard Emmanuel Mudiay on a one-year deal, sources told ESPN.

Green leaves the Washington Wizards to join a significant group of reinforcements in Utah -- including Mike Conley Jr. and free agent Bojan Bogdanovic -- who will infuse talent into a core of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to make the Jazz serious contenders in the Western Conference.

Green gives the Jazz a big, versatile, athletic wing player who can guard multiple positions and make shots. Green's career has been fortified with 60 playoff appearances with Oklahoma City, Boston, Memphis, the LA Clippers and Cleveland in his 12-year career.

Green, 32, averaged 12.3 points in 44 starts for the Wizards last season.

Mudiay, 23, will be playing for his third team since he was the No. 7 overall pick of the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 draft. He averaged a career-best 14.8 points to go with 3.9 assists in 42 starts last season for the New York Knicks.

Mudiay and his agent, former NBA champion B.J. Armstrong, were sold on Utah's development system under coach Quin Snyder and the chance to play behind Conley.

The Detroit Pistons added some frontcourt depth Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year deal with veteran forward Markieff Morris, ESPN has confirmed.

The deal was first reported by The Athletic.

Morris, 29, split last season between the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 9.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 58 games.

Before this past season, Morris had enjoyed a string of eight straight seasons averaging double figures in points. The 6-foot-10 forward also has shown the ability to knock down the deep ball, averaging 1.0 per contest on 35.1% shooting in his three-plus seasons with Washington before the OKC trade. 

The Memphis Grizzlies have ended the ill-fated Chandler Parsons era, trading the often-injured forward to the Atlanta Hawks for forward Solomon Hill and center Miles Plumlee, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The trade allows Memphis to move on from perhaps the biggest personnel mistake in franchise history. Largely because of chronic knee problems, Parsons has been unproductive since signing a four-year, $94 million maximum contract, averaging 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing only 95 games over the last three seasons.

Memphis was unable to agree to a contract buyout number with Parsons, so the Grizzlies chose the trade with Atlanta that allows for two smaller expiring salaries, those of Hill and Plumlee, that might be easier to move in a deal. The Hawks were able to create a roster opening in the deal.

The Hawks are building around young players, but are open to giving Parsons an opportunity to earn a role in his final year under contract. If another team shows interest in signing him, a contract buyout always remains a possibility.

After spending several weeks working out on his own in Los Angeles, Parsons returned to the Grizzlies after the All-Star break and played the final 22 games, his longest games-played streak of his Memphis tenure.

Parsons, 30, who had season-ending knee surgeries in each of his two years with the Dallas Mavericks before signing with the Grizzlies, is due $25.1 million in the final season of his contract.

Hill, acquired by the Hawks in a draft-night deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, and Plumlee are also entering the final season of their contracts. Hill has a salary of $12.8 million, and Plumlee is due $12.5 million.

Plumlee, 30, has averaged 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds for five teams in his career. He was acquired by the Hawks in the 2017 trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets.

Hill, 28, has career averages of 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Free-agent point guard T.J. McConnell has agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal to sign with the Indiana Pacers, league sources tell ESPN.

McConnell, 27 leaves the Philadelphia 76ers after surviving the purge of the original "Process" and turning an opportunity as an undrafted rookie into four seasons as a backup -- and occasionally starting -- point guard.

McConnell joins Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. Warren, Jeremy Lamb and Edmond Sumner on a reshaped Pacers roster.

Only a few days into 2019 NBA free agency, nearly every major player available has signed -- except for Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

How much will Leonard's decision change the shape of the league? What would it mean if he chooses the Toronto Raptors, LA Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers? And what will it say about the future of NBA superteams?

Our NBA experts answer the big questions about Kawhi, including if his next team will be the title favorite no matter what.

More: Latest NBA free agency buzz

1. Fact or fiction: Kawhi's team is the title favorite for 2020.

Kirk Goldsberry: Fiction. We don't have enough information to say that regardless of where he ends up. Even if he lands in Lakerland, it's unclear how the roster will all fall into place. Sure, they'd have three incredible pieces, but without knowing who else is on the roster -- let alone how they all play together -- it's too early to call them the favorites. If he goes to the Clippers, they certainly won't be the favorites.

Kevin Pelton: Part fact, part fiction. Toronto yes, particularly if Danny Green also re-signs. The Lakers would surely be Vegas favorites with three of the league's top players, though I'd like to see how they fill 10 open roster spots before making that declaration myself. I don't think the Clippers would be the favorites with Kawhi.

Royce Young: Fiction. The Lakers are the favorite with Leonard, no question. The Raptors and Clippers would be a favorite. That's sort of what's at stake with Leonard's decision -- if he doesn't pick the Lakers, the NBA has no superteam for the first time in almost a decade. There would be balance and parity in both conferences, with the door open for as many as 10 teams to feel as if they could win it all.

Bobby Marks: Part fact, part fiction. Only the Raptors become the favorite if Leonard returns. The Lakers will certainly have a big three, but it is hard to gauge what this roster will look like with only six players under contract.

Jorge Sedano: Fiction. The Lakers will certainly be favorites with Kawhi. You can also make the case for Toronto. But I believe the Clippers would still have some work to do with the roster to reach that distinction. They would be near the top of the list, but I don't think they'd be in the top two.

2. If Kawhi returns to the Raptors, then ...

Marks: Toronto returns the core from last season's championship team -- Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam and maybe Danny Green -- and becomes immediate 2020 championship favorites.

Sedano: They are still the favorite in the East and possibly the favorite in the NBA. The question then becomes who can challenge them in the East. Can Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to add to his game and propel the Milwaukee Bucks to greater heights? Will the new-look Sixers overcome their presumed deficiency from beyond the 3-point line and get the bounces they need to take down the Raptors? We'd have to see see.

Pelton: Their trade for Leonard last summer goes down as one of the greatest in NBA history. After Toronto won the championship, it's a great trade either way given how hard it is to win a championship. But if the Raptors also manage to get multiple seasons of Leonard, it becomes historic.

Goldsberry: We have to call them the favorites. They are a very deep team with a great coach, and arguably the best player on the planet. Oh, and they just dethroned the Dubs. Siakam is only getting better, Kawhi is a monster and the supporting cast just showed it can step it up in big moments.

Young: Score another for risk-taking, and betting on yourself. The Oklahoma City Thunder set the precedent by gambling on Paul George. The Raptors took it a step further, not only with a title in hand, but another improbable recruitment of a superstar who otherwise had no interest in playing there. Player power is changing the way superstars approach their contracts, but if Kawhi stays and turns down L.A. the way George did, the counter has been established.

3. If Kawhi goes to the Clippers, then ...

Sedano: They won't be immediate front-runners, but it allows for a really smart front office, coaching staff and owner to create avenues to possibly become the title favorite. It also makes for unbelievable parity in both conferences. The league would be as wide-open as ever.

Pelton: Much like the Nets landing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it's a triumph of team building. The Clippers positioned themselves to appeal to Leonard by skillfully turning Blake Griffin and Chris Paul into a variety of capable role players (Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams) and promising young players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet) that made them competitive with max-level cap space.

Young: The best-laid plans were executed. The Clippers have invested heavily in preparing to pitch Leonard and to have a team worth joining. From the infrastructure of the front office, the coaching and support staff, the roster and everything else in between, the Clippers set an objective and accomplished it. They're an instant title contender -- and with the Lakers built to be contenders as well -- Los Angeles is officially the capital city of the NBA.

Goldsberry: The NBA is wide-open. Not only would the Clippers be a legit contender, but so would the Lakers, Nuggets, Jazz, Rockets and Warriors -- and that's just the West! On the other side, Philadelphia and Milwaukee are strong, plus Indiana and Boston are dark horses. For those of us who love the idea of parity in the NBA, Kawhi to the Clippers could be a dream come true.

Marks: The Clippers jump into the top four in the West. Without Leonard, LA could still become a playoff team, especially with most of their roster returning, but not one that can compete for a championship.

4. If Kawhi goes to the Lakers, then ...

Pelton: They've had one of the most remarkable summers in NBA history, adding the reigning Finals MVP and a three-time All-NBA first-team pick (Anthony Davis) to LeBron James in a matter of weeks. Given how bleak and chaotic things looked for the Lakers after Magic Johnson's departure from the organization, it would be an incredible turnaround.

Marks: The real work for Rob Pelinka and the front office begins. The downside of this big three is what is left to spend in free agency. With most of the key free agents off the board and only with the $4.8 million room and minimum exceptions available, Los Angeles will need to go bargain shopping. They'll hope players such as Avery Bradley, Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver and possibly JR Smith are bought out of their contracts, giving the Lakers an opportunity to add veterans with championship pedigree.

Sedano: They become arguably the most formidable trio in NBA history. LeBron has been part of some great big threes, including one in Miami that won a pair of titles with three top-15 players on the roster. This would be three players in the top seven. Yes, there's work to do with the supporting cast, but it allows LeBron to age and win much like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did with Magic Johnson and James Worthy. For the crowd that would yell, "It's not fair!", this league has thrived with dynasties before and will continue to thrive with them moving forward.

Young: Every day things change but basically stay the same. Eventually, the league always tilts back to the Lakers and their irresistible draw. Leonard has the hometown connection, and the Clippers did everything to take advantage of that and make a case. But if the Lakers sign him regardless, even with the superteam element that would seem to dissuade Leonard, it's just the NBA returning to its normal condition.

Goldsberry: You and your friends have to stop making Rob Pelinka jokes. If the Lakers acquire LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard within a 12-month period, that wouldn't just be the best front-office performance of recent years, it would compete with Golden State and Miami for the most impressive performance of this decade. If Kawhi goes to the Lakers, then folks around the NBA will have to find a new front office to make fun of. There's always the Knicks.

5. Fact or fiction: The NBA superteam era is just getting started.

Goldsberry: Fiction. I grew up watching Jordan, Pippen and Rodman. The Showtime Lakers had Kareem, Worthy and Magic. Bill Russell's Celtics were loaded. The only thing new about superteams is the word superteam itself.

Sedano: Fact. It's a star-driven league, with success predicated on dynasties and the interest in player mobility. There's no reason to believe that will change in the foreseeable future.

Young: Fiction. You can build a superteam, but it's hard to maintain one. The Warriors seemed destined to rule the league for a decade, but it lasted three years. There are cap mechanisms that make it difficult to invest financially in more than three stars, and it was a unique one-time situation that allowed the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant anyway. Even if Leonard joins the Lakers, there's a timetable on that superteam with LeBron's age.

Marks: Fiction. This summer was the perfect storm when it came to All-NBA players available either in trades (Anthony Davis) or free agency (Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant). With an average-at-best market of free agents next summer and the noise dormant on what superstar wants out next, the superteam era should be in a holding pattern for a bit.

Pelton: Fact, depending how we define it. As long as stars have the right to choose their teams in free agency and are willing to exercise that right, they're going to want to play with other stars to maximize their chances of winning championships. I don't see that changing unless the rules do. But the slight increase in maximum salaries in the current collective bargaining agreement will make it a little more difficult to build competitive teams around three stars, so superteams dominating the league might not be as common going forward.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays have put first baseman Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day injured list with a strained left ankle and recalled infielder Mike Brosseau from Triple-A Durham.

Choi is hitting .266 with nine homers and 33 RBIs in 70 games. He has just eight hits in his last 46 at-bats.

Tampa Bay dealt reliever Casey Sadler to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league right-hander Nathan Witt, who was assigned to Class A Bowling Green. Sadler had been designated for assignment on Saturday.

The Rays also traded minor league infielder-outfielder Andrew Velazquez to Cleveland for international signing bonus pool allotment.

Right-hander Jose De Leon, coming back from Tommy John surgery, was reinstated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Durham.

The moves were announced before Wednesday night's game against Baltimore.

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill has been transferred to the 60-day injured list with a left forearm strain.

The 39-year-old left-hander went on the IL June 20. He is 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts this season.

Los Angeles acquired pitcher Casey Sadler from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitcher Nathan Witt on Wednesday.

Sadler was added to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The 28-year-old was 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in nine games for the Rays. Sadler has spent part of four seasons in the major leagues with the Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Witt was 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA in 22 games for Single-A Great Lakes. The 23-year-old had been with the Dodgers since 2017, spending all of that time in the minors.

Minnesota Twins starter Jake Odorizzi has been placed on the injured list and will miss the All-Star Game after suffering a blister on his throwing hand during Tuesday's game.

Odorizzi was replaced in the fourth inning of an 8-6 loss to the Oakland Athletics after allowing five earned runs.

He has gone 10-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts this season and was named to his first All-Star Game this week. However, he's 0-2 with an 8.76 ERA in his past three starts following a 10-game winning streak since developing the blister.

The blister is on his right middle finger.

"If it's any other finger, I can get through it," Odorizzi said. "It's just that's the worst spot for a blister to happen. It's more like one of those perfect storm type of areas, right on the corner and in front. If I stay behind the ball it still burns, and on the side with my slider and split it burns on that side too. It's every pitch."

The Twins have called up right-hander Zack Littell from Triple-A Rochester to replace Odorizzi.

Domestic violence charges against Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera have been dropped following a hearing Wednesday at Atlantic City (New Jersey) Municipal Court.

A state prosecutor told reporters that Herrera's girlfriend did not want to proceed with the case, leading to the decision to dismiss.

Herrera must complete counseling within 60 days as a condition of the dismissal.

Major League Baseball said afterward that Herrera will remain on administrative leave through Friday, when his case will be reevaluated.

He had been accused of domestic assault against his girlfriend on May 27 at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Officers said they found the 20-year-old woman with "visible signs of injury to her arms and neck that was sustained after being assaulted by her boyfriend."

Herrera, 27, had been facing charges of simple assault and knowingly causing bodily injury.

"We believe that the complete dismissal of the misdemeanor charges was the right result," Herrera's attorney, Thomas Calcagni, told reporters.

Following the arrest, Herrera was placed on administrative leave by MLB. He has not played for the Phillies since May 26.

It's July 3. The good news is that 21 teams are within five games of a playoff spot (and 18 are within three games). The bad news is that only one division race is closer than 4½ games. We have good playoff races, but we won't necessarily have close division races -- although I predict that at least one of the other five division races will join the NL Central and go down to the wire.

It feels as if we have more teams in playoff contention than in recent seasons. But let's verify that and check the July 4 standings from the past five years:

2018: 14 teams within five games of the playoffs, five division races within 4½ games.

Check the margins of the division races: 1, 1½, 1½, 1, ½ ... much better than this year. Plus, the A's were seven games behind the Mariners and ended up winning a wild-card spot.

2017: 18 teams within five games of the playoffs, four division races within 4½ games

This was the year almost every team was in the battle for the second AL wild card -- the Twins ended up taking it with 85 wins. That meant 12 AL teams were in the race, although it wasn't really that interesting. Four of the division races ended up decided by at least 11 games, so a close race on July 4 doesn't mean a close race in September.

2016: 18 teams within five games of the playoffs, two division races within 4½ games

By the end of the season, 14 teams were within five games of the playoffs and the closest division races were four games.

2015: 20 teams within five games of the playoffs, five division races within 4½ games

A lot of teams were in the mix on July 4, but not many were in the mix late in September. The closest division race ended up being the NL Central (the Cardinals won 100, the Pirates 98, the Cubs 97) and that was the one division not close on July 4. The Astros beat the Angels by a game for the second AL wild card.

2014: 17 teams within five games of the playoffs, six division races within 4½ games

Two division races ended up going down to the wire (Tigers over Royals by a game, Cardinals over Pirates by a game, although it was the Brewers who led on July 4). The A's edged out the Mariners by a game for the second wild card.

Biggest division lead for a team that ultimately missed the playoffs: The 2015 Nationals were 4½ games up on the Mets on July 4. They went 38-43 after that and the Mets went 49-31 to win the division by eight games.

Biggest lead for any playoff spot for a team that missed the playoffs: Those 2018 Mariners who were up seven on the A's for the second AL wild card. Seattle went 34-41 the rest of the way while Oakland went 49-26.

Biggest lead for a team that blew a division lead: The 2016 Giants were up five on the Dodgers, but the Dodgers ended up winning the division by four games. The Giants did get a wild-card spot.

So, bottom line: We might end up with only one close division race. If that's what develops, the baseball gods better gift us with a seven-team tie for a couple of wild-card spots in the National League and a five-way tie for the NL Central.

But where does your team stand? Let's break the league into five playoff tiers, with playoff odds courtesy of FanGraphs (entering Tuesday):

Jump to ... Other favorites | Still in it | Hopes are slim | Plan those October vacations

LOOKING LIKE LOCKS

Los Angeles Dodgers (100%): It feels as if one of the most underappreciated stories of the season is the Dodgers being on a 107-win pace. I get it, the Red Sox won 108 last season. But the Red Sox did it in a sad-sack American League where three teams lost 100 games and two more lost 95-plus. The Dodgers are doing it in a much more balanced league from top to bottom. Of course, the bullpen remains flawed and maybe that's why we don't think of the Dodgers as a superteam.

Houston Astros (99.5%): That recent seven-game losing skid erased some of their invincibility, but the Astros are just getting their full lineup back together, Yordan Alvarez has added a booming left-handed stick and the bullpen depth is excellent. On paper, they should still rule the West: FanGraphs projects 100 wins and a 15-win edge over the A's in the final standings. Still, I would suggest they're more vulnerable than the 98.6% odds to win the division that FanGraphs gives them. The Rangers and A's aren't as strong on paper, but they're close enough that stranger things have happened.

New York Yankees (99.2%): Even with the concerns about the starting rotation, it's starting to look as if the Yankees might run away with the AL East as the Rays staggered in June and the Red Sox -- as we saw in London -- continue to have major pitching issues.

Minnesota Twins (97.3%): They haven't just beat up on the AL Central, as they're 17-9 versus the AL East and 14-6 versus the AL West. Their seven-game lead over the Indians appears safe as FanGraphs gives them a 92% chance of winning the division. They lead the majors in home runs and batting average as the week kicks off, so any trade additions will probably come on the pitching front.

Atlanta Braves (94.1%): Where's this four-team NL East bob and weave we expected? The Braves pulled away with a 20-8 record in June, and the promotion of Austin Riley and addition of Dallas Keuchel have given them even more depth. Like seemingly every other team, they'll be on the prowl for bullpen help, but after hitting .277/.352/.520 in June, this lineup looks very deep and very scary.

THE OTHER FAVORITES RIGHT NOW

Tampa Bay Rays (77.7%): As the Yankees surged in June, the Rays went 13-16 and fell from 1½ games out of first to seven games behind. They need to get Blake Snell rolling again and maybe his Sunday start (12 K's, three hits in six innings) will get him back to Cy Young form. Rookie call-up Brendan McKay looked terrific in his major league debut Saturday and All-Star Charlie Morton and Yonny Chirinos have been excellent. It will be up to the offense for the Rays to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Chicago Cubs (75%): They entered the week tied with the Brewers, but FanGraphs likes the on-paper Cubs more than the on-paper Brewers, giving Chicago 61.4% odds to win the division compared to 26.3% for the Brewers. The Cubs do have a big advantage in run differential (plus-64 runs to minus-4), but these teams feel much closer in talent. The Cubs also continue to struggle on the road, with a 16-25 record and 4-14 over their past 18.

Washington Nationals (61.8%): FanGraphs projects a .555 winning percentage the rest of the way, second best in the NL behind the Dodgers. Those playoff odds include a 19% chance of winning the division and a 42.8% chance of a wild-card berth. They have the stars, but the bullpen continues to be one of the worst in MLB history with a 6.30 ERA. Fix that -- somehow -- and maybe they find a way to sneak into October.

Boston Red Sox (57.3%): How many times have we said "bullpen" so far? The Red Sox have 17 blown saves (at any point in the game), second worst in the majors behind the Mets. Amazingly, they actually lead the majors in bullpen strikeout rate -- which proves that there's more to pitching than strikeouts.

Milwaukee Brewers (54.7%): The Cubs and Brewers still have 13 games left against each other -- six games in 10 days in late July/early August, three games at Wrigley at the end of August and a four-game series at Milwaukee the following weekend. But they don't play the final three weeks and both teams finish with season-ending road trips. I think the NL Central goes down to the wire once again.

DEFINITELY STILL IN IT

Cleveland Indians (44.2%): A lot can go wrong in a baseball season. On Opening Day, FanGraphs pegged the Indians as a 97-win team with an 89% chance of winning the division and a 95% chance of making the playoffs. Then Francisco Lindor missed the start of the season, Corey Kluber got hurt, Mike Clevinger got hurt, Jose Ramirez went from MVP candidate to hitting like Rafael Ramirez, and Carlos Carrasco came down with a blood condition. Oh, and they don't score enough runs. Yet somehow the Indians began the week just a half-game out of a wild-card spot. Give a lot of credit to Terry Francona, pitching coach Carl Willis and the organizational pitching depth (and an 8-1 record against the Tigers).

Colorado Rockies (25%): The Rockies have four All-Star position players, so the offense is great and the pitching is mediocre, right? Not so fast. The Rockies are actually second in the NL in road ERA, but they are just 20-23 away from home. As always, scoring runs on the road remains on issue. The other issue is the back of the rotation. Kyle Freeland, fourth in last year's Cy Young voting, struggled so much he's back in Triple-A (with a 11.12 ERA). German Marquez and Jon Gray have been terrific, but Colorado certainly could use another starter, although it hasn't been in the Rockies' DNA to make a big midseason trade even as they made the playoffs the past two seasons.

Philadelphia Phillies (24.9%): Other than a four-game sweep against the Mets last week, it has been a tough three weeks for the Phillies. They've given up five or more runs in 13 of their past 20 games. Don't put all the blame on the pitching, however, as the Phillies are eighth in the NL in runs and 11th in home runs despite their hitter-friendly home park. Offseason additions Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura have been OK, but not as OK as expected. As they go in the second half, so might the Phillies' season.

St. Louis Cardinals (20.5%): The Cardinals are sitting at .500 and they're projected to finish at .500. Maybe this is just a .500 team -- especially when Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina are each sitting with below-average OPS. They'll have to figure out the back of games without Jordan Hicks and need better second halves from Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas, but the playoff hopes seem to rest on the expensive shoulders of their three 30-something veteran hitters.

Oakland Athletics (17.3%): Here come the A's, setting themselves up for another patented second-half run, a hallmark throughout the Billy Beane era. After going 14-18 through April, they went 15-10 in May and 17-11 in June with a plus-70 run differential those two months. Maybe the biggest surprise is that the A's are fourth in the AL in rotation ERA, although Frankie Montas (9-2, 2.70 ERA) is in the midst of an 80-game PED suspension. (He'll be ineligible for the playoffs if the A's make it.) It will be interesting to see what moves Beane makes. Last year, he traded for Jeurys Familia, Mike Fiers, Shawn Kelley and Fernando Rodney. Top prospect Jesus Luzardo is off the injured list and has made two starts in Triple-A, so he could help the rotation in a few weeks as well.

San Diego Padres (12%): Did we mention the NL wild-card race is crowded? Heading into Tuesday's games, seven teams were separated by only two games. In other words: Maybe this is the year the baseball gods give us that seven-way tie for two wild-card spots. In more words: Fernando Tatis Jr., Franmil Reyes, Manny Machado and Hunter Renfroe make this one of the most exciting lineups in the game. Not one of the best -- they strike out too much and don't walk -- but the first half has been intriguing enough and the farm system is so deep that maybe A.J. Preller makes a couple of additions at the trade deadline. The Padres haven't made the postseason since 2006, so they might have more incentive for a wild-card push than other organizations.

Arizona Diamondbacks (12%): The Diamondbacks lost Goldschmidt, Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock, but give them credit for not just tearing things down and rebuilding. They've remained competitive, in large part due to the continued excellence of Zack Greinke plus the breakout performances of Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar. They're in the same boat as the Padres: What do you do at the trade deadline when it's all about getting into a 50-50 coin-flip game?

Texas Rangers (5.4%): Those odds feel low given the Rangers entered Tuesday in possession of a wild-card spot (a half-game ahead of the Indians and A's). FanGraphs projects just a .463 winning percentage the rest of the way and it's certainly easy to see some regression here: Mike Minor and Lance Lynn will be hard-pressed to repeat their first-half numbers -- they rank first and fourth in the AL in pitching WAR. But maybe Minor and Lynn are just having career seasons.

NOT OUT OF IT, BUT HOPES ARE SLIM

Cincinnati Reds (7.2%): This is frustrating. The Reds finally have a good rotation (second-best ERA in the NL), but the offense has struggled and the bullpen hasn't been clutch (24th in the majors in the FanGraphs "clutch" index). The Reds are 39-44 and 4½ games out of a wild-card spot and just 5½ behind the Brewers, but they do have a plus-37 run differential, fifth best in the NL and are 39 runs better than the Brewers, which is why their playoff odds still hover this high. Still, they have a lot of teams to jump over and they could end up being sellers if they don't get on a hot streak soon.

New York Mets (6.6%): FanGraphs projects a rest-of-season winning percentage of .518 -- better than the Phillies, Brewers and Rockies -- so we can't count the Mets out just yet. Hey, it's not inconceivable for Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler to perform much better in the second half. Still, it will take a 10-game winning streak just to get back over .500, and the bullpen is a complete disaster right now. I'll take the under on that 6.6%.

Pittsburgh Pirates (6.2%): They're ahead of the Reds in the standings and have received a breakout season from Josh Bell, plus surprising rookie seasons from Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman, but they lack power. And with Chris Archer struggling and Jameson Taillon on the IL, the rotation -- supposedly the strength of the team -- has been a letdown. They have 27 games left against the Cubs and Cardinals -- 35% of their remaining schedule.

Los Angeles Angels (2.2%): The devastating death of Tyler Skaggs will be a difficult emotional hurdle to overcome. From a baseball standpoint, he'd also been their best starting pitcher (7-7, 4.29 ERA). The Angels have a tough schedule the rest of the way, including 17 games against the Astros -- somehow they've played them only twice so far. They also have two series against the Red Sox, one at Yankee Stadium and two games at Dodger Stadium. It looks like another season with Mike Trout watching the playoffs on TV.

Chicago White Sox (0.1%): The White Sox have probably overachieved just to be a few games under .500 as FanGraphs forecasts some big-time regression in the second half (.425 winning percentage the rest of the way). Lucas Giolito and James McCann have been two of the biggest surprises and made the All-Star team. Yoan Moncada has already surpassed last year's WAR, and Eloy Jimenez has shown why he'll be an elite slugger. At least they're interesting for the first time in a long time.

TIME TO PLAN THOSE CARIBBEAN VACATIONS FOR OCTOBER

San Francisco Giants: Thanks to one of the best bullpens in the game, the Giants haven't been a complete disaster in 2019, but the long rebuild is just beginning. Some of those relievers will be traded, Madison Bumgarner might be traded and six of the eight players with the most plate appearances are 30 or older.

Seattle Mariners: The season is disappointing only in the context of that 13-2 start. The Mariners didn't expect to contend and this is a bad baseball team, especially horrid on defense and in the bullpen. Jerry Dipoto has already churned through 32 pitchers (not including position players) and 15 of the 32 have an ERA over 6.00. Yuck. A few bright spots: Daniel Vogelbach hits bombs and draws walks; J.P. Crawford has hit since his call-up; the Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade looks good with those two struggling and Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn making the Futures Game.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays' .372 winning percentage would be their first below .450 since 2004 and their worst since a .349 mark in 1981. That was one bad baseball team. They hit .226 and averaged just 3.1 runs per game. However, they had three 21-year-old outfielders named Jesse Barfield, George Bell and Lloyd Moseby who became the foundation of the 1985 playoff team, the first in franchise history. This Jays team will hope that Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette (probably called up in the second half) will be this generation's version of Barfield, Bell and Moseby. Now they just need a Dave Stieb.

Miami Marlins: The Marlins actually have played respectable baseball for the past month and a half. Since a 10-31 start through May 15, they've gone 22-20. There isn't much offense here and it's not even a young lineup (the average position player age is older than league average), but the starting rotation is young and has been effective.

Kansas City Royals: The Royals are probably the most interesting of the bottom-feeders thanks to Adalberto Mondesi's all-world excitement, Hunter Dozier's breakout at the plate and Whit Merrifield's all-around excellence. They will be tempted to trade Merrifield -- he's a perfect fit for the Dodgers -- and given that he's 30 years old, they should at least listen very closely to offers for him.

Detroit Tigers: Well, the Tigers are last in the AL in runs, home runs, average, OBP and slugging. They've averaged 3.42 runs per game in a league that has averaged 4.81 per game. Put it this way: Their wRC+ (adjusted for league and park) of 75 would be the third worst since 2000, better only than the 2004 Diamondbacks (74) and 2013 Marlins (74). Their big question: Do they cash in on the strong seasons of starter Matthew Boyd and closer Shane Greene? I'd keep Boyd and hope for a future rotation built around him, Spencer Turnbull, Casey Mize and Matt Manning. That seems the best/only hope to get back into playoff contention by 2021 or 2022.

Baltimore Orioles: The 2002-03 Tigers went 55-106 and 43-119. In 2006, they were in the World Series. The 2012-13 Astros went 55-107 and 55-111. In 2015, they were in the playoffs and in 2017 they won the World Series. Don't give up, Orioles fans!