MLB trade deadline: Should your favorite team hold tight or exit?

The hardball referendums are coming. The trade deadline is Aug. 1.

So we ask regarding those teetering teams and their baseball seasons, remain or, eeewww, leave?

Cincinnati Reds

NL Central: 22 games back.

NL wild card: 12 ½ back.

Walt Jocketty and Dick Williams saw this coming in December, when Todd Frazier headed to Chicago, then again in February, when Jay Bruce was headed to Toronto until he wasn’t. Well, it’s been every bit as gloomy as predicted, and that Joey Votto contract isn’t going anywhere. So, shortstop Zack Cozart, second baseman Brandon Phillips, right-hander Dan Straily, and especially Bruce in the coming month, like Frazier, Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and anything else not nailed down in the past year, could go.

Bruce, whose limited no-trade protection extends to eight teams, could be a free agent at the end of the season. A team option for 2017 is worth $13 million. Seems reasonable for a 29-year-old left-handed hitter having a career year.

An easy one.

Verdict: Brexit.

Atlanta Braves

NL East: 19 ½ games back.

NL wild card: 15 back.

The Braves figured on 2016 as a transition year, given 2015’s transition year cost them 95 losses. It got ugly fast, like April fast, which is a helluva run-up to a new ballpark, but here they are. Bud Norris is a no-brainer. If there’s interest, and he has popped a 2.15 ERA since his return to the rotation almost a month ago, the Braves should not wait. As for Julio Teheran, he’s been pitching since late April like he’s identified a way out. He is under contract through 2020, reasonably. And Freddie Freeman is steady and productive again, raking in June.

A massive fix is required here.

Verdict: Frexit.

Los Angeles Angels

AL West: 19 games back.

AL wild card: 9 ½ back.

The Angels are a bit of a wreck, the result of too many rash decisions leading to a payroll Arte Moreno no longer seems particularly comfortable with and a farm system thinner than a rally monkey tail. All of this made the Angels particularly vulnerable to injuries, and those arrived hard and fast, which means Billy Eppler, in his first year as GM, has a chance to make something of his second year as GM. Out goes Yunel Escobar, maybe two or three guys from the bullpen (Joe Smith, Huston Street), Hector Santiago, and whatever else is lying around.

Poor Mike Trout.

Verdict: Trexit.

San Diego Padres

NL West: 16 games back.

NL wild card: 8 ½ back.

While GM A.J. Preller seeks something that works in San Diego, the Padres have played themselves into the same old corner. Preller jettisoned James Shields just in time following a winter that signaled similar retreat, and has the same decisions coming regarding Fernando Rodney and Melvin Upton and Derek Norris and Matt Kemp and beyond. The Jon Jay injury eliminates one short-term decision. Now the hard work. What’s this team look like come 2017 and beyond? How does it routinely compete against the Giants and Dodgers?

That’s why it hired A.J. Preller.

Verdict: Prexit.

Tampa Bay Rays

AL East: 14 games back.

AL wild card: 8 ½ back.

How bold do the Rays get? A franchise built on the backs of good, smart, charismatic, young pitchers can’t abandon that, can it? No, of course not. On the other hand, the offense stinks again. And the best available starter on the market, if it’s not Teheran or Tyson Ross or Sonny Gray, could be Jake Odorizzi. There are prospects out there in Boston and L.A. and Chicago that could be difficult to pass up, and maybe shouldn’t be. Evan Longoria, who should not be dealt, needs help. Given where they are and how they’re trending, the Rays would be best off surrendering.

Verdict: Odorexit.

New York Yankees

AL East: 9 games back.

AL wild card: 3 ½ back.

It’s looked bad at times. OK, it’s looked bad a lot. But, hey, Carlos Beltran! And CC Sabathia!

Sure, they could offload Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. Does that sound like the Yankees to you?

Maybe it’s pride, maybe it’s the short ride back to a wild-card spot, maybe it’s their adherence to what they once were, but the Yankees probably stick it out. One caution: The Yankees roll into the deadline after series against the Indians, Red Sox, Orioles, Giants and Astros. Life in pinstripes could change fast.

Verdict: Remain.

Oakland A’s

AL West: 17 games back.

AL wild card: 7 back.

If you’re still trying to think along with the A’s you’re probably trying too hard. Anyway…

Sonny Gray hasn’t been very good. That’s a problem. Rich Hill is hurt. Another problem. Billy Beane and David Forst would seem to be open to moving the likes of Josh Reddick, Danny Valencia, Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle, etc.

Something will happen here. The most interesting part is whether they’d think about trading Gray in a down year for him. He’s too good of a pitcher for this to continue, but at the moment that’d be what they’re selling.

Verdict: Grexit.

Philadelphia Phillies

NL East: 12 ½ games back.

NL wild card: 8 back.

They were so fun for a month. Then they were the Phillies. The guys here are Jeremy Hellickson, a starter who seems to have settled on a 4.5 ERA and will be a free agent after the season, and Jeanmar Gomez, a former starter and decent reliever who has proved he can pitch the ninth inning. He’d be sporty in a set-up role somewhere.

Verdict: Phrexit.

Colorado Rockies

NL West: 11 games back.

NL wild card: 4 back.

Where will CarGo? Maybe nowhere. He’s due the rest of $17 million this season and another $20 million in 2017 before free agency. Plenty of contenders could use the elegant Carlos Gonzalez, who remains in the top tier of outfielders, mashes right-handed pitching and – because you have to ask – is OPSing .792 away from Coors Field.

It’s been half-a-decade since the Rockies had a winning record and the pitching thing is always going to be an issue. They’re hanging in there, however, and if they stay healthy in spots, and get healthy in others (Tyler Chatwood), the rest of the NL wild card teams don’t look especially unbeatable.

Verdict: Remain.

Milwaukee Brewers

NL Central: 16 games back.

NL wild card: 6 ½ back.

David Stearns, another rookie GM with a lot on his hands, rolled into 2016 apparently eons behind three divisional teams. Three months later, the Brewers aren’t so far removed from the Cardinals or the Pirates. That, of course, has more to do with the uneven seasons of those two clubs than anything dramatic out of the Brewers.

With outfielder Ryan Braun (due about $86 million through 2020) and catcher Jonathan Lucroy (due about $2 million for the rest of 2016 with an option for $5.25 in 2017) in the balance, the Brewers still have a ton of in-division games remaining. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

Verdict: Brauxit.

Arizona Diamondbacks

NL West: 14 games back.

NL wild card: 6 ½ back.

Several months ago, the Diamondbacks couldn’t have been more all-in if they’d loaded the franchise into one of those Game of Thrones catapults and shot it over the walls of Dodger Stadium and AT&T Park. Funny about the best-laid plans, particularly those that included an upright A.J. Pollock and a No. 2 Shelby Miller.

There’s no going back now (you know, unless somebody really, really wants a reliever).

Verdict: Remain.

Seattle Mariners

AL West: 11 ½ games back.

AL wild card: 2 back.

On the bright side, Jerry Dipoto’s and Scott Servais’ former team is just terrible. Neither is likely to pull the plug on the Mariners over one lousy month, even if it were this kind of lousy:

Record: 9-17

Starters’ ERA: 5.00

Relievers’ ERA: 4.47

Felix Hernandez: 0 starts (calf)

Hernandez will return. Kyle Seager will hit. If anything, the Mariners would be well served to add a reliever or two. They ought to check in with the Angels.

Verdict: Remain.

Pittsburgh Pirates

NL Central: 14 games back.

NL wild card: 4 ½ back.

The Pirates’ mediocrity was one of the surprises of the season until June, when their mediocrity took a jarring turn for the worse. That’s what happens when your pitching posts a 5 ½ ERA for a month, that primarily due to a rotation that can rely on Gerrit Cole and only Gerrit Cole, and Gerrit Cole spends three weeks on the disabled list.

Amid speculation they could trade outfielder Andrew McCutchen and/or closer Mark Melancon, the Pirates have four games in St. Louis and three against the Cubs over a week leading into the All-Star Game.

Until then …

Verdict: Remain.

Minnesota Twins

AL Central: 21 games back.

AL wild card: 15 1/2 back.

Ervin Santana could rustle up some interest as a back-end starter. He’s owed $13.5 million for the next two seasons with a vesting option in 2019. Other than that, the Twins are pretty much left to play it out.

Verdict: Twexit.

Chicago White Sox

AL Central: 8 1/2 games back.

AL wild card: 3 back.

They’ve come a quite a ways to quit now, wouldn’t you say?

Nobody talks about trading Chris Sale anymore, the schedule is soft leading to the deadline, and the White Sox already have added James Shields and – on the cheap – Justin Morneau.

If anything, the White Sox, who already have a white flag in their past, ought to go find some runs somewhere.

Verdict: Remain.

Detroit Tigers

AL Central: 7 ½ games back.

AL wild card: 2 back.

The Tigers are 0-9 against the Indians. That’s not great. Bright side, only 10 more games against the Indians.

The J.D. Martinez injury did some damage to a team that needs as many runs as it can get, that due to a choppy rotation, along with a bullpen that has had its troubles but is better lately.

The Tigers offloaded Yoenis Cespedes and David Price last summer, and there almost certainly would be interest in, say, Francisco Rodriguez come late July. It would be difficult to sell out from under Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Michael Fulmer, Ian Kinsler and the rest. But not impossible.

They’ll need more time to decide. Meantime…

Verdict: Remain.

A WEEK BEHIND:

Good for Jose Reyes, I guess. He’s learned – or says he’s learned – the importance of being a good husband and father.

He’s 33, maybe a little old for that sort of awakening. Not that human decency carries an age requirement.

If Reyes never played another game, that would be OK. If he returns to the Mets and revives his career, that’s OK too. Doesn’t mean you have to believe in him. Or trust him. Or take his word he is sorry and accepts he made a mistake – the word hardly does his alleged actions justice – and will prove himself worthy of continuing his baseball career as a Met.

Whatever. Doesn’t matter. Don’t waste your energy on any of that. There he is, in a professional baseball uniform.

Instead, root for Katherine, his wife. Root for his three daughters. Root for Reyes to be a better husband and father not for his sake, and not for his career’s sake, and not for the Mets’ sake, but for Katherine’s. She’s the one who has to believe.

A WEEK AHEAD:

The Marlins warm up with four games in Atlanta starting Thursday, and on Monday begin a three-game series against the Mets in New York.

They are happy and reasonably healthy, beat the Cubs three times in four games over the weekend, and Giancarlo Stanton is batting .359 over the past two weeks.

The Mets aren’t quite so happy or healthy.

SAW IT COMING:

Prince Fielder’s past eight games: .370, 2 homers, 2 doubles, 6 RBI, 1.135 OPS.

C’mon, man, he’s Prince Fielder.

DIDN’T SEE IT COMING:

The Cubs, in their last 41 games, are 23-18.

That’s, well, fine. They weren’t going to win 27 of every 35 forever.

And here’s the thing: while they were spending 41 games playing five games over .500, the rest of the NL Central – to some the best division in the game as of a couple months ago – was puttering along at the same pace.

Since May 14, when the Cubs were 27-8 and about the best team we’d ever seen and going to win the division by 100 games, they are 23-18, the Cardinals are 21-18, the Pirates are 19-24 and the Brewers are 19-20. And the Reds are … never mind.

The Cubs still pitch better than anybody. They hit better than most. Their defense is good enough. Depending on where you go for that sort of information, better than good enough.

No matter how capable a team is, baseball just happens, and the Cubs have won four of their last 14 one-run games. That’s part of it. The rest? Other teams are trying too. The take-away? The rest of the NL Central probably had its shot, and missed.