Breakdown: National League contenders' needs

Yesterday, I looked at what the contending teams in the American League need for the second half of the season. Today, I'll look at the list of needs for the National League contenders.

Atlanta Braves -- The pitching is sound, and the offense has been pretty good. However, they could use some more out of B.J. Upton, who has been swinging the bat better over the last 10 days with three multi-hit games.

Washington Nationals -- They're still in this discussion, even though they are one game below .500. Getting Bryce Harper back in the lineup is a priority, but the Nats need even more help at the plate as they've managed to score only 263 runs.

St. Louis Cardinals -- They don't need any help at the plate. They don't need any help in the starting rotation. Their bullpen is mostly sound, even without the injured Jason Motte. I don't think they need to do anything at this point.

Pittsburgh Pirates -- We've seen the Pirates have great starts the last two years, only to falter down the stretch when their pitching and their hitting fail them. The offense looks sound right now, but the Bucs could stand to add an experienced arm to their rotation -- someone who knows how to win in the months of August and September.

Cincinnati Reds -- The quartet of Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Shin-Soo Choo have been raking for the Reds, but the rest of the lineup needs to get in on the action. Maybe making a trade for a clutch hitter would put the Reds over the top.

Arizona Diamondbacks -- The biggest need right now is getting a better closer than Heath Bell, who owns a 5.02 ERA. If they can secure the back end of the bullpen, the D-backs may have a shot at winning the National League West.

San Francisco Giants -- The defending World Series champions used to have one of the best pitching rotations in the game, but I believe they need to add a quality starter now to offset the decline seen in Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Also, they need to find a clutch hitter with runners in scoring position because while the Giants have one of the top team batting averages in baseball (.273), they're only in the middle of the pack in terms of runs scored (316).

Colorado Rockies -- It's pretty simple. The Rockies need to fix their pitching staff because they are among the worst in the majors in quality starts (31) and batting average allowed (.263). They probably won't get all the starters they need in trades, but getting at least one would be a big help.

San Diego Padres -- To stay relevant the rest of the way, the Padres should pick up a big bat to anchor their offense. After all, any team that has Will Venable leading the way in home runs (10 this season, 55 for his career) is in need of a new power source.