​The Athletics find themselves in an unenviable position, coming into the season with hopes of contending for a postseason berth, only to sit in a familiar 41-55 hole at the All-Star break. That record comes with the worst run differential in MLB at -106 and with the team currently riding a nine-game losing streak.Last season, even with a 1-20 stretch, they were 39-57 in that same 96-game stretch and showed more promise than the current team.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt certainly doesn’t help that the team is banged up, with Zack Gelof and Nick Kurtz both on the IL, while Brent Rooker is out for the year. That’s three pretty important bats for the club. Veteran starter Luis Severino has been on the IL since May 30, and since that point the club’s ERA has gone from 4.41 (23rd in MLB) to 6.48 (30th).The A’s should absolutely see how the team is performing immediately after the break, taking on the Washington Nationals (48-49) at home, followed by road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (49-47) and Minnesota Twins (48-49). All three clubs are hovering around .500, and will provide tests for this roster.If the A’s want to be kept together and afforded a shot to reach October baseball, those three series will be critical.The A’s don’t have another player they could move that would fetch a return like Mason Miller last summer. Their biggest trade piece could very well be another bullpen arm, however.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMark Leiter Jr. is a free agent at the end of the season and is only signed for $2.85 million this year, so an acquiring team wouldn’t be adding much to their books.While he struggled initially, giving up four earned against the Yankees in New York to blow a late lead early in the season, he’s actually been really good for most of the year — especially of late.Since April 10 he has racked up a 3.49 ERA. Since May 10, he has given up all of one run on eight hits and four walks across 17 innings, good for a 0.53 ERA.Teams would certainly be interested in a thriving bullpen arm. The A’s would also have every reason to trade him, given that he’s an impending free agent.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe’s not likely to fetch a big return, but he could land a top-30 prospect or two in a contending team’s farm system.The only two other expiring contracts the A’s have are Aaron Civale and Jonah Heim. Both have their selling points, and their warts.Civale has struggled since returning from the IL, making five starts and racking up just 19 innings to the tune of a 9.00 ERA. Among the 254 pitchers that have accumulated at least 10 innings since June 17 (when Civale returned from the IL), he ranks 245th in ERA.It also doesn’t help the team that in that same span, Jack Perkins (8.64 ERA) and Jeffrey Springs (10.13 ERA) rank 243rd and 249th among players with at least ten innings.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCivale may be more of a DFA candidate than a trade piece this summer.As for Jonah Heim,