MLB

Back in July, New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores teared up on the field after hearing he was being traded.

The deal fell through for the 24-year-old native of Venezuela, but he didn't know that at the time, and his eyes welled up with tears as he manned his position in the infield:

The Washington Nationals' playoff window continues to close with each game, but the team will at least give its fans some excitement in the form of Trea Turner. The Nats announced Friday they called up the 22-year-old shortstop.

The criticism has been shot with impunity, mostly because everyone with an Internet connection has done it, and the targets have been easy to hit.

As August comes to a close and September draws near, playoff baseball is just on the horizon.

The dog days of August have separated contenders from the pack, obliterated the pretenders back to earth and created some interesting playoff races. 

Anything can happen once a team makes the playoffs, so this article will be encouragement to fans as to why their team can do the distance this season. They'll have renewed and justified hope that their team can win the World Series in 2015.

There is still a lot of baseball to be played between now and the offseason, but it's never too early to look ahead at what promises to be an exciting winter around the league.

This year's free-agent class will be headlined by a trio of legitimate aces in David Price, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann. On the offensive side of things, Justin Upton, Chris Davis, Jason Heyward and Yoenis Cespedes highlight the top position players on the market.

With that in mind, what follows is an early free-agency preview for all 30 teams.

It's August 21, and just about three-fourths of the season is in the books. Some teams are rounding out their playoff rosters, gearing up for the chance at an extended run through late October. Others are bringing up prospects who, in some cases, have spent years in the minors. 

So what does all that mean? 

Don't start packing it in for the weekend already, because Friday is another chance to dominate in daily fantasy baseball. And with a full schedule to choose from, expect a lot of room for variance when it comes to Friday's guaranteed prize pools, or GPPs, for extra spending money this weekend.

Fantasy baseball players receive exposure to several new contributors once MLB's rosters expand to 40 on Sept. 1.

While odd to change the league's roster limitations as teams push for the playoffs, the rule benefits fantasy gamers vying for a championship. Talented youngsters stuck in the minors now get a taste for the big leagues.

Dynasty owners out of the hunt should use September to scout and stockpile future stars. Search the league's waiver wire for available prospects to stash for 2016 and beyond. This way, the stretch run will mean more in upcoming years.

There is a ton of big-time pitching available in Friday's daily fantasy baseball contests, which leaves you with plenty of options. However, don't think you need to draft the highest-priced players to have the best team.

Here is a look at some of the best and worst picks for August 21.

Players to Draft

Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners ($9,900)

NEW YORK — The best team ever didn't win.

No, that's not right. By definition, the best team ever is one that won.

However, the "BEST TEAM EVER!" didn't.

It was the 2011 Boston Red Sox, and we know it now as the team that collapsed in a mess of beer and fried chicken. But the day before Opening Day, we knew it as the team the Boston Herald called the "BEST TEAM EVER!"