Preview/Prediction

The Kansas City Royals (69-64) had won 11 straight games Danny Duffy (11-2, 3.01 ERA) started until he got hammered by the Boston Red Sox in his last outing Saturday.

Baseball fans who remember last winter's free-agent frenzy should hold on to those memories, for the upcoming crop of unsigned talent is shaping up to be one of the weakest in recent memory, especially when it comes to starting pitching.

That's why many, including Bleacher Report's Jacob Shafer, believe that the trade market could be the driving force behind much of the coming offseason's most notable, game-changing moves.

Roughly five weeks are left in the 2016 MLB regular season, and while the playoff picture is taking shape, there is still a lot to be decided before October.

In the American League, 10 legitimate contenders remain. The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers have a strong hold on their respective division leads, but the AL East is a three-team race, and the two wild-card spots are wide-open.

There's no official deadline for MLB teams to strike a trade through revocable waivers, but playoff contenders have until Wednesday to make a deal that can factor into the postseason.

Any player acquired after Aug. 31 is not eligible for his new club's playoff roster, so a postseason hopeful must hurry if it foresees an acquisition producing in October. It's not a far-fetched scenario, as Chase Utley and Addison Reed played postseason baseball for teams that traded for them last August.

Two division leaders will clash at Chavez Ravine on Friday night when the Chicago Cubs visit the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a key three-game series.

The Cubs had a day off Thursday and will play the seventh game of their nine-game West Coast road trip as a small -110 betting favorite at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

A month ago, it looked like the defending World Series champions, the Kansas City Royals, were nothing more than an afterthought in the playoff picture. As we prepare to head into the final month of baseball's regular season, though, the Royals sit in the thick of the AL playoff race.

But Kansas City isn't the only team making noise. Has an untimely injury knocked a contender out of the running? Does a slugger's desire to stay with his current team mean that he will?

We'll hit on all that and more in this week's edition of Fact or Fiction. 

There are roughly six weeks left in the 2016 MLB regular season, and while the playoff picture is taking shape, there is still a lot to be decided between now and October.

In the American League, there are 10 teams that can still be called legitimate contenders. The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers have a strong hold on their respective division leads, but the AL East is a three-team race and the two wild-card spots are wide-open.

Normally, the free-agent market commands the baseball universe's attention for most of the offseason. That's about to change.

With one of the weakest free-agent classes in recent history set to hit the open market, teams are going to turn their attention to the trade market in an attempt to plug the holes on their respective rosters, while others will be looking to move veterans to clear space for an upstart youngster.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (69-55) maintained their spot atop the National League West division standings Monday with an 18-9 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds.

Predicting some of the division races that are all but official—such as the National League Central—would just be adding fluff to any set of MLB playoff projections. 

But several races will provide us with great theater during the latter portion of the MLB season. So, whether you agree or not, consider this your Playbill for baseball's hotly contested races.

But to agree or disagree you have to read on, right?