Rankings/List

The final weekend before the trade deadline is upon us, so all the rumors and speculation are dominating the discussion points across Major League Baseball at the moment.

That doesn't mean everything over the past week has been centered on what may or may not happen by July 31, though. Numerous players may be swapping shirts in the coming days, but there is still plenty of action on the field.

After watching the games, analyzing the numbers and dissecting the rumors, the most important narratives of the week have emerged. And here are the biggest takeaways.

With the All-Star Game behind us, it's time for the real season to begin. One advantage of Major League Baseball's extensive regular season is that it gives younger players plenty of time to develop.

The second half of the MLB season always features the emergence of several star players. Whether they are on a team chasing a division title, or in the midst of a rebuilding process, they should now be comfortable and see an increase in their performance level. 

Parity has been the story of the 2014 season.

With a little more than two months remaining in the regular season, the Detroit Tigers are the only team with a division lead of more than three games, as they currently hold a seven-game advantage over the Kansas City Royals in the American League Central.

After taking two of three against the Baltimore Orioles to open up the second half of the season, the Oakland Athletics host a three-game set against the Houston Astros, starting Tuesday. Houston visits the American League West leaders a mere 20.5 games back—however, the Astros proudly only sport the league’s second-worst record (41-58).

When handicapping baseball, most bettors start the process with starting pitching.

A great starting pitcher can completely take over a game and leave opposing offenses stymied. While a pitcher can do his part on the mound to hold back the opposing team's offense, there isn't much that he can do to get his own team's offense going.

Imagine what would happen if the Colorado Rockies were to put Troy Tulowitzki up for sale. The chance to trade for the best shortstop and one of the very best players in all of Major League Baseball would turn 29 teams into a frenzied pack of teenage girls at a One Direction concert. Or something to that effect.

Only a few times over baseball's regular season are fans from all 30 teams actively engaged with the goings-on around their team.

The days leading up to the July 31 trade deadline is one of those times.

Fans of teams out of the running want expensive veterans traded for younger talent that could help bring future success, while those who cheer for teams unsure of their contending status just want to see someone make a decision.

Superstar players generally steal the headlines at the trade deadline, and this year is no different with guys like David Price, Cole Hamels, Ben Zobrist and Alex Rios receiving the bulk of the attention.

That being said, there are always at least a few under-the-radar moves made in July that wind up as notable differences for contenders.

The Detroit Tigers' addition of Jose Veras, the Atlanta Braves' addition of Elliot Johnson and the Tampa Bay Rays' addition of David DeJesus come to mind as significant deals from a year ago.

Nine days until the July 31 MLB non-waiver trade deadline.

That means that Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has approximately 216 hours to decide if he wants to cash in several large trade chips. He could wait until after July 31, of course, but then he risks limiting his leverage by a considerable margin.

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline rapidly approaching, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the Tampa Bay Rays will trade David Price.

Should the Rays deal the Cy Young Award-winning left-hander, they are likely to receive a bounty of young talent (mostly prospects) in return. The team that acquires Price should get a big boost heading toward the playoffs.

However, as you'll see in the case studies below, trades are not always even.