With more than two months of games left to be played, the playoff picture is far from decided.

But when the field is set for October’s MLB Playoffs, we may look back at the end of July as an ultimate determinant in which teams earned the right to vie for a World Series.

Among them quite possibly could be the news this week that Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw may need back surgery. There isn’t a pitcher in MLB who has had a better season and no arm more important to a team’s success.

MLB's trade deadline is fast approaching, and teams are beginning to declare whether they will be buyers or sellers in the market.

This year's non-waiver trade deadline is August 1, a day later than usual due to the fact that July 31 falls on a Sunday. 

Fact: Stephen Strasburg lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, his first loss since September 9th, 2015 (21 starts).

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

Source: B/R Insights

As the grind of the long MLB regular season takes its toll and some rosters begin to wilt in the summer sun, shoring up a pitching staff can be the key to maintaining consistency and stocking away wins before the final playoff push in the fall.

The San Francisco Giants (57-38) are winless since the All-Star break, losing five straight after closing out the first half of the year on a four-game winning streak.

We don't need Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma or Daphne to help us sniff out clues as to which MLB teams are looking to the future at this year's non-waiver trade deadline. With Aug. 1 fast approaching, we've got a good idea of who they'll be.

That said, looking to the future doesn't necessarily mean a team will be sellers. Buyers can be forward-looking as well. In fact, at least one last-place team with no chance of contending this season could be looking to buy—and buy big.

We are now less than two weeks away from the Aug. 1 non-waiver MLB trade deadline, and the trade market is starting to heat up.

There have already been a few notable trades since the All-Star break.

There is no shortage of big names on the block as we head toward the 2016 MLB trade deadline on Aug. 1.

As teams prepare for their playoff pushes, they want impact players who can make a difference for the rest of the regular season and beyond. Of course, those stars aren't going to come cheap. The contending squads will have to give up noteworthy talent in return, which this year also includes high-profile players.

Trade season is upon us, and while the Boston Red Sox have been the most aggressive team thus far, swinging deals for a starting pitcher (Drew Pomeranz) and reliever (Brad Ziegler) in recent weeks, the rest of baseball is sure to catch up in no time.

After all, the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline will be here before you know it. Considering how quickly the All-Star break seemed to arrive, the 11 shopping days that teams have left will pass in the blink of an eye.

That doesn't leave much time to answer some burning questions.

They sit across the negotiating table as adversaries, but Rob Manfred and Tony Clark are also partners.

As the commissioner of Major League Baseball and the head of its players union, respectively, Manfred and Clark have significant differences, but also common goals. There's little they agree on more than the need to bring the game to younger audiences, to increase baseball's appeal to the next generation.