Major League Baseball's trade deadline will pass at 6 p.m. ET on July 31, leaving teams with just over two days to complete their summer shopping. Some clubs have already been active swappers: the Yankees have obtained two infielders (Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario),

St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley "is one of the most popular trade targets" ahead of the MLB trade deadline, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The New York Mets wasted little time making their first trade deadline move, acquiring Gregory Soto in a deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Returns thus

Just hearing things around the league and especially my Mets counterpart Will Sammon is really clued in,” Baggarly said. “He’s a really hard worker. One of our most plugged in beat writers I think in terms of what teams are thinking around the league.

To set the stage for the sprint to the deadline, here's a primer based on what I'm hearing from front office executives across the league.

The New York Mets have been linked to some trade rumors recently, some even indicating they could cut ties with young star Mark Vientos.

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Blue Jays keep on rising, Aaron Judge is hurting, the Tigers are slipping, the Mariners make the first big move before the trade deadline, Emmanuel Clase is probably not on the trade block anymore, rookie slugger Nick Kurtz has perhaps the best game by a hitter in MLB history, and much more:

This time of year, nearly all Major League Baseball discourse revolves around the Trade Deadline. For contenders like the Mets, most of that discussion is about the areas they can improve.