The trade deadline has been a vital time in baseball for years, and it appears to be gaining in importance in recent years.
Two years ago, the Chicago Cubs acquired closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees prior to the trade deadline, and the Cubs went on to over come a 108-year dry spell by defeating the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.
The Houston Astros followed in a similar route last year as they traded for starting pitcher Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers, and the Astros won their first World Series in team history.