Memorial Day, the All-Star break and trade deadline are three checkpoints on the regular-season calendar when pictures become clearer for players, managers and talent evaluators alike.
The third has passed with the dust settling on the deadline and it’s August now, finally time to lend some credence to the composition of the playoff picture. The order of seeds will change almost nightly between now and September 28 but the teams are basically set with the Phillies and Mets, Brewers and Cubs, Dodgers and Padres likely to form the six-team field. The Reds, four games out, are the closest competitor and every team beneath them sold or stood pat as July came to an end.