What happened: With the MLB trade deadline approaching, clubs across the league are starting to define themselves as buyers, sellers, or still-undecided teams weighing their direction. Front offices have a shrinking window to decide whether to add, subtract, or stand pat.

Why it matters: How teams sort themselves shapes both the pennant races and the market for available talent. The undecided clubs matter most, since which way they lean can tilt the supply of players and the balance of the races down the stretch.

What to watch: Watch which teams on the fence commit to buying or selling as the deadline draws closer.