Five Big Things: Are the Rays sellers? Or have they turned into contenders?

Five Big Things is Big League Stew's look at the week ahead in MLB action, examining storylines and matchups you should keep an eye on.

1. WHO ARE THESE RAYS?
We still don't know what to make of the Tampa Bay Rays.

They looked like dead meat, trade-deadline sellers not that long ago, but the Rays have gotten hot over the past month. They're 15-5 in July and winners of nine of their past 10, making them 51-54 on the season. They're 7 1/2 games out in the AL East and 4 1/2 back from the second Wild Card spot. In other words: The Rays are, statistically, very much alive.

This week they play the Milwaukee Brewers, tops in the NL Central, and the Los Angeles Angels, the second-best team in baseball. Combine that with the impending trade deadline, and we'll find out just who this team is.

Will they trade David Price and a few of their other pieces that could help a contender, like Ben Zobrist? Will they hold steady and try to make a run at that Wild Card spot? We've assumed for months the Rays were done, but they might have just found enough life to avoid being sold for pieces as the clock ticks toward July 31.

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2. THE TRADE DEADLINE IS HERE, DUH

This is No. 2 on our list, but it's obviously the No. 1 story of the week. Baseball is consumed with trade talk this week as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches. Trades matter more to fans this week than the action on the field. Lots of players could be on the move and lots more could stay exactly where they are. It's an interesting market out there. There are only seven, maybe eight, teams legitimately done for the season.

There are a whole lot of teams like the Rays that are in-between being playoff contenders and bottom-feeders. That could mean more trades, but it could also mean less. David Price, Jon Lester, Matt Kemp and Troy Tulowitzki are dominating the rumor mill as the big-name players to be had, but there’s a chance none of them move. We recommend you take a gander at Jeff Passan's latest column for plenty of trade talk.

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3. MUST-SEE PITCHING MATCHUP: FELIX HERNANDEZ VS. COREY KLUBER

Mariners vs. Indians might not be the most intriguing matchup of the week, but it is when Felix Hernandez and Corey Kluber are matched up on the mound for their respective teams Wednesday night. Hernandez, 11-2 with a 1.99 ERA, has been absolutely brilliant this season, starting the All-Star game and making himself the front-runner for the AL Cy Young. Kluber, meanwhile, has had a breakout season at 10-6 with a 2.77 ERA. He's become the Indians' ace in the process. His last time out, he was perfect into the seventh inning. He’s struck out 10 batters in three of his last four games.

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4. MUST-SEE SERIES: DODGERS VS. BRAVES

The Los Angeles Dodgers, back atop the NL West after sweeping the Giants, get a visit from the Atlanta Braves, hoping to get back atop the NL East themselves. The Braves are a game and a half behind the Washington Nationals at the moment in the NL East and tied with the San Francisco Giants in the Wild Card standings.

The Dodgers, of course, knocked the Braves out of the playoffs last season. The stakes aren't so high right now, but they could certainly meet again in the postseason. Their three-game series starts Tuesday and concludes Thursday with a stellar pitching matchup — Clayton Kershaw vs. Julio Teheran.

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5. CAN THE REDS GET IT TOGETHER?

Two weeks ago, the Cincinnati Reds were a game and a half out in the NL Central. They were part of the same Brewers-Cards-Pirates logjam, but they seemed to have some life. Today, they’re at .500 in the standings, 52-52, after going 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Reds are six games behind in the division and 4 1/2 games out from a Wild Card spot. They're another in-betweener. The Reds obviously have talent, but they've been riddled with injuries to the point where there might not be any going back. The Reds play the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins this week, two teams they could turn it around against. But if they can't do it now, it might be too late.

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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

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