The trade deadline looms. Send us your questions for our MLB mailbag

Around this time last year, Louis Varland was a reliever operating in relative obscurity for the Minnesota Twins. He did not crack The Athletic’s Big Board of impactful candidates at the trade deadline. But a deal that sent him to Toronto placed him into a position of prominence within the sport. Varland threw in 15 game for the Blue Jays, including six times in the seven-game classic World Series against the Dodgers. A year later, he made his first All-Star team.

Sometimes it can be hard to predict which trades will make a difference and which trades will mean very little. Mets executive David Stearns received plenty of praise for the additions he made to his bullpen last summer. None of those players, though, pitched in October, because the team collapsed and missed the postseason. It can be hard to judge successes and failures in the moment.

But hey, that’s what we’re here for!

The trade deadline is less than two weeks away. This coming mailbag will be your last chance to send us questions before everything gets settled on Aug. 3. So we want to hear what’s on your mind as the deadline approaches. Fire away in the comments, and we’ll get back to you next week.