The most important week of the season thus far; it's almost time to call the cards

This week, just eight days before the trade deadline, the Yankees can sniff close-up the pungent bait dangling in front of their noses.

Tuesday, they'll face Blake Snell, whose All-Star game appearance - (he was a replacement) - may have raised his price tag, in terms of what the Rays front office will demand. After backsliding in 2017, he's having a career year: 12-5 with a 2.27 ERA. (Compare to Luis Severino, who is 14-2, 2.31.) But in his last outing, he went only three against Detroit. Statistically, he is by far the best pitcher on the market. (Degrom is 5-4, 1.68, but it's National League.) My guess is he's why the Yankees are said to be offering Sonny Gray. Surely, any package for Snell would include Gray, plus multiple top-tier prospects. So, we'll see him, firsthand.

Wednesday, it's Nathan Eovaldi, who has gone at least six innings in six of his last seven starts. But in his last three, he's been cuffed around - an ERA of 5.17. He gives up home runs. But the Yankees know him well. He might just be an injury waiting to happen.

Could Cashman go after both, a blockbuster? It would be hugely expensive. Tampa has one of the smartest and most resourceful front offices in the game. (See their bullpen- starter innovation.) Along with Gray, Cashman would surely have to surrender Justus Sheffield, Estevan Florial, Albert Abreu - a trove of their long term future. Like the Mets, Tampa has a thing about hating the Yankees, whose local popularity and presence threatens their well being and agitates the Rays front office. They won't just take Higgy and the Tylers, Wade and Austin. They'll want liver, spleen, kidneys and a lot of blood.

Next up this week is KC, whose rotation is in shambles. Two weeks ago, they traded Kelvin Herrera, their closer, to Washington. Back then, we might have pondered Mike Moustakas in a trade. Now, with Greg Bird hitting, that's out. But the Royals represent a team-wide garage sale. Anybody can go. (And by the way, this is a three-game home series the Yanks must sweep. If we - gulp - lose two out of three, the tabloids will be screaming for a deal. In other words... Danger: Will Robinson...)

Thursday, Sonny pitches against KC. It might be the most important outing of his Yankee career. It's possible that Cashman has already decided to move on, and if Tampa moves Snell, Gray's outing - good or bad - would complicate matters on too many levels to ponder. I lap myself trying to fathom them.

Finally, Friday, July 31, we play Baltimore, a team for sale down to the subatomic level. If Chris Britton or Adam Jones are still with the team, it will almost surely be their last night as Orioles. Chris Davis, too. My guess is that none of them play, for fear of injuries. The O's probably won't deal with the Yankees, out of sheer hateful spite. The question is whether they'll flip Britton to Houston for next to nothing, just to maintain their Met-like vermin presence in the AL East.

Coming up: The most important week of the season, thus far. It's almost time to call the cards.