The journeys are well under way. But there's still work to be done,
With two months remaining in the season, the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals are in prime positions to make it to the postseason. They have the best records in their respective leagues, which means homefield advantage in any potential playoff series.
That's good. But they need to be armed and dangerous to finish off the competition and get the state partying like it's 1985.
So who do you want?
Let's start with the Cardinals, because when you have the best record in all of baseball, it's more of a tweak than a gaping need.
First base has been a bit of a black hole on the offensive side all season. Matt Adams wasn't exactly tearing it up before he tore something up and had to go on the disabled list.
Adams' replacements - Mark Reynolds, Xavier Scruggs, Dan Johnson and Stephen Piscotty - haven't been standouts. They haven't had to be. Yet.
But when you get to the playoffs, you need a bat. The problem is, I'm not sure there's one available the Cardinals would want. Unless you think Ryan Howard can find the fountain of youth if he returns to his hometown. Or Adam LaRoche, who hasn't thrived after moving to the White Sox from the Nationals.
If you pick one, I'd pick LaRoche and hope his bad 2015 is the result of going to a new league and not Father Time knocking down the door of his career.
The Cardinals added a bullpen arm a couple of days ago when they got Steve Cishek. He had been the closer for the Marlins before struggling to start the season. But the right-hander has been solid since his return from the minors and he figures to take some of the pressure off the tired arms of the relievers, who have had to pitch on consecutive days way too often this season as Mike Matheny has worn down a path between the dugout and the mound at Busch Stadium.
Adding a starting pitcher would be a luxury, not a need. You can kick the tires on David Price and Cole Hamel, but the deal has to be just right for the Cardinals to make a move.
On the west side, the Royals need get past kicking the tires and take a test drive on a starting pitcher. Yordano Ventura's start today is key after his struggles so far this season and I don't know if you want to enter a playoff series with Edinson Volquez as your No. 1 starter, no matter how well he's pitched so far.
Scott Kazmir would have been good to get, but since the A's dealt him to the Astros and he blanked the Royals on Friday, let's line up the remainder of the suspects:
• Price and Hamels. Regarding Price, do the Tigers want to deal with the Royals? And vice versa? Then there's Hamel. The Phillies have reportedly been asking for the moon to any potential suitors and after Saturday's no-hitter, you can probably add Pluto to the equation.
• Then there's Reds' teammates Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. They would both be rentals, with contracts expiring at the end of the season. Either one would be the No. 1 starter in Kansas City.
Cueto is the top target, but it appears he is coveted by pretty much every team still in the race that doesn't play its home games at Busch Stadium. Leake would be an interesting addition, think of him as the 2015 edition of James Shields. And probably at a cheaper price than Cueto.
• Jeff Samardzija? Two words - no thanks.
I think the most likely deal will be with the Marlins to get either Dan Haren or Mat Latos. Not big names, but either one will help.
With Alex Gordon coming back in mid-September at best, an outfield bat would be helpful to an offense that has had problems putting runs on the board.
Ben Zobrist of the A's has been the name frequently mentioned in trade rumors and the Royals would be wise to add the outfielder/infielder for depth.
Getting the right pieces in the next week could go a long way in bringing us another I-70 World Series.