Baseball is a long season.

We have all heard the cliché’ ‘The season is a marathon, not a sprint,’ probably close to a 1,000 times. But it still proves itself true every season.

We’ll see what happens over the final two months of the season with the Phillies, Mets, and Yankees. Currently, all three teams seem to be playoff bound, but don’t take anything for granted yet.

One major factor could be the MLB trading deadline this Tuesday. In most years, the hot, trending rumors never play into reality. So far, all three teams have made some moves. But the final day or two before the deadline is traditionally when a lot of the big moves happen.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column ­— investigating past and present trends with the Phillies, Mets, and Yankees as well as the overall game — I’ll look at some trading deadline moves among the three teams over the years, and rumored possibilities for this year.

Phil the Void ... It’s hard to dispute that the Phillies’ best trade deadline deal (It was in June in the 1970s and 1980s before changing to July) was Rick Wise for Steve Carlton in 1972.

But there were a couple of other deadline deals that proved important as well.

In 1977, the Phillies got Bake McBride in a move that further helped solidify their contender status.

And on this date in 2010, the Phils made a blockbuster deal when they acquired pitcher Roy Oswalt from Houston for fellow pitcher J.A. Happ and two prospects.

Oswalt went 7-1 with a 1.43 ERA in 13 games, and the Phillies won two of his three postseason starts. In his lone loss against the Giants in the NLCS, Oswalt allowed just one run in six innings.

The following season, Oswalt went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA, and left in free agency to sign with Texas.

Met The Need ... It was 55 years ago (wow, that long) that the Mets made a deadline deal that helped them win their first World Series in 1969.

They sent Steve Renko, Kevin Collins, Jay Carden, and David Colon to the Expos for first baseman Donn Clendenon.

Clendenon hit .252 with 12 homers in 71 games during the season, but he hit three homers in the World Series. He spent two more years with the Mets before he was dealt to the Cardinals.

Renko spent eight seasons with the Expos and was a solid, frontline pitcher despite playing with some poor teams.

Another deal with some similar results was when the Mets sent Neal Allen and Rick Ownby to the Cardinals in June 1983 for Keith Hernandez, who became a New York media icon.

Finally, there was the Yoenis Cespedes deal with Detroit in 2015 that provided a surge. Cespedes dominated the final months with 17 homers, 10 doubles and a 1.048 OPS and helped the Mets to the World Series.

Yankee Yielders ... As far as blockbuster trades for the Yankees at this time of year, the one on July 28, 1995 was one of the most important. That’s when the Yanks added pitcher David Cone from Toronto for three minor leaguers.

Cone was one of the major missing pieces for the new Bronx Bomber dynasty that won four World Series in five years. Cone also twirled a perfect game in June of 1999.

The Phillies also did the Yanks a favor when they sent Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle to the Bombers in a salary dump in 2006. Abreu spent three productive years with the Yanks, and was one of a few players to spend time with all three teams mentioned here, ending his career with the Mets in 2014.

On the other side of the coin, you may recall how the Yanks acquired Vida Blue from A’s in June 1976 during a Charlie Finley fire sale. But commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the deal along with Finley’s attempt to sell Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to the Red Sox.

Taking the Lead ... This season, the Phillies, Mets and Yankees have all already have gotten the jump in the competitive field of teams battling for a wildcard or a division title.

The Phillies made two moves that could have as much significance as their ‘70s deals.

Outfielder Austin Hays was an All-Star with the Orioles (16 homers, 67 RBIs, .275), a year ago before being slowed by injuries this season. Hays could be the consistent outfield bat the Phillies have been seeking, especially with Brandon Marsh slumping. He will be an upgrade from Christian Pache for whom he was traded along with Seranthony Dominquez. Hays also hits left handers well.

With Dominquez gone – he did slip the last two years – the Phils further shocked the baseball world when they acquired Angels’ closer Carlos Estevez the following day.

Estevez had saved 20 games with a 2.38 ERA and had 32 strikeouts and five walks in 34 innings. He also saved 31 games last year. However, he hasn’t played with a team with the Phillies’ caliber.

On the surface, the Phillies may have wrapped up the division with these deals.

Speaking of the Phillies, how about rookie right hander Tyler Phillips, who fired a complete game, four-hitter against Cleveland Saturday to raise his record to 3-0 in four starts?

But there is still a lot of season left.

Mets’ Mania ... Since they were 25-36 and appeared to be on a downward spiral, the Mets have won 30 of their last 43 games to become a wild card contender.

For the Mets, it has been all about chemistry. First-year skipper Carlos Mendoza has emerged as the NL Manager of the Year candidate, and shortstop Francisco Lindor is an MVP candidate. J.D. Martinez has been worth the wait from his late signing, and Jeff McNeil has found his mark again.

The Mets recently picked up relievers Phil Maton from Tampa and Ryan Stanek from Seattle, and they apparently have former outfielder Michael Conforto on their radar as a much-needed left-handed bat off the bench.

With a revamped solid lineup in place, the Mets could be in the market for another starting pitcher with Kodai Sengai headed back to the DL. New York’s starters have struggled to move past the five-inning mark.

The White Sox’s Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde, Tampa’s Zach Eflin, and Toronto’s Yusci Kikuchi all could be in the mix for the right price. Oakland lights-out reliever Mason Miller has been mentioned as well, but will come with a high price.

The current karma is right for the Mets, but it’s a long season.

Yankee Doodling ... Despite their win Saturday night, the Yankees have dropped 24 of their last 36 games. They were 49-21 on June 12, and 61-45 on July 29, but have since gone 12-24.

The Yanks’ recent acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. should help. Chisholm brings speed and the versatility to play a few positions. Aside from Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the Yanks’ usual potent lineup has been rather impotent.

In spite of the Yanks’ issues, they are still in the hunt for the division and wild card, and they should be in the postseason unless they have a total collapse.

Since June 15, their starting pitching has been struggling, and they could be in contention for the same desired cast as their city counterparts. Closer Clay Homes has lost some of his luster, while Miami’s Tanner Scott and Tampa’s Pete Fairbanks have also been discussed.

Market Value ... Over the years, some of baseball’s major deals at the trade deadline involved Curt Schilling to the Diamondbacks (2000), Randy Johnson, Astros (’98), Manny Ramirez, Dodgers (‘08), C. C. Sabathia, Brewers (’08), Fred McGriff, Braves (’93), and Bobby Bonilla, Pirates (’86).

Final Thoughts ... The Washington Nationals were 19-31 at one point in 2019 before they went on to win the World Series ..The Yankees were 14 games out at 48-42 in 1978 and won 52 of their next 73 games to win the division and World Series title ...The Mets were 55-45 and 6.5 games out in ‘69, and won 45 of 62 to win the division by eight games and a World Series title.

As for this season, who knows, things could get very interesting. After all, it’s a long season.

Feedback ... Your comments are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com