MLB Trades: Power Ranking the Top 10 Players on the Block Before Deadline

With less than two weeks to go until the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline passes, there figures to be plenty of player movement across MLB in the immediate future.

Most of the buyers (the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pittsburgh Pirates) and sellers (the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Oakland A's) are already in place, with a number of middling teams (the Tampa Bay Rays, the Colorado Rockies) still on the fence as to whether they will stand pat or welcome inquiries from other clubs with open arms.

As always, there has already been plenty of talk about a wide variety of stars potentially on the move, including Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez and New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, though most of the biggest names bandied about will inevitably stay put.

That being said, a number of quality players could ostensibly be switching dugouts before month's end. With that in mind, here are the 10 best who just might.

10. Mike Adams, Relief Pitcher, San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres have a plethora of bullpen pitchers who figure to be picked up by contenders before the deadline, not the least of whom is Mike Adams.

The eight-year veteran is in the midst of the finest season of his major league career, currently sporting a 1.23 ERA and a WHIP of 0.73 in 44 innings of setup work so far this season.

Adams won't be a free agent until after the 2012 season, at the earliest, though he is due for a hefty raise through salary arbitration if he keeps up his current pace for the rest of 2011. As such, the cash-strapped Dads won't likely put up too much of a fight if and when a contender comes calling with the right price in mind.

9. Michael Cuddyer, Infielder/Outfielder, Minnesota Twins

Michael Cuddyer might not be the sexiest name on the market, but that in no way diminishes his value to a swath of teams in need of help all over the field (i.e. the Pirates, the Braves, the Red Sox—the list goes on).

The Twins haven't given any indication that they are willing to trade Cuddyer, who made his first All-Star game this year and has put up strong numbers across the board (.297, 14 home runs, 46 RBI). After all, Minnesota is just 5.5 games out of first place in the American League Central and could use Cuddyer's strong swing and defensive versatility—he can man all four corner positions on the field—for a run at the postseason.

However, the Twinkies have been a streaky club all season, though they have yet to make it all the way back to .500 after a rough start, and another downward spiral in the next week and a half could have Minny's management thinking "sell" instead of "buy" in a hurry. 

8. Colby Rasmus, Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are just a game out of first place in the National League Central, so why, pray tell, would they consider trading Colby Rasmus?

Promising as the 24-year-old outfielder may be, Rasmus has developed something of a poisonous relationship with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa to the point that the Cards have already discussed sending him to Tampa Bay for Jeremy Hellickson or B.J. Upton.

Down as his numbers may be this season (.241, nine homers, 36 RBI), Rasmus still has the talent and the tools to be a tremendous player in the big leagues for years to come. As such, don't be surprised if teams with young pitching that are seeking an outfield bat cozy up to Cards GM John Mozeliak to wrest Rasmus from his control before the July 31st deadline.

7. B.J. Upton, Outfielder, Tampa Bay Rays

As previously mentioned, B.J. Upton's name has already been bandied about in trade banter, though he still calls Tampa Bay home.

Despite a bevy of strong pitching arms, the run-starved Rays aren't likely to leapfrog either the Red Sox or the Yankees into a playoff spot and, even more damning for Upton, have a number of promising young outfielders in the pipeline, Desmond Jennings chief among them.

As far as actual play is concerned, Upton is still a productive player (.237, 15 homers, 52 RBI this season) but appears ready for a change of scenery if he is ever going to fulfill the promise he once had as the second overall pick in the 2002 MLB draft. 

6. James Shields, Starting Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays

Should the Rays wholeheartedly embrace the role of "seller," which they just might given the already poor attendance numbers at Tropicana Field, they could very well dangle James Shields in front of a bevy of pitching-starved teams to bring back a young bat or two.

Shields has been superb so far this season, posting an ERA of 2.60 and a WHIP of 1.00 in 148.2 innings with a whopping seven (count 'em) complete games, the most of any pitcher in Major League Baseball, including Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay.

With the absolute dearth of quality arms on the market this July, Shields could bring back a ton of value to Tampa, whether it be top-quality prospects, established swingers or both.

Thus, if the Rays fall back another two or three games further from the AL wild card spot and their competitors' desperation for pitching grows, they may have no choice but to part with Shields, who has spent his entire big league career at the Trop.

5. Hunter Pence, Outfielder, Houston Astros

On one hand, the Houston Astros would be foolish to part with Hunter Pence, a two-time All-Star who has notched 25 home runs in each of the last three seasons and has been the lone bright spot on a team that's currently a major league-worst 32-65.

On the other hand, the Astros, as previously mentioned, are terrible and in dire need of a full-scale rebuilding effort. As valuable as Pence may be as a centerpiece around which the team could be crafted, he will be due a hefty sum in arbitration this winter and is far and away Houston's most attractive trading chip.

With so many contenders seeking outfield help in anticipation of the postseason, the "Lastros" would do well to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak.

4. Carlos Beltran, Outfielder, New York Mets

Carlos Beltran may not be the cornerstone for the future that Pence is, but he will be plenty valuable for a number of contending teams nonetheless.

Beltran is in the last year of the monstrous seven-year, $119 million deal he signed with the Mets prior to the 2005 season and figures prominently into New York's ongoing salary dump this season.

As far as his own merits are concerned, Beltran has looked much more like the six-time All-Star he was supposed to be all along, belting 14 homers and 59 RBI at a .293 clip. What's more, Beltran has proven in the past that he is the kind of half-season rental that can boost a team to the World Series (see: 2004 Houston Astros).

3. Heath Bell, Relief Pitcher, San Diego Padres

Any and every team in search of a top-shelf reliever has already put in a call to the San Diego Padres regarding Heath Bell.

Bell is well on his way to his third consecutive 40-plus-save season and, likewise, is likely on the way out as the cash-strapped Dads look to bring in a bevy of quality prospects with whom to begin a long-term rebuilding project.

While the Oceanside, California native would prefer to remain close to home, Bell would probably be just as shocked if the deadline passed with him still in a Padres uniform. Look for him to wind up packaged with Ryan Ludwick to a team in need of both bullpen and outfield help, a la the Red Sox and the Phillies.

2. Ubaldo Jimenez, Starting Pitcher, Colorado Rockies

No starting pitcher has drawn nearly as much interest on the market thus far as Ubaldo Jimenez.

Despite average numbers thus far (6-8, 4.00 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), the Colorado Rockies ace has come on strong over his last 10 starts, not once allowing more than three earned runs in any of those outings while rounding back into form from a series of nagging injuries that plagued him over the first few months of the regular season.

Realistically, though, Jimenez won't likely move anytime soon, as the Rockies have him in their grasp for another three years at a more-than-reasonable $6 million per season.

It's not as though the Rockies, out of postseason contention as they may be, are exactly in rebuilding mode either. Thus, unless someone comes along offering the farm for Jimenez's services, don't expect to see him in another uniform anytime soon.

1. Jose Reyes, Shortstop, New York Mets

Say what you want about reports that the Mets won't part with Jose Reyes—he won't be off the block until August 1st rolls around and he's still in New York.

Sure, it makes sense that the Mets would want to hang on to Reyes, if for no other reason than to keep fans coming to Citi Field despite how clear it is that the team is on the verge of a fire sale, what with Francisco Rodriguez already off to the Milwaukee Brewers and Carlos Beltran all but departed at this point.

Then again, Reyes, who is due for free agency this winter, might as well take his talents elsewhere and leave New York's other team with but a few draft picks to show for his considerable services. After all, Reyes is a legitimate contender for the NL MVP (.355 batting average, .398 on-base percentage, 30 stolen bases) and, with so few quality infielders on the market, could bring back a considerable bounty in any trade.

Even if the Mets do ink Reyes for a big deal after the season, they could still end up in the loser's column given the shortstop's history of hamstring injuries, which doesn't exactly bode well for a guy whose entire game is predicated on speed.