MLB Trade Rumors: 10 Aces Who Could Be This Year's Ubaldo Jimenez

Last July, as the pages of desk calendars around baseball were flipped, drawing closer to the non-waiver trade deadline, one pitcher stood above others as the best arm available—Ubaldo Jimenez, then of the Colorado Rockies.

Less that 48 hours before the clock struck midnight on July 31st, at least five teams—the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, where Jimenez eventually landed—were reported to have serious interest and be in some level of discussion with the Rockies to acquire their ace.

But this is nothing new. Every season, as teams stumble out of the gate and struggle to remain competitive, they re-assess their strategy and roster going forward.

So the question before us is this—what front-of-the-rotation starter will be the hot commodity when the 2012 trade deadline approaches?

Here are 10 candidates who could take home the honors.

Matt Garza, Chicago Cubs

One of the more popular names being talked about this offseason, 28-year-old Matt Garza has been linked to multiple teams in recent weeks, including the Tigers, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees. With the Yankees' acquisition of Michael Pineda on Friday night, they likely are out of the running.

With options still available via free agency, including Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson, the Cubs may decide to wait until July to hold substantive trade talks, when there will be fewer options available and could find teams willing to meet what is said to be a high asking price.

Under team control through 2013, Garza is sure to draw significant interest.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Brian Sabean and the San Francisco Giants find themselves in a bit of a dilemma. With Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum becoming free agents following the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively, the team is faced with the reality that they may only be able to afford re-sign one of the two, as both will command top dollar on the open market.

Lincecum, 27, is a two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and arguably one of the five best pitchers in all of baseball. That being the case, he will cost significantly more in terms of both dollars and years to keep under contract, but at the same time would likely bring back a significantly greater return via trade.

The Giants will likely see how their 2012 is going come July prior to making any sort of decision on the man they call "the Freak."

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

Technically the No. 2 starter for the Giants behind Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain could find himself on his way out of San Francisco as he hits free agency following the 2012 season, a year before Lincecum.

As discussed already, the Giants likely can only afford to re-sign one of the two to a long-term contract as both will command top dollar upon hitting the open market.

Cain, 27, has logged at least 200 innings pitched in each of the past five seasons and would likely be the less expensive of the duo to re-sign, although Lincecum is clearly the better pitcher of the two.

Jeremy Guthrie, Baltimore Orioles

While the Baltimore Orioles continue to struggle as they wait for someone out of a group of youngsters that includes Brian Matusz, Zach Britton, Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta to step up and take the reins of the rotation, 32-year-old Jeremy Guthrie has served as the closest thing to an ace that the Orioles have.

A middle-of-the-rotation arm on a good team, Guthrie, 32, has logged at least 200 innings pitched in each of the past three seasons and is under team control through the 2013 season.

With the Orioles destined to continue to occupy the basement of the AL East as they re-build, Guthrie could prove to be a valuable trade asset at the deadline as the return the Orioles could expect to receive for him would be less than what some of the others on this list would cost.

Dan Haren, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Is it likely that the Angels would look to deal their No. 2 starter, 31-year-old Dan Haren?

No. But is it possible?

I believe it is, depending on how they fare in the first half of the 2012 season.

Following the 2012 season, the Angels will need to decide whether they want to pick up the $15.5 million team option that they hold on Haren for the 2013 season.

After spending lavishly on Albert Pujols this winter, the Angels may be better served by listening to offers on the talented right-hander, who could bring back a package of prospects who are both ready for the big leagues and under team control for the foreseeable future at budget-friendly prices.

At the very least, it couldn't hurt the Angels to see what kind of offers they get.

Wandy Rodriguez, Houston Astros

As the 2011 trade deadline approached, there were a number of teams linked to Wandy Rodriguez, the 32-year-old ace for the Astros, including the Yankees, Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks. Rodriguez would ultimately be placed on trade waivers by the Astros in August, and he was claimed by the Colorado Rockies, but the two teams were unable to agree upon the parameters of a trade.

Now, word comes that the Astros perhaps should have worked out a deal with Colorado back then as there is virtually no interest in Rodriguez at the moment.

But all hope is not lost for Houston as they look to re-build. Rodriguez could be one of the only left-handed starters with experience to be available as this year's trade deadline approaches. With less time and money remaining on his contract then was the case at the deadline last year, he could prove to be an easier asset to trade the second time around.

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

While he holds a limited no-trade clause and can block a handful of trades, 28-year-old righty Zack Greinke could leave the Milwaukee Brewers after only two seasons.

A free agent following the 2012 season, Greinke would be one of the top arms available in what is expected to be a pitching-heavy free agent class, likely receiving offers too rich for the Brewers' taste.

That being said, Greinke does seem to prefer pitching in small markets like Milwaukee and Kansas City, where he won the 2009 AL Cy Young award—so the chance that he would give the Brewers a "hometown discount" and re-sign with them is not out of the question.

Even so, should the Brewers falter out of the gate without Prince Fielder—and potentially Ryan Braun as well—it would not be a surprise to see them move Greinke for younger, cheaper options.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

Admittedly, this one is highly unlikely to happen unless the Philadelphia Phillies collapse early, which itself is highly unlikely, but I would be remissed without including Cole Hamels here.

A free agent after the 2012 season, Hamels, 27, has re-iterated his desire to remain with the Phillies and the team has said that they would like to have him around for a long time.

Were he to hit the open market, the hard-throwing lefty could easily command an annual salary in excess of $20 million.

But what if the Phillies collapse? With the core of their offense—Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard—and the two pitchers ahead of Hamels in the rotation, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, not getting any younger, the Phillies could be better served long-term by moving Hamels for a package of prospects that strengthens other areas of the team.

As I said, this is an unlikely scenario, but not one that is completely out of the question.

Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins

While he is five years removed from his breakout 2006 season, years that have included Tommy John surgery in 2007 and inconsistent play since, Francisco Liriano remains the ace of the Minnesota Twins pitching staff.

Only 28, Liriano still has the talent to be an effective starter in the majors—he just needs to show it on a consistent basis.

If Liriano gets off to a hot start, the Twins would be wise to capitalize on it and take the best offer they receive for the soon-to-be free agent, as he may be best served by a change of scenery and the Twins could strengthen their roster with what they receive in exchange.

James Shields, Tampa Bay Rays

While rumors surfaced at the end of the season that the Tampa Bay Rays might look to move 30-year-old James Shields, they instead picked up a $7.5 million option on the right-hander for the 2012 season.

They hold a $9.5 million option on Shields for the 2013 season as well, and with the plethora of starting pitching that they have—including David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann along with über-prospects Matt Moore and Alex Cobb, Shields could find himself on the move come late July.

With the Rays looking to bolster their offense, moving Shields at the deadline for a young bat that is under team control for the foreseeable future could be the best move for the franchise going forward.

Final Thoughts

There are a number of pitchers who could find themselves on the move this season in addition to those we named here.

Depending on where teams find themselves as we approach the trade deadline, we could see an unprecedented number of quality starters change teams as General Managers around the league try and position their clubs for the stretch run and the expected free agent frenzy at the end of the season.

Keep checking Bleacher Report for the latest news, rumors and discussion about your favorite team and players.