MLB Trade Deadline: Ranking the 10 Least Tradeable Players in Baseball

The 2011 MLB Trade Deadline is only a day away, and by the looks of it, there will be a few more big moves made before Sunday at 3:00PM EST.

The 10 players on this list will not make up any of those big names—unless their current teams are willing to eat every last cent of their contracts.

There are two main factors that make a player difficult to be moved—his age and his contract. Add to it poor performance on the field, and you've got an untouchable player for all the wrong reasons.

Not every player on this is being shopped, but if they were, it would be very hard to find a taker.

Here are The 10 Least Tradeable Players in Baseball. 

10. Aaron Rowand: San Francisco Giants

Age: 33

Remaining Contract: One year, $12 million

The San Francisco Giants were desperate for a bat when they decided to give Aaron Rowand a five-year, $60 million deal before the 2007 season. 

Midway through his fourth season of the deal, Rowand has provided a .255 BA, .314 OBP and an OPS+ of only 89.

While he has a knack for making big plays in the outfield (which in most cases follow bad initial reads on his part), Rowand has been only an average defender for the Giants until this season.

Rowand has even lost his starting job a number of times the past couple of seasons—making him one of the league's highest paid bench players.

9. Travis Hafner: Cleveland Indians

Age: 34

Remaining Contract: One year, $15.75 million

During the 2005-06 seasons, Travis Hafner slugged 75 home runs for the Cleveland Indians. In the five seasons since, Hafner has hit only 67 out of the park.

It's no coincidence that the oft-injured "Pronk" hasn't played a full season since 2007, and now the Indians are stuck with an overpaid DH who can't stay on the field.

Hafner was having a career resurgence of sorts this season, hitting .301 with nine long-balls and 41 RBI before going down to injury yet again.

8. Carlos Zambrano: Chicago Cubs

Age: 30

Remaining Contract: One year, $18 million

Assuming his 2013 option won't vest, Carlos Zambrano has one more full season on the north side of Chicago.

Big Z has yet to turn into that game-changing pitcher—a path with which he seemed bound for when being given a massive contract extension five years ago. Since that point it's seemed that for every one step forward, Zambrano would take two steps back.

Aside from his outlandish contract, Zambrano has thrown every single one of his teammates under the bus at least once, and some might say he's a bit cuckoo upstairs. 

7. Adam Dunn: Chicago White Sox

Age: 31

Remaining Contract: Three years, $44 million

Talk about a bad signing.

Coming into the 2011 season, Adam Dunn had averaged more than 40 home runs per season over the last eight years.

I, for one, thought he would rake at US Cellular ballpark in Chicago, alongside Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko.

There is a reason Dunn was never given a long-term deal before White Sox GM Kenny Williams decided to break the bank on him this past offseason. Simply put, there were too many inconsistencies in Dunn's game to take the risk.

Dunn has come out in 2011 to hit .163 while leading baseball with 130 strikeouts. He is also sitting with a mere 66 OPS+, signifying his worthlessness to the White Sox and MLB.

6. Carlos Lee: Houston Astros

Age: 35

Remaining Contract: One year, $18.5 million

I still remember the day Carlos Lee was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Texas Rangers. I was so, so upset.

As they say, hindsight is 20-20.

Lee was given a $100 million contract by the Houston Astros before the 2007 season, and at this point they would love more than anything to hand that contract over to anyone.

Lee is horrible in left field and he hasn't had the same prowess at the plate as he had when he signed with Houston five years ago. At 35 years old, he's going nowhere fast and will most likely find himself without a job within the next two years.

While his .280 average is somewhat of a career resurgence, Lee only has 10 home runs and isn't even half the hitter he used to be. 

5. Alex Rios: Chicago White Sox

Age: 30

Remaining Contract: Three years, $37 million

Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos pulled a fast one on the Chicago White Sox two seasons ago when convincing them to take Alex Rios and his absurd contract off of their hands.

While Rios performed well above expectations over the course of the 2010 season, White Sox GM Kenny Williams has quickly learned why Anthopoulos wanted to part with him in the first place.

Rios is batting only .208 on the season with an OPS+ of 51. You can plug 75 percent of minor league ball players in there and they will give you at least that much production. 

Clearly, Rios is one of the worst players in all of baseball and he will be the White Sox's problem for the next three full seasons. 

4. Derek Jeter: New York Yankees

Age: 37

Remaining Contract: Three years, $41 million

I know there will be plenty of Yankees fans out there who disagree, but most people outside of New York don't believe Jeter is God's gift to baseball.

Derek Jeter has had a fascinating career and someday he will deservedly be enshrined in baseballs Hall of Fame. But at 37 years old and well into the twilight of his career, any team would be hard pressed to want him.

The fact that he's now passed the 3,000 hit plateau only decreases his value to other ball clubs. 

At this point, no one wants a 37-year-old shortstop hitting .268 with minimal power and below average defense.

Outside of New York, Jeter is just another ballplayer.

3. Barry Zito: San Francisco Giants

Age: 33

Remaining Contract: Two years, $39 million

It's hard to believe Barry Zito is still only 33 years old, most likely because it's been forever (and then some) since he has been a good pitcher.

The Giants had high expectations after signing ZIto to a $120 million contract before the 2007 season. It's safe to say he has failed to meet every last one of them.

Since joining the club, Zito has posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.399 WHIP and a ERA+ of 95. For some teams those are good enough numbers to be a back of the rotation starter—but not at $18.5 million per season.

The former Cy Young Award winner has been dreadful since jumping across the bay, although he remains hopeful that the Giants will pick up his $18 million team option for 2014.

2. John Lackey: Boston Red Sox

Age: 32

Remaining Contract: Three years, $47.5 million

Most will agree that the John Lackey signing was by far the worst in Red Sox history, and one of the very few slip-ups by GM Theo Epstein.

Even if Epstein believed there was a chance the signing could turn out ugly, there is no way he foresaw the abominable performance Lackey has put forth in his first two season's in Boston.

Through his first 50 starts, Lackey has pitched to a 4.96 ERA and 1.466 WHIP with a dreadful ERA+ of only 86.

It's a good thing the Red Sox can afford to swallow all of this wasted money, because this would be a debilitating contract for most teams in baseball. 

1. Alfonso Soriano: Chicago Cubs

Age: 35

Remaining Contract: Three years, $54 million

This one is laughable. 

What was GM Jim Hendry possibly thinking when handing Alfonso Soriano a contract that would pay him $18 million through his age-38 season? This contract alone is grounds for his termination.

With his last five seasons marred by injuries, Soriano has lost almost every asset he brought to the game in his prime. 

The former 40 HR-40 SB threat has only 15 stolen bags and a paltry .250 batting average over the last three years, making Soriano a perfect example of why a 31-year-old should almost never be given an eight-year contract.