Any list that ranks the top available players at the trade deadline must first be qualified by its criteria.
Simply being among the most talented players available won’t put a guy on the list. There are a few exceptions, though, where a player’s otherworldly talent is enough reason to rank among the 10 best available.
Still, in compiling the following list of players, not only were their 2016 seasons taken into account, but also the value and duration of their contracts. A player signed beyond 2016 has a higher value than a rental of equal talent preparing to hit free agency after this season.
If a player is one of the few available at his position, that also increases his value. Supply and demand applies to the trade market as much as our economy.
So who are the best available players as we approach the Aug. 1 trade deadline?