11 shortstops to watch at the MLB trade deadline

For most teams, the shortstop position is generally occupied by someone who can hit, or play the field, not both. However for the lucky few teams that have a player who excels on either side of the ball, they can sit back and address other needs. As we move closer and closer to the trade deadline, here are some names at shortstop that could be available by the time July 31st rolls around, ranked by fWAR:

Player	fWAR	Team
Xander Bogaerts	1.8	Red Sox
Brad Miller	1.4	Mariners
Troy Tulowitzki	0.8	Rockies
Asdrubal Cabrera	0.6	Rays
Erick Aybar	0.5	Angels
Jean Segura	0.2	Brewers
Jimmy Rollins	-0.1	Dodgers
Elvis Andrus	-0.2	Rangers
Ian Desmond	-0.3	Nationals
Starlin Castro	-0.6	Cubs
Alexei Ramirez	-1.1	White Sox

Xander Bogaerts is atop the list, and because of his youth it may take quite the prospect haul to get him from Boston. They're unlikely to move him unless some team blows them away with a deal they can't turn down, but there are some others on this list that could very well become available before July 31st passes.

The most likely candidates to be traded

Brad Miller and Alexei Ramirez may not be the sexiest names on this list, but they are two players that teams could explore. Miller has had a down year with Seattle, and is hitting .222/.308/.377 in 69 games. Ramirez, at age 33, is seemingly coming to the end of his career unless he can turn it around offensively. With the White Sox trying to rebuild, Ramirez may be viewed as a piece that can acquire them some prospects for the future. However with a slash line of .220/.241/.288 in 70 games this season, his value has never been lower, and it may be impossible to convince another GM to give anything major up in a deal for Ramirez.

Other possible candidates

Bogaerts has had quite the season, hitting .291/.328/.401 in 69 games this season. This winter, after the Red Sox signed Hanley Ramirez, the idea of the Sox trading Bogaerts for some pitching surfaced. The team decided that they would play Ramirez in the outfield, keep Bogaerts at short, and go with the pitching they had. His development this year has been great, and despite an incredibly disappointing 2015 season, the Red Sox don't view themselves as needing four or five years to get back on track. Trading Bogaerts would only make sense if the moon was offered, or they realized that their window for contention isn't going to open back up for seasons to come.

The mega-prize

If some front office can convince the Colorado Rockies to lower their asking price on Troy Tulowitzki, then a trade for the Rockies star is possible. Until that happens, he will remain in Colorado. The two biggest knocks against Tulowitzki are his contract and health. However he's stayed relatively healthy thus far, and played in 64 games, while hitting .311/.341/.475 with seven home runs. A team will likely need to over pay for him, and that doesn't appear to be on the horizon.

Starlin Castro might be the most movable piece that teams could covet. With the Cubs having a plethora of infield prospects that are already with the club or nearing the big league level, they could easily trade Castro without it affecting their future. At 25 years old and under contract through 2019, he is the perfect target for teams looking for a shortstop to build a future around. He is a streaky hitter, and has posted a line of .263/.296/.342 with five home runs and 35 RBIs this season. The Cubs are in the market for young, under control pitching to go with Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, and Castro could get the ball rolling.