With the July 31 trade deadline just around the corner, the phone calls and dialogue continue between front offices, without much to show for their efforts so far. Andrew Cashner, Martín Maldanado and Homer Bailey are among the few players who have been traded this month, and with the standings changing on an almost nightly basis, the lines are still a little blurry on who will actually be available. Below are six players who have been a consistent part of the trade rumors but who I feel should not be traded, at least yet. It does not mean that in some cases they will not or should not be dealt eventually, just that I think now is not the right time to do it.



All stats are through July 22.



1. Madison Bumgarner, LHP, San Francisco Giants



No team has changed their fate more in the last three weeks than the Giants, who have gone from clear seller to wild-card contender in Bruce Bochy’s final season, winning 15 of their past 18 games. First-year...