Shortstop Trade Targets

In the hope that if enough Fanposts begging for an upgrade to Yuniesky Betancourt are posted on Brew Crew Ball, Doug Melvin will be forced to take notice (seeing as he is a confirmed commenter here under the alias BUCKS), here is another one.  Jeff Keppinger was just traded to the Giants, but he isn't very good anyways and there are a number of impending free agents who have played shortstop in the major leagues this season and who are on non-contending teams (10+ games back).  I've compiled a Google Spreadsheet listing every single player on a non-contending team who has played shortstop this season and their estimated availability in a trade (plus stats):

LINK

Obviously, some of those players are definitely off limits or most likely off limits (indicated in the spreadsheet), but there are still quite a few names that are probable upgrades over Yuniesky, including some interesting names that I haven't seen heavily discussed in trade rumors but who I think make sense as trade targets for the Brewers.

Cesar Izturis, Alfredo Amezega, Clint Barmes, Jamey Carroll, Rafael Furcal, Jose Reyes, Jack Wilson, John McDonald, and Alex Cora are all set to be free agents after this season, according to the contract info on Cots, and most of those players (with the possible exception of Amezega, McDonald and Cora) are "starting-caliber" players who the organization might feel comfortable giving the Brewers starting SS job too.  Unfortunately, Reyes might not even be traded and if he is, it almost certainly won't be to Milwaukee.  Also note that Yuniesky's actual/projected stats are basically worse than every single other player listed.  Even the horrible, crappy ones.

Jamey Carroll has been popularly linked to the Brewers, and while I would welcome an upgrade to Betancourt, I'm not sure a 37-year-old with limited past success is the ideal target.  Personally, the players that interest me the most are Clint Barmes from the Astros, Mike Aviles from the Royals, Jason Bartlett from the Padres, and Jack Wilson from the Mariners. 

All four of those players are on teams that are well out of the race and should look to be selling (it looks like Houston has already started liquidating their roster), all four are definite upgrades over Betancourt, and all four have been regular starters in the past. 

I would be most interested in Mike Aviles, who according to ZiPS Rest of Season projections and past defensive performance looks like the most appealing candidate of the bunch, and who seemingly has no role in Kansas City anymore with Alcides Escobar at SS, Mike Moustakas at 3B, and another elite prospect in Christian Colon (SS/2B) coming up through the minors.  He's under team control for three more years, so Kansas City may not have a huge incentive to trade him, but he's playing back in the minors right now and would be a very useful piece for the Brewers and worth giving up what it might take to get him, within reason.

Jason Bartlett is an intriguing target as well.  His contract runs through 2012 with a 2013 option, but the Padres could easily trade him for some slight payroll relief and instead return to Everth Cabrera, who was their primary starting shortstop in '09, struggled in limited playing time in '10, but who is still very young and has decent potential.  Bartlett would solve the problem of who will be the Brewers starting shortstop in 2012, and he might have as much upside as anyone on the above list other than Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez.  In 2009 he hit .320/.389/.490 for the Rays before hitting a wall in 2010, but a return to a non-Petco park in Milwaukee would surely help his offensive numbers trend  back toward his .323 career wOBA. 

If I were Doug Melvin, I would be diligently pursuing these players.  What say you, Brew Crew Ball?!