Trade value rankings 15-11: The rentals and Scooter

Today's installment looks at numbers 15 through 11, counting up in trade value towards 1. The first installment (numbers 20 through 16) is located right here. As a reminder, we're only looking at players who have played for the MLB team this season.

The first 5 again for reference and so you can yell at me in the comments:

20. Michael Blazek

19. Matt Garza

18. Corey Knebel

17. Kyle Lohse

16. Tyler Thornburg

Number 15, Gerardo Parra

Team control: Final year of deal

We're now into the "rentals" category of players that will almost certainly be on the trade market come July. Parra's a great defensive outfielder who can help a lot of teams, but it's tough to see the Brewers getting more in return than they gave up last July to acquire him. He's shown that the first half of 2014 is not representative of how good a hitter he is, but now the acquiring team will be getting half a year of team control, not a year and a half. The package required to get him, outfielder Mitch Haniger and pitcher Anthony Banda, was not a huge loss for the Brewers and it's probably similar to what they'll end up getting if they trade him this summer.

Trade framework: Rental for a middle of the road prospect a lot like Haniger, who has a solid chance of making the majors but has some sort of flaw.

Should Brewers Trade?: Absolutely.

Number 14, Aramis Ramirez

Team control: Final year of deal

In the last season of Rarimez's illustrious career, it seems like a lock that the Brewers will want to give him a shot to play for a contending team if he desires to do so. They should be able to pick up a reasonable prospect in return if they can find the right buyer (the San Francisco Giants seem like a great candidate), but there probably won't be a bidding war as he's probably not an upgrade at third base for most contending teams. He's an injury risk but has held up surprisingly well defensively.

Trade framework: The Brewers get a long-shot but high-upside prospect out of the low minors from a team like the Giants, preferably soon.

Should Brewers Trade?: Absolutely.

Number 13, Adam Lind

Team control: Final year of deal, option for 2016.

Lind is a lot like Ramirez here but is younger and has an option year on his contract. In the abstract it seems like he should fetch a nice return, but the Brewers did get him in exchange for Marco Estrada this offseason and it's hard to say his value has increased since then. Like Ramirez, he's probably an upgrade for only a few contending teams and will probably command a very similar return.

Trade framework: The Brewers get a long-shot but high-upside prospect out of the low minors from a team like the Cardinals. Then the Cardinals can run a Adam Lind/Mark Reynolds platoon at first base.

Should Brewers Trade?: Unlike Ramirez and Parra, there's a case to be made that hanging on to Lind until the offseason makes some sense if they're not getting any decent offers. But desperate teams will likely provide something of value.

Number 12, Francisco Rodriguez

Team control: Signed through 2016.

K-Rod keeps returning from the dead. A couple of years after the Brewers signed him on a minor-league deal in May and then flipped him to the Orioles for a mediocre prospect, his value has somehow increased to the point of getting a 2-year deal and actually having some positive value on the trade market.

Trade framework: Several veteran closer types are traded every July. The last two trades K-Rod was involved in (one to the Brewers, the other from the Brewers to the Orioles) didn't involve much talent exchange but there's reason to believe a real prospect or two could come to the Brewers this time in such a deal.

Should Brewers Trade?: Yes yes yes, and preferably very soon. K-Rod's value will never be higher considering how well he has pitched to start 2015, and I have a feeling the meltdown phase of his career will be start sooner rather than later. If that happens the Brewers will be stuck with a contract they can't give away. The possibility of getting something of real value in return right now is way too good to pass up.

Number 11, Scooter Gennett

Team control: Through at least 2019 (1 year of pre-arbitration, 3 years of arbitration)

No one's stock has crashed as much in the past few months as Scooter. The Brewers came in with no real backup plan at second base against lefties, and it turned out that he wasn't even able to hit righties. Fewer than 100 plate appearances shouldn't be enough to totally sink Scooter's trade value, but there were always legitimate concerns about his game from scouts and analytics types that have been magnified by his brutal start to 2015.

Trade framework: It's tough to even imagine what this would look like. There would be a market for Gennett, but probably not for any contending teams-- it would be a team looking to buy low and maybe get a solid regular out of the deal if things break right.

Should Brewers Trade?: No. His value will never be lower, and if Gennett wasn't a Brewer he would be the type of player the Brewers should be taking chances on anyways. Give him time to bounce back and maybe he'll be a valuable chip again in a couple of years.