The five players who could dramatically alter the simmering MLB trade deadline

We have reached that moment in which executives must now stop complaining that there are not enough trade deadline sellers and, thus, too little talent and — Economics 101 supply and demand alert — prices are too high.

With pencils down at 6 p.m. Thursday, the period to dawdle if you are buying, selling, both or neither has expired. Time for grit or get off the pot. The tough decisions who goes and for how much must be answered, though I guess the competence of a few organizations out there make me fully believe they will be ready to go at 6:01 p.m. Thursday.

In the hours leading up the last chance this season to improve your roster – or future rosters – let’s get spicy. What would make the sprint to the finish most fascinating? I had a simple rule as I called and texted into these waning hours, if a player was mentioned twice as available independently, then I will include him here.

My final caution alert that will certainly be ignored by all aggregators: Being on this list does NOT mean a player will be traded. But …