If Nolan Arenado had remained unsigned into the regular season, he would've been the most discussed player leading up to the trade deadline. But he's off the board now, and so are Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale, Justin Verlander and others. Players who might've elicited at least a passing phone call from general managers have left the stage.
But there is one very big name -- one very big player -- without an extension, and there's no indication he will reach a deal before he hits the free-agent market next fall. The Giants' Madison Bumgarner is destined to be the most prominent star in trade talks this summer and, inevitably, the subject of debate inside and outside the San Francisco organization. He will serve as a litmus test of how clubs weigh the most advanced analytics vs. the old-school eye test.