Johnny Cueto

One of Bud Selig’s primary goals in adding a second wild-card playoff spot to both leagues was to put more teams in postseason contention, creating more excitement and fan interest throughout the summer.

A consequence of achieving that goal has been tamping down the trade buzz heading into the All-Star break, one of the game’s most exciting and heavily debated portions of the regular season.

With the July 31 MLB trade deadline just a month-and-a-half away, some Cincinnati Reds players are starting to find themselves involved in trade rumors.

From Johnny Cueto to Ben Zobrist, there are certain big leaguers who have a big chance of getting traded before the 2015 MLB trade deadline passes.

Simply put, the most likely trade chips are good players on bad teams. The righty ace and the Swiss Army Knife of baseball both fit that bill. Cueto and Zobrist aren't the only players on the Cincinnati Reds and the Oakland Athletics, respectively, who crack a spot on this top 10.

But no team is better represented on the list than the Philadelphia Phillies.

Even if the Cincinnati Reds don't get back into contention, they are going to be a team that has a big impact on the pennant race.

Why? Because the team has plenty of attractive trade chips.

The proverbial window appears to be closing on this Reds squad. Some of the key players are entering the final year(s) of their contracts, which will force the club to make some tough decisions. Keeping those players would certainly help the club stay relevant, but trading them would help the organization in the future.

It's what's on the agenda when a team is eight games under .500 and 11.5 games out of first before June. Because a Reds rebuild seems all but certain with ace Johnny Cueto playing in the final year of his contract, it's time to assess what's worked and what's in store.

Johnny Cueto was ruled out for his scheduled start May 24 due to soreness in his elbow and general stiffness he's been experiencing since his start against the Kansas City Royals on May 19. Cueto remains day-to-day.

Continue for updates.

Based on your general disposition, you see the Cincinnati Reds in one of the two following lights: They're a team at or floating around .500 with baseball's worst OBP and worst bullpen ERA, or they're a team at .500 and tied for the remaining wild-card slot.

History suggests Reds owner Bob Castellini will see the latter. He's a competitive soul, so long as the Reds can sniff a playoff spot, don't expect them to sell.

The Cincinnati Reds are getting no love.

In the most recent season outlook, Grantland writer Ben Lindbergh's NLC Preview uses a lot of data and makes mathematical projections, and not even the numbers are improving this team's outlook. In case you haven't got around to it, here's an excerpt on why we can expect the Reds to suck in 2015:

The Cincinnati Reds have a multimillion-dollar predicament on their hands.