If I were Brewers general manager David Stearns, I wouldn't trade top prospects for a half-season rental. Are there any starting pitchers on the trade block that are controllable for two to four years?
-- @KRice19WI via Twitter

Is rebuilding over? Is it already time to start trading the prospects Doug Melvin and Stearns have traded for in the past two years? Is it time for the Brewers to go all-in? Those are the most-often asked questions this week, and the same sort of thing that has been debated inside Stearns' front office.

What's the likelihood of Mike Trout playing the first game after the All-Star break?
@ShuebBaafe2

Who will get sent down when Trout gets back, Ben Revere or Eric Young Jr.?
@EdwardCastro10

Why don't the Giants bat Buster Posey in the third spot? He seems to lead off way too many innings and doesn't come up with many runners on base. They have a .240 hitter third, Posey at .350 and a .250 hitter at best behind him. So opponents constantly pitch around him. Doesn't make sense to me.
-- Steve J., San Jose

Many adherents of modern metrics claim that batting orders are overrated, because hitting's hitting, regardless of role. Using this logic, it doesn't matter where Posey hits. Personally, I'm with you. He's not a classic fit for the cleanup spot, since he's not a pure power hitter. I'm old enough to have learned about baseball when Willie Mays hit third. I see Buster fitting that same mold as the team's best all-around hitter (did you know that Mays batted second 120 times in his career?). However, as you pointed out, Posey's run production depends partially on the success of the hitters bracketing him.

Since I'm assuming the D-backs aren't trading their MLB guys to improve, are they likely to move better prospects or just lower-tier guys?
-- Alex M.

That is the balance general manager Mike Hazen is going to have to find at the Trade Deadline, Alex. With his team having one of the best records in baseball, Hazen will certainly look to improve it for the stretch run. At the same time he has to be mindful of the long-term future. When he was first hired and throughout the offseason one of the words Hazen used most often was "sustainability" and in order to achieve that he felt you needed a strong farm system. To get the help he wants at the Trade Deadline, it would not surprise me if Hazen parts with a better prospect or two, but I think he will be very cautious about just how much he gives up.

How long of a leash do they give Freddie Freeman at third base, performance-wise, before deciding whether or not to trade Matt Adams?
-- @ski_pain1984

The most influential variable of this decision is the potential return that can be gained for Adams. If the Braves get an offer they can't refuse within the next couple weeks, there's a good chance Adams will be dealt before August arrives. If it appears a greater return could be gained this offseason, when more teams might be bidding, then it will have to be determined whether it truly makes sense to keep Freeman at third base over the remainder of the regular season.

I really like what I'm seeing from Jacob Faria and Mallex Smith. Do either of those players remind you of anybody from past Rays teams?
-- Sam B., Seattle

Now that you mention it, both remind me of players from the Rays/Devil Rays past. Smith reminds me some of Quinton McCracken, who starred for the Devil Rays in their first season. Like Smith, "Q" could get things going and put pressure on the defense with his speed. As for Faria, when I see him pitch, James Shields comes to mind. I know he doesn't have the Shields change, but thus far he's pitched like a bulldog, going after hitters much like Shields used to do.

DENVER -- Thank you for joining me on the MLB Facebook page for a live version of the Edward Jones Beat Reporter's Inbox, Rockies edition. Now, on to some questions from your Facebook posts.

With so many holes to fill, where do the Giants start? Who do they keep and build on?
-- Ed B., San Francisco

Giants management must face these questions daily throughout the foreseeable future -- possibly until the 2018 season is well underway, since by that time they'll begin to see the fruits of their upcoming labor.

Who do you think will go to the All-Star Game for the Brewers?
-- Mitch S., Menomonee Falls, Wis.

The 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot is open until Thursday at 10:59 p.m. CT, and fans can vote up to five times in any 24-hour period. But with no Brewers among the top five vote-getters on the infield, or among the top 15 outfielders, as of the final ballot update on Monday afternoon, the local nine is on the outside looking in as far as the starting lineup.

ST. LOUIS -- The Pirates are entering a critical stretch of the season, as the coming weeks may shape their strategy at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. With the club enjoying its last off-day before the All-Star break, it's time to open the Inbox and answer your questions.

Should the Pirates be buyers or sellers?
-- Jason A., Washington, Pa.

HOUSTON -- With the Astros chugging along with a 13-game lead in the American League West as they near the midpoint of the season, it only stands to reason trade talks will begin heating up. We're a little less than a month away from the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and the Astros still figure to be in the market for pitching.

Let's open the Inbox to answer some of your trade questions and more:

Who do you think has a better chance of breaking Nate Colbert's record for home runs as a Padre -- Hunter Renfroe or Wil Myers?
-- David E., Clovis, Calif.

Love this question. And I'll start by saying that both have a very good chance to top the 163 home runs that Colbert hit with San Diego from 1969-74.

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals have won four straight series and suddenly are knocking on the door in the American League Central. The once-dormant offense has awoken, and there are positive vibes throughout the clubhouse.

With that backdrop, let's get to this week's Royals Inbox.

What can the Reds expect from Homer Bailey?
-- Charlie on Facebook live

It's a good question. Bailey will be activated from the 60-day disabled list on Saturday to make his season debut vs. the Nationals. He's a bit of an X-factor, because it's hard to place high expectations on someone who has had three elbow surgeries and only eight starts since August 2014. The last surgery was Feb. 18 to remove bone chips. But based on his rehab assignment numbers, they should expect some length and dependability. The rotation has averaged 4.93 innings per start this season. If Bailey can just go six or seven innings and keep the team in the game, the lineup should be able to do its part.

ST. LOUIS -- There are no shortage of questions and concerns surrounding the Cardinals, after they tumbled back to six games under .500 with a series loss in Baltimore. Here are my answers to a few of them:

• Submit a question to the Cardinals Inbox

With the Angels only [1 1/2] games out of an American League Wild Card spot, will they look to add pitching depth/another bat before the non-waiver Trade Deadline? Who on the roster has trade value?
-- @mcjunkind via Twitter

I think it's possible that the Angels could look for external help if they're still in the AL Wild Card hunt at the Deadline, but their lack of high-end prospect capital makes it unlikely that they'll be able to add any significant pieces via trade. That said, I think the Angels will receive an internal boost to their rotation when left-hander Tyler Skaggs returns from the disabled list. Skaggs, who has been out since May 1 with an oblique strain, is currently on track to rejoin the Angels before the All-Star break and had logged a 1.42 ERA in his last three starts before getting hurt. The Halos also expect right-hander Garrett Richards to pitch again this season, though he still has not received clearance to resume throwing due to an irritated nerve in his right biceps.

DENVER -- This week's Edward Jones Inbox comes at a celebratory time, as Rockies fans take a deep breath after Nolan Arenado's game-winning, cycle-completing homer to for a 7-5 victory over the Giants on Sunday at Coors Field.

I'm pretty sure there is only one question to ask after that. How the heck do ya follow that up!! @MileHiPhil

What will the Yankees do with Masahiro Tanaka as he continues to struggle? How long will they keep trotting him out there?
-- Mike T., Islip, N.Y.

It really is a mystery. A certain segment of the fan base likes to immediately point to the partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and say, "See? He should have had the surgery," but it's not that simple. To recap, several of the best doctors in the world said that Tanaka did not need surgery, and they were proven right when he pitched with success for years.

MILWAUKEE -- Happy Father's Day to Bob McCalvy and the rest of the dads out there. On behalf of misbehaved children everywhere, thank you for all of those hours playing catch in the backyard.

Let's celebrate by dipping into our mailbag:

Perhaps the Astros have weathered the worst of the storm. After winning 11 games in a row, Houston lost six of its next eight games before righting the ship with a 13-2 shellacking of Texas on Wednesday.

While the offense appears to be back on track -- with a little help from newcomer Derek Fisher -- injuries to starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr. and Joe Musgrove are putting a strain on the rotation and the bullpen.

What's with the selection of two catchers in the first three rounds of the Draft?
-- Arvind, San Diego

There's no such thing as too much organizational catching depth. Luis Campusano-Bracero and Blake Hunt were always high on the Padres' Draft board. And when they were both available on Day 1, executive vice president and general manager A.J. Preller jumped at the chance to land the duo.

Can someone please give manager Joe Maddon this lineup card and ask him to ride it out for two weeks? Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Albert Almora Jr., Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and the pitcher.
-- Justin A., Chatham, Ill.

Here's why Maddon would reject it: You've got lefties Heyward and Rizzo back to back, and then right-handed hitters Russell, Almora, Baez and Contreras. One of the things Maddon tries to do with the lineup is alternate left-right-left-right in an effort to counter the other team's bullpen moves.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates' four-game winning streak ended Wednesday night, but they'll have another chance to crawl back into the National League Central race this weekend as they host the Cubs at PNC Park. With an off-day Thursday, we're taking your questions on Andrew McCutchen, Tony Watson, the Draft and potential callups.

With Cutch hitting so well now, is it more or less likely that he will get traded this season?
-- Andrew A., Pittsburgh

With the emergence of JT Riddle, what is the likelihood the Marlins will be looking to trade Adeiny Hechavarria?
-- @josi_elder.

Riddle has stepped in nicely since Hechavarria (left oblique strain) has been on the disabled list. Hechavarria is expected to be evaluated again in the next couple of days, and perhaps could begin a rehab assignment at Class A Advanced Jupiter next weekend. So he could be at least two weeks away. Riddle, meanwhile, has impressed in a small sample size. Hitting eighth isn't easy, yet he has 12 extra-base hits in his first 115 at-bats, and his average exit velocity is 89.07 mph, above the MLB average 87.82. That's a good indicator that he is impacting the baseball. If the team is in rebuild mode by the Trade Deadline, Hechavarria is a candidate to be moved.

With Enrique Hernandez's experience in the outfield, and Chris Taylor's in the infield, why is Taylor continuing to start in center field with Kiké at third base and second base? Not that Taylor isn't holding his own in center, because he surely is.
-- @shayeclubb

There is more playing time available in the current outfield, especially with the absence of the injured Joc Pederson, and Taylor has been a far superior hitter against right-handed pitching than Hernandez. Against righties, Taylor's slash line this year is .280/.374/.477, while Hernandez's is .217/.263/.391. Really no comparison, which is why the Dodgers have gone with Taylor at a skill position despite his lack of experience there, and it's hard to argue with the results so far.

DENVER -- The Rockies are in first place, with potentially more starting pitchers than rotation spots. What are they going to do if that becomes the case?

The short answer is celebrate.