SAN FRANCISCO, July 31 -- Buster Posey made the call that settled everything. No extension. Luis Arraez would play out his one-year deal and leave, or he would be traded first. The Giants' chairman had decided the team's next chapter did not include the three-time batting champion, at least not on a payroll committed to a longer-term direction.

That decision, made weeks before anyone started playing out trade scenarios publicly, is what converted Arraez's $12 million one-year contract into the most actively pursued rental infielder heading into the August 3 deadline. By Wednesday, with four days left on the clock, virtually every contender in baseball had shown interest, according to Yahoo Sports. The Giants are selling. The question now...