A thousand years from now, when historians look back at the 2014 MLB season and its ties to the next big thing, they'll focus on two turning points. First, they'll commemorate the third of 50 World Series that the even-year overlord Giants will win over the course of a century. Second, they'll reflect on Tommy John surgery reaching its peak before giving way to the golden age of pitcher health — and world peace.

Of course, the Giants and the Tommy John epidemic have already left lasting impressions in the present day. This was the year that Madison Bumgarner ascended from staff ace to all-time postseason legend, and the year that T.J. surgeries piled up at a record pace, felling many of baseball's brightest young arms. Both occurrences helped spark a big change in the way we view the league's best players and most valuable commodities.

Click here for Part 2 of the 2014 MLB Trade Value column.

And on that note, welcome to the third edition of Grantland's MLB Trade Value, where we'll try to answer the question that hangs over so many sports debates: Would you trade this guy for that guy? More than simply listing the best current players with the best current stats, this ranking seeks to account for multiple other factors. Talent and track record matter, but so do age, health, and contract status. The perfect Trade Value player is an established star who's still young enough to carry growth potential, has no significant injury history, and has an affordable contract that brings numerous years of team control. Ultimately, this is a thought experiment: If every team made every player available via trade, which guys would fetch the greatest return?

More Trade Value Rankings Bill Simmons on the NBA

Bill Barnwell on the NFL

Jonah Keri on MLB

All Trade Value! While we've used rigorous statistical analysis to help find the answers, this remains a subjective exercise. For instance, when considering the trade value of a 22-year-old mega-prospect with six years of controllable service time (three at the league-minimum salary) versus that of a 10-year veteran who's widely regarded as the best pitcher in his league and who's owed nearly $26 million a year for the next five seasons, the answer is in the eye of the beholder. A rebuilding or low-revenue club might jump at the chance to land Kris Bryant, while a richer team gearing up for a playoff push would have a tough time turning down Felix Hernandez.

We'll do our best to balance all of those factors. We'll also acknowledge the growing trend of small- and mid-market teams locking up young stars, the resulting thinning of the free-agent market, and the corresponding spike in demand for elite players. We'll call on conversations with executives and talent evaluators from across the sport. And we'll prepare to read all the hate mail you send to grantlandfantasy@gmail.com.

Oh, and for the first time, we'll make minor leaguers eligible for inclusion.

So with a nod to Grantland Trade Value brothers-in-arms Bill Simmons and Bill Barnwell, let's do this thing.

Trade Value Rules

1. Contracts matter. David Price is a better pitcher than Yordano Ventura, but Price will be eligible for free agency at the end of the 2015 season, while Ventura isn't even arbitration-eligible yet and will be under team control through 2019.

2. Age matters. Jose Bautista and Giancarlo Stanton put up similar numbers in 2014, but Bautista is 34 and, as great as he is now, probably won't be great for too many more years. Stanton is 25 and just starting to harness the full scope of his powers, so he has more trade value.

3. It's all relative. If every team started shopping every player as a trade candidate, which guys would attract the biggest return from any of the other 29 clubs? For instance, if we're comparing the trade value of Manny Machado and Troy Tulowitzki, we're not concerned that the Rockies have a solid third baseman of their own in Nolan Arenado, or that the Orioles already have a capable shortstop in J.J. Hardy. Instead, we want to know this: If every team were allowed to bid on Machado and Tulo, which player would net the greater return?

4. Positional scarcity matters. If a shortstop and first baseman put up comparable offensive numbers, the shortstop is the more valuable player, since it's much tougher to find someone with the defensive chops to handle short than one who can man first. That's already accounted for in the Wins Above Replacement metric, which you'll see referenced occasionally here, but it bears repeating.

5. Defense, park factors, and other variables not immediately apparent in superficial stats matter. These are not fantasy baseball rankings, so a player who hits 30 home runs isn't