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Latest On Ryan Dempster

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11:05pm: The Cubs are asking the Dodgers for minor league pitcher Allen Webster as the centerpiece of a Dempster trade, reports Morosi (Twitter link).

6:55pm: It's possible that the Dodgers could acquire Dempster from the Cubs without having to surrender Lee, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (Twitter link).

5:34pm: The Dodgers are holding out on including pitching prospect Zach Lee in a potential Dempster trade, sources tell Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

4:20pm: The Cubs are talking to the Dodgers about Dempster again, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.

3:26pm: Dempster told reporters, including Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com, that he's taking his time to weigh his options (Twitter link). He plans to pitch for the Cubs tomorrow. "I have a pretty good idea of where I want to go," Dempster said, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). 

1:37pm: The status of the possible Braves-Cubs deal should be resolved "shortly," ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter). The Cubs continue talking to the Braves and the Dodgers.

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Zack Greinke Rumors: Tuesday

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Scouts will be watching Brewers ace Zack Greinke very closely tonight as he makes his first start since July 13. The right-hander was given 10 days' rest in an effort to see him "recharge his batteries," as Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin phrased it. We'll keep tabs on Greinke rumors in this post, with the latest going up top.

  • The Brewers' ideal scenario is to trade third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Zach Lee and then deal Greinke to the Rangers for third base prospect Mike Olt, reports Jim Bowden of SiriusXM ESPN radio (via Twitter). Bowden adds that such a sequence of moves is unlikely, however.
  • The teams that are known to have interest in Greinke, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, are: the Rangers, Orioles, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers.

Brown & Passan On Olt, Braves, Morneau

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A handful of teams still don't know whether to buy, hold or sell with eight days remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports. Expanded playoffs are on the horizon for the first time, so more teams than ever are within striking distance of a postseason berth, and the trade market is unsettled as a result. Here are the latest notes from Passan and colleague Tim Brown…

  • The Diamondbacks “adore” Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt, Passan writes. Olt could help the Rangers put together a competitive trade offer for 24-year-old right-fielder Justin Upton.
  • Rival executives know the Braves are looking for pitching, which means Atlanta is up against extra-high asking prices, according to Passan. The Braves will acquire Ryan Dempster from the Cubs for Randall Delgado if Dempster approves the trade.
  • The Twins are listening on Justin Morneau, Tim Brown reports. Minnesota wants teams to surrender a big leaguer for Morneau, while absorbing his entire contract ($14MM per season through 2013). That's a high asking price for a player with a history of concussion issues and a .744 OPS.

Rosenthal & Morosi On Brewers, Victorino, Twins

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The Giants are interested in Indians reliever Chris Perez, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported this morning. Here are more notes and rumors from the FOX reporters…

  • The Brewers are not ready to declare themselves sellers, but after losing three straight games to the Reds over the weekend Milwaukee is moving in that direction, Rosenthal reports. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s a tough hill to climb,” GM Doug Melvin acknowledged. The Rangers, Angels, Braves and Nationals are among the teams that have shown some level of interest in Zack Greinke, according to Rosenthal. The 44-50 Brewers could also trade Randy Wolf, Francisco Rodriguez and George Kottaras, among others.
  • The Phillies and Dodgers have discussed Shane Victorino, Morosi reports (on Twitter). However, there’s no momentum toward a deal at this point.
  • The Blue Jays are still looking for a starting pitcher even after acquiring J.A. Happ, Morosi notes (on Twitter).
  • The Twins haven’t put Josh Willingham on the trade market yet, but he’s in high demand, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
  • The Twins are inclined to listen to trade offers for Francisco Liriano, because they could obtain power arms for the future by completing a deal, Morosi reports.
  • MLBTR summarized more rumors from Rosenthal earlier today.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Jerry Dipoto, Ryan Dempster

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With the calendar set to turn to August in less than two weeks, the Pirates continue to shock the baseball world with their sights on winning the National League Central. Winners of seven of its last ten, Pittsburgh owns the best record in baseball since June 16 thanks to the strong play of Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. McCutchen, one of the frontrunners for league MVP, boasts a batting average of .470 during that time frame with Alvarez leading the Major Leagues with home runs over the last five weeks (h/t Jon Heyman). 

Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from around the league…

  • Rangers manager Ron Washington told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com that Texas is willing to consider trading any of its prospects except for Jurickson Profar if the team looks to acquire a piece for another World Series run (Twitter link).
  • Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto spoke with Bowden about the team's plans for the non-waiver trade deadline and said that he's working incredibly hard to improve his roster but that the trade market has proven to be difficult (via Twitter).
  • With the Dodgers cooling on Ryan Dempster, the Braves have emerged as the favorites to land the right-hander, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Potential suitors, including the Cardinals and Nationals, are wary of parting with better prospects for what could prove to be a rental given Dempster's status as a free agent at the end of the season. 
  • After signing Carlos Quentin to a multiyear deal earlier on Sunday, the Padres are in preliminary talks with Huston Street with hopes of retaining his services well into the future, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. 

NL East Notes: Sanchez, Victorino, Braves, Mets

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The battle for the top spot in the National League East has quickly become a two-horse race given how teams have fared since returning from the All-Star break. Swept by the Dodgers in a three-game series this weekend, the Mets are now one game under .500 after losing eight of their last nine contests. New York is left looking up at the Braves and Nationals, who split a four game series with Atlanta at home. Here's the latest news and happenings from around the division…

  • The Marlins' Anibal Sanchez was being scouted today by the Tigers and Red Sox, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Sanchez took the loss against the Pirates but was impressive striking out eight while allowing only three runs in seven innings.
  • The Pirates see Shane Victorino as a perfect fit for their outfield, but not until the Phillies drop their asking price dramatically, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 
  • The Braves continue to be one of the teams courting the Cubs' Ryan Dempster. ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if Jair Jurrjens' poor outing today (six runs allowed, including two home runs, in 2 1/3 innings) will spur more talk between the Braves and Cubs (via Twitter).
  • The Mets will not become sellers at the trade deadline, despite their recent struggles, because they don't want to leave the clubhouse bare, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin adds the Mets could still be active at the deadline making lateral trades for MLB players under control in 2013 (via Twitter). 

Daniel Seco contributed to this post.

Braves Moving Toward Deal For Ryan Dempster

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12:59pm: The Braves seem to be close to acquiring Ryan Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Braves are believed to be high on the list of teams to which Dempster would approve a trade, Heyman notes. The right-hander, who can veto any trade, is not likely to demand an extension. 

Dempster, 35, has an NL-best 2.11 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 98 innings for the Cubs this year. He earns $14MM in 2012 — more than $5.5MM between now and the end of the season — but the Cubs are said to be willing to absorb salary to facilitate a deal.

12:39pm: The Braves are moving closer to finalizing a trade for a starting pitcher, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). GM Frank Wren is known to be looking for starting pitching and reportedly has some interest in Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, Jon Lester, Jason Vargas and others.

Braves starters have combined for a 4.34 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 so far this year. The team's rotation currently consists of Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Jair Jurrjens and newcomer Ben Sheets. Brandon Beachy and Arodys Vizcaino are out for the season with Tommy John surgery, which has diminished the organization's internal options. Here's a look at some potentially available starting pitchers.

This post was first published on Monday, July 23rd.

Minor Moves: Hurley, Russell, Hughes, Broderick

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Here are the day's minor moves…

  • Right-hander Eric Hurley has elected free agency according to the MLB.com's transactions page. The Angels called him up earlier this month but he did not appear in a game. The 26-year-old Hurley signed a minor league deal with the Halos this offseason and pitched to a 5.81 ERA in 18 starts for their Triple-A affiliate this summer.
  • The Braves have released Adam Russell according to the International League transactions page. Atlanta signed the 29-year-old righty to a minor league pact this winter but he posted a 7.28 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for their Triple-A affiliate. Russell owns a 3.95 ERA in 86 2/3 big league innings with the White Sox, Padres, and Rays.
  • The Athletics have released Luke Hughes according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Oakland designated the infielder for assignment back in April. Hughes, 27, had one single in 13 plate appearances for the A's this year while hitting .223/.316/.338 in 152 minor league plate appearances.
  • The Cardinals have released Brian Broderick according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Sulia). The 25-year-old right-hander posted a 7.32 ERA in 78 2/3 innings for the team's Triple-A affiliate. Broderick appeared in eleven games for the Nationals last year as a Rule 5 Draft pick.

Braves Inquired About Jon Lester

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The Braves are seeking pitching help prior to the trade deadline, and MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that they recently called the Red Sox about Jon Lester. Boston is not yet looking to sell, something we heard earlier this month.

"Pitching is at a premium," said GM Frank Wren. "It's so hard to get pitching because there are a limited amount of guys. There are a lot of guys being bantered around out there, and they're not really available because teams have not determined whether they're in or out. In some cases, they haven't determined whether they can sign them or not. It's really a tough market."

Lester, 28, is in the middle of the worst full season of his career. His 4.80 ERA is more than a full run higher than his 3.67 career mark, and his strikeout rate (7.6 K/9) is his lowest since 2008. The good news is that his 2.6 BB/9 is a career-best. Lester is owed $11.625MM next season with a $13MM club option for 2014.

Bowman says the Braves appear to be much more interested in Zack Greinke than Ryan Dempster, but they will not mortgage the future for a rental player. Atlanta is also in the market for bullpen help and Bowman opines that they may check in former Brave Omar Infante.

Dodgers “Very Unlikely” To Trade For Ryan Dempster

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Ryan Dempster allowed four runs in six innings against the Cardinals last night, an outing that is not likely to hurt his trade value. Yesterday we heard that the Dodgers, Tigers, Nationals, and Cardinals all have some level of interest in the right-hander while the Red Sox are likely out. The Cubs want one or two young arms in exchange for their vetreran ace, but it's unclear if he'll waive his no-trade clause to switch leagues. Here are today's Dempster rumors with the latest up top…

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dempster sweepstakes is currently down to the Braves, Nationals, and Cardinals. 
  • The Dodgers are "very unlikely" to trade for Dempster according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They prefer not to trade prospects for a rental, making Matt Garza a more logical target.
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