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Red Sox, Marlins Discussed Crawford, Hanley, Bell

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1:10pm: There's no current discussion involving Crawford, Ramirez and Bell, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The idea surfaced briefly as a concept and immediately died.

12:57pm: The Red Sox and Marlins are discussing a trade that would send Carl Crawford to Miami for Hanley Ramirez and Heath Bell, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The Marlins approached the Red Sox about the possible blockbuster, Nightengale reports.

The biggest impediment to the deal is the Marlins' indecision about their course for the rest of the 2012 season. Miami VP Dan Jennings is in Boston scouting Crawford, according to Nightengale. The potential trade would be the second-biggest contract swap in history, trailing only the 2004 trade involving Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano, Nightengale writes.

The Marlins are also discussing trades involving Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, plus a deal that would send Omar Infante back to Detroit, Nightengale reports.

Ken Rosenthal reported earlier today that the Red Sox are determining trade interest in Crawford. However, GM Ben Cherington says there's "nothing going on" with the left fielder, who is in the second year of a seven-year, $142MM contract he signed following the 2010 season.

Red Sox Determining Trade Interest In Crawford

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The Red Sox are contacting teams to determine their trade interest in Carl Crawford, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Red Sox reached out to both the Marlins and the Dodgers, but no deal appears close.

“There’s nothing going on with Carl,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told Rosenthal. “He’s our left fielder and we’re glad to have him back in our lineup.”

Crawford is in the second year of a seven-year, $142MM contract he signed following the 2010 season. His contract allows him to block trades to two teams and states that teams can’t flip him to the New York Yankees. Crawford, who returned from the disabled list two days ago, has lingering elbow issues that could require Tommy John surgery at some point. The 30-year-old posted a .255/.289/.405 line last year in his first season with the Red Sox.

Some Marlins officials are frustrated with Hanley Ramirez, so Rosenthal suggests Cherington could look to acquire the former Red Sox prospect for Crawford. Jose Reyes could also be considered a trade chip, Rosenthal writes.

Justin Upton Rumors: Wednesday

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Justin Upton will be traded — it’s a question of whether the Diamondbacks make a deal now or over the winter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported this morning. Upton, who can block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians, has drawn interest from many teams, including the Pirates, Blue Jays and Yankees. Here are the latest Upton-related rumors, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Much of the interest in Upton is coming from non-contenders, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. It’s becoming increasingly likely that the Diamondbacks will wait until the offseason to trade Upton.
  • Though the Red Sox love Upton’s ability, they haven’t called the Diamondbacks about him, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets.

Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday

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The Cubs are working hard to move Ryan Dempster and they could trade him by the end of the week. The Dodgers, Tigers, Braves, Red Sox and Nationals have all expressed interest in the right-hander, who can veto any trade. The Dodgers would top Dempster's list of potential destinations, followed by the Braves, Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday. There are only a few teams to which the right-hander wouldn't accept a trade. 

Dempster, 35, has a 1.86 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 92 innings for the Cubs this year. He earns $14MM in 2012 — more than $6MM between now and the end of the season — but the Cubs are said to be willing to absorb salary to facilitate a deal. Here are the latest rumors surrounding Dempster, with the most recent developments up top:

  • Interest from the Nationals and Yankees isn’t as strong as some reports indicate, Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. While the Dodgers had been considered the favorite to land Dempster, teams such as the Tigers, Red Sox and Braves could still acquire him.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both hear the Dodgers are considered the favorites to acquire Dempster.
  • The Dodgers are viewed as the favorites for Dempster with the Tigers seen as “strong pursuers” and the Red Sox considered long shots, Joel Sherman reported today.

Quick Hits: Indians, Red Sox, Yankees

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Indians president Mark Shapiro says the trade market is slow because of the new rules regarding draft pick compensation and the abundance of teams in contention, particularly in the American League (Twitter links). However, the Indians are "heavily engaged" in the trade market, according to Shapiro. Here are more notes from around MLB…

Rosenthal On Rays, Colon, Angels, Dempster

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James Shields isn’t the only member of the Tampa Bay pitching staff who could be traded this summer. The Rays are open to moving any of their right-handed starters, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Right-handers Jeremy Hellickson, Wade Davis, Alex Cobb and Chris Archer would all appeal to teams in need of pitching. Here are more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • The Rays probably won’t sell if it appears Evan Longoria will be able to return before long, but the third baseman’s timeline remains unclear.
  • It’s highly unlikely that the Athletics will trade Bartolo Colon, Rosenthal reports. The A’s value Colon more than the mid-level prospects they’d be able to acquire for him in a trade.
  • Executives say the Angels have enough young talent to trade for a pitcher of Zack Greinke’s caliber. Though GM Jerry Dipoto is reluctant to trade Peter Bourjos and Garrett Richards, both would appeal to other teams. One executive noted that prospects Jean Segura and Kaleb Cowart are also appealing trade chips.
  • The Angels are looking for a left-handed reliever, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Cubs are exchanging names with teams interested in Ryan Dempster. The Dodgers, Tigers, Braves and Red Sox are in the mix. A friend of Dempster’s said the right-hander would probably approve a trade to Boston but considers the Dodgers a better fit. The Dodgers have enough prospects to build a package for Dempster, rival executives tell Rosenthal.
  • The Red Sox are still interested in Matt Garza, another potential trade chip. 
  • The prospect-rich Blue Jays are interested in Justin Upton. GM Alex Anthopoulos is pursuing numerous players and willing to listen on all of his own players, Rosenthal writes. The Pirates have shown considerable interest in Upton, but the Diamondbacks don’t view Pittsburgh as a fit.
  • The Rangers are almost certain to bolster their bench. One option: upgrade over catcher Yorvit Torrealba.
  • It’s not surprising to see the Giants pursuing relief help, Rosenthal writes.

Justin Upton Rumors: Monday

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Justin Upton is available for the right offer, but his no-trade protection enables him to block trades to four teams. The Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians are the teams on Upton's list, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. As the FOX reporters note, players often include high-revenue teams like the Yankees on no-trade lists to maximize their leverage. Here are today’s latest Upton-related rumors:

  • Marc Carig of the Star Ledger tweets that there is "nothing going on" with the Yankees and Upton.
  • Larry Reynolds, the outfielder's agent, says Upton is a good person and a hard worker, Nightengale reports. "What I don't like are the comments and innuendos made about Justin's work ethic and character, especially from those gutless people that don't want to put their name by a quote," Reynolds said.
  • The Yankees have checked in on Upton.
  • Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he’s getting more calls than ever as the trade deadline approaches. The volume of calls could be related to Upton’s availability and to the increase in potential buyers. 
  • Towers told Nightengale he’ll let Upton know if he’s nearing a deal with another club and suggested he might even give the right fielder some input if two teams offer similar packages. "I told Justin that if we're at the 1-yard line, I'll tell you the teams that are interested," Towers said.

Red Sox Aggressively Pursuing Ryan Dempster

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The Red Sox are 9.5 games out of the division lead in the AL East, but they're just 1.5 back from a wild card spot, and look to be interested in fortifying their rotation. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Boston is being aggressive in its pursuit of Ryan Dempster.

The 35-year-old Dempster, who is owed roughly $6.1MM over the remainder of the season, is in the midst of a very strong campaign. He's posted an MLB-leading 1.86 ERA to go along with a 7.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 42.5% groundball rate in 92 innings to date. Stats such as FIP (3.13) and SIERA (3.82) aren't as fond of Dempster's work, and he went through a short DL stint with a lat strain, but Dempster would be a clear upgrade to a Red Sox rotation that has compiled a 4.77 ERA this season.

Dempster has the power to veto a trade, but will reportedly consider being shipped to any contender. He's drawn interest from as many as ten teams, and prior to this point, the Dodgers and Tigers were thought to be the most serious players for the right-hander's services. Other interested parties include the Yankees, Braves, and Indians.

As a reminder, any team that acquires Dempster would be receiving a pure rental. Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement states that teams are only eligible to receive compensatory picks for players who spent the entirety of the season with that club.

A deal between the two sides would make for an interesting matchup, as it would represent the first deadline deal between new Cubs president Theo Epstein and his former assistant GM (and now Red Sox GM) Ben Cherington.

AL Central Notes: Castillo, Tigers, Willingham

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The White Sox lead the AL Central with a 49-39 record, and they are considering at least one high-profile midseason reinforcement. The White Sox have Zack Greinke on their radar, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today. Here are the latest AL Central rumors, starting in Chicago…

  • The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican prospect Luis Castillo for $450K, the Dominican Prospect League announced. The league release describes Castillo as a "man child" who hits the ball hard and runs well for his size.
  • The Tigers and White Sox are both prioritizing starting pitching in trade talks, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
  • The Twins haven't made Josh Willingham off-limits to other teams, but they aren't shopping him, Phil Mackey and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com report. Willingham, who's in the first year of a three-year, $21MM contract, is "definitely" Minnesota's most valuable trade chip, 1500ESPN.com reports. However, the Twins are enjoying Willingham's production and would prefer not to trade a player so early in a multiyear contract.
  • The Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays and Braves are believed to have some interest in Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, Heyman reports.

Red Sox To Designate Lillibridge For Assignment

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The Red Sox will designate utility player Brent Lillibridge for assignment, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports (on Twitter). The move creates roster space for Carl Crawford, who's being activated from the disabled list.

Boston acquired Lillibridge in the trade that sent Kevin Youkilis to Chicago last month. Lillibridge, 28, has a .165/.212/.177 line in 86 total plate appearances this year. He has a career batting line of .212/.279/.351 in five seasons with the Braves, White Sox and Red Sox. Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests he could be a fit for the Mets (Twitter link).

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