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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).

Red Sox Notes: Bullpen, Ross, Crawford

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Links out of Boston as the Red Sox get set to take on the Rays this afternoon..

  • The Red Sox are said to have interest in Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt but GM Ben Cherington won't rule out dealing from the club's bullpen surplus, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.  “Perhaps, selectively, if the right opportunity presents. But we’ve got to be careful. Moving anything from an area that might look like there’s some surplus, pretty soon you could scramble and turn around and you’re trying to trade for the same guy you gave up."
  • Cody Ross arrived in Boston with one eye on re-entering the open market this offseason, but the outfielder now says that he has enjoyed his time with the club and wouldn't mind staying, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  It would make sense for the Red Sox to hang on to Ross, Speier writes, as he figures to be relatively affordable and could be a bridge for the organization's next group of outfielders.
  • Carl Crawford acknowledged that external pressures, including his $142MM contract, are pushing his impending return to the club whether he's "ready or not," writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  The outfielder's seven-year, $142MM deal runs through the 2017 season.

Cafardo On Betancourt, Lester, Vargas, Liriano

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke about Florida baseball with Bud Selig and he had mixed emotions on how successful it is, as he's frustrated with the Rays' attendance figures but noted that the Marlins' numbers are up significantly after the opening of their park.  "They’ve run a great operation," the commissioner said. "They’re a very competitive organization, a very competitive team. As I study the attendance every day and looking at where they are, to see they’re No. 29 [in attendance] is inexcusable. Nobody can defend that."  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Red Sox have shown interest in Rockies right-hander Rafael Betancourt and have scouted him a few times.  Boston likely wouldn't want to give up prospects for him but could offer an outfielder.  Recently, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported that Colorado would have to be overwhelmed to part with the reliever.
  • Jon Lester has been on Pirates' radar along with Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, and Matt Garza but it doesn’t appear the Sox would move him unless they got an outstanding deal.  Pittsburgh probably won't part with pitching prospect Gerrit Cole which makes a trade unlikely.
  • The Mariners' Jason Vargas has emerged as a hot name for contending teams and one American League GM told Cafardo that teams were hoping to "slip in and take him for less than full value."  Now, however, the M's know that he's in demand and won't just give him away.  The Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Cardinals, and Tigers are among teams that may have interest.  
  • The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Braves have all scouted Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano, who Cafardo suggests should be traded before he falters again.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan will have to be blown away to part with outfielder Josh Willingham.

Mets Have Considered Kelly Shoppach

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The Mets are looking for an upgrade behind the plate and they're rumored to have interest in Ramon Hernandez of the Rockies. According to MLB.com's Peter Gammons (on Twitter), they have considered Kelly Shoppach as an alternative if the price to land Hernandez is too high, however.

New York's backstops have produced a .244/.303/.298 batting line this season, the third worst catcher OPS in the NL. Shoppach has put up a .269/.358/.527 line while backing up Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and he's historically done most of his damage against left-handers. As Gammons notes, a trade would allow the Red Sox to bring Ryan Lavarnway up from Triple-A, where he's hitting .306/.395/.455.

Red Sox Designate Justin Germano For Assignment

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The Red Sox will designate Justin Germano for assignment, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Boston will reinstate Jacoby Ellsbury from the disabled list in a related move, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio adds (on Twitter).

Germano, 29, appeared in one game for the Red Sox this year, pitching 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief six days ago. He has spent most of the season as a starter for Boston's Triple-A affiliate and has a 2.40 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 in 105 innings at Pawtucket.

Quick Hits: Cherington, Profar, Royals, A’s, Ryan

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Check out MLBTR's "Justin Upton Rumors" for the daily collection of trade buzz about the Diamondbacks outfielder.  For any "Justin/Upton Rumors" in regards to the alleged Justin Verlander/Kate Upton relationship, you may need to check out our sister site, MLB Dating Rumors. 

Here's the latest from around the majors as we prepare for the second half of the season…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford) that his team isn't going to be a trade deadline seller. "There's no such thing as taking a year off in Boston," Cherington said. "We feel like we're right in it and have as good a chance as most teams to be there at the end….We've got some ways to improve the team internally, potentially. And we've started to look at ways to improve the team externally. If we play to our capability with the guys we have here our hope is we don't have to make a lot of moves."
  • Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar holds the top spot on the midseason top 50 prospects list from ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription required).  "Profar has the ultimate mark of an elite prospect. He keeps improving even as he is challenged with better competition," Law writes.
  • The Royals are looking for Major League talent in trades rather than prospects, GM Dayton Moore tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.  “We’re at a stage in our development where we want back ready Major League players to help us," Moore said. "Three or four years ago, yeah, we’re looking for prospects….Now, we have prospects in our system. You can always use more. But we need guys who can help our Major League team.” 
  • From that same item, Moore said he has been given no directives by ownership to move payroll at the deadline, nor has he made any calls looking to move any of the Royals' veteran players.
  • The Athletics are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot and are wondering if they should make a playoff push, reports Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group.  "I don't think if something is within your grasp, you ignore it," said GM Billy Beane, though he added that, "We are going to have to be somewhat leery of a short-term fix if we give up players for the long term, because I do like this group."  A's co-owner Lew Wolff, meanwhile, said that Beane would have payroll space to make a deadline addition if he wished.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan spoke about his drafting, scouting and player development philosophies with Fangraphs' David Laurila.
  • Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog wonders why Carlos Quentin would re-sign with the Padres when he is better suited for a DH role in a less-spacious ballpark.
  • The week's minor league transactions are recapped by Matt Eddy of Baseball America.

Heyman On Yankees, Garza, Upton, BoSox, Jays

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CBS Sports' Jon Heyman discussed how baseball reporting is evolving in the age of social media and a 24/7 news cycle (while giving MLB Trade Rumors a tip of the cap), joked about the infamous "mystery teams" that often dominate the rumor mill and also shared some hot stove chatter during his appearance on Jonah Keri's Grantland podcast.  Here are some of the highlights…

  • The Yankees have mostly stayed away from major trade deadline moves under Brian Cashman and Heyman suspects the team will largely stand pat this month.  There are no glaring needs on the roster plus the first-place Yankees will get a boost from Brett Gardner's return from the DL.
  • If the Yankees did make a move for pitching, Matt Garza would be at the top of their list.  The Red Sox and Blue Jays are also interested in Garza, not to mention the Dodgers and Tigers, among other clubs.
  • When the Diamondbacks toyed with putting Justin Upton on the trade market two years ago, they discussed a deal with the Red Sox that would have sent Upton to Boston in exchange for Jacoby Ellsbury and Daniel Bard.
  • The Red Sox and Blue Jays have the same record but the Sox are "more fully invested" in contending this season, while Heyman thinks the Jays' pitching injuries may prevent from making a true push at the deadline.
  • Heyman thinks Zack Greinke is a "longshot" to re-sign with the Brewers but the club will at least make him a long-term offer before exploring possible trades before the deadline.  The Angels and Braves are two of the teams expected to be in on Greinke should Milwaukee make him available.
  • Surprise contenders like the Mets, Orioles and Pirates will look to upgrade themselves for a pennant race, though Heyman thinks these teams are "probably all realistic about their chances" and won't sacrifice their rebuilding process by trading any of their blue chip prospects.  The Mets are looking for a veteran bullpen arm, the Orioles a veteran starter and the Pirates a corner outfielder, such as Carlos Quentin or Josh Willingham if the Twins were to make him available.
  • Beyond Greinke, Josh Hamilton, Cole Hamels and a few other notables like Michael Bourn or Melky Cabrera, Heyman feels this year's free agent crop is "not a star-studded class."  The free agent market has been dimmed by the preponderance of teams who lock their young stars up to multiyear contracts early in their careers.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Longoria, Encarnacion, BoSox

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It was on this day in 1997 that Roger Clemens struck out 16 Red Sox batters to lead the Blue Jays to a 3-1 win at Fenway Park.  It was Clemens' first appearance in Boston since he signed a free agent contract with Toronto the previous winter, and there were some definite hard feelings — Clemens punctuated several of his strikeouts with glances up towards the Fenway luxury boxes and then-Sox GM Dan Duquette.

Here's the latest from around the AL East…

  • Speaking of Duquette, the current Orioles executive VP tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that he is looking for a hitter with on-base skills to bat first or second in the Orioles' lineup.  Connolly speculates that Shane Victorino could fit that bill though the O's would have to outbid several other teams if the Phillies made Victorino available.
  • Duquette didn't completely rule out dealing a major prospect like Manny Machado or Dylan Bundy, but such a deal is very unlikely.  "They can be really good major leaguers for a really long time,” Duquette said. “That’s the way I look at it. I don’t know that we want to send them to another ballclub for two months or 10 starts of a pitcher. I don’t think that’s the kind of trade we’d want to make. But we want to advance our team in the pennant race.”  (Quotes courtesy of Connolly's Twitter feed).
  • Evan Longoria's recovery timeline will "influence" what the Rays will do at the trade deadline, Andrew Friedman told reporters, including Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).  Longoria is expected back in August though the third baseman has already experienced one setback during his recovery from a torn hamstring.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including Sportsnet's Shi Davidi) that with Edwin Encarnacion's extension settled, the team can now focus on acquiring pitching.  Anthopoulos also said he "didn't have any intention of trading" Encarnacion, though ESPN's Jayson Stark reported earlier today that the Jays were checking on trade interest in Encarnacion just last week.
  • The Yankees have wrapped up negotiations with first-round draft pick Ty Hensley and are waiting to hear if the right-hander will accept their offer before tomorrow's draft signing deadline, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
  • The Red Sox are almost obligated to be active at the trade deadline, says ESPN's Tim Kurkjian during a radio appearance on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show.  (WEEI.com's Morley Quatroche has a partial transcript.)  “I think they’re going to have to be buyers because they’re the Red Sox,” Kurkjian said. “And they can’t give up on a season….The Red Sox have to go out and get somebody. They have to go out and get another starting pitcher, whether it’s Ryan Dempster or Zack Greinke. It’s going to take an enormous amount to do it.”  Kurkjian also discusses such topics as Carl Crawford's injury, Bobby Valentine's managerial style and the mood in the Sox clubhouse.
  • For most Boston-related material, here's a collection of Red Sox notes from earlier today, plus news about trade interest in the team's backup outfielders.
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