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Ten Teams Have Shown Interest In Ryan Dempster

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A total of ten teams have shown "legitimate interest" in acquiring Ryan Dempster according to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Among those ten teams are the Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Braves, Indians, and White Sox.

The Cubs are willing to pay part of the approximately $7MM owed to Dempster through the end of the season in order to receive better prospects via trade. Levine says Chicago has begun to scout the lower levels of every farm system in earnest, and they seek young pitching as part of any trade. A highly regarded third base prospect is also high on their list.

Dempster, 35, extended his scoreless streak to 33 innings with six shutout innings today, lowering his season ERA to 1.86. With both Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels reportedly due to receive extension offers before the trade deadline, Dempster could be the best starter realistically available this summer.

Cubs Notes: Soriano, Rays, Trades

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Earlier this week we learned that the Red Sox have expressed preliminary interest in Cubs pitchers Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster.  Dempster is on the hill today against the Diamondbacks and it might just be his last start in a Cubs uniform.  Here's the latest out of Chicago..

  • Alfonso Soriano's 14 homers since mid-May should have teams interested, but it seems like no one is ever showing interest in the pricey outfielder, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  One rival GM surmised that Chicago could move Soriano if they absorb $44MM of the $46MM owed to him through 2014.  One scout suggested that the Rays might be a fit for the 36-year-old.
  • General Manager Jed Hoyer is looking to make moves for the future but still wants to keep a quality product on the field, writes Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com.  "That’s where you sort of have to have that long view to make those moves,” Hoyer said. “But that’s why being in that position isn’t one you want to be in very often. You feel like, yes, you can make improvements for the long term but there is a reason there are teams calling, because there are good players. I think that is never a good feeling.”

Quick Hits: Braves, Blue Jays, Soriano, Weaver

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Earlier this evening, Braves General Manager Frank Wren confirmed that he is on the lookout for a shortstop.  "We’re moving along. Hopefully in the next day or so we’ll get to the end of it," said the GM, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Blue Jays‬ are more focused on improving their starting rotation than their bullpen right now but are interested in upgrading both, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Toronto is said to be among the clubs interested in Cubs starter Matt Garza.
  • Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) speculates that Alfonso Soriano would be an interesting get for the Rays if the Cubs were willing to absorb about 90 percent of the money owed to him.
  • Angels pitcher Jered Weaver has no regrets about staying with the Halos for less money than he could have gotten elsewhere on the open market this offseason, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
  • Phillies assistant GM Marti Wolever isn't “overly disappointed” about not signing second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  “We’ll get an extra second-rounder next year,” he said of the right-hander. “We liked [Rash], but he didn’t pitch well this summer. We made a fair offer. He’s going to school."

Draft Notes: Pirates, Athletics, Orioles, Cubs, Indians

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Teams have until 4pm CDT to sign their picks from this year's Rule 4 draft, so teams and advisors are in for a busy afternoon. We'll track the draft-related news here:

  • Third round selection Avery Romero signed with the ‪Marlins‬ for $700K, Conor Glassey of Baseball America tweets.
  • The Pirates signed 17th rounder Hayden Hurst for $400K, Callis tweets. Hurst appears to have obtained the second-biggest deal for players selected after the tenth round.
  • The Athletics signed second round selection Nolan Sanburn for $710K, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.
  • Top Orioles pick Kevin Gausman is in Baltimore and a press conference will be held at 5pm CDT if the sides agree by today's 4pm CDT deadline, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • The Cubs announced that they signed second round selection Duane Underwood. The high school right-hander doesn't turn 18 until next week. The Cubs reportedly agreed to a $1.05MM deal with Underwood.
  • The Indians signed eighth round selection Caleb Hamrick, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). The high school right-hander obtained a $180K bonus.
  • You can track every unsigned selection at Baseball America. The list includes the four remaining unsigned first rounders: fourth overall selection Gausman (likely to sign with Orioles), eighth overall selection Mark Appel (Pirates), 16th overall selection Lucas Giolito (Nationals) and 25th overall selection Richie Shaffer (nearing deal with Rays). 
  • The Orioles' expected agreement with Gausman will be worth "around" $4.2MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
  • It's unlikely the Pirates will sign Appel, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Heyman suggests there's a possibility of intervention from MLB officials.
  • The Marlins agreed to sign first round selection Andrew Heaney, in case you missed it.

Stark On LaHair, Encarnacion, Orioles, Vargas

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Here's some news from the Twitter feed of ESPN's Jayson Stark…

Teams Calling Red Sox About Outfielders

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Teams are calling the Red Sox about the availability of “several” outfielders, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. The Red Sox are “open-minded” about trading away an outfielder now that Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford are nearly ready to return to the MLB roster.

Ryan Sweeney and Daniel Nava could be trade chips for the Red Sox, but the team is “not looking to move Sweeney,” Silverman reports. Scott Podsednik and Ryan Kalish are at Triple-A, and Cody Ross fits well with Boston’s current needs.

Though the Cubs aren’t interested in Sweeney, the Red Sox are eyeing a pair of Cubs pitchers. Boston has expressed preliminary interest in Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster, but is “not fully engaged yet,” Silverman reports. I recently previewed the trade market for starting pitchers and outfielders.

Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal explained how Boston’s 40-man roster will impact the team’s next few weeks. The Red Sox are far more likely to trade surplus players such as Sweeney, Kelly Shoppach or Matt Albers than make major changes this month, MacPherson writes.

East Notes: Gee, Mets, Garza, Jones

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Here's a look at items out of the AL and NL East..

  • Mets right-hander Dillon Gee will undergo potentially season-ending surgery on Friday to repair artery damage in his shoulder, a source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Gee should be able to throw in six to eight weeks but the best case scenario would be a late September or October return if the Mets reach the playoffs.
  • Rays pitcher David Price hopes that former teammate Matt Garza finds his way back to the American League East, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  The two hurlers speak on a daily basis and Price wants to see his friend in person more often during the course of the season.
  • Chipper Jones said he might work in television or consult for the Braves once he retires following the 2012 season, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.  However, he insists that he won't change his mind about retiring, no matter how well he plays from here on out.  “To be honest, I don’t want the lifestyle anymore,” Jones said. “I don’t want the schedule, the major league schedule anymore. I’ve been living out of suitcases for 23 years.”

Minor Moves: MacDougal, Olsen

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Cubs released right-hander Mike MacDougal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. The Cubs signed MacDougal to a minor league deal in May after the Dodgers released him. The 35-year-old, who signed a one-year, $1MM deal before the season, posted a 7.85 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 19 appearances for the Cubs' top affiliate.
  • The White Sox released left-hander Scott Olsen, Eddy tweets. The White Sox signed the 28-year-old to a minor league deal in January. Olsen, who has battled shoulder injuries in recent years, appeared in just three minor league games for the White Sox before being released.

Cubs Sign Albert Almora

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JULY 11th: The Cubs have officially announce the signing in a press release. Almora will report to the team's complex in Mesa.

JULY 9th: The Cubs have agreed to sign first round selection Albert Almora, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The high school outfielder obtains a $3.9MM bonus.

MLB recommended a $3.25MM bonus for Almora, the sixth overall selection in last month's draft. The outfielder has lots of tools and polish, Callis notes. The Cubs have now agreed to terms with their first 20 selections from the draft. Just six first round selections remain unsigned with four days to go before this Friday's deadline for signing draft picks.

Dodgers, Cubs Discussing Dempster, Garza

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The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing possible trades that would send either Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza to Los Angeles, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers are seen as a favorite to acquire Dempster, and they’ve also had conversations about Garza. 

The Dodgers are expected to pursue upgrades aggressively in their first summer under new ownership. They have the resources to take on large contracts like Dempster’s ($14MM) and Garza’s ($9.5MM), but the Cubs prefer to obtain talent in trades even if it means getting less salary relief.

Dempster, 35, recently returned from the disabled list. He has a league-leading 1.99 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 86 innings and will hit free agency this coming offseason. Garza, 28, has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 93 2/3 innings. He’ll go to arbitration once more next winter and hit free agency following the 2013 campaign.

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