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Central Links: Castellanos, Cardinals, Miller, Crowe

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Between baseball's two Central divisions, at least six teams figure to be buyers, and more could emerge depending on how the coming weeks play out. The White Sox, Tigers, Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals could all add pieces prior to July 31, and here are some links pertaining to those clubs…

  • The Tigers are telling teams that top prospect Nick Castellanos is unavailable in any trade "at least right now," according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports echoes that sentiment, tweeting that he'd be "very surprised" if the Tigers move Castellanos for a rental (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals were one of the teams in on Ben Sheets prior to his signing with the Braves, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who adds that the Cards continue to look for upgrades to their rotation.
  • Cardinals top prospect Shelby Miller has struggled in 2012, but B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest quotes GM John Mozeliak as saying, "Clearly we're still very high on him" (Twitter link).
  • The Indians announced that Trevor Crowe has been released from Triple-A Columbus (on Twitter). The former No. 14 overall pick is now 28 years old and has managed just a .736 OPS in parts of five Triple-A seasons. He batted .245/.295/.329 in three Major League stints.

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.

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.

Olney On Victorino, Phillies, Sizemore, Ryan

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Here's a look at the latest from Buster Olney of ESPN.com (all links go to Twitter)..

  • Rival teams say the Phillies' asking price for Shane Victorino is extremely high right now, Olney tweets.  Last week, people familiar with the club's thinking told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that whether he is dealt before the deadline or plays out the year in Philadelphia, he doesn't appear to be long for the organization.
  • Victorino would be a fit for many teams including the Indians, Pirates, and maybe the Yankees, but it's not clear if anyone would give them value equal to the draft pick they would receive as compensation, tweets Olney.
  • Speaking of the Indians and their outfield situation, they're not completely ruling out a return for Grady Sizemore this year, Olney tweets.  They're also not necessarily expecting to see him back in action as his legs haven't responded in rehab.
  • It makes total sense for the Braves to pursue Mariners infielder Brendan Ryan, says Olney.  The 30-year-old is making $1.75MM on the back end of a two-year pact.

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.

Quick Hits: Quentin, Hagadone, A’s, Uribe

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A few stray links to pass along as the NL All-Stars celebrate their third consecutive victory over the AL …

  • The Indians are trying to acquire Carlos Quentin from the Padres, but the sides "don't have much common ground right now," according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Quentin is an impending free agent and figures to be dealt, as the Friars are unlikely to extend him with their ownership situation still in flux.
  • The MLB Players Association is considering filing a grievance on behalf of Indians reliever Nick Hagadone, who was placed on the minor league disqualified list after injuring himself in a fit of frustration following a recent poor outing, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Indians GM Chris Antonetti said Hagadone was angry that he pitched poorly and not because he had been informed he'd been optioned to the minor leagues. Players do not receive salary or accrue service time while on the disqualified list.
  • The odds of the Athletics moving to Sacramento, as was recently proposed by the city's mayor, former NBA star Kevin Johnson, is highly unlikely, according to the Contra Costa Times. The A's, meanwhile, remain in stadium limbo.
  • The Dodgers may be in an active-roster bind with the impending returns of outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier from the disabled list, and though they could possibly cut ties with oft-injured and ineffective infielder Juan Uribe, that move remains unlikely, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. The balance of the $12MM owed to Uribe over the next season-plus would be tough for the Dodgers to swallow, Dilbeck explains.

Pirates, Reds, Indians Interested In Quentin

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The Pirates, Reds, and Indians are just a few of the teams that have called the Padres about Carlos Quentin, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The Pirates have been connected to Quentin within the past week, but this is the first report that either Ohio team has actually contacted the Padres about their slugging left fielder. Until this point, connection to both teams had been speculation.

Quentin, 29, is a San Diego native who has enjoyed his first season playing in his hometown. He currently boasts a .268/.406/.518 triple slash line and has clubbed seven homers in 138 plate appearances. Like most hitters, he's struggled tremendously at Petco Park. Small sample warnings apply, but Quentin has hit just .196/.288/.348 in 14 home games compared to .318/.477/.636 in 19 games on the road.

As Heyman notes, the Padres would need to acquire a return which they deem more valuable than the draft pick Quentin could net them. The new collective bargaining agreement muddles the situation, however, as an acquiring team would not be able to collect a draft pick for him at season's end. That, of course, will make it more difficult for Padres GM Josh Byrnes to net quality prospects in exchange for Quentin's bat.

Heyman also writes that the Tigers and Blue Jays were both seen as fits for Quentin at one point, but that may no longer be the case. The Tigers likely prefer an infielder and/or starting pitcher with Delmon Young's bat coming around, and the Blue Jays are more likely to pursue pitching as well.

The Marlins placed a call about Quentin at one point, according to Heyman, but it's unclear whether or not the acquisition of Carlos Lee has taken them out of the Quentin market.

Quick Hits: Dempster, Indians, Taillon

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Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith profiled as a trade candidate last month, did nothing to hurt his market value by extending his scoreless streak to 27 innings in a 7-0 shutout of the Mets. The streak is the longest by a Cub since Ken Holtzman also tossed 27 scoreless innings in 1971 and is six innings away from tying Holtzman's club record set in 1969. Dempster meanwhile lowered his ERA to 1.99 during his five-inning stint where he struck out four and did not walk a batter. 

  • Dempster isn't paying attention to all the trade talk telling reporters, including the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan (via Twitter), that the only television he watches is "Swamp People."
  • Indians outfielder Shelley Duncan doesn't think the team needs to be active at the trade deadline. "We have the talent," Duncan told reporters including MLB.com's Justin Albers. "A lot of people out there always talk about bringing in new people, getting a bat and all that stuff. But the guys we have on this team, we honestly feel from the bottom of our hearts, we don't need that. We don't need that at all."
  • In the same piece, Indians GM Chris Antonetti says finances will not affect his approach at the trade deadline. "I have not limited our focus on potential acquisitions by their contract status." Antonetti added, "There's always a sense of urgency. Every game that passes is a missed opportunity."
  • With the Pirates in first place in the NL Central and looking to be buyers at the trade deadline, pitcher Jameson Taillon's name has been mentioned as a possible trade chip. The second overall pick in the 2010 draft told Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he tries to avoid the trade talk but it's unavoidable. "There are some people that will bring it up to you and say, 'Hey did you see this? Did you see that rumor?' To be honest, I love the Pirates. You can’t pay too much attention to it. I’m just really glad to be a Pirate." (Twitter links) Taillon will pitch for the United States during the annual All-Star Futures Game being played today in Kansas City.

Quick Hits: Victorino, Phillies, Dempster, Pirates

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Shane Victorino was a late scratch for today's game against the Braves, but it's apparently nothing more than a manager's decision by skipper Charlie Manuel.  However, Victorino doesn't appear to be long for Philadelphia anyway as he will almost certainly sign elsewhere if he is not dealt before July 31st, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  People familiar with the familiar with the Phillies' thinking have suggested that while they intend to make a strong effort to keep Cole Hamels, their efforts to retain the outfielder are expected to be lukewarm at best.  The Dodgers have a bit of interest in Victorino while he could also be a fit for the Pirates, Indians, and Tigers, Heyman tweets.  More Sunday afternoon linkage..

  • A big scouting presence is expected for Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster's start against the ‪Mets‬ today, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The right-hander was on the disabled list for three weeks with a sore right lat.
  • Former Rangers and Indians GM John Hart told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) that while it's "common knowledge" that the Bucs are looking for offense, he believes that they should also consider adding a big pitcher.
  • Giving Jonathan Papelbon a four-year, $50MM contract has handcuffed the Phillies from making other essential moves, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  While Papelbon has posted a 3.45 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 on his way to a fifth All-Star selection, the rest of the bullpen has been battered by injuries.

Rosenthal On Greinke, Hamels, Ellsbury, Victorino

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has posted his latest edition of Full Count.  Let's dive in..

  • As of this morning, the GMs of the Orioles and Brewers have not spoken about a trade involving Zack Greinke.  But the O's, despite sending three starters to the minors this week, continue to indicate that they are buyers.  Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was previously in Baltimore and O's right-hander Jake Arrieta was originally a Brewers draft pick in 2005 and could be of interest as part of a package for Greinke.  However, the Orioles may not want to pay a steep price for a potential free agent when they might only be playing for a wild card.
  • Rival teams covet Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt and the Phillies would likely target him in any talks for Cole Hamels, but the odds of Philly landing him are slim.  Texas would view Hamels as a rental and are looking at Olt at first base and right field, in addition to third.  His bat will be needed next season if they lose Hamilton or Mike Napoli to free agency.
  • The Red Sox face ongoing luxury tax concerns and are over the threshold by $10MM, according to a source.  That could make holding on to Jacoby Ellsbury difficult after 2013 and trading him might make sense at the end of this season.  Unfortunately, the free agent market will be flooded with outfielders including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino.  That will obviously hurt the market for the 28-year-old.
  • Victorino could be a fit for the Pirates or Indians as they aggressively pursue hitters.  The Pirates like Carlos Quentin but his asking price is steep.  The Tribe has inquired on Corey Hart, but he is unavailable.  Victorino would be a solid fit for Cleveland as he is a switch-hitter (who would join a predominantly left-handed lineup) and can play either left or center field.
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