With Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels off the market, clubs could turn to Rays right-hander James Shields for pitching help at the trade deadline. The 30-year-old owns a 4.52 ERA this year but finished third in the Cy Young Award voting just last season. There are club options for 2013 ($9MM) and 2014 ($12MM) in his contract, so Shields offers a ton of flexibility. Here are today's rumors on Tampa's Opening Day starter, with the latest up top…
- The Cardinals also have interest in Shields according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. He says the Rays seek a package "north of Greinke" in return.
- Rival executives believe more and more that the Rays will trade Shields prior to the deadline according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Braves, Dodgers, Indians, and Rangers are among the clubs with the most interest in Shields, according to Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. The Angels had interest but are presumably out of the running after acquiring Greinke.