With only a few hours remaining before the 4:00 p.m. EST non-waiver trade deadline teams are scrambling to make last second deals. While it is highly unlikely that there will be any blockbuster deals there should still be a decent amount of action.
Last night the Boston Red Sox acquired Jake Peavy from the White Sox in a three team trade that also involved the Detroit Tigers. Detroit's involvement in the trade was very telling about the other major MLB story right now; the Tigers acquired shortstop Jose Iglesias from Boston, a sign that they expect Jhonny Peralta to be suspended in the fallout from the Biogenesis scandal, according to MLB.com.
The Houston Astros' Bud Norris has yet to be traded despite being scratched from yesterday's start. According to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports the teams that are interested in the pitcher include Arizona and Texas. It is assumed that if Texas picks up Norris that they will immediately turn around and trade him for a hitter.
Some talk of Rangers interest in Norris, possibly to spin off for a hitter
— Danny Knobler (@DannyKnoblerCBS) July 31, 2013
The Mariners appear to be unwilling to trade either Kendrys Morales or Raul Ibanez but are doing everything they can to get Michael Morse off of the payroll, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Rays are one of the possible suitors mentions by Heyman. It's unusual for the Rays to pick up players at the deadline but they may feel that after their recent winning streak they can really make a run at the World Series.
Justin Morneau of the Twins is a name that has come up from time to time prior to the deadline but it seemed unlikely that Minneapolis would deal the fan favorite. The Orioles and Pirates have expressed interest in picking up the former MVP, according to CBS Sports.
Despite trailing the Dodgers by only 3.5 games the Arizona Diamondbacks might be willing to trade starting pitcher Ian Kennedy. According to Scott Miller of CBS Sports the Diamondbacks have been in talks with the Padres with Arizona looking to bolster their horrendous bullpen. Only the Cubs have had a worse pen.
The asking prices for the Cubs' Jeff Samadzija and the Phillies' Cliff Lee were simply too high for any teams to seriously consider a trade for either of the pitchers, according to CBS Sports.
In the Rangers search for outfield sluggers they have attempted to convince the Blue Jays to trade either Juan Encarnacion or Jose Bautista. Unsurprisingly the Jays have turned them down, according to CBS Sports.
Alex Rios of the White Sox has been the subject of trade speculation with many thinking that he might be the bat the Rangers were looking for. A trade involving him may be unlikely, at least for now, as the slugger is day to day after injuring his foot. X-rays show that it isn't a serious injury and nothing is broken but it may scare teams from getting a deal done today, according to ESPN.
As the Kansas City Royals continue to delude themselves into thinking that they have a shot at the playoffs it looks as if they won't be trading Ervin Santana or Luke Hochevar, according to Bleacher Report.
It was widely reported that Michael Young wouldn't waive his no-trade clause if traded to any team other than the Rangers. Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports has reported that Young would be willing to be traded to Boston if the Red Sox were interested in him. There is no word if Young would be willing to go to the Yankees, the team that has shown the most interest in him.
Source: Michael Young changes mind, willing to waive no-trade clause for #RedSox. Only was willing to go to #Rangers yesterday. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2013
There are going to be a ton of deals done today. Even if they aren't enormous, blockbuster deals it should still be an intriguing run up to the 4 o'clock deadline.
