Trade Deadline Rumor Round-up Extravaganza

HBT Trade Deadline Tracker
Craig Calcaterra Jul. 24, 2010, 7:06 PM ET

Here's the latest on baseball's most buzzed-about trade targets.

Last update: Saturday, July 24, 2010, 7:06 PM EDT

1. Roy Oswalt: The Cardinals are the front runners, and may have offered two major leaguers to the Astros. It appears that one of them is Brendan Ryan. For his part, the Cardinals are Oswalt's preferred destination, but there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of prospects and money. Oswalt is willing to defer money if he goes to the Cardinals, but Astros' General Manager Ed Wade seems to be asking way too much in terms of prospects.

2. Dan Haren: The Diamondbacks are now clearly signaling their intent to trade Haren before the deadline. The Tigers are reported to have "serious" interest, as do the Yankees, Cardinals and Twins. Haren, however, can veto trades to Detroit or Minnesota. There were some indications that the Yankees had emerged as a front-runner for Haren, however it doesn't appear they are close to a deal. The Diamondbacks reportedly asked the Tigers for two of their best pitching prospects.

3. Jayson Werth: Free-agency bound and in the midst of a disappointing year. If Philly trades for Oswalt, Werth could be moved out in "a companion trade." One possible destination: Tampa Bay.

4. Adam Dunn: Reports have the Nationals working to give Dunn an extension, but if it can't be accomplished by July 31st, they'll trade him. The White Sox are said to be pushing hard to bring the Big Donkey to Chicago, but the Yankees would love to have him as their DH for the stretch run as well.

5. Prince Fielder: The White Sox are "trying to accelerate talks" for Fielder, though it's unclear that they have enough to offer Milwaukee without giving up Gordon Beckham. Which they don't want to do.

6. Ted Lilly: A free agent after this season. The Dodgers, Mets and Twins have all been linked to Lilly. A great start on Wednesday day night against the Astros only ups his stock. Word is, the Cubs would like to trade Lilly before his next scheduled start on Tuesday.

7. Brett Myers: The Astros are now reported to be reluctant to trade Myers and "will need to be overwhelmed in order to move him." This makes no sense because there's a good chance Myers chooses free agency for 2011 rather than exercise his half of the $8 million mutual option he has with the Astros.

8. Ben Sheets: The Athletics are reported to be reluctant to trade Sheets, although this may have more to do with other teams' fears of his diminished velocity as opposed to Oakland really wanting or needing him. Looks like those fears weren't without merit. Sheets is headed back to the DL with an elbow injury.

9. Jose Bautista: A surprisingly powerful first half has made him an attractive trade target for someone looking for a big outfield bat. The Braves reportedly discussed him while putting together the Yunel Escobar trade, but not a lot of heat surrounds Bautista. Yet.

10. David DeJesus: The Red Sox, Braves and Reds have all been rumored to have interest. One of the only centerfielders currently available, he'll likely come at a high price. But now he's hurt.

11. Corey Hart: Currently making less than $5 million and under team control through 2011, Hart will be highly sought-after but will cost a great deal in terms of prospects. The Giants and Braves have been rumored to be interested. Hart gave the Brewers quite a scare Friday and is currently day-to-day an injury to his right wrist.

12. Cody Ross: Another outfielder in the DeJesus/Hart mold -- useful, relatively cheap but reportedly requiring some significant talent in return. As is the case with every outfielder on the market, the Braves' interest has been noted.

13. Scott Downs: Not the biggest name around, but the Jays' setup man may be the best reliever available at the moment. The Red Sox and Yankees are both interested.

14. Lance Berkman: Still a dangerous bat he (a) still has over $7 million owed to him this year; (B) possesses a full no-trade clause; and (c) has said that he won't drop it unless his new team agrees to pick up his $15 million 2011 option. That's a non-starter for anyone, but if Berkman comes back to reality someone desperate for offense may sniff around.

15. Jake Westbrook: A quality arm poised for free agency, Westbrook is the sort of pitcher who is often moved at the deadline. But salary escalators built in to his contract make him a rather expensive option. Teams in need of a starter -- the Mets and Dodgers, for example -- may still come calling.

16. Ty Wigginton: His versatility and fast start thrust him into the rumor pages, but he's fallen off quite a bit since the end of May. Still, a boatload of teams -- especially teams like the Tigers who have suffered injuries -- are interested in prying him away from the Orioles.

17. Fausto Carmona: His improvement, his potential and his reasonable salary -- owed only $6.1 million in 2011 followed by multiple team options -- may make him too valuable for the Indians to trade. But everything can be had for a price. Carmona's just may be really, really high.

18. Octavio Dotel: Every year someone talks themselves into a bad team's closer as they scramble for bullpen help at the deadline. Dotel may be this year's target. A club option for $4.25 million in 2011, but most teams would view him as a rental. The Marlins expressed some interest, but a trade to Florida seems unlikely.

19. Derrek Lee: A no-trade clause complicates things, but the Cubs are going nowhere and Lee is poised for free agency. The Angels seem like a perfect fit, and Lee is from southern California, but so far there has been only tenuous speculation regarding a Cubs-Angels trade.

20. John Buck: Catchers with power aren't a dime a dozen, and with Toronto willing to trade anything that isn't nailed down, Buck is an attractive target. The Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies have been reportedly scouting Buck, but a better fit may be Detroit.

21. Jose Guillen: His fast start led to a lot of early trade talk, but the Royals may have missed their window on Guillen, who has sunk back into mere competence after his early season highlights. With little defensive value and a high salary (the remainder of a $12 million deal for 2010) he's a far less attractive target than the DeJesuses, Rosses and Harts of the world.

22. Adam LaRoche: Affordable and famous for hot second halves. No heat surrounding him yet, but he is no stranger to deadline deals.

23. Mike Lowell: Reportedly healthy now, able to play either infield corner and no room at all for him in Boston, Lowell would seemingly be a nice fit in Texas, but there have only been modest rumblings of the rekindling of talks between the Rangers and the Sox.

24. Jhonny Peralta: Clearly no longer a part of Cleveland's future, Peralta's ability to play both third and short may pique the interest of teams bitten by the injury bug such as the Tigers or the Rockies.

25. Kerry Wood: A rough early part of the season and a pricey contract scared away many thought would be a robust market for Wood, but recent success and his still-amazing stuff could tempt contenders looking for a setup man. Just placed on the DL with a blister, he'll be eligible again before the end of the month.

Source: Hardball Talk