The 2016 non-waiver trade deadline is less than two weeks away now. We've already seen a handful of trades go down in recent weeks, most notably involving James Shields and Drew Pomeranz, and you can be sure many more moves are on the way.
To help you keep track of all the rumors and rumblings, we'll log the day's buzz right here, so make sure you check back often for the latest updates. Here's a look at Tuesday's trade chatter.
Orioles after Hellickson?
Update: 12:46am ET
The O's badly need help in the rotation (their starters are presently lugging around an ERA of 5.11 for the season), and Jon Morosi tweets that Baltimore may have its sights set on Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki notes, Hellickson was heavily scouted by contenders during his Wednesday night gem against the Marlins. After said gem, Hellickson now sports a solid 3.84 ERA on the season with a 3.92 K/BB ratio. He's been even better in recent outings, which will obviously help the already strong market for his services. You could argue that no contender needs rotation help more than the Orioles do, so don't be surprised if they make something happen.
Padres hoping to trade Cashner soon
Update: 7:01pm ET
As you would expect, starting pitching is going to be in high demand leading up to Aug. 1, and the Padres are looking to contribute to the supply side. They've of course already send Drew Pomeranz to Boston, and now, per Jon Morosi, they're hoping to deal Andrew Cashner before his next scheduled start on Thursday.
Cashner's struggled this season, as he's allowed 43 runs in 67 2/3 innings while posting an unimpressive K/BB ratio of 1.96. He's also in his walk year, so barring a contract extension with his new team, he'd be a short-term rental. That said, he throws hard and has a past record of success, and he's still on the right side of age 30. Given his 2016 difficulties, Cashner probably won't net the Padres a huge return, but he should have a market.
Cubs, Mariners closing in on deal?
Update: 5:43pm ET
The Cubs are very much in the market for left-handed relief, which brings us to this ...
Tim Kurkjian just reported on air that the Cubs and the Mariners have a trade in the works. Cubs have been looking at lefty Mike Montgomery.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 20, 2016
Such a deal could also signal a mid-level sell-off in Seattle.
Indians talking Lucroy
Update: 5:20pm ET
With Yan Gomes injured and Michael Brantley suffering a setback, the Indians would seem to us to make a lot of sense as a potential Jonathan Lucroy suitor. Turns out, they might be thinking the same. Buster Olney is reporting that the Indians have entered talks to acquire Lucroy, whose cheap club option makes him an appealing fit for now and later. Cleveland certainly has the pieces to get a trade done, so the question is mostly whether the Indians are willing to make a big splash to maximize this opportunity. We tend to think they are, but we'll find out for certain soon enough.
Giants focused on relievers
Update: 4:55pm ET
The Giants are on the hunt for some relief help, and they're focusing on pitchers on the Phillies and Brewers, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Both rebuilding teams have arms to deal, including closers Jeanmar Gomez and Jeremy Jeffress, as well as setup men David Hernandez and Will Smith -- all of whom are likely to come cheaper than the Yankees' Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman, who Crasnick notes are likely to be priced out of the Giants' range. Bruce Bochy is one of the best bullpen handlers in the game, so you can bet on him getting the most from whomever the Giants land.
Rizzo denies Blackmon interest
Update: 2:42pm ET
Whether this qualifies as news depends on your perspective. Anyway, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo took to the airwaves on Wednesday to scoff at the report that he had interest in trading for Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon, per Pete Medhurst, who would seemingly represent an upgrade for the Nats in center field and at leadoff. Obviously Rizzo's denial doesn't necessarily mean much -- tampering rules prevent executives from fawning publicly -- but there you have it. (Also, let the record show that the Nats' interest would make sense if they feel as though Trea Turner isn't ready to assume both roles.)
Dodgers seeking impact move
Update: 10:30am ET
With Clayton Kershaw's status up in the air heading forward, the Dodgers are looking to make a big move, per ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick later added that -- hypothetically -- the Dodgers are more likely to be interested in a Chris Archer trade than one for, say, Jake Odorizzi or Drew Smyly. It's unclear whether the Dodgers have a specific target in mind, though Archer would obviously make sense -- in part because his value could be down a bit, and in part because of Andrew Friedman's familiarity with him from their shared Tampa Bay days. One thing's for certain: the Dodgers could use the help.
Cubs tried trading for Pomeranz -- with intent to trade him again
Update: 10:04am ET
Here's a fun one from Ken Rosenthal: the Cubs tried trading for Drew Pomeranz before the Red Sox succeeded, but not with the intent to keep Pomeranz. Rather, the Cubs reportedly wanted to flip Pomeranz as part of a bigger deal for a cost-controlled starter. Rosenthal couldn't figure out the mystery pitcher's identity, but he did note that the Cubs balked at trading Javier Baez for Pomeranz. The Cubs figure to continue to shop around for pitching help.
Cobb's return delayed
Update: 9:55am ET
Alex Cobb's pending return from Tommy John surgery is one of the reasons the Rays seem likely to trade a starting pitcher or two. For now, however, Cobb's rehab stint will be delayed. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that while Cobb hasn't suffered a new injury, and intends to continue pitching on the side, his next rehab start will be pushed back as part of an effort to help him deal with arm fatigue and mechanical trauma. Topkin notes that in doing this, Cobb's 30-day rehab window will be reset. In other words, Cobb's still coming back to the Rays rotation . . . just not yet.
Cubs looking for relievers
Update: 9:45 am ET
In unsurprising news, given that most every contender is in the same boat, the Cubs are trolling the market for bullpen help, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Gonzales notes that the Cubs expect Joe Nathan to join the team this weekend. Nathan hasn't thrown a big-league pitch since April 6, 2015 due to elbow trouble. It's unclear how (or if) his presence will alter Chicago's shopping. Gonzales also reported that the Rays and Athletics have each been scouting the Cubs, who it should be noted, have been rumored in the past to have interest in the Yankees' Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.
