MLB trade rumor roundup: Red Sox could deal John Lackey, too

Boston's interest in trading John Lackey, the low odds of a Cole Hamels trade and more from around baseball before Thursday's trade deadline.

The Red Sox could be angling to trade both Jon Lester and John Lackey before the trade deadline this week, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He says there's a "very good chance" that both are dealt, either separately or as a package deal.

The Cubs already cashed in their top two pitchers to get Addison Russell, one of the game's elite prospects, from the Athletics. Boston could be hoping for a somewhat comparable return if it packages Lester and Lackey, though it's also possible the two pitchers will be traded individually to different teams.

Lackey has pitched well for Boston this season, posting a 3.60 ERA over 21 starts. He's struck out 116 and walked 32, and settled back into his groove as a solid starting pitcher after some mid-career struggles. Lester, who has a 2.52 ERA in 21 starts this season, is obviously the more valuable trade chip, and has been rumored in deals all month.

Phillies unlikely to deal Hamels

The Phillies have spoken with other teams about ace left-hander Cole Hamels, but the club's extremely high asking price makes a deal unlikely, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox are among the teams that have inquired, only to have Philly request "multiple top prospects" in any deal.

While Hamels remains one of the better pitchers in the National League, his $24 million salary adds a major dynamic to any trade discussions. Many teams likely have little interest in paying out that kind of money, and the teams that do probably won't offer up their best young players in any deal.

That leaves Philadelphia in a tough position, which is why Heyman suggests a deal is ultimately unlikely. The Phillies understandably expect a large return for a talented player who represents their best trade chip. However, unless the price goes down in the next 24-plus hours, which is possible but unlikely, Hamels will remain in Philly for the rest of 2014.

Jonny Gomes (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

Royals want right-handed OF, but are getting picky

The Royals want to add a right-handed outfielder to their lineup, but reports from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick cross some obvious names off the list. Specifically, Jonny Gomes and Josh Willingham aren't options because they don't fit well in right field, where Kansas City needs the most help.

The knock against Willingham makes sense -- he's played just 35 career games in right field, all with the Nationals in 2009 -- but not so much with Gomes. The Red Sox slugger has played 160 games in right field during his career, so while he's far from a defensive whiz, he could probably be a fine stopgap at the position, his large platoon splits notwithstanding. A career .222/.307/.415 hitter against right-handed pitchers, Gomes has hit .280/.380/497 in extensive exposure to southpaws.

Neither player has hit particularly well this season, regardless of their defensive skills. Gomes is batting .239/.335/.361 with just six homers in 242 plate appearances with the Red Sox (.151 against righties, .313 against lefties), while Willingham is batting .222/.363/.422 over 234 plate appearances with Minnesota but has seen his OPS drop nearly 250 points in the past six weeks.

Dodgers interested in Benoit

The Dodgers are interested in San Diego reliever Joaquin Benoit, but the Padres "would prefer not to trade him within division, if they trade him at all," Rosenthal reports. Benoit is considered one of the better relief pitchers on the market and could bring a solid return for the in-flux front office in San Diego.

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Over 42 appearances this season, Benoit has posted a 1.88 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 13 walks in 43 innings. He's fit well into the friendly confines of Petco Park, limiting his penchant for allowing home runs while striking out nearly four times as many batters as he walks.

Teams often pay a premium to acquire high-level relievers like Benoit in the middle of the season, but the Padres don't appear to be very aggressive in making moves. That's probably because they're still trying to sort out the front office after firing longtime general manager Josh Byrnes just over a month ago.

Rangers willing to eat money in Rios deal

The Rangers are willing to eat some of Alex Rios' salary in order to facilitate a trade, according to Rosenthal. Several interested suitors have been "fading of late" in talks with Texas, but it's possible some extra cash could grease the wheels on a pre-deadline deal.

Rios has played well this season, batting .305/.334/.431 with a league-leading eight triples in 419 plate appearances with the Rangers, but he isn't an inexpensive pick-up: there is still several million remaining on his $12.5 million salary for this season, and his contract includes a $13.5 million team option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout attached.

That money isn't exorbitant in today's game, but it represents a significant chunk of change for a player who's on pace to post his lowest home run total since 2004. If the Rangers are expecting to get some solid talent back in exchange for Rios, eating some salary is probably the easiest way to do that.

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