MLB Trade Rumors: Hunter Pence to Philadelphia Phillies and Other Deadline Locks

As Loverboy so famously sang, "Everybody's working for the weekend," or at least that's the case in MLB these days.

With the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline just two days away, general managers all across the major leagues are conjuring and lining up everything from small swaps to three- and four-team mega-blockbuster deals to either bolster their clubs' chances of winning the World Series this year or starting over to eventually make an October run somewhere down the road.

The Giants' acquisition of Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets was just the first shoe to drop, followed closely by the mind-bending moves that sent Colby Rasmus from St. Louis to Toronto and Edwin Jackson from the Tigers to the Cardinals.

A number of big names, including Heath Bell, Hunter Pence and Ubaldo Jimenez, remain firmly on the proverbial chopping block and will be the main sources of fuel lighting the fire beneath the midsummer "Hot Stove."

So where will these All-Stars and difference-makers land? And at what cost?

Aramis Ramirez to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

If it weren't for one of those pesky no-trade clauses, the Chicago Cubs probably would've traded third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim weeks ago.

Of course, that hasn't stopped to rumor mill from churning and, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Ramirez may be a Halo this season yet.

Ramirez had previously resisted trade overtures, insisting that he remain on the North Side unless the Cubbies were clearly in rebuilding mode.

Well, now that the Lovable Losers, at 42-63, are 14.5 games out of first place in the National League Central and have traded outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians, it appears as though the sometimes slow-witted slugger has finally gotten the message.

The Angels have long been interested in adding a bat of Ramirez's caliber (.296, 19 home runs, 62 RBI) to the heart of their lineup and might've explored other options if not for the fact that just about all of their everyday players are pretty well-entrenched at the moment, monetarily and/or productively.

That is, except for current hot corner guy Alberto Callaspo, whose numbers are certainly respectable (.298, three home runs, 33 RBI) but who doesn't add much pop to an offense that ranks in the bottom ten in baseball in just about every major statistical category.

If Ramirez is fine with waiving his no-trade clause and giving up his guaranteed option year for 2012, and the Angels can get him simply by swapping a couple lower-level prospects and some cash, expect the three-time All-Star to be on his way to Anaheim by Sunday afternoon.

Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies

I realize I gave it away in the headlines, but I'll say it again anyway: Hunter Pence is (probably) going to be a member of the Philadelphia Phillies by the close of the weekend.

How such a deal gets done, though, is still something of a mystery.

Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Phillies had already attempted to swing a deal for the All-Star outfielder with a package built around prospects Jarred Cosart, and Jonathan Singleton, though the 'Stros apparently balked, insisting on the inclusion of younger, better pitching prospects.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. may be willing to include current right fielder Dominic Brown in a deal, though there remains some uncertainty as to whether Houston would even want him.

As such, the Phillies have returned to the drawing board and may now be looking to swap Brown to a third team to acquire pieces to satisfy the Astros' demands.

Philadelphia doesn't appear to have much competition for Pence at this point, with the Red Sox, Braves, Reds and Pirates having all seemingly ducked out of the race in a fashion not dissimilar to what happened just prior to the Giants landing Carlos Beltran.

The Fightin's could certainly use Pence (.309, 11 home runs, 62 RBI) to spark their underperforming offense this season and probably wouldn't mind having him in their possession for the next two seasons, pricey as his salary figures to be after arbitration this winter. 

Heath Bell to the Texas Rangers

If the Phillies succeed in their pursuit of Pence, the Texas Rangers would then remain as the front-runners to land Heath Bell.

Wait...what? How do you figure?

Well, Philadelphia is seeking an outfielder, and if the Pence deal falls through, they would likely seek a bigger blockbuster with the Padres involving Ryan Ludwick and a reliever, potentially Bell.

In the meantime, the Rangers are the leaders in the clubhouse for Bell, who told reporters on Thursday that he expects to be traded by Sunday's deadline.

Most folks around baseball believe Bell will be in Arlington, as the Rangers are the best fit as far as prospects are concerned. The only problem now is figuring out just how much they're willing to give up..

The Dads want three top-quality prospects for their closer, an asking price that Rangers GM Jon Daniels is seemingly unwilling to meet given that Bell would essentially be a two-month rental.

That being said, San Diego GM Jed Hoyer will likely soften his stance if he thinks he can re-sign Bell, a native of nearby Oceanside, in the offseason.

Expect such a softening to happen and for the Rangers to reap the benefits.

Hiroki Kuroda to the New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have long been hot after a starting pitcher to plug in somewhere in the rotation behind CC Sabathia's rather large, well, behind.

According to ESPN baseball insider Jayson Stark, GM Brian Cashman has cooled in his pursuit of Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez of late, as he's unwilling to part with young pitcher Ivan Nova and other top prospects.

Should that be the case, expect Cashman to continue his courtship of Los Angeles Dodgers reliable righty Hiroki Kuroda.

The Yanks' biggest obstacle may be his no-trade clause, as Kuroda has expressed a distinct unwillingness to leave LA in recent weeks.

However, with the Dodgers clearly in the tank and Kuroda getting almost no support from the rest of his team (hence the 6-13 record), he may be willing to take his talents to a contender in due time.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is well aware of Kuroda's value in a market devoid of quality pitching and is seeking at least one high-level prospect in return. That, the Yankees may just be amenable to.

As they should be. The Bronx Bombers have been anything but on the mound this year, outside of Sabathia's Cy Young exploits. Adding Kuroda (3.11 ERA, 2.56 on the road) would be a boost to their run-of-the-mill rotation, which includes such aces of yesteryear as Bartolo Colon, AJ Burnett and Freddy Garcia.

The Yankees will have to hold off the likes of the Tigers, the Indians and (of course) the Red Sox to get Kuroda but should come out ahead when all is said and done.

Ubaldo Jimenez to the Boston Red Sox

I may be going out on a limb here, but the Boston Red Sox will come up aces with Ubaldo Jimenez.

All indications are that the Sox are gung-ho about adding a starting pitcher before the calendar turns to August, especially with the status of Clay Buchholz still so uncertain.

Boston could still opt for Kuroda, but with a World Series ring in his team's sights, look for GM Theo Epstein to really go for broke here.

With the Reds tipping towards a fire sale and the Yankees unwilling to meet Colorado's demands, the Red Sox may only have to outbid the Indians and the Tigers at this point to pry Jimenez from the Rockies.

Bringing Ubaldo on board will likely require the Red Sox to dig deep into their coffers, though doing so would be well worth it. After all, Boston's rotation is pretty much just Josh Beckett at this point and Jimenez would be under contract for another three years at just under $6 million per.

There is some concern as to whether Jimenez really is an ace after seeing how he's pitched over the last calendar year. That being said, the guy still has great stuff with some good years ahead of him.

And, again, the Red Sox need starting pitching quite desperately.