Atlanta Braves Trade Rumors: Braves Must Amp Up Efforts for Ryan Dempster

Ryan Dempster's time in Chicago appears to be nearing an end. The only thing left to be decided is where the Cubs will trade their star pitcher, with a number of teams reportedly expressing interest in him. 

According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago, the Los Angeles Dodgers made an offer to the Cubs for Dempster. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have proposed a trade for Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, a baseball source told ESPNChicago.com on Thursday.

The Cubs have been clear their top priority on the trade market is adding young pitching. It is unclear whether Zach Lee, the top-rated arm in Los Angeles' farm system, is included in the offer.

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Despite the Dodgers' interest, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the two sides are not on the same page right now. 

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In the ever-changing trade landscape: The Dodgers and Cubs haven't found common ground in Dempster talks. Other teams being aggressive.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 20, 2012"

Following up on that, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the Braves have an interest in him but have yet to get into specifics. 

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Source: #Braves have spoken only of general scenarios with #Cubs about Dempster without getting real specific. However . . .

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 20, 2012"

With the Braves needing pitching help, Dempster having them high on his list of teams to play for and the Dodgers taking their time, it is time for Atlanta to figure out what they want to do. 

Specifically, they need to realize that their starting pitching is a source of problems and take advantage of their minor league depth to entice the Cubs with a strong package of players to make a deal happen. 

The Braves have a great chance to make the playoffs this season, though they are clearly flawed in a number of areas. The offense should be fine, as long as Jason Heyward keeps hitting and Chipper Jones stays healthy. 

Their starting rotation is their biggest weakness, with Tim Hudson being the only one I trust enough to win a game in the postseason. Dempster may not be able to keep up his current pace for the rest of the season, but he is certainly a better option than Jair Jurrjens, Ben Sheets, Mike Minor and even Tommy Hanson. 

Follow @adamwells1985

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