MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Regarding Yovani Gallardo, Alexei Ramirez and More

With each passing day, Major League Baseball's playoff picture gets a bit clearer, as does the trade market ahead of the July 31 deadline. Plenty of teams still in contention could use some help moving forward, but there are so few definite sellers that teams are sure to be fighting over the available players.

That means the few defined sellers are in prime positions to strike advantageous deals in the coming days. Although that doesn't necessarily guarantee any huge trades will happen, it will certainly be interesting to see how rival teams attempt to counteract each other with the deadline quickly approaching.

Here is the latest buzz surrounding Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez and more as the trade market continues to heat up.

Yovani Gallardo

Gallardo has been one of the league's better starting pitchers for the past several seasons, but his 2013 struggles have gone hand in hand with those of the Brewers as a whole. Prior to this season, Gallardo never had an ERA worse than 3.84 over the course of an entire year. He has far exceeded that, though, as he currently sports a 4.58 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP and a disappointing 8-8 record.

Despite that, the Brewers aren't keen on moving him, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but they have received plenty of calls regarding him.

Even though Gallardo has had some issues this season, it's not a big surprise teams are interested. He's just 27 years old, and he has thrown more than 200 innings in a season just twice, so there isn't a ton of wear on the tires. Also, even though Gallardo's strikeouts are down this season, he has a streak of four straight years with at least 200 strikeouts; and he punches out roughly a batter per inning for his career, so he is still a strikeout pitcher at heart.

Perhaps a change of scenery would spark Gallardo a bit, as he simply doesn't have much to play for in Milwaukee right now. The Brew Crew is having a miserable season. It has to be difficult for Gallardo to get up for games, since they're virtually meaningless. The righty would be somewhat of a gamble due to his regression, but he's worth betting on due to his past success.

Alexei Ramirez

Ramirez's career arc has been an interesting one, as he seems to be a different type of player every year. Ramirez hit 21 home runs as a rookie in 2008, but he has never been able to replicate that power. In fact, he has just one homer this season.

His run production as a whole has decreased as well. Ramirez has a mere 23 RBI on the year after never having less than 68 in a season previously. He's hitting a respectable .281, though, and his 20 stolen bases put him on pace for a career high. Add in some solid defense, and Ramirez is clearly a valuable commodity.

One team that could clearly use help at shortstop is the St. Louis Cardinals, as Rafael Furcal is out for the season, and Pete Kozma has done a solid yet unspectacular job. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that discussions between the Cards and Sox have reportedly taken place. According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, though, the White Sox turned down a deal that would have sent top pitching prospect Carlos Martinez to Chicago.

It's a bit bizarre that the White Sox would say no to that type of deal. Ramirez's offensive numbers have declined, and he is signed for two more years at an average of $9.75 million. Martinez has ace potential, and he could have been a key part of Chicago's retooling. With that said, there is still time to get a deal done, so perhaps the White Sox will revisit that deal once the deadline gets closer.

Justin Ruggiano

The Miami Marlins admittedly don't have many tradeable assets, but outfielder Justin Ruggiano could certainly help some teams.

With the Marlins calling up top outfield prospects Christian Yelich and Jake Marisnick, there may not be any room for Ruggiano. Since Giancarlo Stanton will man the third outfield position, Ruggiano figures to act primarily as a bench player in Miami. Ruggiano is far from spectacular, but he has a nice skill set that seems to be garnering some interest.

According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants have shown interest in the 31-year-old journeyman. Ruggiano finally got a fair chance with the Marlins last season, and he made it count by hitting .313 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 14 steals in just 91 games. He continues to be a dual threat this season with 12 homers and 12 steals, but his .202 batting average is certainly troubling. Even so, he's a fairly attractive option for teams that don't want to give up a king's ransom.

As Ruggiano has shown over the past two seasons, he has the potential to hit 20 homers and swipe 20 bags in a season, which is certainly valuable production. He is also a solid defensive outfielder, so he can do a little bit of everything. Additionally, Ruggiano makes less than $500,000 this season, and he is arbitration eligible for the next three years, so teams won't have to break the bank in order to retain him. Ruggiano is definitely an under-the-radar name to watch over the next few days.

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