MLB Trade Rumors: Top Chatter Regarding Ben Zobrist, Jonathan Papelbon and More

With just a few weeks remaining until MLB's July 31 trade deadline, the rumor mill is starting to turn as buyers and sellers differentiate themselves from each other midway through the season.

The next three weeks will have a massive impact on who trades talent away and who brings it in, but there are most definitely some teams that are already locked in. Since the league is wide-open and it seems like any number of teams could potentially go on a run to the World Series, one or two acquisitions could make a big difference.

As the deadline continues to approach, here is a rundown of some of the hottest rumors that are currently making the rounds within Major League Baseball.

Ben Zobrist

Oakland Athletics utility man Ben Zobrist has been hot at the plate recently and seems to be over the knee injury that landed him on the disabled list in April. Because of his hitting ability and versatility, it comes as little surprise that there is interest in him across the league.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the New York Mets are especially smitten with Zobrist and would be willing to overpay in order to land him. According to David Lennon of Newsday, however, the A's may not be in a hurry to move him, thanks to their strong play of late.

Zobrist hasn't exactly expressed a desire to be traded either, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle:

Despite the uncertainty regarding Zobrist's availability, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reported that several contending clubs are hoping to have a shot at acquiring the 34-year-old former All-Star:

Oakland entered play Thursday 10 games out of first in the AL West, although they are eight games back in the wild-card race. Either way, they have the worst record in the American League, which means waving the white flag may be the best move, despite their success in recent years.

Zobrist is an asset who should bring back a fairly strong return, and the fact that he is approaching free agency this offseason means Oakland risks losing him for nothing if it doesn't trade him prior to the deadline.

With the probability of a run to the playoffs looking quite low, the Athletics will probably come to grips with dealing Zobrist as the deadline gets closer.

Jonathan Papelbon

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon is enjoying his best season since his time with the Boston Red Sox, but the 34-year-old reliever's time in the City of Brotherly Love could be nearing its conclusion.

The Phils are easily the worst team in the majors, so paying a closer $13 million, per Spotrac, seems fairly unnecessary. Due to the importance of closing out games during the playoffs, though, some team would undoubtedly love to have a stopper of Papelbon's caliber.

According to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, the Phillies were seemingly on the verge of trading Papelbon last month but ultimately decided not to:

Stark heard that general manager Ruben Amaro may have been undercut in his attempts to finalize a deal:

"

Feeling in the industry is that the decision to pull back on Papelbon came from above Ruben Amaro, from Pat Gillick, Andy MacPhail or both

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 8, 2015"

Even so, it is tough to imagine Philadelphia hanging on to Papelbon beyond July 31. He does the organization no good over the short term since it simply isn't winning games, and at 34 years of age it isn't as if he'll be around for the long haul.

Papelbon is having a great year, though, with a 1.60 ERA and 14 saves in 14 chances. He also has a winning history with a World Series title to his credit, so he'll have no shortage of suitors.

Provided the Phillies are able to get a strong prospect or two in exchange for Papelbon, it should be a fairly easy decision to let him go.

Jay Bruce

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a disappointing campaign, as evidenced by their 38-44 record. They entered Thursday a whopping 15.5 games behind the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals and are seven games back in the wild-card race as well.

While the Reds are prime candidates to be sellers leading up to the deadline, they have been reluctant to make moves to this point since the All-Star Game is being held in Cincinnati, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports. Once the exhibition comes and goes, the Reds are more likely to start selling off pieces.

Chief among them could be outfielder Jay Bruce, as sources told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal that Bruce may be more likely to get traded than pitchers Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and Mike Leake.

The 28-year-old slugger is struggling a bit this season, hitting .243 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI, but his bat has come to life of late, as he hit .263 with five homers in June and is hitting .304 thus far in July.

Bruce crushed at least 30 home runs every year from 2011 through 2013 and made two All-Star appearances during that time frame. The power is certainly there, but it has been dormant in Cincinnati over the past couple of seasons.

He could be a difference-maker for a power-hungry team down the stretch, but the Reds won't just give him away. He is signed through 2016 with an option for 2017, according to Spotrac, so the team that acquires him will have him locked in.

Cincinnati needs to shake things up a bit since the current makeup of the team isn't working, and dealing a player like Bruce would send a significant message to the rest of the locker room.

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