MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Giants, Rangers and More

Friday at 4 p.m. ET marks the 2015 MLB trade deadline, so there are all kinds of rumors flying around at the moment about numerous teams.

The San Francisco Giants are in the market for pitching help, while the Texas Rangers are shopping an All-Star dealer who isn't necessarily included in the list of players the Giants are targeting.

In the driver's seat for the National League wild card, the Pittsburgh Pirates are also exploring options to improve the club. Overtaking St. Louis in the NL Central is a remote possibility, but the Pirates are definitely dedicated to contending now and could do well with some minor tweaks for their playoff push.

Let's take a closer look at the teams featured in this edition of trade buzz and the significance of their respective reported interests.

Giants Hunting Cole Hamels, David Price on Trade Market

ESPN Insider Jayson Stark reports San Francisco is being persistent in its pursuit of starting pitching, naming the likes of Hamels and Price in particular as targets.

Landing Hamels may be a trickier proposition, because Stark reports the Rangers and the Giants' NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are in the lead to acquire the Philadelphia Phillies veteran southpaw.

Hamels threw a no-hitter this past Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, showing he still has the stuff to be great late in his 10th MLB season. Stark explains other interested teams like the Giants are having trouble putting together the proper compensation for a Hamels deal.

Matt Marton/Associated Press

As durable and steady as Hamels has been over the years, the more explosive talent is Price, who has experienced a rather surprising amount of movement in recent years.

Price just went to Detroit ahead of the 2014 trade deadline and could now be on the move again at the same time of year. With a 9-3 record and a 2.31 ERA this season, the five-time All-Star is in peak form and ready to help a contender.

CSNBayArea.com's Ahmed Fareed hints the Giants could be an absolutely ideal fit for Price:

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports confirmed Saturday San Francisco is indeed pursuing Price—though no serious talks had begun as of then—and added an update on Monday:

Thinking about the possibility of reigning World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner and Price trotting out to the mound for the opening two games of a playoff series has to scare the Giants' opponents.

Then again, the Tigers expected to go deep in the 2014 postseason with Max Scherzer, Price and Justin Verlander all on the same staff. Detroit flamed out in a sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles in the opening round.

Yovani Gallardo on the Block in Arlington

Stark also recently revealed on Twitter that the Rangers are willing to move Gallardo but only for the right price.

Gallardo has a solid 3.19 ERA but only a 7-9 record to show for it, the victim of little run support from a traditionally loaded Texas lineup that's in the top 10 in runs scored but can't put it together with Gallardo on the hill.

MLBDailyDish.com's Chris Cotillo logged what a source in Gallardo's camp said last week about the possibility of a trade:

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

What's most often held the Rangers back in recent years is lackluster pitching. That was the motivation for the Rangers trading for Gallardo this winter in the first place.

It's a bit of a surprise to see the Rangers even considering a Gallardo trade proposition. Although Gallardo is in the final year of his contract, Texas has had difficulty landing top pitching talent and could secure him for the rest of his career this offseason.

Pirates Pursuing Mike Napoli

Pittsburgh is delving into the Boston Red Sox's roster for reinforcements and specifically looking at Napoli, according to Ben West of the Tribune-Review.

Napoli has been struggling at the plate this season with just a .208 average, but Buster Olney of ESPN has some information to suggest he is coming around:

"

Right around the AS break, Mike Napoli told hitting coach Chili Davis he regained the feel at the plate he wanted. 10 hits in last 25 ABs.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 27, 2015"

As West points out in his own savvy analysis, Napoli has the third-best Ultimate Zone Rating among first basemen in the American League at 2.0 (h/t FanGraphs). Current Pirates starter Pedro Alvarez is at minus-12.3 in that category.

The combination of Napoli's bat coming to life and stellar fielding at one of the corners would help Pittsburgh immensely. Alvarez is only a .232 hitter, so if Napoli is indeed on the upswing, as he reportedly insists, this could be a steal for the Pirates.

Success in recent years has helped erase years of a losing culture in the Pirates organization, yet it wouldn't hurt to bring on a World Series champion such as Napoli for a bit of added seasoning to the clubhouse.