MLB Rumors: Latest Buzz on Remaining Trade Targets as Deadline Looms

The eve of Major League Baseball's trading deadline Thursday has come with a plethora of long-speculated trade targets officially changing locations. But there remains plenty to pick from entering Friday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Some of the biggest stars on the market swapped jerseys throughout Thursday with the announcement of David Price's move from the Detroit Tigers to the Toronto Blue Jays marking the blockbuster move of the afternoon. But if the buzz surrounding baseball over the final 24 hours is any indication, we'll see plenty of more moves before things are said and done.

Let's take a glance into three of the latest names on the rumor mill.

Yovani Gallardo

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

One central suitor to Rangers pitcher Yovani Gallardo left the running Thursday when the Blue Jays, reported as interested by T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, acquired Price. But interest isn't waning on him after that development.

While Gallardo's place on the trade market has long been known, as the Rangers fail to tread water in the AL West, he's not going to go easy. As Jerry Crasnick of ESPN noted, Texas is holding firm on its high asking price, although even Crasnick believes a deal is coming:

Of course, the Blue Jays weren't the only potential contenders in the market for starting pitching. A move to the National League could be on the horizon, with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers the two other teams reportedly interested, per CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. And with the Rangers recently acquiring Cole Hamels from the Philadelphia Phillies, they've bolstered their rotation.

There's also reason for the Rangers to stand firm and hold onto the ace. With a $15.3 million qualifying offer for next season, Texas would collect a draft pick if Gallardo signed with a team over the offseason.

Plus, the Rangers—for all their struggles this season—are only four games out of a wild-card spot.

Yoenis Cespedes

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Two-time Home Run Derby champion Yoenis Cespedes is no stranger to the trade market, seemingly being a promising power-hitting chip that contending teams hope will get them over the hump.

It certainly didn't work out that way with the Boston Red Sox after a stint in Oakland, and so far with the Detroit Tigers, it's more of the same. His name is being floated around front offices once again, as the Tigers are openly shopping Cespedes along with recently traded Price, according to Lynn Henning of The Detroit News.

The reasoning for shopping Cespedes isn't from his numbers, as he's put up 17 home runs and 58 RBI on a .289 batting average, but rather for what's likely to come in the offseason. It could give them some return for a player who might walk for free in a few months, as Jon Morosi of Fox Sports noted:

After the move of Price, Cespedes should be traded shortly, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted:

From All-Star weekend to the regular season, the 29-year-old has put his abilities on display as a serviceable cleanup hitter. With that said, success hasn't closely followed him while chasing postseason success from team to team.

The Tigers certainly aren't out of things in the AL, but a 49-52 start and the trading of Price shows exactly what direction this franchise is headed down the stretch of 2015. And with that in mind, a new home for Cespedes would make sense.

Mike Leake

Scott Kane/Associated Press

Often times, the trade market works out in such a way that a team ends up holding a much more valuable trading asset than once thought. And with a mass exodus of starting pitching from the market in recent days, that's what has occurred with Mike Leake.

The Cincinnati Reds had perhaps the most coveted starter on the market entering the deadline, but it wasn't Leake. Rather, Johnny Cueto stole headlines with his move to the Kansas City Royals, while Price to Toronto and Hamels to Texas quickly followed.

Now, Leake may be the No. 1 starter still left available, as Morosi noted:

Many of the teams in the market for starting pitching got their guys, including the Blue Jays, Rangers and Royals, but one team is still sniffing around. That would be the New York Yankees, who look to bolster their rotation and build their AL East lead, per Heyman:

The 27-year-old gave suitors something to think about in his last outing, going eight innings of scoreless action and allowing just four hits in a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. After improving his record to 9-5 on the season, teams know they're getting consistency with Leake.