MLB Trade Rumors: Angels Said to Be Aggressively Pursuing Cubs' Aramis Ramirez

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have become the front runners for the services of Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

Buster Olney of ESPN says there are indeed rumors swirling around about a possible deal, but sources close to him say that there have not been any discussions involving the aforementioned parties.

Despite the fact that Ramirez and his agent Paul Kinzer have both said that Ramirez would most likely not waive his no-trade clause, more teams are inquiring about one of the hottest hitters in baseball going into the break.

After a dreadfully slow start, Ramirez powered into the break batting .298 with 15 home runs. While Ramirez wants to remain with the Cubs this season and beyond, he has a $16 million option that the Cubs most likely will not exercise.

The Angels have desperately been seeking some "thump" from the hot corner for, ohhhhh, about a half decade now so it goes without saying they are more than a little bit interested in the slugger.

Weigh that with the fact that the Cubs farm system has been depleted, and one has to believe that Cubs GM Jim Hendry will be aggressively listening to offers. Should the Cubs move Ramirez, they will most likely be looking for young pitching help in return after all of the struggles they have endured in that department this season.

I'll be keeping a weather eye on this situation, it just feels like something big is on the horizon.

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