Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein hasn't been shy about telling the media that the organization is looking to acquire pitching prospects in trade prior to the non-waiver deadline on July 31, but the asking price for veteran hurler Ryan Dempster may be too high at the moment. The Los Angeles Dodgers had been the odds-on favorite to trade for Dempster, and talks had reached an advanced stage prior to Dempster's start on Friday, but now the Dodgers are "very unlikely" to do a deal for Dempster according to a source close to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Source: #Dodgers "very unlikely" for #Cubs' Dempster. Prefer not to trade better prospects for rentals. Garza (thru 13) more logical target.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 21, 2012
Are the Dodgers using a hard line stance to back Epstein and the Cubs off their high asking price, or have they truly moved on? As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline continues to creep up on contenders looking for a final piece to the puzzle the landscape could change in an instant.
Could Dempster's desire for an extension be a hold-up in the deal? He holds full no-trade rights, and Peggy Kusinski of NBC Chicago says he may be trying to gain some long-term stability in a deal:
Hearing holdup of #Cubs #Dempster to #Dodgers could be his desire for a 2 year extension... Wait & see! @nbcchicago
— peggy kusinski (@peggykusinski) July 21, 2012
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