trade rumors Ryan Dempster

If the MLB trade rumor mill is to be believed, then the first significant piece of the July trading extravaganza is likely to happen this week and it would involve Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher Ryan Dempster. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney the Cubs want to get Dempster moved now and then focus their efforts on dealing Matt Garza. While the latter is the more significant trading chip, if teams feel like Dempster is a consolation prize it might limit what the Cubs can get in return. Olney cites last year’s situation with San Diego, where the biggest surprise of the deadline was their inability to move closer Heath Bell and observers feel it was because setup man Mike Adams—who eventually landed in Texas—was seen as a more affordable consolation prize. Therefore it makes sense for Chicago general manager Theo Epstein to deal Dempster this week (preferably prior to his scheduled start on Friday) and then open the bidding on Garza. TheSportsNotebook evaluates Dempster and his suitability for possible trade partners.