MLB trade deadline rumors: Yankees unlikely to land Rangers' Mike Minor; Giants could keep Madison Bumgarner

Stay tuned with the latest rumors from the world of baseball as we approach the trade deadline on July 31

Major League Baseball's trade deadline coming up on July 31 and for the first time in this era, there won't be any waiver trades after the deadline in August. This is a hard deadline. With that in mind, perhaps the deadline will prove to be crazier than in years past. Of course, the National League right now has 12 of its 15 teams either in playoff position or within six games of a playoff spot. Too many buyers and not enough sellers could really put a damper on the action. 

Where will some of the biggest names on the trading block end up? Our experts at Sportsline have the odds on who Noah Syndergaard, Madison Bumgarner and more will be playing for on Aug. 1.

Still, there will be deals and we'll be here each day to roundup the latest on the rumor mill. Here are the latest trade rumors as the July 31 deadline approaches:

Giants shopping relievers in effort to keep Bumgarner

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Rays have been in contact with the Giants regarding their relievers.

San Francisco's Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson all have been mentioned in trade deadline rumors this month, and there are plenty of contending teams shopping for bullpen help this year. Morosi notes that the Giants may move a relief pitcher and keep starter Madison Bumgarner after the team's recent surge. The Giants are 16-3 since June 30 and have made their way above .500 for the first time this season. The Rays' Joey Wendle or Michael Brosseau could be included in a potential swap since either would help San Francisco's infield, Morosi adds.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that while there are several contenders around the league in search of bullpen help and plenty of relievers available on this year's market, the asking prices for those relief arms were "still ridiculously high" as of this past weekend.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman added the following on Bumgarner's chances of being traded: 

Few see MadBum going anywhere now. Things can change in a hurry but this is typical from rival exec: “No way Giants can sell, they’re on fire.”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 23, 2019

Yankees unlikely to land Rangers' Minor

The Yankees, like many contending teams, are in need of starting pitching. New York is interested in Rangers left-hander Mike Minor, but the chances of him landing with New York don't appear to be that great, reports The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. More from Rosenthal:

The Yankees' top evaluator, vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring, attended left-hander Mike Minor's two most recent starts for the Rangers, according to major-league sources. Minor, 31, also has the Yankees on his 10-team no-trade list, sources say, though it's unclear whether he included them for leverage or because he does not want to play in New York (the rest of his no-trade list is not known).

For what it's worth, Minor did not fare particularly well in the two starts witnessed by Naehring, both of which came against the Astros. In 12 combined innings, he allowed eight earned runs, including five homers. For the season, he ranks fifth in the American League with 129 innings and second with a 2.86 ERA.

Another player on this year's market with a no-trade list is Giants veteran ace Bumgarner. Both Minor and Bumgarner included New York on their no-trade lists. Minor is under club control for one more season after 2019, and he's signed for a $9.5 million salary in 2020. Bumgarner, however, will be a free agent after the 2019 season and may plan to use his no-trade clause as leverage for a salary raise or an entirely new contract.

Rival execs skeptical Bauer, Boyd will be traded

Rosenthal also reports that rival executives "are growing increasingly skeptical" that Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer and Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd will be traded. Bauer is under control through 2020, while Boyd is controllable through 2022. More from Rosenthal:

For a variety of reasons, rival execs are growing increasingly skeptical that Bauer and Boyd will be moved, and no one seems to have any idea what the Mets will do with Syndergaard, who is drawing interest from the Astros and others but pitching at a diminished value compared with previous seasons due to his 4.36 ERA.

The Indians are just three games behind the Twins in the AL Central, and their chances of winning the division likely would be better with Bauer than with the players they receive in return. The Tigers, meanwhile, are pricing Boyd as a No. 1 starter when in reality — with his 4.13 ERA and 12th-highest home-run rate in the majors — he is pitching more like a No. 3.

ESPN's Buster Olney adds the following on Bauer: "Rival executives believe that the closer Cleveland is to Minnesota -- and the Indians have cut the margin to three games -- the less likely it is that Trevor Bauer will be traded."

Dodgers want to add elite late-inning relief help

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Dodgers have a very specific trade deadline goal in mind, and that's adding elite late-inning relief help. Olney adds that while Los Angeles has a few needs, upgrading the back end of the bullpen would be a way to fix the only real problem area for this first-place NL West team. Our own Mike Axisa also agreed that bullpen help is a priority for the Dodgers this trade deadline, and he outlined the top 10 best trade targets for L.A.

Reds' Garrett generating trade buzz

The Cincinnati Reds are eight games under .500 and 6 1/2 games back of the second NL Wild Card with seven teams ahead of them. They appear to be holding for now, but if and when the team does decide to sell, left-hander Amir Garrett could grab the most attention from contending teams looking to add another quality arm to their pitching staff. ESPN's Jeff Passan notes that Garrett is an under-the-radar arm who is generating significant buzz among teams.