NL Central

As we inch closer and closer to Major League Baseball's trade deadline at the end of July, the rumors will start flying fast and furious.

There have already been a few rumors shot down in the last few weeks, including one that was about to send an ace to a team that wouldn't have any way of picking up his remaining salary because of their financial trouble.

Why some of these rumors get started is beyond me, but that's what makes baseball, and the trade deadline, fun.

The Cincinnati Reds are seemingly caught up in their own hype.  Sure, they're currently in first place.  But they missed a huge opportunity to stab a midseason dagger right in the hearts of the St. Louis Cardinals and the rest of the NL Central last week.

The Cardiac Reds lead the NL Central by a game and a half. 

They also lead the league in come from behind wins, and victories in their last at bat—so "Cardiac Reds" is a perfect name for these guys—not a team for folks with weak tickers.

Hello and welcome to today's MLB Rumor Mill!

I haven't done a rumor mill for Major League Baseball in a couple of days, so now here is one today!

Is there a possibility that Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt could go to the New York Yankees or Washington Nationals? It could be possible.

More on that and other rumors on today's rumor mill for the MLB!

So sit back, relax, and read today's MLB rumor mill.

Hope you enjoy it!

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Lost in translation of the Cubs' 10-5 loss to the White Sox was that Alfonso Soriano slugged his 300th home run in the second inning to tie the game, shooting the Cubs' win probability up from 38.2 percent to 55.2 percent.

I am not going to even take credit for predicting this earlier in the week because the move was so blatantly obvious.

Jeff Suppan, who was recently released by the Milwaukee Brewers, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday.

With starters Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny on the disabled list and poor showings from rookies P.J. Walters and Blake Hawksworth, the St. Louis Cardinals may be close to bringing a familiar face back to Busch Stadium: Jeff Suppan.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that parameters of a deal were in place that could have the veteran right-hander, who was released by the Brewers on Monday, join the team this weekend in Arizona.

Jon Mozeliak, the Cardinals General Manager, warned that any deal was unofficial as of yet.

In his 11 seasons prior to the 2009 season, Chicago Cubs’ 3B Aramis Ramirez made just two trips to the disabled list. Now, over the last two years, Ramirez has made two trips to the DL.

Last year, Ramirez missed 58 games because of separated shoulder and now in 2010, he has landed on the DL again. The Cubs placed Ramirez on the 15-day DL yesterday because of a bruised left thumb.

Let’s face it—the Pirates are a bad team. Just look at the numbers of their pitching staff, and you cannot help but cringe.

A team ERA of 5.27 is awfully telling, as they have maybe two or three usable pitchers for fantasy owners.

Help may be on the way. Top prospect Brad Lincoln has been tearing up Triple-A, earning him a recall to start tonight against the Nationals. Just look at his production:

Six Wins
68.1 Innings
3.16 ERA
1.00 WHIP
55 Strikeouts (7.3 K/9)
14 Walks (1.9 BB/9)
.255 BABIP

Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal wasn't supposed to be on the board when the Reds selected at 12th, but when he was, they were quick to pick him up.

Grandal came into the draft as one of the most polished prospects after spending three years at Miami. He has already garnered honors and accolades for his play this year and was named a first team All-American.

The pick looks solid.

Grandal is a safe pick due to his college experience. He is currently batting .412, tops in the ACC, with 14 home runs, and 56 RBIs for the Hurricanes.

With the 16th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, the Cubs selected Hayden Simpson, a right-handed pitcher out of the University of Southern Arkansas. The former "Mulerider" posted a 13-1 record in 15 starts to accompany a 1.81 ERA. He also threw an astounding 131 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings while walking only 35.

Simpson stands as a physically unimposing presence on the mound at 6'0", 170 lbs, but he throws with good velocity and solid mechanics.