In today's Giants rumors and news update, the Tampa Bay Rays might not be willing to sell on former All-Star second baseman Ben Zobrist as previously expected, leaving the Giants to perhaps look elsewhere if they are still in the market.
According to Conor Ryan of WEEI.com, Hall-of-Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons had this to say about the Rays' intentions during Monday's Dennis and Callahan Show:
“They actually can keep thinking, ‘We have a chance.’ I know this: Tampa Bay really thinks it has a chance. Now their pitching has come back together again, I talked to people in Seattle who thought they were very close to a deal for Ben Zobrist and they said the Rays pulled back the last couple of days because they want to take it right down to the last 48 hours before the deadline.”
The Rays likely do have a chance to contend, with the AL East as weak as it has been in years. Coming into play on Monday, the Rays sit 7.5 games behind the Orioles due to a five-game winning streak and an impressive 23-11 record over the past month-plus.
The Giants signed former Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla to a minor league deal on Monday, so it's possible they could look to him to supplement the struggling duo of Joe Panik and Brandon Hicks. However, if Zobrist is made fully available via trade, don't be surprised if the Giants at least make a run for his services.
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