Pearce is hoping to avoid to getting dealt from the Rays before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I hope not," Pearce said (regarding a possible trade). "I like this team a lot. I have fun every day when I come here. ..."

EDGE Analysis

The veteran infielder has enjoyed a stellar season for Tampa, with a .312 average and .912 OBP among his stellar numbers. Pearce joined the Rays on a bargain one-year, $4.75 million deal in the offseason, and expresses an affinity for his tenure with the team despite their overall struggles, which he feels don't accurately reflect the club's overall talent level. "We've just been hit with injuries and bad luck all year, " he said. "If you would've told me this would be our record in the middle of the year, I'd tell you you were crazy. There's no way our team is as bad as our record reflects. We have a really good team. I believe we still have a good team. We're going to have a good team in the future. And I hope I stay."