According to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman, the Rays asking price for James Shields is "north of Zack Greinke." Unlike Greinke, Shields has two club options remaining on his contract, and some rival evaluators are skeptical whether the Angels gave up anything of real value in their deal with the Brewers. In addition to the Rangers and Dodgers, the Tampa Bay Times reported Saturday that the Indians and Braves remain among the teams most interested in Shields.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, some rival executives are starting to believe the Rays will ultimately deal James Shields before Tuesday's deadline. This conflicts with a report in the Tampa Bay Times that quoted manager Joe Maddon as saying he doesn't believe Shields will be dealt. The Braves, Dodgers, Indians, and Rangers are among the teams to have known interest in Shields, but things could start to ramp up now that Zack Greinke is off the market.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that, with trade talks for Ryan Dempster "seemingly at an impasse," the Dodgers are pursuing James Shields and Josh Johnson. All indications are that the Marlins are asking for a ton in a deal for Johnson, so perhaps Shields is the more realistic target. One of the reasons they're interested in Shields and Johnson (and not Zack Greinke) is that they're under team control beyond this season.

James Shields gave up five runs in six innings Thursday in a loss to the Orioles. Shields struck out 10, but he got ahead of several hitters and couldn't put them away during the Orioles' five-run fifth inning. It didn't help that he walked five and hit a batter. This makes seven straight starts in which he's allowed at least three earned runs. He's 8-7 with a 4.52 ERA.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Angels were "rebuffed" in their pursuit of James Shields. The Halos offered speedy center fielder Peter Bourjos to the Rays in exchange for the 30-year-old right-hander, but it wasn't enough. Shields has posted a 4.39 ERA and 124/39 K/BB ratio across 131 2/3 innings this season for Tampa Bay. He carries an affordable $9 million club option for 2013 and a $12 million club option for 2014. The Dodgers, Rangers and Cardinals also have interest.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that James Shields is "in the mix" for the Rangers. The Rangers would like to add an ace like Cole Hamels or Zack Greinke, but they might be viewing Shields as a back-up plan. With Hamels looking likely to re-up with the Phillies, the bidding for Greinke will likely be sky-high.

Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.com reports that the Rays and Angels are discussing a deal that would send James Shields to Anaheim in exchange for Peter Bourjos and Hank Conger. Kurkjian says the deal is "complicated because money is involved," and it's possible Ervin Santana could be included in it, as well. Shields is having a down year with a 4.39 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, but the Angels view him as a clear upgrade over Santana. Bourjos would give the Rays an eventual replacement for B.J. Upton, while Conger would give them a young catcher that they've been craving.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, both the Angels and Tigers are currently eyeing James Shields. The Angels want to strengthen the back of their rotation with the recent struggles of Ervin Santana, and the Tigers are looking to fill the void in their rotation that was held by Drew Smyly. While there is nothing concrete yet, where there's smoke there's usually fire. And it's looking more and more likely that Shields will be wearing a new uniform before the month of July is through.

CBS Sports' Danny Knobler writes that Tampa Bay is "suggesting to teams" that James Shields is available. The Rays, flush with high-quality starting pitching depth, would like to get an impact major-league bat or a catching prospect in return. The Tigers have interest and could dangle young backstop Rob Brantly. Shields, 30, has registered a 4.44 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 114/37 K/BB ratio in 123 2/3 innings this season.

James Shields was hit hard in Sunday's loss to the Red Sox, surrendering six runs on 11 hits over his five innings of work. Shields walked three while striking out five in the game. He surrendered a pair of home runs in the game, to Mike Aviles and Daniel Nava, and now has allowed 16 long balls in his 19 outings on the year. Shields is stuck in a bit of a funk right now, having allowed at least four earned runs and 10 or more hits in each of his last four starts. He'll look to get back on track when he takes on the Mariners at home on Friday.