Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Nationals are "trying hard" to acquire Ryan Dempster. Heyman was told, however, that the Dodgers are still considered the favorites to land the right-hander. The Braves and Tigers are also still in the mix. Ken Rosenthal has reported that the Dempster talks could drag on for a few days, so he could make his scheduled start Friday.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Cubs and Dodgers "haven't found common ground" in the trade talks for Ryan Dempster and other teams are "being aggressive." It's either a ploy by the Cubs to get the Dodgers to up the price, or perhaps the Dodgers are indeed no longer the favorites to land the veteran right-hander. Dempster is scheduled to start Friday in St. Louis, but the Cubs have a back-up plan ready in case he's dealt before then. The Tigers and Braves are also thought to be major players.

According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago, the Dodgers have made a trade proposal to the Cubs for right-hander Ryan Dempster. It's not clear which players the Dodgers have offered or whether a deal is close. However, the Cubs acquired Justin Germano from the Red Sox on Thursday and have Casey Coleman traveling to St. Louis to join the club on Friday, so they have some insurance in place in case Dempster is traded. The veteran right-hander has drawn interest from several teams, including the Braves and Tigers.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Cubs are summoning a pitcher from Triple-A Iowa to meet them in St. Louis in case Ryan Dempster is traded prior to Friday's scheduled start. It's not clear if a deal is close, but multiple reports have indicated that the Cubs are working hard to move Dempster this week so that they can focus on taking offers for Matt Garza. The veteran right-hander has drawn interest from several teams, including the Tigers, Dodgers and Braves. For what it's worth, Chris Rusin would be on his regular turn Friday and could be the pitcher getting the call from Triple-A.

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Red Sox are "officially out" on Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster. It's not clear how involved the Red Sox got. Stark says the Cubs are "still working to trade" Dempster quickly in the hope that they can use next week to focus on dealing Matt Garza. It's going to be a busy last half of July for Cubs president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.

Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times was told by sources that interest in Ryan Dempster from the Yankees and Nationals isn't as strong as several reports indicate. Most have considered the Dodgers the favorite to land Dempster, but Ginnetti also writes that the pursuit might have cooled just enough to put other teams in the picture. The Tigers, Red Sox and Braves are among the other clubs strongly in the mix. The Cubs are reportedly trying hard to move the veteran right-hander by the end of the week.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Dodgers have "by far" shown the strongest interest in Ryan Dempster. Most have considered them the favorites to land him for a while now. ESPN's Jayson Stark reported earlier Tuesday that the Cubs were trying to deal Dempster before the end of the week, so it's very possible his next start will be in a Dodgers uniform. The Braves, Tigers, Nationals and Red Sox have also reportedly show interest in the veteran righty.

ESPN's Jayson Stark was told by one of the teams talking to the Cubs that the club is working hard to move Ryan Dempster "by the end of the week." Not a bad idea, as Dempster currently holds a 33-inning scoreless streak. Moving him now would also allow the Cubs to set a market for Matt Garza, who will likely cost more in the way of prospects since he's under team control through 2013. Dempster is reportedly drawing interest from a long list of teams, including the Braves, Tigers, Dodgers, Nationals and Red Sox.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Nationals are exploring trades for starting pitchers, including Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster. Dempster would be a backup plan as the Nationals prepare for shutting Stephen Strasburg down once he reaches his innings limit. Of course, Dempster is one of the most popular trade targets, so the Nationals will have plenty of competition. Rosenthal was told by sources that the Nationals are also looking for an everyday catcher and have Ramon Hernandez of the Rockies among their potential targets.

Alex Speier of WEEI.com was told by a source that the Red Sox are not actively pursuing a trade for Cubs' right-hander Ryan Dempster. This shoots down a report by ESPN's Buster Olney, who was told that the Red Sox are "aggressive" in their pursuit of the veteran right-hander. Red Sox starters are 26th in the majors with a 4.71 ERA this season, but Speier hears that the club is taking a wait-and-see approach. Still, the Cubs won't have a tough time finding a taker for Dempster, even if the Red Sox don't get involved.