MLB Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Pre-Deadline Buzz on Padres, Rangers and More

Friday's 4 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching, with deals bound to drop at any moment. Just earlier today David Price was moved to the Toronto Blue Jays, per CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

The Jays may not be finished if the latest buzz is meant to be believed, and they could be in the market for even more pitching help as trade partners with the Texas Rangers.

San Diego figures to be a big seller within the next 24 hours or so, according to multiple reputable insiders. There are even more rumors to explore in the little time left before the Friday ultimatum.

Below is a breakdown of what's reportedly going on with the Padres, Rangers, Jays and a pinch of Chicago Cubs thrown in.

Padres To Trade Ian Kennedy and Will Venable?

General manager A.J. Preller is apparently going to be quite active at some point on Thursday.

"All of us are just waiting for him to make five trades," said another GM to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, who indicated Kennedy and Venable will "for sure" be shipped out of town.

ESPN insider Jayson Stark has heard a similar bold projection about Preller's pre-deadline plans:

Kennedy hasn't exactly performed at a high level this season, posting a 6-9 record in 18 starts with a 4.58 ERA. It makes sense that the Padres want to get rid of the pitcher in his contract year.

But better value may be had for Kennedy since he's shown recent improvement. His last outing against Miami featured six innings of one-run ball. It marked the fifth time in his past eight starts Kennedy had given up one earned run—and he hasn't given up more than three earned in that span.

"I feel like the last month or last six, seven starts, I've been able to command my fastball like I know I can," said Kennedy, per The San Diego Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin. "It's made it a lot easier on myself, allowed my offspeed to work a little bit.

Considering he's 32 years old and has seen his WAR fall below 1.0 in the past season-plus, per ESPN.com, Venable doesn't have much more to offer San Diego. Better to accrue prospects if possible who have upside and the chance to be above-average replacement-level players.

Venable hits free agency this winter, so Preller would do well to ship Venable off for any young assets the Padres can gain.

Rangers Discussing Yovani Gallardo to Toronto

The active Blue Jays have raked in quite the trade spoils with Price and superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Gallardo may be joining Toronto as well, as Texas is negotiating a trade, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.

In each of his past two starts, the Rangers All-Star dealer has lasted four innings and given up five earned runs apiece. Beyond the Box Score dives further to highlight the problems Gallardo has had lately:

That isn't exactly what interested teams are hoping for from Gallardo, but a changed atmosphere with more consistent run support may be what he needs to bounce back. He still has a career-best 3.19 ERA this year to date.

Toronto is certainly being bold for a team that sits at .500—and for good reason.

The Jays lead baseball entering Thursday's games in runs scored but are ranked 22nd in team ERA and quality starts. Adding both Price and Gallardo would go a long way in addressing the club's clear area of weakness.

It's still a long way for Toronto to climb in the American League East, sitting eight games behind the New York Yankees at the moment. Price and Tulowitzki provide at least a glimmer of hope, and Gallardo would make matters even better.

Cubs 'Aggressively' Shopping Starlin Castro

ESPN's Stark reports the Cubs are doing what they can to include Castro in any packages they're pursuing as a means of upgrading the roster for a playoff push. Stark alluded to how Addison Russell played shortstop in Wednesday's win over Colorado, which may have been worth reading into more than a regular day off.

Castro is on track for his career-worst WAR at -1.3 and slash line of .237/.271/.305. His spotty play at the most vital shortstop position is also a concern, as he's racked up 17 errors already this season.

MLB.com's Phil Rogers actually names the Padres as a prospective suitor:

First-year Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled Castro out of Tuesday's loss to the Rockies on a double-switch, yet insisted publicly that Castro wouldn't be shipped away.

"I said, 'You're not getting traded,'" said Maddon to Castro, per ESPN.com's Jesse Rogers. "Just relax and play. And don't worry about this stuff."

Hope has been renewed on the north side of the Windy City thanks to an influx of young prospects and new energy from Maddon. Tweaking with chemistry is a bold risk at this point, but Chicago's brass is evidently angling for that extra edge to close the season.

Getting past National League Central rivals St. Louis and Pittsburgh in the coming years will depend on how the Cubs' promising youngsters shake out. The 2015 campaign has been a big step forward so far, but giving up on Castro at age 25 should require a strong haul in return.