MLB Rumors: Red Sox deadline direction, Tarik Skubal truth, Rays surprise sellers?

The MLB Trade Deadline is just one month away, which means rumors are running rampant around Major League Baseball.

FanSided's MLB Insider Robert Murray alongside co-host Adam Weinrib combed through the latest rumors and answered some questions from the audience on the Baseball Insiders podcast as they do regularly.

With that being said, here are all of the latest MLB Rumors that will have you caught up on this Thursday afternoon.

MLB Rumors: Rays could be among surprising deadline sellers

It's been a weird season thus far for the Tampa Bay Rays. They haven't played like the Rays teams we're used to for much of the season and have a -56 run differential, but they've won seven of their last ten games to get to within one game of .500 entering Thursday's action. They're just 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the AL.

They haven't looked like a playoff team for much of the season, yet they're right in the thick of the race. Things can obviously change by the time we reach the trade deadline, but for now, arguments can be made for the Rays being buyers and sellers.

FanSided's Robert Murray addressed what he thinks the Rays might do when the deadline finally does arrive.

"They feel like a team where if they're hovering on the edge, they can take advantage of a seller's market. At least as of this point, there are not many definitive sellers which means there're going to be few options. Those teams that have those options are going to be able to get more in exchange for them than they previously would."

Murray believes that the Rays are a team that might not be desperate to sell, but if other teams are willing to offer monster hauls for their players, they can get creative.

With so much of the league packed together, there are only a few confirmed sellers as of now. Things can obviously change with there still being another month before the deadline, but as of now, there's more demand than there is supply. Prices for players, especially good players, will be sky-high.

It'd be strange to see a team only 3.5 games back sell, but the Rays are the kind of team that would take advantage of a seller's market. We've seen them make trades like that before and benefit greatly.

MLB Rumors: Will Tarik Skubal actually be available?

It was reported by Jim Bowden of The Athletic ($) that teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles could potentially give the Detroit Tigers an offer that would be too good to be true for their ace, Tarik Skubal.

Skubal has broken out in a huge way this season, posting a 2.32 ERA in 16 starts and 97 innings of work. He's been the ace of a strong Tigers staff, and has two more years of club control after this one, meaning the Tigers don't have to trade him.

Murray seems to think that a trade isn't going to take place.

"It wouldn't make much sense at all for the Tigers to trade him unless they got a haul that is just way too good to be true. Maybe there's a team out there that is willing to do it, I'm going to guess probably not. I think it's very, very, very, very likely that he stays put."

If the Orioles make Jackson Holliday available then sure, the Tigers might consider it. If the Dodgers are willing to make an absurd dent into their farm system then sure, the Tigers might consider it. Barring an astronomical haul, Skubal isn't going anywhere.

The Tigers have started to fade in the standings after a strong start, but have the makings of a nice core with 27-year-old Skubal right in the middle of it. He is arguably the frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award right now, and has tons of club control. The Tigers have absolutely no reason to trade him barring an offer that would get another GM fired.

Very few players are completely untouchable as Murray has noted several times, so Skubal might be available, but it's extremely unlikely that he'll actually go anywhere.

MLB Rumors: Red Sox deadline plan

The Boston Red Sox are in a fascinating spot with the deadline rapidly approaching. At 43-37, they've drastically exceeded expectations and as of this writing, are one percentage point ahead of the Kansas City Royals for the final Wild Card spot in the AL.

The Red Sox weren't a team many expected to be very competitive this season, which makes their potential trade deadline plan fascinating to think about. Murray speculated as to what he thought Boston might look to do.

"What's possible for them is trading some of their rental players and trying to end up adding more controllable players. That sounds like selling, but I think it could end up being a mix of selling the rentals and trying to upgrade the Major League roster in different ways with different trades."

This is just his opinion, but it sounds like Murray believes we could see Craig Breslow and Co. do a little bit of buying and selling. They have several intriguing rental players like Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and even Nick Pivetta who might be available for the right price.

While Boston might not want to trade prospects for rentals, they might look into acquiring players with more club control, which adds onto the narrative that Red Sox ownership just won't spend like they should, for whatever reason.

The Red Sox are over-performing as Murray notes. Vibes are good in Beantown, and the team is right in the thick of the hunt. Selling would be a major letdown. Ownership should be trying to win now, and using the money that they very clearly have to do it. Hopefully Red Sox fans get what they deserve.