Just about all of Friday has come and gone, which is a substantial development for the Dodgers, Cubs and the other 10 or so teams in pursuit of Ryan Dempster. Many felt Dempster would be dealt before his start on Friday evening, but that was not the case as he took the mound against the Cardinals.
To recap the trade rumors up until this point, the Dodgers have been viewed as the favorites to land the 35-year-old veteran for couple of weeks. LA has the money and prospects to entice Chicago to send Dempster west, but the two clubs appear to be stuck on which players would be sent to the Cubs.
Dempster is set to hit free agency in three months and reportedly wants to return to his current employer, so it's understandable for the Dodgers to be cautious if a contract extension cannot be reached.
As the Dodgers and Cubs try to work out a deal, it appears just about every National League team in contention for the playoffs is also 'in' on the righty. The Braves, Cardinals and Nationals have all been directly linked to him, as have a couple of American League teams. Dempster has a full no-trade clause, and he's stated that having a chance to win big is his only requirement.
The Dempster rumors are likely going to continue throughout the weekend, and you can expect the Dodgers to remain in the picture until he's dealt somewhere. Whether he ends up in Los Angeles or not is anyone's guess as of late Friday night.
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