Jose Quintana has been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the offseason and clubs remain interested in the Chicago White Sox left-hander.

The Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees remain interested. The White Sox are focused on getting quality prospects in return, not necessarily quantity.

"As we sit here right now, it's more a function of continuing on the conversations we have had," Rick Hahn said earlier in the week. "We will see if we can build off of those."

The Washington Nationals are looking to trade Derek Norris, according to other clubs.

Washington lost Wilson Ramos in free agency, but signed Matt Wieters recently and he figures to serve as the primary catcher.

The Chicago White Sox would trade David Robertson to the Washington Nationals and maybe even eat some of his salary if they receive Pedro Severino in return, according to a report.

Washington would rather include Derek Norris in a potential deal.

The two clubs were rumored to be close to a deal involving Robertson earlier this month.

When Andrew Benintendi first heard news that the Boston Red Sox would trade for Chris Sale, he worried that he'd be sent packing to the Chicago White Sox.

"My agent texted me. He's like, 'You're either going to go or not in the next two minutes.' I was just like, 'Well, there's not much I can do.' After that two minutes was up, I saw everything on Twitter," Benintendi said. "People were texting me. Obviously, it was a big move for both sides. I'm excited he's on our side and I'm not facing him."

In reality, Benintendi didn't have to worry. Dave Dombrowski had little to no interest in trading his projected starting left fielder.

"Well, we were never planning on it," said Dombrowski. "That was not a goal of ours to trade him. We like him a lot. I know we've traded a lot of good, young players, but I think it's important to break young players in. He's going to be one of the young players to break in the door. We'll have some other young guys breaking in on a year-in, year-out basis. But our goal was that he really was our left fielder. We never came close to trading him."

The Washington Nationals were closing in on a trade with the Chicago White Sox that would have landed them David Robertson last week, according to a report.

However, a Nationals official now says the two sides are in a stalemate and no deal is imminent.

The exact reason for the impasse isn't known, but it has been reported that the Nationals didn't want to absorb the $25 million remaining on Robertson's contract or give up quality prospects.

Long rumored to be on the move, Brandon Phillips is finally leaving Cincinnati. A source told ESPN's Buster Olney on Sunday that the Reds have agreed to a trade that will send the second baseman to the Atlanta Braves.

A source told ESPN's Jim Bowden that Phillips passed his physical Sunday and will retain his full no-trade rights, which he waived to approve the trade to Atlanta.

The Reds will receive left-handed pitcher Andrew McKirahan and right-hander Carlos Portuondo, sources told ESPN. McKirahan, 27, appeared in 27 games in relief for the Braves in 2015, posting a 5.93 ERA. Portuondo is a 29-year-old Cuban whose only American experience is 17 games between Class A and Triple-A last season.

Brandon Phillips could soon be headed to Atlanta. MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday evening that the Braves are nearing a trade to acquire the second baseman from the Reds. Neither club has confirmed the report.

It's not yet clear what Cincinnati may receive in return, but the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Phillips would be the only player the Reds would give up in a potential trade. The report cautioned that while an agreement is close, there are still hurdles to clear before it's completed.

The Chicago Cubs are flying high after winning the World Series, but they are well aware of potential holes in their farm system.

The Cubs feel there is a need for pitching depth, especially among starters at the higher levels of the Minor Leagues.

"Organizationally, we really don't have the impact starters at the upper levels," Jason McLeod said. "I do think with the volume of arms we have taken over the past few years and signed internationally, guys are coming on. We now feel really good, not just with the depth of the organization but having some major league starting impact guys who are at the the A-ball level and progressing toward Double-A now."

The New York Yankees have explored trades for a number of veterans, including Starlin Castro, according to a report.

The Yankees "let some clubs know [Castro] was available" writes Joel Sherman.

There doesn't appear to have been much interest in Castro. The Yankees also looked for deals involving Brett Gardner and Chase Headley.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired Eddie Butler and the bonus money for the No. 94 international signing slot from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for James Farris and bonus pool money for slot No. 28.

Slot No. 94 carries a $235,200 value, while slot No. 28 is worth $563,700.

Butler, a 2012 supplemental first-round pick, could be another option for Chicago's starting rotation. He has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Rockies, posting a 6-16 record and 6.50 ERA in 36 appearances (28 starts).