Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has enjoyed a good season thus far, hitting .315 with a .440 on-base percentage. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season and is making $13.5 million in 2011 with Chicago. "He gets on base and makes contact, and it seems at the expense of some pop, but could fill a role in Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta or Los Angeles -- both the Dodgers and Angels -- if he's willing to waive his no-trade clause," writes ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill.

Rangers outfielder David Murphy could be a hot trade chip as the July 31 deadline approaches, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Left fielders have struggled offensively this season and Murphy has become a fourth outfielder thanks to the return of Josh Hamilton. "It's hard to think about numbers right now because I'm struggling," Murphy said. "You don't even want to think about numbers, you just want to go out and play well. You don't need to look at the scoreboard. You get a feel if you are hitting the ball well or not. The numbers will take care of themselves."

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo is not actively seeking to trade veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Washington is slipping in the standings and teams are going to begin calling about their veterans, if they haven't already. Rodriguez is in the final year of his contract. "To move him, it would have to be a good deal that helps us long term, not a quick fix trade for offense to get us to the time when Ryan Zimmerman is back," Rizzo said. "Pudge would be a big piece for a contending team if they needed a catcher."

The Twins are struggling and trading Jim Thome doesn't appear to be entirely out of the question. However, it's unlikely that Minnesota would trade Thome before he hits his 600th home run. "They need to put fannies in the seats at Target Field just like any other team," writes The Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Thome has 593 home runs in his career.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has been on a fire as of late, a stretch he believes has come because of his ability to push rumors out of his mind. "I know there's a lot of rumors out there that the team is going to trade me and stuff like that," Reyes said. "If I put that stuff in my mind, I'm not going to perform the way that I want to on the field. So that's why I put it on the side." Reyes is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and there have been rumors that the Mets could consider trading him before the July 31 deadline.

The Indians continue to play better baseball than expected, which leads many to wonder -- will they be buyers as this summer's trade deadline approaches? "You take the first couple months of the season to evaluate your team," general manager Chris Antonetti said. "The next step is identifying the area of need and whether you address it internally or externally. "If the answer is externally then you have to evaluate the cost of the acquisition in dollars and players. It's a process you work through all the time. It's part of the job to be prepared." Indians president Mark Shapiro said his successor will have the ability to make a move if the Indians are still in contention when the trading deadlines approach. "There's been a demonstrated willingness to spend above projected revenues when we felt we had an opportunity to win," Shapiro said, "and there will be an ability and a willingness to acquire a player in July if we're in position to do it."

Not surprisingly, the Giants have already contacted the Nationals about the availability of catcher Pudge Rodriguez. San Francisco is in need of a catcher after Buster Posey's severe leg injury.

As the Padres continue to struggle, the chances of them trading reliever Heath Bell this summer increase. Bell, a closer, isn't getting much work and he's headed for free agency this winter. The Padres briefly broached a contract extension with him this spring, but those talks were very general and have not been revisited since camp ended. Several teams, including the Rangers, have inquired about Bell, according to sources. The Padres, not yet eager to pull the trigger, are in listen-only mode and, sources say, want to wait a little longer and see how things play out.

The Twins have hinted at the possibility of trading right-hander Kevin Slowey. Slowey has struggled as a reliever and appears to be headed to Class AAA Rochester to stretch out as a starter. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson met with Slowey over the weekend about his role on the club and said Sunday on his weekly radio show that he believes the best thing is to find Slowey a place to start. "I honestly think the right thing [is to let Slowey start somewhere], and that's what we're trying to talk about now," Gardenhire said. "We talked with Kevin, we're going to talk with Billy [Smith, Twins general manager] when we get home and try to figure out the right thing for Kevin to make sure he keeps his arm in good shape and all those things."

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was right in the middle of his team's 2-1 victory over the Yankees on Friday night. Reyes has seen his name come up in trade rumors this summer and is expected to become a free agent after the season. "I want to stay here because this is the only team I've played with my entire career," Reyes said. "But I also understand that it's a business. I don't know what's going to happen, and the only thing I can control is to continue to play good and to stay healthy." Reyes was asked about finishing his career as a Met the way Derek Jeter will finish his career as a Yankee. "No doubt as a baseball player you want to play for one organization all of your career," he said. "But sometimes this is a business. I'm going to continue to play my game and let whatever happens happen."