Every day this week leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, we'll be catching up on the latest trade news and rumors, from CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman and the rest of the baseball press. 

Ben Zobrist isn't the type of player who will really blow you away in any one facet of the game. He's a fine hitter, but his best asset with the bat is probably his ability to avoid stikeouts; he isn't exceptionally fast, but rates out as a solid baserunner nonetheless; his best asset has long been his glove, which plays up as a positive all over the diamond.

He's a Royal Man, through and through, in other words. And, after Tuesday's trade, he will actually be donning Royals blue for the rest of the season. With a hole in left field in light of Alex Gordon's groin injury -- and a hole at second base in light of Omar Infante being Omar Infante -- Zobrist is a pretty big pickup for the Royals. There isn't a ton of Fantasy upside here, but Zobrist is hitting in a better lineup and a marginally better park, so he should sustain his bounce back either way.

Carlos Gonzalez on trade block following Troy Tulowitzki deal

Monday's two-homer game notwithstanding, Gonzalez still has the same massive home/road split issues as always even during this bounceback, so caveat emptor. The irony is, though the Rockies would surely likely to get out from his contract, his recent return to form might mean their asking price is too high for anyone to reasonably match. He can still be a very good player in any context, but Gonzalez is no longer a big plus on the basepaths or in the outfield, so his bat really has to play up; for a career .258/.313/.440 hitter away from Coors still owed $37 million over the next two seasons, that might be too much to ask.  

Fantasy spin: Any move away from Coors probably knocks him out of the top-50 among outfielders, so cross your fingers that Gonzalez stays put. 

Astros talking Ross, Cashner, Kimbrel, but could they turn to Hamels?

Remember that Sports Illustrated cover from last year that declared the Astros "your 2017 World Series champs?" Oh, we laughed and laughed and laughed… Because we knew they would end up two years late on their prediction, right? The Astros already added Scott Kazmir to a rotation headlined by Dallas Keuchel, so Cole Hamels would give them three of the better southpaws in the league. If they could just avoid the Blue Jays in the playoffs, that would be a very formidable trio. Of course, Hamels was reportedly not interested in waiving his no-trade clause to pitch in Houston, in which case, Padres pitching Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross would be more realistic options.  

Fantasy spin: The Phillies and Padres are dumpster fires with inept offenses and defenses, so any of the three starters mentioned would certainly benefit from a move to Houston. 

Kimbrel comes up in Yanks' talks with Padres; chances for deal unknown

Professional sports have always had a "follow the leader" aspect to them, so why not try to emulate both World Series participants from last season and put together an absolutely dominant bullpen heading into the playoffs? The Yankees' interest could be the result of their unwillingness to part with top prospects Luis Severino, Aaron Judge, Greg Bird or Jorge Mateo, since Kimbrel could come at a cheaper price than a top-end starting pitcher. Adding an ace reliever could also allow the Yankees the flexibility to move Adam Warren back into the rotation, where he has a 3.59 ERA in 14 starts this season. 

Fantasy spin: The Phillies and Padres are dumpster fires with inept offenses and defenses, so any of the three starters mentioned would certainly benefit from a move to Houston. 

Blue Jays have at least these 8 starters on trade wishlist; is it enough?

The immediate question that came up after the Jays traded for Tulowitzki was, "What about pitching?" This team already has a killer offense, but their rotation and bullpen are both a mess, so their interest in a number of pitchers makes sense. Heyman names Jeff Samardzija, Mike Leake, Mat Latos, Dan Haren, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Fiers, Cashner and Ross as specific targets, though every name on that list is obviously not made equal. They looked into both Hamels and Johnny Cueto, but Cueto is already off the market and Hamels reportedly would not approve a trade to Toronto. Carrasco is probably the highest upside pitcher among the bunch, though a package deal with the Marlins for Haren (3.51 ERA) and Latos (1.80 ERA in July) could allow them to fill multiple holes in the rotation. 

Fantasy spin: Any pitcher who moves from the basement to the Blue Jays is going to get plenty of support, though Rogers is a tough park with huge home run tendencies, so let's hope they aim for a groundball pitcher. Ross could be excellent in Toronto. 

Gerardo Parra trade market: Mystery team joins Angels, Mets, Orioles

Parra is sporting a BABIP-fueled .318/.361/.505 line for the season, and is only two years removed from a massive 4.5 WAR season that featured Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. A career .236/.299/.305 hitter against left-handed pitching, Parra has just 53 plate appearances against them this season, which could explain the massive jump in his offensive production. Still, he has plenty of value as a third or even fourth outfielder, and Heyman reports he is a "certain bet" to end up somewhere besides Milwaukee. Additionally, the Angels are looking at Jay Bruce, David Murphy and Ben Revere, as they continue to look for a lefty corner outfielder even after adding Shane Victorino. 

Fantasy spin: Parra's platoon splits probably make him someone who has more value in a part-time role, especially since he can still be the bigger half of a platoon. 

Chatter from around the league

  • If the Mets had wanted Troy Tulowitzki, it would have cost them two of Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, plus one of Travis d'Arnaud or Kevin Plawecki, according to MLB.com. That is an impossibly high price to pay for Tulowitzki, as good as he is. By the way, Wheeler threw for the first time Monday since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
  • The Giants are making a "strong push" to land Cole Hamels according to FOX Sports, but it is probably fair to wonder if this is just an attempt to force the Dodgers' hands. They probably don't have a strong enough package of young players to pull it off, says USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
  • The Blue Jays are talking to the White Sox about Samardzija, reports FOX Sports. He is scheduled to pitch tonight, so we could see this one move quickly. Of course, the White Sox may not even be in a selling mood, according to ESPN.
  • Marcell Ozuna, hitting .344 in Triple-A after his demotion, has numerous teams asking about him, including the Indians. The Marlins have had scouts in Cleveland recently, according to The Miami Herald. The Marlins are also becoming more open to the idea of moving Martin Prado.
  • With power at a premium, the Dodgers have been willing to discuss Alex Guerrero in trades, according to FOX Sports. The 28-year-old has a .245/.269/.491 line this season, but would be just a rental for any team that acquires him; he can become a free agent this offseason if traded.  
  • The Nationals are "nearing completion" on a deal bring Phillies' closer Jonathan Papelbon in, according to The Washington Post. The Phillies have young Ken Giles ready to step into the closer's role, but the Nationals' situation would be interesting, because Papelbon would reportedly only approve a deal where he gets to close. Drew Storen has the second-best ERA among relievers since the start of last season, so that could get ugly.
  • Speaking of closers, the Diamondbacks are reportedly doing 'due dilligence' on Aroldis Chapman. The Reds' asking price is huge, but the Diamondbacks have had a need at closer this season, so their interest makes some sense as they build back to contending.
  • ESPN mentions Leake and Yovani Gallardo as fallback options for the Dodgers if they miss out on any of the biggest pithcing names on the market.