The Latest on Cliff Lee, Updates

With only a few weeks to go until the July 31st trading deadline, trade talk is poised to heat up. Cliff Lee, the most prized and sought after trade target, is on the block and has been coveted by every team. The rumors about a Lee trade are starting to heat up. We'll be monitoring how it goes today and we'll provide all rumors heard.

• Yesterday, the Twins offered the Mariners a package of prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos and 2008 first-rounder, outfielder Aaron Hicks. Ramos, who debuted this year and was hitting .296 in the majors, is hitting .208 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI at Triple-AAA Rochester through 52 games. Hicks is hitting .260 with 5 home runs, 34 RBI, and 11 stolen bases at Single-A Beloit. Both Hicks and Ramos were ranked one and two respectively, on Baseball America's Twins' Top 10 Prospects List. Various reports have said that both sides are still far from a deal. It's very unorthodox for the Twins to trade their top prospects, especially since their team is made up of homegrown players. The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Rangers and Reds are among other teams interested in acquiring the ace left-hander.

• Via MLBTradeRumors and Twitter, Peter Gammons is reporting that rumors of a B.J. Upton - Cliff Lee deal are going around and that a third team could be involved with the Tampa Bay Rays and Mariners.

• More from MLBTradeRumors: Olney hears that the Mariners "really like" Brewers prospect Brett Lawrie (Twitter link). The 20-year-old second baseman recently made Baseball America's mid-season All-Star team. Lawrie "still strikes out too often and is a work in progress at second base," but is among the offensive leaders at AA. The Mariners have 2009 first rounder Dustin Ackley, also a second baseman, hitting well in AA, though Ackley's presence doesn't mean they can't pursue Lawrie.

• Morosi hears that talks between the Mets and Mariners have not progressed much (Twitter)
  

• B.J. Upton, now involved in the Lee rumors, tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he doesn't want the Rays to trade him (Twitter link). Joe Maddon also talks to Topkin about the Upton rumors, saying there's "nothing from our end regarding that being true."

• The Yankees believe they could trade for Lee if they wanted to, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).

• The Yankees are “kicking the tires” on Lee, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The source estimates that the Yanks have less than a 50% chance of obtaining Lee and suggests the Yankees could flip Javier Vazquez to another team if they do acquire Lee.

• The Rays are on the periphery of the Lee sweepstakes, according to Rosenthal’s sources, who confirm that B.J. Upton-Cliff Lee trade talk surfaced amoung scouts last night.

• The Tigers like Lee, but aren't optimistic about acquiring him, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).