The trade deadline is now less than 48 hours away and the Dodgers are still looking for another bat and an upgrade to their rotation.

An additional bat should be the priority, but the Dodgers seem intent on securing an arm instead.

Either way, what are the rumors today?

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Remember that Ryan Dempster thing? Well, it’s still going on.

The Cubs and Dodgers are still discussing righty Ryan Dempster, tweets Yahoo’s Tim Brown. Left fielder Alfonso Soriano remains part of these trade talks, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Dodgers are said to be Dempster’s first choice, and he controls the process with 10-and-5 rights.

I think a package deal of Dempster and Alfonso Soriano is the most likely move the Dodgers make before the deadline.

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Jayson Stark of ESPN has the Dodgers in active pursuit of Josh Johnson.

Clubs identify the Dodgers, Orioles and Blue Jays as other aggressive suitors for Johnson while the White Sox, Red Sox, Braves, and Royals have checked in.

Still don’t think they could form an appealing package for him even if they wanted to.

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Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times says the team is chasing James Shields as well.

The Braves, Dodgers, Indians and Rangers are the teams most interested in Shields, who, along with Miami’s Josh Johnson, are two of the most prominent starters being talked about in advance of Tuesday’s deadline for nonwaiver deals.

Not entirely sure how much of an upgrade he actually is at this point.

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Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly puts the Dodgers on Shane Victorino.

Multiple baseball sources indicated on Saturday that the Phils’ talks involving Victorino were getting warm. The Reds, Pirates, Dodgers and Giants all have interest in Victorino, and scouts from those clubs have peeked in on the Phillies lately. The Dodgers have two scouts eye-balling the Phillies in Atlanta, and the Reds also have a scout in town for the Phils-Braves series. The Reds also like outfielder Juan Pierre.

Please no.

Moving on to actual potential upgrades, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports says the Dodgers would like to get Shin Soo Choo, but Buster Olney of ESPN plays Johnny Raincloud and says it would take a ton for the Indians to move him.

Count the Dodgers among teams interested in Choo.

— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 30, 2012

Indians think it’s unlikely they’ll move Shin-Soo Choo. They’d need the perfect offer to make it happen.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 30, 2012

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the Dodgers have interest in Justin Morneau.

At least the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Giants appear to have some interest in Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who is making a nice comeback this year.

Despite all the rumors, it doesn’t appear as if anything is imminent. The Dempster/Soriano deal is closest to being done, but most of the other rumors have the Dodgers just interested for now.

With that said, I doubt the Dodgers are done for 2012 in the trade market, so I anticipate things escalating quickly.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Dodgers rejected a deal of Ryan Dempster for Allen Webster.

The Cubs offered to send Ryan Dempster to his preferred Dodgers straight up for solid right-handed pitching prospect Allen Webster, but the Dodgers have rejected the offer.

The issue seems to be this: The Dodgers don’t appear to love Dempster quite as much as he loves them.

According to people briefed on the talks, the Dodgers have thus far offered a couple of lesser prospects, guys who may project as relievers.

Could it be that the Dodgers offered some combination of Josh Lindblom, Shawn Tolleson, Josh Wall, and Chris Withrow?

#Dodgers and #Cubs discussing a Ryan Dempster-for-Josh Lindblom deal, source says.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 28, 2012

Seems likely that the offered deal from the Dodgers side would include both Withrow and Lindblom because the Cubs were previously rumored to have shown interest in Withrow.

In related trade news, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the trade might be expanded to include Bryan LaHair or Alfonso Soriano.

The Dodgers and Cubs, stalled on what the Dodgers would give up in a trade for Ryan Dempster, have had some discussions on expanding the deal to also include Alfonso Soriano or Bryan LaHair, sources say.

The inclusion of Soriano or LaHair is still viewed as a longshot, perhaps even a “massive longshot,” as one person briefed on the discussions described it.

I’m guessing that an expanded deal would include haggling over either money (Soriano) or prospects (LaHair). Plus, it would probably include Webster or Garrett Gould in addition to a reliever or two.

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If the Dodgers can’t get Dempster, their attention may turn towards James Shields or Josh Johnson, according to Heyman.

With the Dodgers and Cubs seemingly at an impasse in Ryan Dempster talks, the Dodgers are looking at Josh Johnson and James Shields as rotation alternatives.

Johnson won’t come cheap though.

The Marlins seek a Mark Teixeira-like package for Josh Johnson, Jon Heyman reported yesterday. In other words, Miami seeks at least three good young pieces for the right-hander. The Blue Jays are pursuing Johnson and the Rangers, Angels and Orioles also appear to have interest.

Not sure it matters at that price, because the Dodgers don’t have the horses in the system to make the trade feasible.

Matt Garza of the Cubs was once considered an option, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be dealt anymore.

Matt Garza won’t start before Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, so the chances of a midseason deal involving the right-hander are remote, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio notes that Garza might not be traded until the offseason (on Twitter).

An MRI revealed a slight fluid buildup in Garza’s triceps area, manager Dale Sveum told reporters, including Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. The Dodgers and Red Sox are among the teams with reported interest in Garza.

Only reason I worry about this is because it seems more and more like the Dodgers only rotation option is Dempster, which lessens their leverage in a deal.

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Bats are a priority for the Dodgers as well, but are more rumor than substance at this point.

The Dodgers have talked about quite a few other hitters, including both Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham of the Twins. The Twins have said it’s a longshot that they trade Willingham, however.

Phillies still listening on Victorino. Reds, Dodgers, Pirates & Giants among teams interested. But no indication they’re ready to deal him

Justin Morneau is the most intriguing target to me, specifically because he’s making $14 million this year and $14 million next year. His line of .256/.318/.448/.766 is far from impressive, and there are injury concerns, but he does have upside. Plus, the amount of money he’s making is not likely something the Twins want to deal with, so he might not be as expensive in terms of prospects.

GM Ned Colletti says the Dodgers are far from done after landing Hanley Ramirez, as they still want a starter and a bat.

The Dodgers landed the middle-of-the-order bat they’ve been looking for in Hanley Ramirez, but general manager Ned Colletti on Wednesday said he’s still looking for a starting pitcher and another hitter.

“We’re still hunting for starting pitching. We won’t let this deal stand in the way of that,” said the general manager, who dealt starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and Minor League pitcher Scott McGough to the Marlins for Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate.

Completely makes sense, but who? Hence the mess of rumors to follow.

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Ryan Dempster Dumpster Fire Of Rumors

Yesterday, it was widely reported that the Dodgers were the front-runners for Ryan Dempster and that the team was confident they could land him.

A trade between the Dodgers and Cubs still seems “realistic,” Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.

The Dodgers have the upper hand in talks with the Cubs, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

The Dodgers are feeling increasingly confident that they can work out a deal for Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. The Cubs don’t have many alternatives given Dempster’s interest in playing for L.A. and his no-trade protection.

Today, it has been more of the same.

The Dodgers and Cubs continue talking and “might” be getting closer to a deal involving Dempster, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

Rival executives say the Dodgers are projecting an air of optimism about their chances of obtaining Dempster, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter).

There seems to be a consensus on his destination, which makes sense since he’s all but said it’s the only place he’ll go at this point.

I had no problem with acquiring Dempster, because I figured he would be the upgrade that would come the cheapest for the team. That is, until I saw this tweeted:

Source: #Cubs have asked #Dodgers for Allen Webster as primary piece in Ryan Dempster talks.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 25, 2012

Uh … yeah … no thanks.

I thought the price was supposed to go down as they lose leverage, not up.

Allen Webster is a more advanced version of Garrett Gould with better velocity.

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Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the availability of James Shields has drawn interest.

The Angels aren’t the only team in pursuit of James Shields. The Rangers and Dodgers have also made the Rays trade offers for the right-hander, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.

Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports says the Dodgers have alternatives to Dempster in … uh … vastly superior pitchers.

The Dodgers have Zack Greinke and Josh Johnson on their list in case they don’t trade for Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.

Odd but okay.

Jayson Stark of ESPN reports that the Dodgers are in on basically every starting pitcher on the market.

The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They’ve also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.

The team is also looking at outfield and first base, which wouldn’t surprise Ken Rosenthal.

Source: #Dodgers deal for Victorino or Pence possible even if team gets Dempster along with H. Ramirez. LA has been in talks with #Phillies.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2012

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In terms of pitching, I’m sort of at the point now where if the Dodgers don’t swing a trade for an elite arm, I’d rather they just do nothing. If Dempster is seriously going to command at least a top five prospect in the system, why bother? With Ted Lilly on his way back, the team has five starters, and John Ely, Stephen Fife, and Webster wait in the minors.

As far as the bats go, I’ve already explained why I’d rather the team not acquire Shane Victorino, and Justin Morneau‘s 0.0 WAR line of .253/.314/.437/.751 doesn’t impress me. The only name that’s intriguing is Hunter Pence. His .267/.334/.447/.781 line isn’t impressive, but he’s a ~3 WAR player that would represent a meaningful upgrade.

Juan Uribe tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he’s IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE, YOU GUYS!

Juan Uribe’s face brightened when he was told he looked different than he did last year.

“Skinnier?” he asked.

Uribe said he lost weight over the winter, though he wouldn’t specify how many pounds he dropped.

His arms and shoulders looked as if they gained definition.

“I feel good,” Uribe said in Spanish. “I worked hard to regain what I lost last year.”

I’ll believe it matters when I see it working.

Besides the SHOCKING NEWS of a baseball player coming into Spring Training and declaring that he’s in wonderful shape, Andre Ethier is still acting like a surly dick.

Andre Ethier appeared at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spring-training complex on Saturday, taking a few swings off a tee in the indoor batting cage before returning to the clubhouse and holding a curiously contentious interview with a handful of reporters.

Ethier eventually got around to saying he feels fine now, but not before responding to a friendly greeting of, “Did you have a good winter?” with a curt, “We’re not here to talk about that.” He later responded to another question about why he was being so abrupt by saying, “I’m not your buddy. You’re not my buddy. We’re not going to sit here and have a bar-type conversation.”

“I can’t tell you anything about any of that,” Ethier said. “I’m just here today to play baseball and help the team win. I’m here for today. I lifted some weights, I ran the bases, and I hit some balls off a tee. … I can’t control the past or control the future. The only thing I can control is the way I play right now.”

To an extent, I think he’s always sort of been this way. Just an intense guy, but he does seem to have crossed the line between wanting to succeed to being a dick a couple years ago.

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In injury news, Clayton Kershaw seems fine.

Clayton Kershaw’s delayed bullpen session went off without a twinge on Friday.

Kershaw, whose scheduled workout on Wednesday was scratched because of mild back tightness, threw 36 pitches to new backup catcher Matt Treanor and pronounced himself healthy.

“I’m fine,” said the left-hander, who seems reluctant to talk about his health. “Got everybody out.”

Plus, Ted Lilly and his brother beat each other up.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly reported to camp on Friday with a blackened right eye.

Lilly, who remained in California for the birth of his daughter on Tuesday, said he received the injury from his brother’s elbow in a basketball game on Thursday.

“The timing wasn’t good,” Lilly said.

Lilly was nonetheless thrown right into action on Friday, pitching a bullpen session within a half-hour of reaching the field at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

“I’ve been throwing almost every day the last two weeks,” Lilly said. “I can see — it just looks like I can’t.”

I thought we would have learned from Zack Greinke last season, no?

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In Spring Training news unrelated to the Dodgers, Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins is going to give it one last shot this year, but acknowledges that he might have to hang it up if the concussion symptoms don’t subside.

“I don’t think there will be a career if it’s something I’m dealing with,” he said. “That’s the reality of the whole thing. I’m obviously not going to continue to mess around with this if it continues to be a problem. There comes a point where you can only torture yourself for so long.”

That’s why you shouldn’t call athletes who sit out after concussions soft, and that’s why the leagues trying to reduce head injuries isn’t making the games soft, it’s making them smarter.