Report: Yankees join Dodgers in trade talks for Cubs' Ryan Dempster

Ryan Dempster could soon be headed to the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees could soon be the new home for the Chicago Cubs' pitcher Ryan Dempster, according to a report from Gorden Wittenymyer of the Chicago Sun Times:

Dempster, who has talked with management more than once about the prospects of being traded and waiving his no-trade rights, is coveted by several would-be contenders, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

Rival executives say his rent-a-player status and high performance could prompt teams to strike quick with strong offers.

“If that’s the case, then I’d have to really consider it at that point,’’ said Dempster.

Rumors of Dempster to the Dodgers surfaced earlier June.

As of June 16, Dempster has pitched 22 scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 2.11. He told the Times' Toni Ginnetti that he's not sure how he's found himself in the position to be going on 22 scoreless innings as a pitcher:

‘‘I don’t know how that even happens,’’ he said of his streak. ‘‘It’s inevitable you miss a pitch and someone hits it into the stands, or a guy is at second and all you think about is preserving the win.’’

But he said that even though he's aware of the trade talks and that he could soon move to another team, perhaps the Yankees or Dodgers, Chicago is where he wants to stay and finish his career:

‘‘I’m not naive or oblivious to what’s going on,’’ he said of trade talk. ‘‘But if I focused on that, I wouldn’t be a very good teammate to those guys in there, and I wouldn’t be very good to myself. ‘‘Whatever it ends up being, I’ll continue to do what I do,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t know what tomorrow holds, so just enjoy today’s win.’’

‘‘Everyone knows I love it here. I’ve played here a long time. I’ve always said I wanted to finish my career here. This is the best place to play.’’