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Tampa Bay Rays making progress in trade talks

Closer Alex Colome has seemed most likely to go first.
 
RHP Alex Colome, with a projected first-year arbitration salary, could be one of the players the Rays talk about trading. [WILL VRAGOVIC / Tampa Bay Times ]
RHP Alex Colome, with a projected first-year arbitration salary, could be one of the players the Rays talk about trading. [WILL VRAGOVIC / Tampa Bay Times ]
Published Dec. 13, 2017|Updated Dec. 13, 2017

Without getting into specifics – especially the who and the where – Rays officials are for the first time talking optimistically about making a trade before the winter meetings end Thursday.

Speaking at around 5:15, senior VP Chaim Bloom said they had made progress in some areas of discussion.

"At this point today, some of those conversations are moving along and they're entering more advanced stages,"  Bloom said around 5:15. "We have a much better idea of what's real and what isn't, and in some cases starting to drill down to the more advanced stages of conversation."

Asked if something could happen tonight, Bloom said:

"There's nothing right at the finish line right now; I wouldn't rule it out. There's nothing at the 1-yard line at this very moment."

The Rays are open to trading most of their higher-paid players, though closer Alex Colome is expected to be the first to go, with the Cardinals a strong possibility. The Cubs, Mets and Rockies have also been among those interested.

Other players that the Rays have been talking about include Chris Archer and Evan Longoria, with the Cardinals also among those interested.