Braves Trade For Paul Maholm, Reed Johnson, According To Report

In their continued pursuit of the Washington Nationals in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves added a quality arm to their rotation on Monday night in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. The Braves acquired left-handed starter Paul Maholm and outfielder Reed Johnson. It's still not clear what Atlanta is sending to Chicago in return, but Twitter speculated all night on where Johnson might be headed after word came down he was on the move. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports finally confirmed the deal, adding in the crucial update that Maholm was involved:

Source: Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson dealt to #Braves.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2012

Maholm has been one of the hottest pitchers in the game of late, posting a 1.00 ERA and 5-0 record in his last seven starts.

After a win over the Marlins on Monday, the Braves pulled to 3.5 games back of the idle Nationals. But adding Maholm to address an area of need was certainly the best news of the night for Washington's NL East rival.

For more on the Nationals and the trade deadline, stick with this stream and SB Nation's Nationals blog Federal Baseball. For more news and notes from around Major League Baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

VIDEO: Should The Nationals Trade For A Position Player?

Cubs, Braves Have Agreed To Deal For Ryan Dempster, Pitcher's Veto Rights In Play, Per Report

The Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a deal that would send starting pitcher Ryan Dempster to the National League East, says John Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, as Heyman notes, the hold could be with Dempster himself over his 10-and-5 veto rights, which allow a player with at least 10 years of Major League experience and five years with the same team to nix a trade.

braves & cubs had agreed on dempster deal. his twitter comment suggests his 10-and-5 veto rights could be in play tho

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 23, 2012

The Twitter comment Heyman is referring to is one made earlier in the afternoon by Dempster in which he claimed that there was no trade.

THERE IS NO TRADE dont know where this info came from!

— Dempster Foundation (@RyanDempsterFDN) July 23, 2012

Dempster was reportedly in the Cubs' clubhouse getting dressed for the game.

Atlanta trails Washington by three and a half games entering play on Monday night. Acquiring Dempster would certainly make the division landscape a more competitive place.

For more on the Nationals and the trade deadline, stick with this stream and SB Nation's Nationals blog Federal Baseball. For more news and notes from around Major League Baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Trade Deadline: Ryan Dempster Traded To Atlanta Braves

All of a sudden, the NL East looks that much more competitive. The Atlanta Braves swung big for pitcher Ryan Dempster and landed him from the Chicago Cubs, according to the official MLB twitter page, via Chris Mottram of SB Nation.

Bad news for the Nats. RT @MLB: BREAKING: @Cubs dealing RHP Ryan Dempster to @Braves, confirms @mlbbowman.

— Chris Mottram (@ChrisMottram) July 23, 2012

Right now there is no official word as to who will be going to Chicago in return for Dempster. One rumor floating right now thinks its pitcher Randall Delgado.

The Washington Nationals had been rumored as a possible destination for the veteran, given that there is the possibility that rotation ace Stephen Strasburg may have to be shut down for the year soon.

So far this year, Dempster is 5-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 15 starts. He has also thrown 77 strikeouts, has walked only 27 batters and has allowed only seven home runs this season. The next time that the Braves play the Nationals, the Nats better be ready to go against him.

For more on the Nationals and the trade deadline, stick with this stream and SB Nation's Nationals blog Federal Baseball. For more news and notes from around Major League Baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

VIDEO: Should The Nationals Trade For A Starting Pitcher?

2012 MLB Trade Deadline: Davey Johnson Not In Favor Of Nationals Making A Big Deal

Although the Washinton Nationals have been rumored to be going after starting pitcher Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, one of the most important men in the organization, manager Davey Johnson, is actually quite happy with the current makeup of the club and internal replacements for when pitcher Stephen Strasburg hits his limit of 160 innings.

He told Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington:

Johnson also mentioned to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that "it isn't a wise move" to give up talent for a limited period when they could just plug holes within the organization.

Some rumored replacements for Strasburg include, according to Buster Olney of ESPN, John Lannan, who has yet to pitch in the MLB during the 2012 season.

For more on the Nationals and the trade deadline, stick with this stream and SB Nation's Nationals blog Federal Baseball. For more news and notes from around Major League Baseball, visit Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Trade Deadline: Nationals 'Trying Hard' To Get Ryan Dempster, According To Report

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still thought to be the favorite to land the 35-year-old hurler.