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During a scrum with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette quashed the report that surfaced earlier Wednesday that he's close to brokering a deal with the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Jon Lester.
Dan Duquette to reporters in baltimore on reports he was close to trade for Lester: "that's news to me"
— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) July 30, 2014
MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reported earlier that the Orioles were engaged "in serious talks" for Boston's incumbent ace, who was scratched from Wednesday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays amid rampant trade speculation.
Duquette also added that nothing has changed with respect to his strategy as the deadline nears, reiterating his desire to add depth to his rotation rather than make a big move.
There's also this:
Orioles learning today that Hunter Harvey is out with a elbow injury helped derail Lester talks. Didn’t want to part with other prospects
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 31, 2014
An elbow strain means Harvey, only 19, is out for the season, though he won't have surgery, and only rest.