7/19 12:46: Dan Hayes of the North County Times hears the going price for DeJesus is Major League ready pitcher and top prospect.

7/14 19:26: Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald says the Royals are still willing to deal DeJesus, but because of his affordable contract, they believe they have to “win the trade”. Lauber adds that DeJesus isn’t a salary dump for the Royals.

GM Theo Epstein said the market is starting to take shape, but he’s been unimpressed with the available players.

“I think it’s pretty active out there because there are teams with needs, so there’s a lot of talk,” Epstein said. “I don’t think it’s the greatest crop in the world of available players. If you compare this year’s crop to last year’s, there’s a big difference. But you’re not always out there to acquire an All-Star type. Sometimes, you can get a nice role player who happens to be a good fit for your club, which is a good thing because there aren’t too many All-Star type, impact guys out there right now.”

“We’re always active looking,” Epstein said. “We’re really in the same position we’ve been in every year. Our job is to be thorough as possible looking for any possible fit to make us better. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to do anything. Sometimes, the only moves you can make make you worse in the balance of the short-term and the long-term. We’ll see. I think we’re going to get so many guys back off the DL that we’re going to get a boost no matter what we do. But yeah, we’d like to find the right fit from the outside to make us better as well.”

7/13 13:25: According to a source close to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports, the Boston Red Sox have spoken with the Kansas City Royals about outfielder David DeJesus. The clubs spoke with each other about 10 days ago and agreed to stay in contact. The Royals are currently scouting the Red Sox’s minor league system, but the clubs have not exchanged names.

DeJesus, 30, is being paid $4.7 million and has an affordable club option for $6 million in 2011.

In late June, DeJesus was mentioned as a trade candidate with the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves. At the time, Royals GM Dayton Moore said, “I don’t call up (other teams) and say, `We want to move this guy, this guy and this guy, but clubs call and ask, `Is this player available?’ And you listen. Everybody is potentially available. That’s just the way the game is. You have to listen.”

FOXSports adds that assuming the Red Sox acquire DeJesus, the team will have DeJesus, Mike Cameron and J.D. Drew under club control through 2011, so the team may pursue free-agents Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford this winter.