Phillies trade rumors: Ruben Amaro Jr. denies asking Mariners for Taijuan Walker, James Paxton

The Mariners are known to be looking at Phillies' outfielder Ben Revere as they look to acquire offensive help on the trade market, but the sides have not yet matched up on a deal. Conflicting reports surfaced on Thursday about the talks, with Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reporting that Philadelphia asked for either Taijuan Walker or James Paxton in talks with the Seattle before general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. emphatically denied the rumor:

Amaro's denial is an unusual one, as general managers do not usually comment on specific rumors leading up to the trade deadline, but his tone here likely means that he is telling the truth. Amaro has a reputation of asking teams for a king's ransom in exchange for his veterans, with many citing that as the main reason that Revere, Jonathan Papelbon, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and other vets are still with the Phillies despite the team's profound struggles.

Obviously, Walker or Paxton (two high-upside arms in the Mariners' organization) would be too high of an ask price for Revere, who has also been linked to the Angels in trade talks this summer. Philadelphia is likely looking at some of the team's lesser prospects as a result of Seattle's interest in Revere, and discussions are likely to continue into July as the trade market heats up.