"CF B.J. Upton said he's not bothered by trade rumors involving him. He's used to it by now.

"It's been that way the last two or three years, man, so I expect it every year," he said. "I'm not too worried about it. It's out of my hands. Whatever they're going to do they're going to do. I can't control it."

Upton makes $4.825 million this season and will get bumped up to the $7 million neighborhood next season after he goes through arbitration for the third time. That might be too rich for the cash-strapped Rays, especially if they keep RHP James Shields ($7 million club option for 2012). Also, there is OF Desmond Jennings biding his time at Triple-A Durham.

Unless the Rays can make up some ground in the wild-card standings over the last days of this month, Upton could be moved by the July 31 trade deadline as vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman retools for 2012.

Friedman could opt to wait until the offseason, when the market for Upton will expand beyond the teams currently in the running for a playoff spot.

Friedman didn't give any indication Wednesday which way he was leaning, though he didn't sound like someone eager to move his team's leader in home runs, RBIs and stolen bases.

Either way, the rumors will continue to include Upton until he is traded or re-signed.

Upton talked before Thursday's game about the Rays' need to reel off a few wins and climb back into the race. He didn't sound like someone ready to leave town.

"I grew up through the minor leagues with a lot of these guys here, so I love being here, I love playing here," he said. "Let's hope for the best.""