San Francisco Giants rumor roundup: Beltre chatter, Cain & Peavy latest, Cuban OF update and Ishikawa vs. Arias?

Sep 2, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Joaquin Arias (13) and first baseman Travis Ishikawa (45) celebrate a 12-7 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t look now, but the last-place San Francisco Giants of April are suddenly one of the hottest teams in baseball—and hot on the Dodgers’ heels after another three-game sweep of their NL West archrivals.

Even with their continued success (seven-straight and counting) in the month of May, there’s no stopping the rumor mill from churning out stories of varied substance. From hard-to-believe hearsay to reasonable news reports, here is all of the latest buzz surrounding the defending champs.

To start, let’s get things cooking on the hot stove.

Next: On to Beltre chatter