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MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers going after Masahiro Tanaka and David Price?

Ray takes a look at recent rumors that the Dodgers are targeting both Masahiro Tanaka and David Price this offseason.

By Ray Guilfoyle
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

According to Peter Gammons at Gammonsdaily.com, the Dodgers are looking to make a big splash this offseason. A huge splash. He cites industry sources who say that the Dodgers are targeting Rays pitcher David Price this offseason.We knew that, right? But, now we hear that the Dodgers are not only targeting Price, but they are also targeting Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka.

Price would cost the Dodgers at least two of their top 100 prospects, Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, Julio Urias and Zach Lee. I addressed this possibility in a previous piece here, where I opined that a combination of Seager and Lee would probably get the deal done. Seager is considered by some as the Dodgers top hitting prospect while Lee is the Dodgers top pitching prospect. While Lee is about a year away from the big leagues, Seager is probably two years away from contributing at the major league level.

Here is an excerpt from his piece yesterday:

But, suggests several general managers, the Dodgers can avoid the loss of their number one pick and the slot money if they trade for David Price and get Masahiro Tanaka from Japan. "They have the minor league talent to get Price," says one GM. "If they would trade Corey Seager and Julio Urias (the 17-year old lefthanded pitcher) and a couple out of Zach Lee, Joc Pederson or Chris Withrow, it would get it done. Then if they post $80M for Tanaka, they could have a rotation with four number ones and a number two with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price, Tanaka and Hyun-Jin Ryu. But if they were to trade for Price, they’d need the draft pick to fill holes in their development system."

Wait! What? Seager, Urias, and two of Lee, Pederson and setup man Chris Withrow? That's what I call craziness. I don't think GM Ned Colletti would ever agree to that. Then again, he once dealt Carlos Santana to the indians for Casey Blake. Yuck.

The industry source states that the reason why the Dodgers would consider trading for Price, and, or sign Tanaka, is due to the fact that they don't want to give up their first round pick, and resulting slot money, by signing a free agent starter. If it were me, I prefer giving up the first round pick than trading away several of their top 100 prospects. Then again, none of the starters on the free agent market are an ace like Price.

Anyway, let's just say Rays GM Andrew Friedman and Colletti are more reasonable and the Dodgers "only" have to give up Seager and Lee in return for Price. And somehow, the Dodgers outbid everyone for Tanaka's services (note, the process to sign a Japanese free agent may change, so the three highest bidders may now get the change to negotiate with Tanaka), can you imagine the Dodgers starting five? Let's take a look:

Clayton Kershaw

Zack Greinke

Hyun-Jin Ryu

David Price

Masahiro Tanaka

That might be the best starting five in the history of baseball, no? Maybe not, but it would be pretty darn good.

Now this may all be nothing more than a dream, but it is fun to think about, if you are a Dodgers fan that is. The Dodgers owner, Mark Walter, has a bank full of cash, and an ATM machine from their recent television contract, and wants a World Series winner in the worst way, so nothing will surprise me this offseason. While the Yankees are trying everything to stay under the luxury tax at the expense of winning, Walter could care less about the luxury tax.

What are the chances that both Price and Tanaka are wearing Dodger blue in 2014?

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