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On most Sundays, my family has pizza for dinner, as there is a very good Italian restaurant about 10 minutes from our house that sells 1/2 price pizzas. So, on my way to pick up my < $6 pizza, I was listening to the replay of the Front Office show on the MLB Channel on Sirius-XM hosted by former GMs Jim Bowden and Dan Duquette.
When I turned on the radio, they were discussing whether Rays ace David Price will be traded or not. Duquette said it is possible that the Rays just hold onto him this offseason. Bowden chimed in saying that the Rays will trade him by the end of the year, as Price is due a $4 million deferred payment from the Rays effective January 1st. He went on to say that the Mariners won't deal six years of Taijuan Walker for two years of Price, and the Diamondbacks won't deal six years of Archie Bradley for Price.
Bowden feels that the Dodgers might have the best deal on the table right now, saying that a package of Zach Lee and Joc Pederson might get it done. I assume the Dodgers would have to throw in another lower rated prospect to land Price, but it was surprising to hear Bowden opine that the Rays may have to settle for a package of Lee and Pederson for Price.
Earlier in the week we heard a rumor from Terry Pluto from the Cleveland Plains Dealer, that the Rays were asking the Indians for a package of Carlos Santana, Danny Salazar and possibly top prospect Francisco Lindor in return for Price. Rays beat writer, Marc Topkin, from the Tampa Bay Times, later tweeted that the story was "completely off-base" and nothing came of that rumor.
Who knows, maybe they did really ask for all three in a deal for Price. We have all seen crazy offers from other owners in our fantasy leagues, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen in MLB. Sometimes owners ask for the moon just to see what the response is, Hey, if the other team/owner accepts, you made a good deal, right?
I think it is more likely that the Rays asked for "either" Santana or Salazar as the headliner, along with a top prospect for Price, rather than both. We keep hearing that the Rays are being patient in their attempt to deal Price, but it seems that MLB teams are telling the Rays that they won't be able to duplicate the offer they received for James Shields last offseason. I said the same earlier this offseason. The Rays caught the Royals in a spot where they were desperate for starting pitching as a means to to take the next step in their rebuild. The teams involved in trade talks for Price this offseason aren't in the same situation that the Royals were in last season, and that might result in a "lesser" package for Price.
That brings me back to the Dodgers rumored offer of Pederson and Lee for Price. Do the Rays take this offer, or hold onto Price and see what they can get next offseason? Let's hear your thoughts in the poll below and in the comments.
