The Detroit Tigers really disrupted the state of the MLB yesterday when they began contacting other teams to tell them David Price and Yoenis Cespedes are available in trades. Price is now the top name on the market and a number of clubs are chasing him.
There's still no guarantee the left-hander gets traded considering the Tigers are only 3.5 games out of the second wild-card spot and have a good chance to rebound when Miguel Cabrera comes back in a couple of weeks, but general manager Dave Dombrowski is going to at least listen to what other teams have to offer.
The latest trade rumors indicate the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants are talking to Detroit about Price and other teams such as the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are also said to be interested, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi and ESPN Insider Buster Olney.
Remember, Price will be a free agent after this season and he's expected to land an enormous contract once he hits the open market. Morosi reported yesterday that the Tigers are "expected to prioritize major-league-ready starting pitchers" in a deal for Price, so let's see what teams are most likely to land the veteran before Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
Here are our top three destinations for Price if the Tigers trade him:
Houston Astros
The Astros have got to be mad. They made a late push for Cole Hamels before he landed in Texas. Their farm system possesses more than enough resources to land the veteran from the Phillies, but Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported Hamels exercised his no-trade rights to block a deal to Houston.
They already acquired a rental starter in Scott Kazmir from last week's trade with the Oakland Athletics and it's unknown if they'd be willing to give up valuable young talent for Price, who is guaranteed to depart in free agency this offseason. Houston does not have the money to afford Price and, although they're certainly moving toward contender status, they do not provide the left-hander with the best opportunity to win a World Series.
Nonetheless, if the Tigers trade Price they will be looking for the best deal out there, considering it took this long for the team to take offers on their impending free agents. The Astros have a lot of attractive prospects that could entice Dombrowski and if they feel this is their year, they might be willing to risk trading away young talent for two months of Price.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are looking for a top-of-the-rotation starter who can pitch behind Madison Bumgarner in Game 2 of a postseason series. We wrote yesterday that James Shields would be a good fit, but the San Diego Padres are perhaps reluctant to trade him within the division.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported last night that San Francisco made a late push for Hamels before he went to the Rangers, but it was believed the Giants did not possess the prospect depth the Phillies were looking for in a deal. Philadelphia landed three of the Rangers' top-five prospects in the six-player trade.
However, Morosi notes the Tigers like a couple of pitching prospects the Giants have: Tyler Beede (No. 1 in organization, according to Baseball America), Keury Mella (No. 2), Adalberto Mejia (No. 3) and Joe Biagini (not ranked in top 20 by Baseball America or MLB.com).
Judging by the Giants' pitching depth in the minors and the Tigers' horrific pitching situation at both the MLB level and in the minors, these two clubs could strike a deal.
Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB executives are absolutely convinced #Tigers David Price will wind up with the #Dodgers, who likely will have to part with Urias.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2015
If that tweet from Nightengale is true, then this is pretty much game over. The Dodgers will have Price before tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET and increase the likelihood of signing him when he hits free agency.
According to Baseball America, Urias is the No. 4 overall prospect in the MLB and No. 2 in the Dodgers' organization behind the MLB's top prospect, Corey Seager. Previous rumors and reports suggested the Dodgers would be unwilling to part ways with Urias, but they're currently working out a mammoth three-team trade with the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves that will land them other prospects and MLB-ready players that would lessen the blow of losing Urias.
Los Angeles was originally among one of two frontrunners for Hamels (along with the Rangers), but the potential availability of Price apparently shifted their attention. It was previously mentioned if the Tigers were willing to deal Price then the left-hander would shoot to the top of the Dodgers' wish list. That has apparently happened now since Hamels is with the Rangers and Los Angeles is nearing completion of the three-team trade.
"While the Tigers may prefer the young players and pitchers the Jays and Giants can offer, the Dodgers may have boosted their chances at Price by adding young pitcher Alex Wood and top prospect Jose Peraza, assuming that complicated three-way deal gets done, as they could possibly flip them to the Tigers for Price," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
They could move Wood instead of Urias, or perhaps both of them. It's completely unknown at this point, but the Dodgers could still benefit immensely by trading only one of them because they're both under club control for quite a while (Wood through 2019 and Urias for six years once he makes he hits the MLB).
And here's an update on that...
One exec who spoke with #Dodgers says #Braves were told they weren't trading for Alex Wood to flip him for Price or anyone else
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 30, 2015
The Blue Jays, Cubs and Yankees still remain possible landing spots for Price, but it's unlikely these clubs surrender top prospects for a rental who might not re-sign with them in the offseason. The Blue Jays would be taking a huge risk by doing that while the Cubs and Yankees have reiterated they do not want to trade their top young talent for a rental player.
The sweepstakes for Price will be one that goes down in history if the Tigers get the offer they desire. The next 29 hours will undoubtedly be hectic.
