Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price is likely to get traded and the Red Sox are contemplating trading a star pitcher of their own, Jon Lester. Meanwhile the teams' other divisional opponents, the Yankees and Orioles, are looking for pitching help.
The trade deadline is July 31, but teams who are looking to send off valuable players plan on waiting until the last minute to field as many offers as they can while gauging the value they'll get in return. A number of contenders throughout the league are looking to add a starting pitcher that will put their staff over the edge to make a final playoff push. The Rays and Red Sox covet two aces - David Price and Jon Lester - and are waiting as long as they can to see what offers are sent their way.
Price and Lester faced off last night to kick of the three game series between the Rays and Red Sox, and Price helped the Rays get their eighth straight victory. Reports thus far have linked the Rays ace to the Cardinals (who want a financial commitment from Price if they were to orchestrate a trade) and the Mariners (who are also interested in Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist). Price's one-year $14 million contract expires at the end of this season and the Rays won't be able to afford him in free agency, so they're looking to get value for him before the trade deadline. However, the Rays could change their mind because they're currently the hottest team in baseball (18-5 in their last 23 games and 7.5 games out of first place in the AL East).
Boston's recent slide (9-11 in their last 20 games) has put them 9.5 games back for the division lead and 7.5 games back in the wild card race. As a result, general manager Ben Cherington has entertained trade talks involving Lester, according to sources, especially since the starting pitcher rejected a four-year $70 million extension offered by Boston. As of this morning, it was reported that the team's decision-makers were not ruling out the possibility of a trade. In a number of reports, Lester was linked to the Cardinals and Dodgers because they possess talented young outfielders (Oscar Taveras and Joc Pederson) and Boston needs help in that department.
On the other hand, the top two teams in the AL East division, the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, are seeking pitching help. The Orioles and Yankees are both talking to the Colorado Rockies about starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. However, the Orioles have more work to do than the Yankees, as New York has already acquired pitchers Brandon McCarthy, Jeff Francis, and Chris Capuano via trades in the last couple of weeks. According to sources, the Orioles previously expressed in getting back former pitcher Jim Johnson, who was recently designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics. The Orioles and Yankees also sent scouts to Philadelphia watch Cliff Lee's first start back from the disabled list on Monday.
You can read more about MLB trade speculation on ESPN's MLB Rumor Central page.
