David Price trade rumors: Dodgers interested in Rays’ ace

The Dodgers have approached the Rays about ace David Price, according to the Los Angeles Times' Dylan Hernandez.

Los Angeles has prospects significant enough to pique the Rays' interest, but Price actually suiting up in Dodger Blue appears to be something of a long shot. Minor leaguers like Joc Pederson, Cory Seager, and Julio Urias could be part of a potential package, but there are many roadblocks that stand in the way of such a massive deal.

ESPN's Jim Bowden recently reported that the club won't entertain the idea of moving Pederson, and Seager has enamored himself to the organization quite a bit as well -- though a rotation featuring Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price, Hyun-jin Ryu, and the recently signed Dan Haren might be too exciting for general manger Ned Coletti to pass on in the end. While the Dodgers do have Josh Beckett returning from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, giving them five starters already, Price is an obvious upgrade and is under team control for an additional season as well. The cost for that boost will be extraordinary, so unless there are also plans for an extension on the 2012 AL Cy Young winner, the Dodgers might end up backing away in the end.

With that being said, Haren was lights out down the stretch for the Nationals and might be far more than a back-end arm should he replicate the 3.29 ERA he posted over his last 15 starts and 16 games for Washington. Should Beckett actually be healthy, he too could be more than what you normally get out of a fourth or fifth starter. The Dodgers are not without upside, even without Price.

The Rays will be looking to bring in an even more significant return than they did when they traded James Shields to the Kansas City Royals for Rookie of the Year Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, and others last winter. If they can't find the package they want in time for 2014, there is always the 2015 season, Price's final campaign before free agency.