The Detroit Tigers have acquired left-hander David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays before the trade deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The deal is a three-way trade including the Seattle Mariners, who are receiving outfielder Austin Jackson, according to Bob Dutton. The Rays are reportedly receiving lefty Drew Smyly and 18-year-old shortstop prospect Willy Adames from the Tigers, as well as infielder Nick Franklin from the Mariners, according to Jon Heyman.
David Price traded to Tigers, Austin Jackson to Mariners in 3-team deal
Despite the Rays’ recent surge in the wild card standings, they decided to get what they can for David Price before he became a free agent.
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Price, the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner and a four-time All-Star, has posted a 3.11 ERA and a league-leading 170⅔ innings in 2014, striking out 189 and walking just 23. He'll become part of a strong rotation that already features Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer.
The 27-year-old Jackson was in the middle of another solid if underwhelming season, hitting .270/.330/.397 and playing excellent defense. He’s under team control through next season.
Franklin was a top prospect for the Mariners before the 2013 season, but he was blocked by the Robinson Cano deal, and his playing time was limited as he was shuttled back and forth from Triple-A Tacoma, where the 23-year-old hit .294/.392/.455 in 279 at-bats, with nine home runs and 47 RBI.
Smyly was in the Tigers’ rotation, with a 3.77 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 6-9 record. The 25-year-old struck out 87 and walked 31 in 100⅓ innings, and he’s not eligible for arbitration until after the 2015 season.
Adames was listed as the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect in MLB.com’s midseason prospect rankings, hitting .269/.346/.428 with 12 triples in Low-A.
Price is the big piece in the deal, though, and after all the speculation over the last two years, we finally know what the Rays figured was a good return for him: an affordable third starter, a young and cost-controlled middle infielder, and a toolsy prospect in the low minors. They can use Smyly in the rotation immediately in their quest for the second wild card, so they were able to avoid the standard white-flag deal, yet still get pieces for the future.
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