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David Price is not on the trade block because the Tigers are not yet selling. If they do decide to sell, though, there will be no lack of suitors for the pitcher who just might be this winter’s Max Scherzer, a free agent capable of pulling in over $200 million. Sure, he’s a rental, but he’s also David Price: a team that hopes to be heading to the playoffs has a much better chance of succeeding within them if they can add Price to their staff. The Cubs are currently fighting for an NL Wild Card spot, and have talked to the Tigers about Price already, but they are far from alone in wanting him.
At least eight different teams -- eight! -- are expected to be interested in Price. The Cubs, if they are willing to, certainly have the young pieces to acquire him. Bringing Price to Chicago would mean reuniting him with Joe Maddon, the only other manager he’s known in his career besides Tigers’ Brad Ausmus -- and also with longtime Rays’ bench coach Dave Martinez, who came to the Cubs along with Maddon this past winter. It would also put him on a team who could afford him as a free agent, and the Maddon connection might give them a leg up on other suitors, so long as they’re willing to pay up like anyone else.
The major concern is that Price is a rental, while someone like Cole Hamels is not. Not only that, but Price will surely sign a deal for at least six or seven years, whereas Hamels is under contract for three and a half more, plus an option for 2019. Both will cost prospects, especially if the Tigers need to be convinced to trade Price rather than give him a qualifying offer (and maybe a contract offer, too) this offseason. If that’s the case, maybe the higher price of Hamels in kids is more worth it to the Cubs. We’ll see how it all plays out, but the first step will be Price actually landing on the trade block. We have at least a few more days before that happens, if it happens at all.
- One reason the Tigers might not sell at the deadline? They could be buying instead.
- Carlos Gonzalez chased down a fly ball by throwing his glove at it.
- Sure, the Red Sox are having a terrible season in the majors, but their farm system ranks first in the league even after promoting Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Eduardo Rodriguez and Blake Swihart in the last two seasons.
- This is one reason that the Sox can still trade even if they want to make Bogaerts and Betts untouchable: there are plenty of other valuable prospects they could move this deadline instead.
- Hank Azaria used voices from “The Simpsons” to call great moments in Mets’ history.
- The pitching motion that allowed Tim Lincecum to fall to the Giants in the draft in the first place doesn’t seem like it’s going to work with his degenerative hip condition.
- Yunel Escobar checked his swing so hard that it injured his wrist and knocked him out of Wednesday’s game.
- This A’s fan’s first LGBT Pride night marked a new chapter in life, both for her and Major League Baseball.
- David Freese fractured his finger, giving the Angels something else to worry about.
- The Dodgers have the prospects to get Cole Hamels in a trade, and plenty of reasons to do so both in 2015 and beyond.
- Mets fans are calling for Michael Conforto to get promoted to the big league roster, but how much could he help?
- Albert Pujols and Mike Trout are quite the homer-hitting duo, to the point where they could end up historically significant by season’s end.
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