With the MLB trade deadline just over a week away on July 31, Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher David Price has emerged as a popular trade target and is receiving plenty of interest around the league.
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Multiple sources have reported that the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians are among the teams that may look to land Price before the deadline while the Seattle Mariners have also showed some interest.
The left-hander can become a free agent at the end of next season, and with Tampa Bay being a small-market team, the Rays could possibly deal him within the next week despite the fact that Price said earlier this summer that the speculation of him being moved puts him in a "bad mood."
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The Cardinals have had a lot of injuries to their starting rotation this season and have a farm system beaming with prospects that the team could move to Tampa Bay in a trade for Price should both sides agree on a deal. St. Louis is currently a half-game out of the National League Central, which is currently being led by the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Boston Globe reported that the Cardinals are interested in adding Price to the rotation as the team looks to unseat Milwaukee atop the standings, but they want to be sure he's willing to sign with them on a long-term deal before a move will be made.
The Indians could be a long shot at landing Price, but Fox Sports reported that Cleveland has expressed interest in making a deal for him and have even continued to talk to the Rays to gauge interest in a potential swap.
Cleveland is 6.5 games behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers in the American League Central and three games out of the final wild-card spot. The Indians would love to pair Price with Corey Kluber on top of the rotation to help their chances of making the postseason.
The Mariners have also been linked to Price, according to The Sporting News, but may give up on that dream to focus on the offense as the team is currently holding onto the second and final wild-card spot in the AL, but could use a bat for the long haul.
Seattle would love a rotation that includes Price, Felix Hernandez, and Hisashi Iwakuma, however it may be a long-shot for the Mariners to pull off a deal.
Any type of speculation relies on the willingness of the Rays to actually move Price, so it remains to be seen if he'll switch jerseys for the first time in his career.
Price, 28, is 10-7 this season with a 3.06 ERA and leads the MLB with 173 strikeouts, but Tampa Bay is 47-53 on the campaign, eight games out of the AL East and 6.5 games out of the wild-card hunt, so the team could be sellers come July 31.
Price was drafted first overall in the 2007 draft by the Rays and is 81-46 in his career with the franchise with a 3.17 ERA and 1,049 strikeouts.
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