MLB Trade Rumors 2014: Tampa Bay Rays Ready to Move David Price, Ace Pitcher in Bad Mood About Trade Talks
The Tampa Bay Rays are now reportedly prepared to trade David Price and the ace pitcher expressed disappointment over the rumors surrounding his future with the team.
ESPN insider Buster Olney reported on Wednesday that the Rays are now ready to accept offers for Price, and several teams are already monitoring the situation.
"Only the Tampa Bay Rays know for sure what will be deemed acceptable for David Price, or when they'll be ready to say yes," Olney wrote. "But rival officials are monitoring the market in the way that meteorologists follow weather patterns, and they believe that the Rays are prepared to move the former Cy Young Award winner. As in, right now."
The 28-year-old pitcher has been a subject of different trade rumors since the offseason with sources indicating that Price will be traded before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.
While Price is considered one of the cornerstones of the franchise, the Rays are unsure about their ability to retain his service when he becomes a free agent in 2015, which is the reason why they are willing to move him instead of losing him for nothing.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times previously reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the favorite to land Price, while also naming the Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, and the New York Yankees as potential destinations.
When asked about the trade rumors surrounding him, Price, who is 6-7 with 3.63 ERA in 16 starts this season, did not hide his disappointment, saying that the talks have been bothering him over the past several weeks.
"Obviously, I think about it," Price said. "That's why I've been in a bad mood for the past week and a half. So yeah, I think about it. You guys know that. And it's nothing I want to talk about. I don't have an answer for you guys. I don't know why I'm going. I don't know where I'm going. So there's nothing really I have to comment on it."
The seven-year veteran led the Rays to a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, striking out 11 hitters in 8.1 innings in what could be his last starts at the Tropicana Field for the Rays.
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