Hey Wrestling fans, remember the gimmick that Owen Hart had back in the day, the whole “enough is enough and its time for a change” routine that Hart played pretty well in the WWF/E.? I think that fits pretty well to what is going on with the Tampa Bay Rays and their ace. Eventually, the Rays have to break and trade David Price but boy is it painful, for all parties in involved.
I think it has been made pretty obvious that David Price wants to remain in Tampa Bay. I’m not claiming to be a fly on the wall in the locker room, however it seems pretty clear that he enjoys teammates, enjoys playing for Joe Maddon and really enjoys the laid-back atmosphere that the Rays provided. There was a fantastic article written today by my friends at Rays Index highlighting some of these factors. It is also very clear that David Price wants to win, and win now. Price has become very irritated over the past week or so based on the amount of trade talk that has surrounded him. And the farther the Rays continue to fall, the more those talks will heat up, but here is the thing..
The Rays are not going to catch up this year. Time has already ran out on this season, and yes that pains me to say that but It is time to face reality. The Rays are 31-46 right now in the American League East. They currently sit 11 games out of first place even though they have won 7 out of their last 11 games. I’m a realist, this season is over already. The Rays would have to win 59 out of their remaining 85 games to reach the 90 win mark. A mark that I would assume would give most teams a good chance of reaching the playoffs. That number is just not realistic right now for Tampa Bay. Therefore the time is now to trade David Price.
Price is having a decent season for Tampa and is the one player alongside of Evan Longoria that is the heart of the franchise. Price is pacing the 2014 season at a 3.81 ERA / 3.03 FIP / 2.58 xFIP rate and has already amassed a 2.5 fWAR. The longer Tampa Bay waits the more likely the frustration level is going to boil over with Price because lets face it – the media is going to turn every thing that he says or does into a trade question eventually. It won’t matter how well David pitches on any particular night because all the media / fans will want to know is what the latest trade rumor is. I think David Price is a man who prides himself on his pitching and wants to let the business side take care of itself but that will be impossible to do as we move into the second half of the baseball season.
If David Price really wants to stay in Tampa Bay like he has hinted at doing, then a contract extension would have been hammered out already. Price has to know the routine with the Rays, they did the same thing two years ago with Price’s best friend on the team, James Shields. It’s simply how Tampa has to do business. In Price’s last start there were scouts from the Blue Jays, Giants, Indians and Angels in attendance, 4 teams that see the post season in the path ahead and will do anything to put them over the top. I think the Blue Jays are a very interesting fit and assuming that the Rays wouldn’t mind trading in the division, (and really why would they if they are already out of contention ? ) I think Price to the Blue Jays makes perfect sense, and they Blue Jays already inquired about him in December.
As fringe teams look over their roster and grade themselves on their chance to get to the postseason, I think you will see those fringe teams open up the vault a little bit wider if they are getting a gem back in David Price. The key is finding the right match at the right time, and in my personal opinion the longer the Rays wait, the worse this situation is, for all parties involved. And hey, If Price really really wants to stay in Tampa, maybe he will just come back after this season. Hey, I have to have wishful thinking in this whole situation right?
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