The Detroit Tigers bolstered their starting rotation on Thursday afternoon by acquiring former Cy-Young-winning lefty David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-way trade including the Seattle Mariners. It cost them young lefty Drew Smyly (Rays), center fielder Austin Jackson (Mariners) and shortstop prospect Willy Adames (Rays).
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was seen working the phones from his suite throughout Thursday afternoon’s game before packing up his things and leaving just before the 4 p.m. deadline. (Dombrowski was apparently finalizing the deal with the Commissioner’s office and trying to get Austin Jackson off the field.)
What else can we say? David freakin’ Price.
Price has a career 3.18 ERA (3.33 FIP) with a 1.18 WHIP and K/9 ratio of 8.38 opposite only 2.43 BB/9. He’s been even better this year with a 3.11 ERA (2.93 FIP) with a 1.05 WHIP and 9.97 K/9 opposite 1.2 BB/9. He’s currently sixth overall in WARf, turns 29 in August and is signed through next season. The Tigers believe they have a pretty good chance of re-signing Price, but either way, an extra season of his arm should at least ease the pain if they are to lose out on Max Scherzer this offseason, which many believe is all but a certainty at this point.
David Price joins Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello in what surely is the best rotation in all of baseball.
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