MLB.com’s Richard Justice names Cardinals as favorite for David Price

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MLB.com’s Richard Justice has named the St. Louis Cardinals as favorite for landing Tampa Bay Rays David Price prior to the July 31 trading deadline.

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It’s no surprise now that the Rays are looking to move their ace pitcher to get as much of a return on Price as possible. Should the Rays not move Price this season and allow him to become a free agent following the 2015 season, all that Tampa Bay gets back in return would be a compensation draft pick. This is why they are looking to move Price now. It’s just the business of baseball at hand.

Justice writes:

"Favorite: Cardinals.They’re one of the few clubs with the Minor League depth to swing this kind of deal, and even though pitching isn’t their No. 1 need, the opportunity to add a Price would dramatically alter the pennant race."

Other teams interested in Price include the Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, to name a few. It’s possible that the Rays also include Ben Zobrist in any deal in which they trade Price.

The price for Price would be high and I could easily see a player like Carlos Martinez being moved to land the Rays pitcher. I’m alright with that. Price is only getting into his prime and imagining him in a rotation that includes Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha would make the Cardinals pitching an unstoppable force. The Chicago Cubs got Addison Russell, one of the best prospects in baseball, when they sent two pitchers to the Oakland Athletics–the asking price for Price will be high.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak is going to be in a tough position as he mules the Cardinals future. Is it worth putting all the cards on the table to get Price?