Here are David Price rumors for Tuesday:
- With the Dodgers and Rangers appearing increasingly unlikely to trade for Price, the Mariners have a "real opportunity" to acquire him, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweets.
- The Mariners likely won't trade Taijuan Walker in a deal for Price, Heyman tweets. They could, however, trade a package including top position player prospects, including catcher Mike Zunino. Zunino, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, made his debut for Seattle in 2013.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the team is not pursuing any starting pitchers, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick tweets. Colletti did not specifically mention Price's name, Gurnick notes.
Either couple of those players plus couple others from the Diamondbacks like AJ Schugel that was involved in the Mark Trumbo trade earlier today make sense for the Rays to acquire in a three team trade. Hold on to Walker & Zunino.
So you want to trade away arguably the best bat of the 2012 draft, who is just as good of a catcher as Suzuki, and will eventually be better than him. Plus, Zunino is a right handed bat, which the Mariners desperately need more of, and he has a lot of raw power and should develop into a consistent home run hitter. Zunino is a rare catcher, or should turn into one at least, as one who has a strong arm and great defensively while being able to mash on offense. He has been compared to Pudge Rodriguez and Mike Piazza, he should be almost as untouchable as Walker, if not more given this team’s lack of offense, catchers and right handed hitters.
The only positions he has never played are pitcher and catcher. Of the 11 possible positions, including DH, you picked one of the two that he has no experience in.
Actually, Seattle used him once that I saw as an emergency Catcher in 1 game. But I was being sarcastic above.
Kyle Seager is untouchable anyways.
The Diamondbacks/Mariners/Rays three team trade would make more sense as things can work out better for them, esp. one of the Angels prospects Schugel that went to Arizona w/ Trumbo in the three team trade earlier can be sent to the Rays, esp. others from those two teams on top of Price to Seattle. Franklin & Smoak to the Rays makes sense as the Mariners have Cano and may sign Corey Hart from the Brewers in free agency (Rays need first baseman after Loney departed to sign w/ any team).
Let’s imagine the deal. Nope, I can’t. What does Arizona have to offer to Tampa/ what does Seattle have to offer to Arizona?
Arizona has Owings, Hill, and Gregarious for their MI. with Prado/Davidson as 3b. and Montero at Catcher. So Franklin/Zunino don’t fit coming from Seattle to Arizona.
Can’t figure that one out.
Guess the D-Backs need pitching help then position as Franklin, Smoak, and couple prospects from Arizona that are ready to be on the team next year blocked by Hill/Gegarious/Ownings at infield & M. Montero at catcher on top of Franklin from the Mariners can go to the Rays in the three team trade. Paxton & Pike (both pitchers) & minor league outfielder from the Rays by keeping Joyce at same time there is an option. Price & international slots to the Mariners would make sense.
Actually I don’t, because it would probably cost Walker or Zunino. Price would be our #2 and I don’t feel like the return would be worth the cost. We can try and get someone a lot cheaper and still get good results with our rotation as strong as it is up top and our stadium. Price would be nice, but not necessary. The idea of giving up that large of a package for someone who would be your #2 is not a smart one. Use that package to build up larger weaknesses, like the outfield.
Adding 4.5 WAR is adding 4.5 WAR. The M’s currently have 2 SP and 3-5 are either unproven or not good. The idea that you could add a SP of Price’s caliber should interest you. Also, if you are able to get to the playoffs, even as a wild card, a 1-3 of Felix, Price and Iwakuma, would most likely give you the SP edge in any series.
Yeah, and then they blew it up with the Jaso for Morse deal…
Or sign Nick Markakis from the Orioles if the M’s don’t get Kemp.
trade for*
I feel like they weren’t that high on Pineda and feared exactly what has happened with him. He had some health issues in his arm when he was coming up through the ranks, so maybe they sold high. Didn’t really get much in return, so far, but I would call that trade a wash as of right now. However, I could see Montero turning it around. But I can also see Pineda recovering and plus they got Jose Campos and he has looked really good in the minors so far.
Why does everybody panic on players that are not 25 yet like montero or ackley. Also trading zunino would be a major mistake. He has the it factor. When healthy last year the mariners were a winning ball club
Ackley isn’t on the 25 man roster?
He meant that Ackley isn’t 25 yet, so people should cut him some slack.
Oh I see, makes sense. He is young and everyone loved him coming out of college and he has shown flashes.
Dustin Ackley turns 26 years old in February.
While I agree with the overall message of your comment, no one should be expecting anything from Jesus Montero anymore.
There is no need for joyce now that the Dbacks have Trumbo
Okay. Joyce can also play other positions in the outfield even coming off the bench as a pinch hitter for the pitcher or trade someone in the outfield or catcher that’s ready to play everyday from AA/AAA level last season.
Third is covered by Prado, second by Hill, first by goldy, and either owings or gregorious at short. so there would be no where for him to play
yes i would say
like the umps really need to be confused
so would I
Aside from the fact that MLB would probably reject the cash part of the deal, there’s no way that Kemp’s value is that low where they would have to pony up $75M of his contract. Just consider Ellsbury – he was just paid north of $20M AAV and he’s just as injury prone as Kemp and with less power.
Franklin is an unknown (1 year) and Smoak and Ackley are underachievers
Their fate was more or less sealed when Hanley took one in the ribs in Game 1 so I would hope that the offense will snap back with a healthy Ramirez and Kemp or Ethier back in the fold full time. That said, I still think they need another starter. I’d feel much better of their chances with Ryu as a 4 rather than 3.
Zunino’s bat can carry your team in to the Playoffs. Walker’s Pitching can carry your team in to the Playoffs.
But come Playoffs, Walker’s performance in it has way more impact than Zunino’s. If Zunino is a batting threat a team can simply pitch around him.
Walker though can pitch CG Shutouts and win the game outright with his arm.
When you have projections to be an Ace some day the Playoff implications(everyone’s true goal it to win the WS) Walker can provide has huge value over what Zunino does every week during the season.
They Rays would want Walker period in a Price deal Andrew Friedman is one of the smartest GMs in the league he knows he’s giving up an ace pitcher in David Price so he wants a top prospect back for him (just like he got for James Shields and Wade Davis in Myers).
I’m sorry but Ackley cannot be labeled a complete bust yet. Post-all star break OPS of .809 I believe. He was raking in the second half and ended up with a slash line of .253/.319/.660… not bad considering how he started the season. It’s still too early to tell on him.
Ackley didn’t have a great second half, he had a great month of August. His OPS wasn’t above .665 in any other month.
The M’s don’t have another good catcher thats MLB ready period. IMO including Zunino, who was called up to early because of this very reason. I hope they don’t sell there soul for for David Price. You do need more then pitching. Cano can’t clone himself and play 6 more positions. And the Kemp deal.. No way unless its us taking most of his contract and giving up practically nothing.. His last two years, injury prone or not, is a HUGE cause for concern..
Well, the Rays could give them Lobaton who only becomes a FA in 2018. They have to trade him anyhow with Hanigan & Molina in the fold.
I don’t think Price gets moved until the trade deadline.
I agree. The Rays should ride him until the break.
As a Rays fan, I would much rather have Zunino being the centerpiece over Walker. Give me the top position prospect over the top pitching prospect ever day of the week. Even the highest rated pitching prospect fail at a higher rate than they succeed and more often than the top position prospects do.
He is out of the walking boot now
Except for the fact that you would have one of the top 3 or 4 LHP in baseball, who is entering his age 28 season and would probably be better not having to face the ALE in half of his starts.
I’d like the Dodgers to include blocked outfielder Scott Van Slyke as a righthand-hitting option if Matt Kemp isn’t ready to start the season (Van Slyke could also platoon with Justin Smoak at firstbase). The Mariners recently hired Van Slyke’s father as a firstbase coach.
If the Rays are demanding Walker or Zunino then the M’s will just look elsewhere. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Jeff Samardzija are all apparently on the block as well and Tanaka (maybe), Ervin Santana, Colon, Matt Garza and Ubaldo are all still unsigned. So many options on the table.
Zunino was drafted in 2012. Just figured I’d help out!
In order to be 81 runs of offense better by having Zunino replace Molina and Franklin or Miller replacing Escobar or Zobrist, Zunino would have to hit like Buster Posey and Franklin/Miller would have to hit like Troy Tulowitzski. Just for comparison Miguel Cabrera is only about +50-60 runs with the bat over a league average player.
Escobar is essentially a negative runs with the bat so Franklin doesn’t need to get 40runs on his own.
The same can be said about Zunino over Molina. I state that Zunino looks every bit to be a Brian McCann. Now how is it that McCann’s Bat is worth -4Runs in 2007 as a Catcher with a .270/.320/.452/.772 38 2bs 18HRs 92RBI
While Escobar’s 2013 bat was worth 0 runs with a
.256/.332/.366/.698 27 2bs 9HRs 56RBI
Yeah metrics are useful to determine a players value but looking at that? there’s no way Escobar was worth 4 more runs supposedly in 2013 vs. McCann’s 2007.
Btw, that 2007 line by McCann is a realistic approximation of what Zunino can produce. RBI not included since that is in relation to his batting order.
So is there any scenario where the M’s could land both Kemp *and* Price? I’m guessing Zunino & friends would have to go for Kemp, while Walker & friends would have to go for Price. Are there enough “friends” to go around though?
If they could land Price, Kemp, and still sign Choo, then I think they’d actually be able to compete in 2014. Of course all of that is a longshot — especially Kemp being healthy — but I thought the Cano deal was a longshot too.
With that said, I’m not saying this is what they should do. I’m just simply trying to think of scenarios where the M’s could legitimately compete in 2014, and that’s the only one I can think of.
Zunino definitely projects to be better than the catchers the Rays currently have long-term at least offensively. But Franklin isn’t seen as a real shortstop so it would be tough for him to be more valuable when defense is accounted for than Escobar or Zobrist.
The big selling point for Lobaton is that last year was his first real taste of regular playing time and his bat was better than league average and also better than other C such as Martin, Ellis, Avila, Pierzynski, Ruiz, Wieters and Miguel Montero. He is also a switch hitter, going into his age 29 season, has 4 years of team control left and had a reputation as a good defender.
When your career is one of the Minor Leagues and then you make it at age 28 with a career .750OPS in it? I’d bet Lobaton is closer to .600 OPS this season than he is .750.
While I agree that Zunino is more valuable than Walker, the idea that you wouldn’t trade him for Kershaw is crazy. I’m a Rays fan and Kershaw is the best pitcher in MLB and every team should get him if they could.
I think the Dodgers and Rangers are out of the running. If it is the Mariners:
Mariners get:
LHP David Price
IF Ben Zobrist
Rays get:
C Mike Zunino
LHP James Paxton
OF Stefan Romero
IF Chris Taylor
Not a chance in hell of adding Zobrist to the Rays side. Even if you added Franklin so the Rays actually have a 2B, the Rays wouldn’t come close to accepting that.
No way you get Zobrist and Price without Walker being included in that package
I personally don’t understand all the talks between Ms and Price.
If Tanaka is posted, Ms gotta be the favorite team to land him. They got a good history with Japanese players, and have the most money to spend.
Felix, Kuma, Tanaka, Walker, Paxton is not a bad rotation. Use the chips to get a OF like Kemp. Resign Guti, get a back up C. Off season done!
Felix and Price is scary. But Tanaka won’t go to the M’s.
Felix and Kuma are aces. 3rd Ace is a luxry, not necessary.
Please explain why Tanaka wont go to the Ms.
Mariners got a Japanese owner, most Japan tourists, and advertised Japanese players successfully in the past.
And the most important part, they got most money to spend this off season.
That actually is the most reasonable M’s post i’ve seen in a while. And if for some reason we can’t get Tanaka, then just put Garza or Colon in there and bridge the gap some. We need to eat most of Kemp’s deal to keep as much talent as possible, and i’d rather bring in Cruz to play DH and like you said, bring back Guti but i’d use him in wherever Kemp isn’t. And re-sign Morales so Smoak can finally go at 1B, and go get Kurt Suzuki to back up and give Zunino the occasional day off. That is how i’d like to see the rest of the off-season play out.
Tanaka was teammates with Kuma in Japan. Maybe he could convince him to sign with the M’s
They can have Jaso back
Take it easy.
I could see the Rays making this trade if it was for both Walker and Zunino.
They need someone to take Guti’s place on the DL.
Actually, Price prefers Molina so you can have him. The Rays will throw in cash to offset the increase in clubhouse food costs.
Why? Hanigan is a nice player who had a down year. Great defense and on-base skills, and decent contact ability.
You seem to forget how young Franklin and Zunino are and how mightily they struggled in 2013. They don’t guarantee offensive production next year at all.
I agree with Franklin potentially being disappointing but Zunino is too much a stud to not expect offensive production.
Age doesn’t mean a thing. Talent does. Was Jose Fernandez too young in 2013 his first go around? Trout? Harper?
King Felix and Price would be absolutely filthy at the front end of that rotation!
Even without Walker, the M’s could put together a very appealing package to get Price. May be the Rays best option depending on who else Seattle would include.
Zunino was the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 draft, Not 2013.
I don’t get trading Zunino. That would leave them without a catcher. Makes no sense.