Tigers acquire David Price from Rays in 3-team trade
The Detroit Tigers have acquired Tampa Bay Rays left-hander David Price in a three-team trade with the Seattle Mariners.
OFFICIAL: #Rays have acquired LHP Drew Smyly, SS Willy Adames from @Tigers and INF Nick Franklin from @Mariners. LHP David Price to DET.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 31, 2014
Tampa Bay receives minor leaguer Willy Adames as part of the deal, an 18-year-old shortstop ranked the third-best prospect in the Tigers' organization by MLB.com at the beginning of the year. Adames hit .269/.346/.428 with six homers and 12 doubles in 98 games for the Tigers' Class-A affiliate.
Price, 28, is in the midst of a career year and is slated to become a free agent at the end of next season. He is arbitration-eligible this winter.
The left-hander has been especially dominant as of late, sporting a 1.98 ERA and 29.3 percent strikeout rate since June 4. Over his last 13 starts, Price pitched at least seven innings and allowed more than three earned runs just once.
For the Tigers, it's a blockbuster answer to Oakland's acquisition of Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester. A rotation consisting of Price, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello is arguably the best staff in baseball.
| Name | ERA/WHIP | IP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Price | 3.11/1.05 | 170.2 | 189 |
| Rick Porcello | 3.24/1.13 | 133.1 | 78 |
| Max Scherzer | 3.27/1.17 | 146.0 | 167 |
| Anibal Sanchez | 3.57/1.10 | 113.1 | 87 |
| Justin Verlander | 4.79/1.44 | 142.2 | 105 |
The deal gives the Tigers added insurance at the top of their rotation given right-hander Verlander's struggles the past two seasons.
The Rays reload
Tampa Bay's haul appears to be slightly underwhelming depending on how one projects the development of the 25-year-old Smyly.
The Tigers' 2010 second-round pick started 17 games for Detroit this year after being used exclusively out of the bullpen in 2013.
Smyly posted a 3.77 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 87 strikeouts in 100 1/13 innings. The left-hander is also under team control through 2018. He joins a strong Rays rotation featuring Alex Cobb, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Hellickson.
Franklin has failed to meet the lofty expectations that made him the Mariners' first-round pick in 2009. The 23-year-old owns a .214/.291/.358 hitting line with 12 homers over 464 plate appearances across two seasons, but gives the Rays depth up the middle with impending free agent Ben Zobrist set to hit the market this winter.
Seattle bolsters outfield
The Mariners were in desperate search of reinforcements in the outfield and they get a legit every day player under team control through next season in the 27-year-old Jackson.
Jackson has regressed from his productive 2012 season but offers the Mariners a steady hand in an area of great uncertainty for the club this year. Only former second baseman Dustin Ackley appeared in more than 80 games in the outfield for Seattle this season, and collectively the bunch is hitting .246/.287/.346 with 16 homers and 35 steals.
While Jackson's numbers remain down, the right-handed center fielder should be able to exploit spacious Safeco Field with his speed, and return to the double-digit triple threat he was in his first three seasons.