Are we going to see an AL West arms race in the second half of the season? According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, that is possible at this point. He is reporting that the Seattle Mariners have engaged in trade discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays for All-Star starter David Price and veteran infielder Ben Zobrist.
Mariners are having ongoing trade discussions with Rays regarding David Price and Ben Zobrist, sources say. No deal imminent. @FOXSports1
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 17, 2014
While no deal is imminent at this point, Price to the Mariners makes a whole lot of sense. Teaming him up with the best pitcher in the American League in the form of Felix Hernandez would form the best 1-2 punch in all of baseball.
Seattle had previously been rumored to be in the market for a corner outfielder, but adding Price to the mix would help offset Oakland’s acquisitions of Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel earlier this month.
Price is 9-7 with a 3.23 ERA on the season. He also boasts a ridiculous 164 strikeouts compared to just 21 walks. The former AL Cy Young winner is set to hit free agency following the 2015 season.
Zobrist, also a former All-Star, is hitting .266 with six homers and 24 RBI’s on the year. He has previously played in the outfield, which could be an attractive option for the Mariners.
As it relates to a potential return for Tampa Bay, the price is said to be rather high at this point. No. 1 overall Mariners prospect Taijuan Walker would likely be involved in any deal. His rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma was pushed back to Friday, but that’s not an indication that a deal is likely to go down before then.
Photo: USA Today