Florida Sentinel Bulletin

The 2014 trade deadline has been capped off by a three-team blockbuster involving a former Cy Young Award winner.

The 28-year-old David Price, who long ago established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball, has this season pitched to a 3.11 ERA (121 ERA+) in an MLB-leading 23 starts, and he’s also logged a stellar K/BB ratio of 8.22. For his career, the former top overall pick has a 122 ERA+ and 3.45 K/BB ratio across parts of seven big-league seasons.

Price, a four-time All-Star, won the AL Cy Young award in 2012 and finished second in the balloting in 2010. The lefty Price is owed the balance of a $14-million salary for this season. Next season, Price, as a super-two player, is eligible for salary arbitration for a fourth time, so a hefty payday is in the offing. He’s eligible for free agency after next season.

The Rays have walked the line between contending and rebuilding for several years now, flipping rotation stalwarts like Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and James Shields for young players in recent seasons. Price continues to the cycle while Alex Cobb and Chris Archer front the team’s pitching staff.