Rays' Price expects an offseason trade
David Price believes he threw his last pitch as a Tampa Bay Ray on Saturday.
The 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner made the comment Wednesday, a day after the Rays were eliminated by the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the AL Division Series.
"If you go with what's been done in the past, I guess you're going to have to think you're going to get traded," Price said. "That's kind of the way it's happened with this organization when pitchers kind of get to this period in their career. We've seen it happen a couple of times already. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know what's happened in the past."
The left-hander remains under the Rays' control for 2014 and 2015, though he will be eligible for arbitration before each of those seasons unless he signs a long-term deal.
The precedent Price cited was established when Tampa Bay dealt workhorse right-handers Matt Garza (to the Chicago Cubs in January 2011) and James Shields (to the Kansas City Royals in December 2012)
Coming off a 20-win season in 2012, Price was a relative disappointment in 2013. With his salary at $10,112,500, Price went 10-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 27 starts. He missed more than six weeks early in the season due to a left triceps strain.
In his lone postseason appearance this year, Price gave up seven runs in seven innings during a Game 2 loss at Boston.
"This is definitely a place I love to be," Price said of Tampa Bay. "My teammates and everybody in the organization knows that. But it's just part of baseball. It's something I've seen it go on, so it's kind of something I've somewhat prepared myself for."
Asked about giving the Rays a hometown discount, Price replied, "We'd just have to see what that is."
Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman refused to discuss whether Price would be on the trade market this winter, telling the Tampa Bay Times, "It's not helpful to comment on what-ifs."
