The Rays Tank: David Price, His Outing and His Trade Value

On Saturday, the Rays had a rough game, losing 2-1 to the Red Sox. But you certainly can't place the blame for the loss on David Price. Coming off the most earned runs he had ever allowed in a start, Price suddenly looked an awful lot like the pitcher who won the AL Cy Young last season.

Price went 6 innings allowing 1 runs on 4 hits, striking out 8 while walking 2, definitely more in line with what we expect. Price said after the game that he "felt a lot better" and Joe Maddon complemented him for his "sharper" stuff and aggressiveness on the mound. Nevertheless, Price felt like he still has more work to do after his pitch count got up to 106 pitches in just his six frames.

"Like I've said before, six innings over here just isn't enough," Price said.

Price may not be 100% back to normal yet, but he looked pretty good, and apparently we can't discuss Price pitching well without also getting into his trade value. Ken Rosenthal talked about when the Rays will trade Price, saying that they could trade him at the July 31st trade deadline should they fall out of contention (which he called an "unlikely occurrence) but otherwise they will probably trade him following the season.

Rosenthal did note that especially with additional TV money coming in, the Rays could afford Price for 2014 as well, but he countered that notion by saying that if the Rays do that, Price's trade value will go down significantly. The thing is, though, that the Rays have playing this game of trade value versus value to their team for years now with players like Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, and their conclusion has been quite often to take the value to their team.

Even if the Rays seem likely to trade David Price, they don't see an offer that amounts to the tremendous value Price has given their team season after season, they won't execute a trade. After keeping Crawford and Upton until they left after free agency, the Rays have shown that they're willing to hold onto to a player and use them to held their team for as long as possible unless the perfect trade package comes around, like when the Royals offered Wil Myers for James Shields. If say the Rangers offer Jurickson Profar and more for Price, sure the Rays will probably pull the trigger on a trade. But if no trade offer knocks the Rays off their seats, don't be surprised if David Price is a Tampa Bay Ray for the next three years.

Here are your links for today:

- The Rays' starting staff only half-jokingly discussed what they would do if a hitter charged the mound against them. The big takeaway from the article: why would anyone in their right mind pick a fight with Kyle Farnsworth?

- Marc Topkin talked to the Rays about their greatest non-baseball feats. Mostly basketball and football exploits from high school, but speaking of Farnsworth, his was earning his black belt in taekwondo. Shocker.

- Jamey Wright stayed adamant in his belief that he would be OK even as he struggled all spring- otherwise known as fervent belief in the doctrine that spring training stats mean very little.

- Making the major leagues with the Angels was a dream-come true for Dane De La Rosa. Apparently debuting with the Rays wasn't "authentic" enough for him.