How Much Is Too Much In A David Price Deal?

Come On Down, Astro Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

You’ve heard it. All the speculation. Where is David Price going to go. It’s fascinating, not often is there a 28 year old Cy Young ace on the trade market. And when there is, a lot of speculation follows it, and nearly every team is “in” on said 28 year old Cy Young award winner. Also, with anyone that’s available nowadays, the Dodgers are “in” on him. Why? Well lets start with the fact that Price was drafted by the Dodgers. The fact that the Dodgers a team with a respectable farm system. The fact that the Dodgers are one of  2-3 teams in baseball who will be able to meet Price’s salary demands in an extension scenario.

The Dodgers have a lot of things going for them in these sweepstakes.

In fact, Peter Gammons has had the Dodgers as strong suitors for David Price for awhile now, and yesterday he said this

"… If the Dodgers decide they really want David Price, they could get him. I mean, they’ll trade Joc Pederson, the young center fielder, they’ll trade Corey Seager, Kyle’s brother, and they’ll trade a 17 year old pitcher named Julio Urias. They’ll get him, I mean Urias, they think he’s one of the best young pitchers in the game. They can make that deal, the question’s gonna be: The Dodger baseball people are a little worried about doing that deal, for one, that team’s getting old…"

So there you have it, talk of a David Price deal.

I think this trading deadline is going to be unique in a few ways. For one, this is the first season in a long time where the Dodgers have the minor league pieces to make a huge deal, and not lose too much of their farm system. Also, this is one of the only seasons that I can remember where there aren’t a lot of holes on the roster. Last year it was 2b and Mark Ellis. It was the mess of SP and Stephen Fife/Chris Capuano/Matt Magill. It was RP with Matt Guerrier. There were 3 glaring holes fixed with no one, Ricky Nolasco, and Brian Wilson, respectively.

This year there isn’t much to be done, there are problems in relief, but those are easily fixable in house.

/Ned trades Jacob Scavuzzo and ZachLee for Jake McGee

(Heavy, Heavy Sigh)

But that’s another post for another point in time

There are a lot of strengths in the Dodgers system now. For example: trade Pederson? There’s still 2 top 30 prospects in the system, and SVS is suddenly an option. Trade Urias: Bummer, but look at all the other pitching, Holmes, Lee, Anderson, Windle. Trade Seager: Nope.

That’s where the line should be drawn: Corey Seager. The excellent Shortstop in the Dodgers minor league, one of the best in the entire minor leagues.

Here’s the thing, Corey Seager could crap out in AA, and never become an MLB player. In fact, that’s more likely than him actually becoming a solid everyday SS. However the chance that he does, is worth more to the Dodgers than trading him for 1.5 years of David Price. I know that could be looked at as non consistent. However, the Dodgers have 5 starting caliber OF’s, and Andre Ethier, so Joc is expendable. TINSTAAPP, there is no such thing as a pitching prospect, a 17 year old leftie in high-A better be expendable. These are talents that the Dodgers could end up regretting giving up. But lets be realistic, the chances Julio Urias becomes David  Price is so very miniscule that it’s hardly an option at this point. Pederson has a pretty high floor, but with the talent on this team, his best usage to the Dodgers might just be exchanging him for a 28 year old Cy Young pitcher. Seager’s positional scarcity in the organization should render him untouchable, however if the Dodgers trade for Price, and only give up Urias and Pederson, I probably wouldn’t be all that upset.