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Houston Astros Rumors: The Buzz on David Price

By Issa Cook |

With the trade deadline getting closer and closer, every general manager in the MLB who wants to acquire players for the stretch run to the postseason is looking at the Detroit Tigers’ situation and how Dave Dombrowski will handle it. Dombrowski, the president/CEO/General Manager of the Tigers, hasn’t been in selling mode at the deadline in many years. He is holding on as long as possible to the hope that the Tigers could contend during August and September.

The Tigers, with a 46-47 record, are 10.5 games back of Kansas City in the AL Central and four games back of the Minnesota Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot. With Miguel Cabrera is not returning from his injury anytime soon and Detroit’s severe lack of pitching depth in the starting rotation and bullpen, it looks like time to sell in Detroit.

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Dombrowski has been around the league long enough to know when it is time to sell. After last night’s embarrassing home loss to the Seattle Mariners, one of the American League’s worst teams, it is definitely time. My sources in Detroit, (my older cousins who are life-long Tigers fans, not very reliable, I know.) think that the a few losses in a row will do the trick. After last night’s loss, they believe that the ball has started to roll a little bit. Here’s what a more reliable source, Ken Rosenthal, had to say yesterday:

Now, let’s take a look at how the Astros are involved in this whole situation. First of all, if the Tigers are selling, we are interested in buying. I firmly believe that the first two teams Dombrowski will call when his players become available are the Astros and the Cubs. As much as Astros fans want Price, I see him as a much better fit for the Cubs. Jeff Luhnow already has a young, left-handed ace in Dallas Keuchel and will probably be looking to add a right-handed starter or another bat before the deadline.

Although he has a dog named Astro, I just don’t think this is the right time for a trade for Price. I like the idea of being able to mix and match with righties and lefties in a playoff rotation more than having two top of the MLB left-handed aces. I think Dombrowski would ask Luhnow for prospects Brett Phillips and Michael Feliz in the trade. I just don’t see the benefit of giving away our best prospect in Phillips for a guy that we basically already have with Dallas Keuchel.

The only way I would want Price to join the Astros is if Luhnow and Dombrowski somehow agree on a blockbuster deal that would send Price to Houston along with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. I think Cespedes would be a great fit in Houston after the loss of George Springer.

Placing him in the middle of the order with Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis would make our lineup stand out in the American League. The Astros management should use the 2014 Oakland Athletics as an example and not put all of their chips in pitching while giving up hitting, especially with the feast or famine lineup that we have in Houston right now.

It will be interesting to see what develops in Detroit and Houston over the next few days, but I will argue strongly against the Astros trading for Price all the way until the July 31st trade deadline. The Astros are in a great position, and I would hate to see them mess it up by trading for someone we essentially already have.

Next: If the Detroit Tigers Sell, Will the Houston Astros Land Price or Cespedes?

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