Chances of a David Price trade increasing

At one point a deal involving David Price seemed like a certainty. The Tampa Bay Rays started to surge in the standings, however, and suddenly the thought of the team moving Price began to appear more and more unlikely.

It would seem as though things have picked up again, now that Jon Lester has been dealt, as Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports.

There are no certainties that Prices will be moved in the coming hours. If he is, it would seem as though the cost would certainly not be a light one but it remains unclear what the Rays have been telling teams it would take in order to move him. He is still under team control for the 2015 season so it would be reasonable to think that he’d require more to acquire than it took the Oakland A’s to obtain Lester.

Another factor, of course, are the options remaining on the market. The A’s are likely done acquiring pitching. The same can be said for the Cardinals, who’ve acquired Justin Masterson and John Lackey. The Dodgers are believed to be “out” on the big-name options. That could likely leave some combination of the Orioles, Pirates, and Mariners – three teams believed to be in on Lester at one point or another – as potential suitors.