The Rays optioned David Price late last month, and the fantasy crowd lost their head. Today, the Rays have shown that they’re actually brilliant wizards with mythical, magical, MYSTICAL! powers:
Tampa Bay Rays
Acquired Minor League RHP Aneury Rodriguez from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for RHP Jason Hammel.
One down, one to go!
Jeff Neimann, who seemed like he was heading for the bullpen now fills the 5th starter role.
I find it next to impossible to believe that the Rays will keep Price in the minors until the end of June, which they’d probably have to do if they wanted to delay his Free Agent year. This isn’t exactly about money: Generally prospects are sent down to delay their arbitration year, but Price is already purchased for 6 years. This is about the possibility of delaying Price from entering free agency a year early. That’s the 2012/2013 season, I believe.
Maybe the old Rays would keep Price down, but the new Rays just got to the World Series. If things take a turn for the worst, I’d expect Price up pronto. There will come a point where someone gets hurt, or Niemann sucks it up. At that point, Price will get the call.
I’d say the odds of Price getting the call before the end of June, just doubled or tripled with the trade of Hammel.
By the way, RHP Aneury Rodriguez, is a solid power-pitching prospect who showed all around improvement last year with Modesto in A+. He’s still only 21 years old, and while he shouldn’t be on your fantasy radar for another 2 or 3 years, it shows that the Rays didn’t just give Hammel away; which would have been the case if they’d optioned him or Neimann instead of Price.
