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MLB rumors: Will Rays trade David Price?

Rays ace David Price has pitched himself into unfamiliar territory in terms of what he'll command in arbitration salary, which could force the team to trade him before the start of the 2014 season.

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price could be traded sometime in the next 13 months, baseball executives have told ESPN's Buster Olney.

Those rumblings shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner has pitched himself out of the Rays' price range. Price, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 MLB First Year Player draft, will be in for hefty, possibly record-breaking arbitration money, which would severely handcuff the Rays' payroll flexibility going forward.

If Price is indeed dealt, it would be "one of the most significant deals in Major League Baseball history," according to Olney, due to the ace's age, health, handedness and performance to date. Tampa Bay could get an unprecedented haul in return for the lefty, with Olney throwing around names such as Jurickson Profar, Xander Bogaerts and Dylan Bundy as starting points for teams such as the Rangers, Red Sox and Orioles.

Price went 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA for the Rays in 2012, striking out nearly a batter per inning while walking just 2.5 per nine.

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