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MLB Trade Rumors: Marlins Contact Tigers about David Price, Rick Porcello

By Ehsan Kassim

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You want a big steamy rumor about the Miami Marlins? Well, how about a potential role reversal for the Marlins and Tigers. As many Marlins fans remember, the Tigers got the best of the Marlins on two separate deals for star players: Miguel Cabrera and Anibal Sanchez.

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According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports (via Twitter) the Marlins have called the Tigers to inquire about two Tiger pitchers, one star David Price and the other Rick Porcello.

We’ve talked to death of the Tigers taking advantage of the Marlins in the past on this site, so we aren’t going to go more into it today. However, let’s look into the Price and Porcello rumor now.

The interesting thing about Price is that the Marlins did try to acquire his services at the trade deadline last year, but came up short. For the 2014 season, Price is coming off a career season, as he posted a 3.26 ERA and a 2.78 FIP between the Rays and Tigers last season in 248 innings, en route to a career best 6.1 WAR.

In order to acquire Price, the Tigers, Mariners, and Rays connected on a three-way deal, which landed the Rays Nick Franklin, lefty Drew Smyly and Class A shortstop Willy Adames. The Tigers are in line to get two compensation picks after the 2015 season if Price were to leave the team via free agency after the season.

The Price for David (see what I did there) will likely be astronomical. The Tigers aren’t going to trade him away for nothing and could command a few players from the Marlins MLB roster as well as a top prospect. Andrew Heaney would certainly have to be included in such a proposal.

If the Tigers were to deal Price, it would open the door (and money) making it possible for them to bring back Max Scherzer on a free agent deal. However, a trade is not likely in my opinion.

Price will enter arbitration for the final time in 2015 before hitting the open market next year. He made $14 million last season.

Porcello would not be as huge of a splash as Price, but he’d be a good get for the Marlins regardless. He’s coming off a season in which he posted a 3.43 ERA and a 3.67 FIP en route to a 3.1 WAR. Those numbers are actually very similar to Nathan Eovaldi‘s, except Eovaldi’s unluckiness on the ERA number.

Like Price, Porcello is in the final year of arbitration and made $8.5 million last season. What he’d command in a trade is less certain, but the Tigers would certainly gun for the Marlins top prospect, Heaney, in such a deal as well.

The likelihood of a deal for either pitcher doesn’t seem likely to me. This to me just sounds like the Marlins doing their due diligence to see what’s available.

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