Demand for Price to be topped only by his upcoming offers
The baseball planets are aligned perfectly for David Price.
Two heated rivals in the NL Central want him. So do two in the NL West. So does another team from his old AL East that is widely expected to be the high bidder.
The essential dynamics, though, remain unchanged -- the teams with the most interest in Price, in no particular order, are the Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants and Red Sox, according to major-league sources.
While Price enjoyed his time with the Blue Jays and is open to returning to Toronto, the Jays are not expected to be a major factor in his free agency, sources say.
So, how will all this play out?
It's too early to say. But Price, 30, values comfort even more than most players. He had that in Tampa Bay. He eventually found it in Detroit. And he felt it almost immediately in Toronto.
The Red Sox, then, might be the toughest sell for Price, given the complexities of his past relationships with their fan base and biggest star, David Ortiz. By contrast, the Cubs and Giants could hold particular appeal.
The Cubs project a fun vibe with their youthful roster and spirited manager, Price's old skipper in Tampa Bay, Joe Maddon. The Giants, under manager Bruce Bochy, long have had one of the strongest clubhouse cultures in the game.
As I wrote recently, "Price probably does not consider the Red Sox his first choice. But if the Sox outbid the Cubs by say, $30 million, hello Boston."
It probably is more complicated than that -- major leaguers love playing in St. Louis, which is about a five-hour drive from Price's home in Nashville, Tenn., and the Dodgers would offer Price the chance to reunite with his former GM, Andrew Friedman, and play for their new manager, the energetic, upbeat Dave Roberts.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain:
Price is going to win. And win big.
