Los Angeles Dodgers rumors: David Price, Jon Lester no longer trade options
By Bryan Rose
The Los Angeles Dodgers likely know that adding a top notch pitcher like David Price or Jon Lester to their starting pitching rotation will make them favorites going into October.
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They also likely are aware that talented as those players may be, losing some of the premier prospects in baseball isn’t worth the addition. Given that, the Los Angeles Dodgers are no longer in the running to trade for David Price, Cole Hamels or Jon Lester according to Peter Gammons.
Citing a desire to keep their young, talented prospects, the Dodgers would prefer to have them down the road than a half season rental of Lester or a year of David Price’s services.
Dodgers have made it clear they're not trading Pederson, Seager or Urias, no longer on Lester, Price or Hamels. Thinking backend SP, bench
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 30, 2014
It’s certainly a tough decision for Ned Colleti and the Los Angeles Dodgers front office as the addition of one of the above named arm’s would raise their World Series chances significantly. A three-headed rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Lester, Price or Hamels would be devastating. Add in Ryu and Beckett as your fourth and five starters and you have a historically good starting rotation.
Of course, such comes at a significant price and Colleti is aware that doing so would be mortgaging a serious chunk of the Dodgers offensive future.
It’s completely possible that he and the rest of the Dodgers front office feels as if they’re strong enough to compete for a World Series title without another arm, but if the Dodgers don’t have a deep playoff run it’s hard to think that some fans won’t second guess the decision.