What David Price’s record one-year deal means for the Detroit Tigers

David Price signed a record one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, a move that is only going to ramp up the trade rumors for the lefty this season.

Maybe the Tigers are just buying time to negotiate the terms of a long-term deal with David Price. But the more likely answer here is that they simply signed the ace to whatever it would take to lock him down for this season with designs on eventually trading him before he hits free agency next off-season.

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This is all speculation, of course, but it feels increasingly unlikely that Price won’t pitch in Detroit for much longer. He reportedly struggled with the transition to Detroit when he was traded last off-season, the Tigers have to be selective in any attempts to offer long-term deals, and goodness knows that Price will have plenty of suitors this year and next off-season.

So when the Tigers agreed to terms on a one-year deal for $19.25 million deal, a record amount for a player who filed for arbitration, it comes with some caveats. Simply put, that is probably not going to be the true amount of money the Tigers will pay David Price this season.

Pending an unexpected long term deal for Price to stay with the Tigers, this leads to a couple potential scenarios.

David Price could be traded

The Tigers will likely be a contending team this season. In the midst of a potential run to the playoffs, they could end up trading a proven ace, especially if there was any possibility that they could get big league talent in return to help them out right away.

Even if they consider themselves “all in” this season, general manager Dave Dombrowski might decide the team needs to ensure that they get the most value for him. That presumes he sees more value in a mid-season trade than he does the option behind door number two…

David Price could receive a qualifying offer next winter

If the Tigers decide to keep Price to try and win the World Series this year, the lefty would then hit free agency. Detroit would undoubtedly issue a qualifying offer to ensure that they receive a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere. That would protect the Tigers from losing Price for nothing and would theoretically give them another crack at signing him long term.

There is potentially more risk by going this route, however, especially because the haul the Tigers could get for Price in a trade would be more than a single draft pick. Ultimately Detroit has to weigh their odds of a World Series run this season and the odds of signing Price beyond this season against the possible return in a trade.

That’s why MLB executives get paid the big bucks, boys and girls. One last thing…

Max Scherzer has a good chance of ending up back in Detroit

Where on earth are the Tigers going to find the money to pay Scherzer? That’s a great question, but with the commitment from owner Mike Ilitch in recent seasons to spend big to build a winner, he might push once again for some creative contract construction to sign Scherzer.

More importantly, if the Tigers see this $19.25 million deal with Price as a bridge to his eventual departure, they will prioritize the search for an ace. Who better than the guy who just carried their rotation for two seasons, especially given the fact that Scherzer’s market seems to be lacking?

What seems clear is the fact that this one-year deal is potentially the starting point for future moves, making the Tigers a fascinating team to watch in 2015.