David Price’s remarkable rise through the Tampa Bay Rays organization continued today. According to MLB.com’s Bill Chastain, Price was promoted to Triple A Durham last night, and if all goes well, he could be wearing a Rays uniform in September.
Price, 22, was the number-one overall selection out of Vanderbilt University in the 2007 draft. The left-hander has posted outrageous lines at both Class-A Vero Beach (4-0, 1.82 ERA, 37:7 K:BB ratio in 37.2 IP), as well as Double-A Montgomery (7-0, 1.89 ERA, 55:16 K:BB ratio in 57 IP).
The Yankees did something similar in 2007, getting a boost from Joba Chamberlain late in the season. Rays manager Joe Maddon said that a similar situation isn’t out of the question for the Rays when asked:
"That’s not impossible," Maddon said. "That’s a possibility. We’ve discussed a variety of different ideas about him. We haven’t talked specifically about it, but we’ve talked among ourselves, among Minor League staff members, front-office people, everybody’s been included in the conversation."
If Price’s dominance can continue, he would be an invaluable boost to the Rays, whether in a set-up or starting role.
