According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Detroit Tigers are sending ace left-hander David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays for top pitching prospect Daniel Norris, Jairo Labourt and Matt Boyd. All three players are minor league left-handed pitching prospects. The deal was first reported by, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com on Twitter.

David Price has been the only pitcher on the Tigers staff that has performed well this year, however the team has lost his last three starts, including giving up five runs for the third time this season in his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Price currently has a 2.53 ERA to go along with a 9-4 record. In 146 innings, Price has struck out 138 batters. 

The Tigers reportedly were announced as sellers yesterday, and called teams after their 2-1 win over Tampa Bay. The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros all reportedly had interest. 

Daniel Norris, along with the other two players received in the deal, is quite the haul for the Tigers, who are now rumored to be discussing Joakim Soria now that the Price trade appears to be done. Norris, a top left handed pitching prospect, now becomes the Tigers only top-100 prospect, as he is currently ranked 25th, according to MLB.com. Norris has made five starts in the majors this season with a 1-1 record to go with an ERA of 3.86. In Triple-A Buffalo, he has a record of 3-10 with a 4.27 ERA. Norris could possibly pitch for the Tigers this year as the season moves towards September.

Matt Boyd has struggled in limited major league time, giving up 11 runs on 15 hits through 6.2 innings pitched. Jairo Labourt is a throw in prospect, as he wont impact the Tigers any time soon, as he currently pitches in High-A. 

According to Baseball America, Norris has as a fastball that sits around 92 MPH, with late life that made it seem like it was 96. He has a plus slider, and a changeup that flashes plus potential as well. Norris projects to be a starter for the Tigers as early as this season, after trading Price, but might not be an impactful player until next season in the big league club. 

The deal instantly improves the Blue Jays pitching staff, and gives them a top caliber ace for the 2015 run. They look to catch up to the New York Yankees in the division lead, which is possible with the David Price acquisition, as well as acquiring shortstop Troy Tulowitzki earlier this week from the Colorado Rockies. While Price likely will not re-sign in Toronto, he has experience pitching against the AL East, having pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays before the Tigers. David Price is 7-0 when pitching in Toronto against the Blue Jays, who hopes he brings the same level of success as a member of the team.

The top pitchers on the market are now the Cincinnati Reds' Mike Leake, as well as the three San Diego Padres pitchers Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, and James Shields. The Blue Jays may also have interest in Texas Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo, who may also be on the pitching market.

The Tigers will now shift focus to trading current closer Joakim Soria according to Fox Sports. Detroit could potentially deal outfielders Yoenis Cespedes and Rajai Davis, as well as starter Alfredo Simon. All four players are impending free agents after the season.

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About the author
Chris Robbins
Mostly cover Detroit Sports (Red Wings, Tigers, Lions, Pistons), Michigan and Michigan State athletics, as well as NCAA, National and International Gymnastics.