First news of the trade as a done deal came from CBS writer Jon Heyman:
david price is going to toronto. norris is going back in deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 30, 2015
Neither team has officially confirmed the trade, but it appears Price has been traded for Norris — who has been playing in the minor leagues after a few starts for the Blue Jays at the beginning of the 2015 season — in addition to pitching prospects Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt.
The trade came just a day after the Detroit Tigers organization said it was looking to “reboot” and marks the first time in some years that the Tigers became sellers and not buyers at the trade deadline. Besides Price, the team is also listening to offers on other players like Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria.
Cespedes and Price will both be free agents at the end of this year.
For the Tigers this year, Price holds a 9-4 win/loss record and a sterling 2.53 ERA. He won the Cy Young award in 2012 and was with the Tampa Bays Rays from 2008 until 2014, when he was traded to the Tigers.
Price is an important part of the Blue Jays run at the postseason; the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 1993, when it last won the World Series. This is the second big trade the Jays have made this week, after acquiring Troy Tulowitzki in a stunning trade that brought the all-star shortstop to Toronto in exchange for Jose Reyes and a trio of pitching prospects.
UPDATE: The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers both officially confirmed the deal via Twitter:
The @BlueJays have acquired LHP David Price from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for LHP Daniel Norris, LHP Matt Boyd & LHP Jairo Labourt.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 30, 2015
The #Tigers today have acquired LHP’s Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for LHP David Price.
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 30, 2015