The Blue Jays trade for David Price, go all in

The Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday made another blockbuster deal, acquiring pitcher David Price from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Daniel Norris and other top pitching prospects.

Price is the second major acquisition the Jays have made this week. On Monday night they landed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for José Reyes.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman first reported the deal.

Price, considered by many to be the top pitcher on the market before the trade deadline closes on Friday, will become a free agent after this season. Reports have already linked him to big-market teams including the Yankees, the Cubs, and the Dodgers. By trading away Norris, a promising young pitcher, and other top prospects probably in exchange for just half a season with Price, the Jays are making it clear that they are going all in on a playoff push this season.

Price also fills a major hole in Toronto's starting rotation. Though the Jays' offense leads the league in runs above average — even before Toronto traded for Tulowitzki — the team's pitching has been mediocre. Right now, Toronto ranks 23rd in the majors in starting ERA. Price, on the other hand, has a 2.53 ERA this season, per baseball-reference.com.

At the moment, the Jays are 51-51 — sitting six games behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East and two games behind the Minnesota Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: FIFA just spent $30M on a film about itself — and guess who plays Sepp Blatter