General Manager Has The Perfect Response To People Slamming The David Price Trade

This year's trade deadline was filled with big trades involving big players, but none was bigger than the 3-team trade in which the Detroit Tigers landed pitcher David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The initial reaction throughout baseball was surprise that the Rays weren't able to get more for one of the best pitchers in baseball, especially considering how well they have done with trades in the past.

Informal polling: Lots of folks around MLB surprised that TB didn't get more for David Price. Feeling is could've done this in December.

- Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 1, 2014

However, Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com spoke with one unnamed general manager who had a more reasoned take on the trade.

The Rays have built a team that consistently wins 90 games by trading away veterans prior to free agency and reloading their team with major league-ready players without having to tear apart the entire team and rebuild from scratch.

In this trade, the Rays got a good, young, left-handed pitcher (Drew Smyly), a middle infielder that fits the super-utility mold that manager Joe Maddon loves (Nick Franklin), and a young prospect that few have seen, but many like (Willy Adames).

That's not a bad trade. But at this point people are just surprised when the Rays don't rob another team of their entire farm system.