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Free agency has officially begun, and according to Ken Rosenthal and Buster Olney, the Cubs are the "heavy, heavy favorites to sign" David Price. The industry expectation surrounding the Cubs has been that they'll go after starting pitching, and Price is undoubtedly one of the best options on the market.
In addition to Olney's report, Ronsethal spoke with two agents who also believe he'll wind up in Chicago, and that the Cubs are "his first choice". This news doesn't come as a surprise, as Price has made his interest in joining the Cubs no secret.
"Winning absolutely is something you want to do...Being a part of something special is also something you want to do. You can take that to a first-place team. You could take that all the way to a last-place team like the Cubs. With the talent they have coming up they could be a very special team in a few years as well. That would probably be the coolest city to win a championship in. They have haven't done it in I'm not sure how long. To do that there, that would be the coolest city to win a championship in right now."
That quote from Price took place during the 2014 All-Star break, and while he referred to the Cubs as potentially being a special group in a few years, their NLCS appearance confirmed that they've already become one of baseballs best teams.
As Price decides on where he wants to spend the next six-to-seven years of his career, Chicago's roster should go a long way in convincing him that the Cubs might represent his best chance to win a World Series. While there would appear to be a mutual fit between these two parties, Chicago will need to break out their wallet to secure Price.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs projected that Price will wind up with a seven year deal worth $215 million, whereas the crowd sourced figure was $196 million. While the Cubs are the favorites for Price, Rosenthal notes that "it's all talk until the contract is signed, particularly when the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals and Red Sox all could be in the mix".