MLB: San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics
MLB: San Francisco Giants at Oakland Athletics Reuters

The St. Louis Cardinals have emerged as the top trade destination for Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher David Price, according to a source close to situation on Thursday.

The Cards are in the thick of the competitive race in the National League central, currently boasting a record of 54-47. However, the Red Birds are 5-5 in their last 10 games and dropped their previous three games.

According to ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney, St. Louis should be the front runner along with the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire Price if the Rays finally decide to let their ace pitcher walk away.

"Rival officials see the Cardinals, Mariners and Dodgers as the three teams best positioned to acquire David Price from the Rays." Olney stated in his report. "In the Insider-only piece, Olney looks at the pros and cons for each club in making a big trade for Price."

Despite tremendous trade speculations, The 28-year old Price has kept his composure and put up a solid 10-7 record with 3.06 ERA, 173 strikeouts and 1.04 WHIP. The former CY Young winner has been the subject of trade rumors for the past two seasons, but many analysts predicted he will ultimately be dealt before the trade deadline.

Giants Pursuing Peavy

The San Francisco Giants are reportedly trying to get Boston Red Sox hurler Jake Peavy to offset the absence of Matt Cain, who has been dealing with a bothering elbow injury.

CSN Bay Area MLB reporter Andrew Baggarly said that the Giants are looking to add more depth to their starting rotation, and he believed Peavy is an ideal fit for the National League West contender. "With Matt Cain's elbow issues creating significant uncertainty, it appears that San Francisco could have a real need to add depth.

"While complicating factors make the Giants a tough buyer to line up, Baggarly believed that Jake Peavy of the Red Sox appears to make a good deal of sense on paper," MLB Rumors reported on Tuesday.

The 33-year old Peavy has a dismal 1-9 record with 4.72 ERA and 100 strikeouts this season for the struggling Red Sox. The former CY Young Award winner is also drawing interest from the Cardinals.

For more MLB trade rumors, read more at IBT Sports