Baseball-Toronto adds lefty Price in trade deadline playoff push

July 30 (Reuters) - The Toronto Blue Jays, who fortified
their impressive offense earlier this week, added a big weapon
to their pitching staff by trading for Detroit Tigers
left-hander David Price, the club announced on Thursday.
The Blue Jays, who at 51-51 were two games out of the
American League's second Wild Card playoff spot, took a big step
toward returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1993
with the deal.
Toronto are sending their top pitching prospect, left-hander
Daniel Norris, and two other promising lefties to Detroit for
2012 Cy Young winner Price, who is 9-4 record with a 2.53 ERA
this season.
The deal came one day before Major League Baseball's trade
deadline, which this season has produced a string of dynamic
deals.
Earlier on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals found offensive
help by acquiring first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss from the
Cleveland Indians in exchange for their highly touted young
left-hander Rob Kaminsky.
Central Division-leading St. Louis plugged a hole in their
lineup created by a leg injury to Matt Holliday on Wednesday.
Moss, an All-Star last season with the Oakland A's, was
batting just .217 this season, though his 15 home runs would
immediately make him the Cardinals' team leader. He has driven
in 48 runs, one fewer than St. Louis team-leader Jhonny Peralta.
Kaminsky, 20, has a 2.09 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 94 2/3
innings this season for Class A Advanced Palm Beach.
Toronto made a big splash earlier this week by swapping
shortstops with the Arizona Diamondbacks, sending them Jose
Reyes for Troy Tulowitzki, who promptly homered in his first
at-bat for the offensively loaded Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Price should help stabilize Toronto's starting rotation.
The 29-year-old lefty, who can become a free agent after
this season, has been an All-Star selection in five of the last
six seasons and has a career record of 95-55 with a 3.13 ERA.
In return for Price, Detroit also received pitchers Matt
Boyd and Jairo Labourt along with Norris, who made five starts
for Toronto this season going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.
Boyd posted a 9-2 record with a 1.68 ERA in 18 starts for
New Hampshire (AA) and Buffalo (AAA) this season, while Labourt
is currently 2-7 with a 4.59 ERA at Dunedin (A).