David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a lucrative deal on Thursday, but the veteran pitcher could still be dealt before the 2014 MLB Season.

Sources said that the one year $14 million deal, which is the highest single-season salary signed by the Rays in franchise history, was agreed upon by both parties just to avoid arbitration in February.

But for Price, signing a fresh one-year contract could be a sign of good things to come for him in Tampa Bay.

The 28-year-old veteran feels that the Rays will eventually decide to keep him, at least for the rest of the upcoming season.

"The chances continue to get greater, I guess, as the days go by," Price told The Tampa Bay Times. "So I'm just kind of sitting back watching, like I have all offseason."

The five-year veteran is optimistic that the team will keep him if he gets into camp for Spring Training in mid-February.

"I think if I'm in camp, I would be on the team," Price said. "That would stink if I would be a part of the team in spring training and everybody thinks I'd be there along with them and then I get traded a couple days into spring or something like that."

The former Vanderbilt standout has high hopes for the Rays in the upcoming season. The current roster could make a good run this year as long as they can stay healthy and live up to the expectations, he said. 

"If we can have this team that we have right now on paper and everybody stays healthy and produces the type of seasons that we all can produce, I think we can do something special. I want to be part of it," Price stressed.

However, the future of Price in Tampa Bay hinges on trade feelers the Rays will get before the Spring Training especially after free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka makes his decision later this week.

According to The Tampa Bay Times, MLB analysts believe that the teams who will fail in their bid to land the 25-year-old Japanese pitcher will make a strong push to acquire Price from the Rays.

Once Tanaka names his choice, pending trades and offers to free agent pitchers like Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana are expected to be revived.