When they low-balled Jon Lester with a $70 million contract offer? The Red Sox may have overpaid for an ace, but they do have their No. 1 starting pitcher, something they did not have last season. That leaves Clay Buchholz and Wade Miley, as the Boston Herald points out.
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Choosing the Red Sox reunites Price with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who until this August was the Detroit Tigers’ general manager. Really? He only went 9-1 down the stretch for the Toronto Blue Jays, helping them beat the Yankees. Hopefully, he’s going to be the ace. His 6.4 fWAR was a career high for him, and for the second time in his career, he led the league in ERA. The Boston Globe is reporting that Price has agreed to a seven-year deal with the Red Sox worth a whopping US$217 million. While Price is likely to decline over the course of the deal, he has the control and mixture of off-speed weapons to potentially weather any gradual loss of velocity as he gets into his 30s.
Last month, the Red Sox traded four prospects to San Diego for closer Craig Kimbrel. The deal is a record setter for a pitcher, surpassing the 215 million dollar extension Clayton Kershaw received from the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter. If that’s the floor for Price, then the Red Sox made a good investment. The lefty had pitched 220.1 innings, striking out 225 while walking 47. He’s finished in the top two for that award three different times, winning it in 2012 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s improved his command, added a cutter, stopped relying on the fastball so much – all positive things when thinking about a pitcher who’s about to enter the tail end of his career. But he is 2-7 with a 5.12 ERA in 14 postseason games. His WHIP and hits per nine are also roughly the same. 257 with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs. David Price will not be returning to Southern Ontario in 2016.
At first look, the Red Sox seems to have no room for the veteran outfielder since their lineup is already filled with talented youngsters.
That hasn’t stopped Red Sox fans from entertaining a multi-pronged debate. To walk away from the remainder of the deal after just the third season, Price would be leaving quite a bit of money on the table, but, it’s worth noting that the other top free agent pitcher available, Zack Greinke, is available because he utilized an opt-out in his own contract after three years with the Dodgers.
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Boston still needs some pieces for their offense, but given the question marks surrounding the rest of the division, the Red Sox should be considered the favorites as of now. Please see our terms of service for more information.
