He went 1-2 through four post-season appearances (three starts) as a Blue Jay.
Advertisement
The Red Sox signaled their intent to reclaim the American League East at all costs on Tuesday, when they reportedly inked lefthanded ace David Price to a record-setting seven-year contract worth $217 million. They clearly believe that Price will be good for all seven years and weren’t afraid to give him a big deal.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported Price will earn $30 million per season in the first three years of the contract and then has an opt-out clause in the fourth year. The $31 million annual value for Price might not hold the record for long because starting pitcher Zack Greinke could bring home a bigger deal over about five or six years.
It was the Toronto Blue Jays who found themselves with the lefty after a Trade Deadline move between the Blue Jays and Tigers to send Price to Canada. Dombrowski left Detroit to take over as president of the Red Sox in August.
Last winter, the Red Sox spent heavily on their lineup but put together their rotation in a span of roughly 48 hours when they signed Justin Masterson and traded for both Wade Miley and Rick Porcello during a couple of busy days in early December.
Even before the front-office shakeup that replaced former general manager Ben Cherington with Dombrowski, though, this offseason figured to pose a threat to that philosophy.
It’s unclear whether adding Price would remove Boston from discussions for another front-end starter, but, as the theory goes, the more pitching the better. For his career, Price owns an ERA of 3.09 (126 ERA+) across parts of eight major-league seasons for the Rays, Tigers and Blue Jays.
In addition to the money it would have cost the Cubs to sign Price, he has not been very successful during his career come postseason time.
David Price agrees to join Red Sox.
One of baseball’s most dominant pitchers, Price positioned himself for a payday this summer. The Red Sox used 12 different starting pitchers, and that group’s combined ERA of 4.39 ranked 13th in the AL. Over the years, the two have had their differences, resulting in fiery tempers every time the Red Sox faced Price.
Advertisement
The most recent move from Dombrowski comes on the heels of the Red Sox acquiring closer Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres in November.
