The Boston Red Sox have reportedly agreed terms with ace pitcher David Price on a massive $217 million, seven-year contract.
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St. Louis had offered Price the richest contract in team history, a seven-year deal worth at least $30 million less than what the left-hander received from Boston. Sure David Price has a player option after three years, but why would he turn down the remaining guaranteed $127 MM on his seven year deal?
The contract is the largest ever given to a pitcher.
Price, the 2012 American League Cy Young Award victor, finished second in the voting for this year’s AL Cy Young behind Houston’s Dallas Keuchel.
Last season, Price went 9-4 with a 2.53 earned run average (ERA) before the Tigers shipped him to the Toronto Blue Jays, with whom he went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA. The deal unites the lefty with the man who traded for him in Detroit, Dave Dombrowski, and puts him in the park where his most consistent success has come.
Price was acquired by Detroit from Tampa Bay at the 2014 trade deadline.
The Red Sox made a final push for Price, even increasing an initial offer, as they also negotiated with Zack Greinke, according to a source. (The Red Sox won the World Series in 2013.) On its way to a 78-84, last-place finish in 2015, Boston brought in Dombrowski and he quickly went to work rebuilding the once-proud ball club (see full recap).
Although it is not always the most competitive division, it tends to be one that is hard for pitchers because of the quality of lineups they face.
So was the trade last month for All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. Acquiring Miley cost the Boston Red Sox Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa previous year. 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. He can provide some stability at the top of the pitching staff, allowing fellow starters Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello to slide into more suitable mid-rotation slots. “You don’t have to have a No. 1 but there are a lot of advantages to it”. All I know is 200M+ is way too much money to spend on a guy who plays once every 5 games.
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Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman posted a lengthy goodbye message to Price on his Instagram account along with a photo of the two pitchers Tuesday night.
