The annual salary will equal Miguel Cabrera’s deal with the Detroit Tigers for the largest ever (regardless of position) and the total value will surpass the $215 million extension Clayton Kershaw got from the Los Angeles Dodgers almost two years ago for the most money given to a pitcher. Dombrowski traded for Price from Tampa Bay in July 2014 and, in of his his final moves with the Tigers, traded away Price to the Toronto Blue Jays a year later. He has struggled in the postseason, posting a 2-7 record and a 5.12 ERA in his career.
Advertisement
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.
Price bolsters a rotation that has lacked an ace since the Red Sox balked at the asking price for Jon Lester, who signed a six-year, $155 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. He has established himself as one of the game’s fiercest competitors and should bring even more excitement to Boston baseball.
The deal, first reported by FoxSports.com, would give the Red Sox an established backup to young outfielders Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo.
The Globe’s Peter Abraham broke the news on Tuesday that the left-hander would ink the multi-year deal, which includes a three-year opt-out clause.
Price’s deal will pay him an average of about $31 million a season.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ moves so far this offseason, signing free agent pitcher J.A. Happ and re-signing pitcher Marco Estrada, do not seem to have resonated with oddsmakers. It’s only money, and the sooner all of us stop freaking out about the dollars and years guaranteed to top-end free agents, the better we’ll understand where teams are coming from.
It has been a hectic couple of seasons for Price. A guy who can carry a staff and lead the rotation as the team’s “ace”. All pitchers are fragile, for one thing, and Price will be 31 in August.
There were other potential front line starters available, some of which would have come with a much cheaper price tag, but the Red Sox weren’t willing to settle for anything less than the best.
Our Red Sox blog, Over the Monster, has already done a Photoshop of Price in his new uniform.
Advertisement
Of course, signing Price doesn’t guarantee anything, especially with Clay Buchholz, Eduardo Rodriguez, Rick Porcello and Wade Miley behind him.
