As expected, the Red Sox sign David Price to be their ace atop the rotation. The Tigers and Sox were the two teams in the AL most desperate for bullpen help and an ace, so now they have both, almost simultaneously, acquired what they needed very early in the Winter. Although David Price had been speculated as the top target for the Sox for some time, the size of the contract he received on Tuesday night, was however surprising. According to multiple reports, Boston and the left hander have reached a pact of $217 million over 7 years with an opt out clause after 3 seasons. Price’s new contract passes Clayton Kershaw’s current one (7-year $215) as the biggest of any pitcher in the history of the game. The Red Sox may have robbed a bank to bring the former Cy Young winner to Fenway Park, but after all, in order for a team to get their guy, they have to overpay, and Price gives the Sox the best opportunity to win the whole thing.
As a Vanderbilt University student on one of the SEC’s best baseball squads, he won almost every award, was drafted #1 overall by the Rays in 2007, pitched lights out in the minors becoming the #2 prospect in the game, made his debut in 2008, threw around 123 innings in 2009 with decent stats, then finally, he had his first full season in 2010 at 24-years-old finishing 2nd in the AL Cy Young race. David Price was the ace of the Rays staff from 2010-2014 winning a Cy Young award along the way, then was bounced between the Tigers and the Jays, but now he has put his mark on baseball by becoming the highest ever paid starting pitcher, as he is given the task to follow in the footsteps of guys like Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling to lead the Sox to the promise land. Since the first time he stepped on the mound for the Commodores freshman year, he has been destined to be that true ace.
What David Price has done for the past 8 years in the MLB may not be as amazing as some great Hall of Fame pitchers such as Sandy Koufax, but he has been top of the line. Price is arguably the best power pitcher in the game racking up a career K/9 of 8.6. He is a work horse who has averaged to throw 106 pitches/game over 6.7 innings. Opponents batting average against him may not be as low as other aces around the league (.230), but when pitching in a powerhouse AL East for almost 8 seasons now, a lot of runs are bound to be given up occasionally. However, that doesn’t change the fact that 67% of his career starts have been of quality compared to a league average of 51% since 2008. Strikeouts are going to be key when pitching in Fenway Park, as if the ball is hit, the runner will most likely reach base, as Boston is the favorite place to swing the bat for offensive teams. But, that should be no problem for Price, as he has struck out 496 players over 468.2 innings of work in the past 2 seasons. The only problem that will be an issue for Price and the Sox, is the green monster in left field. Considering that many doubles come off of the green monster from right handed hitters, David being a southpaw, will have to improvise occasionally when facing a righty.
Overall, signing the former Cy Young winner was a great decision on Dave Dombrowski’s part. Considering other aces on the market, Price may not have been necessarily the best option, but he was for the Sox. Price has pitched basically his entire career in the AL East division, pinning him as knowing how to face teams such as the Jays and Yanks. Certainly $217 million is another example of an over payment, but there is an opt out clause after 3 years. So, the contract could end up being just under $100 million, if David does decide to opt out after the 2018 campaign. In a perfect world, the Sox are hoping to win a championship or two before the clause becomes available, then potentially trade him if they learn Price wants to become a free agent after 2018. Finally the Sox have that ace the baseball world has been waiting for Boston to make a move on.
