According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms on a contract with free agent starting pitcher David Price. The deal is for seven years and is worth $217 million dollars.
This is the largest contract for a starting pitcher ever, just beating Clayton Kershaw‘s current $215M contract with the Dodgers. The deal has an opt-out clause after 3 years. He will be paid $30 million per annum from 2016-2018, $31 million in 2019, and $32 million from 2020-2022 according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter).
Price, 30, was arguably the second best starting pitcher on the free agent market after Zack Greinke. Many people predicted he would go to Boston because of their need for starting pitching, as well as his relationship with Dave Dombrowski.
Last season, Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA. That ERA was good for best in the American League, also finishing third in innings with 220 1/3, and fourth in strikeouts with 225. He finished second in Cy Young voting, losing to the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel, and also finished ninth in MVP voting due to his instrumental role in getting the Blue Jays to the playoffs.
In seven full big-league seasons, Price is 104-56 with a career 3.09 ERA, and he won the 2012 AL Cy Young award with the Rays.
This is a fantastic signing for the Red Sox, as their rotation had the third highest ERA last season at 4.39. My guess is they’re not done bolstering their rotation yet, as they still have plenty of money and prospects to spend.
This is the second big domino to fall in five days. Things may be starting to heat up.
