Red Sox agree to $217M, 7-year deal with Price

The paper described how Price started Tuesday believing he was going to sign with the Cardinals before Boston’s urgent “final push began”. You know, it’s kind of like the way they are handling Tanaka. The Boston Red Sox and ace pitcher David Price have agreed to a deal worth $217 million over seven years, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015.

It would have been fantasy fun to see David Price on an National League roster, up against flailing pitchers and regular bunting.

But, for a guy who has been on three different teams in the past two seasons, you would think that he would want to be in the most stable situation possible.

First, Jordan Zimmermann goes to the Detroit Tigers and signs a 5 year $110 million and now the prize catch of the offseason, David Price, is set to sign swith the Boston Red Sox for a reported 7 year $217 million dollar deal. Just ask the 2015 Red Sox, and the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals. But the deep-pocketed Red Sox were determined to sign Price after losing Jon Lester to the Cubs last December.

Don’t get me wrong though, this is no knock on the 2012 AL Cy Young victor. Speaking of the bullpen, the prior trade for Craig Kimbrel will help matters (albeit at too high of a cost in terms of prospects).

After this season, NY wanted to retain him, but the decision to get the younger Aaron Hicks early November in a trade that sent catcher John Ryan Murphy to Minnesota forced them to let him go.

Price’s contract includes an opt-out after the 2018 season. Of these, Porcello will lead the pack making around $21 million per year for the next four years, followed by Buchholz whose team option was picked up for $13 million. A left-hander who spent most of his career with Tampa Bay and finished last season with Toronto, Price is one of baseball’s elite pitchers. Free agent deals have not worked out for Boston recently, and though this one should be a lot more successful, it’s much more likely that he won’t be around for the entire life of the contract. If you could sign Price to 3/90, you would.

This is, by far, the largest free agent contract the Red Sox have ever given a pitcher.

At first look, the Red Sox seems to have no room for the veteran outfielder since their lineup is already filled with talented youngsters. Price belted him with a pitch.

What gives, in part, is that the market doesn’t care that Price has had bad run-prevention numbers in the playoffs.

The 40-year-old Ortiz said last month that he will retire after the 2016 season.

Last year, Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA, 2.78 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and an fWAR of 6.4.