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

It beats Max Scherzer’s seven-year, $210 million deal signed last offseason as the largest ever free agent pitcher contract. Having tried to sign Max Scherzer last season as a member of the Detroit Tigers, he knew exactly the kind of money it would take to get a superstar pitcher and he didn’t flinch.

One year earlier, he was traded to Detroit from Tampa Bay, where he spent the early part of his career.

The hard-throwing lefty went on to play a big role in propelling the Blue Jays to their first playoff berth since 1993. However, Price has a 2-7 record in the postseason.

Lester was a beloved player in Boston and had success in both regular season and postseason.

Boston went through 12 different starting pitchers over the course of the season – none of which reached 200 innings – and the combined ERA of the group was 4.39, ranking 13th in the AL. He won the 2012 American League Cy Young Award and was runner-up two other times (2010, 2015) and is a five-time A.L. All-Star.

Several reports noted that the deal includes an opt-out clause after three years, which means the 30-year-old left-hander could become a free agent again at 33. The previous high was a four-year, $82.5 million extension given to Rick Porcello in April.

Park hit. 343 with 53 homers and 146 RBIs this year.

The Dodgers officially introduced Dave Roberts as the first minority manager in franchise history.

Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Eduardo Rodriguez, Blake Swihart – along with talent in the lower minors like Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, Anderson Espinoza – put the Red Sox in good shape with their core from a contractual standpoint.

Chamberlain will attend spring training with the Indians.

The Tigers traded Price to Toronto at the deadline this past summer, so the team that signed him does not lose a draft pick. The 30-year-old has a 25-21 career record with a 3.87 ERA in nine seasons mostly as a reliever.

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. Cueto was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Kansas City Royals in July. The Red Sox did not want to be left behind, not making the headlines that is.

Whatever. This has been a complete ideological shift after three last-place finishes wrapped around that 2013 World Series title at Fenway Park.

That’s two million more than Clayton Kershaw received from the Dodgers. He is not getting Tommy John surgery on his partially torn ligament.