What Does the David Price Deal Mean For Yankees?

But after the insane contract that will make David Price the richest pitcher in baseball history until Zack Greinke signs within the week, the Red Sox have subsequently driven up the market for all free agent pitchers, meaning the tier two guys who the Yankees were interested in could command a price range that the Yankees aren’t comfortable going to.

All offseason long, the New York Yankees stuck to their guns on not pursuing David Price in free agency, even with their need to add starting pitching this winter. The Red Sox have been missing a pitcher that could give them an ideal start as none of the 12 pitchers used last season by Red Sox managed to reach 200 innings.

There is only one question that everyone is asking and that is why did the Red Sox pay so much for him?

Red Sox went all out as they signed pitcher David Price for a record price of $217 million on a seven year deal. Maybe it’s alright, but the Red Sox clearly overpaid here. To get back an ace for fove years and $150 million while proven that he can pitch well in Boston, it would have been worth the risk. But already the Price signing is impacting the rest of the sport. He will earn an estimated $30 million per year in the first three years of his deal before he can opt out. Too bad he didn’t bring himself to do the same 19 months ago when the Sox made a below-market four-year, $70 million offer to Jon Lester, who just led them to a World Series championship and expressed a willingness to sign a contract extension.

This also could have been a strategic move on the Red Sox part. Price finished the 2015 season with an 18-5 record and posted a 2.45 ERA, 225 strikeouts. Ben Cherington, the general manager who never was authorized to pay big money for an ace, stepped down. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that Price contains an opt-out clause after the third year of the contract. He’s a year and a half older, his career ERA (3.55) is half a run higher, there isn’t a Cy Young Award on his mantle and eventually he might be undermined by his inability to hold runners.

And the difference between them sure as heck isn’t $82 million, which represents the gulf separating the Sox’ best offer to Lester from their winning bid for Price.

After the Red Sox were openly saying they didn’t want to spend over a set amount of money following the Sandoval, Hanley, and Porcello signings in 2014, Dombrowski just shelled out and extra $30-32 million a year over the next seven seasons.