In what has been a relatively quiet start to the offseason, the Boston Red Sox have made the first major move, signing free agent ace David Price to a seven year contract worth $217 million, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
With Price being one of the two top pitching free agents this offseason along with Zack Greinke, the market is set to become more competitive for Greinke with Price off the market. As for the Red Sox, the move stands as a large statement for new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, as Price’s addition will help out a rotation that struggled immensely throughout the 2015 season, inhibiting their ability to stay in postseason contention.
Price has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, as the 30-year old southpaw finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting to Dallas Keuchel, while also finishing ninth in AL Most Valuable Player voting. His resume entering Boston in 2016 includes five All-Star game appearances, an AL Cy Young Award and four top 10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting, giving the Red Sox a true top of the rotation ace, something they have lacked in consistency dating back to Josh Beckett’s days as the Sox’ ace.
The southpaw is now added to a rotation that includes veteran Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello, the latter of which struggled mightily in 2015 after putting up consistently very good numbers as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Price’s signing and price tag associated with it indicates that pitching is indeed at a premium this offseason, and with many big competitors and suitors missing out on the lefty, the price of the remaining free agent pitchers will continue to drive itself up.
As for the Boston Red Sox, the addition of David Price can be seen as evidence that the fresh front office in Beantown is ready to compete without delay, a sentiment that can make the Red Sox very dangerous in the AL East in 2016.