Boston Red Sox: David Price not feeling any more pressure

With the Boston Red Sox missing staff ace Chris Sale for an undetermined amount of time, the rest of the rotation will need to step up their game. David Price is not feeling any additional pressure however.

The Boston Red Sox were dealt a tough blow when staff ace Chris Sale was placed on the disabled list again on Saturday. Once again, his shoulder is sore, leading to this latest stint on the pine. While Sale himself is not concerned about the shoulder, it makes sense that the Red Sox would want to be certain that their ace is ready for the postseason.

In the meanwhile, as Sale is out through next week at the earliest, the rest of the Red Sox rotation will need to step up. And yet, according to David Price, he is not feeling any additional pressure, mainly due to his contract.

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It is understandable why Price would feel that way. After all, he is due another $127 million over the next four years of his deal. That contract, as well as his less than ace results, have made Price a target of ire from Red Sox fans, something that he knows all too well from Twitter interactions.

That is not to say that Price has been awful. He has been a relatively solid pitcher, producing a 13-6 record with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.189 WHiP, striking out 142 batters with 41 walks in 141.1 innings. This matches his production during his Red Sox tenure, as he has a 3.79 ERA and a 1.197 WHiP, striking out a batter an inning, over the past three seasons.

Yet, that is not the type of pitcher the Red Sox thought they were getting. He has been a solid middle of the rotation option, but the expectation was that Price would be an ace. He had appeared to be just that during his time in Tampa Bay, and even performed well during pennant chases in Detroit and Toronto.

Even then, Price left something to be desired. He has not pitched well in the postseason, posting a 2-8 record with a 5.08 ERA in his 17 appearances. That lack of playoff success, coupled with his decent, but not dominant, pitching, have led to a great deal of scrutiny and pressure already. Losing Sale does not change anything there for Price.

The Boston Red Sox will need their rotation to step up in Chris Sale’s absence. To David Price, that pressure is nothing new.