The Red Sox have not learned from their mistakes. One offseason after inking Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to ludicrous deals that are now albatrosses, Boston has gone out an handed the richest contract ever for a pitcher. David Price has put his John Hancock on a seven-year, $217 million contract that contains a player opt-out clause after the third year.
Price’s deal is an enormous gamble for Boston, which will now pay upward of $15 million to three players that are at least 30 years old. He has never won a postseason game as a starter, going 0-7 in as many starts, and he surrendered five earned runs in two starts for the Blue Jays in the 2015 playoffs.
Trading Hanley Ramirez Will Be Nearly Impossible
There are obviously more positives than negatives to Price at this point in his career. He is 33-17 over the last two seasons, posted a better FIP than ERA in each of the last three seasons, and topped 210 innings in three of his last four campaigns. The issue is that he is 30 years old now, and that durability is something that can be counted on less and less as he ages. On top of that, Price’s opt-out after three seasons allows him to squeeze the Sox during his age 33 season; if he maintains his current production they will be forced to possibly pay an even greater premium for him, all but ensuring they’ll be crippled toward the end of his tenure.
Boston has to know this, since they’re in a mess right this second.
Reasonably Priced Alternatives To David Price, Zack Greinke
The Red Sox will pay nine players more than $11 million, and their second-most expensive player, Hanley Ramirez, is going to attempt playing first base in 2016. It will be the fourth different position he’s played, and last season he cost the Red Sox almost 23 runs defensively, and posted a -1.9 WAR per Fangraphs. Sandoval is one year into a five-year, $95 million pact and he was nearly as damaging as Ramirez.
In 2015 Sandoval cost the Red Sox 15 runs with his glove, and showed significant decline at the plate slashing .245/.292/.366. Those players are not going anywhere because the trade market is non-existent, and if Price’s performance dips even slightly, they’ll never be able to unload him either.
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