Boston Red Sox Sign David Price: Fantasy Fallout
By Brad Kelly
Dave Dombrowski has certainly made his presence felt in Boston as he managed to snag David Price today right before the winter meetings. The 7-year/$217 million contract with rightfully be the most talked about story line, but the fact remains that for the foreseeable future the Red Sox have their ace.
Price has taken his share of flak today and during the 2015 postseason for being unable to find a way to win a playoff game in October. While that may be the case, Price’s regular season pedigree is nearly unmatched in the MLB and for fantasy owners that’s really all we should care about.
There are going to many pundits and fans that question the possible seven-year commitment and dishing out the seventh biggest contract in the history of baseball, but in this day and age of baseball, pitching remains a premium and the best ones are going to get overpaid.
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Instead of detracting from the deal, fantasy owners and fans alike should be pleased that Price found a home in Boston. While you would think he would want to get away from the bandboxes and rigors of the AL East, he seems to actually thrive in these situations and that should not change in 2016.
In order to fully grasp just how good Price has been in general and especially in the AL East here are his ERA’s in the division’s ballparks, 1.95 over 11 starts in Boston, 3.24 over 8 starts in Baltimore, 3.27 over 15 starts in New York, 3.34 over 15 starts in Toronto and a 2.89 ERA over 85 starts in Tampa. To put it simply, he has carved up the division his entire career no matter what uniform he dons.
He will easily remain one of the top 10 starters in fantasy next season and with a Boston offense that should rebound and a fortified backend of the bullpen, he looks poised to just keep on posting the numbers we expect from him. Price is one of the most durable and steady pitchers at the position and I think fantasy owners take him for granted because he has done it nearly every season since his debut.
Over the entire season in 2015, he never had an ERA over 3.48 in any month and that 3.48 occurred in April. So through the months of May-September, his ERA actually never rose over 2.49 in any month. He was an absolute stud last season and with his K totals rebounding back into the 200’s, he provided everything we could ask for from our ace.
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A pitcher of Price’s caliber could have signed anywhere and been a solid option in 2016. So thanks to 217 reasons to stick in the AL East, his familiarity with the division should remain a key element of his success. While some MLB teams may scoff at the money dished out, there is no one who will question that the Red Sox did not just improve greatly for the immediate future.
Early 2016 Projections: 15 W/3.10 ERA/215 K/1.08 WHIP