There's no reason to believe the Red Sox when they say David Price is expected to return before the week is out. Over the last two years, they have consistently underestimated how long he'll be sidelined.
That means it's reasonable to wonder whether Price will be shelved for an extended period of time with his curious circulation issue. If that's the case, the Red Sox can kiss more than the division title goodbye. They can also wave au revoir to the prospect of Price opting-out of his deal, meaning the most expensive pitcher in baseball history would be on the their books until his 36th birthday.
Yuck.
WEEI's Rob Bradford lays out the confusing timeline for Price's latest ailment. The lefty's bullpen session Sunday in Texas was cut short, because of an apparent allergy issue. The plan was to regroup Monday in New York, so Price could be on track to pitch Wednesday against the Yankees. But that timeline was quickly scrapped. Manager Alex Cora announced yesterday Price is back in Boston, because he felt a tingling sensation in his fingers. Over the weekend, Price told CNHI Sports' Chris Mason he's dealt with circulation problems for his entire career. Price was removed from a start against the Yankees April 11 because his fingers had gone numb.
To make matters worse, Price has been awful on the mound recently. He's posted an 8.22 ERA over his last five outings, including a seven-run effort against the Rangers Thursday.
These recent events are reminiscent of what Price went through last season. After missing the first two months with an elbow injury, he returned for 11 starts and was rather mediocre. On July 22, Price allowed five runs in five innings against the Angels. Six days later, Price was placed on the 10-day disabled list with elbow inflammation. He didn't appear in another game until Sept. 17, and exclusively pitched out of the bullpen the rest of the way.
So when Cora says he's optimistic Price will rejoin the Red Sox before the end of their current road trip Sunday, feel free to roll your eyes. If recent history is any indication, Price's absence could last a lot longer than that. Maybe he's not right until June, or even July.
Price is owed $127 million over the next four years. At this stage, there is no way he can expect to make that much on the open market. That means Price is likely to stay in Boston, no matter how much he may dislike the atmosphere.
That would be disastrous for the Red Sox on multiple levels. For starters, they would be saddled with a $30 million per year pitcher who's on the decline. These were supposed to be Price's good seasons. It's scary to think of what the end might look like for an aging pitcher with circulation issues and a damaged throwing elbow.
On a deeper level, Price's prolonged presence destroys the Red Sox' financial flexibility. They've already committed $132 million in payroll for 2019, not including Chris Sale's $13.5 million team option. Hanley Ramirez's $22 million option also becomes guaranteed if he reaches 497 plate appearances. Barring injury, that seems to be an inevitability.
Counting Ramirez and Sale, the Red Sox are up to roughly $167.5 million. But then there's arbitration to figure out with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Eduardo Rodriguez. That probably pushes the Red Sox over $190 million before they even consider re-signing Craig Kimbrel or Drew Pomeranz.
The dilemma for the Red Sox gets worse in 2019, when Sale and Rick Porcello are due to become free agents. Signing Betts long-term is a costly priority, too. Right now, he's playing like somebody who could receive $300 million on the open market.
Speaking of which, this upcoming offseason promises to present the most star-studded free agent class in history, with Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw and Josh Donaldson all expected to be available –– never mind All-Stars like Brian Dozier, A.J. Pollock and Andrew Miller. The Red Sox, if they were stuck with Price, would almost certainly be forced to sit it out.
Baseball history should've told the Red Sox Price's $217 million contract was going to be a disaster. Pitchers signed to big-money deals in their 30's almost never pan out, unless you're Jon Lester, who's still dealing for the Cubs.
Price, meanwhile, is still looking to find his groove in Boston. Time is running out before disaster strikes.
