The Boston Red Sox have reportedly signed pitcher David Price to a free agent contract worth $217 million over seven years, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Rosenthal reports that Price will take a physical this week to complete the deal, which has an opt out after three years. The contract has no deferred money and according to the Boston Globe, Price will make $30 million in each of the first three seasons before an annual salary of $31 million in 2019, and $32 million from 2020 through 2022. Price went 18-5 with 225 strikeouts over 220 innings for the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Price finished second in Cy Young voting last season.
Price was considered to be one of the top pitchers on the free agent market along with Zack Greinke and now teams could start making more moves following the Price signing. According to USA Today, Price was set to sign with the Cardinals and the team was prepared to offer him the biggest contract in team history, which would have come in under $200 million. But the Red Sox raised their offer to Price and that sealed the deal for the pitcher.
Price was a target for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants and now those teams could look at pitchers like Zack Greinke, Jeff Samardzija or Johnny Cueto as options. Rosenthal reports that things with Greinke could move "soon" now that Price has signed. The Dodgers and the Giants are considered the favorites to land Greinke with Price off the board.
