Dodgers left-hander David Price announced that he will not play during the 2020 season via a post on his Instagram page, as first reported by Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. Price becomes the highest-profile player to opt out of this year’s campaign, joining the likes of Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman, with others likely yet to come.
The Dodgers acquired Price, 34, in the February blockbuster trade that also sent Mookie Betts to Los Angeles. He was set to embark on his first year in Los Angeles after a stint with the Red Sox that included a memorable postseason run culminating in a World Series title. However, with Price choosing not to play this year, the trade certainly looks a bit bleaker from the Dodgers’ point of view. Whereas the team thought it would get at least a whole year with Betts in the lineup and Price in the rotation, it’s looking increasingly likely that the pair will not play a game together in Los Angeles, with Betts set to reach free agency at season’s end.
By choosing not to play this year, Price will forfeit his prorated 2020 salary, which would have been roughly $11.9MM for a 60-game season. He will remain under contract with the Dodgers for two more years, valued at $64MM total. It’s worth mentioning that, with the Red Sox agreeing to shoulder half of Price’s $32MM salary for this year, Boston will also save nearly $6MM this season.
From a baseball perspective, Price’s absence will certainly be detrimental to the Dodgers’ title aspirations in 2020. With no Price in the rotation, expect to see Ross Stripling or Dustin May bumped into a regular starting role. The Dodgers have enviable depth in their starting pitching core, so they’re uniquely well-positioned to work around decisions like Price’s: Between Stripling, May, and Tony Gonsolin, the Dodgers have a host of young starters who can share the load in the rotation.
In the statement Price posted to social media, he says that he’s “decided it is in the best interest of my heath and my family’s health for me to not play this season.” His concerns are no doubt shared by plenty of players across baseball, with the Angels’ Mike Trout expressing a similar sentiment yesterday. We’ll see just how many players choose to forego the season out of concern over the coronavirus, but it’s almost certain the Price won’t be the last big name to do so.
The Dodgers, for their part, had the following to say regarding Price’s decision:
The Dodgers fully support David’s decision to sit out the 2020 season. We have been in constant contact with David and we understand how much this deliberation weighed on him and his family. We know he’ll be rooting hard for the club every day and look forward to having him back with us in 2021.
Ummm what?
Smart move. He got a ton of money. No reason to risk it.
luckily tje Dodgers have hella SP depth
Yeah, if there’s one team who can easily afford to have their 4th starter take a year off it is the Dodgers.
Less now.
NEW YORK — Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton on Saturday, casting a somber tone over the Yankees’ first formal workout of Summer Camp at Yankee Stadium.
Holy cow. You can’t make this up.
Did Stanton hurt himself running to the mound to see if he was okay?
No, he actually just went to his knees and sat there kind of stunned. But holy cow. If COVID doesn’t get you, then how about a line drive to the head. Now he was pitching without a screen, but not having played for months has to do something to your ability to react to something like a line drive hit at you. Ouch.
I do think it’s pretty silly calling it “summer camp”. Hey Bobbie, the Popsicle truck is here.
The first ball Stanton has hit in 500 days and this is the result…
He’s a walking black cloud in Pinstripes.
”curse” has changed cities
That’s cold, @mantooth.
But, damn. Funny as hell.
That video is tough to watch.
You’re right, HH. I went and looked at the video and it’s a bit brutal.
What will hopefully keep the damage down is that when you watch Stanton, there is very little movement in his feet and almost no hip torq in his swing so he wasn’t giving it his all. It was a batting practice swing.
Don’t want anyone to read what I’m not saying though. Getting hit by a Stanton come backer no matter what swing he’s using sounds pretty terrifying.
I hope the snowball doesn’t become an avalanche
I hope it does 😉
Players opting out that is…
Just cancelled this faux season already.
Old person
The best moves are the ones you don’t make. Dodgers keeping Stripling and Pederson has come up huge with the DH and now this.
Ironic in that hes replacing Price
Well they tried to make it, but the Angels bowed out. So I guess they can thank the Angels for that
If a player opts out of the season does he still count against the cap?
Yes he does count against the cap.
Luxury tax. There is no salary cap in MLB.
The tax wont be pro-rated no team will be within 100M of the cap. Highest salaries over 60 pro-rated games is like 80-90M max nobody will be anywhere near 205M.
Of course the tax will be pro-rated. Otherwise the tax is useless.
I don’t believe the salary counts when it’s voluntary. Why would it if the player is not getting credit for service time?
I just found this article. The issue apparently still needs to be resolved:
masslive.com/redsox/2020/07/david-price-opting-out…
I assume if he gets paid while out, then he does count, but if he opts out without pay then he wouldn’t count.
There essentially is no cap this year with everything being prorated so it does’nt matter all that much
Nobodies hitting the lux this year unless the Yankkes double their payroll before the season starts essentially
Yanks will still incur the luxury tax penalties.
I still think the league and MLBPA will eventually waive the tax threshold after the season ends so while there could be penalties, they won’t penalize teams looking to spend this off season. All teams will be reluctant to sign both big ticket and small contracts and the a players will need every team bidding.
There is a tax threshold in 2020. The luxury tax threshold is also prorated for 2020, so it’s about $77 million.
That includes average annual value of contracts and the amount of player benefits.
Since the Red Sox won’t be paying a salary to Price, they may be off the hook for the tax calculation as well, but nothing has been published that confirms that.
Chris Cotillo has a pretty good explanation here.
masslive.com/redsox/2020/07/david-price-opting-out…
So in other words, no one knows but wants to act like the do. Very good question though.
Baseball has got to be one of the safer sports if you account for social distancing. Some of these players have lots of dollars but zero sense. Players should be protecting the integrity of baseball it’s bad enough in these tough times, grow a pair and stick together through this.
I support guys decisions here. Play, don’t play, do what you consider best for your family. Isn’t the entire thing we’re celebrating today about personal freedom and choices?
Happy 4th, baseball fans.
I don’t even care if it’s just selfishness. It’s there right. I fully support it.
Selfishness? Not in my books. I for example have already told my employer I will not do any traveling that involves a plane, train or subway at least until sometime next year. I understand family health concerns as I’m not getting younger and for those who might remember, my wife nearly died two years ago and is left disabled and susceptible. Blogging on this site saved me mentally then, especially during a six plus hour surgery when I was alone.
@looiebelongsinthehall
You do what you have to do. That must have been a horribly lonely six hours.
My best wishes to you & your lady wife.
The thing we’re celebrating today would not exist if 2,96% of the population of the 13 colonies didn’t fight the Revolutionary War … at thousands of times greater personal risk than what someone is facing by playing baseball.
war is also not the same as a virus. very different threats. i can guarantee you it was a lot easier to avoid the war then it is to avoid a pandemic in a global society.
DarkSide, that might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever read.
@stansfield
Hat tip.
@darkside
I’ve experienced war. Your assertion that it is “easy to avoid” is… man, I’m really struggling how to say this.
Let’s go with; completely incorrect. And, quite frankly, I think a lot of people would find it totally insulting. If I dwell on it I will too.
100% true. Thankfully armed citizens decided to stand up to an authoritarian government and give the remaining citizens freedom to choose their own path in life.
Authoritarian? Didn’t really see an overreach on the Federal level for State actions, or inaction. Not sure what you’re talking about. I’m sure you’re not sure what you’re talking about.
Dang it! Yanks are his Daddy.
Question: if he plays this season he gets a pro-rated amount for his $32mill, so something like $11.8mill, right?
and if he opts out, he doesn’t get the year of service time, so does the $32mill year defer until next year?
if so, then of course he’s sitting out, like a $20mill decision.
No –
His commitments for 21 would still be 16 from Bos 16 from Lad
22 is the same as well
No, the contracts don’t “defer”. There is a legal term called “force majeure”, which frees parties from a contract when something extraordinary happens which prevents the terms of the contract from being fulfilled.
The first two thirds of the contracts for the the 2020 season are null and void, and players can opt out of the rest as well, if they wish. Nothing’s deferred. That money is simply no longer owed to the players.
Thank you for the clarification!
Dodgers aren’t prorated—they still get $300,000,000 every year for 25 years from the Time Warner broadcast deal—fans or no fans.
That’s how contracts work moron
Ugh, here I was ready to give him another shot
Getting ridiculous.
Just wait till Trout walks away from this coming season.
I’m surprised not more players aren’t “saying see you in 2021”
His kids due in Aug-Sept, and he has already been public about his reticence to play.
That’s funny because in June he was tweeting, “Tell us when and where!!” about starting the season.
Just end this season now, its getting too much. Players are dropping like flies.
haha. not true but funny seeing as you are ridiculous in your representations of how this is affecting/not affecting players. to date not one player has ever passed out so your literal description is beyond lame
So until a ball player dies from covid, it’s no biggie?
Man you’re a special type of dk
So until a ball player dies from covid, it’s no biggie?
Yes, that is it exactly. Why should we mourn someone that recovers or will recover from sickness? The game should go on regardless. There have been players that have nearly died on the field from a batted ball without the game stopping. Players suffer career threatening injuries more often than anyone would like, but the game doesn’t stop. As long as testing is done and care is taken, it really is no biggie. Just because there are some names attached to the disease now, doesn’t change anything.
And that line of thinking is exactly why this is as bad as it is… in the US. Why were the only nation in the world with a second spike this bad
It’s not a problem until it affects you. That’s bs. These guys are paid millions to entertain you.. but they’re still human. They still have little kids, and diabetes in their families, and heart problems in their families
To expect every one of them to put YOUR ENTERTAINMENT over THEIR FAMILIES health… or that gives you a right to talk about their personality… that speaks a lot more about the man you’re not than the man he’s not
“or that gives you a right to talk about their personality”
“that speaks a lot more about the man you’re not than the man he’s not”
It’s always funny when people contradict themselves in the the same sentence. Or actually the same run-on clauses, since you didn’t actually use a sentence. Besides, I have paid money to MLB that in some small form pays the player’s salary. You have not paid me a dime. So I have more of a right to have an opinion on the player than you have a right to have an opinion about me.
Of course, you also have to notice the fact that I said ABSOLUTELY nothing about David Price’s personality. Nor did I insult you personally. So maybe you need to take a step back and get your facts straight before you insult someone’s manhood. You do that to someone in real life and you will get hurt.
You’re trying to tell me something that’s killed more Americans than WW1 and re-spiking ONLY in This country isn’t a problem. Okay dude
I have every right to criticize you’re flawed logical process. If you don’t like it, don’t post on a Public website. And don’t quote me and expect I won’t say something? You’re entire line of thinking is flawed. Sucks I called you out on it Huh?
But you’re obsessed with stupid periods, grasping at a point that may make you sound intelligent. Instead, you’re stuck in the propaganda that has engulfed this country claiming this isn’t a big deal
In the end, you’re throwing an online hissy fit because a man put his two infant children before your entertainment
What an idol you are!
its been like 6 total lol
“I don’t understand why Price is more worried about the safety of his family when he could be making millions of dollars” – The pro life people with family values.
In fairness with proper investment, the millions of dollars could take care of his family line far longer than his life span.
Not when you’ve already banked a 200M contract. 11M doesn’t moving the needle like it does for you
Maybe you should consider his Situation not yours!? The idea!!!!!
Prediction: By Thursday, more than 100 MLB players will have tested positive and at least 100 will have opted out.
yea. a 100 players does what. explain. expound. go on. one hundred new young players will be ready and willing to play. they aint babies
I would take that bet all day, every day.
So ridiculous.
finally some good news. hopefully a few other non notables drop out. lets the young’n play and allows these washed up old overpaid veterans players to sit at home like little babies. thank you for being a baby dave price. i will salute your decision to make sure i do not have to see you play this year, ahh
tanaka just hit in head with line drive and even he plays this year. bet on it
Dumb kid
who is dumb? the guy who is making a true comment or the professional at his sport? i don’t agree with the commenter’s sentiment but the statement about Tanaka is probably valid.
Go read all his comments. I stand by my diagnosis
That was just his last one when I said something
lets shut everything down and live as cavemen
shut everything down and return to monkey so we cant catch da virus
It is not a big loss for the Dodgers. Why? Price might be one the most overrated players I ever seen (look at his career postseason record, and how the Yankees own this guy ( even have up Jeter’s 3,000th hit)).
It’s not a loss for the Dodgers at all. It’s a loss for us though…we might’ve started the WS a point up:)
So you think a smaller sample of the postseason is more indicative of his ability than the longer regular season? Maybe the guy just doesn’t pitch well in cold weather. He is still one of the better pitchers of this generation.
The guy objectively doesn’t pitch well against the Yankees. Looks at his numbers. It’s not just a post season thing, it’s a whole season thing. I had the same thought when I read this, actually helps the Dodgers if it come down to a yankee dodger WS like people are predicting.
In fairness price doesn’t really pitch well against anyone in the postseason. He had a good 2018 WS but other than that his October numbers are pretty laughable.
Also in fairness, if his numbers weren’t great in the regular season, the team might not be playing in October for him to have mediocre stats. Clayton Kershaw has pretty mediocre postseason numbers and I don’t think you would find many that think he still wasn’t the best pitcher of the 2010s decade.
Well the conversation was he’s done poorly against the Yankees in the post season and therefore the Yankees want to play him in the postseason. You tried to argue it was too small of a sample size and I was explaining to you it’s not, price can’t play against the Yankees regardless of the time of year. I was adding in playing him in October has the added bonus that he generally hasn’t been great that time of year regardless of the opponent.
A team like the dodgers has the SP depth they are going to make the playoffs with or without Price unless they have some crazy injuries or start out on an unbelievable cold streak and can’t recover in a 60 games season. Also I really wouldn’t call his numbers in the regular season great. They’re decent but in no way dominant…. Granted if you only watch him play the Yankees you would think he’s much worse than he actually is.
Can we get him to opt out of his two remaining seasons. That would be best case scenario for the Dodgers.
Freedom of choice.
You can disagree with his choice but if you dont support his freedom to choose, well then…
What are you on about? Of course he has freedom of choice. All Americans have been free to not show up for work since 1865. (one of the few countries where that’s true, btw.)
(He’s talking about the people claiming Price doesn’t have that right)
Well this guarantees that for once he wont’ blow any playoff games.
So 12 million after state and Federal taxes probably only 7 million for him. He probably made more than that in investment income this year with the Fed and Black Rock pumping up the market. So why not just blow off the whole year. That way you don’t have to play for free for 2 months (spring training and post season) just to get in 2 months of paid work
Just cancel the season already
Stupid.
No, they should absolutely play ball — from all I’ve read, playing major league baseball should actually be pretty darn safe. But when they’re not playing ball, they should wear a mask and socially distance, like any sane, kind human would, to protect others who are more likely to be affected by COVID than they are. All of these guys testing positive who are asymptomatic and certainly had no idea they had the virus are proof of just how easily it can spread without anyone even being aware of it. I just don’t understand how being respectful of human life has become something to criticize.
Good for him.
Lifelong Dodger fan (first game 1959 in Coliseum w Koufax striking out 18 Giants) and I am going thru baseball withdrawal because of COVID but I 100% support Price’s decision. The season should be put on hold.
This disease is REAL and the only way to get through this is to play it safe. #Shelterinplace
This is funny. Everyone here on this site knows “the real truth”. Yet there are two sides here and they are diametrically opposed. Could it be that nobody knows “the real truth”?
I get that these guys want to take care of themselves and their families, but this gives another person a chance to take your spot. There are a very limited number of opportunities for professional baseball players and there are dozens of players vying for every single roster spot. This won’t hurt a guy like Price that has a guaranteed contract, but you have to think of a guy that is right on the fringe. He won’t be able to take the option of staying home unless he is willing to give up on baseball entirely. You not being there just shows the bosses that they can get a younger, cheaper option to take your spot and how eminently replaceable each and every player really is. Some players may take longer than others to fully replace, but it will be done at some point.
Why? Everyone wants to talk how important saving lives is but no one will stay home to do it? If saving lives isn’t an option to most then why should I care?
Does he realize that the Yankees don’t play in the NL West?
Good luck, Price. Hope your wrist can stand up to all the fortnight time you now have on your hands.
It’s too bad; Price would have been good for a couple of Yankees wins in the WS.
How is anyone still afraid of the coronavirus? What a piece of crap.
Go ahead. Click it. I dare ya to tell me the threat is gone in the US
twitter.com/obsoletedogma/status/12787101926082478…
The comments bring up an interesting question.
Due to all salaries being prorated do all teams over the CBT get to reset? This would have some pretty big ramifications for the upcoming free agent market.
I appreciate the help, fellas.
Yes, which is a big reason why most soon to be free agent players want to play this season. There won’t be any teams worried about the CBT next year, which means they are free to spend as much as they want.
@feverpitch
Thanks for the reply.
That’s a pretty big game changer. That alone should make this off-season pretty interesting. The flip side, obviously, being how the various MLB owners deal with the lost revenue.
I can see a pretty active market or the exact opposite. Ya know? Should be (to use an MLBTR word) fascinating.
Shocked it took this long for Price to make this decision. Covid is a big deal, but this was an excuse to show Price is soft. He knows it, we know it, next man up.
Dodgers single handily getting beat up by covid more than any other team mostly because of the trade that got betts and price over
Hey Atl: Nah—it’s cause of all the flapjack spit.
Sweet ! Now Gonsolin can start
He wanted to get ahead of the inevitable arm/leg injury.
Until I read this I didn’t know that the Dodgers had “title aspiration in 2020.” No team seriously could in a season where the last team able to field a healthy squad of major leaguers wins.
@blueskies above
Enjoy your posts – so don’t consider this me throwing a stone – but could your post also read that the team that takes the most comprehensive anti-Covid precautions now be considered the most likely winners of WS 2020?
Could that relay a message to the wider society?
Won’t argue against that, but the reality is that a teams taking better precautions would be playing against teams that don’t. And since they are all supposed to be following the MLB protocols I’m not sure what else any given team can do. Anyway my point is I don’t believe any self-respecting baseball fan is going to regard this as a real baseball season, even assuming it is completed (which to me seems quite unlikely). Nobody who “wins” deserves any bragging rights, that’s for sure.
Whatever. If the Dodgers win the World Series, take it, be happy, stop complaining. Honestly, stop complaining. Everyone starts at the same starting line, legitimate season or not.
Whatever. I did say “self-respecting baseball fan.” Maybe it was for a reason. Take some time to figure it out.
And you’re still whining. You are not the guy to measure what a “self-respecting baseball fan” is. You’re not one, clearly. Stop complaining.
Why do I feel like he will have wrist problems again next season from too much Fortnite?
I can understand David Price’s decision to sit out. He has a young family and he probably isn’t hurting for the money. What i struggle with is the thought that COVID is going away. While there is some promise, there is no guarantee that a vaccine will be developed and at some point, we are all going to need to accept the fact that COVID is here to stay and will part of our lives. Even if they do develop a vaccine, half the population won’t get it anyway because someone on YouTube said is causes autism or is some kind of kind control plot by Bill Gates.
Price working on a 217 million dollar contract doesn’t have to work another day in his life. Smart to stay home with family and see what happens to MLB next year.
Smart = selfish, and cowardly beyond all comprehension. Symbol of our times. Hope he doesn’t get a ring, he definitely does not deserve one
This guy wants media attention any way he can. Glad the Dodgers became the Red Sox dumping ground for the second / third time in the last 15 years.
Well, this time the Red Sox got a bit lucky with COVID. Yes, Price’s bloated contract allowed the Dodgers to give up less for the Betts trade. But Colletti bidding against himself was one of the biggest blunders that I could not understand. It was bad enough that the Dodgers were taking in so much dead money contracts for Beckett and Crawford, but to pony up some higher rated prospects was just flat out asinine. Kept hearing in the local media that there were other teams bidding for Gonzalez. And we all thought to ourselves there are no other teams that are willing to take on this much contract. Just lucky that these prospects didn’t pan out. Gonzalez was the only good thing that came out of that and even his contract was bad for the last 1-2 seasons.
There will be no 2020 season anyways, so this won’t change much,.
LOL