3:27PM: Price hasn’t yet made a decision about retirement, telling reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that he’ll make the call after the season. For now, he is focused on recovering from his wrist injury and getting back to the Dodgers before the season is over.
12:16PM: Former Cy Young winner, and two-time runner-up, David Price plans to retire after the 2022 season, announced by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Price stated that “It’s just time,” and that “Everything on my body hurts.”
Price, now 37, was originally drafted in the 19th round of the 2004 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but chose to attend the baseball factory Vanderbilt University. As a junior, he recorded an 11-1 record with a 2.63 ERA in 133 1/3 innings, striking out 194 batters in the process and earning college baseball’s top honor, the Dick Howser Trophy.
After his dominant college career, he was drafted first overall in 2007 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now known as the Tampa Bay Rays) and given a six-year, $11.25MM contract, with a then second-largest signing bonus in MLB history of $5.6MM. Price quickly rose through the minor league ranks, and made his Major League debut in September of 2008, helping the Rays make the postseason and, interesting trivia alert, earning a postseason win before a regular-season win.
Price would then spend his next five and a half seasons tormenting the American League with the Rays, pitching to a dominant 3.19 ERA over 1129 2/3 innings with an 82-48 record and helping Tampa Bay reach the playoffs in 2010, 2011, and 2013. During this stretch Price was a three-time All-Star (2010, 2011, and 2012), finished second in 2010 for Cy Young against Félix Hernández, and edged out Justin Verlander in 2012 for the AL Cy Young award — pitching to a 2.56 ERA in 211 innings with a 20-5 record, garnering some MVP votes in the process.
However, at the 2014 trade deadline with the team below .500, the Rays opted to trade Price to the Detroit Tigers in a three-team deal that brought back Drew Smyly, Nick Franklin, and Willy Adames and sent Austin Jackson to the Seattle Mariners. This Tigers team, headlined by three current Cy Young winners in Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Price, and accompanied by future Cy Young winner in Rick Porcello, barely took the AL Central from the Royals and was swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 ALDS.
After the 2014 season, Price and the Tigers avoided arbitration and agreed on a $19.75MM salary for the 2015 season, setting a record for the largest one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player. Price showed he was worth every penny, continuing his dominance in 2015 with a 2.53 ERA in 146 innings and earning a trip to his fifth All-Star Game in his seven-year career. Nevertheless, the Tigers fell flat in 2015 and decided to flip Price at the trade deadline to the Toronto Blue Jays for Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt. With the Blue Jays, Price continued to bully batters, pitching to a 9-1 record with a 2.30 ERA in 74 1/3 innings – ending the year making a combined 32 starts across both teams, with a 2.45 ERA in 220 1/3 innings and finishing runner up to Dallas Keuchel in that year’s Cy Young voting.
Although still without much playoff success, Price spun his great career and commanding contract-year performance into a massive seven-year, $217MM contract with the Boston Red Sox and bolding stating that he “was just saving all my postseason wins for the Red Sox.” His first year with Boston was rough, with Price posting a then-career worst ERA of 3.99 in 230 innings, a far cry from the 2.90 ERA he had posted during the 2012-2015 seasons. However, Price did make 35 starts, the highest market for a pitcher since Chris Carpenter in 2010. Price then battled with various elbow injuries in the 2017 season, starting the season on the injured list and returning to it in late July before returning in mid-September as a reliever to help the Red Sox’s playoff run. Nevertheless, Price returned relatively healthy in the 2018 season, posting a 16-7 record in 176 innings (30 starts) with roughly career average strikeout and walk rates, 24.5% and 6.9%, respectively, en route to his first World Series ring. Most notably, Price was able to shake off his substandard playoff performance moniker, pitching to a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings (5 starts), striking out 23 and only walking 12 as the Red Sox won the World Series for the fourth time in 15 seasons.
Price once again dealt with injuries in the 2019 season, first with left elbow tendonitis and later with a left wrist triangular fibrocartilage cyst that ended his season early. However, when healthy, Price provided solid back-of-the-rotation support, pitching to a career-high 4.28 ERA in 107 1/3 innings. Importantly, Price began to lose effectiveness against right-handed hitters, with righties slashing .257/.314/.460 for a .773 OPS in 2019 compared to a slash line of .234/.293/.402/.695 in 2019. After the 2019 season, new Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom shocked the baseball world by sending Price and former MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what was largely considered a cost-cutting move. The trade brought Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Jeter Downs to the Red Sox.
Finally a Dodger, Price opted out of the COVID-shortened 2020 season before returning in a primarily bullpen role for the first time since 2008. He pitched to a palatable 4.03 ERA in 73 2/3 innings, appearing in 39 games. However, he posted a career-low K% of 17.8% as well as a career-high BB% of 8.0% — seeing his average fastball velocity drop to 91.9 MPH. Additionally, while righties continued to square up the ball, posting a combined .270/.330/.432 slash line good for .762 OPS, lefties also began hitting Price, resulting in a .276/.353/.419 slash line with a .772 OPS – a far cry from the .210/.291/.381/.672 slash line Price gave up to lefties in the 2018 season (his last full season).
The 2022 season has been a strong rebound bullpen year for Price, with the southpaw posting a 2.58 ERA in 38 1/3 innings with a 23.3 K% and 5.0 BB%. With the Dodgers recently securing a postseason berth, Price can look to chase one more coveted ring before walking off into the sunset on his terms.
Price retires as a 5-time All-Star, Cy Young winner, and World Series Champion. For a five-to-six-year period, he was among the best pitchers in the sport. MLBTR congratulates him on his excellent run and successes, and wishes him the best in retirement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
It’s a shame he broke down when he did, but dude’s probably still making the HOF eventually so that’s worth props.
He was a massive overpay, but I’ll always be grateful for his 2018 postseason performance.
Best of luck in retirement, David.
Massive overpay might be an understatement. he was a massive dink and that one post season where he had some success in the ALCS and WS doesn’t erase his horrendous, and at times unprofessional behavior, medicare regular seasons, overall underachievement in the post season.
acel – I actually agree with you on his behavior. I’m a big Eck fan, that incident was Price at his worst.
It’s very possible Price’s contract had a big impact on the decision to not keep Mookie too, but we will never know for sure.
Still, water under the bridge and I wish Price well. Probably wouldn’t have won it all in 2018 without him.
Eck is a great guy, the best announcer too.
We’ve known this for 3 years
I can’t believe that he’s going to finish with only one Cy Young because of Dallas Keuchel lol
A fine career and a wealthy one too.
In his prime, one of the best in the game during his era, but the injuries and loss of time impact his career totals and knocked him back to a second tier starter instead of one of the elites.
The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the best of the best. There are a lot of very good players that are not in the Hall, and that’s how it should be. Only the greatest should be in.
I think it is a bit insulting to refer to Vanderbilt University as a “baseball factory” since it one of the best universities for academics in the country that just happens to have a good baseball team. Duke funnels basketball players more than just about anyone around and I don’t think anyone thinks of them as a basketball factory. Just plain insulting.
O boo hoo man pooooor Vanderbilt
Its not meant like they’re a diploma mill or something negative. Just that they churn out pro baseball players, which they do.
He might not have meant it that way, but the connotation is there. I just think there would have been a better way to say it.
You are adding connotation and tone where none exists. All it was implying was that they had a great baseball program. Maybe you went there but this wasn’t a shot at the university you think it is
The downvote/dislike option should be added for comments like this one….
There is a mute button. Why not just use it instead of trying to publicly put someone down? Never mind, you won’t have to use it because I think I will first.
you got overly sensitive that the author made an innocuous comment referring to Vanderbilt as a baseball factory as if it was an insulting ins one way? I don’t mute people because I don’t get bothered by people who disagree with me. So many Karens love to comment on this website it’s hilarious.
Maybe if you can’t handle someone pointing out how silly a comment is and the criticism that comes with it you should think twice about your post
U went from like 0-20 in a blink of an eye snowflake
Try to bring up a legit point about wording in the article and it brings out the loons. Sorry I bothered.
your point wasn’t legit though. It was an overreaction to a descriptor that you didn’t like.. If it was people wouldn’t be pointing out your overly sensitive reaction to it. Vanderbilt can both be a tremendous academic institution and a baseball factory.
I actually believe that it’s a complement to Vanderbilt
Two things can be true at the same time. Vandy is a good academic school, but in the last 20 years, there have been seven Vanderbilt alumni who have made at least one MLB all-star game. Miami 3 MLB All-stars in the same time. University of Texas also has three. LSU has produced six MLB all-stars, and Louisville has just one ASG alumni.
My issue is not with the excellent baseball program at Vandy. My issue was only with the wording. Baseball factory just doesn’t sound good to me. It brings up bad connotations. Something like Deion Sanders’s “school” for athletes. But clearly I am outvoted here, so I’ll just walk away from this one.
How about “Xaviers School For Gifted Youngsters?”
No they are special in “other” ways.
Not sure why so many people disagree with this but he should be in the Hall of Fame when he gets on the ballot
This article just reminds me that Rick Porcello actually won a Cy Young award.
Heck of a career. Feels like it was only last year when he made Eckersley cry.
Pretty sure price was doing the whining and acting like a punk
Hall of very good. Hope rays retire his number helped put the rays on the map
Name current pitchers who will make the HOF. You need to understand that your standards are going to have to drop now barely anyone throws 200 innings anymore.
Several current and recent pitchers are much more deserving of HOF than Price. Verlander, Scherzer, and Kershaw are locks. Greinke. Maybe Wainwright and King Felix. DeGrom if he can have a couple more healthy seasons.
I actually agree with you that standards for starting pitchers will need to adjust because they are being used differently. I just don’t think they will or should change enough to include Price, or Matt Cain or Jake Peavy or Barry Zito or Bartolo Colon or Corey Kluber.
@ahh The usual benchmark for a starting pitcher or regular position player is 60 WAR. Of pitchers with 60+ bWAR, only 9 aren’t in the HOF, but one is Curt Schilling and the only ones who didn’t pitch pre-1900 was Tommy John and Luis Tiant. Of coruse, there’s a lot of good pitchers in the HOF who aren’t in that 60 WAR threshold. Like you and @A’sFan said, the standars could change.
He has stolen enough money. Good riddance
You hate the millionaire but are silent on the true thieves, the billionaires. This is exactly what the billionaires want. Why are you bowing to them? Low self-esteem? Do you (stupidly) think you will be rich one day? Genuinely interested in how you came to hatred for a man just for playing the game and the cards he was dealt. Some growth is needed on your end.
First off, I am a billionaire so your theory is completely blown out of the water. We are not thieves. We are men who build empires.
Full-on self-satire.
Uncle Slider remember me??? It’s been so long…I heard you are doing well for yourself these days. I saw you in Forbes or something rather…I’ll see you at the reunion this year right?
Love, Your Favorite Nephew
I assume Dennis Eckersly won’t be attending David Price’s retirement party
Eck would have scrapped hard if he wasn’t held back on the plane haha
Does this leave Evan Longoria as the last man standing from the 2008 World Series?
(Assuming that Cole Hamels don’t find a taker next year …)
Make that “doesn’t” …
Let me correct everyone’s comments about the HOF
Dude had HOF stuff and could have went down that path if he wasn’t such a head case. He only showed up one season after he won his cy young and that was coincidentally when he was pitching for a contract (imagine that). But instead he only has 3 distinguishable years in his career that are HOF worthy. 3 good years doesn’t get you.
His skin was too soft for Boston carrying his pug around like Paris Hilton in boston
Not mentioned here is Price’s opt-out in 2020 cost him $30M, and at the same time he gave $1,000 to every Dodger minor leaguer. He hadn’t even thrown a pitch for the Dodgers at that point. I think that ticks the “sportsmanship” box in the HoF criteria.
This is a little before my time so I may be off but if Mussina is in the HOF, Price looks like he should also be in.
jd-Not If you compare their stats side by side.Mussina had twice as many good seasons.Price was as good or better during his best seasons,but Mussina was very good for much longer,long enough to be considered great.
They may be identical in ERA+, but Mussina also pitched four more years than Price did and had more seasons with an ERA+ of at least 100.
Mussina was dominant far longer not even a comparison
HOF voters will look at “peak years” and Moose sustained it for far longer pitching in the AL East during high offense eras while players were indiscriminately using PEDs. Price is more than 100 wins short and 1400 IP of Moose. It’s not even close.
As a Sox fan I’d cringe everytime they faced moose he was an ace for sure
Price will go down as one of the Red Sox worst free agent signings in terms of general fit and dollar amount. However he was an instrumental part of the World Series run in 2018 so i and I’m sure many others in Red Sox nation thank him for that
Lol if you’re against him just because the size of his contract . He produced for the Sox and correct he was apart of the World Series. Not every contract is a straight win the entire time.
Codeeg: Price massively underperformed his contract. He was either mediocre or bad during most of it and had one post seasons worth of success. Not to mention he was a massive dink. Hardly worth it.
Chris Sale says hello
if you want to be technical Sale wasn’t a free agent signing but his contract is easily a contender for one of the worst in Sox history.
No I’d say pablo he didn’t belong period!!
Fans like you need to really just shut up and stop being fans. Listen to yourself:
“One of the WORST free agent signings EVER”
“Oh yeah, but he won us a ring”
You know MLB is supposed to be fun and bring joy, right? Boston fans – you are doing the “Being a fan” thing wrong. Its why all your former RS stars hate the fans, you cowards turn on them so fast. Grow up, Boston. Its pathetic how you act. You turned on Nomar, even turned on Papi – really disgusting fans you are. Grow up – Red Sox fans deserve ZERO respect from anyone ever, you people stink and your takes on here are GARBAGE! You dont even know ball!!!
Sox fans never turned on Papi.
Nomar quit on the team, which led to his subsequent trade. Same can be said for Manny. Go as far back as Mo Vaughn, the fans didn’t turn on him the front office did.
I suppose being an A’s fan its probably hard to relate to the team spending money unwisely on big name free agents just to spend on a big name free agent. Price from a personality standpoint was never a good fit and he underperformed throughout is tenure in Boston sans one postseason. Its nice that he’s finishing decent in LA, but the Dodgers aren’t exactly putting him in rough, high leverage situations either
Whatever he decides:
THE PRICE IS RIGHT !!
They gave Price that contract because they screwed up with Lester
Bingo!!! U hit the nail on the head the move was out of desperation
Not to sure Price has much control of his baseball future. Can’t think of anyone that’s gonna be hot after his services next year!!
A lefty with who’s pitched in 38 games with a 2.58 ERA? I suspect they’ll be a team or twenty who would welcome him now that his contract is done.
Halos will take him.
Guarantee he put that halo uniform on era Jump to 7
Price has another 5+ years left as a RP if he wants them.
I see it too…What about Kershaw? 2 years as a starter and another 3-6 as a reliever?? Haha
Cant wait for this dude to be off our books, but thanks for Mookie!
he should come back to Tampa Bay, I’m sure they Rays could put him in the best position to succeed
No thanks! However, there’s a better chance that Price plays for TB than him making the HOF. No way he does either.
David Price numbers do not make him a legit HOF’er nor should he get in.
Did he have a great career?
Yes, but not Hall worthy.
If he retires then I wish him the best but you know he could do the John Smoltz thingy and become a closer and maybe that can boost his Hall chances…
Lol u trust price as a closer??
Yes, David Price does have Hall-worthy numbers.
If you don’t put Price in, then you are ONLY putting in deGrom and no one else. Literally no more SPs in the HOF if you have this attitude. Zero. deGrom last SP in the HOF if its up to you.
Christ, you small hall fans are disgraceful to fandom- we are supposed to LIKE players, not relentlessly hate on them, like you do here! 40+ WAR = HOF-worthy, whether you like it or not, thats the facts – FACE THEM.
The trash talking element here is huge, so don’t discount it.
That said, WAR is still not a criterion for the HoF. Voters can consider whatever statistical factors they wish, but the criteria are still what they are, completely subjective. The same is true for the MVP awards, another one that gets the juices flowing every year.
Twi days ago I posted the real criteria and said nobody would want to discuss them. It’s still true.
Blue-There probably has been no discussion,because the criteria are facts,and posters do not always deal well with such barefaced written and defined criteria.
They like to create their own facts,and think other posters to be stupid if they do not agree with them.
I just looked at DeGrom’s “facts”,and had not realized how excellent they were.Hopefully his physical problems this year do not derail his ultimate enshrinement.
As for Price,if his career ends this year he did not nearly meet my criteria within the defined criteria for combined decent longevity and near brilliance and brilliance over the course of many years.
True story. I think we can call this the Don’t Confuse Me with Facts Era. This attitude is everywhere and in every thing now.
The subjectivity of the criteria should be acknowledged, not ignored. It’s the way the HoF voting has always been done. Further, fans should understand that the HoF is all about the game’s public image. They want the sport to be represented by the players who make it look good, which is why they include those conduct criteria.
Another seemingly ignorable fact is, who gets voted into the HoF in any given year also has a lot to do with the other players on the ballot. This process can’t be perfected by applying one arbitrary statistical threshold. Never going to happen.
John Adams was one who was judged by his sometimes prickly and pompous personality.But he said-Facts are stubborn things,and whatever may be our wishes,our inclinations,or the dictates of our passion,they cannot alter the state of facts or evidence.He represented soldiers in the Boston massacre and won the case.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Even if one is simply a poster on the MLTR site.
@BlueSkies – I agree with your take here, but me personally, I love a big HOF, the NBA has the right idea. The MLB HOF is already massive, why are we edging the elite defensive guys who struggle to make it, but we put 1 inning closers in like no big deal? For me, 40+ WAR means you’ve had at least a couple elite years and been in the league at least a decade – thats borderline impossible to do, and the HOF should recognize that.
One criterion is team impact, so that could explain why some closers get voted in when some of the others don’t (see the discussion on Maury Wills). The voters are free to evaluate a player’s career performance any way they wish. No rules there, but I hope they are sophisticated enough about the game to not place a lot of reliance on one kitchen sink stat.
“Veteran left-hander David Price said he was surprised to read Sunday morning that he had decided to retire after this season. The report in USA Today, he said, is premature.”
Nice reporting, Bob Nightengale.
…so does Nightengale get credit as the first reporter to break the story…lol
He was even before Price announcing it…. Maybe Nightengale now has ESP…
…but seriously do you really see David Price accepting a minor league contract for next year? I do not think he is worth more than a look see, especially when there are a lot or high velocity relievers available for MLBleague minimum.
He had a good year when he was able to take the mound. He’s absolutely worth the league minimum plus some incentives.
You can get high velocity relievers for the league minimum, but that’s terrible pitchers who can’t find the strike zone. You can’t get relievers coming off years where they were significantly more effective than average (0.5 WAA despite the injuries, and that’s no fluke, he literally has never had a below average season since 2009).
Yep. The story that he was considering retiring after this year came out several weeks ago. So no change is big news!