Where there’s David Price, you’re sure to find drama directly attached to him whether it’s on or off the field problems. Price has, not-so-shockingly, been linked to both throughout this 2017 season, dealing with elbow issues and infamous confrontational issues with Dennis Eckersley just to name a couple. The fact of the matter is, is that David Price will always be the type of player and person that attracts drama and mega storylines that are typically talked about for an extended period of time.
The latest piece of news surrounding Astro’s Dad is when, or if, he returns this season and what his role with the Red Sox will ultimately be both down the stretch and in the postseason. His aforementioned elbow problems dating back to spring training have made his personal season a trainwreck, starting the season on the disabled list with this injury and hopping right back on the DL with the same issue less than two months after making his season debut. What makes this situation even more frustrating is that in his limited number of starts this season, Price actually looked pretty damn good both velocity and stuff-wise.
The majority of his starts were dominating in times of need and he simply looked like vintage David Price, which is all you can ask for and then some, especially while he isn’t fully healthy.
The elephant in the room right now is the fact that time is quickly running out. Price only just began throwing off of a mound last Wednesday and has also dealt with setbacks in recent weeks. Since Price still refuses to actually speak with the media at any point in time, it’s incredibly difficult to know just how he’s feeling physically and where he stands right now as far as rehab goes.
The only logical option at the end of the day is to put Price in the bullpen this October. It only makes sense. He obviously isn’t at one hundred percent but is making progress nonetheless. While the team obviously still views him as a starter, which he is, it’s a win-win for both the Red Sox and David Price to make him a bullpen arm come October.
Let’s look at the benefits of making this happen from Boston’s point of view. First of all, their bullpen kind of stinks as it is right now. Anybody not named Craig Kimbrel is simply not trustworthy in any high-leverage situation, which is problematic. Put Price on the mound to get out of a jam in a tight, say, Game 4 of the ALDS and you know damn well you’re more confident in him out there as opposed to Matt Barnes or Joe Kelly.
Plus, Price already has postseason bullpen experience. Granted, it was nearly ten years ago, but you get my point. Price played a pivotal role in eliminating the Red Sox from the 2008 ALCS as a reliever. For instance, he got the final out in Game 1, got the win in an appearance in the 11th inning in Game 2 and got the save in Game 7. Tampa Bay called Price up a little over a year after they drafted him first overall and he brought it both down the stretch and in October.
Boston’s emotional and financial investment in this particular player is too great to mess this situation up in any way, shape or form. For starters, Price can opt out after next season and whether he plans on leaving or not, they need to do what’s best. They can’t afford to break him down or toy with him physically. They’ve got him for another season while surgery remains a legitimate option this offseason as his elbow problems continue to linger. They have to be smart about this as an organization and just get him on the mound come October. Forget about “working him up” in September and building up innings or whatnot.
Placing him in the bullpen allows both the Red Sox and Price to determine where he stands physically so they can look ahead into the future. 3-inning bullpen sessions and long toss really don’t tell you all that much when you really think about it. There’s no way to tell just how healthy someone is until you just throw them into the fire. Both sides need to figure out where the player currently stands so both sides can plan what’s ahead, I.E. surgery, opting out, etc.
As for Price alone, I think deep down he realizes that there’s no way to save his status as a starter in the playoffs, so there’s really no point in trying to fix that. I’m sure he isn’t thrilled by the idea of going to the bullpen because he “has something to prove” as a starter, but it’s time to move on. There are plenty of guys who are great in the regular season but then crap their drawers when it matters most. That’s sports for you. Grow a pair, accept your failure and do what’s best for you and your team and, well, take one for the team. His health and the future of his career at least should be more important to him than what his playoff record is.
Getting it done and over with sooner rather than later eliminates so much excess drama with the whole “no wins in October as a starter” line. We all know that he can’t pitch when the lights are at their brightest. It’s not ideal, but that’s the way it’s always been. Neat. Whatever. Both the Red Sox organization and David Price as a person unfortunately care way too much about public perception, so moving him to the ‘pen will be an emotionally difficult task for both sides, which is incredibly silly to think about, but that’s just the way it is. Both the Red Sox and Price want to be loved by the public, whether it’s fans or the media, and never want to taint their limelight. Making Price a reliever in October would obviously stir the pot and it’s all people would be talking about, but this is beyond “talk”. This is Price’s health and the Red Sox franchise moving forward.
The last point I want to make is a dreaded one, but I feel it needs to be mentioned. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Red Sox chose to forgo this plan that they’ve already internally discussed and know needs to be done and not put him in the bullpen. John Farrell recently said that they’ve talked about it and Price is aware of it, but I truly wouldn’t be shocked if they didn’t go along with it at the end of the day, for reasons previously mentioned. It could be that they don’t want to be talked about negatively and become yet another national David Price story, or that Price just doesn’t want to be a reliever even for a couple of weeks and they insist that his wish is their command, or maybe even something else or a combination of both. That’s how it is with the Red Sox; these are the underlying things you’ve grown accustomed to worrying about because it’s a real possibility, unfortunately.
There’s no rational reason as to why the Red Sox should refrain from making Price a bullpen arm come October, coming from both sides of this situation. It’s a low-risk, high-reward scenario that is almost too easy to make a reality. Thus, the Red Sox are more than capable of overthinking it and screwing themselves over in the middle of a World Series run. Maybe I’m just a paranoid Boston fan, but let us all pray for the best.
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