Don’t Get Your Hopes Up for David Price

When Max Scherzer signed his seven year deal worth $210 million he may have essentially set the market for the 2016 season already. There is a nice batch of starting pitchers set to hit the market including Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister and Scherzer’s former teammate David Price. I have heard rumblings and comparisons of New York passing on Johan Santana before the 2008 season only to acquire CC Sabathia before the 2009 season and ride his left arm to the Promised Land. Many think New York passed on Scherzer this offseason and will instead go after two of the three top free agent starting pitchers in 2016, especially Price. Wrong.

Price was essentially acquired last trading deadline to be insurance if and when Scherzer left Detroit and much like his predecessor Price may become too expensive to keep around beyond 2015. Scherzer won the American League Cy Young Award in 2013, a year after Price won his in 2012, and may become too expensive for Dave Dombrowski to keep around past this season. Naturally Detroit will try and lock up Price to a long term deal but after what Scherzer turned down and what Scherzer got in free agency who expects him to stay in Detroit? Nobody.

So what does this mean for New York? Unless the team is willing to push their payroll to $250 million or so it doesn’t mean much. The only free agents New York currently has entering the 2016 season is Stephen Drew, Chris Capuano and Chris Young. The money is not coming off the books after this season and if you believe Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman the money is not there to add any more. Price is already making $19.75 million for the 2015 season and with another year of being a left handed workhorse he is going to want much more than that in 2016. As much as I hate to say it don’t get your hopes up on Price in pinstripes Yankees family, he may be a little too rich for our blood.