David Price Made His Spring Training Debut Today And He Looked Prettyyyy Pretty Good
This time last year, the reality that David Price could end up on an operating table was becoming quite real to seemingly inevitable. Price didn’t make his 2017 debut until May 29 due to elbow issues, and looked meh against an abysmal White Sox team his first time out, dominated the Orioles in his second start, got rocked by the Yankees, which has been a thing since he got to Boston, and then posted a 2.66 ERA over his next seven starts with 43 strikeouts in 44 innings.
His final start of the season was against the Angels on July 22. Price gave up five earned runs, walked three batters and took the loss. It’d be the last time we’d see Price on the mound for Boston until he returned halfway through the month of September as a reliever. Price finished out his 2017 season with five scoreless appearances out of the bullpen, logging 8.2 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts. Price carried that into the postseason, appearing in two games for the Red Sox in October, logging 6.2 more innings of shutout work with six strikeouts.
When looking at the 2018 squad, even prior to the addition of JD Martinez to the middle of the order, not enough was made out of what Price returning to the rotation could mean for this team. The Red Sox won 93 games and their second consecutive division title with Price on the sidelines for two thirds of the season as a starting pitcher. The relief appearances were largely successful, but it wasn’t about his shutout streak as a reliever — it was that they were a representation of a pitcher who was healthy again. A pitcher who could come back in 2018 and make the Red Sox an even better team than they were the year before.
Until he wins in the postseason — and no, his success last October as a reliever doesn’t carry a ton of weight — then the jury will still be out on Price not just in Boston, but for his entire career. But we’ll attempt to cross that bridge once again if and when he gets there. For now, you can take those relief appearances from last year and today’s performance as a very positive sign for what could lie ahead this season.
No, spring training statistics don’t mean much if anything at all, although it’s nice to see Price throw four shutout innings with five strikeouts, one walk and one hit. It’s the fact that he’s out there, commanding his fastball, registering a familiar velocity and experiencing no pain or difficulty. Say what you want about the guy, but the Red Sox are a significantly better team when Price is taking the ball for Boston 30+ times a year.