Price is right

Apisith

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2007
3,208
Bangkok
No chance he opts out. I doubt Kershaw beats 4/130 or whatever Price opts in to.

Great game. Hope he doesn’t have to pitch again this season. That was what we paid for.
 

EllisTheRimMan

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 6, 2007
4,560
Csmbridge
First of all... Light up this thread!

What a, dare I say, clutch performance.

Put this together with his last gem, and you have a dominant playoff performance. SSS rules apply. Your mileage may vary.
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
He earned his entire contract the last two starts. This is the SP version of JD Drew.
 

EllisTheRimMan

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 6, 2007
4,560
Csmbridge
The Sox are dismantling the Dodgers more surgically and efficiently than they did with the Yankees and Astros.

Price, Kelly, Eovaldi and Kimbrel. Yowza!
 

LesterFan

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2010
15,046
Boston, MA
He was terrific tonight. His 3 BB/5 K line looks mediocre but it really should have been 2 BB/7 K. He got robbed of a clear strike 3 call on Dozier on a 3-2 count in the 3rd, and then again in the 5th on Turner.
 

riboflav

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 20, 2006
9,579
NOVA
First of all... Light up this thread!

What a, dare I say, clutch performance.

Put this together with his last gem, and you have a dominant playoff performance. SSS rules apply. Your mileage may vary.
It's really anything but. Price has proven this postseason that SSS is the very definition of postseason play. Given time, really good players play to their regression which is what Price is currently proving. Unless, you think Ted sucks because he had a blah postseason in '46.
 

scottyno

late Bloomer
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2008
11,304
So if this was his last appearance does he opt out?
The only reason he would opt out is if he was so miserable from the fans that he wanted to be anywhere else but Boston. Right now he looks anything but miserable and the fans love him.
 

LogansDad

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 15, 2006
29,049
Alamogordo
Incredible performance tonight. I don't have time before going into work to look anything up, but I felt like it could have been even better had he gotten the same strike zone that Ryu got, especially inside to righty hitters.

I don't want to see him pitch again until the spring, though.
 

streeter88

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 2, 2006
1,807
Melbourne, Australia
I don't want to see him pitch again until the spring, though.
Nobody does. heck, I don't even want to see Chris Sale pitch again. ;-)

Price pitched very very well. Re-watching right now, and he is seriously painting. And I can see why he would have had the conversation with the Ump after the fourth inning. He got seriously squeezed vs. earlier in the game. He got a couple of nice wide strikes in the 2nd notably his strikeout pitch to Kemp looked at least 3" inside.
 

streeter88

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 2, 2006
1,807
Melbourne, Australia
So the Dozier walk in the 3rd. Vaz was set up low and inside and had to move his mitt up a lot to catch the high strike from Price which was then called Ball 4. Contrast with exact same pitch from Ryu on 1-1 to Mookie in the bottom of the same inning, but Barnes was set up exactly there and didn't even move his mitt. Strike 2.

The Taylor walk in the 4th. He gets one call to get to 2-2, but according to K zone neither of the following two pitches were particularly close. Ball 3 looked 6 inches outside, and Ball 4 was never in the strike zone - looked 3" too low.

Then on the Kike Hernandez AB, first pitch might have gotten the call - if Vaz had been set up there, but he was low and away not high and away. You could see Price wanted that pitch a bit too. He gets the next pitch, because Vaz is there inside and he hits the mitt. And then the third pitch is 6" inside, and a ball.

Looks like it really helps to hit the target.

Edit: And then the 1-2 pitch to Turner in the 5th, was a bit of a head scratcher. Ever so slightly inside, but hit Vaz's mitt perfectly. Ball 2. Luckily he grounded out next pitch.
 
Last edited:

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,233
It's really anything but. Price has proven this postseason that SSS is the very definition of postseason play. Given time, really good players play to their regression which is what Price is currently proving. Unless, you think Ted sucks because he had a blah postseason in '46.
Price has demonstrated once again that a sample size of 10 games spread over many years has zero predictive value.
 

Van Everyman

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2009
26,991
Newton
I do think there’s something to be said about it being a mental thing tho.

Sabathia is the guy who comes to mind. Until 2009, he was The Guy Who Couldn’t Get It Done in October and the Sox benefitted mightily in 2007. But once he got over the hump, he was generally pretty terrific and saved the Yankees’ season about three times last October.
 

Clears Cleaver

Lil' Bill
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
11,370
whatever he found, it resulted in him throwing fastballs to righties on the inner half with conviction he didn't have before. And that made his changeup materially better. the Astros clearly weren't prepared for it. Last night, I'm pretty sure Price did not have a feel for the cutter and STILL pitched fantastic.

The guy we've seen the last two starts is a legit number one starter. Pretty incredible given the elbow issues, decreased velocity and fact he's 33 years old.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
Guys on EEI (I know, I know) are convinced he's either opting out or getting traded.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
Moderator
SoSH Member
May 20, 2003
35,719
Deep inside Muppet Labs
I do think there’s something to be said about it being a mental thing tho.

Sabathia is the guy who comes to mind. Until 2009, he was The Guy Who Couldn’t Get It Done in October and the Sox benefitted mightily in 2007. But once he got over the hump, he was generally pretty terrific and saved the Yankees’ season about three times last October.
I'm with you here.

In his post-game interview after Game 5 in Houston, he looked like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,369
The Sox are dismantling the Dodgers more surgically and efficiently than they did with the Yankees and Astros.

Price, Kelly, Eovaldi and Kimbrel. Yowza!
Retired 16 straight to end the game without using Barnes or Tilt.

Pretty sweet.

Price has been tremendous the last two times out. An obvious statement but it feels really good to say it anyway. So happy for the guy.
 

donutogre

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
3,193
Philadelphia
He was terrific tonight. His 3 BB/5 K line looks mediocre but it really should have been 2 BB/7 K. He got robbed of a clear strike 3 call on Dozier on a 3-2 count in the 3rd, and then again in the 5th on Turner.
Such a great performance, and I think the thing I was happiest about is the fact that he came right back after that "bad" fourth (and a very short half-inning where the Sox bats did nothing) to shut the Dodgers down for two more innings, setting up the pen nicely for success.

He very easily could have ended up with a similar game to the one Sale pitched, but he got the job done. I'll never utter a bad word about him again.
 

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
23,672
Miami (oh, Miami!)
I do think there’s something to be said about it being a mental thing tho.

Sabathia is the guy who comes to mind. Until 2009, he was The Guy Who Couldn’t Get It Done in October and the Sox benefitted mightily in 2007. But once he got over the hump, he was generally pretty terrific and saved the Yankees’ season about three times last October.
I’d agree there’s a mental component. Couch one’s expression of oneself v. the external world in terms of faith, luck, destiny, karma, what-have-you; for many people there’s something extra to be reckoned with when aproaching a new challenge, or returning to something one failed at. Everyone knows someone who is unlucky, or snake-bit; what if it’s you, here, for this thing? Yet once “the thing” is done successfully, the next go at it often becomes easier, at least from the perspective of not over-thinking, getting distracted, or psyching yourself out.

Price has always been clear that he wants to shoulder the load. He knows his performance hasn’t been all he’s hoped it to be. I have zero doubt Price is as capable of psyching himself up, or psyching himself out, as the next guy.

Beyond the win against Houston, I hope that talking to himself after suffering the bad/borderline calls last night was one of those positive “I will do this” moments for Price. He could see the game getting away from him and he rallied and limited the damage. Now he knows that when push came to shove, he delivered - no doubt about it. In the subjective world of David Price, that may mean something significant, and it may translate into future performances.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,233
I'm with you here.

In his post-game interview after Game 5 in Houston, he looked like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.
I don't think I'm contradicting myself by agreeing. It *had* to be a relief (no pun).
And its possible that with each unsuccessful start the next one gets more difficult. But I'm not convinced that 10 starts over 8 years is predictive among pitchers who are demonstrably good otherwise. There have been too many really good players who struggled for awhile in post season and then they didn't struggle for me to think otherwise.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
loved his performance, but why is the guy such a dink with his presser?
Why do you care? Benintendi is bland in his postgame interviews. It doesn't matter.

I mean, Bill Belichick is king dink in his press conferences and most Pats fans love it.
 

ledsox

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 14, 2005
398
loved his performance, but why is the guy such a dink with his presser?
That's funny.
The guy is all in with this team. Said he'd rather go 0-5 in the PS with a title here than 4-0 and no ring.
Thankfully he's become a PS ace. 3 straight games where he's out pitched the other starter.
 

esfr

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
145
loved his performance, but why is the guy such a dink with his presser?
I enjoy his pressers - brutally honest, a bit raw, unvarnished. Reminds me of Pedro back in the day when you’d sometime wonder aloud “did he just say that”
 

nvalvo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
21,478
Rogers Park
Guys on EEI (I know, I know) are convinced he's either opting out or getting traded.
He may well be opting out, even though he said a month ago he was planning to stay — “he came here to win,” and the team is winning.

It’d be hard to find a trading partner for a four year commitment at a $30m+ AAV for a mid-30s pitcher with ambiguous elbow issues, even a very good one. I think we can safely rule that out.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
He may well be opting out, even though he said a month ago he was planning to stay — “he came here to win,” and the team is winning.

It’d be hard to find a trading partner for a four year commitment at a $30m+ AAV for a mid-30s pitcher with ambiguous elbow issues, even a very good one. I think we can safely rule that out.
If there is no team that would be a trade partner, then why would there be a team interested in signing him if he opts out? I can't believe that he hates Boston so much that he'd opt out to sign a significantly worse contract.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
If there is no team that would be a trade partner, then why would there be a team interested in signing him if he opts out? I can't believe that he hates Boston so much that he'd opt out to sign a significantly worse contract.
Because a team would have to give up assets to acquire him from the Sox. If he's a FA, it's only cash. It's possible the Sox would trade Price for a sack of baseballs too.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Because a team would have to give up assets to acquire him from the Sox. If he's a FA, it's only cash. It's possible the Sox would trade Price for a sack of baseballs too.
If the Sox win the WS this year and some team is then willing to take on Price's full contract, I'm pretty sure that the assets they'd request wouldn't be meaningful.
 

chrisfont9

Member
SoSH Member
loved his performance, but why is the guy such a dink with his presser?
If you put yourself in his shoes and have spent the last god knows how long answering the same questions about how he sucks in the playoffs, and you decide to give candid answers now that people are changing their tune, does that make you a dink? I think we have to be realistic about what you can expect normal humans to do under such strange circumstances.
 

chrisfont9

Member
SoSH Member
If the Sox win the WS this year and some team is then willing to take on Price's full contract, I'm pretty sure that the assets they'd request wouldn't be meaningful.
But won't the Sox be in extreme GFIN mode in 2019 given all the contract decisions after that? They'd be reluctant to let Price go unless it were pretty persuasive and/or Eovaldi returned.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
But won't the Sox be in extreme GFIN mode in 2019 given all the contract decisions after that? They'd be reluctant to let Price go unless it were pretty persuasive and/or Eovaldi returned.
My opinion is that if they win this year, they'll feel less compelled to hold onto 4 years of 34-37 Price to GFIN in 2019. And his money will help with those other contract decisions.
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,667
I agree. However, Price is holding all of the cards here. The Sox may not have a choice.
He was saying IF the Red Sox win and IF another team is willing to take him on. Does Price have a no-trade?
I don’t think so, in which case he doesn’t hold all the cards.
 

OurF'ingCity

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 22, 2016
8,469
New York City
My bad. I was talking about the opt out.
Does anyone know by what date Price has to opt-in? I assume the Red Sox would have only agreed to a relatively early date so that if he opts out they can explore alternatives, but if he doesn't have to do so until later in the offseason that would give Price more leverage. And it's also possible, I suppose, he doesn't have a full no-trade clause but does have minor protections around the opt-out clause such that they can't trade him within X days of opting in to prevent gamesmanship by the Sox where they sell him on four more years of Sox baseball and then immediately turn around and trade him.
 

chrisfont9

Member
SoSH Member
My opinion is that if they win this year, they'll feel less compelled to hold onto 4 years of 34-37 Price to GFIN in 2019. And his money will help with those other contract decisions.
Yeah, but balanced against the 2019 rotation situation. So if they think Eovaldi is coming back, that makes them a lot freer to explore a deal for Price.

The flipside of trading out of 4/34+ is going with him for one more year and then trying to trade his remaining 3/34+. Obviously there are a lot of unknowns about the post-2019 market.
 

Wallball Tingle

union soap
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
2,518
sure, I like rooting for players who are likable and have nice personalities. How do you pick your favorite players...just by their stats?
Up until the point where he actually harms another human being or their livelihood, where he becomes an actual detriment to society (or maybe if he is poisoning the team's chemistry), I don't give a shit about a player's personality. Sure, they can gain some bonus points for being easy to like (Ortiz ascends from demigod to god status, maybe, e.g.). But if a guy glowers and barks at the media/Twitter but also throws 6 shutout against the Astros...the latter completely wipes out the former in my ledger.