With David Price, Blue Jays Made the Right Choice

Aug 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher

David Price

(14) comes off the field during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

David Price is good. D’uh. He’s the ace that the Toronto Blue Jays have been lacking for a few years. In an ace, you want a guy who can stop losing streaks. You want a guy who can provide a big performance in a big game. You want a guy who provides your team the confidence it needs to take on any challenges. You want a guy who has the opposite impact on your opponents. David Price does that and has been doing it since he came to Toronto. Trading for him as a rental was a gamble. There were other options available. But, it is one that has paid off.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were linked to just about everyone at the July 31st Trade Deadline. We heard names like Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Yovani Gallardo and Carlos Carrasco. Since then, the Blue Jays have gone on a tear with Price in tow. Their 29-9 record as of Sunday morning is a testament to that. They went an incredible 21-6 in August and look to be in good shape to make the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. On the surface, it looks like they won the trade deadline; that they made the right choice in Price.

There is a lot that goes in to winning, to be sure. But, David Price has been a huge contributor. He was clearly the right choice. But, let’s look at how he stacks up against those other names on an individual basis to see just how good a get this was. We’re solely focusing on performances since the Trade Deadline, here. So, take for what it is.

Cueto was brought in by the Royals to bolster their chances as the best team in the American League. That title is on shaky ground. The White Sox elected to keep The Shark as they felt they still had a chance to compete. Or, they didn’t like the offers they were getting. Gallardo stayed in Texas and is watching his team try to hang on that second Wild Card spot and maybe creep up to take the AL West from the Astros. Carrasco has been stuck in Cleveland with a team that has a faint glimmer of hope to challenge for said 2nd Wild Card spot.

The standings depend upon an entire team to perform. So, we might not be able to say “Player X has provided Y to his team”. But, it is certainly worthwhile to dig into each of these names and compare their individual numbers. SO, let’s get to it.

Next: A Royal Mistake?