Blue Jays Should Consider a Reunion with David Price

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of Spring Training and the Toronto Blue Jays remain a starting pitcher or two short of a full roster. While the additions of George Springer and Marcus Semien have fans excited about the potential of the new look line-up, the team still needs to upgrade the rotation if they hope to challenge for top spot in the AL East. Taijaun Walker and James Paxton have been linked to Toronto throughout the off-season, while Jake Odorizzi remains an intriguing option among the remaining free agents.

The front office could also choose to swing another deal to upgrade the rotation and they would be wise to look at the LA Dodgers as a potential trade partner. After the defending World Series Champions signed this year’s top free agent Trevor Bauer on Friday, the Dodgers now have a staggering $94 million committed towards starting pitching for the upcoming season. Bauer, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler aren’t going anywhere, but there’s a chance that LA now sees former Blue Jay David Price as a moveable commodity.

Price has two years left on the seven-year deal he signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2016. The Sox are on the hook for half of his remaining salary so that leaves two years at $16 million per remaining on the books for LA. Price opted out last year and will be entering his age 35 season, so $16 million is still a hefty price tag for a player who is now past his prime.

The last time we saw David Price, he posted a 7-5 record with a 4.28 ERA over 107 innings with Boston in 2019. He’s no longer the perennial All-Star and Cy Young candidate that he was during his time with the Blue Jays in 2015, but Price was an integral part of the Red Sox World Series run in 2018. His regular season numbers didn’t quite live up to the contract he signed in Boston but at a lower price tag he still has plenty of value for a contending team.

If the Jays were to add Price, it would likely have to coincide with a separate deal that sees Tanner Roark leave town. If Toronto could move Roark while retaining roughly half of his $12 million in salary, then the team could conceivably swap Roark out of the rotation for Price while adding just $8-$10 million in salary to this year’s payroll, along with another season of Price in 2022. As far as trade capital, the cost of bringing in Price would likely be a secondary prospect or two from a Blue Jays system which has plenty of depth to it. Perhaps the Dodgers would retain a bit of salary in exchange for a better return as well.

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Beyond the money, Price has stated multiple times how much he enjoyed his time in Toronto and the fanbase certainly felt the same. The 35-year-old lefty is a well liked teammate and would bring a stable veteran presence to the clubhouse and to the middle of the Blue Jays rotation. He could be a positive influence on young arms such as Nate Pearson, while also allowing some of the other young guys more time to develop.

Earlier this off-season, I wrote that the Jays needed to add three arms to the rotation if they wanted to succeed in 2021. So far Robbie Ray has been re-signed and Steven Matz acquired from New York. Neither of those guys fit into the high impact category I was hoping the Jays would address. Price would, and so would Walker or Paxton.

Ideally, Toronto should add one of those free agents while also adding an impact veteran like Price via trade. If they are able to do so they will prove to the fanbase that they are ready to challenge for the AL East and also make a legitimate run at the crown this October.