It's time for the Red Sox to part ways with David Price

Seven hours prior to his start, Boston Red Sox number two starter David Price was sent to the 10-day disabled list for an elbow injury.

Did you hear that? That was a collective “ugh” from all of Red Sox nation.

David Price has been a nightmare since he came to the Boston Red Sox, both on the field and off. No, not a Pablo Sandoval nightmare where you wake up in a cold sweat wondering how you’re going to fill in the hole between shortstop and the 3rd base line, but one where you wake up and it takes you a little while to shake it off.

The Ailing Elbow

This isn’t the first time Price has been sidelined with an elbow injury since joining the Red Sox. In late February, Price hurt his elbow and had to see Dr. James Andrews to get evaluated. Surprisingly, he left the grim reaper’s office without being prescribed Tommy John surgery.

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: David Price /

Price then made his long awaited return on May 29th, and pitched relatively well. Since that point, he has been middling. With 11 starts under his belt, Price is 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and over 8 strikeouts per 9 IP. These aren’t Chris Sale numbers, but they’re solid for a number two starter.

"After Price’s elbow injury, Dave Dombrowski gave this statement: “He has inflammation in his elbow, his arm, where he had it before. I think we’re really more in an evaluation stage at this point. We’ll see where he progresses from here. We’ll keep working with him and try to get him back on the field as soon as possible. I don’t really know when that will be.”"

Off Field Issues

How can I put this lightly? You know how Dwight is a top salesman at Dunder Mifflin in The Office but sometimes you wish he would shut up and get back to selling paper? That’s David Price. When healthy, there’s no doubt he’s capable of getting the job done on the mound.

Off of the mound, however, Price has been the center of attention for Boston media, and not in a positive light. Price has addressed media negatively throughout his tenure in Boston, and most recently, he got involved in a verbal altercation with NESN broadcaster and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley.

Apparently, as reported by Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Price will attempt to make things right between he and Eck.

Pedroia says he talked one on one with Price about Eck incident; he said Price will talk face to face with Eck when he sees him.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 28, 2017

While this is a step in the right direction, his poor behavior has been a pattern ever since he arrived in Boston. This is not a guy the Red Sox should keep around.

Possible Solutions

The Red Sox are in need of a few pieces. First and foremost, a reliable reliever whose name is not Craig Kimbrel. With David Price assumed to opt out of his contract after next season, the most sensible option is for the Red Sox to cut ties with Price.

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Yes, the Sox have a lot invested in Price. Like, a lot a lot. But he has not produced at an elite level and his off-field behavior is unsustainable on a team with such engaged fans and media. If he isn’t earning every cent of his contract, there’s no sense in keeping him around to ultimately cause strife for a struggling team.

My target is Detroit Tigers reliever Justin Wilson. He is as cheap as they come and is having a fantastic year for Detroit so far. He could bolster the struggling Red Sox bullpen, and he could come with a teammate.

According to Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman, the Tigers are also willing to trade veteran Justin Verlander (insert eyes emoji). Holding a massive contract of his own, the two sides could even out by sending Price to Detroit. Far fetched, I know.

All In All

Something needs to be done. David Price cannot be galavanting around Boston cursing out media members and former players. While it will take some serious negotiating, it’s time to cast this guy out into the market and see if they get any bites.

Next: New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore excited to be a Patriot

From Dombrowski’s quote, it looks like this saga is far from over. Maybe Price will be back in two weeks, maybe he will miss the remainder of the season. If that’s not enough, his attitude is as unstable as his elbow. In my personal opinion, the Red Sox front office should be inducing chemotherapy to get rid of the clubhouse cancer that is David Price.

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It’s time for the Red Sox to part ways with David Price

By Ben Porter | Jul 29, 2017