Of course everybody is going to start freaking out after the Boston Red Sox spent $217 million on ace David Price, who then allowed two home runs in his debut with the team in spring training on Thursday. However, Price doesn't see it as a big deal.
The left-hander tossed three innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk in the Red Sox' 8-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Shortstop Eduardo Escobar and catcher Kurt Suzuki took Price deep in the top of the second inning on back-to-back shots.
Price was handed the loss, but after the game he said he's "process oriented, not results oriented." He added that he knew he could've taken the mound for four more innings without surrendering another run. He threw 51 pitches in those three frames before Heath Hembree relieved him in the top of the fourth.
"The expectations that I have for myself far exceed any manager or teammate or fan's expectations for myself," he added, via Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
Some are going to view Price's outing as alarming, but let's not forget this is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Spring training is for working out the kinks and getting back up to speed, not immediately impressing with stellar outings, especially among pitchers who have spent much of the offseason resting their arm to get back up to full strength for the following year.
I mean, look at Clayton Kershaw. The three-time Cy Young winner recorded a 9.20 ERA in four spring training starts before the 2014 season and a 4.18 ERA in seven starts the spring prior. He won the Cy Young during the 2013 season and captured the Cy Young and NL MVP during the 2014 season.
So yes, it's safe to say for some players that the spring is no indicator of how they'll perform in the regular season.
Price is a part of that group. Last year he compiled a 5.76 ERA in six spring starts with the Detroit Tigers and finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young voting in 2015.
Another reason fans and pundits might be concerned with this outing is because Price faces a whole new situation in Boston as opposed to his past with the Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox brought him in to lead the pitching staff and made him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. He faces a much more aggressive media and rabid fan base than in any of his previous eight MLB seasons, so he'll be dealing with a lot of scrutiny if he doesn't meet expectations.
With that being said, spring training performances, for the most part, shouldn't raise any question marks regarding established MLB players. Price will more than likely be just fine, as he's proven so with 104 wins and a 3.09 ERA in 218 career games.
