David Price is off to the best start of his MLB career and it comes at an opportune time. The left-hander is slated to become a free agent after the 2015 season and is expected to be the most sought-after starting pitcher. The latest rumors do not favor the Detroit Tigers.
The 29-year-old is 1-0 with a 0.40 ERA and 0.806 WHIP in his first three starts against the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. He has surrendered just one earned run on 13 hits and five walks in 22 1/3 innings of work as he plays out his one-year, $19.75 arbitration settlement with the Tigers.
While the team is interested in signing him to a long-term extension, the market may not allow them to do so. Within the past few seasons the game's top arms have signed immense contracts, such as Clayton Kershaw ($215 million), Max Scherzer ($210 million), Felix Hernandez ($175 million), CC Sabathia ($161 million), Jon Lester ($155 million), Masahiro Tanaka ($155 million), Zack Greinke ($147 million), Cole Hamels ($144 million) and others.
Detroit reportedly offered Scherzer a six-year, $144 million extension prior to last season, but the right-hander rejected that proposal, hit the open market and eventually signed a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals. Scherzer said after he turned down the Tigers' initial offer the two sides never re-entered negotiations. The team's ownership was reportedly upset regarding the turn of events and they may experience some déjà vu this time around with Price.
"The market for Price? Given that he's started this season very well, according to one major league source Price's next deal will be somewhere between Max Scherzer's seven years at $210 million and Clayton Kershaw's seven years at $215 million," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Detroit entered the 2015 season with the fifth-highest payroll in the MLB with $172,792,250 committed on Opening Day. Although the contracts of Price, Yoenis Cespedes, Joakim Soria, Alex Avila, Alfredo Simon, Rajai Davis, Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny (totaling $48.22 million) will be coming off the books, it's unclear if they'd be willing to add another monstrous financial commitment alongside those of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Anibal Sanchez, on top of eventually having to pay their younger players.
The Tigers and Price were "believed to remain apart in talks" less than a week before Opening Day, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and it has likely gotten even worse because of the fast start the left-hander has gotten off to.
It's unknown what will come out of this, but right now it looks promising for Price and discouraging for Detroit.
