David Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 earned-run average last season for the Blue Jays and Tigers, including a 9-1 regular-season record with Toronto.Mark Blinch/The Globe and Mail
The Boston Red Sox and ace pitcher David Price have agreed to a deal worth $217-million (U.S.) over seven years, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal has not yet been signed and is pending a physical.
Price has a 3.09 ERA in eight major league seasons with 1,372 strikeouts and 104 wins.
Price was acquired by the Blue Jays near the trade deadline last season in a deal with the Detroit Tigers. Toronto gave up left-handed pitching prospects Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt in the trade.
Price was excellent down the stretch, helping Toronto end its 22-year playoff drought.
He went 18-5 with a 2.45 earned-run average last season for the Blue Jays and Tigers, including a 9-1 regular-season record with Toronto. He went 1-2 through four post-season appearances (three starts) as a Blue Jay.
Price, the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner, finished second in the voting for this year's AL Cy Young behind Houston's Dallas Keuchel.
Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman posted a lengthy goodbye message to Price on his Instagram account along with a photo of the two pitchers Tuesday night. The 24-year-old Stroman thanked the veteran Price for taking him under his wing during his short time with Toronto.
"For that, I am forever thankful," Stroman wrote. "Watching and critiquing my bullpens. Treating everyone with class and respect. Putting your teammates first. Showing up early, and staying late. Forming a bond with every single guy on the team.
"I could go on forever."
Toronto outfielder Kevin Pillar also shared a message for Price.
"Congrats DP DAVIDPrice14 you are now my #Frenemy," Pillar wrote on his Twitter account.
Price would join a Red Sox rotation that is likely to include Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Boston finished last in the AL East last season with a 78-84 record, 15 games behind the division-champion Blue Jays.
With files from The Canadian Press