Detroit Tigers starting pitcher David Price delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014, in St. Petersburg, Fla.Chris O'Meara/The Associated Press
David Price and the Detroit Tigers have avoided arbitration, reaching a $19.75-million, one-year agreement, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement had not been announced. It is the largest one-year contract for a player who filed for arbitration, topping Max Scherzer's $15,525,000 agreement with the Tigers last year.
Detroit acquired Price in a deadline trade in July, and the move paid dividends when the left-hander held Minnesota scoreless in a division-clinching victory on the final day of the regular season. Detroit won the AL Central for a fourth consecutive year.
Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner, can become a free agent next off-season.
Price made $14-million last year, starting the season with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Tigers. He's part of a star-studded rotation in Detroit that also includes Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez, although the Tigers traded Rick Porcello this off-season and may lose Max Scherzer to free agency.
Outfielder J.D. Martinez and right-handers Al Alburquerque and Alfredo Simon were the other Detroit players eligible for arbitration.
Price went 15-12 with a 3.26 ERA last season, and he led the major leagues with 271 strikeouts. He also reached a career high with 248 1-3 innings pitched.
The Tigers traded left-hander Drew Smyly and centre fielder Austin Jackson in the move that brought Price to Detroit. It was an aggressive attempt to add another top pitcher to the staff, and the deal meant the Tigers would probably still have a solid rotation even if Scherzer ended up elsewhere.
Scherzer remains on the open market, and the Tigers have already shuffled their rotation a bit more. They acquired right-hander Shane Greene from the New York Yankees, and Simon was traded from Cincinnati to Detroit last month.
Price will be a big part of Detroit's attempt to defend its spot atop the division, which looks increasingly tenuous after Kansas City went to the World Series as a wild card last year and the Chicago White Sox made a few significant moves this off-season. Cleveland could also be a threat with its promising rotation, which includes 2014 Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.