David Price is set to hit the open free agency market this coming offseason and the Chicago Cubs must aggressively pursue the pitcher immediately when it opens.
Chicago has been a major surprise this season and is currently in the position to make the postseason. They are the second Wild Card team in the National League at this point in time and haven't shown any signs of slowing down. Joe Maddon has done wonders with the young offense they have put together, while the rotation has also stepped up in a big way.
Jake Arrieta is one of the top NL Cy Young award candidates, while Jon Lester has turned things on as the season has moved along as well. Kyle Hendricks, Jason Hammel and Dan Haren have had their moments, but neither player is capable of being the type of shutdown starter that the Cubs need to take the next step.
Signing Price would bring in that type of player and would also reunited Price with Maddon, who managed him during his tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays.
During the 2015 season so far split between the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays, Price has put together a very impressive all-around season. He has compiled a 14-5 record to go along with a 2.43 ERA and 4.78 K/BB ratio. Those numbers show why the Cubs would be wise to do anything they can to bring him on board.
At 30 years old, Price still has a good chunk of time left in his MLB career playing at his highest level. If the Cubs were able to lock him up to a six-year contract, they would likely get him at a high level for at least four or five of those seasons. There is a chance that he can pitch dominantly until he gets close to 40 years old, but there aren't a ton of players that last that long.
Looking ahead at free agency this coming offseason, there are going to be quite a few teams showing interest in signing Price. Chicago definitely seems like a good guess to be the front-runner right now, but they aren't going to have an easy task winning him over and signing him long-term.
There are other options that the Cubs could pursue to improve their rotation, but there are none that can make the type of impact that Price could. He might very well be the type of presence in the rotation that takes them from being a postseason contender to a World Series favorite over the next couple of seasons.
Maddon gives the Cubs a huge advantage over other teams trying to sign Price. He has a good history with the star pitcher and helps bring the type of fun atmosphere that the veteran pitcher is searching for at this stage in his career.
All of that being said, Theo Epstein has to make a big move if he wants to take a leap forward. They have the talent at the plate to outscore nearly any team they face, but they need another star pitcher. Price is that guy and the Cubs need to go all out to bring him to the north side of Chicago.
© 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
