Yankees: Red Sox Somehow Benefitting From David Price Sitting Out Season is Insane

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price announced he’s sitting out 2020, and the Boston Red Sox will save money.

The Boston Red Sox string of luck since 2004 has been something the baseball world has perhaps never seen before. That ALCS comeback made baseball history. Their 2013 team wasn’t that good but somehow won a World Series. The 2018 team walked all over the MLB and won a title without a bump in the road (108 wins!) before missing the playoffs in 2019.

Then, this offseason, they managed to get value for Mookie Betts before he hit free agency AND get rid of David Price’s contract … and the Los Angeles Dodgers will only get one of them for 60 games in 2020. That’s because Price announced on Saturday he’s opting out of the upcoming season due to concerns about the coronavirus.

Need more of a reason to hate the Sox, New York Yankees fans? Well, they’re now off the hook for paying Price the $5.7 million they owe him for 2020.

Re: Price opting out: 1) He’s a very influential figure in the game. His willingness to walk away from $11.5M may impact calculus of others. 2) Sox won’t have to pay $5.7M share of his $ this year. 3) Luxury tax implications unclear. Those are still being collectively bargained.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 4, 2020

In case you forgot, the Dodgers did not absorb all of Price’s contract in the trade. Boston was set to pay half his remaining salary ($48 million) per the agreement, but now they’ll escape some of that this year AND maybe save on the competitive balance tax! Here’s what Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com lays out regarding the latter situation:

“If it’s determined that CBT hit for Price (and any other players who opt out throughout the league) is forgiven, then the Red Sox would be under the $208 million penalty mark by more than $25 million, giving them plenty of room to potentially add salary during the season.”

David Price's opt-out decision *will* save the Red Sox about $6M in real money.

It *could* change their entire CBT strategy in 2020, making expensive additions more likely.

Everything you need to know on how the decision affects the Red Sox:https://t.co/det7fEicxH
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 4, 2020

So the Red Sox make a bad investment in Price and a downright horrible trade with the Dodgers and will somehow benefit from all of it? Color us shocked, we’ve never seen this team walk ass-backwards into a fruitful situation they don’t deserve.

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When Boston lands some free agent in the offseason or trades for someone at the deadline that haunts the Yankees for years, we can almost assuredly link it to Price sitting out 2020 to protect himself and his family, which is wild to even think about.

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