It’s not every day a team gets to acquire a one-time Cy Young Award winner as the second part of a big trade. But that’s exactly what the Dodgers got with David Price. And as it turns out, Price is very happy to have ended up with Los Angeles. In a sit-down interview with USA Today, Price talked about the transition for him out of Boston.
It’s such a big difference from Boston to here. Really, it’s night and day.
Price spent the last four years playing for the Red Sox and winning a World Series there. But it’s no secret that his struggles were highlighted by Boston media. He labored to a 4.28 earned run average in his final season there, ultimately leading to him coming to Los Angeles. But what surprised him most is that he’s not being hounded by media.
That was a big day for me, a very big day. I came in, got undressed, showered, came back to my locker, and stood there for 10 or 15 minutes. There were maybe two or three [reporters] hanging out, talking to other guys, and nobody came over to talk to me about my day. I couldn’t believe it. It was like after me and Mookie had our introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, we walk off the field when it was all done, and Mookie says, ‘That’s it? Is this a joke
Boston reporters were not kind to David Price. After signing a 7-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox prior to the 2016 season, the city had high expectations for him. He came out and did not look like his normal Cy Young self, and they began to turn on him quickly. From there, it was only an uphill battle.
The narrative has been much different already in Los Angeles. Fans are excited to have Price here, and there are not any unrealistic expectations for him.
I’ve only been here a couple of weeks but I really couldn’t be happier…Look, it’s not like I wanted to be traded. I was grateful for my four years in Boston. I went there to win, and we won. But if I had a list of the top three or four teams I would have wanted to be traded to, LA would definitely have been on it. I’m honored to be part of this franchise, and it’s place in history.
Hearing that a guy on your team wants to be there is always a good thing, and Dodgers fans are going to love David Price. He has three more years remaining on his contract, so he might be around a while. He gets his first Cactus League start today in Goodyear, Arizona.
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