While the Blue Jays are gearing up for their first playoff run in over two decades, one player is already focused on the off-season.
24-year-old pitching phenom Marcus Stroman is spearheading a campaign to get star pitcher David Price signed to a long-term deal.
The young righthander, who was two years old when the Jays last made the post-season, told reporters that he plans to do “everything in my power” to keep Price in a Toronto uniform.
The hashtag #DPTOlongterm is attracting buzz as Jays fans clamor for the team to offer Price a big payday, and some debate whether he’s worth the mega-deal likely coming his way.
However, Jays management should already be fully aware of Price’s importance to the team.
His late-season acquisition from Detroit helped key the team’s ascension to the best record in the American League and first playoff appearance since 1993.
However, the Cy Young contender’s contract expires at the end of this season, meaning he could be little more than a three-month rental for the Jays.
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Price has posted an 18-5 record this season, including an AL-best 2.45 ERA. He’ll be a highly coveted free agent and will command a long-term, big money deal, likely along the lines of pitcher Max Scherzer’s colossal seven-year, $210 million contract signed last year with the Washington Nationals.
Rogers, which owns the Jays, has sometimes been reluctant to open the purse strings in the past, although some recent deals indicate an increased willingness to pay what it takes to win. Catcher Russell Martin’s recent five-year, $82 million deal is the most lucrative Jays contract awarded under GM Alex Anthopoulos.
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