Los Angeles Dodgers: Three overlooked aspects of the Mookie Betts trade

1. David Price is a much better acquisition than given credit for

David Price was thrown in this deal as salary relief for the Boston Red Sox. With three years and $96 million left on his contract, the Red Sox including Price in the deal theoretically allowed the Dodgers to include less in the trade as they are doing the Red Sox a favor with the salaries.

Is Price a $32 million pitcher at this point in his career? Absolutely not. However, people are letting that figure get in the way of a true evaluation of Price.

First of all, it has been speculated (but not confirmed) that the Red Sox are going to pay half of Price’s salary for the next three years. We know already that the Red Sox are sending cash to the Dodgers, and it might be less than half, but any help makes this easier for LA.

Even if he was being paid all $32 million I would not hate it. First of all, he is only under contract for three more years. So while he is making a lot, he does not restrict the Dodgers from extending the franchise-core pieces of Walker Buehler and Cody Bellinger when that time hits. And if his contract ever does become an issue, they can flip it with one or two years left.

I don’t think it will be an issue, though, as Price is going to be sneakily good on the Dodgers. Price has never pitched in the National League and is now pitching in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Mix that in with the fact that the Dodgers always seem to get the most out of pitchers and we can expect a better David Price.

I would not be all that surprised to see Price finish the season with 15+ wins and an era below 3.40, which is fantastic for the third-best starter on the team. I don’t think he will wow the fans every start, but I think we can expect a consistent 5-7 innings of work with 2-3 runs allowed in most starts.

Price is not just a salary figure in this trade, he is a legitimate asset that will help the Dodgers in 2020.