Dodgers: David Price Ready to Join Starting Rotation, Just Waiting for the Go Ahead
The Dodgers will be without the services or Trevor Bauer for the foreseeable future. With the loss of the starter, once again the rotation becomes a problem for LA. Manager Dave Roberts has said that David Price — a life-long starter — is a possibility when it comes to joining the rotation. However, he doesn’t know if it’s practical.
So why not ask Price instead?
That’s exactly what a group of reporters at Nationals Park did on Saturday. In fact, Bill Plunkett of the OC Register reports that Price would love the opportunity.
If they want me to start, yeah, that’s an opportunity I’ll take. The Dodgers always have a plan. I’m sure they have four or five plans at this point. I’m sure they have a lot of different things they’ve thought of for however many days we have left before the All-Star break to get us to that break. If that means me starting, then I’ll start.
Over 13 big league seasons, Price has done just that. 314 of his 343 career games have come as a starter, including 3 as an opener for the Dodgers this season.
It’s nice to have us sit here and say, yeah, just put him in the rotation already. But it’s important to take a step back and remember that Price opted out of the 2020 season over COVID-19 concerns. And he’s been in the bullpen most of this season. His last fully built-up start at the big league level came all the way back in September of 2019 with the Red Sox.
Related: Could Josiah Gray Be An Option to Start in the Near Future?
For someone who’s now 35, it’s not as easy to just start picking up the ball every fifth day and give a team 5-6 innings. In all fairness, it’s not easy for anyone. Spring training lasts as long as it does each year primarily to allow pitchers to build up to a starter’s workload.
But if he says he’s ready, why not take his word on it?
I don’t think that it would, honestly, be too tough. I mean, I’ve never done it before. Just the way my arm has responded as a reliever. I think that can be a little more taxing than being a starter. Throwing back to back to back and five out of seven can be more challenging than getting ready to pitch once every five days and stuff like that. My arm has responded well and I feel really good.
If Price and the Dodgers laid out the plan to have him start building up his pitch count over the next month, he could potentially be ramped up to a starter’s workload by late August.
There’s a need in the rotation. And if you’re worried about losing a left-hander out of the bullpen, reliever Scott Alexander is expected back on Monday or Tuesday.
In the immortal words of Shia LaBeouf, just do it.
All these BP games will cost Roberts an Dodgers later in the year if they continue to do this. Time to deal for another starter or 2.
Again, if there’s a need at the trade deadline, starting pitching is a no brainer.
What will the Padres do to improve their team? Joey Gallo? What will the Giants do? Max Scherzer? At this point, I don’t see Bauer coming back, so there is a hole in the rotation. Personally, I like Barrios or Castillo, but we also need a contact bat. Tired of the ‘walk first’s batter’s mentality. Our guys need to get ferocious against SD and SF. Not sure who that bat is.
Price is making starter money isn’t he?
For crying out loud start him!!!!
No brainer here.
Give Price and Nelson some starts. If they get in trouble you can always revert to a bullpen game. If the Bauer situation doesn’t get resolved soon, a trade should be explored. Now is the time to see if Price or Nelson can get it done.
Where is Kevin Kennedy when we need him?
Price & Nelson did start before and eventually became a bullpen game because these two don’t have the stamina and ammo to go two times the order. They are aged and arm wearied w/ only two solid pitches to go to. That is why they’re good only in the pen to get only certain type of hitters out. They don’t have enough stuff to change to when the hitters make adjustments to them.