Baseball

AP source: Price, Rays agree on 1-year deal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — David Price got a hefty raise for winning the AL Cy Young Award.

A person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday night that the three-time All-Star and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract worth just over $10 million, avoiding arbitration. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made a formal announcement. Price earned $4.35 million last season, when he went 20-5 with an American League-low 2.56 ERA.

The hard-throwing left-hander barely beat out Detroit's Justin Verlander to become Tampa Bay's first Cy Young winner. He tied Jered Weaver for the league lead in wins and winning percentage and was sixth in strikeouts with 205 in 211 innings.

The Rays are expected to announce the deal with 27-year-old later this week. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt. He was promoted to the majors late the following year, when Tampa Bay made an improbable run to the World Series.

In 2010, he became the youngest pitcher to start an All-Star game since Dwight Gooden in 1986 and finished second to Seattle's Felix Hernandez in Cy Young balloting after going 19-6 with a 2.72 ERA. The ace of one of the deepest rotations in baseball last season, Price will be counted on even more in 2013 following a six-player trade that sent right-handers James Shields and Wade Davis to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for four minor leaguers, including top prospects Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi.

Related Headlines

  • Wil Myers

    Royals' trade with Rays shows win-now mentality

    When James Shields broke into the big leagues with Tampa Bay, the Rays were no better than the Kansas City Royals. They lost more than 100 games his first season, and fared ... 

  • David Price

    Price scratched from Saturday start

    Tampa Bay Rays left-hander David Price has been scratched from his scheduled start Saturday night because of what the team is calling general soreness in his left shoulder. 

  • James Shields

    Shields leads Rays past Yankees, tightens AL East

    Baltimore isn't the only team barreling in on the sputtering New York Yankees in the AL East. Tampa Bay is closing fast, too. James Shields pitched eight strong innings to ... 

  • Evan Longoria, Stuart Sternberg

    Longoria agrees to deal adding $100 million

    Evan Longoria wants to be with the Tampa Bay Rays for his entire big league career. The slugging third baseman got his wish Monday when they Rays agreed to a $136.6 million, ... 

Find your future job here

What

Where

Service