By Jordan Long
The L.A. Dodgers have earned a playoff spot for the 9th year in a row. They look to go further this season than the National Championship Series which is where their year ended last year at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers are anticipating it’s an October to remember as they want to win their first World Series since 2020. With that, pitcher David Price is thinking about retiring whenever the playoff run ends.
This is Prices’ 14th year in Major League Baseball and his second with the L.A. Dodgers. Price previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox. Price showed his age this year at 37. He appeared in 38.1 innings with a record of 2-0. Those innings are the lowest amount in Price’s career. His ERA is 2.58.
Price’s last appearance for the Dodgers was on August 29th against the Miami Marlins. He worked one-third of an inning and gave up 1 hit while throwing 8 pitches. Price has been shut down since then dealing with arm soreness. The Dodgers hope to have him back for the postseason.
Price is pondering leaving the game once the year is up. According to MSN.com, Price said, “Just want to see how this year unfolds. And see what happens in October.”
Price is smart not to decide too soon. He wants to see how his body feels when the season ends and possibly into the offseason. With the Dodgers are back in the postseason it is possible they win the World Series this year. Price may decide to retire after that as a champion.
The truth is Price doesn’t have anything left to prove in the game of baseball anymore. This season has shown his days as a starting pitcher are done. Price has worked out of the bullpen. It could be a sign that it is time to leave the game.
If Price decides to retire at the end of the year, he had one great career. His overall record stands at 157-82 with an ERA of 3.32. Price won 20 games once, 2012, which earned him his only Cy Young Award. Price has also been to 5 All-Star Games and won the American League Comeback Player Of The Year Award in 2018. All those are great but a player wants to help their team win the World Series. Price did that with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
Price should enjoy this playoff run with the Dodgers. They look like the team to beat in baseball. Right now, the Dodgers stand at 101-44, the best mark in all of Major League Baseball. When it comes to the postseason though, all bets are off. A team they play could have the pitching and hot bats to knock them off. Once the year is over, Price should take his time to figure out what is best for him. It seems like retiring could be the right decision since he can’t pitch consistently anymore.
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