I hope something really bizarre goes down, like he gets traded to a team no one expects, let's say Houston, for prospects. Analysts begin to speculate this is the first in a series of moves. And they're right. The Astros acquired David Price as part of a three team deal, that somehow halfway fell apart at the last minute, and needs to be restructured. The front offices are totally mum about it, and rumors circulate that Price is going to be on the move again. The Astros vehemently deny it. And yet, they hold him out of the rotation, for three weeks, and the deal doesn't materialize. Desperate to not lose Price to free agency, the Astros place him on trade waivers. Finally, after weeks of speculation, the last place Yankees, who have lost 28 of their last 35 games, claim David Price and acquire him for some middling prospects. Price, however, doesn't recover from the time off and swirling rumors, and goes 0-6 with a 24.97 ERA down the stretch.
In the offseason, no one is quite sure what to do with Price. Even Price isn't sure of his value. The Yankees tender him a 1 year, $16M deal, and he accepts. It's viewed as a "make good" contract.
Except Price doesn't make good. He starts the year off 0-7, gets shelled in ways not even imaginable, and develops a tendency to start airmailing pitches to the backstop several times per inning. The problem gets worse with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees attempt to send Price to the minors to get straightened out, but he refuses the assignment in a massive media shitstorm, in which he insists he's earned enough respect to figure himself out at the major league level. The Yankees begrudgingly keep him in their rotation.
After a game in which Ortiz hits 4 home runs and drives in 9 off of Price, Giradi is asked why he left Price out there to take such a beating. Giradi replies "how else is he going to figure this shit out?" Price files a grievance with the players union, but it never materializes. In his next start against Tampa, Price uncorks a wild pitch that sails into the dugout and strikes Joe Maddon. The camera attempts to pan away from the carnage, but winds up sitting on the image of a shattered pair of dorky glasses in a pool of blood.
Price is found guilty of turning the greatest genius ever in the history of baseball into a vegetable. He is banned for life. Brandon Workman smiles.
