The AL pennant race just got more far more interesting heading into the 2017 season.
The Boston Red Sox are among the favorites to win the AL pennant, that’s not a secret. However, they are on the verge of losing one of their best pitchers. According to several reports, David Price has elbow soreness and will visit Dr. James Andrews looking for an expert’s opinion.
You know what that means, right? Price could likely miss the entire season if Andrews confirms the pitcher has to go under the knife.
Chances are he will have to undergo a Tommy John Surgery, a procedure that has a recovery time around 12 to 18 months. This type of surgery is quite common for pitchers nowadays, but there’s no question it will have big implications. Not only for the Red Sox, but for the whole AL pennant race.
Here’s the scenario in case Price has TJS. The Red Sox will remain among the AL contenders, but losing one of their best pitchers will be a big blow for Boston. Sure, they still have Chris Sale and reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. Craig Kimbrel is still an elite closer. And Boston has a loaded offense with stars such as Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. That’s a contending team any way you look at it.
However, the loss of Price will open things up for other franchises. We could mention the Texas Rangers, the Baltimore Orioles, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Houston Astros. All of them are considered contenders in the AL, and the potential absence of Price would make things easier for them.
Boston should remain as a contender, with or without Price. But if he ends up missing the entire season, then the AL pennant race would suddenly become far more open than originally expected.