David Price might still be with the Blue Jays, his agent said Sunday, if only they had offered him a contract.
That was the message sent by Price's agent, Bo McKinnis, during an interview with MLB Network Radio. It probably didn't make Jays fans particularly happy, even though it's been common knowledge that Toronto more or less sat out contract talks with Price ever since it was announced that he had signed with the Red Sox on Tuesday.
Here's the complete interview in audio form:
"David would have absolutely gone back there, and I'm surprised we didn't get an offer from them -- that was difficult. It was Boston, St Louis, the Cubs, the Giants and the Dodgers. The Giants and Dodgers were up front with us they were in on [Zack] Greinke.
"What pushed it over the top for David is when the Red Sox personnel came here to Tennessee to visit with him."
The Blue Jays didn't visit, they apparently didn't even call to see what it might take. Price posted a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch for the Jays, helping them reach the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 1993. Perhaps, if the Jays had been able to beat the Royals in the ALCS and gotten to the Series this season -- maybe have won it --Alex Anthopoulos would still be the general manager. And if he were in charge instead of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, maybe the Jays would have called Price. Would the Jays had gone to $217 million (or even $200)? By deduction, with Anthopoulos seemingly being pushed out by upper management, it seems not. But we'll never know for sure.
