Price, Rays strike deal: Rays SP David Price agreed to a one-year, $4.35 million contract on Tuesday, avoiding arbitration. (Updated 01/17/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Price took a step back in 2011 after finishing second in the AL Cy Young race in 2010. He went just 12-13 with a 3.49 ERA last season. However, Price was very good down the stretch. He went 3-3 with a 2.51 ERA and .203 opponents' batting average in his final 10 regular-season starts. The Rays should be in contention again in 2012, so consider Price a top 10 Fantasy SP on Draft Day. (Updated 01/17/2012).
02/10/2012 13:27 2012 Draft Prep: 12-team, mixed H2H draft
Which picks stood out in our initial 12-team Head-to-Head mock draft for 2012? Check out the results and read what Scott White has to say about some of the more interesting selections.
02/02/2012 12:21 2012 Draft Prep: Our 12-team, mixed Rotisserie draft
It's time for owners to start looking ahead to Draft Day. We get you off and running with our 12-team Rotisserie mock draft. Check out the results!
02/01/2012 13:21 By the Numbers: Pitchers with a new look
Why should owners have even higher hopes for Cole Hamels in 2012? Could Homer Bailey finally be able to deliver on his potential? Our Al Melchior profiles four pitchers to remember of Draft Day.
David Price went from placing second in Cy Young voting in 2010 to not even getting a vote last year. He posted a sub-.500 record and saw his ERA rise nearly 80 points to 3.49. He had what most people would consider a disappointing season. But if you look beyond the surface numbers, you'll realize he was actually a more effective pitcher in 2011. He had a career-high strikeout rate (8.7 per nine innings) and a career-low walk rate (2.5 per nine). He also crossed the 220-inning threshold for the first time, taking the last step needed to become a bona-fide Fantasy ace. Of the 18 pitchers with 220-plus innings, only Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander had higher strikeout rates, and two of those guys took home Cy Young awards. And while Price's 12-13 record kept him out of that discussion, he did manage to rank 19th among starting pitchers in Head-to-Head leagues, which shows just how impactful his other contributions were given the value of wins in those formats. With the Rays expected to contend again in 2012, Price should have a little better luck in the win-loss category, making him worth drafting among the top 12 starting pitchers in Fantasy. (Updated 1/27/12)