David Price's Role

This is a little different from Spring Training.

After going 5 1/3 solid innings the other night, there have been discussions as to what the Rays should do with him come crunch time. He's up to 121 IP for the season, so he'll probably have like 125 by the end, which means he should only pitch like 155 next season. If you start him in the playoffs, he could get up to 140 IP, which would allow like 170 next season. He did pitch 133.1 IP last season at Vanderbilt, so 140 wouldn't be too much. However, when you have the rotation that the Rays do, I wouldn't mess with it. I would turn Price into a two-inning reliever, which is easy to do in the AL considering they don't have to worry about pinch-hitting. In the first time through the order, he has a staggering .095 BAA. If you pitch him two innings, they won't get to the second-time through the order. As for the righty matchup, they're only .205 against him (I realize this is only through 11 IP, but it's what I have to work with), so he seems like he'll be able to get them out. They also don't have much of a scouting report on him yet. Let Kazmir and Shields and Garza do some heavy lifting, and then bring in Price after Jackson/Sonnanstine have gone 5 solid. Then, hand it over to Price for 6 and 7, and then the rest can get the last six outs. Or, let them go 6, and Price can get through 7 and 8 with 9 left to Wheeler or whoever else. Heck, if they really like him, let him pitch 8 and 9, but I think he'd be used too often in that scenario. Yet, K-Rod and Wainwright did kinda the same thing, although Price would have a little bigger of a workload. In other words, don't turn him into a lefty-specialist. He can get both sides out, and to keep him stretched-out, let him pitch two innings at a time. Don't start him because I'm not sure he could really get through more than 6. Jackson and Sonnanstine can do that, and then, Price can shut the other team down after that.