Former Ray David Price signs $217M deal
David Price, a 30-year-old left-hander with a history of dominance in the American League, reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday on a seven-year, $217 million deal that will be the richest for a pitcher in major league history.
The deal completes a swift three-part plan to lift the Red Sox out of the East basement, where they have finished in three of the past four seasons.
Price was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in July and responded by going 9-1 and finishing the season with a 2.45 earned run average, the best in the AL. In a career spent mostly with the Tampa Bay Rays -- for whom he won a Cy Young Award in 2012 -- Price is 104-56 with a 3.09 ERA.
MARLINS -- What initially seemed like an idea out of left field may be close to becoming reality with multiple reports indicating the Marlins are pursuing a deal to make Barry Bonds one of their hitting coaches.
DODGERS -- Dave Roberts was introduced as the first minority manager in franchise history.
The former major leaguer slipped on the No. 30 jersey offered by co-owner Magic Johnson on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
Roberts says it's a "huge day" for him and he's eager to get to work for a team that hasn't won a World Series since 1988.
PADRES -- Mark McGwire was mingling Tuesday with San Diego Padres coaches at Petco Park, where the team was having organizational meetings. The club wouldn't say why.
His appearance came amid speculation he will be the Padres' bench coach.
Various club officials, including new manager Andy Green, declined to confirm Big Mac had been hired. They didn't deny it, either.
Green said he has "nailed down" his staff. Asked if that included McGwire, he repeated that the staff was "nailed down."
An announcement could come Wednesday.
McGwire would be trading teams with Dave Roberts. Roberts, who had been the Padres' bench coach, was introduced Tuesday as the new manager of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
McGwire was the Dodgers' hitting coach the last three seasons under Don Mattingly, who mutually parted ways with the team last month and a week later became manager of the Miami Marlins.
Green was hired on Oct. 29 to replace fired interim manager Pat Murphy. Murphy had been interim skipper since Bud Black was fired in mid-June.
McGwire is among many former ballplayers with Hall of Fame-caliber credentials who haven't come close to being elected to Cooperstown because of drug scandals.
In 2010, McGwire admitted he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. Even so, McGwire asserted he would have hit home runs even without performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2005, when called before the House Committee on Government Reform along with other former players, McGwire repeatedly refused to answer questions about steroid use, saying, "I'm not here to talk about the past."
MLB had 2 positive tests in past year for banned stimulants
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Two major leaguers had positive tests for banned stimulants and one for another banned substance, according to the annual report of the sport's drug program administrator.
The players were not identified because of the penalty for first offenses for stimulants and the drug DHEA is six additional urine tests over the next year rather than a suspension.
Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson's report, released Tuesday, showed there were 111 therapeutic use exemptions given to 40-man roster players to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, down from 113 in the previous year and 119 in the year ending with the 2013 World Series. There were 1,349 players who appeared in big league games this year, including the postseason.
Seven suspensions were issued for performance-enhancing drugs, all previously announced.
Minnesota's Ervin Santana, the New York Mets' Jenrry Mejia, Seattle's David Rollins and Atlanta's Arodys Vizcaino were penalized 80 games each for positive tests for Stanozolol, which is sold under the name Winstrol and is popular with body builders. Mejia was suspended an additional 162 games for separate positive tests for Stanozolol and Boldenone, which increases nitrogen retention.
Atlanta's Andrew McKirahan was suspended for 80 games for a positive test for Ipamorelin, which releases growth hormone. St. Louis' Cody Stanley, who was promoted when rosters expanded in September, was banned 80 games for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, which increases strength.
Of the two positive tests for stimulants, one was for Adderall, which is used to treat ADHD, and one for Phentermine, an appetite suppressant.
No players were suspended for stimulants under the big league program in the 2015 testing year. Baltimore's Troy Patton, San Diego's Cameron Maybin and the Orioles' Chris Davis all served 25-game suspensions for stimulants in the 2014 testing year, and Patton received an additional 80-game ban for a second stimulant offense.
Players are suspended for banned stimulants only starting with a second violation.
Baseball conducted 8,158 drug tests in the year ending with this season's World Series, up from 7,929 during the previous year. This year's total included 528 offseason tests, up from 307, and 1,622 blood tests for human growth hormone, an increase from 1.535.
This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Former Ray David Price signs $217M deal ."