TORONTO – Fresh off a journey of misadventures that included a flat on his Jaguar XJR nicknamed Jenny, a fruitless search for a replacement tire and a wait in a Target parking lot for both a tow truck and his ride to Toronto, David Price entered the Blue Jays clubhouse to a warm greeting and a bit of relief.
The thing he most hated about facing his new team, and that he’s happiest to have on his side now?
"The long ball," the ace left-hander said during his introductory news conference after Friday’s 7-6, 11-inning win over the Kansas City Royals. "They can hit homers, man, they’re a tough group to pitch against. Whenever you’re pitching against a team like Toronto, you never have an inning when you can be like, ‘Alright, I can relax a little bit this evening,’ you don’t have to go full bore. With this team, you’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs at all times. That’s really tough, it’s mentally draining when you face a team like this that can put up runs so fast. It’s fun to be a part of that."
Having pitched for seven-plus seasons in the American League East with the Tampa Bay Rays, he’s familiar both with the Blue Jays and the challenge before them.
Price was acquired Thursday during GM Alex Anthopoulos’s made week of roster renovation to pitch in meaningful games against teams with exactly such offences. Both the New York Yankees – whom he’s scheduled to face four times – and the Baltimore Orioles can thump, and they’re the primary obstacles to overcome in the East.
Price’s Blue Jays debut will come Monday in the opener of a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins, a game up on them and the Orioles for the second wild card.
Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins have a few games already under their belts, while fellow deadline acquisitions Mark Lowe and Ben Revere should be settled in by Monday, as well, as the group tries to congeal together.
"This organization definitely put their best foot forward at the trade deadline," said Price, "and you got to love seeing that."
The expectations and situation he’s in are familiar to Price after being traded at the deadline for the second straight season. The initial trade from the Rays to the Detroit Tigers – a fate that befalls most of Tampa Bay’s stars – was more jarring and the experience will help him now.
"That was extremely tough," he said of leaving the Rays. "Those guys I came up with throughout the minor-leagues, had the same coaching staff, had the same pitching coach, the same trainers the entire time I was there. My time in Detroit was definitely enjoyable as well. It started off last year with the whole transition thing, being in Tampa for parts of seven seasons and having to pack up on a minute’s notice and head to a new city to get to know new guys. I feel like I’m pretty familiar with this team being in the AL East this long.
"It definitely made it easier going through it a second time and I’m happy to be here."
The fun-loving and social-media savvy Price found mounds of popcorn waiting for him in his locker after he tweeted a request to the Blue Jays following the trade.
He described it as "above and beyond," but more important upon arrival was "getting to meet guys I’ve never met before, guys that I see all the time doing good stuff on TV."
"Baseball is a game we play, this is my dream, to do what we get to do, but what makes this game so special are the relationships and people you get to meet along the way," Price added. "That’s what I take pride in, to get to know my teammates on a personal level and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing for the rest of the season."
The Blue Jays and their fans, obviously, are hoping his stay last longer than that, as Price is a pending free agent in the fall. Getting traded mid-season means he won’t be eligible for a qualifying offer and that any team that signs won’t have to forfeit a first-round pick to get him, which will only make him all the more coveted.
There are several shoes to drop before any meaningful talk of an extension can begin, but the Blue Jays can do their part by making his stay a happy and a successful one.
"Right now it’s definitely too early. You have to see how it goes," said Price. "I’ve put a ton of time into this game, a ton of hard work and dedication, I want to see where it goes and I definitely wouldn’t rule this place out. Whenever I was with Tampa playing against the Blue Jays, we always looked forward to coming to Toronto, it’s a fun atmosphere, I love the popcorn here, that’s definitely a plus, I told Steph Curry a couple of months ago, the Blue Jays have the best popcorn in the world, we need to go get some of their popcorn. This is a place that wants to win, that’s what you want to be a part of, I want to win championships, I want to do big things for whatever organization I play for in 2016.
"This organization definitely put their best foot forward at the trade deadline and you got to love seeing that."