David Price dominating in new bullpen role

David Price may suddenly be the highest-paid reliever in MLB history, but at least he is well on his way to perfecting his new craft.

Since returning from the disabled list earlier this month, Price has made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox. In those three outings, he has pitched a total of six innings and allowed just three hits and zero earned runs. The left-hander has walked just one batter and struck out nine.

Price, who previously dealt with elbow soreness, was consistently throwing fastballs in the high-90s on Wednesday night. He did not allow a run in 1 1/3 very important innings of a game where starting pitcher Rick Porcello was shelled and the Red Sox suddenly had the New York Yankees breathing down their necks for the AL East title.

“The three appearances he’s made for us out of the bullpen, they’ve been extremely consistent and powerful,” manager John Farrell said Wednesday, via Ian Browne of MLB.com. “A lot of strikes. He’s commanding the baseball extremely well. That’s really an encouraging sign and you look at the velocity tonight, that’s the best it’s been in the three outings. Hopefully he’s getting adapted a little more to the role and we can hopefully see some of the performances be similar to tonight going forward.”

Thanks in part to Price, the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7 and hold a three-game lead over the Yankees with four left to play.

If Price can continue having success, he could be incredibly valuable to Boston in the postseason. Think Andrew Miller — another left-hander who carried the Cleveland Indians in the playoffs last year with 10 appearances that ranged from middle reliever to closer. Miller was named the MVP of the ALCS.

While we’re not ready to say Price will be as effective in the playoffs as Miller was, the point is he has an opportunity to play a huge role even if he’s not starting games. With how inconsistent Boston’s rotation has looked down the stretch, Price could even be called upon to be an emergency starter of sorts if a guy like Rick Porcello gets in trouble early.

Obviously, the Red Sox didn’t envision Price coming out of the bullpen when they signed him to a seven-year, $217 million contract. But given how horrendous he has been primarily as a starter in the postseason (2-8 with a 5.54 ERA), contributing in a new way may give Price the confidence he needs.