David Price turns 39 today.
Price was only with the Blue Jays for three months, but it was a pretty exciting three months.
We traded him on July 30, 2015. At the time, we were 52-51 and six games behind the Yankees in second place. After the trade, we were 41-18 and in first place in the AL East. That led to a thrilling ALDS series with the Rangers and a thrilling ALCS against the Royals (unfortunately without the right score).
Price went 9-1 (amazingly, he made 10 decisions in 11 starts) with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts for the Jays, and had a rough time in the playoffs.
We finished the season six games ahead of the Yankees. One player alone can’t turn a 12-game turnaround in 59 games, but the addition of Price (and Troy Tulowitzki) brought new energy to the team.
When he wasn’t pitching, he was a lot of fun to be around. He was head cheerleader, loved the popcorn at Rogers Centre and seemed to enjoy every moment. We heard how great he was with his teammates in the clubhouse.
After the season, he signed as a free agent with the Red Sox for $217 million over seven years. After five years, Price had a record of 46-24 with a 3.84 ERA in 103 games and 98 starts. I wouldn’t say he was worth every penny, but he was pretty good, if a bit inconsistent. He also missed some time due to injuries.
In February 2020, the Red Sox traded Price to the Dodgers along with Mookie Betts. Price opted out of the 2020 season. In 2021, he was 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA in 39 games, 11 starts. In 2022, he was 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 40 relief appearances. He retired after the season.
Happy birthday, David. I hope it’s a great day.
Former Jays player Darin Mastroianni turns 39 today.
Darin has appeared a few times on our list of the 40 best young talents. In 2011 he was number 10. Before that he was 22nd and 26th.
We lost him to the Twins via waivers before the 2012 season. He played two seasons and three weeks for the Twins, batting .214/.286/.286 with 3 home runs and 25 steals (caught 4 times) in 121 games.
We claimed him off waivers in April 2014. He played just 14 games for us and hit .156/.156/.250. From there he went to the Phillies, Nationals, back to the Twins (where he played another 7 MLB games) and Rangers. He hasn’t played in the Major Leagues since 2016.
His best season in the major leagues was 2012. In 77 games, he had a batting average of .252/.328/.350 with 21 steals. He excelled defensively in the outfield. He was often used as a pinch runner/defensive replacement that season.
I had hopes for Darin. In the minors, he could walk and get on base, and he was an excellent base stealer (he stole 70 bases in 2009 when he split his time between Dunedin and New Hampshire). But because he lacked power, pitchers at the higher level threw strikes at him and forced him to fight his way on base.
Happy birthday, Darin.
Jayson Nix turns 42 today.
Nix had an 8-year MLB career and played for 8 MLB teams.
He played 46 games for us in 2011, hitting .169/.256/.309 with 4 home runs. He then went to the Yankees and played two seasons there, filling in for the sometimes-injured, sometimes-suspended Alex Rodriguez. He hit a little better there, hitting .239/.307/.340 in 161 games over the two seasons. He would play one more season in the major leagues (for three teams).
In his seven seasons in 466 games, he achieved a batting average of .212/.282/.345.
Happy birthday, Jayson.
