Last winter, the Chicago Cubs had an opportunity to sign one of the best pitchers on the market in David Price, a Cy Young Award-winning 30-year-old left-hander with pristine reputation as a good teammate and a hard worker.
But the early offseason read in the Cubs' front office is that the Boston Red Sox would be desperate in their pursuit of Price, compelled by back-to-back last-place finishes and a need for a pitcher who could lead their rotation. The Cubs were in the bidding for Price, but really, they weren't close to landing a pitcher they cherished; the Red Sox crushed the field with a $217 million offer.