Price will start the year in AAA Durham

Bart Given, former Assistant GM in the Blue Jays organization, has weighed in on the Rays’ decision to send post-season phenom David Price back to AAA Durham, at least for the bulk of the regular season.

Given believes that the Rays were wise to restrict Price to minor-league duty, as he imagines the organization doesn’t want to expose Price to 200 innings of Major League ball, and therefore expose his young arm to injury. “He pitched just under 140 innings combined in the Majors and Minors last year,” he said, “and I’d imagine the organization would like to limit his innings in 2009 to the 170-175 range.  Many Clubs feel the ideal way to keep a starting pitcher healthy is to limit his increase in innings pitched to approximately 20% from one year to the next.”

Given also poo-pooed the notion that Price could get his work in the Rays’ bullpen. Given Joba Chamberlain’s injury last year, possibly the result of straddling the bullpen-rotation divide, it’s hard to argue with Given’s assertion, at least anecdotally.

Source.

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