Red Sox-Blue Jays joins MLB's best rivalries
When David Price agreed to Boston's record-breaking $217-million offer Tuesday, he didn't just elevate the last-place Red Sox to contender status, he intensified one of the most underrated rivalries in baseball.
The Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of reasons to hate each other: Price jumping ship, Toronto's improbable seven-run comeback at Fenway last year, and, of course, the John Farrell defection.
Before Price tries to help Boston wrestle back the AL East crown from his previous employer, let's take a look at some of the majors' other compelling rivalries:
Dodgers-Giants
The top two teams in the NL West renewed their in-state rivalry in a big way in 2014 when Madison Bumgarner hit Yasiel Puig for celebrating a home run. The Giants went on to win the World Series that year, while the Dodgers won their second of three straight division titles. Less than two months into this year's offseason, the two clubs are still battling it out for West supremacy. The Dodgers and Giants are competing for the right to make Zack Greinke the richest pitcher in the history of baseball and, by the end of the week, the next chapter in this intense rivalry could be written.
Royals-Everyone
The reigning champs might be the most-hated team in baseball following their successful - and at times, hostile - title-winning season. Right-hander Yordano Ventura picked a fight with everyone from Mike Trout to Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper, while Edinson Volquez threw at Josh Donaldson and Alcides Escobar was thrown at by Noah Syndergaard. The Royals emptied their dugout against the Blue Jays, White Sox, Athletics, and Angels this season, proving that even the small-market teams like flexing.
Cubs-Pirates
The best rivalries exist between the best teams, and this one promises to intensify with every passing 95-win season. Hostilities between these division foes heated up when Chris Coghlan broke Jung Ho Kang's leg with a takeout slide in late September, and the clubs revisited their differences one month later after Tony Watson plunked Jake Arrieta in the wild-card game. Benches cleared, the Cubs won, and the fire is officially fueled.
Blue Jays-Orioles
Never has one rivalry hinged so much on the free-agent fate of a 33-year-old reliever. Depending on where Darren O'Day signs this winter, the Blue Jays could have a new foe, a renewed one, or, oddly enough, they might employ one. O'Day and Blue Jays star Jose Bautista are at the center of this rivalry, though it also includes the likes of Marcus Stroman, Delmon Young, and even mild-mannered Adam Jones. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons described the bitter hatred best: "Not everybody likes each other, necessarily."
Red Sox-Yankees
It's no longer the edge-of-your-seat feud it was during the last decade, but Yankees-Red Sox is still appointment viewing nonetheless. With Price now in Boston, and both teams sporting arguably two of the most intimidating bullpens in baseball, the league's preeminent rivalry could be on the verge of erupting again.
Cubs-Cardinals
"We don't start stuff, but we will finish stuff," Joe Maddon said after the Cardinals plunked Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo twice during a heated September showdown. Finish they did, slugging the NL Central winners out of the playoffs in four games less than a month later in the NLDS. If Rizzo getting thrown at wasn't enough to stir the pot, Maddon's comments certainly were: "I'm not sure who put out the hit (on Rizzo)," he said. "Maybe Tony Soprano was in their dugout."
Rangers-Astros
The Rangers-Astros rivalry went Texas-sized this year as the two clubs battled it out for the AL West title. Rougned Odor and Hank Conger nearly traded blows, new managers A.J. Hinch and Jeff Banister got in each other's face, and the pennant race came down to the final day of the season. Add in the Nolan Ryan storyline, the six head-to-head matchups, and the obvious geographical implications, and the Lone Star State feud just got a whole lot more interesting.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)