Chicago Cubs: Should team look to David Price this winter?

Still winless in the postseason, should that be a reason for the Chicago Cubs to think twice before signing David Price this offseason?

Without a doubt, Price is one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball. In 2015, he went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA to go along with 225 strikeouts. However, there is a glaring hole in Price’s game, it’s pitching in the postseason.

Price has pitched in 14 games and started eight of those over the span of six postseasons. Overall, he is 2-7 in those games with a 5.17 ERA, allowing 36 earned runs (38 total) over 63.1 innings.

Price’s postseason numbers are far from ace-like, no matter what his regular season track record is. The Chicago Cubs are in contention to sign a high-profile starting pitcher this offseason, but is a possible Joe Maddon and Price reunion the way to go?

In no way am I trying to discount the things Price has accomplished throughout his career. He has been an All-Star every year since 2010 besides 2013, winning the 2012 Cy Young Award in the process. In addition, he is a candidate to win the award again in 2015. But is he what the Cubs are looking for?

During the Cubs’ playoff run, one of the few problems with the team was starting pitching depth. Kyle Hendricks was chosen to be the third starter, but he is much more suited to be fifth in the rotation. Jason Hammel was the fourth starter, but only lasted four innings through two starts.

Clearly, adding Price to the mix would put Hammel and Hendricks into more suitable roles. However, what if Price himself does not pitch the way we are accustomed to seeing him pitch in the regular season during October?

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Many expect his next contract to be worth at least $150 million (probably closer to $200 million), so obviously whoever signs him is expecting big results, especially during the playoffs.

Price’s best postseason start came in 2014 with the Tigers, as he pitched eight innings of two-run ball, allowing only five hits. If the Chicago Cubs were to sign him, he would be expected to pitch that well every playoff game he starts, or at least well enough for the team to have a chance to win.

All in all, David Price would be a fantastic addition to a Cubs pitching staff that finished third in the MLB in starting rotation ERA. He would allow Hendricks and Hammel to pitch in more suitable roles and would create one of the league’s best pitching trios with Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.