Report: Red Sox outbid Cardinals by $37M for Price

The Boston Red Sox were expected to go above and beyond to land David Price, and in the end it wasn't even close.

The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly finished second to Boston after offering the left-hander a seven-year, $180-million deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports. That figure fell $37 million short of the record seven-year, $217-million deal Price agreed to.

Price, who is set to be unveiled Friday at Fenway Park, tied Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera for the largest average yearly salary in baseball history, and holds the largest ever as a pitcher.

A five-time All-Star and last season's AL Cy Young runner-up, Price is coming off a year in which he went 18-5 with a career-low 2.45 ERA and 225 strikeouts over 220 1/3 innings.