The Boston Red Sox landed their top-of-the-rotation ace by agreeing to the largest contract ever for a pitcher with David Price.

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The deal totals $217 million over seven years, with the $31m average annual salary the highest ever for a pitcher and tied with slugger Miguel Cabrera for the most at any position.

The move to acquire the star southpaw is the first big free agent signing by Boston’s new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was the general manager of the Detroit Tigers during Price’s stint with the franchise following a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014.

Last season, Price went 9-4 with a 2.53 earned run average (ERA) before the Tigers shipped him to the Toronto Blue Jays, with whom he went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA. His 2.45 ERA for the year was the best in the American League, but Price struggled in the playoffs with a 6.17 mark combined with a 1-2 record.

The rotation was an area of concern last season for the Red Sox, who finished last in the AL East at 78-84 for the second time in three years.

Boston went through 12 different starting pitchers over the course of the season – none of which reached 200 innings – and the combined ERA of the group was 4.39, ranking 13th in the AL.

Dombrowski also strengthened the back end of the bullpen earlier in the offseason when the Red Sox sent four prospects to the San Diego Padres in exchange for AllStar closer Craig Kimbrel.