David Price didn’t allow for much drama about his baseball future.
The Boston Red Sox’s World Series victory parade back in October featured an exciting announcement from Price, who declared he would not be exercising the early opt-out clause in his contract. As such, the star left-hander now is under contract with Boston until 2022.
Price recently shed light on his decision to opt-in, noting the current state of the free-agent market made it a fairly easy call for him. But during a sit-down interview with NESN’s Tom Caron on Wednesday, Price shed more light on his long-term commitment to the Red Sox.
“No it wasn’t a difficult decision. I mean, I don’t want to pitch against this team,” Price said. “If I chose to go somewhere else and went to the National League or another team, the Red Sox aren’t a team you want to pitch against. I like our chances of winning ever since I’ve been here. I knew when I signed in Boston I was gonna have a chance to compete for a championship year-in and year-out. That, to me, is what I wanted. To have the opportunity to compete for a championship and to be surrounded by a lot of really good youth. That’s the two things that Boston offers, along with being able to get free agents. Whatever free agent we want we can go and get. To have those three things, that’s a recipe for success and that was why I came here.”
It’s tough to find a flaw in Price’s logic. The veteran southpaw recently saw his sentiments unfold before his very eyes, as the Red Sox signed J.D. Martinez in free agency months after falling in their 2017 American League Division Series. Martinez made quite an impact throughout Boston’s World Series-winning 2018 season, as did the crop of young talent that should keep the Sox competitive for years to come.
All things considered, it sure seems like Price made the right choice.
