Red Sox starter David Price’s three reasons why he didn’t opt-out
David Price revealed three key reasons behind his decision not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract and stay with the Boston Red Sox.
At this time last year, many were wondering if 2018 would be the last time we saw David Price wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform. The talented yet often criticized lefty had an opt-out clause in his contract that would allow him to dive back into the free agent pool. Speculation swirled that Price would either exercise the clause to seek a bigger payday or that he’d tire of the pressure from the relentless Boston media and use the opt-out as an excuse to escape.
A lot has changed since then. The Red Sox won a World Series championship with Price finally vanquishing his postseason demons with his first playoff wins as a stater. The narrative surrounding Price quickly shifted from villain to hero in this city.
Ultimately, Price decided not to opt out of his deal, locking him into the final four years, $127 million remaining on his contract. As it turns out, his reasons for staying have nothing to do with the factors we thought may lead to his exit.
In an interview with NESN’s Tom Caron, Price outlined three reasons why he decided not to opt-out of his contract.
“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.”
There’s a lot to unpack in this quote so let’s break down each of Price’s reasons for his decision to remain with the Red Sox.
Doesn’t have to face them
The Red Sox led the majors in runs scored, hits, doubles, total bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS last season. Essentially any offensive category they didn’t lead in, they found themselves at least near the top of the league. Their deep, start-studded lineup is a nightmare for opposing pitchers to face.
One benefit of pitching for this team is that Price doesn’t have to pitch against them. Any time Price takes the mound he can feel confident that the lineup supporting him is better than the one he’s up against.
Price actually has great career numbers against the Red Sox. He was 11-6 with a 3.08 ERA in 23 starts against Boston prior to joining the club. This isn’t the same Red Sox offense that he faced in those days but he did face plenty of lineups anchored by David Ortiz during that stretch. Price may have handled Boston’s powerful offense as well as anyone but he’d still much rather be on their side.
Even a move to the National League wouldn’t necessarily save Price from facing this offense. He could come across them during inter-league play and if he made it back to the World Series with his new team, Boston could be there waiting for him. The only way to avoid pitching against the Red Sox lineup is to pitch for them.
Compete for a championship
If his top priority is winning a World Series, Price won’t find a more appealing alternative than the reigning champions. He’s not content with one ring and remains as hungry as ever to thrive on that October stage. Boston is a city with high expectations but that means assurance that the front office and ownership will do whatever it takes to assemble a team that can compete for a title.
The Red Sox will bring back most of the same roster they won the World Series with last season and they enter 2019 among the favorites. They have several talented young players who will continue to improve as they approach their peaks and ensure this team is set up for sustained success.
Boston’s last four World Series titles (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018) are more than any MLB team has captured since the turn of the century. The Yankees like to gloat about their 27 championships but most of them were over 60 years ago, with only two since 2000.
If the goal is winning multiple titles then the Red Sox are currently the organization that gives Price the best opportunity. He’s getting paid plenty of money on his current deal yet it’s refreshing to hear an athlete prioritize winning. Price wasn’t willing to sacrifice his best chance to win in order to chase a few extra bucks.
Free Agents
Price knows full well that this ownership group is willing to shell out lucrative deals to lure in free agents considering he was once the recipient of one of the largest contracts ever given to a pitcher.
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The Red Sox won consecutive division titles in Price’s first two seasons in Boston but couldn’t quite get over the hump in the postseason. A punch-less offense without a true home run threat in the wake of Ortiz’ retirement was blamed for their 2017 downfall. So what did the front office do? They went out and signed the best slugger on the market. J.D. Martinez proved to be a spectacular addition, helping this offense reclaim its spot as one of the most feared in baseball.
Price’s statement about the Red Sox being able to get any free agent they want isn’t entirely true. Their insistence that closer Craig Kimbrel is out of their price range shows the steep luxury tax penalties have imposed limits on what they are able to spend.
Still, even assuming Kimbrel signs elsewhere, the Red Sox will once again have MLB’s highest payroll. They have proven their willingness to spend money for a winning team, giving Price comfort in his decision to stick around.
The other factor
Price didn’t mention it in this interview but there’s one more reason why he didn’t opt-out. In this current free agent climate, there’s no guarantee that he’d earn more than the $127 million he has coming to him from the Red Sox. It’s not unreasonable to wonder if he would have made less.
He alluded to this reason earlier this spring when asked if his decision to stay was difficult. “Have you seen this free agent market?” Clearly, Price wanted had no desire to take that gamble.
Asked David Price if there was ever a time when opting out/in of his contract with the Red Sox was going to be a difficult decision. “Have you seen this free agent market? No, it wasn’t very difficult.”
— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) February 14, 2019
The most any starting pitcher has made this winter is Patrick Corbin‘s 6-year, $140 million deal. The 29-year old is four years younger than Price and coming off a 4.6 WAR season that edges out the value Price provided (4.4 WAR).
J.A. Happ and Charlie Morton, a pair of pitchers who produced above 3.0 WAR last season but are on the wrong side of 30, each settled for 2-year deals for half the amount per year that Price earns. Former Cy Young-winner Dallas Keuchel is still looking for a job. So is Kimbrel, the top relief pitcher on the market.
Manny Machado proved that elite talent will still be rewarded and plenty of teams have been shopping in the bargain bin. It’s the players in the middle that are getting squeezed, finding it hard to find a new home or settling for less than they expected. That’s the territory Price may have found himself in if he dared to test the market.
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Price had several reasons drawing him back to Boston. The three he mentioned certainly make sense and were a factor in his decision not to opt-out. Yet you have to believe that the uncertainty of the current free agent market would have been reason enough on its own to lock in the four-year guarantee he’ll earn by not opting out.