David Price won't opt out of his Red Sox contract: 'I'm not going anywhere'

Pitcher David Price, one of the triumphant heroes of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, is staying right where he is.

Price’s seven-year, $217 million contract, which he signed in 2015, includes an opt-out after the 2018 season. But on Wednesday, a half hour before the World Series parade was due to start, Price told the media that he’s staying put in Boston.

Price said in September that he wouldn’t opt out of his contract with the Red Sox, telling MassLive, “Why would I leave here to go to a team that’s not as good as this team?” And considering that the Red Sox just won the World Series, he’s right on the money.

It wasn’t always a given that Price would stay, though. His first few years in Boston weren’t great. He struggled with injuries and with consistency on the mound, and constantly sparred with the Boston media. He even confronted Red Sox broadcaster (and former pitcher) Dennis Eckersley on a team plane when he thought Eckersley had been too hard on one of his teammates during a broadcast.

But 2018 was a renaissance for Price. He had a 2.98 ERA at Fenway Park, and made amends with several members of the press. And that was all before he threw a single pitch in the playoffs, during which he overcame his postseason demons and helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series victory.

But finances probably influenced him a little as well. Price will make $31 million in 2019, and $32 million in 2020, 2021, and 2022. That’s almost certainly more than he’d make on the open market if he opted out and became a free agent.

– – – – – –

Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher.

More from Yahoo Sports:

• Ugly foul on former MVP draws police to NBA court
• Coach calls illegal timeout and retires on the spot
• Winners and losers at the NFL trade deadline
• Terez Paylor: Why KC stood pat at trade deadline