David Price isn't planning on leaving the Boston Red Sox at the end of this season.
The left-hander, who's in the midst of his finest stretch with the Red Sox since signing a seven-year, $217-million contract before the 2016 campaign, can opt out of his deal at the end of the year.
Price made it clear on Tuesday that he has every intention to stay with Boston.
"Why would I leave here to go to a team that's not as good as this team?" Price told MassLive's Christopher Smith. "I came here to win. I don't worry about all the other stuff. Just come here to win. We're going to have a really good chance to do that."
The 33-year-old southpaw hasn't lost a game for the Red Sox since July 1 and has only allowed more than three earned runs in a start once since July 7.
| July | OPP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7 | Royals | 4.2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| Jul 12 | Blue Jays | 6.2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Jul 20 | Tigers | 6.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Jul 30 | Phillies | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| August | OPP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5 | Yankees | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Aug 11 | Orioles | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Aug 18 | Rays | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Aug 23 | Indians | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Aug 29 | Marlins | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| September | OPP | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 7 | Astros | 6.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
Since arriving in Boston with huge expectations, Price has struggled to win over its tough fan base, battled injuries, and was involved in a confrontation with broadcaster Dennis Eckersley.
The veteran left-hander appears to have turned a page with his recent success and is now focusing on accomplishing a new goal: winning in the postseason.
"I could go 35-0 in the regular season with a zero (ERA) and it wouldn't matter," Price, who has never won a postseason start, said, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford. "I need to win in October. That's that. Regular season means nothing for me."
If Price changes his mind about opting out, he'd be leaving a lot of money on the table. He's scheduled to earn $31 million in 2019 and $32 million annually from 2020-22.