Boston Red Sox outlook: 3 goals for David Price in 2018

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher David Price is out to prove that he can not only win in Boston, but also be happy with the team.

Love him or hate him, Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher David Price won some points with his work out of the bullpen towards the end of the season and into the playoffs. Now entering his third season with the team, the 2012 Cy Young-award winner is out to prove he has what it takes to succeed in Boston.

Following an injury plagued season in which he only made 11 starts, Price is approaching 2018 in a positive fashion. Yes, he will always have the confrontation with Dennis Eckersely hanging over his head, but with a renewed commitment to winning, Price wants to earn some of the value of his seven-year, $217 million deal with the Red Sox.

When asked if he regretted signing that contract during a spring training session with the media, Price said he does not. Something else he said that would make Boston Red Sox fans feel good is his dedication to winning.

"“I came here to win,” Price said, as transcribed by CBS Boston. “I knew how tough it was to play here, to pitch here. If you go out and win it, I know all the emotions and everything will be even better in that positive light. I look forward to doing that.”"

Playing under a new manager in Alex Cora and with another season under his belt, David Price has a chance to win over fans in Boston. Here are 3 goals he would need to accomplish to do so.

Maintain health

Health is going to go a long way in David Price’s success in 2018. Price, who only appeared in 16 games due to an Elbow injury, bounced back to pitch strongly out of the bullpen towards the latter part of the season.

While rest appeared to be all he needed to heal the “unique” elbow, the goal here is to maintain strength throughout the season. Part of that may entail a pitch count towards the beginning of the season.

Despite dealing with the injury, Price did have a couple stellar starts. If completely healthy, he should be able to put together a solid season on the mound. And according to David Price, he is indeed completely healthy.

"“I haven’t had one instance this offseason, whether it was playing catch or doing anything on the field, where I was like, ‘That doesn’t feel right,” Price said, via Scott Lauber of ESPN.com."

Regain dominance

Going into the season, David Price knows what it will take to get fans back. If he pitches well, he’ll have support, if he doesn’t…well things will go south pretty quick.

In any event, he has to regain the dominance that made earned him the biggest contract for a pitcher in Red Sox history. With Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz and Rick Porcello rounding out the starting rotation, the pressure on Price is low.

That doesn’t mean internal expectations aren’t high. Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner expects a great year out of Price.

Ignore the noise

Lastly, David Price must ignore the noise and just compete on the mound. If things are going well, we all know Boston is the greatest place to play. However, when things are not going well, it can turn miserable quick for athletes.

Much of that is due to an expectation of winning. Given Price’s contract and previous accomplishments, the media and fans through social media will let him know it. How he responds this season will how committed he really is to the team and to winning.

So far, he is saying the right thing. When the Eckersely situation was brought up, the 32-year old pitcher admitted he didn’t handle things right.

"“I could have handled it better last year, absolutely. I didn’t and I’ve moved on,” Price said. “I look forward to getting back to this year and getting off on the right foot.”"

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Part of that is blocking out fans on social medial. David Price has to ignore the noise and shut up critics by simply performing on the mound.

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