And then there were five.
David Price on Thursday became the fifth Boston Red Sox player to announce he won't join the team for its upcoming White House visit, succinctly relaying his reasoning to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
The Red Sox are scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on May 9 after their series with the Baltimore Orioles to commemorate their 2018 World Series victory.
Sox president Sam Kennedy has insisted the trip is voluntary, and outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., third baseman Rafael Devers and pitcher Hector Velazquez all have said they won't attend, citing various reasons. (Manager Alex Cora is still undecided.)
Price didn't elaborate much on his own reasoning, but the veteran pitcher has been very vocal about other topics this week. After criticizing Major League Baseball on Wednesday for its handling of Jackie Robinson Day, Price boldly suggested Boston could trade Betts and J.D. Martinez if the team doesn't improve on its slow start.
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