No one can ever say David Price can't pitch in the postseason anymore. Not after his performance in the 2018 World Series in general and Game 5 in particular.
And, when questioned about after the Red Sox' Series-clinching 5-1 win Sunday night, he got a little emotional when discussing the criticism he's faced for past postseason failures.
No one followed up on the "I can't tell you how good it feels to hold that trump card" statement, which left some ambiguity as to what it might actually mean. But soon afterwards, on Twitter, he repeated it:
And that one at least raised the question: Could his Game 5 victory be David Price's last game in a Red Sox uniform? He can opt out of his contract now, and the press-conference statement combined with the Tweet would seem to indicate he's at least thinking about it.
But leaving the Red Sox would mean leaving teammates who also draw strong emotions from him . . . but in a different way:
Boston Red Sox
Find the latest Boston Red Sox news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
It was all the multiple sides of David Price: Satisfaction at this year's playoff success, gratefulness to those who stuck with him, and vindication over his critics. They were all on display after a Game 5 -- and overall World Series -- performance that, with one less home run by Steve Pearce, probably would have earned him MVP honors.
"My confidence was never altered through however many seasons I've been to the playoffs, however many times I've failed in October, however many times I failed in the regular season or against the Yankees," he said. "My confidence was never altered. I always had belief in myself and my abilities. To be able to come through on this stage and in October for myself and for my teammates, I know I can do it now. And it's always a good feeling to have. It's just good to know."
The fans have been just as hard on Price as the media at times, but his postseason run has gotten them back in his corner. And when asked if he had a message for them, he responded:
"We're World Series champs. That's special. This is a very special team. We rallied together all year long, starting in spring training.
"So we'll see them all at that duck boat."
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.