Ortiz Dishes on Contract Talks, Jeter Injury

After watching what happened to Derek Jeter the other night it’s easy to see why David Ortiz is considering career mortality as he and his agent consider his next deal with Boston.

Big Papi likely due for a sweet deal. Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Ortiz has be adamant on two points: 1) He wants to finish his career in Boston as a member of the Red Sox; 2) He wants a multi-year deal. I was against the multi-year deal at the end of the 2011 season. I was and still am an advocate of the position that when the wheels come off the Ortiz cart, they’ll come off in a hurry. Yet, after watching what transpired with Boston’s implosion of the multi-year contract babies who were ultimately dealt in large part to the Dodgers and appreciating what David Ortiz does and is to the Red Sox franchise I’m ready to cough up a two-year deal that makes it right for everyone.

When interviewed by the Boston Herald on Monday Ortiz jokingly said he “I want two years and $60 (million)!” Ortiz also commented on Jeter’s injury, perhaps because, in very different ways, their seasons came to an end due to injury. “He’s got to be so devastated, bro,” Ortiz said.

“That’s a tough one. I know that’s the one guy you don’t want to see something like that happen to. You don’t want to see that happen to anybody, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s a class guy, you know what I’m saying? There’s not one person in baseball that doesn’t respect Derek Jeter.

He’s the kind of guy that every time you play the Yankees, you want to play against him. That’s how much respect I have for him. Watching him go down like that is not right. It’s just not right.”

There were few bright spots in the 2012 Red Sox season. The re-emergence of a fit, trim, dedicated and energized David Ortiz was one of them. Until his injuryBig Papi and the Red Sox. It’s like peanut butter and jelly. If the Red Sox are smart they’ll go slightly above the new arbitration circumvention rules and put Big Papi on ice for two years for something like a cool $28-32 million. The guy has paid his dues. If the wheels do indeed come off the cart after the first year, Sox fans and the organization can take comfort in the fact that they’ve made infinitely worse blunders with lesser talents and individuals.

The full text of the Ortiz interview can be found here.

Money- everything
Everything
Money- everything
Money- everything
Money- everything
Money- everything
– I’ll Give You Money, Peter Frampton