David Ortiz seeking one-year extension with Red Sox
Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz batted .309 last season. (Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
Boston slugger David Ortiz said he had conversations recently with Red Sox management about his future with the team and asked for a one-year extension when his current contract is up at the end of next season.
The nine-time All-Star, who has won three World Series with the Red Sox, signed a two-year, $26 million deal with Boston in 2012 and had hinted earlier this week at possibly leaving Boston before the end of his career, telling WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton, "hopefully, I won’t have to go and wear another uniform." In that interview, Ortiz left the door open for when he plans on retiring, saying, "I could be two years, three years or 10 years. You never know.”
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Ortiz backed off that statement about possibly playing elsewhere with an interview on WEEI-Boston. He said contract talks with Boston are going well and he hopes to reach a one-year deal with the team to keep him with the Red Sox:
"We’re good. We’re good. We talked, they’re talking and I just asked for one year. I didn’t ask for anything crazy. It wasn’t like I asked for a five-year deal. It’s a one-year extension I asked for...I was asking for a one-year extension for next year. I think, like I say, I think we had a great season last year and I’m walking into free agency after this season. We had a conversation, they’re outlining what they plan on doing and they’re going to come back to me with their answer at some point. … Everything is going well. We had a great conversation. They are happy about what we talked about. I don’t even know why people are spreading bad rumors."
Those comments echo statements he made to SI.com earlier in January about contract negotiations. In that interview -- prior to hinting this week about possibly playing elsewhere -- Ortiz said that he doesn't anticipate "any complication" with talks between him and the Red Sox.
"We are talking. I don’t think there’s going to be any complication. I just want to get one more year extension. . . . My agents and the front office, they’ve been talking, and I think at some point we are going to get it done.”
Ortiz finished this past season batting .309 with 70 extra-base hits during 138 games, capping off the year by being named World Series MVP.
