David Ortiz clarified on Wednesday that he is requesting a one-year extension from the Red Sox in a wide-ranging interview with WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. The 38-year-old Ortiz will be entering the second year of a two-year, $30 million contract he inked after the 2012 season, and is coming off a year in which he produced a .309/.395/.564 slash line. He added 30 home runs and 103 RBI in 2013 -- both representing his highest marks since 2010.
David Ortiz contract: Red Sox star wants 1-year extension
The Red Sox slugger says negotiations are going well.
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Ortiz made it clear that he was not seeking something outrageous, instead saying he was content to settle for one more year of security:
“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.”
He indicated that he is hoping to get something done so that the questions regarding his contract status don’t become a distraction during the upcoming season:
“I hate the fact that I’ve got to be asked about my contract through my free agency year. I have to deal with too many things beyond that. You know how that goes in our market.”
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Adding:
“I don’t want to have contract talk with all of you every day. It distracts me, it’s something that gets me thinking, and all I want to do through the season is just make sure I get the job done, make sure that I do what I do best without having to worry about anything else.”
He continued on, saying he doesn’t think that an extension will affect his play whatsoever:
“I keep on telling people that I’m not a contract person. I’m not a player that, just because he has a contract, you shut it down. I keep on improving myself every year. I think every organization in MLB would like to have a guy like myself.”
It doesn’t seem that Ortiz is contemplating retirement either, as he noted that his time off during his Achilles’ injury didn’t sit well with him. He seems content to see just how far his health and talent will take him.
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