David Ortiz might be 38 years old, but he hit .309/.395/.564 last season. With numbers like that, he was certain to keep getting work -- in Boston or elsewhere.
David Ortiz, Red Sox agree to 1-year extension
As long as Ortiz keeps hitting, the Red Sox will keep signing him.
That was nearly a possibility earlier this offseason. Ortiz said it could be time for him to "move on" if the Red Sox wouldn't extend him through 2015. Now, they have. According to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes, the Sox added another year to Ortiz's contract worth $16 million.
Had the two sides failed to agree to a new deal, Ortiz would have become a free agent after the season.
After all of his heroics for the team, Boston decided not to let that happen.
Ortiz’s standing on the open market would have depended on his 2014 production to some extent; however, his recent track record might have been enough to land him a similar one-year deal outside of Boston. The back-and-forth between Ortiz and the front office seems to be developing into an annual event, but this deal might be enough to see him through to the end of his career.
Since turning 34, Papi has hit .300/.392/.562 with 114 home runs and 361 runs batted in. He’s been a mainstay in the Sox lineup for years, and he’ll continue to be just that for at least another two seasons.
The team has not officially announced the deal, but a public statement is expected Monday.
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