Sox and Ortiz Settle at Mid-Point

[a700hitter]

Red Sox, David Ortiz Settle At Midpoint

By Tim Dierkes [February 13 at 9:28am CST]

 

Hours before today's arbitration hearing, the Red Sox and designated hitter David Ortiz settled at the midpoint for $14.575MM, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Had they reached a hearing, a panel of three arbitrators would have chosen between Boston's $12.65MM submission and Ortiz's $16.5MM salary figure for 2012. Ortiz is represented by Fern Cuza of SFX.

 

Potentially inhibited by the cost of a draft pick, Ortiz accepted an arbitration offer from the Red Sox in December, and it took the looming threat of a hearing to force a settlement. I favored the Red Sox in a potential hearing, but they preferred not to risk a situation many regard as a crapshoot. As a bonus, they were able to avoid Ortiz having a front-row seat for their attempt to prove he's worth less than the midpoint.

So, he'll only be overpaid by $4-5 million.

[User Name]

Red Sox, David Ortiz Settle At Midpoint

By Tim Dierkes [February 13 at 9:28am CST]

 

Hours before today's arbitration hearing, the Red Sox and designated hitter David Ortiz settled at the midpoint for $14.575MM, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Had they reached a hearing, a panel of three arbitrators would have chosen between Boston's $12.65MM submission and Ortiz's $16.5MM salary figure for 2012. Ortiz is represented by Fern Cuza of SFX.

 

Potentially inhibited by the cost of a draft pick, Ortiz accepted an arbitration offer from the Red Sox in December, and it took the looming threat of a hearing to force a settlement.

 

[Muggah]

So' date=' he'll only be overpaid by $4-5 million.[/quote']

 

Do you think he's still gonna sulk because he didn't get his two year deal?

[a700hitter]

Do you think he's still gonna sulk because he didn't get his two year deal?

No, I think he'll play hard to get another contract next season.

[seabeachfred]

Do you think he's still gonna sulk because he didn't get his two year deal?

 

Muggah, you know damn well he is going to sulk. He's been a whiner and complainer the past few seasons, a far cry from the leader and head honcho he was during those seemingly long ago glory years. You know, I'm going to plead ignorance on this but I would like someone or a few people if necessary to try and tell me what changed this guy over the past three or four seasons. Please don't tell me he is the same guy because personality wise he is not. Bitching about a perceived RBI, bitching because he was pinched hit for a couple of times when he was off to one of his very slow starts, bitching because his pal Manny was traded away----it seems to be one thing after another.

 

Since the FO seems incapable of moving on as we witness, most likely, Varitek and Wakefield, still embedded in the team despite their uselessness, this Ortiz thing does not signal the last year of his tenure with the Red Sox even though it should. Why Henry and Co. can't seem to dissolve relationships with players and move on is one thing can could hold the team hostage this y ear and in coming years. This must be Ortiz' last year with the Red Sox and there must be no offer of arbitration next season. We better hope that if Ortiz sulks and starts loafing Valentine will sit on his ass and bench him if necessary.

 

If would be so much easier if he just went out and made his last year with the Red Sox a solid one devoid of histrionics and bad acting.

[User Name]

Fred, how are Wakefield and Varitek "embedded" in the team if they are free agents? That makes absolutely no sense.

 

As for Ortiz, who cares if he whines if he keeps producing. He was the 8th most productive hitter in baseball last year. Would you rather he be replaced with a s***** alternative that keeps his mouth shut?

 

All of these psychological examinations of players are ridiculous. Who gives a s*** how much they whine if they produce? Ortiz produces.

[Bellhorn04]

Pedro became a diva later in his career with the Sox too Fred. Maybe it's a case of all the adulation getting to someone's head.

 

Hopefully Ortiz will realize how well paid he is and focus on baseball.

[User Name]

Pedro became a diva later in his career with the Sox too Fred. Maybe it's a case of all the adulation getting to someone's head.

 

Hopefully Ortiz will realize how well paid he is and focus on baseball.

 

Does it matter as long as he hits? That's what i'm asking here.

[Station 13]

No' date=' I think he'll play hard to get another contract next season.[/quote']

 

Even harder to find that team. Interleauge plays into September for 2013 and forever unless it goes away.

[Bellhorn04]

Does it matter as long as he hits? That's what i'm asking here.

 

That's a question that deserves a long discussion. Can a player's behaviour become a distraction and negatively affect the team? I would have to say yes. It's one of those intangibles nobody can measure though.

[Bellhorn04]

Even harder to find that team. Interleauge plays into September for 2013 and forever unless it goes away.

 

Yes, I think there are 30 interleague games in 2013. That means a non-fielding DH is going to automatically miss 15 games, almost 10% of the schedule.

[User Name]

That's a question that deserves a long discussion. Can a player's behaviour become a distraction and negatively affect the team? I would have to say yes. It's one of those intangibles nobody can measure though.

 

It would have to be taken to extremes, which is the problem.

 

A-Rod cheating on his wife and getting scourged by the whip of public opinion? Distraction.

 

Ortiz complaining about an umpire? No-news.

[BSN07]

OMG they settled? Who would have thought it?

[FredLynn]

Pedro became a diva later in his career with the Sox too Fred. Maybe it's a case of all the adulation getting to someone's head.

 

Hopefully Ortiz will realize how well paid he is and focus on baseball.

 

Ortiz agreed to this figure. Once you agree to a figure the negotiations are over. I think will be fine now. The key is that this is for just one year, after which he must leave.

[ibot2much]

8 th most productive player??? He was desperately looking for his contract...the multi year one. Will he perform this year, knowing that the Sox did not want him for more than one year and offered him that "disrespectful" 12 mill+ offer? If he sulks, he doesn't hit; they go together

[User Name]

He was "sulking" last year: .953 OPS, 8th in the Majors.

[FredLynn]

8 th most productive player??? He was desperately looking for his contract...the multi year one. Will he perform this year' date=' knowing that the Sox did not want him for more than one year and offered him that "disrespectful" 12 mill+ offer? If he sulks, he doesn't hit; they go together[/quote']

 

If he sulks, you will not hear a word of it, especially if he is not producing. Imagine a scenario where his OPS is in the .700s and he is still complaining about his contract....how would that place him in the public's eye? And if he is producing and still complaining, the I really don't care about the complaining part.

[User Name]

If he sulks' date=' you will not hear a word of it, especially if he is not producing. Imagine a scenario where his OPS is in the .700s and he is still complaining about his contract....how would that place him in the public's eye? And if he is producing and still complaining, the I really don't care about the complaining part.[/quote']

 

We agree. Grab your gear people, the Zombie apocalypse is coming.

[Spitball]

That's a question that deserves a long discussion. Can a player's behaviour become a distraction and negatively affect the team? I would have to say yes. It's one of those intangibles nobody can measure though.

 

I'm sure no one has forgotten Manny a couple of years ago. That said, I'm pretty sure Ortiz won't become another Manny.

 

I think the Red Sox and their clubhouse will be under quite a bit of scrutiny in the coming year. I bet many undercurrents and problems will not be kept quiet as has happened in the past...at least we can hope.

[Spitball]

This is an interesting article on aging players by Joe Posnanski of Sports Illustrated.

 

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2012/02/10/aging-with-chart/?sct=hp_t12_a1&eref=sihp

[ibot2much]

He was "sulking" last year: .953 OPS' date=' 8th in the Majors.[/quote']

 

No he wasn't sulking lst year......he was working real hard on the field to GET HIS CONTRACT.

 

Whether or not his anger at the Sox for not giving him that multi year deal back when he wanted it (after winning the HRD )did spill over in some off the field things can be debated.

[onlybereaved]

:harhar:

[User Name]

No he wasn't sulking lst year......he was working real hard on the field to GET HIS CONTRACT.

 

Whether or not his anger at the Sox for not giving him that multi year deal back when he wanted it (after winning the HRD )did spill over in some off the field things can be debated.

 

He did sulk because he didn't get his multi-year contract. Just like this year.

 

What can't be debated is that he produced. And he's playing for another contract again if he wants to keep playing, which he seems to do, so he's exactly in the same position as last year.

[ibot2much]

He did sulk because he didn't get his multi-year contract. Just like this year.

 

What can't be debated is that he produced. And he's playing for another contract again if he wants to keep playing, which he seems to do, so he's exactly in the same position as last year.

 

Except now he is very aware that the Sox do not want him for another year...

[User Name]

Except now he is very aware that the Sox do not want him for another year...

 

...which is exactly the same thing you could have said last year. Not to mention the Sox aren't the only team in MLB. He wants money, he'll have to play for it.

[ibot2much]

...which is exactly the same thing you could have said last year. Not to mention the Sox aren't the only team in MLB. He wants money' date=' he'll have to play for it.[/quote']

 

 

He didn't know last year about the lack of the multi-year deal. He wanted it--he wanted an extension of the contract. All they did was pick up the option. This year was the actual contract renewal year.....and they blatently gave him just the one year. Will he play hard again to get somebody to pick him up?? Will he continue to have the skills to produce?

 

Lots of questions, but the 14 million dollar man did take the RS FO for a ride this year.

[Spitball]

...which is exactly the same thing you could have said last year. Not to mention the Sox aren't the only team in MLB. He wants money' date=' he'll have to play for it.[/quote']

 

I agree and don't believe Ortiz doesn't truly understand this. He may have hoped for a multi-year deal, but I believe he knew it might not happen. When he accepted arbitration, he passed on some leverage that tells me he knew he wasn't in the strongest position to get the contract he wanted.

[Emmz]

He didn't know last year about the lack of the multi-year deal. He wanted it--he wanted an extension of the contract. All they did was pick up the option. This year was the actual contract renewal year.....and they blatently gave him just the one year. Will he play hard again to get somebody to pick him up?? Will he continue to have the skills to produce?

 

Lots of questions, but the 14 million dollar man did take the RS FO for a ride this year.

 

Why wouldn't he play for his next contract? If he plays like s***, no one's going to give him s***. And yeah, the same goes for everyone in their late 30s, the question about whether they produce or not. Thats why its a 1 year deal.

[User Name]

He didn't know last year about the lack of the multi-year deal. He wanted it--he wanted an extension of the contract. All they did was pick up the option. This year was the actual contract renewal year.....and they blatently gave him just the one year. Will he play hard again to get somebody to pick him up?? Will he continue to have the skills to produce?

 

Lots of questions, but the 14 million dollar man did take the RS FO for a ride this year.

 

What? The speculation for Ortiz' supposed negotiations for a multi-year deal were rampant that winter. He wanted a multi-year deal, got the option picked up. This year, he wanted a multi-year deal, got arbitration. He got one year last year, one year this year. You are creating a circumstance where there is none.

 

They are pretty much exactly the same situation. He will have to play for his next contract this year just like he did last year.

[ibot2much]

What? The speculation for Ortiz' supposed negotiations for a multi-year deal were rampant that winter. He wanted a multi-year deal, got the option picked up. This year, he wanted a multi-year deal, got arbitration. He got one year last year, one year this year. You are creating a circumstance where there is none.

 

They are pretty much exactly the same situation. He will have to play for his next contract this year just like he did last year.

 

Are you posting just to be contentious? How did I say anything different than what you just said. He had one option year left, that is what they gave him. We all know that he talked ( as I said after the HRD in particular) about an extension which did not come about. He didn't play overly well so used winning the HRD as some kind of reason to get an extension. This year was the real contact year and he got the one year.....so what circumstances am I CREATING? He has had some slow starts and some slow years.....so I asked hypothetically if he would still have the skills at his age to get another contract..... but certainly not any kind of multi-year from the RS since they seem definite that wasn't going to happen, certainly not now or probably never.