David Ortiz thinks he can be the offensive "force" Theo Epstein wants him to be and he hopes to prove it for years to come. Big Papi told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he has "another three or four good years" in him and he wants to spend them in a Red Sox uniform.
As much as he'd like to remain in Boston, Ortiz, who could be a free agent as soon as next winter, says he understands it might not be possible.
"If you don’t sign with somebody, someone else will sign you," he said. "That’s how it goes.”
The Red Sox have a $12.5MM option for Ortiz's services in 2011, but they will presumably look for more production before committing that kind of money to a player who will be 35 for the 2011 season. (FanGraphs values Ortiz's 2009 production at $3.2MM.)
Big Papi hit 28 homers and drove in 99 last year, but he hit just .238/.332/.462. He says his wrist will continue to grow stronger this offseason so he's confident he can live up to Epstein's standards in 2010.
