Don’t call it a comeback. Around this time a year ago, an ailing knee, a PED revelation, and a painstaking 2 months at the plate were all but signaling the end for one of Boston’s most beloved sluggers. After an injury-plagued 2008 season where he failed to reach 100 RBI for the first time as a member of the Red Sox, it was becoming ever so clear that the man who put the 2004 World Series champs on his back could no longer produce. Though he finished with a respectable second half, it hardly made up for his lack of production in April and May. On June 20th last year, he was hitting .208 with 5 HRs and 28 RBI, and was on track for the worst year of his career in Boston. A year later, he’s batting .263 with 15 HRs and 45 RBI, even after an April of struggles all too reminiscent of last year. It’s pretty safe to assume that barring an injury or a prolonged slump, Ortiz is on his way to another 30HR/100RBI season.
His resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time for the Sox. Entering the season with one of the most dangerous rotations in the AL and a revamped defense, the one question mark was whether they had enough power in the line-up to contend with teams like the Rays, Yankees and Twins. After the Sox had their worst April of the decade, Ortiz’s bat has helped them climb from the basement of the AL East to within a game of the Rays and Yankees who are tied for first going in to today.
Assuming his production doesn’t slow down, and he finishes close to what his projected number are, it poses the question about what to do with him at the end of the season. He’s making $13-million this year and his contract is up at the end of the season. He has a club option worth $12.5-million that the Red Sox shouldn’t feel obligated to pick up, because they know that at this point in his career, even if he can continue producing like he is, he’s not worth that type of money, and other teams aren’t going to take a chance on an aging DH with a history of knee problems. It’s clear that Ortiz loves Boston, and if he’s doing this well right now, who’s to say he doesn’t have another year, possibly two, left in him? While two might be a stretch at this point, I would love to see the Sox offer him a 1 year contract in the neighborhood of $5-million. A lot will have to do with the free agent market this off-season, but in a season where the DH position is particularly weak throughout the league, Ortiz can certainly not be underlooked.
A Slice of Steve 