Cody Ross wanted to re-sign with Boston. But as he watched the Red Sox sign multiple free agents last offseason, he eventually realized that it was time to move on.
Ross became a fan favorite in his one season with the Red Sox, and the two sides considered extending their relationship. Ross couldn’t secure the deal that he wanted, though, and both parties went their separate ways, much to the outfielder’s chagrin.
“Once I got into free agency, I didn’t drive the price up or do anything that would possibly affect me coming back here,” Ross said Friday on WEEI’s Mut & Merloni. “I just wanted fair value and fair years. They weren’t willing to go there — for whatever reason, I have no idea.
“They told me that they didn’t want to sign guys to long-term deals, and then they gave [Shane] Victorino a three-year deal, and then [Mike] Napoli a three-year deal or four-year deal, whatever it was. So, basically they lied to my face. At that point, I kind of got a bad taste in my mouth and wanted to move on, and that was it.”
Ross, who eventually signed a three-year, $26 million contract with the Diamondbacks, wanted a three-year pact from the Red Sox, but they apparently were unwilling to make that type of commitment. According to Ross, the Sox would only give him two years, which was why negotiations fell apart.
“We might have made the mistake of going to them first and saying that I like it here, kind of I guess you would say showing your hand,” Ross said. “I guess it’s called showing your hand when you tell a team that you want to come back, you want to play here. I don’t see how that could hurt me, but I guess it did.”
Ross remained hopeful throughout the discussions that would he would eventually re-sign with the Red Sox. In the end, he discovered that it was just wishful thinking.
“It is what it is. Like I said, it was a great time being here.”
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