David Ortiz ‘Cool’ With One-Year Deal According to Theo Epstein

Contrary to beliefs hovering around the David Ortiz contract option, the fun-loving slugger is "cool" with the one-year deal.

According to a report by ESPN.com, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein sat down with the big man to hammer out the details of the contract, and said that Ortiz now understands the logic behind the one-year deal.

"He's happy now with the one-year solution," Epstein said, according to the report. "I think in the end he realized we weren't in position to give him what he wanted."

It was easy to be deterred from that belief throughout the 2010 season, as Ortiz repeatedly insisted he did not want to go through the stress of a one-year deal again in 2011. The constant badgering on whether or not he would be wearing a Red Sox uniform next season definitely started to wear on Big Papi.

"I don't want one year," Ortiz told ESPN.com during the All Star break. "Why should I return for one year and go through the same [stuff] I'm going through now, just because it's my last year? No. I like to be left alone when I'm playing baseball. I know how to clean my [stuff] up.''

However, after discussing the upcoming year with Epstein, Ortiz seems to be comfortable with his current situation.

"He told me directly that he was cool with it," Epstein said.

Ortiz will be entering his ninth season with the Red Sox, coming off a 2010 season where he batted .270 with 32 homers and 102 RBIs.