On Tuesday afternoon, ESPNDeportes.com reported the Red Sox slugger had planned to accept the deal. But The Boston Globe contradicted the report, stating that Ortiz hadn't yet decided.
Since the winter meetings started, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has said there's been "dialogue" between the two parties. He reiterated his desire to keep Ortiz –– beyond one season, too –– on Tuesday.
"We’ve talked to him about (staying past 2012)," Cherington said. "In theory, we'd like to have him on the team. We've expressed to him that if there's a way to make it work, we'd like to have him on the team moving forward and potentially have him finish his career with the Red Sox."
But the first-year, general manager wouldn't speculate on his sense of optimism about Ortiz's chance of accepting. The 36-year-old will have until Wednesday at midnight to accept or reject the arbitration that could slightly raise his salary.
"I think there's a good understanding and respect of positions," Cherington said. "A lot of mutual respect. If we don't reach anything by (Wednesday), we'll see what his decision is. If we don't and he accepts, we'll be happy with that outcome."
