If Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has his way, he’ll stay in Boston for the rest of his career.
Ortiz is entering the final year of his contract with the Red Sox and has expressed an interest in signing an extension with the team. The 38-year-old is angling for a multiyear deal with the Sox, but he appeared on CBS Boston’s Sports Final on Sunday and said that at the end of the day, whether he retires with the Red Sox is a business decision.
“I’m having fun,” Ortiz said, via ESPN.com “It’s been a hell of a ride as long as I’ve been here.
“But as I always keep on telling people, this is a business. Sometimes you’ve got to do what’s best for you and your family.”
Ortiz signed a two-year extension with the Sox last winter, and he said he expects to play baseball as long as he can.
“As long as [the Red Sox] keep offering me a job and I keep doing what I’m supposed to do and the relationship keeps on building up, I’m going to be there,” he said. “Hopefully, I won’t have to go and wear another uniform.”
Ortiz said that if he didn’t get another multiyear deal with the Red Sox, it might be “time to move on.”
After the Red Sox gave Ortiz his two-year extension last winter, Big Papi showed out by hitting .309 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs in 137 regular-season games, and then .353 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 16 playoff games. Ortiz’s strong postseason included a World Series, during which he hit .688 with a 1.948 OPS and earned MVP honors.
Ortiz’s recent impressive performances are motivation for him to stay in the game, and he said he’s not ready to think about giving it up just yet.
“I have said in a couple of interviews before, I’m feeling good,” he said. “This is not a career that is forever. As long as I’m having fun like I had, as long as I keep doing what I’m doing and I’m healthy, of course, I’m going to keep on giving it a try.”
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said the team will discuss a contract extension with Ortiz during the upcoming season.
