The Boston Red Sox will be busy this off season and it might come in the form of wrestling to resign their own players. David Ortiz has seriously hit the scope of the Texas Rangers as they allowed Josh Hamilton to walk into free agency.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports' senior baseball writer, major league sources have mentioned the Rangers are serious about getting Ortiz.
The Rangers obviously need a backup plan in case Hamilton gets signed. Adding Ortiz would fill in the void for Hamilton as he will provide fear and power in the middle of that Texas lineup.
However, the Rangers' interest in Ortiz could likely help him add a few more bucks to his deal if he remains in Boston.
Ortiz hit .318, 23 HR and 60 RBI and he only played in 90 games during the 2012 season. He proved essential to a lineup providing damage in the middle of the order despite being 36. However, he also proved fragile as he missed 72 games in the season due to an Achilles injury.
There is no question that where ever Ortiz lands his health will be brought up in contract negotiations, but if he gets both teams going hard for him then Ortiz can raise the price.
Ortiz has already endorsed the new manager, John Farrell, so it sounds like he might be staying in Boston.
We will have to see if the Rangers provide enough to lure him out of Fenway as the Rangers do in fact possess a team that can win championships. That is something the Red Sox cannot guarantee right now.
