Sox And Big Papi Will Talk Turkey Next Week

Red Sox DH David Ortiz

According to ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald, the Red Sox will pick up the pace of contract talks with designated hitter David Oritz as soon as next week. General manager Ben Cherington also stated that the team is already in talks with free-agent right-fielder Cody Ross. Papi's 1.026 OPS far outpaced any other DH on the market—although he did suffer a devastating Achilles tendon injury that allowed him to play just 90 games.

The new CBA makes dealing with players like Ortiz a little trickier than in the past. Teams can propose a qualifying offer (expected to be about $13 million), but that would effectively mean a pay cut for Ortiz from his $14.58 million 2012 salary. The DH still wants a multi-year deal, which the Red Sox have resisted giving him over the last few years. In any event, it's good news that the talks will begin soon.