Red Sox

David Ortiz expresses concern with contract again

Print | Comments () Posted by Leonard Neslin July 5, 2012 08:56 AM

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By Lenny Neslin, Boston.com Staff

It's no secret Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has griped about the one-year contract he accepted in the offseason. Before Wednesday's game, in which Ortiz slugged his 400th career home run, he told USA Today's Jorge Ortiz in an extensive Spanish-language interview that he feels "humiliated" and "embarrassed" about his contract situation.

The Red Sox' designated hitter hit .309 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs last season, but the newly positioned Sox general manager, Ben Cherington, didn't offer him a multi-year deal. Instead, he offered Ortiz arbitration. They agreed to a one-year, $14.575 million deal, a $2.025 million raise from the year before.

"It was humiliating," Ortiz said. "There's no reason a guy like me should go through that. ... And yet they don't hesitate to sign other guys. It was embarrassing."

Ortiz, who is in his 10th year with the Red Sox, was the team's only All-Star Game selection this year. He's hitting .302 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Cherington said in an e-mail to USA Today the Red Sox would not look to start negotiations on an extension during the season.

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