David Ortiz told WEEI.com Friday that he would not be comfortable returning to the Red Sox on a one-year deal.
I’m not comfortable coming back just for one year because it’s going to be the same roller-coaster that I had this year. All the question marks. People still don’t realize what you’re capable of doing even after eight years. I’m the kind of guy who likes to be left alone, play my game and be the best at my position.
After getting off to slow starts for three straight seasons, David Ortiz has come under heavy scrutiny from Red Sox fans, with some even calling for his benching at times. Invariably, though, he has come out of his slumps firing on all cylinders, putting up some of the best numbers in the league.
While the Red Sox do hold a $12.5 million team option for Ortiz in 2011, the slugger wants to avoid the controversy that he feels has hurt his performance these last few years.
I just want to cut out all the crap and go back to the guy I was before, a happy guy who doesn’t have to be answering questions that have nothing to with anything but controversy. I just want to be able to play baseball and have fun, like I used to. That’s where I came back to not wanting just one year, because I know it’s going to be just the same thing. As soon as you struggle for a week, it’s going to be the same thing.
While one would hope that both Red Sox fans and the Boston media would have learned not to give up on Ortiz after a slow start, but given how things have gone in recent years, it’s hard to blame him for wanting some security.