As David Ortiz celebrates his 35th birthday (we assume) today, he can do it knowing that he's the highest-paid Designated Hitter in baseball by a long, long way.
But that doesn't mean the Boston Red Sox icon is happy with his place.
"I was trying to get something different," Ortiz said. "I wanted to stay here longer. But I got what the team offered me, and I'm fine with it.
In speaking with ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, Ortiz said that he's happy that the Red Sox picked up his 2011 option, worth $12.5 million, but doesn't understand the prevailing cloud of doubt that hangs over his head. Ortiz has struggled out of the gate in the past couple years, and many say that it's because of his age.
"I had trouble with the negativity," Ortiz said of his early struggles, but "I'll come back and prove them wrong again."
2011 is Ortiz's last year under contract with the Red Sox.