The arbitration hearing between the Boston Red Sox and designated hitter David Ortiz is reportedly set for next Monday (via WEEI). The Red Sox offered $12.65 million while Ortiz asked for $16.5 million. Ortiz is under contract for the 2012 season so the hearing would simply be to determine his salary for the upcoming season.
The Red Sox have avoided arbitration hearings for a decade. The closest the team has come to one recently is when they settled with Kevin Youkilis to a one-year, $3 million deal in 2008.
Ortiz did not want to bring the matter this far, but he's not leaving it up to himself
Ortiz recently told MLB.com that he wants to resolve the matter and avoid going through the arbitration process, but that he's leaving the matter in the hands of his agents and team officials. Meanwhile, the Sox have a decade-long track record of avoiding arbitration hearings, even though GM Ben Cherington has acknowledged that it his team is preparing for a hearing with Ortiz should the two sides not settle their differences. (via WEEI)
Can the team and Ortiz' agents find some common ground before Monday and prevent an arbitration hearing? Stay tuned.
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