Report: David Ortiz to retire after 2016 season
Red Sox DH David Ortiz will retire following the 2016 season, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Neither Ortiz nor the Red Sox have confirmed the news.
Ortiz, who turns 40 on Wednesday, said last year he does not want a farewell tour a la Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Chipper Jones. Here’s what he told reporters at the time:
“What Derek Jeter is doing is fine because he’s Derek Jeter,” Ortiz said. “What Mariano did is fine because it’s Mariano. But I don’t know if I’m going to go through all that. I’m not going to wake up and be like, ‘I’m going to play this year and then not anymore.’ To me, it’s going to be how things go through the season and how I feel and then I’m going to be like, ‘Mama, it’s over.’ I’m going to let her know.”
Ortiz may not want a farewell tour, but the Red Sox and his various sponsors may want one, and it’s possible they’ll win out. We’ll see.
In parts of 19 big league seasons, including the last 13 with the Red Sox, Ortiz has hit .284/.378/.547 (139 OPS+) with 503 home runs and 1,641 RBI. He hit his 500th career home in September:
Assuming Ortiz does indeed retire following the 2016 season, he will be eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2021. We examined Ortiz’s Hall of Fame case in depth following his 500th home run.
Ortiz played with the Twins prior to joining the Red Sox. He actually started his pro career with the Mariners — he was known as David Arias then — before being traded as a minor leaguer to Minnesota as the player to be named later for Dave Hollins in an August 1996 deal.
After parts of six seasons in Minnesota, during which he hit .266/.348/.461 (108 OPS+) with 58 home runs and 238 RBI, Ortiz was non-tendered by the Twins during the 2002-03 offseason. The Red Sox signed him and the rest is history.
Ortiz has never won an MVP award but finished in the top five of the voting every year from 2003-07. He’s a nine-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion with the Red Sox. Ortiz was named MVP of the 2004 ALCS and 2013 World Series.
The Red Sox open their 2016 season on Monday, April 4, in Cleveland against the Indians. Their home opener is one week later on April 11 against the Orioles. They finish their season with a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
David Ortiz will reportedly retire following the 2016 season. (USATSI)
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