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AL Notes: Zito, Samardzija, Matusz, Red Sox

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A’s southpaw Barry Zito tossed four innings tonight in what could be his final Major League appearance, although the veteran lefty isn’t officially calling it a career yet, tweets MLB.com’s Jane Lee. Zito says that while he won’t yet announce his retirement, he does feel “complete” and is likes the idea of spending time with his family. If this is indeed it for Zito, the game had somewhat of a full-circle slant to it. As Melissa Lockard of OaklandClubhouse.com notes (via Twitter), Zito’s final start would be closed out by Sean Doolittle, whom the Athletics drafted with the compensation pick they earned upon Zito’s free agent departure.

A few more notes from the American League as Wednesday evening winds down…

  • Question marks surround Jeff Samardzija as he heads into free agency, writes ESPN Chicago’s Doug Padilla. The right-hander closed out the season with a pair of excellent starts, but that does little to erase the dismal August through which Samardzija suffered. Samardzija candidly said he’s not overly concerned with how much money he earns in free agency from a personal standpoint. Rather, his concern in contract negotiations has always been to preserve market value and set precedents for those who come after him. “I had enough money when I signed with the Cubs back in 2006,” said Samardzija, referring to the $10MM deal he signed with the Cubs to forgo his football career. “So, like I said before, for me it’s more about a professional thing and respecting the guys that came before me that have put us in this situation in this game. To make the money we make, and have the fun we have, and travel the way we travel, that needs to be continued by players that are coming behind me and current players. For me, that’s important.” Samardzija spoke highly of his time with the White Sox, saying the team has a number of great pieces in place that will help right the ship in future seasons and sounded open to a return.
  • Orioles lefty Brian Matusz will undergo surgery to repair the arthritic AC joint in right (non-throwing) shoulder on Monday, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The injury, Matusz told reporters (link), didn’t impact his performance but did force him to scale back his workouts. Encina notes that Matusz’s hope is that having the surgery immediately after the season will give him enough time to recover and enjoy a normal offseason before getting back into his preseason routine.
  • The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo covered a number of trade-related Red Sox topics in his latest mailbag piece. Within, Cafardo mentions that he recently spoke to one scout who feels the Sox should be willing to move left-hander Henry Owens if he were to bring back a more established arm (bear in mind, of course, that’s one scout’s take). Cafardo also writes about Deven Marrero’s future in Boston, or lack thereof, as he feels Marrero will ultimately end up as trade bait due to lack of a clear path to playing time and a glove that makes him capable of starting at shortstop elsewhere. Other offseason trade candidates he mentions include Clay Buchholz and Wade Miley.

Quick Hits: Nationals, Ripken, Red Sox, Deadline

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Nationals fans may not want to re-live the pain quite so soon, but Barry Svrluga recapped the Nats’ tumultuous 2015 season in a three-part series for the Washington Post.  The first entry focuses on the early-season hype as World Series favorites that was only slightly dimmed by several injuries and Ian Desmond’s struggles, while the second part looks at Bryce Harper’s superstar year and Stephen Strasburg’s frustration.  The third and final installment is perhaps the juiciest in terms of behind-the-scenes information, as Svrluga tracks the discord of the last two months (including the disastrous Jonathan Papelbon trade and the Nationals’ fall out of contention) and reports on a clubhouse confrontation between Jayson Werth and Matt Williams.  The entire series is a must-read look at how a seemingly can’t-miss team fell to pieces, to put it mildly.

Here’s some more from around the baseball world…

  • The Nationals’ drama has helped take some of the Beltway media focus off of a disappointing Orioles season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, as rumors continue to hint at tension between Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter.  There has been speculation that Showalter could take over the baseball operations department and Cal Ripken Jr. could become the new manager, but both Showalter and a Ripken spokesperson deny the rumor.  Sherman also hears from an Orioles employee that owner Peter Angelos wouldn’t want to hire Ripken since it could create an awkward future situation if Angelos had to fire the franchise icon.
  • The Red Sox have quietly been one of baseball’s best teams in the second half of the season, a hot stretch that gives the franchise a lot of hope for 2016, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes.  Speier recaps some of the key events of the last two months and focuses on how many of Boston’s young stars took a step forward in recent weeks.
  • This hot streak may have also had something to do with Hanley Ramirez playing less and less before eventually being shut down for the season, as Speier reports on tension between Ramirez and the coaching staff.  A source says that Ramirez was “ostracized” from his teammates partly due to this conflict stemming from Ramirez’s unwillingness to work on his left field defense.
  • Some major names with big contracts could potentially be dealt this offseason, former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd writes in a piece for MLB.com.  Of the five names O’Dowd lists (including Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp and Werth), I would guess his old outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is the most likely trade candidate.
  • The Blue Jays were the big winners at the trade deadline, Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper writes in his recap of which teams helped themselves most on or prior to July 31st.  Most of Cooper’s “helped themselves” picks are playoff contenders, unsurprisingly, though it’s worth noting that the NL West-winning Dodgers lead the “not helping” category, having gained a negative bWAR from their deadline acquisitions.

AL East Notes: Rays, O’s, E-Rod, Porcello, Hanley

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Though the Rays are on pace for their second straight losing season, the team’s pitching depth gives them hope for a turn-around in 2016, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi will be joined in the rotation by the now-healthy Matt Moore and Drew Smyly.  The fifth spot will be contested between Erasmo Ramirez, Nate Karns or top prospect Blake Snell, with Alex Colome and Matt Andriese on hand as further depth options.  That’s not even counting Alex Cobb, who will be back from Tommy John surgery late next season.  While Tampa certainly may want to hang onto its pitching depth given the team’s recent injury issues, I would think the Rays may also considering dangling an arm or two as trade bait this winter to add some offensive help.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • Adam Jones plans to speak to owner Peter Angelos about the Orioles’ offseason plans, the outfielder tells the Baltimore Sun’s Dan Connolly.  It will be a challenging winter for the O’s with eight free agents, though Jones feels most of them would come back for the right offer since “it’s a great place to play.  I know they all like being here.”  If some leave, Jones notes that the silver lining is freed-up payroll space.  “It’s going to be exciting to see what goes on this offseason because I know when you have a lot of free agents that means you have a lot of money to spend,” Jones said.  “And so, hopefully, I can influence some officials to spend a little bit of that money.”
  • Last winter saw the Orioles also lose Nelson Cruz, Andrew Miller and Nick Markakis to free agency, and another free agent exodus could threaten this competitive chapter in O’s history, as closer Zach Britton notes to Connolly.  “If you look at it, our window was a three- to four-year window that everyone was talking about. ’OK, if we’re going to do it, now is the time.’ So, yeah, if we lose every single guy [to free agency], it’s going to be a real challenge to have to replace them,” Britton said.  “You have to do it through the draft, you’ve got to do it through trades or do it through signing free agents. We’ve got to do it somehow.”
  • Two of those free agents say they want to return to the Orioles.  Steve Pearce tells Connolly that “I’d love to be back. I’d love for everybody to be back,” while Matt Wieters tells MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski that he knows this could be his last few days in a Baltimore uniform.  “I’m trying to embrace it and enjoy this last bit of the season,” Wieters said. “I’ve been very fortunate being able to to be here as long as I have and would love to stay here. But that is all stuff that will be controlled and talked about in the offseason.”
  • There is “healthy skepticism” around baseball that the Red Sox will fully explore having Hanley Ramirez as a full-time first baseman next year, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.  This and the hefty $66MM still owed to Ramirez will make it difficult for the Sox to get any kind of decent return if they want to trade him.
  • Eduardo Rodriguez isn’t technically a homegrown prospect (the Red Sox acquired him from the Orioles last summer in the Andrew Miller trade), though CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam believes the young southpaw can be the first front-of-the-rotation arm produced from Boston’s farm system since Clay Buchholz.  Rodriguez, 22, has posted a 3.85 ERA, 2.65 K/BB rate and 7.2 K/9 over 121 2/3 IP for the Sox in his rookie season.
  • It’s been a trying year overall for Rick Porcello, but the right-hander tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that he’s learned some lessons from his first year with the Red Sox and is going into 2016 on a high note.  Porcello signed a four-year, $80MM contract with Boston prior to the season and became a target of fan ire after his early struggles, though he’s pitched well since coming back from a DL stint in August.

Reactions To And Effects Of Mariners’ Hiring Of Jerry Dipoto

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Jerry Dipoto was officially named the ninth general manager in Mariners history today, and the former D-Backs/Angels GM addressed the media in a press conference at Safeco Field (some video highlights via MLB.com and 710 ESPN).

A few of the more meaningful quotes from the presser as well as some reactions to Seattle’s decision…

  • Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune breaks down Dipoto’s timeline for his initial wave of priorities. Dipoto wouldn’t commit one way or another in regard to manager Lloyd McClendon’s future but said the two planned to take the time to get to know each other in the coming weeks. “I wouldn’t say bringing in my own guy is critically important,” said Dipoto when asked about McClendon’s job status. “To have someone that I believe in, that I trust, who trusts me and believe in what I’m doing, is terrifically important.” Of course, his relationship with a manager probably holds extra importance to Dipoto, whose resignation with the Angels reportedly stemmed largely from issues with manager Mike Scioscia.
  • Regarding possible front office changes (also via Dutton), Dipoto said he did expect new recruits from outside the organization to come join him in Seattle. However, he also had positive things to say about many of the existing baseball ops staffers. “I’m also 100 percent sure that many of the people you see here today are going to be key figures as we move forward,” said Dipoto.
  • Team president Kevin Mather said the Mariners began with a list of about 40 candidates that was pared down to 10 — six of whom were interviewed. According to Dutton, the finalists for the position were Dipoto, Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler and Jeff Kingston, the Mariners’ assistant GM who had been serving as GM on an interim basis since the firing of Jack Zduriencik.
  • Dipoto spoke highly of the foundation of the current Mariners — Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager as well as up-and-coming talent like Brad Miller, Ketel Marte, Chris Taylor and Mike Zunino — and he offered a particularly glowing review of another well-regarded young player. “…And a guy I think has the chance to shoot the moon in Taijuan Walker,” said Dipoto.
  • Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times hears a bit differently when it comes to the team’s finalists, writing that it was Blue Jays special assistant Dana Brown who was the third finalist, not Kingston. Divish also talks about the frank assessment of the organization that Dipoto gave Mather in the interview, noting that Dipoto mentioned a lack of depth on the 25- and 40-man rosters, minimal athleticism throughout the organization and defense that doesn’t line up with the team’s spacious home park.
  • Divish also provides a transcript of a Q&A with Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln, who notably said that the team’s payroll won’t be going down from its current $130MM mark in spite of the losing season. Lincoln said ownership will provide Dipoto with as many resources as possible, and he added that, as he’s done in previous seasons, he’s taken a personal “financial hit” as a result. Asked specifically if that meant he’s cutting his own annual salary, Lincoln replied, “I’m taking a significant financial hit and have in the past when we’ve had losing seasons. When we’ve had winning seasons, that’s the opposite.” He also added that he has no plans to retire in the near future, and he’d like to have a World Series trip or at least some playoff seasons behind him before he does.
  • As 710 ESPN’s Shannon Drayer writes, Dipoto expressed that pitching may be a bigger need for the Mariners than offense, which he admitted is strange given the previous narrative surrounding the team. Dipoto did state that it’s “critical” to lengthen the bottom of the lineup, but he offered high praise for Miller and Seth Smith, specifically, when discussing some of the perhaps unheralded assets in the team’s present lineup.
  • “Dipoto exudes passion and oozes competence,” writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, “and his likability factor is off the charts.” However, Stone remains somehwhat skeptical, noting that predecessors Bill Bavasi and Jack Zduriencik have promised change and come up short in that regard. Stone notes that Dipoto’s transparency into his strong belief in both scouting and analytics was encouraging, as was the new GM’s candid admission that he was “a little disheartened” by seeing the lofty strikeout rates throughout the minor league system. “You’ve got a lot of guys striking out a lot,” said Dipoto. “Now, it’s a lot of very talented players with a lot of upside potential to tap into. That’s only going to happen if we can somehow develop more contact. I think that’s important. That’s going to be Step No. 1.” Though he came away impressed, Stone notes that “winning” the press conference is far easier than turning around a struggling organization.
  • Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had hoped to be able to retain Dipoto, he told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. However, Dombrowski characterized the chances of keeping Dipoto as a “long shot” once he began interviewing with the Mariners, seemingly offering high praise and respect for the veteran executive’s front office acumen. As Bradford writes, Dipoto’s time with the Sox was limited, but it left a mark. “His basic task was to review our personnel in the organization and then report on them, which he did,” Dombrowski explained. “He did a great job, had a very thorough assessment of our talent, and gave me the information. He also, when he was around, contributed to other ways in talking about general baseball.” Also of importance, Dombrowski said, was the ability to receive internal assessments from pre-existing Red Sox baseball operations members as well as what was essentially an external review of the talent from a well-respected peer.

AL East Notes: Hanley, Ellsbury, Orioles, Moore

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Here’s the latest from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox have given Hanley Ramirez permission to begin his offseason rehab process at his home in Fort Lauderdale, which ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes feels is a curious and perhaps telling move from the team.  While Ramirez has been shut down for 2015 due to a shoulder injury, Edes notes that the likes of Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa all remained with the club despite being shut down with past and current injuries in order to keep supporting their teammates.  It could just be a case of bad optics, or it could be a hint that the Red Sox don’t have Ramirez in their future plans and will try to trade him this winter.
  • The Red Sox aren’t missing Jacoby Ellsbury given the wealth of young outfield talent on the roster, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes.  “Ellsbury was not viewed by the Red Sox as a must-sign,” Silverman said, as the outfielder went on to sign a seven-year, $153MM free agent deal with the Yankees.  Given how Ellsbury has struggled this year, it’s no surprise the Sox would prefer to look to the future with Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo.
  • Some teams are already inquiring if Orioles pitching coach Dave Wallace will be available this winter, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports.  Wallace and the rest of the O’s coaching staff are still without contracts for 2016, though executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette recently told Kubatko that the club was in “the process” of getting those deals worked out.  The highly-regarded Wallace has been Baltimore’s pitching coach for two seasons and Kubatko speculates that if he were to leave, bullpen coach Dom Chiti could leave as well since the two are good friends.
  • Matt Moore tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he feels he’s turned a bit of a corner in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and should be fully back to normal by Spring Training.  Moore badly struggled in his first six starts back and was demoted to the minors, though since returning to the Rays he has pitched better, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 22-to-5 K/BB rate over his last 23 1/3 innings.
  • The Yankees will replace Dave Miley as the manager of their Triple-A affiliate, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.  Miley, who managed the Reds from 2003-05, just completed his 10th season managing the Yankees’ Triple-A team.

Mariners’ GM Search Nearing Completion

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11:58am: One source tells ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, “I think [the Mariners] have their guy.” Crasnick adds that the Mariners also interviewed former Dodgers GM Dan Evans — currently a Pacific Rim scout for the Blue Jays — but Evans is not considered to be a finalist (Twitter links).

8:04am: It’s been exactly one month since the Mariners dismissed Jack Zduriencik as general manager, and Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that the search for his replacement is in its final stages. One source told Dutton that announcement could come as soon as Monday, with others indicating later in the week was more likely, barring any “snags” in contract negotiations.

Last Friday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto and Yankees assistant general manager Billy Eppler were the two finalists, and Dutton hears the same from multiple sources. And, while Eppler has also been rumored to be one of the favorites to fill Dipoto’s role in Anaheim, Dutton notes that the Angels’ interest in Josh Byrnes could diminish Eppler’s chances in Anaheim.

Dipoto, of course, resigned from his post with the Angels this summer due to a now-well-documented rift with manager Mike Scioscia. He then took a short-term role with the Red Sox, where’s he’s serving as a senior adviser. Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the press conference to introduce new Boston GM Mike Hazen that he would love to keep Dipoto in a full-time capacity, but he first had to wait for resolution on any remaining jobs for which Dipoto had interviewed.

At the time that Zduriencik was released, Mariners president Kevin Mather said that he wanted to hire an experienced GM, as he didn’t want someone “learning on the job” while risking the production of Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano dropping by the time a rookie GM was up to speed. However, reports since then have indicated that Mather and the rest of the decision-making contingent has softened on that stance and would consider candidates without GM experience. Notably, those reports came in conjunction with Eppler’s first interview, so it would seem that he impressed ownership. Heyman noted in last week’s report that both Dipoto and Eppler would interview for a second time, though the specific timing of those sit-downs was not indicated.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Wieters, Buehrle

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Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald looks up and down the Red Sox’ roster in his latest column, attempting to pin who will remain with the club this offseason. While there is, of course, no definitive way of being certain, Silverman notes that much of the bullpen could be on its way out the door, and he also feels that it’s more likely the Sox will focus their efforts on finding a taker for Hanley Ramirez than for Pablo Sandoval. Assuming Boston brings in a top-flight pitcher, he feels one of Henry Owens or Joe Kelly could become trade bait on the strength of strong second halves, and he opines that while there’s no definitive need to trade an outfielder, Jackie Bradley is probably the likeliest of the current starters to be moved if dealing one of the three is necessary to bolster the rotation. Rich Hill seems likely to return, he writes, and he echoes recent reports stating that if all goes well with Clay Buchholz’s final bullpen sessions, the Sox will pick up his $13MM option for the 2016 season.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • It once seemed like a foregone conclusion that Matt Wieters would receive a qualifying offer from the Orioles, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com, but the 29-year-old’s sub-par numbers since returning from Tommy John surgery have cast some doubt on the situation. Melewski personally feels the QO is now an unlikely scenario, as Wieters has hit just .251/.291/.395 and may still be feeling some lingering effects of his operation. I’d counter by stating that I can’t envision a Scott-Boras-represented, prime-aged catcher being the first player to ever accept a QO, and at least one crude barometer of his elbow’s health — his 31 percent caught-stealing rate — suggests that it’s holding up fairly well. Wieters hasn’t had the season that he, his agent or the team hoped, but he’d still be a lock to turn down the offer, in my eyes. Whether or not the Orioles make the offer is another story.
  • Sunday may have marked the last home start that Mark Buehrle will with the Blue Jays, writes Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, but neither Buehrle nor the team is focused on looking that far into the future right now. Davidi notes, though, that there’s a possibility that Buehrle will retire this winter, and some feel that if he does pitch in 2016, his preference is to be closer to his home in Missouri. Whatever the future holds, Davidi continues, the Jays have been rewarded for their acquisition of Buehrle back in 2012; the veteran has not only delivered solid on-field results, he’s served as a mentor for Marcus Stroman and Drew Hutchison. Asked about any emotion he felt Sunday, Buehrle delivered a calm response: “If I announced my retirement at the beginning of the year, then maybe that would be something different, but I still don’€™t know what’€™s going to happen. I’€™ll go home and think about it, and if it is my last start here, then that’€™s something I’ll be sentimental about on my couch in the off-season.”

Quick Hits: Heyward, Red Sox, Utley, Reds

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Jason Heyward’s well-rounded game might best be appreciated by the “data-driven organization” that has watched him all season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  This might be why the Cardinals could go into team-record contract territory to re-sign Heyward this winter, and the club is indeed interested in bringing him back “though they recognize it might take another team (or more) to help frame negotiations.”  Goold writes that the Cards are open to the idea of including an opt-out clause in Heyward’s deal, which would allow the 26-year-old to potentially return to the open market in four or five seasons and score another big contract.

Here’s the latest from around baseball as we head into the last week of the regular season…

  • Heyward, for his part, tells Goold that how the Cardinals view players “is ideal for a player like myself….I’€™m trying to do anything to win and people see that. That’€™s what they care about. They’re not looking at overall statistics. There are a few (teams) that would fit me, and here is one of them. That stands out. For me, it stands out especially.”
  • Dave Dombrowski has retained many members of the Red Sox front office staff, which Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes was contrary to the public perception that Dombrowski was going to “blow up the organization” and restaff it with past colleagues.  Instead, Dombrowski has made a few changes (perhaps most notably the hiring of Frank Wren as a senior VP of baseball ops) but has mostly kept the well-regarded Sox personnel in place.  Promoting Mike Hazen from assistant GM to general manager underscores this continuity.
  • Chase Utley has been getting some time at third base for the Dodgers, which JP Hoornstra of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin notes both helps the Dodgers depth-wise and could help the veteran continue his career as a utility infielder in future seasons.
  • A reader asked John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter) if the Reds might pursue Alfredo Simon as a free agent innings eater.  Fay doesn’t see the team going down that path, but he thinks that they could consider Bronson Arroyo, another former Red, in a similar role.  After missing all of 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Arroyo will likely have his 2016 option bought out by the Dodgers and he’ll be available on the open market.

AL East Notes: Ramirez, Red Sox, Rays

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New Red Sox GM Mike Hazen joined MLB Network Radio (Twitter link) to talk about a wide range of topics, including the divvying up of responsibilities in the revamped front office.  Hazen explained that he’ll be more based in the office while senior VP Frank Wren will have a heavier hand in the evaluation of players.  Unsurprisingly, he says (link) that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will be making the “final decision” on all personnel matters.

Here’s more from the AL East..

  • Hazen (link) says that the Red Sox are tentatively planning to look at Hanley Ramirez as a first baseman in spring training.  Ramirez was recently shut down for the year with a shoulder injury.  He hit just .249/.291/.426 at the plate while advanced metrics labeled him as a weak defender.
  • This offseason, Dombrowski will have to figure out what he’ll do with is trio of major league-caliber catchers, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal writes. Boston could use one of its backstops in a package to land a frontline starting pitcher, but Christian Vazquez’s health might throw that plan into flux.  In order to trade Blake Swihart, the Red Sox would have to have confidence in Vazquez’s recovery from surgery, but his situation could still be murky come December or January.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times took a position-by-position look at how the Rays look heading into 2016.  At first base, the Rays have James Loney signed at an $8MM salary, but Topkin wonders if they might be better off trading him, even if they have to eat some of his contract.  Tampa Bay, he writes, could give themselves additional flexibility while opening a spot for Richie Shaffer, who would need to be paired with a lefty hitter.
  • Rich Hill has been excellent this month for the Red Sox and he could be carving out a spot for himself in the rotation in 2016, as Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes.  However, the 35-year-old says that he’s not thinking that far ahead.  “I don’t want to even go there, really,” he said. “Just really kind of focus in on tomorrow and get ready for that next start. You want to get to the finish line and worry about [next year] when it comes around.”  Hill, who previously owned a 4.72 ERA over parts of ten big league seasons, has a 1.17 ERA over three starts with 30 strikeouts and just two walks.

David Ortiz Maxes Out 2016 Option At $16MM

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After taking plate appearance No. 600 on Sunday, David Ortiz’s 2016 salary has now maxed out at a value of $16MM.  The slugger first got his option to vest for 2016 at a value of $11MM when he reached 425 plate appearances back in August.  Since then, however, he has boosted that total by $1MM each time he hit 475, 500, 525, 575, and 600 PAs, respectively.

Ortiz, 40 in November, hasn’t slowed down much in his old age. After an up-and-down first half of the season, Ortiz has turned it up to bring his slash line to .270/.357/.546 (heading into today’s game) with a whopping 36 home runs on the year.  The only thing now standing between the veteran and his $16MM payout for next season is a physical, as the option is contingent on a clean bill of health.  However, he seems rather healthy as he turns in another stellar season as Boston’s DH.

Ortiz is a veteran of 19 seasons€“ – six with the Twins and 13 with Boston. The Mariners originally signed him as an amateur free agent back in 1992.  Over the course of his career, Oritz has earned nine All-Star selections and, more importantly, helped the Red Sox to three World Series championships.

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