Jon Heyman On Sox Offer To Ortiz: They'll Have To Come Up A Little
BOSTON (CBS) - CBS Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman called to talk with Gresh & Zolak Tuesday from the Winter Meetings in Dallas.
The Red Sox have been very upfront that they are not going to be able to go out and sign someone for $20 million a year.
Is Heyman surprised that the club has been so open with this information?
"Not really, we've been through this with the Yankees many times. They always say that, true or not, that they're not going after any big guys," Heyman said.
"This happens with teams sometimes, they change their minds, I'm not questioning the Red Sox honesty here, they may well believe this, but the proof is in the pudding. When guys talk about we're not doing anything, I'm a little bit skeptical still," he said.
It took two months for the Red Sox to name Bobby Valentine as their new manager.
In that time Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon became a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
If the Sox were quicker picking their manager would Papelbon still be a member of the Red Sox?
"You get a lot of close games, two-thirds or more of the games are very close and decided in the last three or four innings and he wants a great bullpen. So, whether that means Papelbon or not I wouldn't know, but he definitely puts that premium on the bullpen not the starters," said Heyman.
On the David Ortiz front, he and his agent have said that there have been big money offers from other teams.
Is he bluffing the Red Sox into a contract of higher market value?
"I think they'll have to come up to two for $23 million or $24 million or something like that. I guess they're looking at arbitration, will he take arbitration Wednesday. So that's a huge date, if he takes the arbitration they've got him locked into a one-year deal, it could be $14 million or so, but I think two for $20 million isn't something he'll take," Heyman said.
Ortiz made $12.5 million in 2011.
"He's a guy I can't see going anywhere," Heyman said.
The guys went on to talk about starting pitching options for the Red Sox.
How will the Sox get what they need to improve the rotation?
"This starting pitching market is weak in terms of free agency. Now in a trade it could be interesting," Heyman said.
Listen to the entire interview here:
