Day 361: Vince Wilfork is Staying in New England

There are some players that just belong with the New England Patriots. Some that you can't imagine wearing any other colors... a never donning a helmet that doesn't display the Flying Elvis. Tom Brady is one of those guys. I would probably die of heart failure if I ever saw him in a different uniform. And Vince Wilfork is one of those guys too, having been a huge (literally and figuratively) presence on this team since they drafted him in 2004.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous times between the New England Patriots and Vince Wilfork. A couple weeks ago, under the cloud of contract restructuring rumors, Vince decided he wanted to be released. He wanted no part of that restructuring crap—making less money was not appealing to him. But coming off an injury-shortened 2013 season, the Pats were looking to alleviate some of his $11.6 million due in 2014. And then it got real quiet... there was no word from either side... shit was eerily silent.

Then, earlier this week, there was a rumor that Wilfork cleared out his locker and angrily ripped his nameplate off at Gillette Stadium. Whut? What does that mean?? Sounded like Vince was pissed off at everyone and for fans, it appeared his departure was near.

But then... good news today! Recent reports say that the Patriots and Mr. Wilfork have finally found some common ground and have reached an acceptable restructured deal good for both sides. Although the particulars are not available, initial word says it's a 3-year deal worth $22.5 million. That's a pretty good gig for a big fella who turns 33 in November. Just hope that repaired achilles can hold up!

It just wouldn't have been the same without the hulking nose tackle. I'm glad he'll be back... and I think he is too. Vince issued this statement via Twitter:

Day 358: Deal is Done: Ortiz Will Finish Career in Boston

Well, David Ortiz got his way, like he always does. After a bit of a snippy spring where Ortiz, once again, voiced his desire to stay in Boston...for the right price, the Red Sox signed him essentially through 2017. If you're keeping track, Ortiz would turn 42 on November 18, 2017. But they haven't promised the money with no strings attached.

In 2014, Ortiz will make $15 million in the final year of his current two-year contract that was signed in 2012. The original total was $26 million, but with him spending fewer than 20 days on the DL in 2013, he'll earn an additional $4 million for a performance clause. The $15 million due to Ortiz this season ranks as the second highest salary behind Mike Napoli who signed a two-year, $32 million deal in December. The new deal signed on Sunday will pay Big Papi $16 million for the 2015 season. A club/vesting option is in place for 2016 that will kick in if he achieves a certain number of plate appearances, and then there's a club option for 2017.

It helps that the Red Sox will most likely have a number of low-paid players in the line up in 2014—Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Will Middlebrooks won't even be eligible for salary arbitration until after 2015. Frees up lots of moola for the big man.

I've been in that boat that doesn't necessarily agree with the way the Red Sox front office treats Ortiz differently than other players when it comes to negotiating contracts. In a time when teams just don't offer up $15 million deals to single-faceted players, Big Papi is bucking the trend and getting that big payday. But there's no denying that he's an integral part of the organization and the city of Boston. And it doesn't hurt that his contributions have had an immeasurable impact on the value of the team. Ortiz is the only player on the team who has been a part of all three of the most recent World Series Championships.

Who knows if Ortiz can maintain the same level of performance through the 2017 season, but at least there will come a time where he'll need to achieve some numbers in order to get paid. Maybe he'll even see this move by the team as a sign of respect and he'll stop moaning about it. Now let's just hope the current .057 spring training batting average is just a minor aberration.

Day 347: David Oritz... Get Over Yourself.

There's a pretty telling article written by Rob Bradford on WEEI.com today where Rob sits down with David Ortiz. Ortiz is evidently feeling some pressure to perform these days. At 38 years old, the Red Sox still continue to put an enormous amount of faith and trust into Ortiz's ability to still crush the ball and make opposing pitchers very afraid. That's why they also keep on paying him a pretty hefty salary for his designated hitter services—something that most teams don't do anymore.

Lately, Big Papi has been quite vocal about his current contract status. He's entering the final year of a two-year, $30 million contract and is concerned that if he doesn't come to some kind of agreement with the team either during spring training or early in the season, the front office's lack of respect is going to force him to entertain other offers. As a fan, I despise public contract negotiations and disputes and whining. One side of me says just pay the guy what he wants—he's not going to be playing for that much longer. But the other side of me just wants the team to call his bluff and not bow to his demands.

So back to this article that Bradford wrote... if you don't feel like reading it, the gist is that Ortiz feels like the Red Sox are not doing anything to protect him in the line up. He's not getting ample opportunity to hit the ball. Last season, he was intentionally walked a career high 27 times in the regular season due mainly to the fact that there wasn't a big deep ball threat behind him. Or in front of him for that matter.

"It's not always going to be about me. I saw last year. Last year, game on the line, late in the game, go to first base. They pitch around you to see if you chase. Nope? Go to first base. I've been through that since Day 1. But last year was even more different. How long am I going to be able to do what I do and be that locked? I don't know. It wears you out -- in my case, I know I do nothing but hit, but to stay that focused and not try to get out of the strike zone."

It sounds to me like maybe Ortiz is setting us up for something. Maybe if he voices his worries about not having more threatening batters around him, when he fails, it won't be his fault. Or how about this? I think this is yet another ploy in his contract negotiations. The team puts so much pressure on him as a player and a leader to carry this team that if they don't back that up with a hefty raise, maybe he'll get a little tired in July, pull a Manny and take a couple days off.

"I'll give it a try, but I don't think there's a baseball player that has lived through this pressure at my age. Think about it. Guys my age are supposed to be complementary players. Nobody signs guys my age to be 'The Man.' If you look at every team, 'The Man' are guys in their prime. Because it's hard. It's hard. I don't take anything for granted. I go at it every day. But living through the pressure, having to be the man every day, at this stage, when everybody is asking you when you're going to retire ..."

If I were his teammates, I think I would take offense to this interview. He has basically said that he's the only guy out of the nine that can produce—that all the pressure is on him. Ok... so maybe that was true in the World Series last year where he essentially carried the team by batting a staggering .688 but bitch, please... let's not get too big for your already too big britches.

Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm being too hard on him. Maybe I'm reading too far into this recent diatribe. Or maybe I'm just tired of all the money talk in sports and these grown men who play for a living and make millions of dollars doing it, just bitch and whine over money and respect. (I wonder if that would work for me?)

I still love the guy and if anything, the last 11 seasons have been more enjoyable because of him. Except 2012—there was absolutely nothing enjoyable about that season.