Will Ortiz Become Big Zap-pi?

Will Ortiz Become Big Zap-pi?

At the stroke of midnight, the thrilling carriage ride that has been our experience with David Ortiz could turn into the proverbial pumpkin. The Red Sox have until that witching deadline to decide whether on not to pick up the team's one-year, $12.5 million option on Big Papi. Ortiz wants a multi-year deal. Aside from the obvious reasons for making some sort of deal (for example, being christened by the NOG as the clutchest hitter in Red Sox history), his performance in 2010 warrants bringing the big fella back. Few teams have the kind of certainty in the DH spot that Ortiz brings (not counting his last two Aprils). You can pretty much pencil in 25-30 home runs and at or near 100 RBIs for a key spot in the order. And, since we will probably lose both Beltre and V-Mart, this becomes all the more critical. On Papi's side, it's unlikely he can do better than $12.5 million in the open market. So, this should be a win-win compromise (2 years, $9 million a year?). Both sides need to get something done.