MLB Free Agents 2012: David Ortiz Wants 3 Years, but Will He Get It?

It's been made clear that free agent designated hitter David Ortiz would like a three-year contract. That's not a shock at all. After all, Ortiz is now 36 years old.

A three-year contract means Ortiz will be earning big bucks until he's almost 40—not bad for a Major League Baseball player. 

There will be plenty of Red Sox fans who will cringe at the thought of signing Ortiz to any contract. The end of last season left a very sour taste in the mouth of those fans. 

The key, though, is always one of "who's better?" 

Sure, let Papi walk—he'll get a decent contract from some team. But then who's your designated hitter?

Is Kevin Youkilis sliding over to designated hitter? Is Ryan Lavarnway ready to just step right into the largest shoes in Boston DH history?

Last season, in what was not a career season for Ortiz, he finished third among all designated hitters in batting average at .309. He was first in home runs with 29. Ortiz was third in RBIs with 96.

He was also first in OPS at .953, which was fourth best in the whole league. 

So before people casually dismiss David Ortiz, it's worth mentioning that the odds of the Red Sox offense declining a increase dramatically if Ortiz is allowed to walk.

He's that good of a hitter. No, he's not the MVP-caliber hitter he was a few years back, but he's still very good.

Just because Ortiz wants three years doesn't mean he's going to get those years.

Make no mistake about it—the Ortiz market is fairly limited. A team looking to acquire David Ortiz needs a few keys things.

Like money—Ortiz will want in the neighborhood of $13-15 million dollars a year. Whether that's over two or three seasons, it's a hefty price tag for a player who really can't field a position.

An opening—Ortiz's lack of fielding ability hampers his odds of being signed. Ortiz is only a designated hitter. He's not going to platoon at first base with someone.

The big money teams in the American League are the Yankees, Tigers, White Sox, Angels, Rangers and of course, the Red Sox. The Yankees, in spite of the fantasies of their fans and nightmares of Red Sox fans, aren't about to invest in Ortiz.

Not when they're trying to find a way to get Jesus Montero in the  lineup nightly and not when they're worried Alex Rodriguez may end up a $30 million dollar a year designated hitter. 

The White Sox are out. They have Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn on the roster and both are pricey.

The Angels have Kendry Morales back from the DL and Mark Trumbo, who finished second in the 2011 Rookie Of The Year voting, to fill the first base and designated hitter positions.

The Rangers are unlikely to make a push for Ortiz, since they'll likely have a pitching hole to patch up if C.J. Wilson departs.

So that will leave two teams—the Blue Jays and Orioles. Those are teams with some money to spend and also openings for a DH.

Could those teams outbid the Red Sox for Ortiz's services to the point where he'd just leave Boston? It's hard to envision the Blue Jays or Orioles giving Ortiz a three-year deal. At best, Ortiz seems likely to get a two-year deal with an option.

For the Boston Red Sox, holding onto David Ortiz seems like a smart move. Three years seems like it might be too long, but despite his demands for such a deal, it remains to be seen if he'll get one from either the Red Sox or anyone else.