Ortiz arbitration hearing is on deck
--DH David Ortiz was poised to take his arbitration case to a hearing, scheduled for Feb. 13 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ortiz, who ended his free agency in December by accepting the Red Sox's offer of arbitration, is asking for $16.5 million. The Red Sox have made a $12.65 million offer. And although the sides remained at odds entering last weekend, a last-minute settlement before the hearing was still possible. The Red Sox haven't gone to a hearing with a player since Rolando Arrojo in 2002. In a hearing, a three-person panel would be asked to choose one salary or the other after both sides present their arguments. "In Ortiz's case, you have to take a look at home runs, RBI, slugging, OPS and so on, and compare to other recent free agent signings," former Houston Astros president Tal Smith, who has prepared more than 1,000 arbitration cases, told the Boston Herald. "If they're DHs, that's great. If they're not DHs, then you still make the argument and you give them some credit for defense and other contributions." Appearing at an event in his native Dominican Republic, Ortiz told ESPN Deportes that he "would like to get this over with" in order to begin focusing on the season.
--RHP Alfredo Aceves avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing with the Red Sox on a one-year, $1.2 million contract. The settlement was near the midpoint of the negotiations. Aceves had asked for $1.6 million, while the Red Sox offered $950,000. The Red Sox signed Aceves for $650,000 after the New York Yankees cut him loose following the 2010 season. By the end of last year, he had emerged as then-manager Terry Francona's most trusted setup reliever, going 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 114 innings over 55 appearances (four starts). But Aceves, 29, will come to spring training as a starter and compete with Daniel Bard, Vicente Padilla, Carlos Silva, Aaron Cook, Felix Doubront and Andrew Miller for one of the final two spots in the rotation. Aceves can make up to $100,000 in bonuses based on games started and/or relief appearances.
--RHP Tim Wakefield has a decision to make. Still available on the free agent market, the 45-year-old knuckleballer is close to a verdict on whether he will pitch this season, his agent told the Boston Herald. "We're discussing the options -- and he has some options -- and over the next few days, we're going to try to figure it out," agent Barry Meister said. "These next few days is just a period of introspection, where he's trying to decide what to do, whether to play, who to play for." Wakefield has stated his preference for pitching one more season for the Red Sox, but the team hasn't reciprocated with as much enthusiasm. He has 200 career wins, 186 with the Red Sox. The club record of 192 wins is shared by Cy Young and Roger Clemens. A few months ago, Meister said Wakefield might benefit from pitching in the National League if an opportunity with the Red Sox doesn't present itself. Last week, he told the Herald that Wakefield hasn't ruled anything out, including possibly coming to camp with a team as a non-roster invitee.
--2B Dustin Pedroia will be healthy once again when he reports to spring training. In 2010, Pedroia broke a bone in his left foot that required season-ending surgery. And last season, he played with a screw inserted in his foot to improve the healing process. But with his foot fully healed, the screw was removed in October, which can only improve his peace of mind, according to manager Bobby Valentine. "I would think, especially in the cold weather, it had to be really a problem for him," Valentine said. "He said he hasn't felt this way for at least two years. He's a terrific player. David Ortiz told me I'm going to be really excited watching him play, and I believe that."
BY THE NUMBERS
185 -- In millions of dollars, an estimate of the Red Sox's 2012 payroll. The club is expected to exceed the $178 million luxury tax threshold, according to president Larry Lucchino.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're going to have the second-highest payroll in baseball this year. I think this 2012 budget will be the highest budget in Red Sox history. It's been pretty high the last few years." -- Red Sox president Larry Lucchino to MLB.com
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