I won't be bothered if they go 2/28 or something like that. They've got sooooo much freed up money right now that I don't think that second year creates a problem for team construction for 2014 and they can always release him if he's a complete disaster in 2013. Part of that is I expect the Sox to not be very good in 2013 and I'd rather see a David Ortiz farewell tour than bring in a Mark Reynolds or someone to fill his shoes on a 76 win team.

and they can always release him if he's a complete disaster in 2013

Or trade him to the Dodgers.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the process for a player like Ortiz is different this offseason. Instead of arbitration, teams have the option of making a qualifying offer (based on the average salary of the top 125 players in the league) to their free agents. In Ortiz’s case, that would mean a pay cut because the salary is believed to be in the neighborhood of $13 million.

Is that threshold in terms of AAV? Would a 2-year contract offer have to be $26 million ($13 million AAV) or would $14 million contract be considered a "qualifying" offer because it's > $13 million? What if it were structured as $13 million in 2013 and $1 million in 2014, which would be "more" than a qualifying 1-year $13 million deal?

I was thinking 2 years / $24 million, but I don't have a sense whether that would be considered qualifying or not, nor whether a yearly structure of $13/$11 would be qualifying because it has the first year at $13 million.

Ortiz missed some games due to injury, but he didn't have the type of season that normally gets a pay cut. I wouldn't think it to be worth poisoning the well just to save a few hundred thousand. The Red Sox should willingly offer $14.5M, or perhaps a bit more, just to get a quick & harmonious deal.

I was thinking 2 years / $24 million, but I don't have a sense whether that would be considered qualifying or not, nor whether a yearly structure of $13/$11 would be qualifying because it has the first year at $13 million.

A qualifying offer is a one year contract--just like offering arbitration under the old system, except the offer is for a set salary.

That shouldn't prevent a team from also negotiating a multiyear contract either during the Quiet Period or after the qualifying offer has been accepted/declined--but they have to formally issue the one year offer for $13M+ to qualify for compensation.

No other team is going to offer Ortiz anything close to this amount of money, certainly not for two years. The Red Sox should offer him $14 million for 2013, with a vesting option for 2014 that is based on games played in 2013, rather than performance measures. Honestly, he has proven over the last few years that he can still rake. What we don't know is whether or not he can stay on the field.

One year at $14 million sounds about right.

Seems cheap for our new 1B!

I don't understand why other teams keep letting David Ortiz sign 1 year deals with the Red Sox. He's been really damn good 3 years in a row, especially the last 2 years. I would be *happy* for the Rangers to sign him to a 2/32 type deal. Unless he wants to stay there.