David Ortiz is a franchise icon for the Boston Red Sox, and he will be firmly in the middle of the lineup in 2016 after his 425th plate appearance of the 2015 season came Saturday.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald provided the details:
Ortiz guaranteed himself $11 million by triggering his option for the 2016 season in true Ortiz fashion with a monster hit.
It is a testament to his longevity and ability to stay healthy this season at age 39 that he earned the financial reward, and, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, his “salary will increase by $1 million each time he reaches 475, 500, 525, 575 and 600 plate appearances.”
Considering it is only early August, Ortiz will likely earn himself even more money for next season as the Red Sox play out the rest of the 2015 schedule.
Ortiz commented on his mindset reaching 425 plate appearances, per John Tomase of WEEI.com:
I earned it. That's why I'm playing next year. Because I earned it.
That's the way we pretty much agreed to do things. You know me, I get greedy when it comes down to performance. I want to put up numbers. I agreed to do it that way, because if I don't put up numbers, what would be the reason to continue playing?
It is important to note that Boston holds a straight option for the 2017 campaign, so this is the final time the slugger can force the team to pick up his contract.
Still, he is a fan favorite in Boston and was instrumental in breaking the World Series curse that haunted fans for years. Ortiz isn’t going anywhere.
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