FORT MYERS, Fla. – The moisture from the ice bag had left its mark on David Ortiz’s left shoulder. The source of it – sleeping on his side the wrong way, according to Red Sox manager Terry Francona – was no big deal, said the DH.
Although the shoulder was trending to be the topic of the day, Ortiz chose to point out the fact there were no such questions about either his surgically-repaired right knee, or problematic wrist.
“I can’t feel any better,” he said, “than I feel right now.”
The reason for the happy place? Ortiz has learned to face reality.
The slugger’s offseason wasn’t short on wake-up calls, starting with the battle back from injuries, leading to a physical transformation that has seen his body fat go from 22 percent to 17. And then came another wake-up call, this one in the form of a contractural jolt supplied by the Red Sox’ $170 million offer to another middle-of-the-order threat Mark Teixeira.
“He was put in good situation,” said Ortiz of Teixeira. “Everybody needed a player like him at the time and the market was wide open. He walked into a situation that was perfect for him, and on top of it he was a very good player. Everybody who performs at that level wants to be put in that situation.”
Ortiz has faced the fact that his chance for such a scenario has come and gone.
Now 33 years old, Ortiz signed his current contract three years ago, in the heart of a momentous run of prodigious power. Under his previous deal, he could have potentially hit the free agent market at the age of 31.
But in the first month of the 2006 season Ortiz chose to sign a four-year, $52 million extension with a team option for 2011. He has, and will, make $12.5 million each year, $1.5 less each year than teammate J.D. Drew, whose deal will also run out in ’11.
“Teixeira was 28 years-old. In a few years I’ll be 35. It’s a totally different situation,” Ortiz said. “They know what you deserve and you go from there. But I’ll tell you what, if I was 28 I would be thinking like that.
“The market (when he signed his deal) wasn’t like it is now. It wasn’t close to what it is now. The year after I signed my deal the market exploded with the big television deal. I know it will be hard to get that kind of money a few years from now. I haven’t really sat down and thought about it. All my focus is about doing my thing. You work, try to get better every day for a reason. I’m not planning to go anywhere.”
Ortiz, who will be 36 at the end of his current deal if the Red Sox pick up his option, has gone on record as saying he has no desire to play into his 40s. He does, however, plan on getting one more contract before hanging them up, which is another reason why he has made it a point to continue a body transformation.
“I know how to take care of myself,” Ortiz said. “You learn what your body is all about. That’s what (the Red Sox) like to see, how you take care of yourself.
“I know myself pretty good. I never come to spring training more than three to five pounds over. If you look at my records you’ll see I am never more than five pounds over. But I wasn’t working on losing weight, I was working on building more muscle. That’s more important than losing weight because I’m a big guy. As a big guy, a power hitter, you have to have that power. If you can convert fat into muscle, that is the key. They told me that last year and I had 15 pounds that I converted from fat into muscle.”

Now, even with the kind of hiccups that Thursday’s shoulder soreness might present, Ortiz is heading into the heart of his contract – and 13th big league season – secure in the present and future.

“It’s not easy,” Ortiz said. “But I worked hard on it and I’m feeling good.”

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Rob Bradford is the Site Editor for WEEI.com. He can be reached at rbradford@weei.com.