Cherington: 'Remain hopeful we'll keep' Ortiz

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, in an interview on WEEI's Red Sox Hot Stove Show, said, "There's still work to do" regarding negotiations for a new contract with designated hitter David Ortiz with the hours ticking down until the Ortiz has the right to negotiate with other clubs on Saturday at 12:01 a.m., but that the team remains "hopeful" that the 36-year-old will be back for an 11th season in Boston. 

"We're working on it and we've been talking to David since the end of the season. It's been a good conversation and everyone knows that we'd like to keep him. I think there's mutual interest," Cherington said. "We've had a lot of talks and we've made up some ground in some areas, but we still have some work to do. We'll keep working on it. If we get past tomorrow night, we'll continue to work on it. We remain hopeful we'll keep him in a Red Sox uniform next year.

"We have a guy who's been here for a long time and he's been an important part of the team and a guy we want to keep. It's just a matter of trying to find a deal that works for him and works for us. We're still working on that and hopeful we can get something done." 

In 90 games in 2012, Ortiz hit .318 with a .415 OBP, a .611 slugging mark, a 1.026 OPS and 23 home runs. 

To listen to the complete interview with Cherington, click here. For complete Red Sox coverage, visit weei.com/redsox.