It’s not even Truck Day but David Ortiz may be feeling the heat, and not from his hot sauce. Buster Olney thinks the Sox will move Ortiz quickly if he struggles:
If David Ortiz struggles in the first half of the 2010 season, you will see the Red Sox move very aggressively to find a replacement for him, but the guy who steps in will likely be a catcher acquired in a trade, with Victor Martinez shifting from the catcher to the DH role.
Amalie Benjamin thinks Big Papi’s leash is pretty short too:
If Ortiz starts this season the way he did last season, it would be difficult to keep him for long. I would think that, having gone through what they did in 2009, he’ll be on a shorter leash, especially because the Sox are dealing with a lineup that appears diminished from their 2009 version.
Fire Brand of the AL. looks at some contingency plans.
Ortiz did get it going in the second half of last season and will start 2010 in better shape. Hopefully he will produce early and take the pressure off before it becomes an issue.
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