Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz will retire after the upcoming 2016 season, according to reports. Ortiz turns 40 years old this month and will enter his 20th Major League Baseball season this spring.
Ortiz originally signed with the Seattle Mariners but was traded ot Minnesota in 1996, where he would make his major league debut in 1997.
Ortiz signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in 2003 where he has since won three World Series championships, including the Sox 2004 title, their first in 86 years.
Although he's in the midst of an absolute dreadful season, Napoli was another major part of the 2013 World Series team.
After Napoli signed a 1-year, $5 million free agent deal before the 2013 season (he received an additional $8 million in incentives), he went on to hit 23 homeruns and drive in 92 runs. He followed that up with a 17 homerun and 55 RBI season last year. He will likely match those totals in the 2015 season.
In the 2013 ALCS against Detroit, Napoli hit .300 and knocked two homeruns out.
When you think of what player changed the international signing process, and sparked thousands of more Red Sox fans in one swoop of his pen, look no further than Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Everyone can point to what "Dice-K," didn't become - an All-Star season after season with longevity - but the time that he did put in with a Sox uniform on changed the organization.
He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2007, on his way to helping the Sox win their second World Series in four season. He became the first Japanese pitcher to start and win a World Series game in MLB history.
In 2008, Dice-K finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting after a season in which he racked up 18 wins and a 2.90 ERA. He pitched two games in the postseason that year with unremarkable numbers.
Victorino played in 122 games in 2013 after signing a three year deal worth $39 million with the Sox.
The "Flyin' Hawaiian" had an exceptional (and team leading) 6.1 WAR in 2013 on his way helping the Sox to their third World Series title in 10 seasons.
Injuries limited Victorino in 2014 and 2015. He was traded last week to the Los Angeles Angels for utility man Josh Rutledge.
In the end, Victorino will go down in Red Sox history for this grand slam in Game 6 of the 2013 ALCS:
At the time of Koji Uehara's signing with the Sox, for the casual fan it went under the radar.
He signed a 1-year deal before the 2013 season worth $4.25 million. Following the 2014 season, he signed a two-year deal for $18 million.
Uehara was spectacular in the 2013 World Series and finished the postseason with 12 saves and recorded the final three outs of Game 6 to clinch the championship - and receiving the World Series MVP.
With Boston, Uehara has recorded 70 saves and this season will likely mark his career high in saves. He only needs four more to do so.
Image Credit: "Koji Uehara on June 15, 2013" by Keith Allison on Flickr (cropped)
Mueller had several big moments in a Sox uniform after signing with the team before the 2003 season.
In 2003, Mueller also hit three home runs in July 2003 against the Texas Rangers - including two grand slams from both sides of the plate.
That year, Mueller was the AL Batting Champion after taking over for the traded Shea Hillenbrand.
Following the A-Rod vs Varitek brawl at Fenway Park in late July 2004, Mueller hit this walk-off homerun off of Mariano Rivera. Many recall that single swing of the bat the moment when the Sox turned their season around on route to win their first World Series in 86 years.
With Victorino now gone, Red Sox rightfielder Rusney Castillo will finally be given the chance to live up to the expectations of his $72 million contract.
Castillo, a free agent signing from Cuba, has tremendous atheticism and speed, but is still getting used to the nuances of Major League Baseball.
This is a great signing for two reasons - the Sox have now taken a giant step in the Cuban market and may have acquired their rightfielder of the future at a relatively low cost for the next six seasons.
In the six games since being called up to the majors, Castillo is 8 for 23, with a home run, 5 runs, four RBIs and 1 stolen base.
Like Castillo, Yoan Moncada is a talented player full of promise. At the Single A level, Moncada is absolutely tearing it up. He is hitting .278 with 5 HRs, 41 runs, 24 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.
Moncada is only 19-years-old and was signed for $63 million. He is a shortstop, but is playing second base in the minors - with the possiblity of being Dustin Pedroia's replacement in a few years.
The Sox could have four young superstars up the middle very shortly with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Mookie Betts in centerfield, Blake Swihart at catcher and Moncada at second.
At best, this has been a mediocre year in Hanley Ramirez's first season with the Red Sox. He's hitting .263 with 19 homeruns and 50 RBIs, but he's playing an awful left field and has been accused of "dogging it" more than once.
With that being said, Ramirez's deal isn't a bad contract for the Sox. He's making $20 million a year over four years. After this season, Ramirez will likely take over at first base in 2016 before taking over as DH for the final two years of his contract. At first, and even more so DH, the toll on Ramirez's body will be much less than what he's experiencing in front of the Green Monster now.
Look for Ramirez's numbers to keep climbing once he makes the transition out of left field.
What more can be said about the most clutch hitter of all-time?
Well for one thing, let's not forget that Lucchino and company took a chance on Ortiz before the 2003 season. They signed him to a one-year contract for $1.25 million.
42And since then, all he's done is hit 428 home runs and drove in 1,353 RBIs.
On top of that, Ortiz has an unprecedented 17 homeruns and 61 RBIs in the postseason.
Ortiz has 11 walk off home runs in his career, and 44 game tying home runs.
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