"First things first: David Ortiz will play for the Red Sox this season.

That much was guaranteed in December when Ortiz ended his free agency by accepting salary arbitration. The issue now, and perhaps at a hearing within the next two weeks, is how much he will get paid, and the difference of opinion is wider than a Billy Cundiff field goal attempt.

Ortiz wants $16.5 million; the Red Sox are offering $12.65 million, less than a 2 percent raise from his average annual salary the past five years. The sides have been unable to compromise, and if they remain stalemated, each will make its argument to an independent three-person panel, which will choose either Big Papi's number or the team's."