"To re-sign him or not to re-sign him - that is the question facing Theo Epstein during the offseason.

'Tis a vexing matter, I'd say. This is why they pay the Red Sox general manager the big money, to make the hard decisions.

At the beginning of the season, it didn't look as if it would be a difficult decision. David Ortiz would be at best good, not great, in 2011."