BOSTON – If the money is right, David Ortiz doesn’t see any reason his longtime friend Alex Rodriguez wouldn’t remain with the Yankees beyond this season.
“I think if they offer [Rodriguez] what he wants, he would prefer to stay,” Ortiz told The Post yesterday.
Ortiz said he last spoke with Rodriguez when the Yankees and Red Sox played their series in New York just more than two weeks ago, and he senses that Rodriguez is content in pinstripes after a mostly tumultuous stay.
Rodriguez has an opt-out clause in his contract that could make him a free agent after this season, but the Yankees are expected to offer him a new deal before it reaches that point. Ortiz sounded as if the Yankees better be prepared to bring a blank check to the negotiating table. It’s been speculated that Rodriguez, who is making $27.7 million this season, could command as much as $40 million a year on the open market.
“If I’m him, with everything he’s been through over there, I would think about [leaving], because they put him on the spot a bunch of times,” Ortiz said, referring to Yankees fans and the media. “It’s his turn now. And I’m pretty sure he won’t forget about all that.”
Rodriguez has an AL-leading 52 home runs and 141 RBIs, making him a near-lock to win his second MVP award in three years. And yet, Ortiz says Rodriguez is still carrying a heavy burden.
“Playing for New York, sometimes it’s not even enough,” Ortiz said. “There are always people looking to blame things on you.
“I know there are some people around here questioning why I don’t have 54 homers, but I don’t know if they understand that you’re not going to hit 50-something homers every year. Now when you’ve got a player that can hit 30 consistently, you’ve got to appreciate it. That’s why I still say that I don’t know how people have complained about Alex’s numbers.”
Reminded of Rodriguez’s October failures, Ortiz indicated he’d take Rodriguez over just about anybody for a postseason lineup.
“I don’t care if he goes 0-for-50 or 0-for-100, the guy can hit,” Ortiz said. “He can hit and nobody can take that away from him. The dude is 32 years old, look at his numbers. Who puts up numbers like that at that age?”
Does Ortiz hope that Rodriguez stays with the Yankees?
“Hell no,” Ortiz said. “Hopefully he goes to the National League Central, so he can hit 80 homers.”
mpuma@nypost.com