This Day in Twins History – December 16, 2002

David Ortiz

The Minnesota Twins released 1B David Ortiz on this day back in 2002 to make room on the roster for shortstop Jose Morban, who was selected from Texas in the major league draft. Morban never appeared in a Twins uniform in the big leagues. The unheralded Ortiz was picked up by the Boston Red Sox as a free agent on January 22, 2003, for whom he has developed as one of the most accomplished sluggers in the game. In his six years with Minnesota between 1997 and 2002 Ortiz appeared in 455 games for the Twins and hit .266 with 58 home runs. With the Red Sox between 2003 and the present the left-handed slugging DH/1B Ortiz has hit .289 with 320 home runs in 1,287 games and he has made the All-Star team seven times in his nine seasons in Beantown. This has to go down as one of the Minnesota Twins worst moves ever and certainly not one of the best moves that Terry Ryan has made as the Twins GM.