Valentine: David Ortiz 'decided not to play anymore'

After going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 24, Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Oritz spent the rest of the season on the disabled list.

Ortiz's former manager, Bobby Valentine, believes that stint on the DL had less to do with Ortiz's aggravated Achilles tendon and more to do with the blockbuster trade the Red Sox made the next day.

On Aug. 25, the trade that sent Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers was made official. A trade that Valentine contends Ortiz took as a sign that Boston's season was over.

"He realized that this trade meant that we're not going to run this race and we're not even going to finish the race properly and he decided not to play anymore," Valentine said in an interview airing Tuesday night on Costas Tonight on NBC Sports Network. "I think at that time it was all downhill from there."

Ortiz initially went on the disabled list with a strained right Achilles on July 17 and didn't play again until that Aug. 24 home game against the Royals. Ortiz returned to the disabled list on Aug. 27 and never came off it.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington swiftly denied Valentine's accusation when reached by ESPNBoston.com for comment Tuesday night.

"I wouldn't be trying to re-sign him if I had any concern about David's commitment to baseball or to the Red Sox," Cherington said. "During a trying year, David was a leader for us on and off the field. Unfortunately, an Achilles injury cut his season short. It was a tough break in a season full of tough breaks for us."

Ortiz was at Fenway Park Tuesday as John Farrell was introduced as Boston's new manager. Various reports indicate that the Red Sox and Ortiz are close to agreeing on a two-year contract extension that would keep the potential free agent in Boston.

Ortiz hit .318 with 23 homers and 60 RBI in 90 games for the Red Sox in 2012.

Contributing: The Associated Press