After reaching the ALCS in 2002, the Minnesota Twins released David Ortiz at the winter meetings to clear roster space for infielder Jose Morban.
Eleven years later, Ortiz has hit 373 home runs, driven in 1,191 runs and slugged .572 for the Boston Red Sox.
Morban didn't work out for the Twins. He was put on waivers in spring training and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles.
When Minnesota released Ortiz, Terry Ryan said: "This is not exactly an easy thing to do. I like David personally. I liked some of the things he does with the bat."
Ortiz was subpar in the field as a first baseman, limiting him to the DH role with Minnesota. He hit only .205 against lefthanded pitching and .240 with runners in scoring position in 2002.
