It's never easy to talk about trading away the face of a franchise, but since sports is a business, this discussion inevitably comes up from time to time. And right now, it's something the Red Sox should be discussing.

I'm of course talking about trading David Ortiz. If the Red Sox are smart, they should do everything possible to try and move this guy sometime this season.

Why? Let's get right to it.

Ortiz is 33, which means his best years are behind him. That's evidenced by the fact that he spent most of last year out with a busted wrist and has followed that injury plagued season with a paltry .221 average and no home runs in 2009. On top of all this, he's still owed $25 million per his contract (which ends in 2010). He's obviously not worth that all.

The other troubling thing is that while most players start to deteriorate around ages 33-35, there's legitimate concern that Ortiz may have spent his best years with the Red Sox on steroids, thereby inflating his numbers. So rather than deteriorating slowly, Ortiz is dropping off a cliff like a rock, due the combination of age and being off the juice.

And let me just say this. Almost no one gets better after 33 without being on something, especially with Papi's body type. So if the Red Sox believe the old Papi is going to return, then I hope they found some new undetectable designer steroid, because other than that it's not happening.

It's also not crazy for the Red Sox to consider dealing Ortiz. They desperately need a shortstop more than they need an aging DH. Certainly, at this point in time, with questions about Ortiz's health and possible past steroid use, you're really only going to get pennies on the dollar by trading him. But getting rid of that hefty salary might allow you to sign a decent shortstop before the 2010 season, and it's just possible you might actually pick up a decent prospect in a trade if you package someone else in with Ortiz.

This, of course, isn't an ideal situation. It's never fun having to trade away a guy who was the face of a franchise and who helped "Reverse The Curse." But this is the way things are. Ortiz is hurting the Red Sox right now, and he's going to continue to hurt them as long as he's on the roster. Even if all the Red Sox can do is unload him for next to nothing, it's still better than keeping him as a highly paid souvenir of the good old days.

Trade the franchise? It might help. [Wall Street Journal]