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Did David Ortiz just announce his 2017 comeback?

A cryptic tweet sent Monday to the Boston Globe has sent Red Sox fans into a tizzy

01/10/2017 12:51 PM ET

By A.J. Herrmann


Is Red Sox veteran David Ortiz planning an MLB comeback in 2017?(AP)

New York Yankees fans thought they had seen the last of David Ortiz after his final game against the Bronx Bombers came and went on September 29, but perhaps the longtime MLB slugger is having a change of heart?

On Monday evening around 9:00pm EST, Ortiz sent out a cryptic tweet addressed to the Boston Globe's twitter handle, however it featured no additional words or messages to suggest a potential 2017 comeback.

That didn't stop Red Sox nation from speculating about what Ortiz's tweet could have meant, however.

Fans and reporters closely following Ortiz took the incomplete tweet and ran with it, suggesting that it was the latest mysterious signal that Big Papi was considering un-retirement.

Even the Boston Globe was eager to find out what Ortiz's intent was.

Monday's tweet wasn't the first indication that Ortiz was having second thoughts about his playing days being over. Shortly after the Red Sox pulled off the blockbuster of the offseason -- acquiring former White Sox ace Chris Sale -- Ortiz took to Instagram to scratch his proverbial chin and admit that Boston's roster additions "got me thinking."

Shortly before his alleged retirement, Ortiz voiced his begrudging appreciation for the bitter rivalry between his club and the Yankees, adding one last pointed barb at his New York foes: "Some players are born to be Yankees, you know what I'm saying... I was born to play against the Yankees."

This did little to endear Ortiz to Yankees fans before his final game in the Bronx, but there's no denying what he accomplished on the field over the last 20 years. Ortiz's final four career seasons were as impressive and productive as most players' primes, and many wondered whether or not Ortiz was really serious about walking away when his impact for Boston was still so immense.

Fittingly, the Yankees bid a proper farewell to Ortiz with a three-game sweep over the Red Sox in the final week of the regular season, but perhaps that won't turn out to be Big Papi's last visit to the Bronx after all.