Ortiz on tampering allegations: 'I can say what I want'

David Ortiz doesn't appear ready to shy away from saying whatever he chooses.

On Friday, sources told ESPN that Major League Baseball is "looking into" whether Ortiz violated any tampering rules Tuesday when he lobbied for the Boston Red Sox to trade for Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez and sign Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion to replace him when he retires at the end of the season.

"I can say what I want," Ortiz told reporters when asked about MLB's reported investigation. "Tampering? I don't write no checks. If I say I want to play with LeBron James, is that tampering, too?"

Ortiz made the comments after Tuesday's All-Star Game, where he played on the same team as Encarnacion and engaged in pregame hijinks with Fernandez.

"The Red Sox know also they need to bring a force in the middle of the lineup (after I retire),'' the 40-year-old Ortiz told reporters July 12. "And sorry, Blue Jays, but who better than Encarnacion to do that?"

Encarnacion, a free agent at the end of the year, has been linked to the Red Sox since last December, and said that although he was flattered by Ortiz's comments, the 33-year-old refused to discuss his free agency.

Incidentally, Ortiz's pitch to Fernandez came just two days before the Red Sox acquired All-Star left-hander Drew Pomeranz in a trade with the San Diego Padres.

"(Fernandez) has incredible stuff," Ortiz said. "I thought he was gonna end up playing with me this year. I mean, you never know. I want him in my starting rotation. I mean, we need a little bit of help and hopefully that happens at some point, who knows?"

Rule 3(K) in the MLB rule book states that tampering is not allowed by any player, coach, manager, or umpire.