Late in the 2010 season, it seemed as though Jason Varitek’s tenure with the Red Sox had come to an end. Not so fast. The captain is back.
Today, the Red Sox came to an agreement with Varitek on a one-year, $2M deal with $300K in incentives. However, this move is hardly the solution to the Sox’s gaping hole at catcher.
More than anything, this move leads me to believe that the Sox think Jarrod Saltalamachia will be best served starting 2011 at Pawtucket.
At age 39 in April, it is beyond obvious that Varitek’s body can no longer hold up over the long haul of the season. In 2010, Varitek hit .323/.364/.774 with four home runs in April, but his numbers fell off each month thereafter and he missed significant time with injuries along the way. At this point in his career, he’s more of a player/coach and spot start catcher than anything. If the Sox don’t make another move and head into 2011 with Saltalamacchia as the everyday regular, Varitek will serve as a mentor and help with Salty’s mental game both behind the dish and at the plate.
However, going into the 2011 season with the combination of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek is risky. Actually, risky is too positive a word to describe that scenario. Not only has Salty never proven himself at the big league level, but he has yet to stay healthy over a full season. Heading into next year with two injury risk catcher, one in decline and one unproven, is not ideal.
With the winter meetings around the corner, more moves could be on the way. The Sox have some free agent options to pursue. Rod Barajas, A.J. Pierzynski, Bengie Molina and possibly Miguel Olivo are still looking for work, but none of those options will make us forget about Victor Martinez. Mike Napoli, Russell Martin, John Baker and Felipe Paulino are all candidates to be traded this offseason, so the Sox are likely to look into those options as well.
Having the captain back in a Red Sox uniform is a feel-good move, but one that doesn’t do much to help the team’s void at catcher. There is no questioning what Varitek brings to the clubhouse and the knowledge he could provide for young catchers like Saltalamacchia holds value in itself. However, this move seems more like a prelude to another, higher impact acquisition.