The fact that two of the most important players for the Boston Red Sox over the past fifteen years have been a pitcher and a catcher would lead one to believe that they have worked together often. With Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, that is not the case. In fact, Varitek has only caught fourteen innings pitched by Wakefield since 2005.
Although the two may not have been on the field together too often during their tenure with Boston, they have undeniably been cornerstones of the franchise. One of the more underrated moments in the 2004 World Series run came in the extra innings of Game 5 of the ALCS, when Wakfield pitched three courageous innings, knowing that it was his game to win or lose. Varitek was left in that game, despite his infamous ability handling the knuckleball. Even after a multitude of passed balls, the two found a way to get through those three innings and they went on to win the championship just over a week later, and three years later found themselves in the same position. The two have played an essential role on the team for fifteen years now. In fact, it’s almost hard to imagine the team without them.
Yet, when Boston signed catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one-year deal on December 13th, it seemed to all but announce the end of an era. When they eventually sign a fourth starter, whether that be Hiroki Kuroda, Roy Oswalt, or someone else (please Ben, save us the trouble and avoid Joe Saunders at all costs), it should come as another rude awakening as to the future of the team, especially when it comes to the fate of Boston’s favorite knuckleballer.
So with Varitek and Wakefield seemingly being shown the door, it raises a few questions. Is this the right decision? Can Varitek and Wakefield still be productive at the major league level? And is this really the way to say goodbye to two true Red Sox legends?
Let’s start with the captain. There’s no easy way to say it: the numbers are ugly. He hasn’t been worth more than 1 WAR since 2007. He hasn’t hit more than .255 since 2007 (and he hit .238 the year before that). His FLD has not been positive since 2003 (meaning he’s been costing the team runs because of his defense). Not to mention, he has no speed, and struck out over 25% of the time last season. There are some positives though: he hits lefthanders very well (.264 last season compared to .200 against righties), and that is certainly something Boston’s lineup needs. It is also important to remember that most of his numbers over the past few years have come with him serving the role as a backup, whether it be to Victor Martinez or Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and really, a 1 WAR isn’t so bad for a utility player. So is it smart to let him go? Well, the fact of the matter is that, maybe more than any other player on the team, a lot of Varitek’s value lies in the idea of “intangibles”. There’s a reason he wears that C on his chest. Varitek is a natural leader, and he’s led this team for a long time now. It’s hard to calculate the effect is loss will have purely with numbers. Josh Beckett has made it no secret that he prefers Varitek catching him over anyone else on Boston’s roster. What effect will it have on him? And what of Saltlamacchia? Has he learned enough from Varitek that he can manage without him? This is all yet to be seen.
On the note of leadership, you have to wonder what the captain was doing while the team sank to the ground during last September. Many have speculated that it’s hard to lead a team when you only play once a week. How much effect can a bench player really have? Varitke’s “intangibles” may end up being a moot point. Kelly Shoppach hits left-handed pitching very well too, if not better than varitek, and who knows, maybe Josh Beckett will do just fine when push comes to shove and he has no choice but to adjust to a new face behind the plate.
As for Wakefield, the numbers aren’t much better. It seems safe to say that his quest for his 200th career win last summer became painful for just about everyone involved once we got past the fifth attempt. This is a guy who posted a 5.12 ERA last year (and who’s 4.99 FIP proves that he wasn’t much better than the numbers show), a guy who wasn’t fooling very many batters (5.41 K/9 last year, 5.40 the year before, 5.0 the year before that), and a guy who issued far too many free passes (2.73 BB/9). The positives? Well, you can’t deny the fact that Wakefield is versatile. Even though he wasn’t as effective as he used to be as a starter, the fact that he went from starting the season as the mop up man out of the bullpen, to suddenly joining the starting rotation in May, and continuing to switch between roles as the season slogged on, is impressive in itself. There are not many players who are capable of doing that, and for a rotation that looks very thin as it is, Wakefield shouldn’t be entirely out of the question, though I don’t expect to see him back.
A new era of Red Sox baseball will begin in 2012. Terry Francona is gone. Theo Epstein is gone. Jonathan Papelbon is gone. (Kyle Weiland is gone!) By the looks of it, you can add Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield to the list as well. Will Boston miss them? There’s no doubt it will be strange not having them on the team, after fifteen years, they almost seem like permanent figures, but there’s no question that both are far past their prime. Varitek will probably be semi-useful to a team in a backup role, but Kelly Shoppach will be more serviceable. There are better options for fourth starters on the market than Wakefield. It certainly won’t be easy to say goodbye, and it’s almost painful to actually admit that Kelly Shoppach will be a better option than ‘tek, but there comes a point when you have to think about the fortunes of the team over nostalgic whims. Varitek and Wakefield will always be a part of Red Sox legend, whether it’s the extra innings of Game 5, or watching the replays of them embracing each other after both championships. The tragedy of legends is that while their stories may exist forever, they themselves cannot.