In case you missed it yesterday as you were preparing to watch what turned out to be the Patriots bonecrushing and entirely depressing loss to the New York Giants of East Rutherford, NJ in the Super Bowl…
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Scott Boras, speaking on behalf of Jason Varitek, says that the veteran catcher is still “deliberating what he wants to do,” with respect to his baseball career. Based on the reports I’ve read, he’s healthy and feels better than he has in quite some time. Despite this, Boras’s phone lines aren’t burning up with teams interested in acquiring his services.
While the Red Sox front office has reportedly stayed in contact with the Varitek camp, it mostly seems like it’s out of respect for the Captain. The Red Sox have already committed to the tandem of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach at catcher to start the season, and the young power hitting Ryan Lavarnway will be eagerly waiting in the wings in Pawtucket. This gives Tek a snowball’s chance in hell of winning a job with the club out of Spring Training. Even with his subjectively superior game calling skills, it’d be virtually impossible to objectively justify giving him a roster spot over Lavarnway in a situation where one of the top two catchers lands on the disabled list to start the season.
Currently, there are few job openings available. The Rays, Twins, and Mets come to mind as possibilities, but they’re pretty remote. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a market for 40-year old catchers that can’t hit lefties righties and have weak arms. Furthermore, with Ivan Rodriguez still available on the free agent market, Varitek will likely be most teams’ second option; thus making retirement likely.
Barring some major, earth shattering change, Tek has played his last game in a Red Sox uniform. was acquired in one of the greatest, most lopsided trading deadline deals in history, he (24.8 fWAR) and Derek Lowe (23.5 fWAR in Boston) were acquired from the Mariners in exchange for Heathcliff Slocumb (0.9 fWAR with the Mariners). He played his entire major league career in Boston, won two World Series titles, and held the title of “team captain” for seven seasons.
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CharlieSaponara: 
firebrandal: 
TroyPatterson: 
I still dont know why he couldnt phase off the field and into coaching as a player-coach, on the 40 man roster, working in Tuck's dept, supporting Salty & Shop. Working with Lavarnway and the catchers at Pawtuckett, Portland, Lowell all in and around Fenway when the Sox travel, with scheduled coaching trips to the A-teams and Ft. Myers. He would be so helpful in ST, and has much wisdom and experience to pass on. He spent the past two seasons coaching-up V-Mart, Cash, Salty, Lava, Expo who all swear by him, so he seems to be a natural. Extra bonus, he can play some games when those emergencies hit. Investing a spot on the 40-man roster could payoff big time in terms of developing Sox catchers in the mold of Tek and Fisk, passing the torch in a systematic manner. Tek, as one of the key 25 and with his years of faithful service, deserves this special treatment. The Sox slide him into coaching and perhaps gain another decade or two of his leadership. Win-win-win.
add me to the list of sentimental folk, but i agree with you , Gerry. ( usually do). Like it would be so terrible if Tek went to camp and once the season started, and seeing how things go ( one really never knows just exactly what can and will happen)…let him retire as a player with a special "Tek day" at Fenway or such and see if there is some way for him to coach either at AAA or even RS(tho' i know many of you will say that that is practically impossible for a player to shift directly into a coaching position – i think Tek might be the exception).
anyways, just my two cents…
also, i love Tek and tho' i certainly do not have money to throw around (except those 2 cents), the RS do and why not make a grand gesture for one of the iconic players of our generation to play their entire career in a RS uni???)
Good that we agree alot, Donna. IMO Tek is a unique resource who is a career-long Red Sox. Such resources are rare and are better used for the long term good of the team. The FACT is, he has done a great job working with Sox catchers. There is every reason to believe that, while he is still in player mode, he could help train the prospects, while he supports Salty, Shop, Lava. Sounds like good business to me, as well as a sincere way to honor all he brought to the Sox, and can continue to bring. Let him retire as a player/coach with fanfare, but be in a position to retain a relationship with the sox FO, players and fans.
Why? Because he still wants to play, and believes he can help a team.
I believe Varitek ultimately will have a job in the Sox organization, but it doesn't have to start now.
He can hit lefties better than righties. He has more bat speed when hitting from the right-side. He'd make a good third catcher for the Twins and would be at least a slight upgrade from Butera.
You're right. I always read the Fangraphs splits chart backwards.
Sometimes the market makes the decision for aging FA