“If there are any Red Sox management here, you cannot let ‘Tek go. You have to keep him in Boston. He was our head, our captain. He should retire as a member of the Red Sox, and never leave.”
That was the quote from Red Sox great Pedro Martinez as passed along by Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.
I know that Jason Varitek has been a tremendous part of this organization. A leader and a hero, but quite frankly, all good things must come to an end and it’s time to move on.
Varitek will turn 40 in 2012 and, let’s face it, other than “leadership” and experience, he has little else to offer. It’s been four seasons since V-Tek posted an OBP above .313 and, while he can still pop a few baseballs out of the yard now and again, strikeouts have become an issue over the past two seasons (29 percent strikeout rate in 2010, 27 percent in 2011). The last time Tek posted over one WAR was 2007.
Varitek’s decline is one thing — most catchers don’t even last as long as he has — but it’s the roster space that he would take up that’s the real problem. Being barely more valuable than a replacement level player just isn’t good enough, especially with Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s development defensively and the promise of young, powerful Ryan Lavarnway. As questionable as Lavarnway is defensively, he certainly should be able to preform better that Varitek, who threw out only 12 of 85 basestealers last season (14 percent).
The Sox currently have four catchers on their 40-man roster with Luis Exposito and Kelly Shoppach added on top of Salty and Lavarnway. How exactly does V-Tek fit into this picture? While Exposito and Shoppach may at least be somewhat expendable, there is no reason for the 2012 Sox to carry three catchers, even if, say, Shoppach has a big spring training. As it is, the Sox will want to find enough at-bats for both Salty and Lavarnway, which is a dilemma unto itself even without a third catcher in the picture.
The bottom line is that — as hard of a pill as it may be for some to swallow — Jason Varitek is just not good enough anymore.
Those who are a proponent of his sticking around point to leadership and the fact that he proudly displayed the captain’s mark for so long and helped bring two World Series titles to Beantown. However, those patrons of Varitek’s leadership and experience seem to fall short with words that can explain what role he played in the September collapse of 2011. Where was the captain when players were casually, if not joyously, drinking beer and chomping on fried chicken in the clubhouse while their team was disintegrating in front of millions of Red Sox fans? I can tell you what he wasn’t doing and that was playing baseball. Tek only started nine games the entire month of September, his fewest starts of any month of last season. He had 30 plate appearances and hit .077/.200/.192, striking out 11 times and walking only thrice. Why then, when he had spent the majority of the time not on the playing field, did he not take control of the clubhouse and bring forth the leadership abilities of a captain?
I will say this, however: chicken and beer were not the reasons that the Sox fell apart in September, as has been documented on this site. But clearly there was at least some sense of complacency with certain players or groups of players on the roster. I bring this up only to point out that the people who seem to be pushing for Varitek’s return seem to be missing the point entirely. Do teams need leadership? Yes, they do to an extent, but more than anything teams need players who produce between the lines. They need players who create runs and pitchers and fielders who prevent them. Jason Varitek no longer fits any of those categories.
There is no question that Jason Varitek will have a long-lasting place in the hearts of Red Sox fans. He has a chance to be one of the rare players of his generation that was developed by and played for one team his entire career, a career that to this point has spanned 15 seasons and two world championships. I am by no means trying to cloud any of Varitek’s accomplishments as a key member of the Boston Red Sox or his stature as a figure that will stand proud in their history. But baseball players have this gnawing habit of hanging on for too long. One more season from Vartiek will be one too many. Legends never die, but baseball players inevitably fade away, regardless of their heart for the game. As hard as it may be for some, it’s time to move on and work toward putting a team on the field that will give fans what they really want: another World Series title.