Smoltz On Sox Radar by Jared Carrabis
The Latest On the Captain


Comfortable with the stability of the Red Sox 2009 starting rotation? Neither is Theo. The Boston Herald is reporting that the Red Sox are proclaiming that right-handed pitcher and life-time Atlanta Brave, John Smoltz, is their "top target".

I could see if Smoltz was at full health and maybe five or six years younger than he is, but to call Smoltz your "top target" after a subpar offseason like this has been surely doesn't spark any excitement around the hub. Smoltz is set to turn 42-year-old this May and is coming off a 2008 season that saw the 200 game winner and 150 save holder appear in just six games. The six appearances for Smoltz were the fewest of his entire career which began back in 1988. The 2008 season for Smoltz was cut short in June after he underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his pitching shoulder.

The Red Sox have been informed that they are in fact in the running for the right-handers services in 2009, but Smoltz will likely not return to a Major League mound until May at the earliest. It would be a major risk to bring Smoltz on board for 2009, especially with his price tag rumored to be in the $10 million region, but his veteran presence could outweigh his mediocre pitching. After all, we're not expecting a 24-8 season like Smoltz whipped up back in 1996.

If Smoltz were to join the Boston Red Sox in 2009, it would be his 21st Major League season and his first without wearing an Atlanta Braves uniform. Regardless of his 2009 destination, if there is in fact a destination at all, Smoltz is a first-ballot Hall of Famer without question and would be a valuable asset to any team looking to contend in October.

Next on my list of things to discuss, the status of our captain, Jason Varitek. I'll be honest, it's been really dead on the news front lately and that drives me insane. However, earlier this week Daniel Barbarisi of The Providence Journal dedicated his column to the current Varitek situation. Personally, I think it was an awful decision for Tek to decline arbitration in the first place. But now that he has, the 36-year-old catcher is seeking a contract that mirrored that of his deal back in December, 2004. That of course means that Varitek and his agent, Scott Boras, are searching for a team willing to extend an offer of four years, $40 million.

Now as we return to the real world, the Red Sox are in the middle of negotiating a two-year deal with the Boston backstop. In the article, Barbarisi brings up a valid point that in 2008 "veteran players producing at (Varitek's) level were generally paid between $2MM to $5MM by their teams". If the Red Sox were to bring Varitek back, he would see significantly less time behind the plate in 2009 than he has in recent seasons. It is easy to conclude that the Red Sox are doing what they can to lower the asking price of Jason Varitek and if they are unsuccessful in doing so they just may explore other options while Scott Boras seeks a fairytale of a contract that only exists in the Magic Kingdom.

Varitek needs to come to terms with his current situation and realize that he is in the latter half of this career and that this team is still doing what they can, within reason, to bring him back to a club that needs him. Fans can disagree that I used the word "need", because you're right. Production wise, we don't need him, but if you take a poll inside that Red Sox clubhouse of who wants to see Tek return and who wants him out of town, the response is going to be unanimous. With Bard already under contract making significantly more than the average "backup catcher", it is apparent that Bard has been brought on board to lighten the load for the aging captain. While his offensive production may have dipped, his intangibles that he brings to this team are invaluable.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on January 07, 2009

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