Sox Make An Offer To Tek by Jared Carrabis
Second year could be the X-factor in the captain's return


“It's not every day you're lucky enough to sign a player who embodies everything you want your franchise to be. When you have that player, you don't let him get away” were the words that came out of Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein’s mouth upon re-signing Jason Varitek on Christmas Day, 2004.

Here we are four years later and after Varitek’s four-year contract with Boston has officially expired, the captain is still without a home for the 2009 season. After foolishly declining arbitration from the Red Sox, Varitek must have been under the impression that there would be an offer coming his way that could have exceeded the $10 million or so that he would have been guaranteed had he accepted. However, under the guidance of his agent, Scott Boras, Varitek declined salary arbitration and in the process he would forgo a guaranteed contract with the Boston Red Sox along with a salary in the $10-10.5 million range.

After his declining of arbitration, the Red Sox no longer had any attachments to the veteran catcher and were free to pursue him on the same level as any other team with the exception of having to give up two draft picks if they were to re-sign the 36-year-old backstop. The only problem is that no other team showed any interest at all as the market for a catcher at his age coming off the season in which he did in 2008 shrank smaller, and smaller by the day.

With no teams outside of the city of Boston showing any interest in Varitek, the Red Sox had full control over what conditions they were going to bring him back under. Upon entering the offseason, Scott Boras began barking at general managers that Varitek was worth “Jorge Posada money” but nobody listened or lifted a finger. With the Red Sox now having the upper hand in the future of Jason Varitek, he will undoubtedly be taking a pay cut from the $10 million he made in 2008 and from the $10 million or more that he could have made had he wisely accepted the Red Sox arbitration offer. Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe is reporting that “the Sox have formally presented an offer to Varitek's agent, Scott Boras, that could appease the catcher's desire for a second guaranteed season.”

The details of this offer have not yet been revealed to the media, but by the sounds of it this could be the deal that gets the job done. Varitek has expressed that he does in fact want to retire here in Boston and has stressed that a second year in his contract is what he wanted from the Red Sox front the most. Varitek was more concerned with the longevity of his deal rather than the dollar signs at the bottom. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Fort Myers, Florida in a little more than two weeks, expect Varitek to agree to this contract offer before week’s end.

-Jared Carrabis

Published on January 25, 2009

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