Looks like Varitek is staying put.
IchiroDeported
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BOSTON -- The captain is staying put. The Red Sox and free agent catcher Jason Varitek have agreed to a two-year deal, SI.com reported Friday afternoon.
The deal was struck amid a Friday deadline requested by the Red Sox when they submitted an official proposal to Varitek and agent Scott Boras at the end of last week.
The Boston Globe reported that the contract is for one year at $5 million with an option for 2010.
The new pact likely won't be announced Friday, as the Red Sox policy is not to announce a contract until the completion of a physical.
But when pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 12, Varitek will be there to begin his 12th full season with the Red Sox, the only Major League team he's ever played for.
It was not easy to get to this point. For more than three months, negotiations were slow to develop.
While terms of the deal were not immediately known, the offer the Red Sox made last week was for one year at $5 million, with a dual option for 2010 that the club could exercise at $5 million. If they declined to do so, Varitek could kick in the option at $3 million.
Varitek's return will be greeted warmly in the clubhouse, as several players had expressed strong hope this offseason that he would return. In particular, the pitchers have come to rely on Varitek's expertise when it comes to putting together a game-plan.
The Red Sox made Varitek their captain on Dec. 24, 2004, and he has been a core member of a team that has been to the postseason five times in the past six years, a run that has included the club's first two World Series titles since 1918.
Varitek, who will turn 37 on April 11, hit .220 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 2008, by far the worst statistical season of his career. But the Red Sox still had interest in bringing him back because of his widely-respected skills behind the plate and his leadership with the pitching staff and in the clubhouse.
Toward that end, the Red Sox presented Varitek with an arbitration offer on Dec. 1. Of course, the Red Sox also made that offer to make sure they would get a compensatory Draft pick if Varitek signed elsewhere.
Varitek, to the surprise of some, declined the offer on the Dec. 7 deadline. If Varitek had accepted arbitration, it would have made him contractually bound to the Red Sox for 2009 at a salary that likely would have been in the vicinity of the $10 million he made last season. Players seldom receive pay decreases through the arbitration process.
However, Varitek, according to reports, was worried about the fact that an arbitration settlement would have given the Red Sox the right to cut him during Spring Training and only be responsible for a small fraction of his salary. Varitek was also hoping for a multi-year deal.
Prospective suitors never appeared to develop for Varitek, as teams were leery of losing a possible first-round Draft pick for a player who spent last season in an offensive funk. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski admitted as much during the Winter Meetings, after he acquired catcher Gerald Laird from the Rangers.
As negotiations stalled, Varitek requested a face-to-face meeting with Red Sox owner John W. Henry in Atlanta. That meeting took place on Jan. 16, but neither side said much about it afterward.
A week later came Boston's formal offer, which ultimately led to a resolution.
Varitek will share catching duties with Josh Bard, who signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in December. There's a chance Varitek's playing time will be reduced a little this season in an effort by the Red Sox to keep him fresher for the second half. In recent years, Varitek has typically only had days off when Wakefield starts.
Look for manager Terry Francona to try to spot Varitek more this season in day games after night games, or in the aftermath of long travel days, etc.
Despite the return of Varitek, expect Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein to continue to be active in trade talks for a top catching prospect, someone who would eventually be Varitek's successor. Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks and the Texas tandem of Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia have continually surfaced on the rumor mill.
The only current player who has been with the Red Sox longer than Varitek is knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Varitek -- a prospect at the time -- was traded from the Mariners to the Red Sox on July 31, 1997, along with Derek Lowe, for fading closer Heathcliff Slocumb in what wound up to be one of the most fruitful deals in club history.
Varitek has played in 1,330 games in his career, compiling a .263 average with 161 homers and 654 RBIs. He was a Gold Glove winner in 2005 and has been an All-Star three times.
Varitek has caught more games (1,274) than any player in Red Sox history.
The deal was struck amid a Friday deadline requested by the Red Sox when they submitted an official proposal to Varitek and agent Scott Boras at the end of last week.
The Boston Globe reported that the contract is for one year at $5 million with an option for 2010.
The new pact likely won't be announced Friday, as the Red Sox policy is not to announce a contract until the completion of a physical.
But when pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 12, Varitek will be there to begin his 12th full season with the Red Sox, the only Major League team he's ever played for.
It was not easy to get to this point. For more than three months, negotiations were slow to develop.
While terms of the deal were not immediately known, the offer the Red Sox made last week was for one year at $5 million, with a dual option for 2010 that the club could exercise at $5 million. If they declined to do so, Varitek could kick in the option at $3 million.
Varitek's return will be greeted warmly in the clubhouse, as several players had expressed strong hope this offseason that he would return. In particular, the pitchers have come to rely on Varitek's expertise when it comes to putting together a game-plan.
The Red Sox made Varitek their captain on Dec. 24, 2004, and he has been a core member of a team that has been to the postseason five times in the past six years, a run that has included the club's first two World Series titles since 1918.
Varitek, who will turn 37 on April 11, hit .220 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 2008, by far the worst statistical season of his career. But the Red Sox still had interest in bringing him back because of his widely-respected skills behind the plate and his leadership with the pitching staff and in the clubhouse.
Toward that end, the Red Sox presented Varitek with an arbitration offer on Dec. 1. Of course, the Red Sox also made that offer to make sure they would get a compensatory Draft pick if Varitek signed elsewhere.
Varitek, to the surprise of some, declined the offer on the Dec. 7 deadline. If Varitek had accepted arbitration, it would have made him contractually bound to the Red Sox for 2009 at a salary that likely would have been in the vicinity of the $10 million he made last season. Players seldom receive pay decreases through the arbitration process.
However, Varitek, according to reports, was worried about the fact that an arbitration settlement would have given the Red Sox the right to cut him during Spring Training and only be responsible for a small fraction of his salary. Varitek was also hoping for a multi-year deal.
Prospective suitors never appeared to develop for Varitek, as teams were leery of losing a possible first-round Draft pick for a player who spent last season in an offensive funk. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski admitted as much during the Winter Meetings, after he acquired catcher Gerald Laird from the Rangers.
As negotiations stalled, Varitek requested a face-to-face meeting with Red Sox owner John W. Henry in Atlanta. That meeting took place on Jan. 16, but neither side said much about it afterward.
A week later came Boston's formal offer, which ultimately led to a resolution.
Varitek will share catching duties with Josh Bard, who signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in December. There's a chance Varitek's playing time will be reduced a little this season in an effort by the Red Sox to keep him fresher for the second half. In recent years, Varitek has typically only had days off when Wakefield starts.
Look for manager Terry Francona to try to spot Varitek more this season in day games after night games, or in the aftermath of long travel days, etc.
Despite the return of Varitek, expect Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein to continue to be active in trade talks for a top catching prospect, someone who would eventually be Varitek's successor. Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks and the Texas tandem of Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia have continually surfaced on the rumor mill.
The only current player who has been with the Red Sox longer than Varitek is knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Varitek -- a prospect at the time -- was traded from the Mariners to the Red Sox on July 31, 1997, along with Derek Lowe, for fading closer Heathcliff Slocumb in what wound up to be one of the most fruitful deals in club history.
Varitek has played in 1,330 games in his career, compiling a .263 average with 161 homers and 654 RBIs. He was a Gold Glove winner in 2005 and has been an All-Star three times.
Varitek has caught more games (1,274) than any player in Red Sox history.
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