Mazz chimes in:
< Back to Front Page Text size – + Varitek, Sox in stare down Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Tony Massarotti, Globe Staff January 29, 2009 04:24 PM With less than 24 hours remaining before a deadline set by the team, the Red Sox and catcher Jason Varitek seem caught in a stare down that could very well produce an unhappy ending for both the player and club. According to a baseball source, the deadline by which Varitek must accept or decline the Red Sox’ latest contract offer is set for tomorrow morning, leaving less than a day for the matter to play out. According to the same source, Varitek is very seriously considering the option of sitting out the 2009 season and/or retiring rather than accepting the contract offer made to him last week. In that proposal, the Red Sox gave Varitek the choice of a one-year contract for a guaranteed $5 million or a one-year deal for $5 million with a vesting option. In the latter scenario, Varitek would earn another $5 million if the team exercises the option for 2010, $3 million if an option is exercised by the player. Though Varitek appears to have no other suitors at this time, it would not be unprecedented for him to sit out (or retire) until he receives an offer to his liking. With agent Scott Boras advising him at that time, too, Varitek sat out an entire year after being drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993. He then re-entered the draft and was selected by the Seattle Mariners in 1994, who eventually signed the player. Even then, Varitek did not play a minor-league game until 1995, meaning that his stance might very well have cost him two years of his development. Should Varitek reject the Red Sox’ offer, the team will have little choice but to walk away given the finality with which this offer was presented to the player. The Sox then would likely go to spring training with a catching platoon of the switch-hitting Josh Bard (better from the right side) and the lefthanded-hitting George Kottaras. The righthanded-hitting Dusty Brown also would be in camp. Independent of the Varitek negotiations, the Sox are expected to revisit talks with the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks about respective deals for the switch-hitting Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the lefthanded-hitting Miguel Montero. The switch-hitting Saltlalamacchia is regarded as having far better offensive upside but comes with major questions defensively. Montero is looked upon as a more balanced player and the more likely acquisition by trade, according to another baseball source, and presumably would displace Kottaras given that he bats from the left side. There is the possibility, of course, that Boras and Varitek are threatening to reject the offer merely as a way of leveraging the Red Sox into a more desirable agreement given the approaching deadline. --- On Thu, 1/29/09, Ray Salemi <[email protected]> wrote: From: Ray Salemi <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Varitek To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 4:43 PM Yeah. What he said. On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 4:22 PM, Matt & Olga McSorley <[email protected]> wrote: Which isn't to say leadership and game management aren't valuable. You just don't overpay for a guy doesn't hit because he's a good game manager. - Matt --- On Thu, 1/29/09, Ray Salemi <[email protected]> wrote: From: Ray Salemi <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Varitek To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 4:19 PM Hitting is good. "Leadership" and "Game Management" are highly overrated. On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Steve Ouellette <[email protected]> wrote: I agree. Tek has been a good soldier, but he was seriously overpaid once for that, and I'm not even convinced he could outhit a George Kottaras/Dusty Brown platoon, let alone Josh Bard. Steve O On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 3:37 PM, Tom Salemi <[email protected]> wrote: Michael Holley, on EEI, suggested this morning that his "moles" tell him that Varitek would rather sit out this year than accept the Red Sox current offer. I'm fine with that. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
