Lower demands for Varitek?

I don't think after last season especially that Varitek is worth $10 million per year. He's just like Posada, getting worse each year. It's a shame but it's true.

Posada getting worse each year? I could of sworn he hit .338 last season. What a joke even trying to compare Varitek to Posada. Pudge maybe...not Posada. He was injured all last season, and the short short time he was healthy he hit and caught well.

People really know what they are talking about.

I did mean Pudge...my bad! But Posada hit .268, not .338 and was injured a lot so you really can't blame him for the low average. It's just that all 3 are getting older and of course are not the players that they all used to be is my point. They're still all good though.

One of the things that teams have to factor into signing contracts for players is health. They need to keep in mind that older players tend to have a harder time staying off the DL. The Yankees definitely made a mistake signing Posada to a 4 year contract. Can they seriously hope that he wont end up on the DL again over the next 3 years? Any team that signs Veritek to anything longer than a 2 year contract is foolish.

I understand that a 4 year deal for Varitek on paper does not make sense based on the offensive year he is coming off of and his age but you cannot underestimate or determine the value he gives the Red Sox behind the plate. The numbers alone w/ Varitek behind the plate speak for themselves and the Red Sox would be foolish to let him go. He was an intergral part of 2 World Championship teams and has caught 4 no-hitters in his career with the Sox. By any standard, that is impressive. I look forward to many more years w/ Varitek catching for the Sox!!!!!!

No way on earth is he worth 11M per year. Just because a player was good at one point doesn't mean he is still worth the same as when he was 28.

listen, i think they have the right to overpay him since he is such a vital asset to the team as a catcher, since he is probably the smartest one out there after catching four no hitters, and although he had a terrible offensive season, the pitching staff won't be the same without him.

Red Sox will Re-Up Tek !!

This news is far more promising; and exactly what Theo Epstein already offered during the GM Meetings to Boras 2yrs $10 million.
They'll settle on 3 years and Re-Up.
It's Tek's last contract before he retires....He knows it and so does everyone else. He wants to retire Boston Red Sox and we want to see it, too!!

Let's get this done, Boston !!

Kevin P in Boston MA

I doubt that the Sox will pay $10 million unless it was an incentive-laden contract. $8 million seems like the right price for Varitek. John Henry got Boras to settle on a4-years contract bac in '04. I still like the Red Sox trading Bowden or Buchholz to Texas for Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden. I prefer Buchholz for Laird because to me Laird seems a better fit because he's excelent defensively.

. WELL GO SOX. THEY NEED TO RESIGN TEK. HE IS A KEY ASSET TO THE SOX ORGANIZATION. HE IS A GREAT CATCHER BUT I DONT THINK HE IS WORTH 10MIL. HE IS WORTH ABOUT 7-8MIL A YEAR. HE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST CATCHERS DEFENSIVELY. HE HAS CAUGHT 4 NO HITTERS. 2 WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR A TEAM WHO WENT 88 YEARS WITHOUT ONE. SO THIS IS REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT.
ALSO SCREW JULIO LUGO. HE SUCKS. WHAT DID HE DO FOR THE RED SOX. NOTHING. WAIT I FORGOT. HE DID DO SOMETHING. ERROR STRIKE OUT ERROR STRIKE OUT ERROR STRIKE OUT ERROR STRIKE OUT ERROR STRIKE OUT. SIGN TEXERIA PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ
REDSOXFAN4LIFE

UM LOL.

Tek is beyond washed up. Forget about the low batting average, he can't even put the bat on the ball and keeps striking out all the time. He can't catch Wakefield and he can't throw runners out anymore. He is killing the team. It is time for him to retire. Get serious.

I think that a trade for either Laird or Saltalamacchia with Texas is a brilliant move and I'll bet that Theo is all over it. We have some good young arms in the minors and Texas is always looking for pitching so I see it as a plausible idea. Although Laird could probably take over right away as a starter in the AL East while Saltalamacchia couldn't, I believe Saltalamacchia has much greater upside as a power switch-hitting catcher with a good arm. His defensive and game calling skills need work but under the tutelage of a guy like Tek he could turn up to be a star.
I would trade for Saltalamacchia and sign Varitek to a 2-year deal. The deal could be worth a total of 16 million for two years with maybe a team option for a 3rd year. It could be something as follows: $8 million for the first year, $7 million for the second year and, if needed, a team option for a 3rd year for $6 million with a $1 million buyout. This way the Red Sox could be ready for the present with the invalluables that Varitek brings to the game, and also prepare for the future by mentoring Saltalamacchia.

You can barely give Tek credit for catching 4 no hitters. It was dumb luck. I'd say 10% of the credit would go to Tek for the no-hitters and the rest rely on the pitchers obviously. That's a silly reason to say that he's a good catcher. The pitcher is doing almost all of the work.

you obviously have no idea what it's like to pitch with a catcher who doesnt know the game do you james? if a catcher can call a great game (which tek does) it makes pitching 1000 time easier for the pitcher. less thinking involved, less stress, and more at ease to throw the pitch with maximum effect. yes he is an absolute horrid at the plate. i can almost guarentee you that he will break adam dunns record for strikeouts in a season at the plate, but he can catch. and thats all we need when we have youk, papi, bay, (texiera?). so give credit where credit is due. catching 4 no-hitters? he had to be doing something...not just luck...

I don't know if Salty can catch a knuckler, but if he can the sox should get him and maybe Kason back, while bringing TEK back for 1 or 2 years. Salty can catch Wake while TEK mentors him, and if TEK goes down Salty can step in. TEK later on moves into a coaching role...perhaps pitching coach ,where he can work with boston's future pitchers and catchers, since farrell is looking around anyways. GO SOX!! By the way, what ever happened to Kotarras?

I think the Sox should definitely get TEK back. When he was out at the end of 07, Boston was horrible. They lost 5 straight games to the Yanks!!! That was unbearable. With TEK's experienced leadership, Boston could definitely contend in the W.S again. But without him, uh... I don't know. He's the glue to the puzzle. He's the guy who keeps the pitching staff together without losing their composures. He's the key to success. Theo what r u waiting for??? GO SIGN HIM RIGHT NOW!!!!!

If you dont believe Tek had something to do with the 4 no hitters, ask Curt Schilling, who himself was quoted after Lester's this year as saying, "if it wasn't for ME shaking off Tek, I'd bet anything this would be the 5th no hitter he caught".
Also, let's take a look at the pitchers who threw those no hitters

Lester, who this year yes is a budding super star, but is not really that established of a pitcher
Bucholtz, has gone so far backwards since that no hitter, he clearly isnt a super-star pitcher, at least yet
Lowe - a good, solid pitcher, but by no means a true ace, especially not at the time he threw it.
Nomo - washed out of baseball, bounced from team to team

Don't tell me Tek didn't have anything to do with it.

He has more value to this team than any player other than Papelbon, Pedroia, and Papi. Keep Tek for 2 years, trade for one of Texas' young catchers, NOT LAIRD, either Salty, Teagarden, or Max Ramirez and let Tek mentor them. It's not as if his offense will be missed, with a lineup that projects to look like this next year:

Jacoby
Pedroia
Papi
Youk
Drew
Lowell
Bay
Lowry
Tek

It would allow them to keep their team captain, not break up chemistry, and solidify the pitching and defense. If they are going to spend, and we all know they are, to bring in big name free agents, at least keep our own big free agent.

If we don't however, we should look at making a trade for a catcher like Benji Molina, a solid defensive catcher and a solid offensive bat

hey! how about sum response 2 my last comment. I'm new and have commented about 5 times on different posts and everyone always goes off on thier own rants.

I think 2 yrs at 10-11 millions total may be too much for Varitek. Detroit would be better off filling their needs for catcher internally than giving Varitak 20 million dollars.