Jason Varitek's Future

by Randy Booth on Aug 3, 2006 12:55 AM EDT in News

The injury bug has bitten the Boston Red Sox. First it was Trot Nixon. Then it was Jason Varitek. Both injuries have sent their respective injure to the disabled list, but I'm a little bit more worried about Varitek.

Varitek will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee Thursday, setting him back at least a month, but more likely in the six-to-eight week range. But since his job requires a lot of strain on his knees, a return this year may be wishful thinking.

It makes me think about the future. Will Varitek ever be the same catcher? Will the surgery fully heal the knee? Will Varitek be pain-free when he squats for nine innings a game?

If the answer is `no' to any of those questions, the Sox may need to think about switching Varitek to first base.

We've seen the transition many times: Mike Piazza, Mike Stanley and Javy Lopez coming to mind. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But in Varitek's case, it'd be definitely worth it to have The Captain in the every day lineup if he can't squat behind the plate on a daily basis.

If Varitek were to be the Sox's every day first baseman, the Red Sox could move Kevin Youkilis back to third base. The defense may suffer at first, but there's no way to tell now how Varitek would handle the position. Mike Lowell, obviously, may be the odd-man out in this situation.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions. In the best situation possible, Varitek would be healthy as a horse and better than ever behind the plate. I wish that will be the case, but it very well might not be. Personally, I think the Sox are trying to be optimistic by saying Varitek will be back in six weeks.

If that's so, the Red Sox will make a push for the playoffs. But if Varitek is gone for the season, we may be on the outside looking in come October.

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Re: Jason Varitek's Future

if you're talking about this season, i think it would be nuts to switch tek to first, youk to third and remove lowell from the everyday lineup. tek is undoubtedly a great leader, but if he's not able to catch, he really can't be afforded a starting spot.

tek's OPS this season: .743
mikey's OPS this season: .831

that's not even taking into account how brilliant the glove of lowell is. breaking up this infield would be a shame. the optimal solution, if tek can't come back and do what he did, in my mind, would be having tek and belli switch roles, so that tek catches every fifth game (though not wake's day, of course). this optimal solution would be helped, though, if we could somehow talk the twins into accepting a belli-for-mauer straight up trade and have mauer catch four out of five games ;)

What do I think about Hatchet Face Tavarez? Put a Milo on him!

by SweSox on Aug 3, 2006 2:28 AM EDT reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

I'm not talking about this season. Next year and on if Varitek does suffer from this injury.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Aug 3, 2006 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

I think next year we do what the Indians are doing with Victor Martinez. Switching a catcher who is unable (either lack of throwing skills: Martinez, or injury: possibly Varitek) to catch slowly to 1B. Possibly have Tek catch 3 games, Belli(or other backup?) 2 per rotation, and possibly have Tek play 1B one of Belli's games. Personally, I think Tek would be acceptable defensively at 1B. The difference between Tek and Stanley/Piazza/Lopez is it's not clear any of those three were ever best suited defensively to catching. Tek, clearly, was one of the better defensive catchers the last 7 or 8 years (though obviously no Molina, nor I-Rod, nor Brian Schneider(really wish the Nationals hadn't given him a multi-year deal...) nor Matheny/Ausmus, guys who are kind of a class unto themselves defensively). Sure, this doesn't mean he's going to be a great 1B, but I think he'll have better success than Lopez and Piazza ever had.

by Allen Chace on Aug 3, 2006 3:36 AM EDT reply actions

Tek better than those guys

Molina was a good (never great) defensive catcher before he got fat. He is now an awful defensive catcher.

Pudge has always had a great arm, but was never a great catcher (he may finally be learning). Reportedly, pitchers hated throwing to him and he never even bothered going to the pre-game pitchers' meetings to go over batters. He was a chemically enhanced physical specimen who never bothered to do the little things.

Schneider is closer to Tek's skill set.

Matheny has Tek's rapport with pitchers, but I do not think he has Tek's physical skills.

Ausmus is the only one who is really in Tek's league defensively. He gets extra kudos because he is so bad with the bat that people assume who must be great behind the plate.

OTOH, while Tek is a great hitter for a catcher, he was only an adequate hitter as a 1B at his peak and will probably not worth being a starting 1B going forward. Mike Stanley was a much better hitter. Lopez, other than 1 fluke year, is a comparable hitter who now has dubious value as a good hitting/poor defensive catcher or a marginal offensive 1B/DH.

by cdamon @ Over the Monster on Aug 3, 2006 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: Tek better than those guys

As far as Bengie goes, he's slipped, but Yadier is secure in his job in St. Louis, and it's not because he's a good hitter. Jose is pretty good too. Schneider has a better arm than Varitek ever had. Threw out at a 50% rate two years in a row, I believe.

I agree. Tek would be an average hitter at 1B. But I hate to put it this way, the Sox are "on the hook" for 2 more years and $20 million. If he can't catch everyday, we should try to get more out of him than just PT catching.

Backtracking a bit, did everyone see that Matheny is out for the rest of the season because of his concussion? I'm guessing there's a good chance he won't be back at all. Pretty sad, if you ask me.

by Allen Chace on Aug 3, 2006 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

I do like this idea. I don't think we could do it with Dougie, though. We'd have to sign another catcher, I think.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Aug 3, 2006 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

If only we could get someone like Josh Bard. That kid can hit. (Insert something about the knuckle ball, here)

by Tom Leach on Aug 3, 2006 10:00 AM EDT reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

Isn't Joe Mauer's contract up in after the 2007 season? He seems like a guy who's goign to end up in the AL East anyway, might as well be with us. :)

by hodad on Aug 3, 2006 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

If the Twins don't lock him up with a 24-year contract, I'd be shocked...

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Aug 3, 2006 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

have they got the dough, though?

What do I think about Hatchet Face Tavarez? Put a Milo on him!

by SweSox on Aug 3, 2006 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Jason Varitek's Future

There's a report here that the surgery is basically just to clean out debris and Tek will be back in three weeks.

I think that's overly optimistic, though. I played football in college and have had surgery like this on both knees. It took me four weeks both times to come back, but I didn't have to do any squatting and never had surgery during the season, so I didn't get hit. As a catcher, Tek has to squat for long periods of time, which will strain the repaired knee severely, and there's a good chance someone will run him over at the plate. Six weeks seems like the bare minimum, eight more likely, and not this season a distinct possibility.

by RSNexile on Aug 3, 2006 4:00 PM EDT reply actions