The 90-minute meeting between Jason Varitek and Red Sox owner John Henry went 'OK' according to Varitek:
Communicating via text message after the meeting, Varitek would say only that the meeting "went OK" and that there was "nothing to report." The Red Sox’ captain and longtime catcher said he met with Henry "to speak [about] how I feel" and answered "yes" when asked if his desire was to return to the team for the 2009 season.
Varitek declined comment when asked if the Red Sox similarly expressed a desire for him to return. He also declined to address any specifics as to why he remains unsigned less than four weeks before pitchers and catchers are due to report to spring training.
First, let me just point out one thing. What has the journalism world come to when reporters are getting quotes via a text message? Give me a break!
I understand these players probably don't want to talk to reporters after a thing like this, and texting is better than nothing, but why not a phone call? Even an e-mail is better than texting someone.
I'm not sure who to blame more in this situation, the reporter or the player, but I've seen this more and more lately. In a way it's lazy, and in a way it isn't. Because at least, in this case, Tony Mazz got the story somehow. But reporters should never have gotten to the point where accepting text message updates are acceptable.
Umm, so yeah. Let's talk about what actually happened -- the meeting. I won't go off on a tangent, but I'd like to see Varitek come back as a Sox. At this point he can't be worth than a few million. Let's give him $2M or $3M for a season or two and let him work with the young catchers. It would be another "low-risk, high-reward" deal, even if it's just to work with the pitchers and catchers.