I can pretty much say with confidence that tek is loved across the board by most Sox fans. I think when most people get upset at him it is b/c deep down the Sox are always more important than one guy. I love tek, I only own one Sox jersey and it is number 33 b/c of the warrior he has been for this team. Will fans forget all he has brought to this franchise? I don’t think so but they are just being realistic. When a guy, no matter who he is has as bad a season at the plate as Jason did this year then has the audacity to demand a multi year huge deal people will get pissed off.

I know Tek had some tough times and what not but if he wanted people off his back he could have told Scotty to go fuck himself and things would hve been different. I love tek a lot and will always have his back but I do not blame fellow Sox fans for getting miffed when every time he came to bat last year we were all waiting to yell shit just knowing that he wasn’t gonna come through.

I hope tek comes back and I hope he has a great year he is one of my favorite Sox’. But like I said you can’t go calling people’s loyalty into question over this issue. Every Sox fan knows what tek means to this team but we all have our own take on it. I for one am hoping he comes back but I am informed enough to know a change is coming soon and it needs to come. Then I will continue to wear number 33 with a smile and great memories.

On MLBTR that Jason and John’s meeting last night was to clear the air b/c the Sox had not been returning BorAS’S phone calls (good for them . . .bastard). Now according to the website which cited the lovely Miss Watney ;), the air is clear and talks are now back underway. I really hope Boras isn’t involved

is to re-sign him for no more than $500k.

When Tek had leverage, he and Boras played hardball before finally signing with the Sox. I believe Tek when he says he wants to end his career in Boston. But, Boras is his agent. If Tek wasn’t nearly done as a player, he’d be gone already.

Baseball is a business. If the Sox were loyal to all the players that helped them win in 2004, they’d be an aging 3rd/4th place team. If Tek wants to take a severe paycut (to be paid what he is worth), fine. Otherwise, the Sox and Tek should part company.

At this level and for this kid of money, performance is king, and it must be if winning is the criteria of success. Good retirement pensions and healthcare are the rewards for previous performance; not paying someone TO PLAY who has gone over the hill. It is somewhat like greyhound racing in that a young dog can have ups and downs, and you can wait the downs out. However, once they get to late racing age and start to decline, they are through. Same with most major league players, especially catchers. His rewards for past performances are pension and economic security issues, but not to still pay him at the expense of a major league performance requirement, which is ultimately what fans pay to see!

when the Sox offered Tek a risky 4-year deal. He’s had two good years, and two GODAWFUL ones, in which you wonder whether he ever will be able to get a hit again.

My offer of loyalty to Tek would be a coaching / managerial position with the organization. Maybe something in the front office if he’s inclined. From a baseball standpoint, he’s not worth re-signing. We have younger guys with better defensive skills who could OBP .300 at a cheaper price. Sooner or later, someone will sign Tek, and we’ll get our pick. Unless he goes to Japan…

And Boras is not the problem. He’s an instrument (one might say a tool) for players to negotiate into more money. The players that contract him are generally looking for the biggest payday. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the fault is not in their agent, but in themselves.

1) he turned down arbitration, not the Red Sox or the fans.

2) loyalty in professional sports is a dicey concept at best. Ask the Boston Celtics what loyalty got them. 20 years of losing.

3) if roles were reversed and the Red Sox needed Tek and he was a top FA, he would walk on the Red Sox in a second to get a bigger deal.

but the whole deal would be conditional on one thing: FIRE BORAS.

I think the Sox have a transition plan to get them from full-time Tek to the post-Tek era without severely impacting the pitching staff.

Some people praise his intangibles. I’m not sure I’d call solid game prep & execution for the pitching staff intangible. It is a necessity- just as much as hitting.

I think we’ve been spoiled. Catchers have not historically put up big offensive numbers. The exceptions were the Hall of Famers like Yogi, Bench & Fisk. Now people expect offensive production out of their catchers (and middle infielders) instead of just the OF & corners.

The Marlins gave up on Lowell. Tek might learn a lesson from all this, use a lighter bat and work some on his hitting. He might improve his offense again. Or he might not.

But he won’t forget how to call a game, know his pitchers and lead thru example. I can’t recall any pitcher going after Tek, and we’ve seen that quite a bit on other teams lately. He puts them in a position to win. If they don’t execute, that is their responsibility.

Is he worth $10 million? Nope. But I’d sign him for 2 years at about $5 million and get him to groom a prospect/back up for the future. That means Theo has to identify the right guy for him to work with/mentor. Yes, easier said than done.

But just treating him like junk ($500k /year) or tossing him out don’t make sense for the immediate future.

Tek is one of a select few to be honored with the “C” in Boston… but the Sox have made it a point to not pay (or overpay) for past services – see Pedro, Nomar, Damon.

For the most part I think they made the right moves there, and I think they did the right thing with Tek. They knew Boras’ asking price was insane. Tek got hosed by Boras and a crashing economic market…

Bottom Line: The Sox don’t “owe” Tek a 2-year, $20M contract, but I think they have shown appreciation by continuing to talk with him about a realistic deal.

Nuff said.

I want some TEK!

I’m not just talking monetarily, either. What does loyalty to Tek cost us in 2009?

yankee fans classless?

Jason Varitek will always be a Red Sox in my mind, even if he rides off into the sunset with another team. He’s caught four no-hitters—almost five—with the Red Sox, and been one of the starting nine for two World Series championship seasons. Varitek has been a leader, a quiet stalwart in the locker room. ’Tek spends countless hours studying opposing batters and always comes prepared.

Jason Varitek is also 37 years old.

Giving an aging catcher an oversized contract is nostalgia, not loyalty. I think you can be a loyal fan of Jason Varitek and still let him go. Give him a standing-O when he returns to Fenway and root for him to be successful.

We can reminisce about The Captain’s good years here, the time he’s been one of baseball’s premier offensive and defensive catchers. However, it’s to the detriment of the Red Sox if we let nostalgia blind us. Trading Nomar in 2004 is a prime example of how avoiding nostalgia can lead to success.

I would offer ‘Tek a 1-year, incentive-laden, $3-5 M deal. Add fair performance escalators up to $12 M if you will. If ’Tek hits the escalators, he’ll have earned his salary. After 2008, anything more than a 1-year deal is fool-hardy.