Jason Varitek Exercises Player Option
by Randy Booth on Nov 11, 2009 6:10 PM EST
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PrintNow it's official: Jason Varitek will be back as a Red Sox next year:
Jason Varitek's 10-year run as the Red Sox's primary catcher is over. But his reign in Boston isn't.
Despite the club's decision to decline its $5 million option on Varitek this week and general manager Theo Epstein saying he expects Victor Martinez to be the everyday guy behind the plate, the Red Sox captain chose to exercise his $3 million player option on Wednesday afternoon and will thus return to Boston for a 14th season in 2010.
No shocker here (that sounds familar). Varitek will be back as the Sox's backup catcher in 2010.
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Great News
I think we will end up getting first half Tek for the whole year now, hopefully.
Traditionally
When we’re being sarcastic we’ll give it an end tag just so people know ().
I’m not at all excited about paying a backup catcher $3 million when the only thing he can do is call a game. Can’t hit, can’t throw, I’d much rather have him as a coach.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit better than most back-ups now that he’ll only be starting 40 games or so.
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
Hit better, sure
Throw better….hell no.
Back-ups generally always hit like crap, at least try and get one that has an arm.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Nov 11, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
don't really think so
remember, the second half of the year, when he wasn’t playing every day, was when his hitting was absolutely atrocious. I’d love for him to prove me wrong…
Thanks for the dramatic timing, though, 'Tek
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
He's in a fight for his job
And I do mean his backup job. Whether he likes it or not. Sox are not a team that will let sentimentality and a sunk cost take priority over usefullness.
Current players the Nation could end up hating in 2010
Varitek
Papelbon
Dice K
VARITEK MUST GO
Brandon Webb in 2010
Jason Bay is not WERTH it
With no Lugo or Penny
we’ll have to find somebody
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 11, 2009 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with 1 out of 3
Varitek? No, because he won’t be playing enough to do any real damage.
Dice K? No, because he seems to have his head on straight about the off-season program this time.
Papelbon? Yes, because he may not be a Red Sox. Billy Wagner is reportedly interested in returning. Why would he want to do that when he’s so close to a milestone save number and an all-star closer is on the team? Papelbon the Padre (or Marlin, or Mariner), that’s why.
Why would you raher have Wagner than Paps?
I don’t want an old, expensive reliever who had Tommy John surgery closing for the Sox. Wagner is 9 years older than Paps. In his last full year before the injury, Wagner was no better than Paps this year.
The Sox are not going to move Paps this off-season. And if they did, the three teams you mentioned would not be interested.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Nov 12, 2009 9:34 AM EST up reply actions
I agree
I think those teams were mentioned because of AGonz, HanRam and King Felix, of which Papelbon would never be a realistic piece, there is no way I’m trading away my star player for a closer who is bolting as soon as he hits free agency.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
yeah, plus none of those teams even have the need
if they were going to be making a run in the couple of years they’d have him, they wouldn’t trade away their stars, plus he’s definitely too expensive for florida, and probably for SD. The Mariners have such a pitcher-friendly park that they need to spend their cash on driving in runs, not an all-star closer.
I don't think we'll hate Daisuke.
His conciliatory attitude gave him some credit from me.
by Ben Buchanan on Nov 12, 2009 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Hate Paps?
The guy is money. He had a rough year in terms of control and it caught up to him in the end. But let’s not forget how good he has been. There is a very good chance he will continue his success.
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
Wait, I thought you predicted Dice would be great next year?
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Post needs a correction
No Shocker here.
Fixed.
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
hahahaha
+1, I’m totally calling ’Tek Herman Schultz from now on…
…but seriously, the Shocker’s not that bad. From wiki pertaining to his vibro-powers:“…throw shock waves which vibrate the structure of something in order to weaken or destroy it”.
In this analogy the Red Sox line up is obviously the “something” being weakened and destroyed. Damn you Schultz ’Tek!
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 11, 2009 9:40 PM EST up reply actions
Herman Schultz is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Marvel Universe
‘Tek is like the…I dunno The Thing maybe, but thinking about analogies between the Sox and Marvel Comics makes me want to find someone to photoshop Francona’s head onto Professor X’s body.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Nov 11, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions
....dear god
please tell me you did not just compare Varitek to a guy that can go toe to toe with the Incredible Hulk
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 11, 2009 10:14 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but I can just picture 'Tek repeating "What a revoltin' development" all the damn time
Or maybe he shouts “It’s clobberin’ time!” before bedding down a fair maiden.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Nov 11, 2009 10:27 PM EST up reply actions
you wanted it
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 11, 2009 10:35 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
This MUST be someone's icon.
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
'Tek = Cyclops
He’s the leader of the team, despite not being the toughest, he’s got eye problems, and he has a way of getting women he totally doesn’t deserve (Emma Frost / Jean Grey = Heidi Watney).
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
What the hell is he shootin' at?
Whatever it is, if he knocks it out of the sky, it’s gonna fall right on top of him.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
On his off days he rents himself out to car dealerships and movie premiers as a replacement spotlight
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Nov 12, 2009 2:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Haha!
"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko
by sox-inda-south on Nov 12, 2009 7:17 PM EST up reply actions
that's a little bit more in line with Tek than the Thing
but I still think that we’re giving too much credit to Tek…I’m also a fan of Cyclops though and think he’s completely underrated and missused because of the boner everybody has for Wolverine
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 13, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
C'mon...
The man has CLAWS. And he can HEAL himself. AND HE’S CANADIAN!!!! Wait, why don’t most people know that last bit?
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Wolverine's popularity...
is because the common American male is more interested in the first part of your description. ‘Hey, this guys got claws in his hands, a bad attitude and can’t be hurt. Cool!’ He’s overused that’s all I’m saying. And his movie was total crap, game was fantastic though
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 14, 2009 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
Didn't see the movie.
Not a huge X-men fan.
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
I got it
Mr. Fantastic’s powers are arguably the weakest of the Fantastic Four team, but what makes him valuable is his brain, much like Varitek’s contribution to the team is his ability to call games and handle the pitching staff and doesn’t have much else besides that at this point.
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 13, 2009 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
I don't completely buy it.
Mr. Fantastic is a one-woman guy, not a player like Cyke. He’s also way more flexible than Varitek (can barely play 1 position) is. [/Nerdgasm]
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
I wouldn't call Cyclops a player
he just a really big hard on for scantily clad telepaths. Mr. F’s malleable powers obviously represent the noodle arm Varitek uses to throw people out.
but, as long as we can agree that Marvel > DC I’m ok with whoever we compare him to….besides Spider-Man, please don’t compare him to Spidey
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 13, 2009 2:30 PM EST up reply actions
Cyke, like me...
…has a boner for redheads. And, like me, once got mixed up with two redheads that look a lot alike.
But, that’s neither here nor there….
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
nice
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 13, 2009 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
I'm going with =
I was Batman for like 5 Halloweens in a row. I’m pretty sure there was also an Easter too…
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
I was Quailman this year.
Though there’s a pretty samll age-range that even knows who that was.
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
The comic book character that Doug created.
I don’t recommend reminiscing about that show during school; teachers tend to get a little annoyed when you are trying to explain why you were talking about a blue guy named Skeeter (my friend was Quailman for Character Day, but with a speedo in place of briefs).
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Batman is pretty legit
I relate Superman to the MFY…the Superman logo is just as overused as the Yankee symbol
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 14, 2009 10:12 AM EST up reply actions
And nothing related to the Superman product ever comes out great.
Smallville was awesome for the first few seasons, but then it became DC 90210. The recent attempts at a Superman movie failed too.
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
I agree
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
by DougieWentDeep on Nov 15, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions
DC also has The Sandman
which is a really good series. I like both universes, honestly.
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
Love these non-producing zombies ()
Tek – (.209/.313 with an arm that couldn’t throw out Don Orsillo)
Ortiz – (what a bargain – all juiced out and hitting a robust 238 and gets paid about 18 million a year)
Baldelli – (now there was an impact pickup last year!)
Hermida – (this year’s Baldelli)
Lowell – (exciting to see him limp to first base or on ground balls at third for six months of the season, all for another $10 million or so)
Wakefield – (always done after July 1)
MDC – (“strike” What’s a “strike?”)
“Judas” Papelbon – just counting the days until he can get the hell out of Boston, make his billions and pitch for the hated enemy, just in time to replace a legend.
Yeah, let’s bring back more of those 40-year-old disabled SPs, too. After all, cheap (“low risk/high reward”) is IN with the Sox now.
Another year of this kind of FO thinking coupled with the great on-field day-to-day strategies of Tito and maybe we can challenge the Orioles for the bottom of the AL.
-1
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Nov 12, 2009 9:35 AM EST up reply actions
I didn't realize you could do -1
-1 for me, too.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
-2 for me
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
Ortiz
Kept the team alive in the second half, remember that they play a whole season please. Why are you crapping on our bench players? Baldelli? What were you expecting out of him? An All-star season for a back up player? Hermidia? I don’t expect too much out of him either, we’re just giving him a chance to develop into what he could be.
Wake was the reason we were alive in the first half of the season.
How is Papelbon in the non-producing territory? He wasn’t great but he was better than most closers once again.
Use that filter in your mind.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
just so much i dislike about this comment
1. Ortiz doesn’t get paid $18 million, $12.5 million, where did that number come from? We don’t have anyone that makes that much. Plus his second half was just great, if he gets his conditioning in and can come back ready, hopefully we can avoid the giant slump at the beginning of the year.
2. Baldelli didn’t play a ton but was still worth his $500,000 and made it possible to have a player who would play his heart out to keep Drew fresh, despite DL time.
3. Hermida- let’s not judge before he’s played a game for us, huh?
4. Lowell I agree was painful, and hopefully will improve
5. Wakefield may only be reliable for half the year, but was still worth way more than he made. I’ll gladly take him as long as he wants to keep pitching. With such a low salary and such an amazing first half (especially the beginning, when all our other pitchers were faltering), how can you possibly call him unproductive???
6. Papelbon- is still one of the best closers in the game. Let’s not hate him before he leaves right? It’s not like he doesn’t like Boston and trying to get out like Manny did. Certainly doesn’t belong on a non-productive list.
7. Smoltz was a gamble, which didn’t pay off. Hindsight is 20-20. Given the choice, it wasn’t a bad gamble and didn’t cost us too much. When these things pay off, they’re worth a few not paying off (see Ortiz)
8. we had 95 wins. Talk about pessimism. On an Off-year we had one of the best records in baseball.
I don't think conditioning was ortiz's problem
Weren’t we all complimenting his picture at ST last year, saying that it looked like he lost weight? His slump was a mental block i think.
Hey! Long time no see, NG.
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
+1+1+1+1+1, etc.
This post is right on for a change. There will be no more Red Sox championships until and unless this “on the cheap, keep the old guys forever mindset” goes away. The rose colored glasses crowd around here are incapable of seeing any reality beyond the status quo! Too bad!
by NG on Nov 12, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
So you suggest we stack the team with 25 year old allstars?
That does sound nice. Let me see you do it.
He’ll probably suggest and Video Game/Yankee Fan trade of:
Lowell/ MDC /Paps for Ryan Braun
or
Ortiz/ Wakefield/ Paps/ Kelly for like King Felix and Brandon Morrow.
Tip your cap to E-Coli for predicting NG’s arrival.
"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko
by sox-inda-south on Nov 12, 2009 7:22 PM EST up reply actions
Was it a prediction?
Or was he comparing CC to NG? Speaking of which, didn’t they have a disagreement a few months ago, these two Debbie Downers?
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Anyone ever have one of those moments where you KNOW what you think you just read/heard couldn't possibly be right...
So you double-check, and it’s confirmed, and then you’re left trying to figure out it you’re being messed with, or if you’re just psychotic?
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Tek
is nothing more then a stiff for the Bench any way. Paying him 3 million for his pathetic offense and no arm is a reward for all his good years but clearly he is a bum now.
All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist
Baseball’s biggest busts Andy Marte.
yeah but
it’s not like we have an option… it’s his option in the contract, he’s getting paid his $3 million. We can’t just arbitrarily void contracts that have already been made up or being a GM would be a very easy job.
BUT why the option?
Was Varitek so brilliant in 2008 that management felt he needed a player option to be signed. Come on, h He had no other options because he stinks and stunk then. Why did he get that player option at the end of 2008?? Is this a good and competent management sign?
by NG on Nov 13, 2009 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
The whole contract was a reward for prior good performance.
About treating a long-term employee with respect. It doesn’t make much (any?) sense economically, but baseball doesn’t have to be all about value, production, and penny-pinching. At least not until the computers take over…
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
Exactly.
"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko
by sox-inda-south on Nov 14, 2009 11:18 PM EST up reply actions
plus
the fact that the pitching staff were all absolutely in love with him at that point. I think the thought in the FO was that his divorce and drama was freaking him out and hurting his productivity, so it was a gamble that he would recover (after all it was quite a sudden drop off)
Because they had NO other viable options at catcher.
If there was another option, Boras would have had zip in terms of leverage. The front office was basically attempting to play poker without having cards dealt to them (sorry, Poker After Dark is on).
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
Then managemnent's planning and executing skills
are incompetent to get the job done. Don’t always try to justify incompetence when the results show relative incompetence. Why do that?? Being a fan does not mean you have to kiss the rear end of the current management no matter what they do wrong!
I'm not.
You can look up multiple rants in which it’s obvious that I hate the way they dealt with Jed’s injury. But I don’t blame them for overpaying a little to make sure they weren’t going to ruin a prospect.
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
It's not like Varitek had great options either.
I don’t recall some team throwing money at him, offering up to $10 million over two years, like the Sox did. IIRC, he was a Type A free agent, and would have cost another team a 1st round pick if offered arbitration. So there was little to no market for him. The Sox could’ve low-balled him, said $500k with incentives, 1 year. That they didn’t was classy. If I were in the FO, he’d be kicked to the curb.
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
If the Sox had decided to play hardball with Tek, he also could have just waited until after the draft, then signed with whomever he wanted without that team surrendering a pick.
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
Or he could have chosen to retire.
Your case is much more likely though.
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
If *I* remember correctly...
…he declined arbitration so that if some other team signed him the Sox would lose a pick. Do I have that right?
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
no
he declined arbitration which would mean that if another team had signed him, they would have given a pick to the Sox, who would also get a supplemental first round pick.
Guh.
I can’t keep all this stuff straight. :P
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
I love how
the rules for the game are very simple, and the rules for running a team are ridiculously complicated.
Oh, non-baseball people complain about the in-game rules too.
Them: “But it was a foul ball, I’m not out!!!”
Me: “You f’n bunted. Go sit your sorry, ignorant tush on the bench.”
@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation
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