Money, money, money, money, money [6x]
Some people got to have it
Some people really need it
Listen to me y’all, do things
Do things, do bad things with it
You wanna do things, do things
Do things, good things with it
Talk about cash money, money
Talk about cash money
Dollar bills, yall
For the Love of Money by The Ojays
As I said at midnight, let the bidding begin for the free agents out there. For the Boston Red Sox, it’s now a chance to see what other offers Jason Varitek will get out on the open market. The Red Sox have made Varitek one of their top priorities of the offseason given the light catcher’s market.
“He’s an important part of the organization — there’s no doubt about that,” Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said recently. “Obviously, he’s coming off a year that wasn’t his best, but he’s important nonetheless. Now he’s a free agent and we’ll be talking to him. We have an obligation to explore all our options. We do that with every position.”
“There’s not a lot of elite catching out there,” Epstein said. “But at the same time, that changes the standards for what you’re looking for. What we like to do is be league average at every position and then be way above league average at as many positions as we can. We try to have no weak links and be at least league average at every position. So with the state of catching, what is league average? It’s well documented that there’s not a lot of elite catching out there, but we’ll figure it out.”
I really don’t see Varitek leaving the Red Sox. What I see is Scott Boras trying to milk every last cent out of the Red Sox to get Varitek signed though. I think the Red Sox end up giving him a 2-year $20 million deal with an option for a 3rd year.
Dustin Pedroia is making his presence felt in Boston.
DeMarlo Hale was in Seattle yesterday interviewing for the vacant Mariners managerial job.
The Red Sox could learn within the next week on whether or not they lose Brad Mills or Hale to the Mariners.
Salem Avalanche assistant GM John Katz talks about the Red Sox move to Virginia.
Curt Schilling checks in at 38 Pitches with his thoughts about Jason Varitek.
Here’s a look at how the Red Sox minor leaguers are doing in the various winter leagues.
Update: The Red Sox Single-A team in Salem, VA has been renamed from the Salem Avalanche to the Salem Red Sox.
Steve and I will be here to provide you with updates during the day if anything breaks on Varitek or any of the other free agents as well.
let the spending spree begin
I am not sure why there’s so much Anti-Tek sentiment floating around, but this girl hopes his love for the game and the team that clearly respects him — is more valueable than just jumping for a big payday.
I think three + an option would be fair. I’d rather have him for a longer time and phase him into retirement – than to not have him, or a valueable/comprable replacement — at all.
Boras is living, breathing proof of why there needs to be a salary cap.
I can see the Red Sox giving him 3 years plus an option. my guess was that that 2 year $20 million would be their initial offer.
as far as the anti-tek sentiment (I’ll admit I was down on him during the season) comes from the season he had. What people need to realize is that he brings more than just a bat. He brings a computer in his head that processes information quickly to help his pitchers out and that’s an intangible that some catchers just don’t have.
Boras is a greedy ahole!
i think sox fans have to remember 2006 when tek had knee surgery….the team was lost without him and when he returned he was hitting like he did this season….i don’t think its a good idea not to resign him and i think sox fans forget past years …look i’d rather he gets resigned and the sox trade for help to take some of the strain of age off him than not …i’d like to see him retire w/ the sox and maybe into coaching for this team when he retires…
Keenan there were a bunch of other factors that led to a poor finish that season it wasn’t because Varitek got hurt but there were other guys who went down with injuries like Mirabelli, so now you had two catchers who never caught this staff playing, Manny shut it down, Lester was out with cancer, Papelbon hurt his shoulder and was shut down, etc.
I say let him walk. My theory is it will force the Red Sox to do something. They have failed to be aggressive in finding someone suitable to replace him and lets see if they can do it under the gun. When you look at facts, he can’t hit and he cant throw guys out (threw out 16 of 72 base stealers in 2008). A guy catching a knuckleball pitcher throws out more runners (threw out 16 of 54 base stealers) than he does. I say bye-bye.
and if he does stay there is no way he gets three years AND an option. It will be 2 and an option or 3 years at most. The guy is going to be 37 they need to be moving on from him not locking him up like Jorge Posada. How’s that working out for New York?
P.S. Computer in his head???????????? Ok thanks Buck Martinez.