I was just getting ready to go head to bed when I came across this little tidbit about Scott Boras and the Boston Red Sox from Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.
The Sox, meanwhile, are, at least for now, done with Boras. One well-placed source said the club will never deal with him again unless it can be guaranteed that talks are being conducted honestly. We would take that threat a little more seriously if Boras’ clientele list were to shrink dramatically, but since that is not realistic, we will take it as a sign of just how badly the club felt it got stung by lies from Boras. They are in a “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” mode right now, with the Teixeira talks feeling like the last straw to them.
That makes the case for Jason Varitek even more compelling. Two of the remaining free agent catchers are Boras clients, Ivan Rodriguez and Varitek. To me, there’s only one catcher on that remaining list, Gregg Zaun, who can help the Red Sox on a daily basis and it appears that he’s going to the Baltimore Orioles.
So what are the Red Sox to do. Varitek isn’t going to talk to the Red Sox without Boras. From the above quote, the Red Sox don’t really want to deal with Boras unless they have to. Do the Red Sox make an offer to Varitek and tell him take it or leave it? Something tells me that’s what the Red Sox will do and if he says no, they’ll continue to pursue a trade for a younger catcher.
It’s too bad that all players can’t be like Dustin Pedroia when it comes to agents.
“They work for you,” Pedroia said. “If you get an offer that works for you, you’re signing it, your agent isn’t. I got to a point and I told him, ‘This is what I want. And if we get that, I’m signing it, whether you like it or don’t.’ In the end, you’re the boss. You’re his boss. He works for you. But a lot of players trust their agent maybe a little too much. Every person is different.”
the funny thing is i remember the last time varitek’s contract was up… he seemed to behave in the way that pedroia descibes w/ boras but it seems this time there’s something differant going on w/ varitek…look right now unless we want to give up alot of prosects to the texas rangers for a young catcher i think resigning varitek to a short term incentive laden contract is the way to go…
He did act that way the last time and you’re right something has changed with him. Whether it’s the impending divorce or something else. Plus the relationship the Red Sox have with Boras doesn’t help matters either.
I can still see the Red Sox offering a 1 or 2 year deal worth about $2-3 million a year with some incentives.
I find it hard to believe that another team will sign him because they’d have to give up their first round pick. But it also wouldn’t surprise me if the Red Sox let him go. I’m conflicted.
We need him back in a diminished on-field role as a player/mentor. No one can handle a pitching staff like Tek, and he can mentor his likely successor(s). Let’s hope he swallows his pride (if that’s the issue), remembers that once you’re counting in millions, your finances will be fine, and stays where his talents will be best utilized.
I’m with you fc. While the Red Sox will still be good this year, I think without him, they aren’t a better club. He knows the pitching staff like the back of his hand and that can only help the Sox out.