According to a report in the Clubhouse Insider from the Boston Herald, Doug Mirabelli is set to return as Jason Varitek’s backup and Tim Wakefield’s personal catcher for the Red Sox in 2008. They are reporting it is a 1-year $550,000 guaranteed contract.
According to sources, Mirabelli is close to accepting a one-year deal from the team that will pay him in the range of a guaranteed $550,000 to serve as backup to Jason Varitek. The guaranteed portion of the deal is down from the $750,000 Mirabelli earned last season, but incentives allow the catcher to reach an approximate $1 million ceiling that he had last year.
With the Red Sox re-signing Mirabelli, Kevin Cash will probably start the season in Triple-A with Pawtucket. We all know that Cash is capable of catching Wakefield should Mirabelli suffer an injury during the 2008 season.
This addresses one of the Red Sox needs for the upcoming season. They still need to find someone who can backup Kevin Youkilis at first base. It is quite possible that Brandon Moss could fill that role plus being the 5th outfielder with Coco Crisp still on the roster.
