According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Boston Red Sox have given Jason Varitek a deadline to accept the deal that was recently offered.

WEEI.com has learned from source close to the negotiations that the two-year offer made by the Red Sox to catcher Jason Varitek is for $5 million for the first year, along with a club option for $5 million or a $3 million player option for season No. 2 of the deal. It is believed incentives would be part of the agreement. The Red Sox have set a deadline for Varitek to accept the offer, although it is not known what that is.

Very interesting with the details. You have to wonder though is this enough to get the job done or will the Red Sox and Varitek part ways for good.

Please take a moment to vote in the poll in the left sidebar about Varitek’s situation.

According to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, the Boston Red Sox have made a formal offer to their free agent catcher Jason Varitek.

According to a baseball source, the Sox have formally presented an offer to Varitek’s agent, Scott Boras, that could appease the catcher’s desire for a second guaranteed season. While the precise value or term of the proposal was unclear, the Sox could ensure Varitek a second year by guaranteeing it outright or making it attainable through an option.

In the latter scenario, Varitek could trigger the option through reachable incentives (like at-bats or games played), or the club could grant him a straight player option for the 2010 season. Another possibility would involve a dual option, first giving the Sox the choice of bringing back Varitek next season (at a higher number) and, subsequently, Varitek the right to return on his own volition (albeit at a lower number than the team’s option).

According to Massarotti’s source the deal was offered in the last 3 or 4 days which is interesting because Scott Boras said last night that nothing was going on.

Hopefully the deal that was offered is something that will appease Varitek and get him back with the Red Sox for 2009 and maybe 2010.

Don’t forget to vote in the poll in the left sidebar about Varitek’s situation.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, Jason Varitek is asking for a salary of $10-12 million a year from the Boston Red Sox.

Here is where they stand in the impasse: Varitek is asking for an annual salary close to the $10 million to $12 million he would’ve made through arbitration or a two-year deal for less annual salary. The Red Sox are willing to pay him much less than that and don’t feel they owe him extra cash for services rendered in the past, and they don’t feel they owe it to him to offer a salary commensurate with what Varitek would’ve made if he had accepted arbitration.

The reason the Red Sox made that offer of arbitration had as much to do with evaluating the value of the compensation draft pick as it was about Varitek’s value to them. Now that compensation issue is no longer a factor for the team, because they’ve successfully attached the pick to Varitek.

If Varitek continues to ask for that much money from the Red Sox, he’s probably going to find himself without a job to start the season because there’s no one out there other than the Red Sox inquiring about his services.

I still think that he will end up with the Red Sox though. I figure he’ll end up a signing a 1-year deal worth about $7-8 million although the salary could be lower with some obtainable incentives or a 2-year deal worth about $15 million or so.

Dan Roche of WBZ still doesn’t understand why a deal hasn’t been done.

And don’t forget to vote in the poll in the left sidebar about Varitek’s situation.

According to Peter Gammons of ESPN.com, the Boston Red Sox and Kevin Youkilis have agreed to a 4-year, $40 million deal with an option for a 5th year. However, Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe is reporting that the two sides are “close” to a deal.

Either way, it’s like Youkilis will be around for the forseeable future with the Red Sox.

Youkilis hit .312 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs and finished third in the AL MVP voting last season while playing both first and third base for the Red Sox.

This also keeps Theo Epstein’s streak of avoiding arbitration alive as he’s never had to go that far in his time as the Red Sox GM.

Update 6:15 PM: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe reports that the deal has been agreed to in principle. It’s a 4-year, $40 million deal with a $13 million club option for 2013.

Red Sox and Diamondbacks talking trade: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe provides an update on the trade talks between the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks involving catcher Miguel Montero.

Sox and Diamondbacks have yet to settle on compensation for Montero, a 25-year-old lefthanded-hitting catcher who would be a nice match with Josh Bard, a switch hitter who is better from the right side. According to one major league source, the Diamondbacks are seeking only a comparable prospect in return — be it a pitcher or a positional player — but the sides have yet to identify a comparable talent that would make the deal work for both sides.

[Extra Bases]

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Boston Red Sox have signed free agent pitcher Takashi Saito to a 1-year contract with a club option for 2010.

The deal was completed after Saito passed his physical on Friday. It includes a guarantee between $1.5 million and $2.5 million, the sources said, and Saito will have the chance to earn more than $7 million if he reaches all of his incentives.

With Terry Francona liking to carry 12 pitchers, it appears the Red Sox bullpen is all set for 2009 with Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez and Saito.

The 39-year old Saito was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers after he missed 2 months last year with elbow troubles.

In 180 games with the Dodgers over his 3-year career, Saito was 12-7 with a 1.95 ERA and had 81 saves. He has struck out 245 batters in a 189.2 innings of work.

Saito will join fellow countrymen Daisuke Matsuzaka, Okajima and Junichi Tazawa in the Red Sox organization.

According to Sean McAdam and Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, the Boston Red Sox are set to re-sign 1B/OF Mark Kotsay to a 1-year deal worth $1.5 milllion plus incentives.

Kotsay will be the primary backup at first base for Kevin Youkilis and will also provide the Red Sox with a fifth outfielder as well.

He hit just .226 with no home runs and 12 RBIs in 22 games with the Red Sox after coming over from the Atlanta Braves. With his combined stats between the two clubs, he hit .276 with 6 homers and 49 RBIs. In 10 games during the playoffs last year, he hit .250 (10-40) with 3 doubles.

I think this is another great signing for the Red Sox as Kotsay showed that he could play excellent defense at first base as well as in the outfield. Plus as I have said with the Rocco Baldelli and John Smoltz signings, it’s another low-risk, high reward signing by the Red Sox and for Kotsay as well.

Plus now we get another year of this:

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, free agent pitcher John Smoltz could be on the verge of the signing with the Boston Red Sox.

As of last night, sources indicated that Smoltz was leaning toward Boston’s offer which was said to be somewhere in the vicinity of $5.5 million guaranteed with the opportunity to earn a few million in incentives which could hike the salary up to $10 million. The Sox and Smoltz have been talking since before the Winter Meetings. The Sox do not anticipate that Smoltz will be ready until later in May, but one of the incentives being discussed would be a roster bonus if he’s with the team by June 1.

Smoltz has spent all of his major league career with the Atlanta Braves. Smoltz would provide depth to the Red Sox rotation and he could also pitch out of the bullpen but he does prefer to remain a starter.

I like the signing if it happens. It’s a low risk, high reward signing for both Smoltz and the Red Sox.

Update: According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Smoltz will indeed sign with the Red Sox as early as tomorrow afternoon.

A Major League source who was in contact with Smoltz on Wednesday night said the 41-year-old right-hander will be calling the Braves on Thursday morning to tell them that he has decided to sign with the Red Sox.

Did Phillies get a little supplemental help to win World Series? Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero has been suspended 50 games by MLB for testing positive for a banned supplement. Romero says he spoke with the MLBPA and they had said there was no problem with the supplement he purchased at GNC. It does appear that Romero may have been misled by the MLBPA and was offered a reduced sentence if he admitted guilt. He didn’t do that as he maintains his innocence. He will lose $1.25 million of his $4 million salary for 2009. [ESPN.com]

Former New Haven Raven signs with Angels: Former New Haven Ravens and Colorado Rockies pitcher Brian Fuentes has signed a two year, $17.5 million contract with a $9 million club option for a third year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Fuentes was 1-5 with a 2.73 ERA and 30 saves for the Rockies last season. [Angels.com]