While I'll grant Scott Boras his due respect at getting loads of cash for many of his clients, sometimes he's just laughable. When he mentioned earlier this offseason that Jason Varitek would be seeking a contract similar to Yankees' backstop Jorge Posada (4 years, approximately $52 million), well, that was one of those times where we just had a hearty laugh at the expense of the super-agent.Apparently Theo Epstein and the rest of the Red Sox front office were joining us in laughter, because the Red Sox are reportedly only offering Varitek one year in their initial contract offer. This will surely send Boras into a blind rage and likely mark the end of Varitek's career in Boston. Let's face it, someone desperate to make a splash will waste a lot of money on someone with Varitek's pedigree. I mean, the Nationals acquired Paul Lo Duca last year, and there are a handful of teams who would love a veteran backstop to work with their respective pitching staffs.
Personally, I wouldn't even offer him a year. He's going to be a 37-year-old catcher during the '09 season, and he's an atrocious hitter at this point in his career. If you like to use OPS+ as an indicator -- I do -- than you can see that he's 27 percent worse than league average at the plate. Finally, seeing Posada break down this past year with three full years left on his deal should be a warning to any team wanting to give catchers in their late thirties any multi-year deals.
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Even with his declining Batting Skills, next year without Varitek Boston's ERA is bound to go up at least a half point without him behind the plate.
I'll believe the ERA jump when I see it, because 'Tek's "genius" in calling a game has definitely been a bit overstated over the years. What I can guarantee is that 15% more runners will be thrown out at second, since Tek's never impressive arm is now completely dead. I'll miss Jason, but Boras has no sense of reality, so there never was a chance.
Tek better take the one year deal, or he will be trading money for a fairly nice legacy in Boston. He can't hit .(.220 in 08) vs lifetime .260, his legs are shot, he cannot throw any runners out, and if his calling a game is so good, how come Beckett and Dice K kept shaking him off in the 08 Playoffs?
Still catching is a key position and hard to fill on any major league roster, but I hate to see Bore Ass making any more money on his players.