Friday, January 30, 2009

Has Tek Lost His Mind?


Today is the deadline for Jason Varitek to either accept or reject the Red Sox contract offer of $5 million for the 2009 season. And according to the Boston Globe, Varitek is seriously considering rejecting it and sitting out the 2009 season.

Is he totally insane? (The above picture is courtesy of Surviving Grady. Sorry guys, it was just too good not to use.) Varitek is turning 37, coming off the worst year of his career, and has no other offers from any other team. So, he wants to pass on a $5 million deal, which in my opinion, is VERY generous on behalf of the Sox. Tek was dumb enough to reject arbitration which would have gotten him a guaranteed $10 million. So now he wants to destroy his Boston legacy by sitting out a year, when his career his clearly on the downside?

If this is some Scott Boras move, he should fire The Devil Incarnate immediately. (He should anyway, as he's cost Tek millions.) Varitek did something similar back in 1994, when he sat out a year when he wouldn't sign with the Seattle Mariners after they drafted him. But that was when he was 22. He would be crazy to try something like this now.

Varitek needs the Sox far more than they need him. I can't really believe he would sit out a year this late in his career. But by the end of today, we will know his decision. I would bet he'll be back in Boston in 2009, but with a reputation that's been damaged by a bad off-season, and an agent who badly judged this winter's free agent market.

2 comments:

Suldog said...

If he sits out the season, he's done. Nobody is going to come to his door with anything better than the Sox are offering, and that goes double for next year.

Steel36 said...

If All-Star players like Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn, and Orlando Hudson are dangling in the wind in this market, then Varitek has no chance.

Jason has no market and Boston is probably his only viable option if he wishes to continue his career.