Red Sox Notebook: Varitek Deal A Priority

Boston's front office isn't likely to expend much energy discussing contract extensions for young players like first baseman Kevin Youkilis and closer Jonathan Papelbon before spring training.

But don't count out the Sox getting something cooking with catcher Jason Varitek as he enters the final season of his contract and the Sox still find themselves in search of his heir apparent.

Doug Mirabelli might return to the Sox for another season as Varitek's backup and Tim Wakefield's personal backstop, but, obviously, the 37-year-old isn't the answer if Varitek gets hurt or moves on after this season. Kevin Cash impressed the Sox with his handling of Wakefield's knuckler and his overall defensive game when he was called up from Class AAA Pawtucket last season, and he was invited again to spring training on a minor league deal.

Neither player is the long term answer, however.

The Sox front office doesn't have to look far to imagine what things would be like without Varitek behind the plate. His knee injury was the biggest factor contributing to the team's late season collapse in 2006.

"I don't know that we can measure the effect (Varitek) has had on this pitching staff because it has been immense," pitching coach John Farrell said last season. "His ability (is) to not only execute a game plan that we've devised through scouting reports, through our own personal history or through the many other avenues available to us, but to also tailor it within the game depending on what's working effectively for a pitcher that night. He's the most valuable member of our pitching staff."

Varitek directed super-agent Scott Boras to deal strictly with the Sox during his first free agency run in 2004, and the Sox and Boras hammered out a four-year, $40 million contract. With Varitek entering the final season of that deal, perhaps he will again advise his representation to deal exclusively with the Sox and attach two more years and $20 more million onto the back end of the contract.

Boras told The Boston Herald Saturday that he hopes to start negotiating an extension for Varitek during spring training. “[Varitek] is a valuable part of the franchise who is a unique guy,” Boras told the Herald. “He’s a special man to an organization, which is realized more now than before.”

The heart and soul of the Sox pitching staff and defense and a serviceable offensive catcher who declines in the second half of the season, 'Tek has proved his worth in a baseball world where good catching is hard to find.


YEAR TO YEAR WITH YOUK: The Boston Globe reported on its website Jan. 2 that the Sox are likely to sign Youkilis—eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter—to a one-year deal instead of inking him to a long-term deal. “At this point we haven’t had a conversation with the Red Sox about that,” Youkilis’ agent, Joe Bick, told the Globe. “That’s their call at this point. There’s nothing we can do to force any long-term deal at this point so we’re just assuming we’re going year-to-year.”