The Red Sox have offered salary arbitration to Jason Varitek.Varitek is unlikely to accept the offer. He has until December 7 to make a decision. I can't see the Red Sox offering him more than a year or two.
If he signs with another team, Boston would receive two draft picks as compensation. Yet I cannot imagine the demand for 37-year-old catchers coming off a .220/.313/.359 season (with OPS+s of 83, 103 and 73 over the past three years) is very high.
Paul Byrd was also offered arbitration.
The Red Sox have signed LHP Billy Traber to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Traber spent time with the Yankees and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) last year. In 19 MFY appearances, Traber had a 7.02 ERA (16.2 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 11 K). Those Pawtucket innings aren't going to pitch themselves.
(In November 2004, Traber was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, but was granted free agency a month later.)
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if Varitek refuses arbitration, do the Sox still have negotiating rights with him past 07 December?
ReplyDeleteOver The Monster looked at catching prospects and free agent catchers and the concensus is to bring Varitek back for another season, begrudgingly.
My opinion is to offer Tek a one-year deal and then, failing that, make a trade for a high-tier prospect and take your lumps for one season.
Things are coming together now we cannot take lumps for one season. Might as well pay him whatever for a year then to have a rookie.
ReplyDeleteHeh, Not an ideal baseball name there
ReplyDeleteI like that Tony changed his name to Suck; clearly Zuck had its own problems, but why he didn't change it to Tony Awesome instead while he was at it...
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