Come Back, Tek

Fair warning. This is a post written by a fervent Red Sox fan.

Jason Varitek is perhaps the greatest defensive catcher or all time. Seriously. Nobody disputes that fact ... competitors, fans of every team, sports broadcasters, Hall of Famers, managers, and even fellow catchers. I'm not going to bore you with stats about his defensive prowess, so suffice it to say that a no-hitter is an extremely rare event. He's called the pitches and racked up the most in the history of the game. Equally important, he's a true leader. He will always be there to protect his team mates. Yes, your mind just flashed to Cappy getting into A-Knob's face).

Let me get to the point. This morning I said to a friend of mine "Varitek is kicking himself in the ass with the benefit of hindsight for not agreeing to arbitration. He was stupid for listening to [his agent] Scott Boras and holding out for a long-term deal."

Imagine my glee upon reading the article in today's edition of the Boston Globe. Here are the salient points, quoted and heavily edited into one paragraph.

Varitek requested the meeting [at Jason's home with Red Sox owner John Henry], an unusual development during a negotiating season typically dominated by agents. Boras could not be reached for comment, but it seems highly unlikely he would encourage a client to meet with any team without his presence, particularly at this stage of free agency. Had Varitek accepted [arbitration], he probably would have garnered a one-year deal worth $10 million to $12 million. Given the downturn in the market in the offseason, Varitek seems hard pressed to end up with even a one-year deal approaching anything near $10 million.

Jason is the captain of the Red Sox, an extremely rare honor which he did not seek nor accept willingly. He is the heart and soul of the team, and frankly I would be disgusted and saddened to see him wearing another uniform .... and just downright depressed if he should retire.

Come back, Cappy. Take a two year deal and go to the Hall of Fame wearing a Red Sox uniform.