Varitek exercises option to remain with Red Sox

Nov 11, 6:56 pm EST

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BOSTON (AP)—Catcher Jason Varitek(notes) exercised his $3 million option to stay with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, choosing to remain with the team as a backup to Victor Martinez(notes) rather than become a free agent.

Boston declined to exercise its $5 million club option on Monday, and Varitek then had two days to decide whether to exercise his player option at the lower price.

The 37-year-old Varitek was Boston’s starting catcher for nine of 10 seasons through 2008, except in 2001 when he was limited to 51 games because of injury. He was the regular last season until Boston obtained Martinez from the Cleveland Indians in a trade on July 31.

Boston exercised a $7.7 million club option for Martinez on Monday.

Since coming to Boston from Seattle with pitcher Derek Lowe(notes) for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb in July 1997, Varitek hit .259 with 175 homers and 705 RBIs. But he slumped the past two seasons, hitting .220 in 2008 and then a career-low. 209 this year. He also threw out just 10 of 118 runners attempting to steal this year, according to STATS LLC.

Frequently praised by pitchers for his game-handling ability, Varitek caught 108 games last year, 106 of them starts. Most were before Martinez arrived at the trade deadline. Varitek holds the Red Sox record with 1,381 games as a catcher.

Updated Nov 11, 6:56 pm EST
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180 Comments

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  1. Ron H.
    180. Posted by Ron H. Sat Nov 14 9:00am EST

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    From an emotional standpoint, I see the Red Sox fans wanting to keep Tek. From a baseball standpoint, how can you be happy about having a guy who cannot hit anymore and cannot throw out runners that are stealing? Having him in the line up is a serious liability, at this point in his career.

    I think they give him the three million and make him a bench coach or send him down to Triple A to help develop young pitchers.
  2. laurie
    179. Posted by laurie Sat Nov 14 8:24am EST

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    Post 174 & 177.. you have to be one of the most disgusting.. hmm.. can't say man or person.. not sure what you are.. just lower then whale @#$% and that's at the bottom of the ocean..normally i wouldn't respond to something like you but makes me sick to see that picture up there and 'im sure it does to the real pistol pete where as he lost someone close to him in 911.. think about what you have up there and do the right thing ..TAKE IT DOWN!!!!
  3. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    178. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 6:42pm EST

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    ColeNOrocks???? That's IT??!!! That's the best you could do??? I'm a little disappointed. I expected more. Peace.
  4. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    177. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 6:31pm EST

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    #180---Good one!! I sent you a connect to discuss it further. Peace.
  5. dur.T.sanchez
    176. Posted by dur.T.sanchez Fri Nov 13 5:38pm EST

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    btw pretty smart comparing the yankees to WW 2 heroes you stupid troll
  6. BeaverKiller
    175. Posted by BeaverKiller Fri Nov 13 5:35pm EST

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    GEEZ!!!! Its a good thing this subject is not about a YANKEE player or we might come to fistacuffs !!!!!!!!!!!! Can WE all try to get along ????????? peace !!
  7. pistolpete
    174. Posted by pistolpete Fri Nov 13 4:57pm EST

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    coleNOrocks is here........where's Ronnie, Maria and SquirtGun????????????


    170. Posted by cole2rocks
    Cry Stocking fans!!!! Call me names!!! Get mad!!!! It's beautiful!!! I appreciate what Tek has meant to baseball. I'm saddened by his selfishness right now. Peace.

    REALLY? What kind of moron condemns ANY player for selfishness when he has the greediest, most selfish players IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL on his team??????????????
  8. John K
    173. Posted by John K Fri Nov 13 3:17pm EST

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    Cole I couldn't agree more--ALL NYY haters can kiss my arse!, the rules are the rules and George & sons have played by them since day 1! They are willing to take huge $ risks to win---I just LOVE the arguement that NYY "buys" championchips----F'n Duh what owner of a pro sports team doesn't BUY talent to win the big one? In EVERY sport owners shop to replace bad talent with better talent to WIN--wha if you own a team are ya just gonna sit back and let the chips fall?--F NO, ya go shopping and the yanks did a GREAT job shopping! As for the earlier post of the Posada putdown: he has 5 rings---I'd LOVE to be wearing all of those!! Too bad so sad BEANERS!! At least the NYY players that "juiced" were MUCH MORE honest about what they did years ago---manROID didn't say a thing till he was caught and 50 days off for it--wonder how many other beaner teammates are using "the clear" or "the cream" or HGH? F-U beaners--yankees win, yankees win, THHEEEEE YANKEEEESS WIN!! 27 is awesome!!! Say what ya want but I can't wait to go see a game at the new park that has real dimensions EVEN if the are easy to homer on, I would NEVER waste a penny going to see a game in beanertowns dysfunctional park---to coin a famous phrase from my favorite president: "TEAR DOWN THAT WALL"
  9. Mr. Big
    172. Posted by Mr. Big Fri Nov 13 1:15pm EST

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    Ah, the moans of RedSux fans.....the best Wild Card team money could buy....go Yanks.
  10. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    171. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 12:55pm EST

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    Blondie65---I'm confused. Last year our payroll was higher. Can you explain why this year would have been a disgrace??? Varitek wanted to fight A-Rod in full catcher gear. Courageous. Poor Blondie. Keep making up excuses for why your heart is broken. Whatever gets you through this really really tough time. The New York Yankees are, and always will be, the 2009 World Series Champions. Nice!! Peace.
  11. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    170. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 12:51pm EST

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    John K--The other thing that these Stocking fans don't take into consideration is that EVERYONE has the same advantage in our stadium. In Fenway the Stocking left fielder knows better than anybody how to play the caroms off the wall. THAT is an advantage ONLY for THEM!!! I think Yaz is stressing really bad right now. Mike, too. Let me add to it....The Yankees win!!!!!!!!!!!!! Theeeeeeee Yankees wiiiinnnnnnnnn!!!!!!! 27 Championships!!! Sweeeeet!!!!!!!!! Now, come on, Stocking fans. Tell us how it's tainted by Steroids, Money and Cheating. Music to my ears!!!! CRY!!!!! Peace.
  12. blondie65
    169. Posted by blondie65 Fri Nov 13 12:47pm EST

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    Glad to see Vtek will be back for another year. He's a class act, and is about the only catcher in the majors who really knows how to call a game. Posada is a chinless POS.

    For the record, it would've been a real disgrace if the Yankees hadn't won the WS after spending $210 million. And considering the trouble they had putting away the Phils (a club whose payroll is less than half that), it's a pretty sorry story. Besides, how would the Steinbrenner's sell them off to Toyota if they hadn't won? (that's the rumor, anyway...)
  13. John K
    168. Posted by John K Fri Nov 13 12:34pm EST

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    BIG difference between an owner that is willing to take HUGE$ risks and owners that keep it in their pockets!! CONGRATS YANKEES!! Lets go repeat with all the"overpriced talent" SUX fans wish they had an owner like george & sons!!
  14. John K
    167. Posted by John K Fri Nov 13 12:30pm EST

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    YAZ: my whole family is from NY & I LOVE the fact that I'd need 7 more fingers or toes to slip all our champ rings on---& yes your pathetic ballpark sucks-take the wall down and make it a legit park, what a turd that park is!! Oh & yes lots of homeruns in the new stadium--it's a REAL stadium that the ownser was willing to spend the $ to build. & all you yankee haters(mostly bauston fans) can you say MANROID? wheres he now?
  15. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    166. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 12:08pm EST

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    Cry Stocking fans!!!! Call me names!!! Get mad!!!! It's beautiful!!! I appreciate what Tek has meant to baseball. I'm saddened by his selfishness right now. Peace.
  16. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    165. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 12:03pm EST

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    Only 3 and a half??? Cool. 4 hours to go!!! Peace.
  17. Shane
    164. Posted by Shane Fri Nov 13 12:02pm EST

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    I am a redsox fan and i think Jason Varitek is really worth the 3 million he opted for. He is a leader and yes the Yankees won the world series but if they have not they should have just dropped out of the mlb and played high school baseball with all the high priced talent they have.
  18. YAZ67MVP
    163. Posted by YAZ67MVP Fri Nov 13 12:00pm EST

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    Thought I was reading things posted by a teenager....sorry Cole. I didn't know.
  19. Mike
    162. Posted by Mike Fri Nov 13 11:57am EST

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    LOL Cole2rocks... have you really been on this board harassing people for THREE AND A HALF HOURS??? What a loser...
  20. YAZ67MVP
    161. Posted by YAZ67MVP Fri Nov 13 11:54am EST

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    I don't have the time to research useless information and then copy and paste. I don't hate Yankee fans....I hate idiots. PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  21. Mike J
    160. Posted by Mike J Fri Nov 13 11:52am EST

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    I was looking over these posts and if it wasn't a blog about Jason Varitek I would think that I'm reading something out of highschool drama club. I mean where are the real baseball fans gone? Regardless of what team you root for there's no civility in alot of these posts. Why is that? Can you be fan of your team and a fan of the game itself. Looking at a majority of the posts- the answer is no!
  22. YAZ67MVP
    159. Posted by YAZ67MVP Fri Nov 13 11:52am EST

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    Jason Varitek is a classy and hard-working professional athlete. The fact that he plays for the Boston Red Sox makes some Yankee fans feel the need to insult him. This shows your stupidity. Real fans can recognize a class act, whether it is Varitek, Jeter, or anyone else.
  23. <i>cole2rocks</i>
    158. Posted by cole2rocks Fri Nov 13 11:50am EST

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    I don't know, Yaz. Copy and paste. Yankee fans seldom make predictions about a 162 game season in June. Stocking fans do. I can only go by what I experience. At least you agree with me about your fans being idiotic. Peace.
  24. YAZ67MVP
    157. Posted by YAZ67MVP Fri Nov 13 11:47am EST

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    I'm sure nothing idiotic was ever said by a single Yankee fan during 2004 and 2007....right cole??? Give me a break.
  25. Mike
    156. Posted by Mike Fri Nov 13 11:46am EST

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    And the spammers strike these message boards again...
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