Reports: Varitek set to take job with Red Sox
Jason Varitek is on the verge of rejoining the Boston Red Sox.
A major league source told the Boston Herald that the club is close to bringing back Varitek, likely in a front office capacity. Another source told the newspaper that the role would involve "a little bit of everything" and that the longtime Red Sox catcher and former captain wouldn't be based in Boston.
The Boston Globe had a similar report.
Varitek retired during spring training after a 15-year career with the Red Sox.
"I think what he's done in this game speaks for itself," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "I think he'd make a great manager. I think he'd make a great coach. He's a captain. He's a leader, and in order to lead your team, you've got to have those qualities and he does."
With manager Bobby Valentine unlikely to return next season, Varitek's name had surfaced as a possible replacement. But Varitek appears to recognize he's not ready to jump right into that role. Meanwhile, Varitek's wife, Catherine, recently answered a question from a fan via Twitter in which she said Varitek was not interested yet in returning to the field as a pitching coach.
Nevertheless, several of Varitek's former teammates believe he will make a strong manager at some point. Mike Matheny (St. Louis Cardinals) and Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox) were successful in their first season as managers after only recently retiring.
"I know a lot of catchers usually end up making great managers because they have a sense of managing a game," Saltalamacchia said. "They've got to know the situations from behind the plate. They've got to know game situations, so yeah I can definitely see that."
Said DH David Ortiz, "Jason knows the game real well. He's got four girls now, and I'm pretty sure he's going to be a coach at home first for the next couple of years before he decides to be on the baseball field. That's what I think."
