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Winter Meetings, Day 1
December 8, 2008
12.8.
08, 1:45 PM
Winter Meetings, Day 1
Varitek, Sabathia, Teixeira,
Shoppach, Baldelli and more!
By: Jared Carrabis
This article was originally posted here on SoxSpaceNews.com
As the Winter Meetings officially began on Monday, the Red Sox were making quite a few headl
ines. As we all had expected, Jason Varitek has declined Boston’s offer of salary arbitration. If Varitek had accepted the offer, his arbitration hearing likely would have resulted in just a one-year deal worth a figure close to his 2008 salary ($10.4 million). Scott Boras is simply doing his job by seeking a multi-year deal for his agent instead of settling for a one-year deal. The declining of salary arbitration from Boston officially cuts his ties to negotiating with the Red Sox exclusively. The Red Sox captain of four seasons is now free to negotiate with any team that he and his agent so choose to discuss a contract with.
So as we try and break down the future of Jason Varitek and the likelihood of a return to his baseball home of over a decade. His decision to decline the Red Sox offer of salary arbitration, in my opinion, was a huge gamble for a player in a poor market coming off the worst offensive season of his career. If Varitek accepted arbitration and took it to a hearing, his paycheck in 2009 could have been anywhere from his $10.4 million to upwards of $12 million (at best). Now that he is free to negotiate with any team in Major League Baseball, his agent Scott Boras must have him convinced that there is a team out there willing to cough up a multi-year deal worth roughly $11 million annually or better.
Alex Speier of WEEI.com notes, “Thus far this offseason, there has been little evidence of a market for his services”. That could mean trouble for the catcher that is about to turn 37 in the second week of the Major League season (April 11). The reason for that is due to the fact that Varitek is a Type A free agent which means that if there is a team out there willing to take a gamble on the veteran catcher, they will not only have to take a gamble on his production in the future but they would also have to part with a first-round draft pick.
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald has discussed the Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and surprisingly (brace yourself) the New York Yankees as potential suitors for Varitek’s services. It’s not likely that any of the three teams will be willing to cough up a 2-year deal worth $20 million or more and even less likely that one of those three teams will be willing to part with their first-round draft pick. The LA Dodgers were also rumored to be interested in Jason Varitek but Dodgers GM Ned Colletti has made it public that he is “probably not” interested in acquiring the services of Jason Varitek.
The Red Sox are however preparing themselves for a future without Jason Varitek that includes discussions with the Cleveland Indians inquiring about their catcher, and former Red Sox farmhand, Kelly Shoppach. The Indians would be willing to trade Shoppach but would ask for in return a Major League ready second or third baseman, or a closer.
In other news, Paul Byrd declined a salary arbitration offer from the Red Sox. Byrd is a Type B free agent as opposed to Varitek’s Type A status, which means that the Red Sox will receive just one draft pick as opposed to two. Byrd will 100% be with another team come Spring Training.
ESPN’s Jason Stark is reporting that CC Sabathia’s agent, Greg Genske, has requested a meeting with both the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Neither team made the request to meet with the hefty lefty but baseball analysts figure Boston not to enter themselves in the Sabathia sweepstakes. This “interest” is mainly just to drive up the price for the Yankees, nothing more. The Red Sox are saving their pennies in hopes of landing the coveted switch-hitting power hitter with a pair of Gold Gloves, Mark Teixeira.
ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote on Monday that he would be “shocked” if Rocco Baldelli doesn’t end up in a Red Sox uniform in 2009. The only problem with this is that we all know how injury prone JD Drew is. Will Baldelli be able to fill in for Drew if he goes on the DL for let’s say, two months? Very questionable. If the Red Sox are having serious considerations of bringing the native of Rhode Island aboard for the 2009 ride then they must also consider the scenario of Baldelli having to take over fulltime in the case of a lengthy DL stint by one of their starting outfielders. Of course if I’m thinking of this then they’ve obviously considered this and have thought out all of the scenarios thoroughly.
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe suggests that the Red Sox need to part ways with Julio Lugo at the Winter Meetings. To do so, it is imperative that the Red Sox eat a bulk of the remaining $18 million owed to Lugo over the next two seasons. The dumping of Lugo will free up some spending money that Boston could use towards a utility infielder/outfielder, and also Mark Teixeira. Most importantly, it will allow Jed Lowrie to become the starting shortstop of the Boston Red Sox for cheap money.
It should be a very interesting stay in Vegas for the Red Sox and their front office. The next few weeks should be a very active time for GM Theo Epstein with a very long and detailed to-do list to sort through. As they say, in Theo we trust.
-Jared Carrabis
-Jared Carrabis
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