Jason Varitek. The backbone of the Boston Red Sox. The anchor of the pitching staff. The clubhouse leader and prospect mentor. The man who will help guide our prized Dice-K to the next level and conquer the American game. The captain who stuck with Boston after 2004 and earned a bright red C shining on his polished uniform every game. Those intangibles he brings to the table cannot be overrated and is definitely not replaceable with any other catcher. He’s the class of the pack. Yet it’s impossible to ignore that our Jason Varitek to becoming a liability at the plate.
With any catcher heading into his mid-30s in the major leagues, the time to decline is approaching. It has hit our captain square in the throat with significant declines in major stat categories. In 2004, Varitek hit .296/.390/.482 with 18 HR and 73 RBI. 2005 saw a decline in some of his major numbers, posting a lighter average and OBP (.281, .366) but a higher SLG (.489) with more doubles and total bases. When the injury bug caught Jason early in 2006, he struggled from the gate and never really recovered before going on the shelf for all of August. With Varitek out, along with a batch of other injuries and a clubhouse disease called ineffectiveness covering the Red Sox, the season was over. Varitek finished with a cold .238/.325/.400 with 12 HR and 55 RBI, hitting just .224 after his injury was “healed.” It clearly wasn’t the same old catcher.
It’s especially hard to question Jason Varitek, as well. Even when the numbers aren’t provided, Varitek does so much more for the ballclub by acting as a second manager that one could argue his 40 million dollar contract is warranted even for that. Even coming from a numbers guy myself, Varitek is one of those baseball minds that only enter the world so often. Along with the clear weakness in catching prospects afloat and the lack of multi-tools catchers anywhere in the big leagues save a few, should we be bowing at the feet of Jason? Or criticizing him for his lack of offensive production and ignoring the other intangibles?
Before tackling these questions myself before 2007, I wanted to wait and see what an off-season of rest and recovery could do for a breaking down 34 year old catcher. Now, I realize veterans taking spring training as a life or death situation, or even mildly seriously, is a huge stretch, but Jason is batting just .105 so far through Wednesday. Any way you look at it, that’s awful. He has 0 HR and just 2 RBI in 19 AB. I’m sure there are other tasks that lay in front of hitting for a high average for Tek, like getting to know the new pitching staff and working with John Farrell, but is it too rash for me to say I’m concerned?
Let’s say Varitek finishes April batting .201, where do we go from there?
This is where the Red Sox are stuck with their hands tied behind their backs, unable to do anything but hope he turns it around. Not that Francona ever would, but the front office is completely obligated to Jason Varitek behind the plate. He’s the captain, he does way too much for the team, you can’t really trade him even at the thought, and there are no talented prospects behind him to step in (don’t give me Kottaras). This is not only the case for 2007, but 2008 as well, when Varitek will be 36 and in the last year of his contract.
What the Red Sox can bank on is that you’ll get that leadership quality from Tek, but the offensive numbers are slipping drastically. Now I’m sure he won’t end up with Jake Taylor in the Mexican League, but I’m becoming concerned with the decline. The Sox should lead the league in runs this year, and Tek will be vital to that cause, but what’s the limit with him?
Let’s hope April goes smoothly because a big fat hole in our lineup will not equal a World Series championship.
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