Ok, Red Sox Nation, there was a World Series this year and the Red Sox were not part of it. SO a moment of silence for a very successful season and lots of fun times. The hot stove / free agent season has officially begun. Its now time to take the first steps toward building the team to take the Word Series back to the Hub in 2009.

While it may not be the top issue on Theo’s list it seems to be the top issue on fans’ minds: do the Red Sox re-sign Jason Varitek, if he wants to return (as all indications are he does)?

In this one fan’s opinion the answer is MUCH simpler then folks are making it seem. IF Varitek will sign with the Sox for a two year deal with a team option for a third year, perhaps kicked in automatically based on performance, at the 6-8 million dollar level: the Red Sox should sign him, if not let him walk.

Before you send all the nasty email to this site asking for me to be removed before I can do more damage, here are some of my reasons.

Posada. The great Yankee catcher was coming off an AMAZING year at the plate and the Yanks jumped at signing him to a long term deal. Very much a risk for a player (not to mention a catcher) of his age. If you’re reading this, then you know what happened to Posada this year. Word out of NY is he may never catch again. Well at least he can play first base where the over payed for too long Giambi will be vacating.

SO the moral of the story is be careful about signing aging players to long term contracts. Sox fans bury message boards with their dreams of Texeira taking the dread-locked one’s place in the middle of the line up and trade Lowell messages. It’s been just one year after pleas that we HAVE to re-sign him…are we looking at the same situation.

The party line is Tek is great in the clubhouse and covers his salary with his defense (but he can’t throw out a base stealer) and game managment, so the hitting is a bonus. Didn’t many say the same thing about Lowell just last year (but he’s a much better hitter)?

Don’t get me wrong I think Tek is great and on the right terms lets welcome him back so he can finish his career where he belongs with the Red Sox, but if the Tigers want to over pay (which they have done for everyone for the last two years) let them. But what do we do for a catcher you may ask, isn’t there a lack of good catchers through out baseball?…yes there is, BUT are we getting a good catcher three or four years from now if Tek is still our everyday catcher at up to 10MM per year?

IF we lose Tek we’re going to have to find someone even if they are not top-tier, or call up the Rangers and see what it will take to get one of their THREE young catchers to make a trip up 95N.

Let’s hope Tek and Boras come to their senses, and the Sox are fair, and we are watching Tek ride off into the mist around the green monster as a Red Sox in 2010.

See you next week,

The Red Sox Dirt Dog.

PS word out of Boston is Wakefield passed his physical and the Sox are about to activate another year for 4MM for him.