The epic contract negotiations that have annoyed Red Sox Nation for the entire off-season are finally over. I won’t go into all the boring details of the contract but it appears the roster is now set for 2009.
How Jason Varitek has weathered all of this and still receives the love and praises of the fans amazes me. The history of Tek and Boras holding out for the extra buck is well-documented and Varitek’s performance has been in dramatic decline for the past three seasons. I expected the locals to be storming Castle Varitek with torches and pitchforks after some of his horrific at-bats.
My opinion on the “calling a great game” argument are the same as they have always been. It’s overrated and subjective. Sure, guys like Pedro and Schilling go out and throw gems, Varitek called a great game. But when Lopez or Timlin give up the lead, it was the pitcher’s fault.
Well, he’s ours for another year. When he’s up at bat in a crucial situation (because he takes it as a personal affront if you dare pinch hit for him) and flails harmlessly at high fastballs to kill another rally, we’ll see just how much the fans love him.
