Varitek's leadership worth $13.1 million per year

by SC on Nov 7, 2008 6:34 AM EST in 2009 Free Agency Comment 15 comments

From the ESPN rumor mill:

Although Jason Varitek's numbers show that he has declined offensively, his agent, Scott Boras, is eyeing Jorge Posada's contract from last offseason -- four years, $52.4 million -- as a benchmark for Varitek, according to the Boston Globe.

"The idea of it is there aren't many players in the marketplace who lead a team like Jason Varitek can, and that's got to be his value," Boras said.

Wow. REALLY? Varitek hit .220/.313/.359 this year. He has not had a good season since 2005. He is 37 years old.

This is one of those instances where I have to genuinely admire Scott Boras. If he can convince Boston, Detroit or the Dodgers to pay Jason Varitek anywhere near Posada money, I don't know why a player would go with any other agent. Varitek has earned over a 50% pay cut on this upcoming contract. If Boras keeps him in the same neighborhood as what he's currently being paid, he's some sort of double-talkin' jive genius.

Maybe if he showed them this awesomely stern photo, Varitek's stock would be more likely to stay where it was four years ago:

via farm3.static.flickr.com

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Scott Boras says all kinds of shit

Nobody is giving him anywhere near a 4 year deal at $13M per.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Nov 7, 2008 9:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

We'll see

I’ll just go on record here saying that I won’t be surprised if someone does.

by PhilR8 on Nov 7, 2008 10:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't be either

3 years, $10 mil per? I can see that. Boras can sell some shit, and baseball people love to buy shit.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Nov 7, 2008 10:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He can sell

But he always says things like this to set the bar absurdly high; then comes down to the foolish level.

I’m guessing somewhere around 2 years for $13M; or 3 for $18. Still overpaying for an aging catcher who’s skills have completely fallen off a cliff. But I’m wrong more than I’m right…

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Nov 7, 2008 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he'll get a higher AAV

I guess the recession might hurt his prospects, but I dunno if I’d count on it too much. Salaries lurch ever-higher.

by pipkin on Nov 8, 2008 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It comes down to Boston.

No OTHER team is going to pay that kind of money. Because no other team is going to buy that leadership skills crap.

But Boston? Boston might buy it. Not for 4/$13M though. I’d guess 2 years at the most. Epstein isn’t THAT dumb.

by zknower on Nov 7, 2008 12:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

No OTHER team is going to pay that kind of money. Because no other team is going to buy that leadership skills crap.

Dodgers. Joe Torre. Their idiot front office.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Nov 7, 2008 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OR

Rudderless Tigers. Jim Leyland. These are very real ideas.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

Camden Chat
Bad Left Hook

by SC on Nov 7, 2008 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jim Bowden

(he doesn’t have the cash from the Lerners, but sitll). Dayton Moore. A lot of baseball people buy this crap.

by pipkin on Nov 8, 2008 8:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees if Posada can't catch anymore, Phillies even (their FO doesn't scream intelligent)

This.

by Blicks on Nov 8, 2008 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Phillies?

Pat Gillick was the GM until this year; and is going to stay on as a consultant. He maybe one of the old baseball kind of guys, but he’s also had a ton of success.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Nov 9, 2008 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Boras is on crack per the usual

Although I would rather have Tek teaching Wieters instead of Ramon. Just not at anything near that price or time period. Something like 1/15 with a 1 year option, but they’ll never go for that.

Curt never met a buttered roll he didn't like.

by CoachOfEarl on Nov 7, 2008 12:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Boras is always making grandiose claims. Sometimes he’s right (see Wieters and his “once in a decade talent” proclamation), most of the time he’s being silly. I mean this is the same guy who’s marketing Ollie Perez as the next Randy Jonnson.

Zartan says, "Sign Dan Johnson."

by birdman on Nov 7, 2008 12:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

leadership calculation

I think the equation is as follows, where L is leadership quotient:

Tek’s L = Millar’s L^3.14 x (Jeter’s true Yankeeness – Arod’s fake Yankeeness)

It’s complicated, but 13.1 MM is a steal, fortunately the Orioles won’t be signing him, right?

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Nov 7, 2008 8:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I say this as a Red Sox fan

Tek deserves a nice big, fat, minor league contract. He had an abysmal year in the majors, and should not get more than a one-year, “maybe he’ll bottle lightning” contract, at maybe $3 or 4 million. The loss of draft picks (he’s a type A) is pain enough, assuming the Sox offer arbitration.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Nov 11, 2008 1:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs