| 29 January 2009
As we wait for Jason Varitek to accept or decline the offer on the table... WEEI's Micheal Holley says he has "moles that say if the deadline were today... no deal."
Holley also asks a very logical question: If Jason Varitek isn't on the roster this season, what pitcher do you expect to slip simply becuase of his absense?
Dale suggested Jon Lester, and I can agree with that suggestion, but to be honest, Jon Lester's 2008 season was so good, it's going to be tough not to regress in 2009... with or without Varitek.
One could argue that Daisuke Matsuzaka might regress without Varitek simply because a new catcher is going to struggle with the language barrier. Kevin Cash agreed when he spoke to the Projo on Tuesday:
"To be honest, it [catching Matsuzaka] was tougher than catching Wakefield," Cash admitted. "Just for the fact he and I didn't have the same communication that Jason and Dice developed the last two years. If Dice shakes him off, Jason knows what pitch to go to next. I'm sitting back there guessing because he has so many pitches. I felt bad because you never want to take a pitcher out of his rhythm, but I did that."
Bottom Line: Do I think the Red Sox will be fine if Tek moves on? Yes. But there's no denying that the adjustment period for both the new catchers and the pitchers is going to be rough... having him here in 2009 (at least) would help a great deal with the transition.
Hear the entire exchange from Dale & Holley HERE... fast forward to 13:40 for the "mole" comment.
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