Varitek, Sox agree to deal

By Tony Massarotti and Chad Finn, Globe staff

The prolonged and sometimes contentious negotiations between Jason Varitek and the Red Sox has been resolved, with the catcher agreeing to a contract that will keep him with the club for a 13th season -- and perhaps beyond.

Varitek, the popular Red Sox captain who is oft-praised for his intangibles but is coming off by far his worst offensive season, came to terms to a one-year contract with a second-year option, the Red Sox confirmed this afternoon.

Varitek, who turns 37 on April 11, will earn $5 million in 2009, with the club holding a $5 million option for 2010. If the Red Sox do not pick up that option, Varitek has the choice of remaining with the club on a $3 million deal. In '10, he can earn another $2 million in incentives based on playing time, beginning at 80 games started. The incentives apply to the player option only.

Today's news brings a conclusion to a stalemate that had dragged on since the beginning of the free agent period. Varitek, who batted .220 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs in the regular season and .050 in the postseason in 2008, found interest from other clubs to be scarce during free agency, particularly after agent Scott Boras rejected the Red Sox' offer of arbitration, meaning he would have cost his new team a first-round pick as compensation.

Last Friday, the Red Sox sent Varitek and Boras a team letter that effectively served as an ultimatum. According to a baseball source earlier this week, the Sox composed the letter to Varitek last Thursday, Jan. 22, and sent it to the player and his agent by registered mail. According to another baseball source yesterday, the letter was delivered to the player and his agent at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, and gave the player one week to reply, a precise deadline the team intended to enforce at a moment when negotiations appeared most tense. Varitek, Boras and the Red Sox hammered out the deal late this morning.

By including the incentives, the Red Sox subtly tweaked the offer previously presented to Varitek. He had the ability to select either a guaranteed one-year deal for $5 million or a one-year deal with a dual option, the latter of which contained a $5 million club option for 2010 or a $3 million player option, but without the potential to earn an extra $2 million.

If Varitek has a decent season

A lot of teams are gonna regret now signing him