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A club source confirmed the team is close to bringing Varitek on board, but offered no further details.
A baseball source with direct knowledge of the talks between Varitek and the Red Sox said he is likely to be named a special assistant to general manager Ben Cherington, a role in which Varitek will be encouraged to learn the Red Sox system from top to bottom and be involved in a variety of areas, including player development and talent evaluation.
The day may come when Varitek will want to try his hand at managing, the source said, but for now he is committed to spending more time with his family. Varitek's wife, Catherine, tweeted this reply to a fan asking if Varitek might manage the Red Sox: "I think he'd be great. BUT... Sorry, going to Greece next summer. He's a bit tied up."
"Would it be a great move?" the source said. "Yes. Do I see it happening? No. Do I think it intrigues him? Absolutely. Is he qualified? Absolutely. Would he enjoy it? Absolutely. But does he want to be manager now? I don't think so. I think Jason will be in the mix for manager in the future, but I think they want to set him up for success. That could change, I suppose, but I don't think so."
ESPNBoston | Jason Varitek: Red Sox job 'close'
First of all, Gordon Edes' source talks like a crazy person.
Secondly, it's good to see that Tek will be back in some form or fashion. The team has clearly identified him as someone they want associated with them for a long time.
The people calling for Tek to manage next year, though, are a little misguided. Sure, it's worked in Chicago and St. Louis, but to me it seems a bit early for Tek to come back in that role. I'd like to see him learn how the organization works a bit more, learn what they value, work on talent evaluation, and then transition into the manager position. In a few years, it could be a good move.
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