The Clock Is Ticking on Varitek

With the team-imposed deadline on the Sox' contract offer to Jason Varitek come and gone (on the east coast, at least), yesterday's breaking news looms large: According to a baseball source [ . . . ] Varitek is seriously considering the option of sitting out the 2009 season and/or retiring rather than accepting the contract offer made to him last week. [ . . . ] Though Varitek appears to have no other suitors at this time, it would not be unprecedented for him to sit out until he receives an offer to his liking. With agent Scott Boras advising him, Varitek opted to return to Georgia Tech for his senior year after being drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1993. He re-entered the draft and was selected in the first round by the Seattle Mariners in June 1994, then signed with the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League because he could not come to terms with the Mariners. Varitek never actually played for the Saints and eventually signed with the Mariners in...