The Red Sox’ captain is returning for another season at Fenway Park.
Jason Varitek signed a one-year deal with the team worth $2 million and incentives, according to online reports Thursday.
The team had been facing something of a void behind the plate, with only Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the roster after the departure of Victor Martinez. But Varitek — who’s played his entire 14-year career in Boston — should provide an ample bat (and glove) off the bench.
The longtime captain is the second World Series hero the Sox have re-signed in as many months. They brought DH David Ortiz back into the fold in November, exercising his one-year, $12.5 million option.
But Boston has lost a pair of big bats this offseason, with the departure of Martinez and the expected departure of Adrian Beltre.
The Sox need to sign an impact bat in addition to Varitek and Ortiz to make up for that lost production. They’re reportedly moving toward doing so, having met with star slugging outfielders Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford in recent days.
Varitek, 39, has a .258 batting average, a .343 on-base percentage and 182 home runs in 1,478 games for Boston.
