The Herald - The Red Sox have set a Saturday deadline for Jason Varitek to accept or reject a one-year offer, according to a source close to the negotiations. The contract is reportedly worth $5 million and includes 2010 options. The club set the Jan. 31 deadline in order to keep negotiations with its free agent captain and catcher from inching any closer to the Feb. 12 spring training reporting date in Fort Myers. Varitek and the ballclub have been speaking about a new deal since he filed for free agency in November. While the talks never have been described as anything other than amicable, the lack of a deal speaks to the vast difference in opinion between player and management regarding the catcher’s value. By declining the club’s offer of arbitration in early December, Varitek walked away from what would have been an estimated $10 million...

Thank God. This is the best news to come out of the Red Sox all winter. That they've finally set a deadline and Varitek will either sign with them or they'll move on. As it is, these contract talks have been going on longer than the Vietnam peace talks. As I've said, I love 'Tek. I respect how he's resisted the urge to put his side of things out into the public by doing the old Pedro "I'm a proud man" thing. And I'm sure he is proud of all he's done in Boston and feels like getting his pay cut in half is a kick in the groin. Particularly since I'm sure Scott Boras has spent the last year filling his head with all sorts of "I can get you a 4-year deal, Jason. You're the most respected catcher in the game, Jason" nonsense. But no matter how much pride you have or what you've done in the game, your agent can only get you the best deal that's out there. And teams aren't in the business of hiring a 36 year old catcher who's been swinging the bat like he's trying to kill a moth with nunchucks. The Red Sox, however, are. At least they are for $5 million bucks. That's the best deal Varitek's going to get, otherwise he would've gotten a better one by now. Sure it sucks to take a pay cut and have your feelings hurt. I'm sure Andy Petite was hoping for more than the 65% paycut he just took to resign with the Yankees. I'm not as smart as your typical agent, but it seems to me that's the reality you face in a bad economy when you're at the ass end of your career and coming off a lousy year.

End this Dog & Pony Show, 'Tek, and sign with the Sox while you've still got some dignity left.