CSNNE.com is reporting that the Phillies have some interest in making veteran catcher Jason Varitek their back up catcher. Varitek, 38, has not hit above .260 in five seasons and has seen his playing time drop dramatically over the past three seasons.
Varitek is a great clubhouse player and works well with his pitchers, but is no longer an option with the bat (at least everyday), and cannot withstand the grind of a full season. He hit .232 with 7 home runs in 112 at-bats this season for the Red Sox.
The Blue Jays, Nationals, and Astros have all expressed interest in Varitek as a possible mentor to a younger catcher who is nearing a full workload in the majors. AL sources believe Varitek has indeed played his last game as a Red Sox and will look for another job this offseason.
The question will be if he is able to land a major league contract, because recent history has shown that if your asking price is too high, teams will flat out ignore you.