Is Jason Varitek still with the Red Sox? Here’s the latest

“We’re still working through that and having conversations,” Breslow said. “Obviously, Tek is an incredibly meaningful and important and revered member in this organization who has a ton of respect from me, but I think those conversations are best handled in private.”

On Saturday night, as Varitek departed Baltimore with the rest of the group, his status with the Red Sox was squarely in doubt. Around the same time he was seen on Cora’s Instagram story doing a “thumbs down” gesture in front of the private jet that took the group back to Massachusetts, a confidant said, via text, that Varitek “was not actually re-assigned.” Varitek, for his part, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from MassLive on Sunday.

Varitek, who recently turned 54, joined the Red Sox in a trade with the Mariners at the 1997 deadline and debuted that year. In 15 major league seasons, the Michigan native played 1,546 games for the franchise and won two World Series titles while being named to three All-Star Games. He retired after the 2011 season and then served a hybrid front office/coaching role as a special assistant and catching coach between 2012 and 2020. In 2021, Cora brought Varitek onto his staff as a “game planning coordinator,” a title that has been altered a bit in recent years.

In October, the sides took a bit of time to finalize a new contract for Varitek to return to Cora’s staff. His title this year was “game planning and run prevention coach.”

Varitek’s departure, in whatever form it ultimately takes, was felt in the Red Sox clubhouse, where many players viewed him as a mentor. Catcher Carlos Narváez was hit particularly hard by the news.

“He was a mentor to me,” Narváez said. “The first moment that I came to this organization, and I said multiple times last year, that he was like my second dad. A ton of love for him. I know he’s always going to be there for me and for everybody here.

“I’m lucky to have him. My first days on a new team last year, I was so grateful and glad I had a person like him on his side. I have a ton of respect for him. I have a ton of love for him. I know he’s always going to be there for me if I need something and the same way here.”

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