Sox choose Cash to replace Mirabelli

The Red Sox have announced that Kevin Cash will be Doug Mirabelli’s replacement.

I have a really hard time seeing Cash as a season-long solution.

I recognize that Cash is a good defensive catcher, but in his best offensive season (2004) he hit .193 with a .249 OBP.

If Tek goes down for any length of time, this is going to get painful.

Varitek hoping to sign extension this spring

Jason Varitek is entering the final year of his contract, and he’s hoping to sign an extension before the season officially gets underway.

Theo Epstein has publicly stated that working out a deal with Varitek is a priority, but apparently there haven’t been any serious talks so far.

“There haven’t been steps toward it so far as my knowledge,” Varitek said. “Yes, we’ll be extremely open to seeing what can be done. Once spring training’s over, you want things done with.”

There aren’t a whole lot of good replacement options out there. Internally, George Kottaras is the best catching prospect we have. He looked good in Pawtucket last year, and could be a solid Major League catcher in a couple years if he continues to develop defensively and gets a little more aggressive at the plate.

Barring an unlikely blockbuster trade for Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer or Russell Martin, Varitek looks like he’ll be the best option out there for the Red Sox in 2009.

With that said, I’m skeptical that a deal will get done before the season starts. Given Varitek’s age, the Red Sox will probably want to wait and see if he can stay healthy throughout the 2008 season before throwing money at him. They’ll also continue to monitor Kottaras’ progress, and keep an eye on the trade market.

The club will be likely be expected (and willing) to pay a premium for Varitek in free agency if things get that far, so long as it means they’re putting the best possible player behind the plate in 2009.