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Coaching Notes: Varitek, Ramirez, Molina

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Jason Varitek has filled various roles for the Red Sox since he hung up his catching gear after the 2011 season. For the past five years, he has held a full-time role on Boston’s coaching staff. Initially, the team’s game planning coordinator, he later added catching coach to his duties. When the Red Sox hired Parker Guinn last offseason, Varitek’s title changed to game planning and run prevention coach for the 2025 campaign.

The three-year deal Varitek signed before the 2023 season expired at the end of this year, but MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reports that the Red Sox and their former captain are hammering out the details of a new contract. The “likeliest outcome,” according to Cotillo, is that Varitek will return in the same capacity in 2026. Earlier this week, Cotillo reported that all but one of Boston’s coaches were expected to return to their roles next season, with assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal the only exception.

Of course, the fact that Varitek has not yet signed a contract with the Red Sox leaves open the possibility that he could seek a more prominent role elsewhere. Several teams are still hunting for new managers, and while Varitek’s name hasn’t come up in many managerial rumors recently, the Giants reached out to him with interest in 2023, and he interviewed with the Mariners in 2015.

In other coaching news…

  • Another Red Sox great is looking to break into the coaching game. Nine-time Silver Slugger winner Manny Ramirez, who won two World Series titles alongside Varitek in Boston, has once again expressed his desire to become an MLB hitting coach, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman notes that Ramirez is “getting word out to all 30 teams” that he is interested and available. The 12-time All-Star reportedly offered his services as a hitting coach to one unspecified MLB manager last offseason (per MassLive’s Sean McAdam), but this is his most overt attempt to secure such a gig. His accomplishments on the field speak for themselves – a .312 batting average, 555 home runs, and 1,831 RBI – but his coaching experience is limited. He spent a few months as a player-coach for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs in 2014 and continued on as an organizational hitting consultant through 2016. Years later, he signed on with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League as a player-coach for the 2020-21 campaign. However, COVID-19 delayed the start of the season, and Ramirez was eventually released two games into the year due to injuries. This past September, he told Foul Territory that he spoke to the Red Sox about a potential coaching opportunity last year, but their conversations never progressed to anything serious.
  • Yadier Molina, himself a former perennial All-Star and two-time World Series champion, has also thrown his hat in the proverbial ring for a coaching job. He posted a message on his Instagram account today saying that he is “ready to return to the field – whether as a coach or a manager – in MLB, Mexico, or wherever.” Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that Molina’s desire to coach isn’t new information, but his comments today move up the timeline. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s John Denton reports that Molina has already had conversations with the Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol about taking on a formal coaching role with the club. The nine-time Gold Glove winner returned to St. Louis this past summer as a guest coach for two games. At the time, he told reporters, including Denton, that coaching and managing were in his future plans, but that he was focusing on his family for the time being. He has, however, gained international managerial experience in recent years, including managing Team Puerto Rico at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He will return to manage the team in this winter’s upcoming WBC.

Quick Hits: Manny Ramirez, Nationals, Sportsbook At Nats Park

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The Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League announced the release of Manny Ramirez today. The ABL has only been able to play two games of their season because of COVID shutdowns, and Ramirez had yet to appear because of an oblique injury. The language used in the initial press release announcing Ramirez’s injury caused some confusion, as it claimed Ramirez was out “due to ongoing sensitive and confidential medical reasons”, per Christian Nicolussi of The Sydney Morning Herald. Ramirez retired from Major League Baseball in 2011 after testing positive for a banned substance and receiving a 100-game ban, but he insists there is nothing untoward about his current circumstance beyond a strained oblique. Manny plans to stay in Australia for the time being. Returning stateside…

  • The Nationals added some serious thunder to their lineup in the form of Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell, but they could use someone with an offensive profile more similar to the departed Adam Eaton, writes Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Without a designated hitter in the National League, Eaton’s defensive position will go to Juan Soto, with Schwarber in left. Zuckerman’s looking for a “grinder” who runs well, gets on base, and makes contact. To Zuckerman’s point, after their new big four of Soto, Schwarber, Bell, and Trea Turner, the Nats project to field a bottom half of the lineup that may struggle to get on base. Yan Gomes (5.7 percent) Starlin Castro (5.0 percent), and Victor Robles (5.3 percent) all post subpart walk rats for their careers. Josh Harrison will get playing time as the first man off the bench, but his 4.1 percent walk rate won’t help in that regard, nor will youngster Luis Garcia, who profiles similarly to Castro and Harrison as a contact-first infielder. Carter Kieboom shows some promise in this regard (12.7 percent walk rate), but the 23-year-old third baseman hasn’t hit enough through 165 career plate appearances (54 wRC+) to guarantee playing time. Andrew Stevenson could be their internal answer if the DH does come to the National League. Stevenson fits the “grinder” profile to a tee.
  • Staying in the nation’s capitol, the Nationals are partnering with BetMGM to open a sportsbook at Nats Park this season, per Scott Allen of the Washington Post. When the bill to legalize sports betting was passed in DC in 2018, one stipulation was that sporting arenas would have their own sportsbook, making third-party betting apps unavailable within a two-block radius. That will now be the zone for which the Nats new sportsbook – and associated mobile app – will be available. The brick-and-mortar will take over the “Center Field Social” space at N St. and Half St. NE, right off the metro and closest to the busiest stadium entrance in centerfield, though it’s not directly accessible from inside the stadium.

Manny Ramirez Signs In Australia

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Manny Ramirez’s professional baseball career isn’t over yet. The 48-year-old has signed with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Last we heard from Ramirez, he was pursuing a comeback in Taiwan in May. However, no deal ever materialized for Ramirez in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He’ll now go to Australia in hopes of logging his first professional action since he played in the Dominican Winter League in 2014-15.

Although he’s statistically one of the greatest hitters Major League Baseball has ever seen, there’s little to no chance Ramirez will return to MLB as he approaches the age of 50. He last graced the majors in 2011 with the Rays, though he’s obviously better known for his highly successful runs with the Indians, Red Sox and Dodgers. Ramirez slashed .312/.411/.585 (153 wRC+) with 555 home runs and 66.3 fWAR in 9,774 plate appearances during his time in the bigs.

Manny Ramirez Pursuing Taiwan Comeback

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May 1: Ramirez’s agent, Hector Zepeda Jr., tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that since Ramirez made his interest in a comeback known, he’s already heard from one CPBL team. That club expressed interest but indicated that a signing wasn’t likely until midseason.

April 29: Longtime MLB star Manny Ramirez is well past his prime, but he may yet have another act. He tells Mark Buckton of the Taiwan Times that he’s hoping to appear again in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

“My goal for 2020, is to find a roster spot in the CPBL,” Ramirez says. “I have been itching to get back in the batter’s box and be able to compete again.”

The CPBL is, of course, the only place in the world to catch a ballgame at the moment. Ramirez, who turns 48 at the end of May, previously starred briefly in Taiwan’s five-team league back in 2013.

The idea this time around, per Ramirez, is to function “as a player-coach.” That’s the same angle he took when he appeared at Triple-A with the Cubs in 2014. Ramirez also pursued an opportunity in Japan in 2017, but nothing came of it.

Why Taiwan? Ramirez says he has also considered the indie ball circuit — which isn’t active right now and may not be in 2020 — but prefers to cross the Pacific. “I have had a few offers for teams in the Atlantic League, but am more in favor of experiencing Taiwan and their delicious food,” he explains.

Ramirez produced and occasionally puzzled over 19 memorable MLB seasons, the last of which was a very brief 2011 showing. He launched 555 total long balls and compiled a ridiculous lifetime .312/.411/.585 batting line, making him one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game — albeit one who tarnished his career with multiple PED violations.

You’ll want to check out the interview for more on what Ramirez has been up to of late. The ever-interesting and exceptionally talented slugger speaks of helping quietly in the community and focusing on his family and Christian faith.

Cafardo’s Latest: Crawford, Victorino, Manny, Wright

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Here are the highlights from this week’s notes piece by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • One Dodgers official says Carl Crawford’s career is likely over. At last check, the 35-year-old seemed likely to try to make a comeback next season. There’s been no official word from Crawford about any retirement plans, however. The Dodgers designated Crawford for assignment last June, then released him, even though he still had $35MM remaining on his $142MM contract at the time. At the time of his release, he was batting .185/.230/.235 in 87 plate appearances, and he had missed time due to a back injury.
  • Another veteran outfielder, 36-year-old Shane Victorino, has an offer on the table, but his agent is waiting to hear back from his client about whether to take it. The deal would almost certainly be of the minor-league variety. As of last month, Victorino was working out in Las Vegas in preparation for next season. The Cubs released him in May after just nine minor-league games. He last played in the big leagues in 2015 with the Red Sox and Angels, batting a modest .230/.308/.292 in 204 plate appearances.
  • 44-year-old Manny Ramirez recently signed with the independent Kochi Fighting Dogs in Japan, and MLB execs express guarded optimism about the possibility that his comeback attempt could lead him back to bigger things, even though he hasn’t played in the Majors since 2011. “We’ll have to see how his body holds up,” says Braves president of baseball operations John Hart. “If it does, he’s best suited for the American League as a DH at this point, but would I be surprised if he could still hit? Absolutely not.”
  • Red Sox righty Steven Wright is rehabbing his shoulder (which he injured while pinch-running late last season), but he should be ready for Spring Training, Cafardo writes. The knuckleballer last pitched last August 31, finishing his year with a 3.33 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 156 2/3 strong innings.

Manny Ramirez Signs In Japan

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Manny Ramirez is returning to the field at the age of 44. The Kochi Fighting Dogs of the independent Shikoku Island League Plus in Japan have announced an agreement with Ramirez, whose last major league at-bat came in 2011. Ramirez’s latest action came in 2014, when he played in the Dominican Winter League and with Triple-A Iowa.

The mercurial Ramirez debuted in the majors in 1993 and ultimately became one of the most terrifying offensive forces in the history of the sport. In a combined 9,774 plate appearances with the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays, the outfielder slashed .312/.411/.585 with 555 home runs – which ranks 15th all-time. He also earned 12 All-Star nods and helped the Red Sox to two World Series championships, including their 2004 triumph that broke an 86-year drought. Ramirez dominated during that run en route to World Series MVP honors, and he generally thrived in the postseason with a .285/.394/.544 line in 493 career PAs.

Ramirez is currently on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, but it’s possible his controversial past will prevent him from ever gaining enshrinement. Major League Baseball hit Ramirez with two suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs during his career, the second of which – a 100-game ban – came in 2011. Ramirez hasn’t played in the majors since amassing 17 PAs that year with the Rays, though he did make comeback attempts with the Athletics and Rangers before joining the Cubs as a player-coach with Iowa in 2014. That led to the Cubs hiring him as a batting consultant a year later in 2015.

Ramirez will now head to Asia for the second time, having previously played in Taiwan as a member of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2013. His new league includes just four teams and has no connection to Nippon Professional Baseball.

Cafardo’s Latest: Ramirez, Upton, Gallardo, Chen, Ozuna

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With the recent Hall of Fame voting out of the way, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the case for former Red Sox star Manny Ramirez. Obviously, his offensive performance was magnificent, although lousy defense sapped his overall value. With confirmed PED violations after the so-called Steroid Era, voters may find it hard to select Ramirez. He also had a prickly reputation with the phrase “Manny being Manny” coming to represent his often oblivious frame of mind.

Here’s more from Cafardo’s column:

  • The Red Sox could consider signing free agent outfielder Justin Upton. Club president Dave Dombrowski is comfortable with a starting outfield of Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, and Rusney Castillo, but there’s certainly risk involved with relying upon Bradley and Castillo. Either or both players could conceivably fail to produce at a league average rate. The Sox do have depth in the form of Chris Young, Brock Holt, and possibly Travis Shaw. However, Upton would give them a superstar presence in the middle of the lineup, and he won’t have the same difficulty in adjusting to left field as Hanley Ramirez.
  • Yovani Gallardo may be the next starting pitcher to sign. Scott Kazmir’s three-year, $48MM contract is a potential comparable. The teams involved in his market are hoping for a bargain on a two- or three-year contract, per Cafardo. He sees the Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Royals, and Cubs as the best fits.
  • Fellow free agent starter Wei-Yin Chen has scared some teams away with a five-year, $100MM asking price. The Nationals and Cardinals “have taken a good hard look.” Chen, 30, can point to success in the always difficult AL East as justification for a nine-figure asking price.
  • Ten teams have inquired about Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, but Miami coaches Barry Bonds and Don Mattingly are campaigning to keep Ozuna. They believe they can shape Ozuna into a star player. While owner Jeffrey Loria is said to be the impetus behind the club’s attempts to trade Ozuna, it’s also plausible he would defer to his newly hired, high profile personnel.
  • Some scouts still think there’s something left in Ike Davis’ tank. The Mets’ former top prospect has played for three teams over the last two seasons with exactly zero WAR in 666 plate appearances. Davis will likely sign a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
  • The Tigers and Mets are monitoring the market for Yoenis Cespedes. Based on Cafardo’s report, it sounds like both clubs hope to pounce if a strong suitor doesn’t emerge.
  • Meanwhile, Dexter Fowler could end up as a bargain. Cafardo predicts a three-year contract below the $31MM signed by Denard Span. He suggests the Rockies (if they make a trade) and Tigers as possible fits. Personally, I disagree with the valuation on Fowler. Like Span, he has a history as a high OBP, top-of-the-order hitter. The draft pick compensation tied to him is a deterrent, but he’s been much healthier than Span in recent seasons.
  • Talks between Chris Davis and the Orioles may have a drop-dead date. While the Orioles prefer a big left-handed bat, they may dip into the market for Upton or Cespedes. Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is also a potential fit.

NL Notes: Ramirez, Dodgers, Harvey

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Manny Ramirez was known for his unusual attitude as a player, and his current role with the Cubs is unclear, but he’s latched on with the organization as a coach, the Associated Press writes. Ramirez isn’t listed as an official member of the Cubs’ coaching staff, but he regularly works with all the team’s hitters, and Jorge Soler and Javier Baez, especially, look up to him. His metamorphosis into an admired coach has been unusual, given that he was suspended for PEDs and that he himself was known for being less than coachable as a player. He was, however, a hard worker, and his appetite for improving his game has also helped him as a coach. Here’s more from the National League.

  • The Dodgers’ playoff ouster shows that Andrew Friedman needs to adjust to the demands of baseball in a big market, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes. While the Dodgers did win 92 games and the NL West, Dilbeck writes, they were still disappointing because they didn’t advance further than the NLDS and didn’t show appropriate “urgency” by making high-profile deadline moves. From my perspective, that sounds somewhat harsh, given the seemingly limited amount of control a front office has over how its team plays once it reaches the roller coaster of variance that is the postseason. Dilbeck has a point, though, that this winter will be an interesting one for Friedman, who will likely have to strongly consider signing, for the first time in his career, at least one player to a nine-figure contract.
  • The Mets’ unexpectedly strong season has placed starter Matt Harvey in an awkward position, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. He continues to pitch in the postseason despite a controversy earlier in the year about his innings total this season as he returns from Tommy John surgery. Including the playoffs, Harvey has now pitched 194 1/3 innings this season. Pitching more might risk further injury, but as the reaction to the initial controversy showed, Harvey would be a “pariah” throughout the game if he stopped. And it isn’t hard to understand why the Mets might want to get everything they can out of him now, while they have a chance — clear shots at championships aren’t easy to come by, even for teams that appear to have bright futures.

NL Central Notes: Wainwright, Manny, Maddon, Pirates

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Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has left the team’s Spring Training complex in Florida and will head to St. Louis after experiencing abdominal pain, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wainwright will see a specialist in St. Louis to diagnose the source of the injury. GM John Mozeliak said it would be incorrect to label the injury a sports hernia at this time. Wainwright said that he’s been feeling better each day, but seeing a specialist will give the team some further clarity.

  • The Cubs announced today that they have hired Manny Ramirez as a hitting consultant. Ramirez, who spent the 2014 season as a player-coach with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate, will work with the Cubs’ Major League and Minor League players on the fundamental and mental aspects of hitting, according to a press release from the team.
  • Via ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers, commissioner Rob Manfred said yesterday that the investigation into the Cubs’ alleged tampering regarding their hiring of Joe Maddon will be resolved by Opening Day (Twitter link). The Cubs agreed to bring Maddon on as their new manager on a five-year deal just 10 days after he opted out of his contract with the Rays.
  • Corey Hart had other offers in free agency but welcomed the opportunity to return to the familiar setting of the NL Central when the Pirates made a one-year offer, he tells Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Hart admits that he also rushed back to action too quickly in 2014 after missing the entire 2013 season due to surgery on both of his knees. The fact that Pirates have morphed into one of the National League’s best teams over the past few seasons also played a role in his decision to select Pittsburgh’s offer.
  • The Pirates are drawing some influence from the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in determining how much to rest their stars this offseason, writes ESPN’s Jayson Stark. Manager Clint Hurdle said that an interesting article on how much the Warriors are resting their best players and how the on-court production has improved as a result Seeing the analysis was no accident, however, as GM Neal Huntington tells Stark that the Pirates are constantly studying successful teams in other sports to see if any trends or philosophies can carry over to baseball.

Free Agent Notes: Exec Poll, Landmines, Manny

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ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick presents his always-enjoyable annual poll of baseball GMs and other executives today.  Among the leading opinions: Jon Lester provides better value than Max Scherzer, Giancarlo Stanton’s contract situation will remain unresolved, and the Cubs will sign Russell Martin.  Crasnick asks eight questions in all, and some are not clear-cut, such as whether Cole Hamels or Starlin Castro is more likely to be traded.  On top of that, here’s some free agent reading…

  • First, stop what you’re doing and bookmark MLBTR’s free agent tracker and list.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs has his free agent landmines, which is always a good read.  Cameron was spot-on last year.  My slight disagreement would be with Edinson Volquez.  I agree that paying him based on a 3.04 ERA would be folly, but he’s not a bad buy on a two-year deal if his reduced walk rate from 2014 can be sustained.  Marry that with his strikeout rate from 2010-12, his propensity for groundballs, and his solid fastball velocity, and you’ve got an interesting, healthy 31-year-old pitcher.
  • ESPN’s Jim Bowden predicts contracts for his top 50 free agents.  I’ll take the over on Bowden’s predictions for Lester, Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Andrew Miller, Chase Headley, Brandon McCarthy, and Jake Peavy.
  • Manny Ramirez is playing in the Dominican Republic and is “not ready to give up the dream” of returning to MLB, agent Barry Praver tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Ramirez, 42, last appeared in the Majors in 2011 when he had 17 plate appearances with the Rays and chose to semi-retire rather than serve a 100-game PED suspension.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports talked to the former slugger in March.  Manny went on to hit .222/.273/.375 in 77 Triple-A plate appearances for the Cubs’ affiliate this year.
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