Report: Jason Varitek will continue to coach the Red Sox with a new multi-year contract

Varitek’s previous deal expired when Boston’s season ended in early October.

A beloved former Red Sox player will return to the team’s coaching staff with a new multi-year contract.

Jason Varitek, who most recently served as “run prevention and game planning coach” at Boston, will remain with the Red Sox for at least two more seasons on a new contract, according toMassLive’s Sean McAdam. Varitek’s previous contract expired when Boston’s season ended earlier this month.

Last week, the former Red Sox captain was still unsure whether he would stay in Boston because his contract was about to expire.

“You have to look at everything that’s going on. Have I given everything I have to make this organization better? And what about the people that you coach and coach and are a part of? Yes. Do I want to continue to do that? Yes,”Varitek shared with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show”.last Wednesday. “But I have to put things into perspective.”

According to McAdam, Varitek’s new contract could be similar to coach Alex Cora’s contract, which is expected to end after the 2027 season.

Varitek, 53, previously served as the Red Sox’s game planning coordinator and catching coach from 2021, when he became full-time manager, through the 2024 season. Before that, he served in separate “special assistant” roles in the front office from 2012 to 2018. Varitek was “special assistant/catching coach” during the season 2020 was shortened due to Covid-19.

Despite his lengthy off-field track record in Boston, Varitek has reportedly only interviewed for management positions in the MLB twice since retiring nearly 15 years ago. The Seattle Mariners interviewed him in 2015 before naming Scott Servais as their next captain.

Two years ago, the San Francisco Giants also interviewed Varitek. Finally, Bob Melvin was accepted.

After his interview with the Giants, Varitek said the experience was good for him and he can envision himself becoming a coach in the future.

“I understand that the future of this is finding the right people and the right opportunities to lead and manage a football team,”Varitek spoke in November 2023.“Right now, it’s not really about that, it’s about doing the best you can with the pitchers and catchers, helping them become the best they can be. If the opportunity is right, you have to look at it and really think hard about it.”

According to McAdam, before agreeing to sign a new contract with the Red Sox, no team in need of a coach asked to interview Varitek.

During his 15-year playing career in Boston from 1997 to 2011, Varitek was a three-time All-Star, won the World Series twice (in 2004, 2007), and won the Gold-Glover and Silver Slugger awards (both in 2005).

The Red Sox reportedly “love” star hitting man Kyle Schwarber as he prepares to become a free agent

Kyle Schwarber was only a member of the Red Sox for a few months in 2021, but it seems like that was enough time for him to leave a strong impression on the organization.

MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reports, the Red Sox “love” Schwarber and are expected to express “serious interest” in him if the star player cannot reach a new deal with the Phillies early in the free agency period.

Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, will become a free agent when the World Series ends and is expected to be one of the top hitters on the open transfer market this season after another stellar year with the Phillies. He led the NL in home runs (56) and RBI (132) while posting a .240 batting average and .928 OPS in 2025.

That’s certainly the type of bat the Red Sox could use in their lineup, especially after the Rafael Devers trade. When Schwarber spent the last two seasons as the Phillies’ primary designated hitter, the Red Sox hit just 10 home runs among the 12 players sharing the designated hitter spot after Devers was traded.

In fact, even if the Red Sox have Devers, they haven’t had a bat like Schwarber in the last four seasons. He hit more than 45 homers in two other seasons in Philly and had a 38-homer season in 2024, proving to be one of baseball’s few strongest bats. However, Schwarber also had some slumps during his time with the Phillies, posting a .207 batting average in his first two years with the club.