Varitek to stay with the Sox for 2010
Jason Varitek has chosen to stay with the Red Sox and not test the free agency market and exercised his $3 million player option and could get up to $2 million in bonuses for the 2010 season.Varitek hit .209 with a .313 OBP and .390 slugging mark in 2009, and he lost playing time to Victor Martinez after the switch-hitter was acquired from the Indians at the trade deadline. Sox GM Theo Epstein

V-Mart and Wake signed/ V-Tek declined
With the GM winter meeting's starting today the hot stove chatter is about to pick up. The Boston Red Sox today officially announced by GM Theo Epstein that they exercised the 2010 contract option on catcher Victor Martinez and declined to exercise team options on shortstop Alex Gonzalez which was announced by the media yesterday and catcher Jason Varitek, Tek now has four days to decide whether

Sox decline option on Alex Gonzalez for 2010
The Red Sox have declined shortstop, Alex Gonzalez's $6 million option for 2010 according to boston.com, but the club still may have interest in bringing Gonzo back in 2010 on a lesser salary. News of the Sox’ decision to decline the option on Gonzalez comes just 2 days after the Milwaukee Brewers traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez. A different baseball

The Sox trade for Hermida from the Marlins
Today the Red Sox traded for 25 year old outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for 2 left handed pitchers, Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez. Hermida has lefty power and at this point and time in the off season seems to be the candidate for the 4th outfielder position for the Sox.Also, today Jason Bay, Billy Wagner and Rocco Baldelli officially signed for free agency.

Sox Bench Coach, Brad Mills named Astros Manager
The Houston Astros have nameed Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their next manager. Houston television station KRIV was the first to report the news. Mills, Terry Francona's righthand man during his entire six-year tenure with the Red Sox, has no managerial experience in the majors, Mills has managed 11 seasons in the minor leagues with the Cubs, Rockies and Dodgers organizations. The 52-